subject: STARTING PC-Type II OVERVIEW discussion: The PC-Type II program is the file PCT.EXE. To run PC-Type II, this file must be in your default directory or made available through the DOS PATH command. When PC-Type II begins, it will look for a file called PCTYPE.PRO which contains default settings you select to configure PC-Type II to your taste. PC-Type II will first look for this file in your default directory. If it is not found there and you use DOS version 3.0 or later, PC-Type II will look for the file in the same directory in which the PCT.EXE file is located. Finally each directory in your PATH is searched. If it is not found there either, then PC-Type II's internal defaults will be used. If your PCTYPE.PRO file is located elsewhere, you can tell PC-Type II where as a parameter when you run the PCT.EXE program. There are a number of parameters you can specify. These will be discussed in this section. format: PCT {filespec {parm1 ... parmn}} Assuming you are at DOS, you can start a PC-Type II session by entering the command shown above after the DOS prompt and then pressing the Enter key. PCT: This tells DOS to run PCT.EXE and is the minimum entry for running PC-Type II. If no filespec is given, PC-Type II will begin in an empty file called "New File" in which you can begin typing or from which you can call in other files to be edited. If you begin typing in "New File", you name the file as you wish when you save it, or you can give it a name with the NAME command. filespec: This entry defines the first file you want to edit during the PC-Type II session. Filespec may contain a drive, directory path, filename and extension. If no drive is given, the default drive is assumed. If no path is given, the default directory is assumed. The filename and extension may contain the wildcard characters * and ?. If you give a filespec with no wildcard characters, the file does not have to exist. If it does not, PC-Type II will begin with an empty file bearing the filespec name you provided. If the file does exist, it will be loaded and your session will begin. parmn: The parameters will be discussed later in this section. 47 subject: ENTRY MENU discussion: If your filespec contains the characters * and/or ? in the filename and/or extension, then all files in the directory which match the description will be presented in a menu similar to the one shown below. The command to start PC-Type II which produced this menu on my computer was: C> PCT doc*.pct 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 The path you specify in your 쿏efault Directory � filespec is displayed in the 팠袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴孤 menu header, and all files in 쿏OCCMD.PCT � that directory which match the 쿏OCCNF.PCT � request are displayed in the 쿏OCHOP.PCT � menu. If there are too many 쿏OCMAC.PCT � files to see in the menu, you 쿏OCMM.PCT � can use numerous keystrokes 쿏OCMVMT.PCT � to browse through the list. 쿏OCPARMS.PCT � 쿏OCSCRN.PCT � The maximum number of files 쿐XIT � which will be loaded into a 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 menu is 300. strokes: Ctrl PgUp - move to the first file in the list. Ctrl PgDn - move to the last file in the list. PgUp - move up in the list about 18 files at a time. PgDn - move down in the list about 18 files at a time. Ctrl Home - move to first file in the menu display. Ctrl End - move to last file in the menu display. Letter key - move to the first file in the list which begins with the letter specified. file reminder: If the file extension of a menu entry is .PCT, (which is the special extension of a PC-Type II document file), then the line where the Command Line normally appears may contain information about the content of the file when the highlight bar is moved to that file. The information about the file contents is normally entered when the file is saved. It may also be entered or edited in the Filing Options menu reached by pressing Q from the Main Menu. This data is called the File Reminder and is only saved with .PCT files. file select: To select the file you want to edit, move the highlight bar in the menu to the desired file and press the Enter key, and that file will be loaded immediately. If you press the Esc key, then PC-Type II will begin with the empty file "New File". 48 subject: STARTING PC-Type II PARAMETERS discussion: All startup parameters are optional. When used with .BAT files they can be quite useful as will be shown later. All parameters MUST BE PRECEDED by at least one space and the slash character /. load by lines: If a filespec is provided, you may specify the first line and the number of lines of the file to load. Use the parameters /n /m where n is the first line number and m is the number of lines to load. If you specify /n with no /m, then all remaining lines in the file will be loaded. C> PCT myfile /25 Myfile is loaded starting at line 25 to the end. C> PCT myfile /25 /15 Fifteen lines of myfile is loaded starting at line 25. load by pages: If a filespec is provided, you may specify the first page and the number of pages of the file to load with the parameters /PAGE /n /m where n is the first page number and m is the number of pages to load. If you specify /n with no /m, then all remaining pages in the file will be loaded. C>PCT myfile /page /5 Myfile is loaded starting at page 5 to the end. C>PCT myfile /page /5 /3 Three pages of myfile are loaded starting at page 5. green screen: If you have a green screen graphics monitor, you may use the parameter /GREEN to force the colors used inside PC-Type II to black and white regardless of the colors specified in any .PRO file which may be loaded. Once inside, you will probably want to set your configuration so that this parameter will not be needed every time you call PC-Type II. C>PCT myfile /GREEN start macro: If a macro file will be loaded when PC-Type II begins, you may initiate one of its macros with: /Mx where 'x' is the key assigned to the macro. This has the same effect as pressing Alt x after entering PC-Type II. Suppose you have a macro which will go to the PRINT window and initiate printing a mail-merge file. Its key was defined to be A. Suppose MYFILE.PCT is a mail-merge file you previously created. C>PCT myfile.pct /ma Macro A will begin as soon as MYFILE.PCT is loaded. 