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======================================================================= ======================================================================= ========================== ========================== ========================== ========================== ========================== SEE ========================== ========================== ========================== ========================== ========================== ======================================================================= ======================================================================= SEE - The highly configurable file viewer and printer utility The programs SEE, SEESETUP, GETKEY and DONE are Copyright (C) 1992, 1994 by Pinnacle Software, CP 386 Mount Royal, Quebec, Canada H3P 3C6 U.S. Office: Box 714 Airport Road, Swanton, Vermont 05488 USA Support Line (514) 345-9578 --- Free Files BBS (514) 345-8654 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This is a SHAREWARE product. That means we would like you to pass around unregistered copies to other people. If you have a modem, please upload it to your favourite bulletin board system, or give a copy to a friend whom you think might need a program like this. Shareware means sharing! Pass it on! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =========================================================================== USER MANUAL OVERVIEW =========================================================================== This manual contains the following sections: INTRODUCTION ------------ What is "SEE"? Shareware and Registration Upgrading from Earlier Versions HOW TO USE SEE -------------- Starting up Wild cards Cross-directory viewing Monochrome Other options Reading files Scrolling keys Jump to a line Find text Textify Copy part or all of a file Function keys Copying Printer destination Conversion COMMAND-LINE MACROS ------------------- Basic format Special keys CONFIGURING SEE --------------- Default and specified configurations Multiple configurations Changing the pull-down menus =========================================================================== INTRODUCTION =========================================================================== -------------- WHAT IS "SEE"? -------------- SEE is a utility for viewing and printing text files. It can also display hex files in a format that makes it easy for you to visually scan the file. SEE also lets you extract portions of text from the listing. The extracted portion can be copied to the printer or to a text file. -------------------------- SHAREWARE AND REGISTRATION -------------------------- SEE is SHAREWARE. This means that you are entitled to evaluate it at no cost for a reasonable period (about 45 days). If you continue to use it after that, you are required to purchase a registered copy ($17 for a single-user license -- see the order form for site licensing details.) ------------------------------- UPGRADING FROM EARLIER VERSIONS ------------------------------- The configuration file (SEE.CFG) is compatible with the configuration file from the previous version of SEE (v2.01, included in "The SEE Utilities Version 2.20"). So if you have a configuration file from version 2.01 of SEE, it will still work. Nevertheless, you should run SEESETUP to see if there are any new configuration items you would like to change. The "SEE" program was previously accompanied by some other utilities. The GETKEY program is still included in the SEE package. GETKEY is "freeware" and may be given away as long as it is not altered in any way. The GO-MENU program is available in Pinnacle Software's "GO" product, while the other utilities (MIDNIGHT, SV) will be issued separately, at a later date, in a different utilities collection. =========================================================================== HOW TO USE "SEE" =========================================================================== ----------- STARTING UP ----------- At the DOS command prompt, enter SEE followed by the name of the file you want to view. For example, the command: SEE SEE.DOC would display the file named SEE.DOC. SEE automatically detects the type of file being viewed and selects the appropriate display mode (standard text or "raw-text" for binary files). --------- WILDCARDS --------- If you specify a "DOS Wildcard", you will see a menu of file names that match. You can move the cursor to the file you want by using your arrow keys, then press Enter to see the file. For example: SEE *.INF would show you all files with the extension INF. If you omit any file specification, SEE assumes you mean *.