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VISION SYSTEM ================= (v 7.5 01-Oct-1993) by Maurizio Ammannato (M) 1993 Maurizio's House [<HyperText>] Press the ENTER key now to know some HyperText navigation rules. Welcome to VISION System ======================== Vision is a <Free Form Textual Data Base> System. The first access method is the usual hierarchical Chapter/Pages two-levels access. In this way you can read newspaper articles, documents, books, dictionaries, glossaries, help files ,etc.) just choosing the Data Base you want read (first layer), then its Chapters (second layer), finally the chapter Pages (third layer). You alternatively can access a VISION Data Base using <Hyper Text> technique, thus <navigating> text through its <keywords> (fourth layer). This package allow you to build your own Text Data Base by yourself. It is not just a "Read Only" package. Licence Fee =========== The package is completely free of charge for personal use. Do as many copies you like for you and your friends. However you're not allowed to make any kind of profit or to do any commercial activity related to VISION. My Preferred Sentence ===================== "The best VISION for a Company should be its people job safeguard, letting them to prosper being in peace with the men and with God. The STRATEGY should be the way to realize this VISION, maintaining the Company's business growing, productive and profitable. Not easy at all. That's why you should have firstly a depth MISSION in your life." (Oiziruam Otannamma) Enjoy VISION System ! Maurizio Ammannato Via Concordia N.80 22049 Valmadrera (CO) --------------------- I T A L Y Table of Contents ===================== Decompressing Archives.......................... pag 4 VISION Configuration............................ pag 5 Color and Monochrome............................ pag 5 Compression..................................... pag 6 Converting .DB to New .DBC Format............... pag 6 Converting .DBC to Old .DB...................... pag 6 Temporary Storage............................... pag 7 VISION.MSG Message File......................... pag 7 Executing VISION................................ pag 8 VISION Data Base Structure...................... pag 9 Main Menu WINDOW................................ pag 10 Title WINDOW.................................... pag 12 Document WINDOW................................. pag 13 Reading Long Document........................... pag 13 Keyword WINDOW.................................. pag 14 Type of KEYWORD................................. pag 15 Normal Keyword (open a Text Window)............. pag 15 Calling Keyword (execute a PC Program).......... pag 15 Picture Keyword (display a Picture)............. pag 15 Vision Data Base Technical Structure............ pag 16 Creating New Free Form Textual Data Base........ pag 17 New Data Base From Existing Text File........... pag 19 Updating Existing Data Base..................... pag 21 Erasing Data Bases.............................. pag 21 Sort Option..................................... pag 22 Changing The Main Menu List..................... pag 22 Directory Option................................ pag 23 Creating an HyperText Document.................. pag 24 How VISION Looks for Keywords................... pag 27 VISION Command Line............................. pag 27 Changing Screen Text Font....................... pag 27 Using VISION on LAN............................. pag 27 Using the MOUSE................................. pag 28 Customizing the Roditor......................... pag 28 VISION and WINDOWS.............................. pag 29 VISION and Bulletin Boards...................... pag 29 Idle Time....................................... pag 29 PC Configuration................................ pag 29 History......................................... pag 30 HyperText Notes................................. pag 32 [pag 4] Decompressing Archives ====================== Create a <directory> called VISION (DOS command MD) and copy there VISION.ZIP file and eventually all related Textual Data Base with the extension .ZIP (which means compressed via PKZIP.EXE utility). Using the companion PKUNZIP.EXE utility (which you can find on many BBS) decompress them as following : C:\VISION\pkunzip *.zip In this way all .ZIP archives will be 'unzipped'. The VISION package must have the following files : - VISION.EXE Vision Main Program - VIS_OVL.EXE Vision Overlay - VIS_PIC.EXE Vision Display program (.PIC, .PIC or .GIF pictures) - VIS_CRE.EXE create your own Textual Data Base (import) - VIS_UPD.EXE from .DB database back to .UPD ASCII file (export) - LHA.EXE LHA compressor - VIS_SORT.EXE sort utility - VIS_FONT.EXE change VGA screen text font - VISION.CFG configuration file (default=color) - VISION.COL configuration file for color monitor - VISION.BW configuration file for mono monitor - VISION.MSG comment/help file for VISION.EXE (default=English) - VIS_OVL.MSG comment/help file for VIS_OVL.EXE (default=English) - VISION.DOC VISION