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1994-09-18
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F i l e B U D D Y (tm)
More Than Just A File Viewer
Version 3.1
USER'S GUIDE
Copyright (c) 1992-1994 Lenard Dean
All Rights Reserved
September 18, 1994
Warranty And License
====================
This software and accompanying documentation is provided AS-IS.
Even though the author has tested this software and reviewed its
documentation, NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION RELATING TO IT IS
MADE, WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT
LIMITATION, THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND OR FITNESS FOR
ANY PURPOSE. THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES, DIRECT
OR CONSEQUENTIAL, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE,
even if advised of the possibility of such damages. THE USER
BEARS ALL RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THIS
SOFTWARE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY DAMAGES EXCEED THE PRICE PAID
FOR THE LICENSE TO USE THIS SOFTWARE REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF
CLAIM.
You ARE encouraged to pass along copies of FileBUDDY to friends
and favorite BBSs. Please keep all the files together.
Trademarks
==========
Product names mentioned in this documentation are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners. FileBUDDY is a
trademark of Lenard Dean.
Table Of Contents
=================
Introduction ................................................. 1
Getting Started .............................................. 2
Using FileBUDDY .............................................. 3
Menus And Messages ........................................... 5
Editing Files ................................................ 6
Searching Text ............................................... 6
Capturing Text ............................................... 7
Printing Text Files .......................................... 7
Archiving And Extracting/Deleting Archived Files ............. 11
Viewing, Editing, Creating, And Printing dBase Files ......... 12
Viewing, Processing, Saving, And Printing Images ............. 16
Customizing FileBUDDY ........................................ 24
Contacting The Author......................................... 34
APPENDIX A: Registration Information ......................... 35
APPENDIX B: Color Chart ...................................... 36
APPENDIX C: Questions And Answers ............................ 37
Introduction
============
FileBUDDY is a simple but unique file viewer that lets you view
and manipulate various file formats. If you do a lot of
"BBSing", you should find FileBUDDY very handy. Here's a brief
overview:
* FileBUDDY can view any size file, whether the file
is 1 byte or 1 gigabyte in length.
* FileBUDDY lets you capture text to a file by taking a
"snapshot" of it. When a snapshot is taken, it is
done "intelligently". That is, overlapping text in
consecutive snapshots will not be duplicated in the
destination file.
* FileBUDDY incorporates a printer setup facility
which allows you configure any printer when
printing text files.
* FileBUDDY views dBASE files. It can also edit, add,
delete, undelete records, create and "pack" dBASE
files, and generate "quick & dirty" reports.
* FileBUDDY views archive files. If the proper
archiver is available, ARC, ARJ, LZH, PAK, ZIP, and
associated self-extracting files can be viewed down
to 5 levels deep. Support for archiving files and
extracting/deleting archived files is also provided.
* FileBUDDY displays image files. If a VGA or a SVGA
(with an ATI, Paradise, Trident, Tseng, Video 7, or
"VESA" chipset) video card is detected, BIF (binary),
BMP, GIF, JPEG, PCX, TARGA, and TIF image files can be
viewed. Video cards with 32k, 64k, or 16m modes are
supported when displaying 24-bit images. If extended
or expanded memory is available, it will be used to
hold the image. Images too large to fit the best
video mode can be "navigated" using the cursor keys or
resized to fit the best video mode. Other image
handling capabilities include processing, cropping,
saving across image formats (including to EPS), and
"slide-show" viewing. Images may be printed to HP
LaserJet, HP DeskJet 500c, Epson 24-pin dot-matrix, or
compatible printers with or without a user-defined
border. (Printing to file is also supported.)
Printing resolution up to 1200 DPI is supported for
printers that support it.
1
Getting Started
===============
To use FileBUDDY, you'll need the following minimum hardware:
* Any IBM-compatible computer
* 640K bytes of conventional memory
* hard drive
* monochrome or color monitor
* VGA video card (to view image files)
* printer (optional)
* mouse (optional)
You'll also need the software below:
* MS-DOS 3.00 or later
* text editor or word-processor that can save in ASCII
Program files supplied in the self-extracting file are:
FBUDDY.EXE FileBUDDY Program
FBUDDYI.EXE FileBUDDY Image Viewer Program
FBUDDY.DOC FileBUDDY Documentation
FBUDDY.PIF Windows PIF File
FBUDDY.ICO Windows Icon File
SAMPLE.INI Sample Initialization File
SAMPLE.FRM Sample dBASE Print Form
README Important Information
REGISTER Registration Form
WHATSNEW.DOC What's New Information
SYSOP.DOC Sysop Information
FILE_ID.DIZ BBS Description File
INSTALL.EXE Installation Program
The quickest way to install or upgrade FileBUDDY is to run
INSTALL.EXE. When the installation program is run, you will be
asked about the following:
1) the directory to install FileBUDDY in. The default is
C:\FBUDDY.
2) whether you want FileBUDDY's location added to the
PATH statement in AUTOEXEC.BAT. (If it already exists,
it will not be added.) If so, the original AUTOEXEC.BAT
will be saved as AUTOEXEC.OLD.
3) if you have a monochrome monitor with a color card.
If so, you should select this option to force a "black
and white" color setup.
2
Check boxes are marked by clicking with the left mouse button.
To use the keyboard, select the TAB key to move between check
boxes and the SPACEBAR to mark them. When you are ready to
install, press ENTER.
If you prefer to install FileBUDDY manually, copy all of
FileBUDDY's files to the destination directory. If you are
upgrading from a previous version, please refer to the README
file. Otherwise, type the following from FileBUDDY's directory:
fbuddy
If you're installing on a system with a monochrome monitor and
color card, use the "/bw" switch to force a "black and white"
color setup:
fbuddy /bw
Executing FileBUDDY for the first time will create the
initialization file called FBUDDY.INI. (For more information
about this file, refer to the section "Customizing FileBUDDY".)
Using FileBUDDY
===============
There are 3 different ways to load a file. The first method is
to type the filename on the DOS command line when you start
FileBUDDY:
fbuddy filename
The second method is through FileBUDDY's file directory. Just
press ENTER or double click with the left mouse button on the
file you want to view. You can navigate through the directory by
pressing the left mouse button and moving the mouse cursor past
the top or bottom of the file directory box. If you prefer to
use the keyboard, the CURSOR, HOME, END, PGDN, and PGUP keys are
supported. Files are shown in lowercase and subdirectories
in uppercase. Select ".." to change to the parent directory.
(You can also change to a different directory via prompt using
the BACKSPACE key.)
The third method allows you to load a file "manually" (from the
file directory) by typing in its name. This is done using the
"?" key. Please note that when in this mode, you can also use
the same key to cycle through the last ten files loaded.
When in the file directory, you may notice different characters
appearing between filenames and their extensions. The small
"dot" character signifies the file is read-only whereas the
"textured square" character signifies a hidden and/or a system
file.
3
To navigate through a text file, the following keys are
recognized:
HOME Positions the view window at the
beginning of the file.
END Positions the view window at the end
of the file.
CTRL+HOME Positions the view window at column one.
CTRL+END Positions the view window at the end
of the longest line in the current
view window.
UP CURSOR Scrolls the view window up one line.
DOWN CURSOR Scrolls the view window down one line.
LEFT CURSOR Scrolls the view window one character
to the left.
RIGHT CURSOR Scrolls the view window one character
to the right.
PGUP Pages the view window up.
PGDN Pages the view window down.
CTRL+LEFT CURSOR Pages the view window to the left.