* so that the following command would let you select from all files in the current directory: SEE ----------------------- CROSS-DIRECTORY VIEWING ----------------------- SEE normally looks for the files in your current drive and directory. However, you can look at another drive or directory by specifying the path name accordingly, as in this example: SEE D:\MYDIR\ACCOUNTS\PAYROLL.TXT ---------- MONOCHROME ---------- SEE can normally detect if you have a color display card or not, but no DOS program can detect if your monitor can actually display color. (Some people have color display cards with monochrome monitors) If SEE is displaying text in color and you want to force it to display in monochrome, add /M to the command line. For example: SEE MYFILE.TXT /M This would display the file MYFILE.TXT in black and white. You can configure SEE (using the SEESETUP program) to always start up in monochrome mode. This will save you the bother of always having to specify the /M parameter. ------------- OTHER OPTIONS ------------- For a description of some other options (such as command-line macros) refer to the online help articles available from SEE itself. To view these articles, start up SEE (example: SEE SEE.DOC), then press F1. ------------- READING FILES ------------- -------------- SCROLLING KEYS -------------- Once you have selected the file you want to read, you can scroll back and forth in the file a line at a time, using the arrow keys. You can also jump back and forth a screen at a time, using the PgUp and PgDn keys. The Home and End keys position the file to the beginning and end, respectively. The spacebar key moves forward one screen each time it is pressed. When you reach the end of the file, you are returned to the previous operation (i.e. the file selection menu, if you started SEE with DOS wildcards, or the DOS prompt otherwise). The left and right-arrow keys scroll text left and right one character at a time. You can use these keys in conjunction with the Ctrl key to scroll five characters at a time. --------- THE L KEY -- Jump to a line --------- The L key will ask you for a line number. It will then jump to that line, positioning it at the first line of the viewing area. --------- THE F KEY -- Find text --------- The F key will ask you for a text string. If it finds that string in the text, it will jump there, highlighting the line the text is on. The line is positioned in the middle of the screen, if possible. To search for the same text again, press the F3 function key. ------------- THE ALT-Y KEY -- Textify ------------- The ALT-Y key lets you filter the display of data in "binary" (non-text) files such that only the words (and a little bit of extraneous material) show up. This is useful for scanning a program or data file for helpful information, while removing most of the material that is intelligible only to the computer. The textify function only works in raw binary display mode. You can force SEE to use this display mode by starting it up with the /X switch, as in this example: SEE MYFILE.DAT /X In most cases this will not be necessary, since SEE automatically detects the difference between binary and text files. --------- THE C KEY -- Copy part or all of the file to printer or file --------- The C key sends a copy of the file (or part of it) to your printer, or to another file. See the section entitled "Copying" for details. While using the C feature, remember that the Esc key will always return you to your previous operation. If you were looking at the help screens, it returns you to the viewing window. If you were viewing text, it returns you to the file selection menu (if you started SEE with DOS wildcards) or the DOS prompt otherwise. The Copy command asks many questions in order to determine what you want to do. To save time, you can use the SEESETUP program to specify default values to these questions, or skip them altogether (using a preselected value). ----------------- THE FUNCTION KEYS ----------------- F 1 displays the help screens. See "Quick Help", above, for additional information about these screens. F 2 displays a "ruler" line, which lets you determine in which column text starts and ends. F 3 repeats the last Find operation (see "The F Key", above). F 4 sends a page eject character (ASCII 12, Hex $0C) to the printer. You can select the printer number. By default it is printer LPT1 (or the default printer number specified by SEESETUP). F 5 switches the display to 25 lines, in monochrome. F 6 switches the display to 25 lines, in color. F 7 switches the display to smaller letters, in monochrome, if you have the appropriate display card. If you have a CGA, Hercules or MCGA card, nothing will happen. If you have an EGA card, you will see 43 lines on your screen. A VGA display card will display 50 lines. F 8 does what the F7 key does, but uses color instead of monochrome. F 9 is not used. F10 calls up a menu for selecting SEE functions. This takes a little longer than pressing a single letter key, but is easier to remember! The menu also includes a Help section which explains various SEE capabilities. ------- COPYING ------- When you are viewing a file and you press the C (Copy) key, SEE will ask you a few questions, then copy part (or all) of the file to the printer, or to another file. The questions let you specify: PORTION: Which part of the file (some, or all) should be copied. DESTINATION: Which printer you want to print to (LPT1, LPT2 etc.) or which file you want to copy to (e.g. SAVE.TXT). If the file already exists, you can overwrite it, or add to the end. The following two questions apply to printing only: CONVERSION: Whether to convert extended characters or not. FORM-FEED: Whether the printer should "page eject" after printing. The printer questions are discussed in more detail, below. NOTE: Before you start