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RIGHT HAND MAN Desktop Utility version 3.3 8/86 (C) Copyright 1985,1986 RED E PRODUCTS, INC. All rights reserved RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION A. Overview B. What Is Provided C. RHM File System D. Getting Started Chapter 2. MAIN PROGRAM A. Command Line B. Universal Keys C. Windows D. Screen Service E. Exporting Data F. Full Screen Editor G. Configuration Chapter 3. Appointment Calendar A. Introduction B. Calendar C. Appointments D. Alarms E. Templates F. Preset Appointments Chapter 4. ASCII TABLE Chapter 5. BLACK BOOK Chapter 6. CALCULATOR A. Introduction B. Key commands C. Output from Calculator Chapter 7. DOS FUNCTIONS A. Introduction B. Commands C. Output from DOS Chapter 8. FILE EDITOR Chapter 9. GUARDED NOTEPAD RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Contents Chapter 10 CARD INDEX A. Introduction B. Commands Chapter 11 Define Key Macros Chapter 12 Notepad Chapter 13 Transport Window Chapter 14 Typewriter Chapter 15 Limits to Operation RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 1 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION A. Overview Right Hand Man (RHM) is a utility designed to provide immediate support to the computer user and to be available concurrently with any other program. The support is in the form of those activities that are often needed during the course of a workday or a computer session, such as making a note, checking or marking a calendar, thumbing through a card index, or making an appointment. Right Hand Man meets such needs by being instantly available at the touch of a key any time the computer is in operation. A portion of Right Hand Man is functional (once it is installed) by its presence only. Total capability is dependent upon a set of modules and support files which must be present on disk or ram-disk. Modular design allows the user to create, discard, and add features to the Right Hand Man environment as he pleases. B. What Is Provided Right Hand Man is composed of many files which fall under one of several classes: Main program, Documentation, Modules, Help files, and Support files. These are defined as follows: Main Program The main program is the central controller of RHM and all of its files. It is the only part of RHM that must be installed and remain resident. The main program keeps modules on both disk and in memory, but that is completely transparent to the user. All modules communicate through the main program, which communicates with the user. Documentation Documentation files contain full printable instructions for RHM RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 2 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION (continued) B. What Is Provided (continued) Modules Modules are the actual pieces of the program that perform specific functions such as calendar, calculator, and so forth. You may add new modules to the RHM environment as they become available. Modules have the file extension of ".BIN". Help files Each module has its own help file, which can be read by pressing the help key at any time the module is running. The main program also has a help file for general help. Help files have names of the form "HLPxxxxx.RHM", where "xxxxx" is an abbreviation of the module name. Support files Support files are module specific, and may contain user entered information. Some support files are supplied. All support files have names of the form "NNxxxxxx.RHM", where "NN" is a 2 letter abbreviation for the module that uses the file, "xxxxxx" is module specific information. C. RHM File System All files that RHM uses should be kept in one place such as a separate disk or subdirectory. MS-DOS version 2 allows "pathing" through subdirectories, so the directory containing RHM can be anywhere within your file structure. You must set the RHM default path to the drive/directory that its files have been copied into. If the default path is not set or is incorrect, RHM will not find any of its support files (including modules) when it needs them. Configuration is discussed in Chapter 2, Section G. If you have a hard disk and have set the default path, RHM will always know where its files are. If you have only floppy drives, you should make sure to put the RHM disk in when activating RHM. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 3 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION (continued) C. RHM File System (continued) RHM's main program is of little use without the modules. Each module is self-contained but relies on the main program for certain functions such as window handling. Since modules have this dependence on the main program, they can only be invoked by the main program. A module is available to the main program if it is present in the RHM default directory. RHM will look for all modules with the ".BIN" extension when it is loaded. If you don't wish to use a particular module, just rename it so it doesn't have an extension of ".BIN". D. Getting Started Step 1. Print the manual for easy reference if you have a printer available. Step 2. Set your default drive and subdirectory to the area where you put the distribution files ( i.e. C:\RHM ) Until you configure RHM to use a definite path, it will always look in the default drive/subdirectory for its files. Step 3. (Z100 series computers only) Configure Right Hand Man for your particular system. RHM must make some checks on your operating system and other aspects of the computer. Do the following steps: a. From DOS prompt, type "RHM/C". b. The memory configuration menu will be presented with all defaults set for a minimal configuration of Right Hand Man. c. For this minimal configuration of RHM.COM, nothing remains to be done except to write the defaults to the disk. This is accomplished by typing "4". When RHM asks you if you wish to save changes, respond with "Y". RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 4 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION (continued) D. Getting Started (continued) Step 4. Install Right Hand Man. The installation will cause RHM to be placed in memory and be ready to respond to the activation from the keyboard, initiated by the user. This installation is accomplished by typing "RHM" at the system prompt, Right Hand Man is now ready for a request. Step 5. Calling Right Hand Man to attention. Key the activation keying sequence: IBM -> CTL-R CTL-R (hold CTRL, hit 'R' twice) Z100 -> BREAK ESC (hit BREAK follwed by ESC) These keys are currently the default keys defined to activate RHM. Changing the default activation will be discussed in "Define Key Macros", Chapter 11. When you press these keys, the Right Hand Man title page will appear in the top center of the monitor. The title page will be displayed only on the first activation after installation. Step 6. Moving to the main menu. Pressing any key, when the title page is displayed, will cause the main menu to be presented. The main menu is simply a list of available modules that RHM can activate. The first module in the menu will be highlighted. Step 7. Configure RHM for the default path to find its files. To enter configure, hit F5. After the configuration menu is displayed, move the highlighted line to the selection marked "Default Path" and hit ENTER. Enter your default path where the RHM files are located ( i.e. C:\RHM ). To leave the configuration, hit ESC. Save the changes so you will not need to set the path every time. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 5 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION (continued) D. Getting Started (continued) Step 8. You may choose a function by moving the highlighted bar to the selected function with the arrow keys. Then press ENTER or RETURN. A module can also be selected by pressing the letter given on the left of the name. Step 9. The window of the selected function will be presented. For more details on a specific module, refer to the chapter for that module. Step 10. A universal key, the ESC key, is used to exit any particular service or any sub-function of a service. When the user has moved back to the main menu by this method, an additional use of the ESC key will return the user to the previous foreground activity that was underway prior to the call of Right Hand Man. Step 11. You can reactivate Right Hand Man with the activation sequence described in step 5. NOTE: To avoid the possibility of RHM not able to find its files, we suggest to set RHM's Default Path to the drive/directory you wish to keep its files in as explained in step 7. For more on configuration, see "Screen Service" and "Configuration" sections in the next chapter. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 6 Chapter 2. MAIN PROGRAM A. Command Line RHM has several options available from the DOS command line: RHM Install RHM This command will load the main program into memory and reserve memory for it. RHM takes up a fixed amount of memory and will load only as many modules as possible into its work area. RHM/C RHM memory configure This command allows you to configure the amount of memory reserved by RHM when loaded. Probably you will need to configure memory (RHM/C) only once. RHM/I Run RHM immediately This option allows you to run RHM without installing it. It will use all available memory, but will not reserve any. On the IBM version of RHM, it is normal to have a non-blinking cursor when running RHM this way. RHM/R Remove RHM from memory Frees all memory reserved by RHM and completely removes it from memory. If other memory resident programs were installed after RHM, the no memory will be freed until they are removed also. B. Universal Keys IBM Z100 Function ------------------------------------------------------------ ESC ESC The exit key for all sections of RHM, as well as RHM itself. Hitting this key will also save any changes made when using the Full-Screen Editor (described in more detail later). ALT-H HELP Context sensitive help. Displays help file assosiated with the current activity. F1 F1 Screen Service (Explained in section D.) RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 7 Chapter 2. MAIN PROGRAM (continued) C. Windows Right Hand man has the capability of controlling up to 30 independent windows. Each window is controlled by a module. Each window takes up approximately 4K of memory. The number of windows you wish to use may be specified when configuring RHM memory usage via "RHM/C" (See section A). Windows may always be moved to a different location on the screen, but may not leave the limits of the screen. Depending on the module controlling the window, they may be expanded and contracted. When all available windows in use, no more can be added. RHM will ignore all requests to execute modules if no more windows are available. D. Screen Service RHM has a built-in function that allows the user to manipulate active windows and modules. All functions listed are supported by the main program except for window shrink/expand. This particular function is controlled by the module. To use the screen service function, press the F1 key. The following menu is presented: F1 - Leave screen service F2 - Run Module F3 - Add Module F4 - Save Position F5 - Configure F6 - Redraw screen The arrow keys are used to move the active window. The shift-arrow keys are used to shrink/expand the active window. Menu selections are described below in more detail: F2 Run Module Execute a particular module. If the module already has a window on the screen, its window is moved to the front and resumes execution where you left off. If the module has no window, its window will be added to the screen and will begin execution. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 8 Chapter 2. MAIN PROGRAM (continued) D. Screen Service (continued) F3 Add Module Will execute a particular module regardless whether or not it has an existing window. By using this function, you may have several windows on the screen that are controlled by a single module. (For example, 3 calculators on the screen at once.) F4 Save position This function is used to save the current window coordinates of the module as its default. The changes will be only be made to the active module in memory, no changes are made to disk. To permantently relocate a module's window, do the following: 1) Move the window to the desired location. 2) Save position (F4). 3) Go into configure menu (F5). 4) Press ESC to save changes to disk. F5 Configuration This function serves for two purposes. When in the main menu, it configures the main program. When in a module's window, it will configure the module. Each module has its own list of configuration options. To change an option, use the arrow keys to locate the highlighter on the item, and hit <RETURN>. When done with configuring, press ESC. You will be asked if you wish to save changes to disk, respond Y or N. F6 Redraw Screen You should rarely need to redraw the screen. You may want to do so after running programs from the DOS module that destroy the screen contents. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 9 Chapter 2. MAIN PROGRAM (continued) E. Exporting Data "Exporting" in RHM is the process of "cutting" the connection between the keyboard and the program reading from the keyboard. RHM will take complete control of the keyboard and send data directly from the export buffer to the program reading from the keyboard. This makes it appear as if RHM is "typing" on the keyboard instead of you. The Export Buffer is used to hold data that is waiting to be exported. Any data placed in this buffer will be held until it is exported, or RHM is removed from memory. Most modules have the capability to place data into the export buffer. The actions needed to place data in the export buffer is module dependent. Once data is stored in the export buffer, it is available to any program reading from the keyboard, including RHM itself. Exporting is started and stopped by a key sequence called the "Export Switch". When the sequence is entered, it toggles export on/off. The initial key sequence used for the export switch is defined as follows: IBM -> CTL-E (hold down CRTL, hit 'E') Z100 -> Shift-BREAK (hold down Shift, hit BREAK) Example: Moving a Calendar from the appointment calendar to the Notepad. The value must first be placed in the export buffer. In the appointment calendar module, this is done by hitting: IBM -> F9 Z100 -> F11 When the key is hit, the displayed calendar will be stored in the export buffer. Now that the the information is in the export buffer, you must move to the Notepad window, and position the cursor to where you want to put the calendar. For more on the Notepad, read the documentaion for the Notepad Module. Hit the export switch keys (above). The calendar will be "typed out" on the screen. You may wish to try this also with a text editor or word processor. To do so, leave RHM before hitting the export switch keys. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 10 Chapter 2. MAIN PROGRAM (continued) F. Full Screen Editor RHM has a full screen editor built into the main program. Most modules use the editor for different purposes. The Appointment Calendar uses it when creating an appointment, the Notepad uses it to enter notes, etc. By having a common editor for all modules, you only have to remember one set of editing keys. The editor fully supports printing, exporting, and importing (explained below). Function keys supported in editor: IBM Z100 Function ------------------------------------------------------------ CTL-X F0 ABORT changes and EXIT. (This key is used in place of the ESC key as the ESC causes the save of additions or changes in these services.) F1 F1 Service Window F2 F2 " F3 F3 " F4 F4 " F5 F5 " F6 F6 " Alt-G F7 Enter graphics mode This is a toggle key to turn the graphics character entry mode on and off. When graphics mode is active, a "G" or "GRA" will appear on the right side of the status line. In the graphics mode, most characters are translated to the related graphics symbol for display. (See ASCII chart function of RHM for cross listing of graphics symbols) RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 11 Chapter 2. MAIN PROGRAM (continued) F. Full Screen Editor (continued) IBM Z100 Function ------------------------------------------------------------ F7 F8 Import Text This feature allows you to copy text into RHM which has been prepared elsewhere and is displayed on the foreground screen. (RHM is always thought of as being the background program.) When this key is hit, RHM will temporarily remove its windows to allow you to mark the locations of the block to import. Mark one corner of the block to import by moving the cursor to the spot and hitting the "Mark Start" key (see below). Move the cursor to the opposite corner of the block and hit the "Import" key again. Once the end of the block has been marked, RHM scans the block to be imported. RHM will reappear with the imported text from the underlying screen. NOTE: If insert mode is not set in RHM prior to import, and there is text to the right or at the cursor, it will be overwritten. (See "Other Editor Keys" below) F8 F9 Mark Start of Block This key is used to mark the start of a block of text to be used by other editor commands. -- F10 Mark End of Block (Z-100 only) Does nothing. Kept for compatibility for RHM version 2. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 12 Chapter 2. MAIN PROGRAM (continued) F. Full Screen Editor (continued) IBM Z100 Function ------------------------------------------------------------ F9 F11 Export Text This feature allows you to place the marked text into the export buffer so it can be available for exporting. To use this feature the beginning of the block should be marked. If the beginning is not marked, the entire file being edited will be placed in the export buffer. See "Mark Start of Block" above for marking of blocks of text. Sh-F9 Sh-F11 Output Text to Modem. This feature allows you to send the marked text to the current COM port (or Z-100 AUX device), usually set up for modem communications. To use this feature the beginning of the block should be marked. If the beginning is not marked, the entire file is assumed to be the block. F10 F12 Print This feature allows you to print text from RHM. A block or complete section of text may be printed. Printout is sent to current "PRN" device. To use this feature the beginning of the block should be marked. If the beginning is not marked, the entire file is assumed to be the block. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 13 Chapter 2. MAIN PROGRAM (continued) F. Full Screen Editor (continued) Other editor Keys: IBM Z100 Function ------------------------------------------------------------ ENTER RETURN move cursor to start of the next line. Alt-E ENTER move cursor to end of the line. UP UP move the cursor up one line. PGUP Sh-UP move cursor up 1 page (12 lines). DOWN DOWN move cursor down one line. PGDN Sh-DOWN move cursor down 1 page. RIGHT RIGHT move cursor rignt one character. Ctl-RIGHT Sh-RIGHT move to end of line. LEFT LEFT move cursor left one character. Ctl-LEFT Sh-LEFT move to beginning of line. INS I CHR insert character mode toggle. Alt-I INSLINE insert line. DEL DCHR delete character at cursor position. Alt-D DELLINE delete line. BKSP BKSP delete character to the left of cursor. HOME HOME move cursor to beginning of file. END Sh-HOME move cursor to end of file. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 14 Chapter 2. MAIN PROGRAM (continued) G. Configuration The main program of RHM can be configured for your needs in two ways: Memory Configure and Run-time Configure. Some configuration options are explained below: MEMORY CONFIGURE Memory configure allows you to set the amount of memory required by RHM. This configuration can only be done without RHM installed. Memory configure is menu driven and self-explanatory. To do memory configure, type "RHM/C". RUN-TIME CONFIGURE Default Path The default path is used to specify the drive/directory where RHM's data files may be found. If no default path is specified, it will assume the current disk and directory. Module Data Area Minimum Size Whenever a module is executed, RHM tries to free up at least 4K of work area for the module to use. If it cannot find at least 4K, it will take any space that is available, as little as 1K. To free memory, RHM will often unload unused modules from memory. When the module is needed again it will be loaded from disk. With the Minimum Size set for 4K, most modules will remain in memory and loading modules from disk will be rare. For those with hard disks or ramdisks, loading of modules may not be so time consuming. More work space can then be gained by keeping fewer modules in memory and more on disk. To gain more work space, set the Minimum Size to a larger value. RHM will then try to free more memory before running a module. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 15 Chapter 2. MAIN PROGRAM (continued) G. Configuration (continued) Screen Blank RHM has the ability to temporarily blank the screen of your CRT to avoid the possibility of information getting "burned" into the screen. After a predetermined time of no keyboard or video activity, the display on the screen will disappear. To enable the display again, hit any key. Automatic Exit RHM also has the ability to automatically exit when there is no keyboard activity. If any of RHM's windows are left on the screen for a certain amount of time, RHM will automatically save any changes made, and remove all windows from the screen. This feature can also be disabled or modified for shorter or longer period of time. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 16 Chapter 3. Appointment Calendar A. Introduction The appointment calendar module allows you to display the calendar for any month. Appointments can be created for any day of the year, and alarms can be set for any time of any day. B. Calendar The calendar is the default display of this module, from which you may access the appointments. Upon selection of this module, the calendar for the current month will be displayed. The month indicated at the top of the calendar display is located in the center of the display. Days of the prior month are present at the top and the following month at the bottom. If the month display contains the current month or days of the current month, the current day is shown in reverse video. The displayed month will have highlighted days for which appointments have been set. These will be displayed in a contrasting color or, in black and white, in a contrasting intensity. A small arrow will point to a selected day in which the appointments may be accessed. From this point, you may enter a new month and year in the form "Month/Year" as displayed on the bottom, followed by the return key. Other special keys are defined below: IBM Z100 Function ------------------------------------------------------------ LEFT LEFT Move appointment selector arrow RIGHT RIGHT UP UP Go up/down one month DOWN DOWN F9 F11 Export calendar Alt-F9 Sh-F11 Send calendar to modem F10 F12 Print calendar RETURN RETURN Display/edit appointments for the day pointed to by selector arrow RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 17 Chapter 3. Appointment Calendar (continued) C. Appointments The appointments function of RHM is used to record appointments for a particular day and time. To get to the appointment editor, hit <RETURN> from the calendar. When the appointment editor is selected, a new window will be created (if there are any more windows available). This window may be moved/changed as with other windows. If there are no appointments set for the day requested, only the template will appear in the appointment window. The template is simply an ASCII file which the user may create to establish an ordering or a set format of appointments. The built-in Full Screen Editor (described in chapter 2) is used to edit an appointment. The commands allowed include exporting and printing of appointments. When you press the <ESC> key, appointments are saved in a file in the default RHM directory and given the name of APMMYYYY.RHM. The same file will be used to house all appointment days for a particular month and year. A different month and/or year will be written to another file on your RHMPATH drive. Appointments or special days that recur may be established in a special file. There is then no need to place the entries within a particular day's appointment sheet. Preparation for such special events are covered in Section F, Preset Appointments. The contents of the special file will be displayed on the affected day's appointment screen. D. Alarms Alarms in RHM are very powerful and flexible. Alarms may be set to ring at any time on any day. Using preset appointments, alarms can be set to go off regularly on certain days at certain times. Up to 24 alarms per day may be set. Alarms are specified in the appointment for the particular day. To set an alarm, edit the appointments for the desired day, and add the character "@" followed by the time of the alarm. The time should be followed by an "A" or "P" specifying AM or PM. Otherwise, RHM will assume a 24 hour time. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 18 Chapter 3. Appointment Calendar (continued) D. Alarms (continued) An example of an appointment containing alarms: -------------------------------------------- 1: | I want to go home at @5:30pm | 2: | Lunch time !! @12:00 | 3: | @0:01 pm is a minute after midnight!! | 4: | time is 12:02 , @ 2 minutes after noon | 5: | Test alarm -- @6:24p and @6:25P | -------------------------------------------- Line 1: alarm at 5:30 pm Line 2: alarm at noon, which is 12:00 (24 hour time) Line 3: alarm at 12:01 am ('p' does not directly follow time) Line 4: nothing Line 5: two alarms, one at 6:24 pm, other at 6:25 pm E. Templates The template file used for appointments has the name "TPAPPT.RHM". The template can be any valid text file, and is automatically used for new appointments. If you do not want a template, simply delete the template file or empty it. You are free to edit the template as you wish, but remember that any changes only affect new appointments, not existing ones. The in the following sections we will discuss the template supplied with RHM. You do not need to adhere to any strict rules when you create a template or add appointments. You may either add appointments with no form at all, stick strongly to the template, or any combination of the both. The template supplied consists of three areas per line. The first area is used to establish an alarm to be associated with the next (second) area which is the time of the appointment. The third area is the actual message or appointment wording. The three areas are identified on the supplied template. The screen is presented with times from 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. on the hour. Other times may be added to this particular day by using the insert line function at the location of the new time insert. The time should be in ascending order for preset appointments work correctly, but any hour:minute may be used. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 19 Chapter 3. Appointment Calendar (continued) E. Templates (continued) The indicator a, for a.m., or p, for p.m., should be appended following the minute or RHM will assume a 24 hour clock. The time, entered in this case by the user, must be keyed at the proper position, i.e. the second area on the line. Alarms are set by placing (typing) the "@" symbol at the first position on the time line, at which the alarm is desired. Multiple alarms may be set within the same day. F. Preset Appointments The file (APPOINT.RHM) allows the user to set appointments for events that occur on a scheduled or recurring basis. The events may be daily, weekly, or annually. While this file should prove useful, it does not have to exist. Any event that is set in this file will appear on the appropriate calendar in a highlighted color. If the event is annual or monthly and has no time associated with it, the event will appear at the top of the appointment day as a header. If the event has an associated time, the event will be inserted in its appropriate location on the affected days. Text or comments located in APPOINT.RHM are ignored. A number, date and/or time, must appear in front of an event for it to be considered an appointment and not a comment. If the day of the event has not been abbreviated correctly, the appointment will not be set. An APPOINT.RHM exists on the distribution disk as a example. To modify the file for personal use, edit it with the Editor. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 20 Chapter 3. Appointment Calendar (continued) F. Preset Appointments (continued) DAILY / WEEKLY Appointments --------------------------- In the examples below, there are five (3) fields used to set weekly appointments. The fields are as follows: 1 2 3 - --- ---------------------------------------- 3 Fri 10:00a 10:30 Monthly meeting 3 Thu 7:30p 3rd Thursday of every month 1 Sat 6:00p 1st Saturday of month meeting 0 Mon @ 8:30a every Monday meeting Column: 1. The occurance of the event. 0 = every 1 = 1st. 2 = 2nd. 3 = 3rd. 4 = 4th. 5 = 5th. 2. The day of the event. Sun = Sunday Mon = Monday Tue = Tuesday Wed = Wednesday Thu = Thursday Fri = Friday Sat = Saturday 3. Message A brief description of the event. If a time is the first thing in this field, it will be automatically inserted in the appointment in chronological order. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 21 Chapter 3. Appointment Calendar (continued) F. Preset Appointments (continued) MONTHLY / YEARLY Appointments --------------------------- For annual messages, the dates portion of this file is broken into two (2) fields, Month/Day and Message. An entry of "0" in the month field allows the event to be displayed every month on a specific day. The initial annual content of the APPOINT.RHM file, as supplied, is as follows: ANNUAL DATES: 0/25 PAY BILLS 4/15 TAXES DUE 12/13 ** BIRTHDAY ** 1/01 Happy New Year 2/14 St. Valentine's Day 3/17 St. Patrick's Day 5/12 Mother's Day 5/27 Memorial Day 6/16 Father's Day 7/4 Independence Day 9/2 Labor Day RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 22 Chapter 4. ASCII TABLE This service displays a table display of decimal and hexadecimal equivalents of the various ASCII codes and characters, and H19 graphics symbols. The table is navigated with the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys. Quick move to the beginning of the table is accomplished with the HOME key. This display is for informational purposes only. Chapter 5. BLACK BOOK The Black Book is a private index of names and addresses. When Black Book is selected, a password will be requested. The password entered will be used for encryption to create, read and alter the black books. All commands for the CARD INDEX (Chapter 10) apply for the black book. Chapter 6. CALCULATOR A. Introduction The calculator feature of RHM provides an algebraic calculator of sixteen (16) digit precision. In addition to the normal add, subtract, multiply and divide functions, the calculator is capable of memory activity, logical functions of AND, OR and XOR, bit shifts left and right, reciprocal, percent, and number base change. The functions on the calculator are activated by one or more key sequences. Some functions have alternate keys that accomplish the function. The alternatives will be shown in the material that follows. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 23 Chapter 6. CALCULATOR (continued) B. Key commands The keys and their associated functions are: GENERAL: Keys 0-9 Enter the number HOME Clear calculator . (Period) Decimal point CHANGING BASES: IBM Z100 Function ------------------------------------------------------------ PGUP UP Reduce base to 2, 8, 10, & 16 UP Sh-UP Reduce bases by 1 PGDN DOWN Increase the base to 2, 8, 10, & 16 DOWN Sh-DOWN Increase base by 1 ARITHMETIC: * X x Multiply / \ Divide + ENTER RETURN Add - Subtract - (shifted) Change Sign = Result L Reciprocal function P Percentage PROGRAMMER'S FUNCTIONS: LEFT Shift one place to the left RIGHT Shift one place to the right N AND logical function O (letter) OR logical function R XOR logical function STORAGE FUNCTIONS: M+ Add display to memory M- Subtract display from memory MS Store display in memory MR Re-call memory to display MC Clear memory RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 24 Chapter 6. CALCULATOR (continued) B. Key commands (continued) The calculator is operated in normal algebraic sequence. If an addition of two numbers is desired, press number keys including decimal point, if appropriate, representing the first number. The decimal point will not appear on the screen until the next digit is entered. The required function, key or keys, would then be pressed. In this case either the "+" key or the ENTER key would be pressed. The second number would then be keyed and will show on the display. Finally the "=" key would be pressed to provide the result of the addition to appear in the display. As an example - the addition, 3.5 + 4.6 =, would be keyed in the sequence it would have been written. Large numbers will be converted to scientific notation for display purposes. C. Output from Calculator The following keys are used to direct the output from the calculator in one or more directions. When one of the keys are hit, the value on the display is sent, followed by any other operations done on the display. Hitting the key again will stop sending display operations. They are defined as follows: IBM Z100 Function ------------------------------------------------------------ F9 F11 Export Text Sh-F9 Sh-F11 Output Text to Modem. F10 F12 Print Example: (Z100) Hitting F11 and F12 will send the value on the display to both the export buffer and the printer. From this point, all operations done will also be sent to both export buffer and printer. Hitting F12 again will turn off output to the printer, thereby sending output to the export buffer only. Whenever a mode is turned on, the current value on the display will be send out immediately. This makes it convenient to output only the value on the display by simply turning the particular output on and then back off. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 25 Chapter 6. CALCULATOR (continued) C. Output from Calculator (continued) Example: (Z100) Press the F12 key prior to the start of the calculation. The calculation will be printed, as entered. Printing can be terminated by again pressing the F12 (Remember the F12 key is an on/off toggle). Standard calculation: 123 * 9 = 1107 123 * 9 = 1107 / 2 = 553.5 123 * 9 = 1107 / 2 = 553.5 + 5 = 558.5 Calculation with base change: 123 Base 16 = 7B Base 2 = 1111011 * 1010 = 1.001100111 10 <-- (The 10 represents the power of the exponent in scien- tific notation) Standard calculation with base change of the answer: 123 * 3 = 369 >>>change to base 8 with <up arrow> and then press <=> Base 8 = 561 >>>change to base 2 with <up arrow> and then press <=> Base 2 = 101110001 RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 26 Chapter 7. DOS FUNCTIONS A. Introduction The DOS service provided by Right Hand Man are similiar to the functions supplied with the operating system. Some commands have added features not available in normal DOS commands. Please see COPY, DIR, REN, and TYPE functions, which follow in the discussion. While DOS services supports execution of other software, only "well behaved" software can be run inside of RHM. Programs which bypass normal operating system calls, access memory not belonging to them, or take advantage of specific hardware features may not run correctly. Since MS-DOS is not re-entrant (can not be entered twice), RHM must intercept most MS-DOS function calls and simulate MS-DOS memory management. RHM however, does not allow a program to execute another (i.e. chaining of programs). Some programs may be so incompatible that they will crash the whole system, forcing you to re-boot. Since you may activate RHM while there is a program running with valuable data, a crash would not be very well appreciated. To avoid the loss of valuable data, test programs in an environment where nothing is at risk, and only run those well-behaved programs when RHM is activated. Remember that any change of logged drive or subdirectory introduced in RHM will be in effect for the program running in foreground. This may create problems with programs that depend on the current setting. Therefore, unless you absolutely need to force a change, return the default drive/directory the way it was found before entering DOS commands. B. Commands 1. Changing the logged drive You can change the drive that the operating system and Right Hand Man (RHM) utilize by keying the desired drive followed by a colon ":". For example: A>B: At the prompt, "B:" was typed in. The prompt will now read "B>". RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 27 Chapter 7. DOS FUNCTIONS (continued) B. Commands (continued) 2. COPY The copy function allows the user to move files in a manner similar to the DOS function. The copy function requires two parameters, source and destination. For example: COPY *.RHM C: This will cause all files from the logged drive with an extension of RHM to be copied to the C: drive. The wild card feature works in the normal DOS manner. An optional switch "\Q" may be added to the command line to query before each file is copied. For example: COPY/Q *.RHM C: This will cause RHM to query for each file satisfying the input specification. A response of "Y" or "y" will cause the specific file to be copied to the destination. Any other response will by-pass the copying of that particular file. 3. CHDIR This function is used to change directories on the logged or indicated drive. This is a standard DOS activity. It has a short form - CD. For example: CD \RHM This will cause the default directory for the logged drive to be changed to "\RHM". An entry of CD with no parameters, will repond with the current directory setting. 4. CLS This command clears the DOS window and moves the cursor to the top. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 28 Chapter 7. DOS FUNCTIONS (continued) B. Commands (continued) 5. DATE This command is used to change or query the system date. If the command DATE is entered without additional information, the system will respond with the current setting. If the command DATE is followed by the entry of a new date setting, the system date will be changed to the new date. To set the date to a particular day, at the prompt, type DATE MM/DD/YY. The system will now be set to the new date. 6. DEL The DELete function allows the user to delete file or files from the indicated drive. If no drive is indicated in the information that follows the entry of the DEL command, then the logged drive is assumed. The wild card features of standard DOS apply. Example: DEL C:*.RHM. To delete all of the files with an extension of .RHM from the C: drive. An optional switch "/Q" may also be added to query before each file is deleted. For example: DEL/Q *.BIN This will cause RHM to query for each file satisfying the input specification. A response of "Y" or "y" will cause the specific file to be deleted. Any other response will by-pass the deletion of that particular file. 7. DIR The directory command can be used in the normal manner. For RHM, an additional feature has been added with a special form of the command. An added feature is DIR/P. This will cause pagination of the returned directory listing to fit within the RHM window. Wildcard requests apply. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 29 Chapter 7. DOS FUNCTIONS (continued) B. Commands (continued) 8. MKDIR This command provides the ability to create new sub-directories on the logged or indicated drive. It is also available in a short form MD. 9. REN Files can be RENamed, in place, in a disk directory or renamed into another directory on the same disk. Renaming files in place is the same manner as is done in DOS. The command is entered as "REN from to" (where "from", "to" are ambiguous file names) Renaming a file from one directory to another simply moves the entry in the directory, not the file. This is many times quicker than copying the file, and helps keep files contiguous (in one piece). For example: REN \BIN\*.DVD \DEV\*.* This will rename the files with extension ".DVD" into the subdirectory "DEV". An optional switch "/Q" may also be added, to query before each file is renamed. 