CTRL+RIGHT CURSOR Pages the view window to the right.
To scroll using the mouse, press the left button and move the
mouse in the direction you want to scroll. Clicking on the
border around the text lets you scroll vertically a line at a
time or horizontally a character at a time. Word-wrap mode is
invoked using the BACKSPACE key. Whenever word-wrapping is
selected (or unselected), you will be positioned at the beginning
of the file.
To view another file, press ESC (or CTRL+O). A file format that
is not supported by FileBUDDY can be viewed with an external
program by pressing CTRL+A over the file. (Make sure to define
the 'Associate' parameter in FBUDDY.INI. See "Customizing
FileBUDDY" under the "[DEFINE]" heading for more information.)
You can delete a file from the file directory pressing the DELETE
key on the file. To delete a group of files, tag the files first
with the SPACEBAR, CTRL+[LEFT MOUSE BUTTON], or CTRL+SPACEBAR
keys. The file directory can be refreshed anytime using CTRL+R.
4
Menus And Messages
==================
Menus and messages are displayed at the bottom of the screen.
There are three menus in FileBUDDY: the View Menu, the Main Menu,
and the Utilities Menu. Below is a breakdown of commands under
each menu:
Located in the View Menu:
[M]ain Selects the Main Menu. (Pressing the
right mouse button does the same
thing.)
Located in the Main Menu:
[O]pen Displays the DOS file directory to open
a file for viewing. (Pressing ESC from
the View Menu does the same thing.)
[E]dit Edits the file being viewed.
[F]ind Searches for a word or phrase in a
file.
[C]apture Toggles Capture mode ON or OFF.
[P]rint Prints the file being viewed.
Util[s] Selects the Utilities Menu.
[D]OS Shells out to DOS.
[Q]uit Quits FileBUDDY. (Pressing ESC twice
or pressing the middle mouse button on
a 3-button mouse does the same thing.)
Located in the Utilities Menu:
Confi[g]Prn Displays the printer configuration
list.
Se[t]ConfigDefault Assigns a printer configuration to
DEFAULT.
CreateD[B]F Creates a dBASE file structure.
Pac[k]DBF Packs a dBASE file
5
All commands in each menu can be accessed three ways:
1. Pressing the command's highlighted letter.
2. Clicking on the command name with the mouse.
3. Pressing CTRL+[highlighted letter].
Use the ESC key to cancel commands or messages displayed. Note
that FileBUDDY interprets the right mouse button as the ESC key.
The only time this is not so is when the View Menu is displayed.
(It toggles the Main Menu.)
Editing Files
=============
Text files may be edited using CTRL+E. FileBUDDY does not
incorporate an editor so one must be defined in FBUDDY.INI.
(Refer to the 'Editor' parameter description in "Customizing
FileBUDDY" for more information). When attempting to edit very
large files, remember that your editor may not be able to edit
them. No harm is done if you try to edit such a file as the
editor will just abort and return you to FileBUDDY.
Archived text files may also be edited. Edit them like a normal
file. If the text file is modified, FileBUDDY will prompt you if
you want to update the archive file. If so, press "Y" or "y" or
the ENTER key. If not, press "N" or "n" (or any other key).
When an archive file is updated, the "xxxINFO" file (the first
file in the archive directory) is not updated. It can, however,
be refreshed with CTRL+R.
If you edit a text file that originates from an embedded archive
or a self-extracting archive, an error message will be displayed
when you try to update the archive. If you need to edit a copy
of such a file, make sure to save the modified file to your work
directory BEFORE exiting the text editor (or word-processor) or
you will lose all your changes.
Searching Text
==============
The Find command, CTRL+F, lets you search text files with any
"key". Search keys can be based on a character, word, or phase.
Multiple key searches are performed using the comma as the key
separator. For example:
Find: good,better,best
Although not shown, it's okay to have blank spaces before and
after the commas. Please note that you cannot specify a comma as
a key in a multiple key search since the comma is used as the key
separator.
6
To treat a key as a "whole word" during a search, enclose it in
double angle brackets like in the following example:
Find: good,better,<<best>>
All searches start from the first line in the view window. If
you want to start your search from the beginning of the file,
make sure to press HOME before entering your search criteria.
When multiple key searches are performed, each line is scanned
with all keys.
Searches are not case sensitive so any occurrence of a key found
is highlighted. To continue a search, press TAB. New search
criteria are entered by pressing CTRL+F again. Previous search
criteria may be cleared with SHIFT+DELETE. (The contents can be
restored by pressing SHIFT+INSERT.)
Capturing Text
==============
Capture mode is invoked with CTRL+C. FileBUDDY will prompt you
for the name of the destination file for the text to be saved to.
The default filename is FBUDDY.CAP with the path being what was
specified in FBUDDY.INI under the 'WorkDir' parameter. If you
want to modify this, press SHIFT+DELETE to clear the filename and
enter a new one. Any text saved to an existing capture file is
appended.
Snapshots are taken using the ENTER key. A large block of text
can be captured by pressing the PGDN and ENTER keys alternately.
If you prefer to scroll using the mouse or cursor keys, don't
worry about overlapping text between consecutive snapshots as
they will not be duplicated in the capture file. Snapshots not
consecutively taken are separated by a solid bar line. If you
are viewing a dBASE file and want to capture a record that has
more than 22 fields, you DO NOT need to scroll down to capture
the fields not shown. Pressing ENTER once is enough.
Capture mode is turned off by invoking CTRL+C again. It's not
necessary to turn capture mode off before exiting FileBUDDY as
it's done automatically.
Printing Files
==============
Before printing a file, you will need to configure your printer.
Press CTRL+G and select the desired configuration from the menu
list. If you are just starting out, the only names you will see
are DEFAULT and NOSETUP. The configuration name DEFAULT always
appears at the top of the list and is used to store a printer
configuration that you want FileBUDDY to use by default. To
assign DEFAULT to a printer configuration, press CTRL+T. When
7
FileBUDDY is first installed, the NOSETUP printer configuration
is assigned to DEFAULT. NOSETUP is a "dummy" configuration that
is used to print text files already formatted. Since NOSETUP
contains no setup codes, your printer is not configured in any
way. NOSETUP merely "opens" the printer port (ie. LPT1, LPT2, or
LPT3) for printing.
To configure your printer to print unformatted text files, you'll
need to create your own printer configurations and add them to
the FBUDDY.INI file. The FBUDDY.INI file is modified using a
text editor or word-processor. Make sure when you resave
FBUDDY.INI to save it in ASCII format. Most text editors will do
this but if you are using a word-processor this will not
necessarily be true.
Each printer configuration is distinguished by a unique name and
preceded by the "@" character. When creating a name, any
combination of upper or lower case letters may be used. The name
should be no longer than 12 characters in length. For example:
@CONDENSED
To setup a printer connected to LPT2, LPT3, or PRN insert a colon
after the name and type "LPT2", "LPT3", or "PRN" like:
@CONDENSED:LPT2
For each printer command line, type some descriptive text of any
length followed by the "=" character. Place the appropriate
control codes after the "=" character, separating each value with
a comma. (A list of printer commands and formatting codes for
your printer can normally be found in the printer user's manual.)
FileBUDDY recognizes printer codes in decimal or hexadecimal
format. If you decide to use hexadecimal codes, make sure to
precede each value with "&H". Here is an example of a printer
configuration:
@CONDENSED:LPT2
Master Reset =27,64
Condensed ON =15
Left Margin =&H1B,&H6C,&H07
Right Margin 27,81,127
Text ="Condensed Mode"
Blank Line =""
Notice the last two lines. If you need to send some text to the
printer before printing a file, that is how it's done. You can
have up to 10 of these lines. Also, note that spaces (or TABs)
may be inserted between the text and "=" or between "=" and the
first control code value. If you need to temporarily prevent a
line from being processed, leave out the "=" as shown in the
example.
