DP Tool Club 12/CD_ASCQ_12_0294.iso/vrac/joevw122.zip/README.JVW

Text File | 1994-01-19 | 14KB | 286 lines

                                JoeView V1.22 1/17/94

Ok, this is the readme file for JoeView version 1.22.
Many changes over 1.21, see changes file for that.
Spread this program far and wide, its free distribution is
strongly encouraged.

WHAT IS IT?
Basically this is another image viewer for the OS2 operating system running
under PM.  Your hardware needs to be able to display 256 colors for this
puppy to work(properly).

PREVIOUS USERS OF JOEVIEW
The JoeView.ini file has once again changed in format for 1.21 (and all 1.22
betas) so you will lose all your old settings.  JoeView should detect an old
ini file but if JoeView won't start correctly try deleting JoeView.ini.
Please delete your joeview.pal file for the first installation, see below.

PROGRAM SIZE
Don't let the size of the program fool you.  OS2 is very good at only using
the parts of JoeView that are needed.  Much of JoeView's data is only
used when you call it, so the memory penalty isn't so bad.

FIRST INSTALL WARNING
The first time you run JoeView (and any time you delete the .pal file)
it will take a long - 30-60 minutes - time to initialize a certain file.  To stop
it you have to shut down JoeView.  Plan on it taking awhile and just leave
the system alone, you have been warned!  If you abort the run, you
should manually delete the joeview.pal file and let JoeView recreate the
file (joeview.dth - discussed below).  Decide where you want the .ini
and other files to be or each time you change your mind you will have to
manually move the files or let joeview go through its recreation process.

INSTALLATION
I have written a little REXX script called JvwInstl.cmd which will add JoeView
to your desktop and associatefile types with the exe file (so you can click
on an icon to open the file).  You need to put files where you want them and
optionally configure your config.sys.

LEVELS of INSTALLATION
Basic: Put JoeView.exe and JoeView.hlp in some directory.  All other JoeView
files will be put there as JoeView creates them.  One possible exception
to this would be temporary files.

Better: Have the JoeView.hlp in a directory that is in your help path.  This
does not have to be the same directory that the JoeView.exe file is in.

Better Still: Have a environment variable of TMP or TEMP pointing to
a temporary directory on your fastest drive.  JoeView will store a
temp file (joeview.something or joevw.something, etc.) there.  If the variable
is not defined, the file will be put on the current directory.
Temp files should be deleted by JoeView after it is done with them.  It
is wise to check in that directory for files left around from aborted runs.
(An environment variable is a line in your config.sys file that looks like:
SET TEMP=C:\OS2\TMP
)

Best of all:  Put an environment variable called JOEVIEWINI that points
to a drive and directory where you want the JoeView.ini file to be.
This is also the place where the palette file (described below) and
other JoeView files will be placed.  If this variable is not present in
your config.sys, these files get placed in the same directory as
JoeView.exe is located.  The main benefit of this option is that
people running on a network can have one copy of JoeView (exe and help)
located on a common drive with each personal .ini files on each
person's machine.  In your config.sys this would look like
SET JOEVIEWINI=C:\IMAGES

JOEVIEW FILES
JoeView will create a file called JoeView.ini.  This is where all of your
options are stored.  Also, a file called JoeView.pal will be created.  This
is a map of your system palette.  It is important that when you run JoeView
for the first time that the system palette is in its "normal" state, i.e. no
programs which modify the palette should be running.  You can delete
JoeView.ini or JoeView.pal to reinitialize them.  A third file that will
be located in same directory as the .ini and .pal files will be JoeView.dth.
This file works in conjunction with the .pal and is created each time
a new .pal file is made.  This file is what takes so long for JoeView to
run the first time.  It does not have to exist but performance will
be strongly affected by its absence (for certain functions).  To recreate
this file, just delete the .pal file.
One file that may be created is JoeView.pip.  This contains piping
information that you store in it.

Lots in the help file, read it.  Also look at the changes file and the bug
list at the end of this file.

FIRST TIME USERS
When you start JoeView you will notice there is not any menu bar.  This is
because all  commands are accessed through a click of the right
mouse button or by using the system menu - the upper left corner button.
I suggest you run help (just hit 'h') and poke around.  You
should probably look at Viewing Strategies.  There are keyboard equivalents
for many of the mouse commands.  See the key help section or hit 'k'.  Play
around and you'll get the hang of it.

There are only two command line options.  You may specify the name of a file
that JoeView will start loading immediately.  The other is more complex,
read the help section on command line options.

SHAREWARE & REGISTRATION
Yep, As of Version 1.22 JoeView is now shareware. There are several image
viewing programs available as either sharewhare or freeware.  Ones that I
have run accross and feel are worthwhile are (others exist):

PmJpeg by Norman and Ken Yee, registration fee of $20 - $28
PmView by Peter Nielsen, registration fee of $35
GBM (GBMV2) by Andy Key, free and source is available
Image Archiver, Keith Murray, shareware $15
Galleria, by Bitware, registration fee of $53 and up

Each of these programs has certain merits, and although all are clearly
inferior to my program, you should try each one before deciding that
JoeView is the way to go (just kidding guys).  I want you to try all these
programs because we are going to register the programs we like and use,
aren't we?