printing, make sure your printer is turned on, is supplied with paper, and that the "Online" light is lit. (On some printers, the Online light may be labelled "Ready", or something similar. Refer to your printer manual if you are not sure.) If at any time you wish to exit from the copying process, you can press the Esc key. If you were printing, you may have to turn your printer OFF for a moment, then ON again, to reset it and clear its memory. The Copy command asks many questions in order to determine what you want to do. To save time, you can use the SEESETUP program to specify default values to these questions, or skip them altogether (using a preselected value). ------------------- PRINTER DESTINATION ------------------- When you are asked to select a printer destination, choose the address of the printer to which you are copying the text. You can choose any printer from LPT1 to LPT9. (It is somewhat unusual to have a printer with an address higher than LPT2.) If you are not sure, select LPT1. Most PC-compatible computers have their printer at that address. Exception: if your computer is sharing the printer with other computers on a network, check with your network manager before proceeding. ---------- CONVERSION ---------- Many documents (such as this one) make use of the special characters that are available on IBM-PC compatible computers. Some printers, though (particularly older printers and very high speed printers), can not print these characters properly. If when you print, many of the characters come out wrong, you may have to have them "converted". The conversion process replaces these characters with a "reasonable" substitution before printing them. (Note that this affects only the printing; the document you are viewing is NOT changed.) For example, accented letters can not be printed on all printers. So an accented "e" would be printed simply as "e", with no accent. Line-drawing characters (for boxes) are also a problem for some printers. So the vertical line character is replaced with the standard "split bar" character, which looks almost the same. =========================================================================== COMMAND-LINE MACROS =========================================================================== ------------ BASIC FORMAT ------------ When you start up SEE at the DOS prompt, you can "stack" keys with the /K parameter, as in this example: SEE SEE.DOC /K{END} This would display the file SEE.DOC in the usual way, but would "press" the End key to jump to the end of the file. ------------ SPECIAL KEYS ------------ Special keys are entered using codes in brace parentheses, as follows: {SPC} Space {CR} Enter {ESC} Escape {F1} F1 {F2} F2 {F3} F3 (etc.) {UP} Up arrow {DN} Down arrow {HOME} Home {LF} Left arrow (RT} Right arrow {END} End {CTLF} Ctrl-Left Arrow {CTRT} Ctrl-Right Arrow {CHOM} Ctrl-Home {PGUP} PgUp {PGDN} PgDn {CEND} Ctrl-End {CPGD} Ctrl-PgDn {HOME} Home {LBRC} { {TAB} Tab {BTAB} Shift (back) Tab {RBRC} } Standard keys (i.e. those you can type) can be entered directly. Most keys can also be entered as decimal ASCII values. Thus, you could enter the {CR} (Carriage Return) code as {13}. This method does NOT work for all values above ASCII 128, some of which are used internally by SEE to represent Alt-Letter keys and mouse activity. For example, Alt-D is represented by {160}. SEE XYZ.TXT /K{160}R would select "Display/Ruler". For a list of the special values, see the file SEE.MNU. =========================================================================== CONFIGURING "SEE" =========================================================================== ------------------------------------ DEFAULT AND SPECIFIED CONFIGURATIONS ------------------------------------ Even if you do not pre-configure SEE, it will try to pick reasonable values for all of its operations. For example, it will detect the kind of display card you have and choose color or monochrome mode accordingly, using the same number of lines per screen that you had set before you called up SEE. However, you may wish to change some of the selections. You can create a configuration file (named SEE.CFG) using the SEESETUP configuration program (SEESETUP.EXE). ----------------------- MULTIPLE CONFIGURATIONS ----------------------- When SEE starts up, it looks in the current (i.e. logged) drive and directory for a file named SEE.CFG. If it does not find it there, it looks in the SEE home directory (i.e. where the SEE.EXE file is located) for the file. If it finds the file, it uses the values it specifies. If it does NOT find it (in either the logged or home directory), SEE uses reasonable default values that are appropriate for virtually all machines. To start up SEESETUP, enter SEESETUP at the DOS prompt, or select "Setup" on the SEE pull-down menu. Each configuration screen can provide you with detailed explanations of each configuration option -- press F1 whenever you need additional information. ---------------------------- CHANGING THE PULL-DOWN MENUS ---------------------------- The pull-down menus are fully configurable. To change them, make a backup copy of the file SEE.MNU, then load SEE.MNU into a text editor. The file contains complete details for modifying the menus.