8
Keep your printer configurations easy to read by separating them
with a blank line. Below is a copy of SAMPLE.INI showing what a
typical FBUDDY.INI file may look like:
[INITIALIZATION]
Version=3.10
MouseSen=12
MouseSS=12
MouseLBSS=60
TabSpaces=8
ExitOnEsc=YES
FileSort=2
PrnConfigSort=1
BeepSound=6
Shadow=YES
Border=1
LBBorder=3
HelpBorder=2
TextColor=7
LBTextColor=7
BorderColor=14
LBBorderColor=14
HelpTextColor=7
HelpBorderColor=10
HMBarColor=27
HiLiteColor=30
FileNameColor=31
LBCsrColor=48
MouseCsrColor=71
[SWAP]
SwapWhenEditor=3
SwapWhenDOS=3
SwapWhenAssociate=1
SwapWhenImage=1
[DEFINE]
OtherArcExt=LZH:QWK,ARJ:SDN,ZIP:BAK
FileEOLChar=PLX:10,DAT:227
Associate1=WKS:c:\utils\spread.exe
[PATHS]
WorkDir=c:\workdir
Editor=c:\dos\edit.com
ARC=c:\utils\arc.exe
ARJ=c:\utils\arj.exe
LZH=c:\utils\lha.exe
PAK=c:\utils\pak.exe
ZIP=c:\utils\pkzip.exe
9
[ARCHIVE]
Compression=1
SFXModel=2
ResetArchivePW=YES
[DBF]
DBFPackBackup=1
[IMAGE]
SlideShowPause=10
Image1BitFormat=2
ImageRestore=0
ImageCsrRes=100
ImageLPT=1
ImageDPT=300
ImageSize=7500
ImageRow=0
ImageColumn=400
ImagePrtMode=0
ImageBorder=NO
[PRINTER]
PrnSetupDefault=NLQ
@NOSETUP
@NLQ
Master Reset =27,64
Select NLQ =27,120,1
Roman Font =27,107,0
Left Margin =27,108,5
Bottom Margin =27,78,7
@CONDENSED:LPT2
Master Reset =27,64
Condensed ON =15
Left Margin =27,108,7
Right Margin =27,81,127
Bottom Margin =27,78,7
Tab Increments =27,101,0,2
Text ="Condensed Mode"
Blank Line =""
@GRAPHICS:LPT3
Master Reset =27,64
Graphic Mode =27,116,1,27,6
Left Margin =27,108,5
Note how each printer configuration starts with 'Master Reset'.
This clears any previous settings in the printer to the setting
set by the printer's "dip switches". This is the same thing as
turning your printer off and then back on again. Keep in mind
that reset codes vary from printer to printer so the ones used in
the example may not apply to you.
10
Archiving And Extracting/Deleting Archived Files
================================================
Assuming you have defined the archiver(s) you plan to use (if
not, refer to "Customizing FileBUDDY" under the [PATHS] parameter
heading), FileBUDDY allows you to archive files from the DOS file
directory using the following keys:
F2 Create a ARC archive.
F3 Create a ARJ archive.
F4 Create a LZH archive.
F5 Create a PAK archive.
F6 Create a ZIP archive.
CTRL+F2 Create a self-extracting ARC archive.
CTRL+F3 Create a self-extracting ARJ archive.
CTRL+F4 Create a self-extracting LZH archive.
CTRL+F5 Create a self-extracting PAK archive.
CTRL+F6 Create a self-extracting ZIP archive.
When archiving, the first thing you'll be prompted for is an
archive name (file extension is not necessary). If the archive
file already exists, the selected files are added to it. You
will also be asked for a "comment" file. A comment file is
simply a short ASCII file you create to describe the archive.
When creating the comment file, leave one or two blank lines at
the beginning and the end of the file so that the comment "block"
will standout when it is displayed. If you don't want to add
comments to the archive, leave the prompt blank and press ENTER.
(You can always enclose one later when you add other files to the
archive.) Lastly, you'll be asked whether you want the original
files deleted after they've been archived. If you answer "yes"
and an error occurs during the archiving process, the files will
not be deleted.
Multiple files are archived by tagging the files with the
SPACEBAR or CTRL+[LEFT MOUSE BUTTON] (double-click) keys. To
select all the files in the file directory, press CTRL+SPACEBAR.
(Tagged files can be untagged by pressing the keys again.) Once
the files have been tagged, select the appropriate function key
to archive them.
If you wish to password-protect the archive file, enter your
password with CTRL+Z before you start the archiving. Also,
please note when archiving that FileBUDDY relies on a few
parameters in FBUDDY.INI. For more information about these
parameters, please refer to "Customizing FileBUDDY" under the
[ARCHIVE] parameter heading.
To extract an archived file from the archive directory, press
CTRL+U on the file to extract. You'll be prompted to enter a
work directory path. Press ENTER to accept the default path (it
will be the one you specified under 'WorkDir' in FBUDDY.INI) or
enter a new one. To extract the file to the current DOS
11
directory, clear the path displayed at the prompt with
SHIFT+DELETE and press ENTER. If you don't want to be prompted
for a path when extracting a file, press CTRL+ENTER. The file
will be extracted to the directory specified in 'WorkDir' (unless
of course it was modified earlier when you extracted a file with
CTRL+U).
To extract multiple files, use the SPACEBAR or CTRL+[LEFT MOUSE
BUTTON] keys to tag them. To select all the files in the archive
directory, press CTRL+SPACEBAR. Once the files have been tagged,
use CTRL+U or CTRL+ENTER to extract them.
No masking is performed when archiving or extracting files. In
other words, if a file's attribute is hidden or read-only, that
is how it will be archived or extracted by FileBUDDY. If you
want to delete a file inside an archive, press DELETE on the
file. To delete more than one file, tag the files first. If an
archive file is password-protected, use CTRL+Z to enter the
password before viewing, deleting, or extracting files.
Viewing, Editing, Creating, And Printing dBASE Files
====================================================
Viewing dBASE files (including those archived) are no different
than viewing text files. However, make note of the following
four keys as they take on a different meaning:
HOME Go to the first record.
END Go to the last record.
PGUP Go to the previous record.
PGDN Go to the next record.
When modifying a dBASE record, FileBUDDY sends the record to your
text editor for editing. This method may seem a little
unorthodox at first but I think you will find it uncomplicated
and easy to work with.
The first thing you'll probably notice after pressing CTRL+E is
the first line which contains the double angle brackets "<< >>".
This line determines how the record will be handled by FileBUDDY.
When the double angle brackets enclose a blank space, FileBUDDY
modifies the record (assuming changes were made). If you want
to delete a record, substitute the blank space with a "-" like
"<<->>". To undelete a record, simply substitute the "-" with a
blank space. If you change your mind after modifying a record,
remove the space between the double angle brackets like "<<>>"
(or delete the line entirely) and FileBUDDY will ignore any
changes made to the record. If you want to add a new record,
select any record in the database (with CTRL+E) and enter a "+"
between the angle brackets like "<<+>>". Modify the record
fields as desired. After you exit the text editor, FileBUDDY
will add the record to the dBASE file.
