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VAREAD.TXT
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1995-10-08
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VAREAD SHAREWARE UTILITY
by P.Mihok - 21 Jan 1995 rev 1.3
*************************************************************
:INTRODUCTION:
This little utility arose as an offshoot of another utility
I was writing, as a sort of "base program" to which I wanted to
append ANSI display capabilities. I found it very handy to read
long ASCII documents, and thought my users might also find it
useful.
I am including the updated mouseable version,
VAREAD - the preliminary version with mouse added. There are
a couple of minor glitches in the mouse operation, which
I did not have time to solve. They are a minor inconvenience.
The main one is that you cannot exit the mouse menu except by
viewing the help screen. There have been fixes to the find and
scrollbar operation.
**************************************************************
:DESCRIPTION:
The utility can be summoned by typing
VAREAD
at the command line, in which case it starts out showing a
directory. Typing a file name after the name of the utility,
VAREAD YOURFILE.TXT
will load the specified file. Do not use VAREAD to read unusual
files (non ASCII) as the software cannot deal with them properly.
The utility will display ASCII files of up to 10,000 lines in
length. It will wrap long lines, so long files with long lines may
be truncated at the 10,000 (wrapped) length.
It will also run .EXE, .COM and .BAT files.
The utility shows you the first screen as it loads the file, so
you can start reading right away as it is loading.
It has a help screen which explains everything except the mouse
operation.
It will also do a word search, do a basic printout of the file, and
provides two directory/shell options:
(a) Shell option - if the name of a shell file is loaded at the
command line as follows:
VAREAD YOURFILE.TXT &BINGO
VAREAD will then shell out and try to run the file named "BINGO"
when F2 is hit. (The ampersand flags that it is the shell name.)
If no shell file has been loaded, VAREAD will load a directory of
the current directory.
(b) Directory option - An extended directory list will be loaded
(up to 212 files) including the names of subdirectories and the path
back towards the root (shown as two dots: .. ) when you hit F3.
VAREAD will navigate to directories that are chosen, so you can
use it to travel about your hard drive looking for a file.
VAREAD shows a graphic display of your position in the file and
also tells you what line number is at the top of the screen. The HELP
screen gives a clock display and tells you the total number of lines
that are in the file.
The mouse provides you with two navigation options:
1) You may move a page at a time or to home or end by placing the
mouse against the right hand side of the screen and observing the
way the cursor alters (up or down arrow or stars for home and end),
and press the left mouse button, or
2) You may place the mouse cursor atop the position in the filebar
which coincides to the location where you wish to go, and then press
the left mouse button.
There is also a mouse menu accessible by moving the mouse cursor
to the lower left hand corner. It allows you to view the help text,
print, view a directory or shell, or leave VAREAD.
*********************************************************************
:LICENCE:
You may use VAREAD on your own machine as much as you like. If you
wish to distribute it, though, to display ASCII text files, you should
send $10. to:
VMV Ltd. 5694-4 Hwy 7 E. Unit 193, Markham Ont. Can. L3P 1B
You will receive a copy (if on Compuserve) which is registered
to your name. If you are not online, I don't know how I will get the
registered copy to you, though, as mailing it costs nearly $4 including
the disc... I guess I'll have to ask for $14 before you'll get the
registered copy by itself, or $10 if you register something else at the
same time or are on Compuserve. (The online registration will cost
more since Compuserve takes a bite out of it. Online registration
consists of doing a fund transfer via your VISA account when connected
to Compuserve by your modem.) Any $ amount is appreciated, however,
and any feedback is welcome.
If you find VAREAD *Very Useful* it would also be nice to send the
$10. to support my continued software development efforts. At that
price, though, I can't promise much - but I'll post you a thank you
message and let you know how those software development efforts are
coming along!
I'm still planning to do the following projects, in case you are
interested:
1) VMASC - may be included with your package. Lets you do a graphic
character colour screen to serve as your title page. Includes a viewer.
A new version will write and import text files and will browse files,
and has a bigger menu; it is available to those who register.
2) VMANSI - Works as above but generates an ANSI graphic file so if you
are online or a sysop, you can send elaborate ANSI graphics online.
No upgrades are contemplated as there has been no demand.
3) VANDOOR - Has been abandoned as there was no demand.
4) VANREAD - An ANSI reader - abandoned, no demand.
5) CYBRTEXT - the new VPUBLISH commercial version.
6) VMSHOW - an animation system working with VMASC or VMANSI files.
Easy to use.
7) NUVAREAD - a version of VAREAD which generates a menu from file
contents. Mouseable, with nice help screens and better printing!
Most of these are almost complete or underway at the time of writing.
************************************************************************
UPDATE NOTE - Feb 1 95 -
Since the original release I've fixed a problem with FIND and done
some more work on the little scrollbar, besides a few other touches
here and there. If anyone notices any irritants or "bugs" feel free
to contact me!
UPDATE NOTE - Feb 18 95
A new version of VAREAD, named NUVAREAD (of course!) has many added
features making it highly suitable for document distribution. (It does
not have the directories, however. It seemed to me that the directories
would be too confusing to a user who only wanted to read the document.)
Therefore, VAREAD provides you with a handy utility especially useful
for a non-Windows machine, and NUVAREAD provides functionality for
displaying documents - including a built in automated menu!
FURTHER UPDATES - MAR 5 1995
NUVAREAD and VAREAD both have received minor bug fixes and upgrades
since last release, mainly mouse operation and better help screens.
Oct 1995 -
NUVAREAD has received major upgrades and now VAREAD is obsolete. It
really shouldn't be used any more! However it's very compact, so I
am just using it to display the registration information.