10. RHMPATH This command is used to change the default path for RHM's data files. (See RHM File System in Chapter 1 for more details.) The command can be used to get the current setting, as well as to establish a new setting. RHMPATH without path information will respond with the current setting. To set a new path, you might enter: RHMPATH C:\RHM If the path is not correctly set, help features, appointments, and card-index will not be available for use (i.e., considered empty). RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 30 Chapter 7. DOS FUNCTIONS (continued) B. Commands (continued) 11. RMDIR In the long form as shown or in the short form RD, this command provides for the removal of a sub-directory. As in DOS, the directory must first have all of its contents deleted prior to removal being allowed. An example: RD C:\RHM This will cause the empty sub-directory whose name is RHM under the root directory of the C: drive to be removed, i.e. deleted. 12. TIME Set and check the TIME of the system by entering TIME. A new time can be immediately set, if the new time, as HH:MM, is entered as additional information with the TIME command. 13. TYPE This command allows the displaying of ASCII character files as in DOS. The command, following the prompt, is entered as TYPE D:FILENAME.EXT. The command has been extented in RHM to provide for pagination within the window by using the form: TYPE/P D:FILENAME.EXT NOTE: The width of the displayed file will be constrained by the width of the window which is set in RHM. The RHM Notepad/Editor function must be used to view the file without line wrap. Edit functions, within the editor, allow horizontal scrolling to shift the document within the viewable window. An optional switch "/Q" may also be added, to query before each file is typed. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 31 Chapter 7. DOS FUNCTIONS (continued) C. Output from DOS The output in DOS can also be output in one or more directions. These keys serve as toggles to turn the output on/off. They are defined as follows: IBM Z100 Function ---------------------------------------------------- F9 F11 Export Text Sh-F9 Sh-F11 Output Text to Modem. F10 F12 Print Example: (Z100) Hitting F11 and F12 will send output to both the export buffer and the printer. Hitting F12 again will turn off output to the printer but leave output to export buffer on. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 32 Chapter 8. FILE EDITOR This portion of the RHM program allows the editing of text files from your storage media. The editor uses all available work space for editing files, up to 64K. Text files cannot exceed the buffer space. The editor uses function keys and keypad keys to accomplish many of the tasks. Once the File Editor has been selected from the main menu, the query "File name to edit:" is presented. This will require a response of the document name to be edited. The disk to which this file will be saved to or read from will be the logged disk. The editor will present the document or provide a screen for a new document. A status line will provide helpful information to the user. The status line content is as follows: C: Cursor column, L: #/# presents cursor line position / number of lines in the text, U: Used buffer space, and F: Free buffer space. If insert character or graphics mode is on, their presence will be indicated on the right hand side of the status line. Once the document has been completed, press the ESC key. This action will save the file and exit to the query menu of "File name to edit:". An additional line will have appeared on the screen "Last file edited:". The editor retains the name of the last file edited during this session. That last file may be recalled by pressing the ENTER or RETURN key. For other functions of the editor, refer to the Chapter 2 (Full Screen Editor). Chapter 9. GUARDED NOTEPAD The Guarded Notepad is a password protected notepad. When the it is selected, a password will be requested. The password entered will be used for encryption to create,read and alter the notepads. All commands for the NOTEPAD (Chapter 12) apply for the guarded notepad. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 33 Chapter 10. CARD INDEX A. Introduction This utility allows multiple indexes of up to 1000 names, phone numbers, addresses, and comments (256 characters in length). Each index is has a name of up to 6 characters. The defult index when this module is activated is called "DEX". If this index is found on the disk, the first card will be displayed. Otherwise, the card window will remain blank. B. Commands The Index menu is displayed at the bottom of the screen as follows: A - Add card to current index C - Call phone number from displayed card D - Delete displayed card E - Edit displayed card I - Switch to another index Other commands are as follows: ENTER Enter specifications for search UP Search backward DOWN Search forward BKSP Move backward SPACE Move forward HOME First card IBM Z100 Function ---------------------------------------------------- F9 F11 Export Text Sh-F9 Sh-F11 Output Text to Modem. F10 F12 Print RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 34 Chapter 10. CARD INDEX B. Commands The "A" option presents a screen which is supplied from a support template (TPINDEX.RHM). The template may be personalized to the user's needs, by use of the Editor. The cards are maintained in alphabetical order in a support file named INDEX.RHM. The sort is done on the first line of each card. The construction of the first line is important to the success of the index file which is to be built. A suggestion for this is last name first, first and then middle initial. NOTE: The ADD and EDIT commands both use the built-in full screen editor. All commands accepted by the editor will be supported. For more on the editor refer to Chapter 2 (Full Screen Editor). The ENTER key allows you to enter a search specification for the search keys (UP,DOWN arrows). Once a search field and string are entered, it will be used on all subsequent searches. Upon pressing ENTER you can change the search field and the search string. The current search field will be highlighted in the template area of the screen. To move the search field, use the UP/DOWN arrows. A search string may also be entered at the cursor position. Search strings use the same wildcards as the DOS command line accepts. Some examples follow: A search for cards with A as first letter in field *ST. search for card with "ST." anywhere in the field ??M search for cards with M as third letter in field The CALL option, when used in conjuction with a smart modem, will allow a telephone number in any field to be dialed just as it appears in the field. There is no attempt by RHM, however, to establish data connection as in a communications program. The CALL option is only to eliminate the need to dial the number manually. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 35 Chapter 11. Define Key Macros The macro feature provides a method to create or change RHM's activation keys, export toggle keys, or "soft" keys. RHM will compare keys hit to the sequences defined. If a sequence is completed, RHM replaces it with the defined key sequence. For the current version of RHM, up to 18 key sequences may be defined. The first two keys sequences are reserved and labeled accordingly: Sequence 1 : RHM activation Sequence 2 : Export on/off Upon execution of this module, the RHM activation sequence will be displayed. Acceptable key commands are as follows: C Change sequence D Delete sequence UP Move up DOWN Move down The macro keys defined are only active when RHM is installed. They will not operate when running RHM immediately (RHM/I). RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 36 Chapter 12. Notepad This portion of the RHM program allows the creation and modification of notes. Notes are stored as files in the RHM directory. The notepad uses all available work space for editing notes, up to 64K. Notes cannot exceed the buffer space. Once the Notepad has been selected from the main menu, a list of available notes will be displayed, and the user will be asked to enter the name of the note to change. If the note does not exist, it will be created. Note names are 1-6 characters in length. Once the name has been entered, the user will be presented with a display much like the Editor module. For explanations of the status line, see Chapter 8 (File Editor). Once the changes have been completed, press the ESC key. This action will save the note and exit to the list of available notes. The notepad uses the built-in full screen editor. For a list of its functions, refer to the Chapter 2 ( Full Screen Editor ). To delete a notepad, delete all lines in the notepad. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 37 Chapter 13. Transport Window The transport calls the Full Screen Editor directly, with no files read or written to disk. It is useful for editing the export buffer or transferring info between the screen, and supported output devices. Example: (IBM) To transfer data from export buffer to the printer 1) Enter the transport window. 2) Enter export on/off key sequence (currently CTL-E for the IBM). The transport window will be filled from the export buffer. 3) When all activity is over, the export buffer is empty. To restore the data back into the export buffer, hit F9. 4) To send the data to the printer, hit F10. Chapter 14. Typewriter The typewriter has been implemented to send text directly to the printer, line by line. Useful for quick typing jobs such as addressing envelopes, typing small notes, etc. For larger tasks, it is better to use the transport window or file editor. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 38 Chapter 15. Limits to Operation RIGHT HAND MAN has operational limitations that must be recognized to avoid problems. Support Files: These files are files that RHM requires to function to its full capability. Potential reasons these files may not be accessable are: 1. Files are not present on disk. 2. RHMPATH not set to the proper drive. Disk Space: There are obviously limitations on available disk space. The support for infrequently used section(s) of RHM may be eliminated to minimize disk space needs. Help files may be eliminated. Appointment files (APMMYYYY.RHM and APPOINT.RHM) may be eliminated after being certain there are duplicates of these files on other storage. The INDEX.RHM may be a candidate if a backup copy exists elsewhere. Memory: If memory space is a problem, the screen may be saved in a smaller space (on Z-100 only), workspace can be reduced, or number of screens reduced. For RHM memory configure, type 'RHM/C' for memory configuration. Card Index: Each card is limited to 256 characters total. Appointments: An appointment day is limited to 512 characters total. Editor: The file size to be edited is limited by available workspace, or 64K, whichever is smaller. Export: Export is limited by available workspace. Import: Import is limited to current foreground screen size and content. Graphics: The editor of RHM is capable of creating and displaying graphic characters. Exporting graphics from RHM to an underlying program is not recommended. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 Page 39 Chapter 15. Limits to Operation (continued) Open Files: RHM is capable of having two (2) files open at the same time. The default for DOS is five (5) files. If the program under execution is capable of opening a large number of files, CONFIG.SYS must be set for an appropriate (larger) number of files to be opened. Please see the DOS manual for more information on CONFIG.SYS. ALTCHAR.SYS: (Z-100 only) The font set which is supplied with the operating system must be present on the disk at boot up. If ALTCHAR.SYS is not present, RHM will not load. The ASCII chart uses ALTCHAR.SYS to display the graphics which appear in the chart. Special Programs: (Z-100 only) There are a select number of programs which use the keyboard in "EVENT DRIVEN MODE". The remapping of all keys to a standard was found to be too difficult, if the size of the program was to be kept to a minimum. The activation keys have been set to BREAK ESC for these programs. The key macros will not function correctly for such programs. RIGHT HAND MAN version 3.3 License Right Hand Man is the copyrighted property of Red E Products, Inc. You are granted a limited license to use RHM, and to copy it and distribute it, provided that the following conditions are met: 1) No fee may be charged for such copying and distribution 2) RHM may only be distributed in its original, unmodified state. Any voluntary contributions for the use of this program will be appreciated, and should be sent to: Red E Products P.O. Box 640267 Kenner, LA. 70064 The fees for registering RHM are as follows: Minimal Registration $25 You will receive announcements concerning major changes in RHM, and where you can find the latest version. Update Registration $40 When a major change is made to RHM, you will receive a single update disk containing the latest version of RHM. Lifetime Registration $60 You will receive an update disk every time a major change is made to RHM. Soon to be available will be a programmers package for RHM users to create their own modules. Included in the package is source code for several of RHM modules. You must be familiar with assembly language to create or modify modules. If you would like to have the programmers package mailed to you when available, include $15 to the registration fee. RHM source code is available and may be purchased for the price of $500.00. For more details, contact Red E Products.