12
A good idea before you modifying a record is to set your text
editor's cursor mode to INSERT so that when you edit a field, the
field boundaries (ie. "[" and "]") don't move. Keep in mind that
this is not manditory as FileBUDDY itself doesn't care if they
move. The field boundaries are there for your own visual
reference.
If you need to modify (or add) many records in an archived dBASE
file, FileBUDDY will "constantly" ask you whether you want to
update the archive file. To save time, answer "no" until the
last change you make to the file.
When a dBASE record is deleted, the record is only marked for
deletion. To physically remove a deleted record, you need to
"pack" the dBASE file. You can do this in FileBUDDY with CTRL+K.
By default, FileBUDDY creates a backup copy before packing the
original dBASE file. If you have limited disk space, you can
tell FileBUDDY not to create the backup with the 'DBFPackBackup'
parameter (see "Customizing FileBUDDY" under the [DBF] heading
for more information).
When creating a dBASE file, FileBUDDY again relies on your text
editor. A dBASE structure is created by pressing CTRL+B from
View mode (or from the DOS file directory). A structure is
layed-out pretty much the same way a dBASE record is displayed in
FileBUDDY. Take the following structure:
MEMBER: [C ]
TITLE: [C ]
ADDRESS: [C ]
CITY: [C ]
ST_PROV: [C ]
COUNTRY: [C ]
PHONE: [C ]
JOINED: [D]
DUE: [D]
FEE: [N.2 ]
MAILLIST: [L]
NOTES: [M]
Note how everything is aligned and capitalized. This is not
necessary. As long as the five components below are present,
FileBUDDY will decode each line properly:
Field Name The field name should be no longer
than 10 characters. Any field name
longer than 10 characters will be
truncated. If there are leading
or trailing spaces in the field
name, they will be stripped.
13
Colon You MUST use a colon to separate
the field name from the left square
bracket. If not found, the line
will not be processed.
Left Square Bracket The left square bracket defines
the beginning of the field. The
number of spaces between the left
bracket and the right bracket
sets the field length.
Field Type Character This tells FileBUDDY what kind of
field it is. Five data field types
are recognized:
C Defines a character field.
Any field that is not
explicitly defined will be
will be defined as a character
field. Maximum field length
is 255.
D Defines a date field. Field
length is automatically set
to 8.
F Defines a "Floating-Point"
field (in dBASE IV only).
To assign decimal places to
this field, append a period to
"F" and follow it with the
number of decimal places.
Maximum field length is 20.
L Defines a logical field. Field
length is automatically set
to 1.
M Defines a dBASE III memo
field. To create a dBASE IV
memo field, append a "4" to
the "M" character like "M4".
Field length is automatically
set to 10.
N Defines a numerical field. To
assign decimal places to this
field, append a period to "N"
and follow it with the number
of decimal places (see
example). Maximum field
length is 19 in dBASE III and
20 in dBASE IV.
14
Right Square Bracket The right square bracket defines
the end of the field. The number
of spaces between the left bracket
and the right bracket determines
the field length.
After you have created the dBase structure, records can be added.
When adding your first record, FileBUDDY displays a message to
the effect that no records exist. Just press ESC to cancel the
message and then press CTRL+E. When entering a date in a date
field, the date must be organized in the standard YYYYMMDD format
so that it can be used by FileBUDDY's expression evaluator (or
others for that matter). Incidently, you can display information
on an existing DBF structure with CTRL+F1.
To print a dBASE file (ie. CTRL+P), you have two options. If you
have a few records to print, you can use Capture mode to capture
individual records to a file. Once the records have been
captured, they can be printed. The second option is to let
FileBUDDY select records based on an "expression" you provide.
The expression is placed in a "dBASE print form" file. The
actual name of this file is the same name as the dBASE file but
with a .FRM extension. For example, if the name of the file is
ADDBOOK.DBF you would give the dBASE print form file the name
ADDBOOK.FRM. (Make sure it's located in the same directory as
the dBASE file.)
The dBASE print form file also contains the formatting for each
record. The SAMPLE.FRM file which comes with FileBUDDY shows
what a dBASE print form may look like:
EvalExp: "@COUNTRY" = "CANADA"
===========================================================
Member: @MEMBER Title: @TITLE
Address: @ADDRESS
City: @CITY State/Prov: @ST_PROV
Country: @COUNTRY Phone: @PHONE
The first line of a dBASE print form contains the expression to
be evaluated. If it isn't found, FileBUDDY assumes that you want
to print all records in the file. Always precede your expression
with "EvalExp:" and make sure the colon "butts" up against the
"p". Case is not important, however. FileBUDDY's expression
evaluator supports both mathematical and logical operators and
evaluates expressions from LEFT TO RIGHT unless parenthesis are
used (which take precedence). Valid operators are:
15
> Greater than && AND
< Less than || OR
>= Greater than or equal to * Multiply
<= Less than or equal to / "Floating-Point" divide
= Equal to \ Integer divide
!= Not equal to + Add
~ Fuzzy search - Subtract
!~ Not equal to fuzzy search
Here are a few other sample "expressions":
EvalExp: "@JOINED" > "19920606" && ("@FEE" > "30")
EvalExp: "@MEMBER" ~ "DR."
EvalExp: "@FEE" > "100" && ("@FEE" < "200")
EvalExp: "@FEE" > ("@FEE" + "75.50")
EvalExp: "@ST_PROV" = "TX" && ("@COUNTRY" = "USA")
The rest of the lines in the dBASE print form formats how each
record will be printed. As you may have surmised, the "@"
character precedes a field name so that its contents are printed.
(Field names are displayed when viewing a dBASE file.) When
designing a form, make sure that you take into consideration the
field's total length. Thus, don't place normal text too close to
the right-side of a field as it may be overwritten by the field's
contents (ie. text or blank spaces). Use CTRL+F1 to get the
lengths of each field.
The location where page breaks occur when printing a dBASE file
will depend upon how you set up your printer. If you find your
records get broken up during page breaks, you can either adjust
the number of lines to be printed in your printer configuration
(see "Printing Files") or you can add a few blank lines in your
dBASE print form. With reference to the SAMPLE.FRM example, you
would add the blank lines after line 2. Please note that the
second line in the example is not necessary. You can replace it
with a blank line (or lines or whatever) since it is merely
serving to separate records printed. Alternatively, you can
delete the second line altogether and place the "record
separator" on the last line of the dBASE print form file.
Viewing, Processing, Saving, And Printing Images
================================================
Because there are so many SVGA video cards with different
chipsets on the market, it is impossible to support them all. If
your video card is not designed around the ATI, Paradise,
Trident, Tseng, Video 7, or "VESA" chipset, look for VESA
compatibility in the form of a driver on the disks that came with
your video card. The driver allows FileBUDDY to select the video
card's extended modes when displaying images larger than
16
320x200x256. If you are unsuccessful in locating the VESA
driver, check with the video card manufacturer (or call their BBS
if they operate one). Chances are one is available.
Regardless of whether or not a VESA driver is available,
FileBUDDY can display any image file size in the standard VGA
mode of 320x200x256 although you'll still need to have enough
memory to hold the whole image. Memory can be in the form of EMS
(expanded), XMS (extended), or conventional type. If not enough
memory is found, it will be simulated on your hard drive (virtual
memory). If you want to run FileBUDDY from within Windows 3.1,
please use the enclosed PIF file.
FileBUDDY always displays images in their proper aspect ratio.
If your video card has a 32k, 64k, or 16m color mode, it will be
used to display 24-bit images. Images that are too large to
display on your video card's best video mode can be navigated
with the following keys:
HOME Displays the top-left image corner.
END Displays the bottom-right image corner.