My sympathies for all these authors has gone up tremendously
after experiencing the amount of time needed to write a decent
program.  I know quite well that a substantial amount of people use
JoeView.  Well, version 1.21 did not force you to register (send money)
but so few people took the hint (of sending money) and just getting
a damn email evaluation was only mildly successful.  Strange how the
first time someone would write to me would be when they had a problem.
So now you get to really send me some money.  I have debated long
and hard about how to release JoeView now that it is shareware.  I
dislike the way that pmview is released in a crippled form, but
I also find that people tend to ignore nag screens after a very short time.
But if I put out JoeView relying on the honesty and consideration of the
end user to register without any sort of incentive I think I would be doomed
to dismal returns.  What to do, what to do...  I have come up with
exponential nag-ware.  The version of JoeView you have is fully
functional, and registering does not add any functions.  But, those who
FOLLOW THE LAW and register JoeView will be freed from annoying nag
screens.  Play with JoeView for awhile and you'll get the point.  As a bonus,
for the first 2945 people who register,  I will enter your name
in the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes(Tm), you may
have already won!  But, you'll never know if you don't register.


/***********************************************/
Consider a brief evaluation of JoeView an obligation
if you use it for any amount of time.  Send reports to:
/************************************************/

Joe Burkley
[e-mail], 128.49.60.1
This email address may not be around by the time you read this.

Hmmm, have you read this far?  Good, because here is how to respond to
the startup screen.  But understand that by answering the startup
screen you are agreeing to all of the following terms:

         LIMITED WARRANTY

Joe Burkley(me) does not guarantee JoeView(the program) will perform any
function other than take up space on your hard drive.  It is very possible that
JoeView is not error free and because of this its operation may
be subject to sudden and inexplicable failure.  Because you
have entered the password to the startup screen you are agreeing
not to hold Joe Burkley liable for any damages to you or others caused by
either loss and/or corruption of data and/or programs.
In no case shall the maximum liability for damages exceed the
amount of the registration fee that was submitted by you
for JoeView.

Joe Burkley SHALL NOT IN ANY CASE BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT OR OTHER SIMILAR DAMAGES ARISING
FROM ANY BREACH OF THESE WARRANTIES EVEN IF HE OR HIS AGENTS HAVE BEEN
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Some states do not allow
the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so
the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.

REGISTRATION
You are required to register JoeView if you wish to use it after an
evaluation period of 20 uses.  This means that you can start the
JoeView program a total of 20 times, after which you are obligated to
register it.  There is no time constraint for this.  To register JoeView you
(the user) send me (the author) money, gold, chinese food, Claudia
Schiffer's home phone number, or any combination of these items.
I (me) then send you (you) one of two passwords.  The password is
according to this scale:

You send me less than $27.82 (US money bub) and I will give you a
password that will work on all 1.22 versions of JoeView - this means
all bug fixes, etc.

You send me more than $27.82 (also US dinero) and I will give you a
password that will work on JoeView 1.22 and I will forward new passwords
to you as needed, free of charge for all future versions.
This assumes that demand is great enough to warrant me
writing the next version of JoeView - next big thing is 24 bit display.

Now you bright types notice I didn't say what happens when you send
me exactly $27.82.  Well, do ya feel lucky PUNK, just try it and see.

The above is for a single user.  The agreement is (in theory) that
you can create as many passworded versions of JoeView as you wish,
but only one of these copies can be in use at any given time (this is
the book description used by Borland and others).

Any company or government use of JoeView will follow the below
registration costs:

Groups registration of 4 or less people:
For 1.22 version only $20 US for each person.
For lifetime password $30 US for each person

Group registration of 5 to 10 people:
For 1.22 version only $50 + $10 US per person (5 people = $100, 6 = $110, etc)
For lifetime password $100 + $11 US per person

Site license:
1.22 version only $279
Lifetime password on an individually negotiated basis.

Send the money (cash, check, or money order) to:

Crunch Products
P.O. Box 370353
San Diego, CA 92137-0353

The checks or money orders should be made payable to either
Joe Burkley or Crunch Products.

To the startup dialog respond "OK, I READ THE README" - don't include the quotes
but it must be all in caps.  The fact that you answered it correctly gets
stored in the joeview.ini file and you won't have to worry about it anymore.
Of course if you lose your ini file you will need to answer it again, so you
may want to keep this readme file around.

OTHER AUTHORS
Much of the the code to read in different format images is taken from other's
work.  Please read the file format sections in the help file in order that they
may given proper recognition.

/***************************************************/
Known Bugs (there are no bugs, only undocumented features):

When using the color control center you cannot click to move a slider,
it must be dragged.

Occasionally will start up with a blue screen.  This means the .ini file is
corrupt.  Delete it.

When running the -b or -bs option, JoeView will become the active
application once at some point.

You can only resize (dragging the window) so far in width.  In height you
can go almost to zero.

Very rare, but I (and others) have managed to get the File Open Dialog to
double list directories and files.  Have not been able to do the error
consistently.

Quick Dir problem sometimes:
   Add an item to the Quick Directory list on the main Options
   window.   Now click add again while the last added item is
   still displayed.   A new item is created that is created
   without the drive letter.   For example, C:\TEST becomes
   :\TEST.
Fix:  Don't do this! Just delete the unwanted entry.  Also, JoeView
verifies drives and paths when you try and leave the Options
window so if you put floppies in the Quick Dir box, put a floppy
in the drive.


Sometimes will puke when trying to paste a 24 bit bitmap

Not a bug but when you have the Aggressive Palette option on your system
may be constantly refreshing the palette when running certain other
programs, even JoeView's own help files.  Turn off Aggressive Palette in
the option menu or by using the aggressive palette toggle of Alt A.

Some people have had problems using the floppy drives.  I haven't seen this.

When you have the Title Bar off you cannot use the space bar to minimize.

Printing is dependant on your drivers.  Windows often has better
drivers and so sometimes Windows based viewers will
print better.

Palette will be not be restored upon exit.  You need to hit the WPS a
couple of times for the palette to be restored.