49 EGA/VGA: The /E=d parameter allows you to specify which EGA/VGA line density you desire on entry. "d" may be H for high, M for medium, or L for low. If no /E parameter is used, the current setting of your monitor is used. L is 25 lines. M is 35 lines for EGA and 40 lines for VGA. H is 43 lines for EGA and 50 lines for VGA. Of course you can use Ctrl E from inside PC-Type II to toggle between these modes, or use the "(E)GA/VGA toggle" of the Other Functions menu reached by pressing O from the Main Menu. NOTE:딻his parameter has no effect unless your active 땘onitor is EGA or VGA. C>PCT myfile /E=h Start session in 43 line EGA (or 50 line VGA) mode. help: The help screens of PC-Type II are stored in the file PCT.HLP. In order for help to be available for your use, PC-Type II must know where to find this file. Normally it will look first on the default directory. If it cannot find it there and you run under DOS version 3.0 or later, it will next look for it in the same directory where PCT.EXE itself is located. If it still cannot be found, then PC-Type II will search for it in each directory defined in your PATH. If you do not keep the PCT.HLP file in the same directory with PCT.EXE, you should use the /H=FILEPATH parameter to tell PC-Type II where the help file is located. If FILEPATH does not include a drive, the default drive is assumed. FILEPATH must contain a valid directory. C>PCT myfile /H=d:\pct\help The PCT.HLP file will be located in directory \PCT\HELP on the D drive. 50 .PRO files: .PRO files contain all the configuration parameters and file references (such as keystroke macro files) you can define to customize PC-Type II to your taste. When PC-Type II begins, it looks for the file PCTYPE.PRO first on the default directory. If it cannot find it there and you run under DOS version 3.0 or later, it will next look for it in the same directory where PCT.EXE itself is located. If it still is not found, then PC-Type II will search for the file in each directory defined in your PATH. If your PCTYPE.PRO file cannot be found under the above circumstances, or if you want PC-Type II to load a different .PRO file, use the parameter /P=FILESPEC. If no drive is specified in FILESPEC, the default drive is assumed. If no directory is supplied in FILESPEC, the default directory is assumed. The extension .PRO does not need to be included in FILESPEC. C>PCT myfile /P=d:\pct\profiles\letter The configuration file LETTER.PRO located in directory \PCT\PROFILES on drive D will be used when PC-Type II is loaded. NOTE: You can always load a specific .PRO file from inside PC-Type II with the "(F)ile handling" option of the Configuration Menu. 51 import: The definitions of data to be imported into a file from within PC-Type II are saved in files with a .IMP extension. If there is one import definition you normally use, it can be referenced within a .PRO file and loaded automatically along with the configuration data. If you wish to load a different .IMP file, or if no .IMP file is referenced, you may do so with the parameter /I=FILESPEC. The .IMP file in FILESPEC will override any other .IMP file referenced. If no drive is specified in FILESPEC, the default drive is assumed. If no directory is supplied in FILESPEC, the default directory is assumed. The extension .IMP does not need to be included in FILESPEC. C>PCT myfile /I=d:\pct\imports\business The import file BUSINESS.IMP located in directory \PCT\IMPORTS on drive D will be used when PC-Type II is loaded. NOTE: You can always load a specific .IMP file from inside PC-Type II with the "(F)ile handling" option of the Configuration Menu. macros: Keystroke macros used by PC-Type II are saved in files with a .MAC extension. If there is one set of macros you normally use, it can be referenced within a .PRO file and loaded automatically along with the configuration data. If you wish to load a different set of macros, or if no .MAC file is referenced, you may do so with the parameter /M=FILESPEC. The .MAC file in FILESPEC will override any other .MAC file referenced. If no drive is specified in FILESPEC, the default drive is assumed. If no directory is supplied in FILESPEC, the default directory is assumed. The extension .MAC does not need to be included in FILESPEC. C>PCT myfile /M=d:\pct\macros\letters The macros file LETTERS.MAC located in directory \PCT\MACROS on drive D will be used when PC-Type II is loaded. NOTE: You can always load a specific .MAC file from inside PC-Type II with the "(F)ile handling" option of the Configuration Menu. 52 escape codes: Printer escape codes used by PC-Type II are saved in files with a .PRN extension. If there is one set of escape codes you normally use, it can be referenced within a .PRO file and loaded automatically along with the configuration data. If you wish to load escape codes for a different printer, or if no .PRN file is referenced, you may do so with the parameter /X=FILESPEC. The .PRN file in FILESPEC will override any other .PRN file referenced. If no drive is specified in FILESPEC, the default drive is assumed. If no directory is supplied in FILESPEC, the default directory is assumed. The extension .PRN does not need to be included in FILESPEC. C>PCT myfile /X=d:\pct\esccode\brother The escape code file BROTHER.PRN located in directory \PCT\ESCCODE on drive D will be used when PC-Type II is loaded. NOTE: You can always load a specific .PRN file from inside PC-Type II with the "(F)ile handling" option of the Configuration Menu. batch files: Many of the parameters described previously lend themselves well to batch files. Assume you normally write documents and print them on your letter quality printer. Since this is where you spend most of your time, you will probably set PCTYPE.PRO to the configuration most beneficial to your documentation needs, and will reference your letter quality printer within that file. This being the case, you would start such a session like: C>PCT doc1188.pct Further assume you spend another large chunk of time writing memos and printing them on a fast dot matrix printer. Rather than having to remember the parameter commands, or entering PC-Type II and loading these files every time, you could set up a file called MEMO.BAT: PCT %1 /P=d:\pct\profiles\memo /X=d:\pct\esccode\dot Placing the .BAT file in the directory where you normally write memos, or placing it in a directory normally found in your DOS PATH statement, you could then start a memo PC-Type II session like: C>MEMO mem1188.pct 53