CTRL+HOME Displays the left image border.
CTRL+END Displays the right image border.
UP CURSOR Pans the view window up.
DOWN CURSOR Pans the view window down.
LEFT CURSOR Pans the view window left.
RIGHT CURSOR Pans the view window right.
PGUP Pages the view window up.
PGDN Pages the view window down.
CTRL+LEFT CURSOR Pages the view window left.
CTRL+RIGHT CURSOR Pages the view window right.
Cursor key resolution is defined with the INSERT key. Enter
values from 1 to 1000. Because values represent "pixel" units,
the smaller the number the finer the resolution. The default
value is set at 100 but can be changed with the 'ImageCsrRes'
parameter in FBUDDY.INI.
As an alternative to navigating through an image, you can get a
"bird's eye" view of an image using the TAB key. By pressing
TAB, the image is resized to fit the selected video mode. If you
are viewing a large image and are not at the top-left corner of
the image, make sure you press HOME first or FileBUDDY will
resize just the portion displayed on the screen.
If you want to view images in a "slide-show" style format, go to
the file directory (ie. CTRL+O) and tag the desired image files
with the SPACEBAR key (or use CTRL+SPACEBAR to tag all image
files in the directory). When files are tagged, no distinction
is made between image files and non-image files. However, non-
image files are filtered out when CTRL+W is pressed to start the
slide-show. Note also that no fancy "footwork" is performed when
displaying images. Thus, if an image is too large to fit in the
video card's best resolution mode, not all of the image will be
17
displayed. You can, however, get around this by resizing the
image beforehand by creating a new image file. When doing so,
select a new image size with the same proportions as the original
so that the image will look "right". For example, if your
highest video card resolution is 800x600, resize a 640x731 image
to 509x600. To quit the slide-show, press CTRL+W again. To
bypass the delay period between images, press ENTER immediately
after the image has loaded.
One of FileBUDDY's most powerful features is its ability to
process images (including 24-bit images). Image processing,
however, is "very" memory dependent. If your computer does not
have a lot of memory, don't be too surprised when the
"Insufficient Memory" message is displayed. Below are the image
processing functions available:
CTRL+B Changes the image brightness. Images
can be brighten four ways:
1=All: Brightens all the pixels in the
image. Values range from -255 to 255.
The higher the value, the brighter the
image.
2=Midrange: Increases intermediate
brightness levels.
3=Histogram Brighten: Brings out details
of an image subject washed-out by a
rear light source.
4=Histogram Equalize: Brings out details
in a dark image.
5=Gamma: Expands intermediate
brighteness levels. Values range from
0.1 to 10. (Values entered are in the
form of 1/x.)
6=Multiply: Multiplies brightness level
by a factor.
7=Divide: Divides brightness level by a
factor.
18
CTRL+C Changes the image contrast by expanding
the brightness range. Lower and Upper
values range from 0 to 255, where 0 is
black and 255 is white and anything in
between are shades of gray.
CTRL+E Exchanges a selected brightness level
range to a new brightness level. Lower,
Upper, and New values range from 0-Black
to 255-White.
CTRL+G Grayscales the color image.
CTRL+I Inverts the image.
CTRL+J Removes noise from image.
CTRL+K Creates a kodalith image. This is the
same thing as a high contrast image.
There are two ways to select an exposure
(threshold):
0=Auto: Calculates the average
brightness level of the image.
1=Set: Allows you to enter your own
exposure. Values range from 0 to 255.
CTRL+M Creates a mirror image.
CTRL+N Creates a "photographic" negative.
CTRL+R Blurs the image. Blurring values range
from 1 to 255, where 255=Max Blurring.
CTRL+S Sharpens the image. Images can be
sharpened two ways: 1=Gentle, 2=Course.
CTRL+T Traces image outlines. There are two
ways to select an exposure (threshold):
0=Auto: Calculates the average
brightness level of the image.
1=Set: Allows you to enter your own
exposure. Values range from 0 to 255.
To create a B&W drawing from a color
traced image, press CTRL+G and then
CTRL+N.
19
CTRL+V Transforms an image using a convolution
matrix. "Convoluting" applies a 3x3
matrix to each pixel in the image. Ten
values ranging from -127 to 127 are
entered as a "string" and separated by
commas. The first 9 values are
numerators while the last is the
denominator (or divisor). A string
entered as "n1,n2,n3,n4,n5,n6,n7,n8,
n9,d" represents the matrix:
n1 n2 n3
-- -- --
d d d
n4 n5 n6
-- -- --
d d d
n7 n8 n9
-- -- --
d d d
A matrix like
1/36 1/9 1/36
1/9 4/9 1/9
1/36 1/9 1/36
is entered as:
1,4,1,4,16,4,1,4,1,36
When entering a string, feel free to
break it up into "groups" with
blank spaces to visually separate each
matrix row. For example:
1,4,1, 4,16,4, 1,4,1, 36
You will note when convoluting that the
result MAY at times be on the dark side.
You can correct this by brightening it
with "1=All" using a value of 50 or 60.
20
Here are some other convolution matrix
filters:
* detect vertical lines:
-1,0,1,-1,0,1,-1,0,1,1
* detect horizonal lines:
-1,-1,-1,0,0,0,1,1,1,1
* detect diagonal lines:
0,1,1,-1,0,1,-1,-1,0,1
* gently sharpen:
0,0,0,-1,3,-1,0,0,0
* sharpen:
-1,-1,-1,-1,9,-1,-1,-1,-1,1
* outline:
-1,-1,-1,-1,8,-1,-1,-1,-1
* blur:
1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,9
CTRL+X Pixellizes the image. Values are from
2 to 63.
CTRL+Z Posterizes the image. Values range from
1 to 255.
Most of FileBUDDY's image processing functions are irreversible
unless you set the ImageRestore parameter to "yes". Therefore
if you sharpen an image, you can undo the sharpen by pressing
CTRL+BACKSPACE. Keep in mind that if you don't have enough
memory you will not be able to restore the process.
To aid in image processing, FileBUDDY lets you create a histogram
of an image using CTRL+H. An image histogram is simply a graph
showing the distribution of brightness levels relative to the
number of pixels in the image. Dark images (or images with dark
backgrounds) will have most of their pixels graphed at the low
end of the brightness scale. Bright images (or images with
bright backgrounds) will have most of their pixels graphed at the
high end of the brightness scale.
Another of FileBUDDY's powerful features is its ability to crop
images. Images are cropped by holding down one of the SHIFT keys
and then pressing an appropriate cursor key. The cursor keys
represent the 4 borders of the image: the UP cursor represents
the top border, the DOWN cursor the bottom border, the LEFT
cursor the left border, and the RIGHT cursor the right border.
The direction in which the image borders will move is determined
by the SHIFT keys. The left SHIFT key moves the borders OUTWARD
while the right SHIFT key moves the borders INWARD. To help you
remember, think of the left SHIFT as the furthest OUT from the
cursor keys and the right SHIFT as the closest IN to the cursor
keys. If you have any problems remembering, press F1 for help.
If you need to adjust the "cropping resolution", use INSERT to
change it. To undo any cropping, press BACKSPACE.
21
If you are cropping a very large image, say, by bringing the
right border in and you are viewing the top-left corner of the
image, it may seem like nothing is happening (except for the
image being redrawn). Don't be fooled. Remember that your
screen is acting like a window to the image. To see the border
being adjusted, position yourself at the right border with
CTRL+END.
You can rotate an image using the CTRL+PGDN or CTRL+PGUP keys.
The CTRL+PGDN keys rotates the image clockwise whereas the
CTRL+PGUP keys rotates it counterclockwise.
A by-product of the cropping feature is the ability to zoom in on
an area of an image. For example, if you have an image of a
person's face and wanted to zoom in on the left eye, crop the
image until only the left eye is showing. Then press the TAB key
to resize the eye to fill the screen. To "unzoom", just press
the BACKSPACE key.
Images which have been processed or cropped, or those that need
to be converted to different formats can be saved with the
following function keys:
Key Format Compression Depth Notes
F2 BIF None 8 Binary
F3 GIF LZW 4,8 87a/89a
F4 PCX RLE 1,8
F5 EPS 8 EPSF2.0/3.0
F6 TGA None,RLE 16,24,32 Saves 24-bit
F7 TIF None,LZW,PackBits,G3,G4 1,8,24
F8 BMP None,RLE 1,4,8,24
F9 JPEG Quality 1-100 8,24
When saving an image, you'll be asked to enter the image's new
dimensions (like 320x200, 640x480, 1024x768, or whatever). Press
ENTER to accept the image's original dimensions. The path where
the image will be saved is defined by the 'WorkDir' parameter in
FBUDDY.INI. The default image name will be the same as the
original image name but with appropriate extension. If you are
saving to GIF (89a) format, you'll be asked if you would like to
add comments to it. GIF comments are added using the editor you
defined in FBUDDY.INI or via an existing file you specify.
When loading a BIF (binary) image, unlike the other image
formats, you'll be asked to enter its dimensions. This is
because the format does not save any information about the image.
The default image size is set at 320x200. You may have to
experiment with different sizes until you find the right size to
capture the complete image.
If a HP LaserJet, HP DeskJet 500c (color), or Epson 24-pin (or
compatible) printer is available, images can be printed by
selecting CTRL+P. You will be prompted with the following:
22
1. Image Destination (printer or file)
2. Image Dimensions
3. Brightness Level (Gamma Correction)
4. Printer Resolution (DPI)
Gamma correction values range from .1 to 10, where 2 is the
default. Even so, you may need to experiment with different
settings as it is dependent on the image.
Printer resolution allows you to define the quality of the image
printed. The lower the resolution, the lower the quality. If
you want to print an image quickly, you would of course choose a
low resolution like 75 DPI. The default setting is what you
specified in your FBUDDY.INI file. When printing at high
resolutions like 300 DPI, be patient. This is especially true
with large images or when enlarging images. You may cancel a
print job with ESC at anytime. Please note that there's a delay
when cancelling as FileBUDDY responds at 10% intervals.
Sometimes the printed image's aspect ratio may not look the same
as the image on the screen. This is NOT an error with FileBUDDY.
What's happening is that when an image is displayed on a video
monitor, the monitor's aspect ratio changes the image's apparent
aspect ratio. This is especially noticeable when printing an
image of a person's face. To compensate for this "distortion",
increase the length of the image slightly. For example, if the
image's dimensions are 320x200, change it to 320x225.
To print an image in landscape mode, rotate the image with the
CTRL+PGDN or CTRL+PGUP keys. If you want to change the border
thickness drawn around the image, redefine 'ImageBorder' in
FBUDDY.INI. (For more information on this parameter, refer to
"Customizing FileBUDDY" under the [IMAGE] parameter heading.)
If you don't have one of the supported printers (see the
'ImagePrinter' parameter in the "Customizing FileBUDDY" section),
you can print the image to file by pressing "F" or "f" after
selecting CTRL+P. The file can then be printed from the command
line on another computer connected to the proper printer using:
copy imagename lpt1 /b
If the laser printer is connected to "lpt2" or "lpt3", substitute
accordingly. Make sure you use the "/b" switch to ensure the
whole file is printed.
23
General information about an image can be obtained using CTRL+F1.
To view the "comment block" of a GIF (89a) image, press the
SPACEBAR key.
For a list of image commands, press F1. Press ESC or CTRL+O to
load another image file.
Customizing FileBUDDY
=====================
FileBUDDY stores "modifiable" parameters in FBUDDY.INI. Since
the file is in ASCII format, you can easily customize them with
any text editor. Below is a description of each parameter:
[INITIALIZATION] The parameters under this heading are
required for FileBUDDY to run properly.
Make sure that you do not delete them
unless noted.
Version FileBUDDY version.
MouseSen Sets the mouse sensitivity. Useful
values are between 0 and 100, where 0 is
the most sensitive.
MouseSS Sets the mouse scroll speed. Use values
starting from 0. The higher the time
delay value, the slower the scrolling.
MouseLBSS Sets the mouse scroll speed for list
boxes (ie. DOS and archive file
directory). The higher the time delay
value, the slower the scrolling.
TabSpaces Sets the amount of spaces each TAB
character represents. If this parameter
is not found, the default is set
internally to 8.
ExitOnEsc Determines whether pressing ESC from the
DOS file directory will exit FileBUDDY
if no file is selected. FALSE/NO/0=
Don't Exit On ESC, TRUE/YES/1=Exit On
ESC
FileSort Determines how file directory names will
be sorted. 0=Don't Sort, 1=Sort By
Name, 2=Sort By Extension
24
PrnConfigSort Determines whether the printer
configuration names will be sorted.
0=Don't Sort, 1=Sort
BeepSound Sets the type of "beep sound" for error
messages. Values range from 0 to 10.
FALSE/NO/0=No Sound
Shadow Determines whether a shadow will be
projected when a list box is displayed.
FALSE/NO/0=No Shadow, TRUE/YES/1=Shadow
Border Sets the main borders in the program.
Five options are available:
1 = Single line all around
2 = Double line all around
3 = Double line horizontally, single
line vertically
4 = Single line horizontally, double
line vertically
FALSE/NO/0 = No border
LBBorder Sets the list box border type. (See
'Border' parameter for list.)
HelpBorder Sets the Help box border type. (See
'Border' parameter for list.)
TextColor Sets the main text color.
LBTextColor Sets the list box text color.
BorderColor Sets the main border color.
LBBorderColor Sets the list box border color.
HelpTextColor Sets the Help text color.
HelpBorderColor Sets the Help list box border color.
HMBarColor Sets the text color for the menus and
messages.
HiLiteColor Sets the highlight text color.
FileNameColor Sets the filename text color.
LBCsrColor Sets the list box cursor color.
MouseCsrColor Sets the mouse cursor color. (This
parameter will be set to -1 if FileBUDDY
is configured for "black & white".)
25
[SWAP] Parameters under this heading tell
FileBUDDY when and where to swap from
conventional memory. When swapping to
XMS or EMS, FileBUDDY will store the
"swap kernel" in an UMB (if available)
instead of conventional memory. If
there is not enough memory when swapping
to XMS or EMS, swapping will default to
disk.
SwapWhenEditor Determines whether FileBUDDY will swap
out of conventional memory when shelling
to your editor. FALSE/NO/0=Don't Swap
(default), 1=Disk, 2=EMS, 3=XMS
SwapWhenArchiver Determines whether FileBUDDY will swap
out of conventional memory when shelling
to your archiver. FALSE/NO/0=Don't Swap
(default), 1=Disk, 2=EMS, 3=XMS
SwapWhenImage Determines whether FileBUDDY will swap
part of itself from conventional memory
when loading an image.
FALSE/NO/0=Don't Swap, 1=Disk (Default),
2=EMS, 3=XMS.
SwapWhenDOS Determines whether FileBUDDY will swap
out of conventional memory when shelling
to DOS. FALSE/NO/0=Don't Swap (default),
1=Disk, 2=EMS, 3=XMS.
SwapWhenAssociate Determines whether FileBUDDY will swap
out of conventional memory when shelling
to an "associated" program.
FALSE/NO/0=Don't Swap (default), 1=Disk,
2=EMS, 3=XMS.
SwapEMS320 If you are having problems swapping to
expanded memory (EMS), you may want to
set this parameter to TRUE, YES, or 1.
This forces FileBUDDY to use EMS 3.2
level functions (instead of EMS 4.0
functions).
26
[DEFINE] Parameters under this heading define
how certain files are to be treated.
OtherArcExt Lets you define an archiver to a file
extension. For example, if you wanted
to view a QWK file compressed with LHA,
you would set it up as:
OtherArcExt=LZH:QWK
(Should you decide to view a QWK file,
you must also include DAT:227 in the
'FileEOLChar' parameter.)
To specify more than one extension, you
would expand it using commas:
OtherArcExt=LZH:QWK,ARJ:SDN,ZIP:BAK
Note how you can associate different
files to different archivers.
FileEOLChar Allows you to define an "End-Of-Line"
character to a file extension for
FileBUDDY to use when parsing lines.
For example:
FileEOLChar=PLX:10,DAT:227
The comma is used to expand the
parameter so that more than one file
type can be processed.
Associate# Links a file extension to a program
for FileBUDDY to use when CTRL+A
is pressed (from the file/archive
directory). The # character is a value
from 1 to 5. For example:
Associate1=WKS:c:\utils\spread.exe
Make sure to define 'SwapWhenAssociate'
if your program won't load due to
insufficient memory.
27
[PATHS] Parameters under this heading specify
the paths and programs used by
FileBUDDY. When specifying program
names, you MUST add the PATH and
EXTENSION or they won't be located, even
if they are in your PATH statement.
When specifying archiving programs, the
following are recognized by FileBUDDY:
ARC v6.00
ARCE v3.1, v4.0g
ARJ v2.10-v2.30
LHA v1.14, v2.10-v2.13
PAK v2.51
PKZIP v1.10, v2.04
Previous or future versions of the
archivers may or may not work. All you
can do is try and see.
TempDir Sets FileBUDDY's temporary work
directory path. By default, this
parameter does not appear in FBUDDY.INI
thus creating the temporary work
directory in FileBUDDY's directory.
To use it, add it manually and set it up
like:
TempDir=c:
or
TempDir=c:\utils
When viewing archived files, FileBUDDY
decompresses them to the temporary work
directory. If FileBUDDY is installed on
a floppy disk and you tried to view a
large archived file, you would in all
likelihood run out of disk space. This
parameter allows you to specify an
alternate path so that the file would
not decompress on the floppy disk.
WorkDir Defines YOUR work directory path. For
example:
WorkDir=c:\temp
28
Editor This parameter allows you to specify
the text editor or word-processor of
your choice. Assuming your editor is
called "edit.com" and located in c:\dos,
you would set it up as:
Editor=c:\dos\edit.com
ARC This parameter recognizes three
different archivers. They are ARC.EXE
by SEA, ARCE.COM by Wayne Chin/Vernon D.
Buerg and PAK.EXE by NoGate Consulting.
Below are examples to set each up:
- Assuming you want to use ARC for
"ARCs" and the archiver is located in
c:\utils\arc, set it up as:
ARC=c:\utils\arc\arc.exe
- Assuming you want to use ARCE for
"ARCs" and the archiver is located in
c:\utils\arc, set it up as:
ARC=c:\utils\arc\arce.com
- Assuming you want to use PAK for
"ARCs" and the archiver is located in
c:\utils\pak, set it up as:
ARC=c:\utils\pak\pak.exe
ARJ This parameter recognizes one archiver.
The archiver is called ARJ.EXE by Robert
K. Jung. Assuming the archiver is
located in c:\utils\arj, set it up as:
ARJ=c:\utils\arj\arj.exe
LZH This parameter recognizes one archiver.
The archiver is called LHA.EXE by
Haruyasu Yoshizaki. Assuming the
archiver is located in c:\utils\lha, set
it up as:
LZH=c:\utils\lha\lha.exe
PAK This parameter recognizes one archiver.
The archiver is called PAK.EXE by NoGate
Consulting. Assuming the archiver is
located in c:\utils\pak, set it up as:
PAK=c:\utils\pak\pak.exe
29
ZIP This parameter recognizes two archivers.
They are PKZIP.EXE by PKWare and PAK.EXE
by NoGate Consulting. Below are
examples to set each up:
- Assuming you want to use PKZIP for
"ZIPs" and the archiver is located
in c:\utils\pkzip, set it up as:
ZIP=c:\utils\pkzip\pkzip.exe
- Assuming you want to use PAK for
"ZIPs" and the archiver is located in
c:\utils\pak, set it up as:
ZIP=c:\utils\pak\pak.exe
[ARCHIVE] This heading marks the location of the
archiving parameters.
Compression Specifies the method of compression:
1=Size, 2=Size/Speed, 3=Speed. This
parameter applies to archivers that
support it.
SFXModel Specifies the model that FileBUDDY will
use when creating a self-extracting
file: 1=Small Model, 2=Large Model.
This parameter applies to archivers
that support it.
ResetArchivePW Determines whether the password will be
cleared after archiving or extracting/
deleting archived files.
FALSE/NO/0=Don't Reset Password,
TRUE/YES/1=Reset Password. If set
to "NO", remember that should you
decide to archive files after viewing a
password-protected archive, the password
will be used. Make sure to clear the
password manually.
30
[DBF] This heading marks the location of the
dBASE parameters.
DBFPackBackup Determines whether a backup will be
created before packing a dBASE file:
FALSE/NO/0=Don't Create Backup,
1=Create Backup, 2=Create Backup Disk
Space Permitting. When set to "1" and
not enough disk space is available,
packing will not proceed. The backup
name created will be the same as the DBF
name but with the ".BAK" extension.
(The backup file is deleted if the
backup is successful.)
[IMAGE] This heading marks the location of the
image parameters.
SlideShowPause Sets the delay period (in seconds)
between images when "slide-show"
viewing. Time values range from
0 to 2400.
DisableHiColor Disables video cards with 32k, 64k, or
16m modes so that 24-bit (RGB) images
are displayed as 8-bit (256 colors).
YES/TRUE/1=Disable, NO/FALSE/0=Don't
Disable
ImageDisplay A positive mode defines the maximum
display resolution. A negative mode
sets it to the defined display
resolution. 0=Auto-Detect (default),
1=320x200, 2=640x480, 3=800x600,
4=1024x768, 5=1280x1024
Image1BitFormat Defines how other images will be
converted to 1-bit images. 0=Scatter
(error diffusion), 1=Ordered Dither,
2=Threshold (B&W)
ImageRestore Sets whether you will be able to restore
an image after processing it.
NO/FALSE/0=Don't Backup Image Before
Processing, YES/TRUE/1=Backup Image
Before Processing
ImageCsrRes Sets the resolution of the cursor keys.
Pixel values range from 1 to 1000.
Thus, the smaller the value the finer
the resolution.
31
ImagePrinter Defines the image printer.
0=HP LaserJet, 1=Epson 24-pin dot-
matrix, 2=HP DeskJet 500c. (Values
also apply to their "compatibles".)
ImageLPT Specifies the image's printer port.
1=LPT1, 2=LPT2, 3=LPT3
ImageDPI Sets the resolution of the image printer
and is expressed in "dots per inch" (ie.
DPI). Valid printer resolutions for HP
LaserJet printers are: 75, 100, 150,
200, 300, 600, 1200. (The latter two
resolutions only apply to printers that
support it.) For HP DeskJet 500c
printers the resolutions are: 75, 100,
150, 300. For Epson 24-pin printers,
only the 180 DPI mode is supported.
(All values also apply to their
"compatibles".)
ImagePrtMode Valid print modes are: 0=Scatter,
1=Halftone, 2=Color. The scatter
technique also referred to as "error
diffusion" normally produces a sharper
and more detailed picture but takes 20%
longer to print. Use this mode for
offset printing. If you plan to
photocopy the image, use mode 1
(halftone technique).
ImageSize Sets the overall size of the image.
This parameter actually defines the
image's width. (The image's length is
automatically defined by the image's
aspect ratio.) Use values greater than
0. A value of 1000 is equivalent to 1"
or 2.54 cm. Printed images are
automatically limited to 7999 x 10999
(dots) in size.
ImageRow Sets the "row" coordinate where the
image will be printed on the paper.
Values are with reference to the top
upper-left corner of the paper oriented
in the vertical position. It is
expressed in 1/1000 inch. A value of
1000 would therefore represent 1 inch or
2.54 cm. Use values starting from 0.
32
ImageColumn Sets the "column" coordinate where the
image will be printed on the paper.
Values are with reference to the top
upper-left corner of the paper oriented
in the vertical position. It is
expressed in 1/1000 inch. A value of
1000 would therefore represent 1 inch or
2.54 cm. Use values starting from 0.
ImageBorder Determines the thickness of the border
around the image in DPI units. A "2"
for example represents a "2-dot-border".
Use values starting from 0. The higher
the number the thicker the border.
FALSE/NO/0=No Border
[Printer] This heading marks the location where
printer configurations are stored.
Refer to "Printing Files" for help on
creating your own.
PrnSetupDefault Stores a default printer configuration
name. This is normally defined within
FileBUDDY from the Utilities Menu with
SetConfigDefault. Make sure this
parameter precedes all your printer
configurations.
The rest of the FBUDDY.INI file is used to store your
printer configurations.
33
Contacting The Author
=====================
If you are experiencing any problems with FileBUDDY or have a
suggestion or criticism you'd like to make, please write to me.
I would like to hear from you. Write to me at:
Lenard Dean
Box 73094, Woodbine Postal Outlet
Calgary, Alberta T2W6E0
CANADA
You can also reach me on CompuServe at 70312,415. If you are an
Internet user, use 70312.415@compuserve.com to reach me.
Happy viewing!
34
Appendix A
==========
Registration Information
------------------------
FileBUDDY is being distributed as SHAREWARE. This method of
distribution means that you may evaluate FileBUDDY for a
reasonable period of time, normally 30 days. (In my case, I'll
leave the "reasonable" part up to you.) If you find that
FileBUDDY meets your needs and you continue to use it, please
register your copy.
The registration fee for FileBUDDY is $20 US. When you register,
you will receive a printed manual and the latest version of
FileBUDDY. As an incentive to register, the registration fee
applies to all future releases of FileBUDDY. Since there is no
difference between the Shareware and Registered version, you are
free to upgrade as new versions are released. (If you wish to
order a new manual and disk for a major upgrade, I will be more
than happy to supply them to you at a nominal cost.)
Money orders or personal, certified, and traveller's checks are
accepted. If you are paying by personal check, payment does not
necessarily have to be in US funds. Local currency is acceptable
as long as the amount is equivalent to the amount in US dollars.
Check with your bank for the current exchange rate "for you to
buy" US dollars. If you are ordering outside North America,
please don't forget to add the additional $3.00 US for shipping
(even if you want it sent by registered mail).
Thank you for your support.
35
APPENDIX B
==========
Color Chart
-----------
BACKGROUND
Black Blue Green Cyan Red Magenta Brown White
Black 0 16 32 48 64 80 96 112
Blue 1 17 33 49 65 81 97 113
Green 2 18 34 50 66 82 98 114
F Cyan 3 19 35 51 67 83 99 115
O Red 4 20 36 52 68 84 100 116
R Magenta 5 21 37 53 69 85 101 117
E Brown 6 22 38 54 70 86 102 118
G White 7 23 39 55 71 87 103 119
R Grey 8 24 40 56 72 88 104 120
O BrBlue 9 25 41 57 73 89 105 121
U BrGreen 10 26 42 58 74 90 106 122
N BrCyan 11 27 43 59 75 91 107 123
D BrRed 12 28 44 60 76 92 108 124
BrMagenta 13 29 45 61 77 93 109 125
Yellow 14 30 46 62 78 94 110 126
BrWhite 15 31 47 63 79 95 111 127
36
APPENDIX C
==========
Questions And Answers
---------------------
Q: Why is there a delay when reading an archive directory?
A: Because FileBUDDY has to wait for the archiver to create the
"xxxINFO" file. If the archive is self-extracting and has a
security envelope, there may be an even longer delay.
Q: When trying to view a ZIPed file, I get a "Disk Full Or
Bad Archive" error message. I'm told that there is nothing
wrong with the ZIP file. What's wrong?
A: This message can occur if you try to view a file archived with
PKZIP v2.00's new compression algorithm using PKZIP v1.10.
The solution is to use PKZIP v2.00 or better.
Q: When I try to archive files that are on a floppy drive with
PKZIP, I get a "Disk Full Or Bad Archive" error message. I
have the "TempDir" parameter in my FBUDDY.INI file set to
"C:". What's wrong?
A: This is a PKZIP "quirk". You can get around this problem with
"SET PKTMP=C:" in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Q: When I try to view EXE files that have been "PKLITEd",
FileBUDDY tries to unZIP them. Why is that?
A: Because FileBUDDY has no way of knowing if they are self-
extracting.
Q: When extracting lots of files within a LZH archive, my screen
goes blank. Why?
A: This is a quirk with LHA as it is manipulating the display
directly. Once all the files have been extracted, FileBUDDY
will redraw the screen.
Q: When I try to run FBUDDYI.EXE nothing happens. What am I
doing wrong?
A: FileBUDDY is invoked with FBUDDY.EXE. Only FBUDDY.EXE has
access to FBUDDYI.EXE.
37
Q: When I try to view certain GIF files I get an "Unreadable
GIF format". Why is that?
A: Assuming the files are not corrupted, FileBUDDY cannot read
GIF images of less than 4-bit pixel depth.
Q: Can I view archived image files?
A: Sure. As a matter of fact depending on the image format (like
uncompressed TIFs), you can reclaim a significant amount of
disk space if you archive your uncompressed image files.
Q: I'm having problems displaying an image on a "supported" video
card. As far as I know the image is fine. Any suggestions?
A: Install the VESA driver that comes with your video card and
try viewing the image again.
Q: Can FileBUDDY be run on a network?
A: Yes. The syntax to run multiple copies (instances) is:
fbuddy /$[1-99] filename
Any one of the following examples are valid:
fbuddy /$1
fbuddy /$2
fbuddy /$3 autoexec.bat
Please note that FileBUDDY does NOT verify whether the same
instance is already running. (That is left to the user or
network administrator.)
For each copy of FileBUDDY running, a new FBUDDY.INI file is
created (ie. FBUDDY1.INI, FBUDDY2.INI, etc.). This allows
you to customize each user's setup. To denote whose setup
each one corresponds to, a descriptive label within each
FBUDDY.INI file can be added. For example:
[INITIALIZATION]
User=Jacks Machine
38