documentation in printable format (English) - #_VISION.NDX documentation in VISION format (INDEX) - #_VISION.DB documentation in VISION format (DB) - WHATIS.NEW brief description of new features Demo files: - VISION.DDD example file for VISION.DIR option - #_PIPPO.UPD example source file to build new VISION DB - #_PLUTO.UPD example source file to build new VISION DB with HyperText facility - BLUEYES.PIC demo .PIC file - DEMO.BAT demo file Other files: - LHA213.EXE self extracting LHA documentation and disclaimer - PW.COM PC Password Protection and Screen Saver utility - PW.DOC PW.COM documentation Decompress all .ZIP Data Bases you have in the directory using the same procedure as before; after that copy all .ZIP files in a back-up device and REMOVE all .ZIP (i.e. "ERASE *.ZIP") to save disk space. To decompress <LHA> documentation: C:\VISION\lha213 [pag 5] VISION Configuration ==================== Check through your favorite Text Editor, or WP, the configuration file VISION.CFG and change what you need or wish to change. Foreground color numbers can range from 1 to 31 (after number 15 the color is blinking). Background from 1 to 7. The following is the complete list of options you can set : '---------------------------------- VISION.CFG config file SCROLL_SPEED=7 number of secs for automatic scrolling (Alt-A) IDLE=5 idle time (minutes) before screen saver execution SAVER=filename full path of your preferred Screen Saver (try PW.COM) EDITOR=filename full path of your preferred Text Editor (Alt-E) SORT=BYNAME or BYDATE or NO sort option COMPRESSION=ON/OFF to allow or disallow LHA Data Bases compression TMP_DEV=dev/NO the fastest device in your PC to allow temporary storage WDW_END=@@@ break-characters for Keyword Window SKD_LFT=60 source keyword left delimiting character SKD_RGT=62 source keyword right delimiting character TKD_LFT=17 target keyword left delimiting character TKG_RGT=16 target keyword right delimiting character F_DBW=15 foreground Data Base Window (DBW) color B_DBW=7 background Data Base Window (DBW) color F_BOT=0 foreground Help Desk color B_BOT=2 F_COM=0 foreground DBW comment line F_HIG=14 foreground DBW data base name F_IDX=15 foreground Index Window (IW) color B_IDX=1 F_TDX=7 foreground IW text color B_TDX=1 F_DOC=0 foreground Document Text color B_DOC=7 F_REV=0 foreground reverse Index title B_REV=6 F_ASK=15 input window B_ASK=4 F_FND=14 founded string color M_AND=&HB0FF AND Mouse Mask M_OR =&H7700 OR Mouse Mask Color or Monochrome =================== You can easily change color attributes modifying .CFG file color parameters. To make your life easier, if you have a monochrome screen, copy directly VISION.BW to VISION.CFG file using DOS COPY command: C:\VISION\COPY vision.bw vision.cfg [pag 6] Compression =========== From VISION version 6.2 you can optionally use the compression feature. Firstly write: COMPRESSION=ON in the VISION.CFG configuration file. Then, when you use VIS_CRE program (or Alt-B command from VISION main window) to build a new Textual Data Base from its source FILENAME.UPD file, you get a new file with .DBC extension (no more with .DB extension as before) compressed using LHA program (the last "C" character in the data base extension stands for Compressed). Doing that you can save disk bytes in the ratio of about 8 to 1 (a filename.DB of 100.000 bytes can be reduced down to 12.000 bytes in the compressed filename.DBC). Executing VISION you see a small "c" after the Data Base size number in correspondence to the compressed .DBC data base. (If you don't use the compression option everything remains the same as in the previous VISION versions). Choosing the highlighted data base name (ENTER key or clicking with the Left Mouse Button) with .DBC extension, VISION executes LHA to decompress it, then shows its text as usual. Due to LHA speed, the decompression activity doesn't take no more than few seconds (depending on .DBC size and PC CPU speed). You can make some tests before deciding to use this option or not. The default setting is "ON". Converting .DB to New .DBC Format ================================= 1) Set COMPRESSION=ON in VISION.CFG file. 2) Execute VISION 3) Move the bar up to data base name to covert 4) Press Alt-U keys to generate original ASCII .UPD file, then confirm 5) Press Alt-B keys to recreate the data base, now in compressed format 6) Give its name without any extension (the same name of point 3) 7) Write new data base comment line (if you wish the same as before) 8) Now, after compression, you have to see a "c" on the right of the filesize number which must be much less than before Converting .DBC to Old .DB Format ================================= 1) Set COMPRESSION=OFF in VISION.CFG file All other points are the same as before. *************************************************** USE COMPRESSION OPTION TO SAVE A LOT OF DISK SPACE! *************************************************** [pag 7] Temporary Storage ================= VISION and LHA work better if they have a fast device for temporary storage (some .TMP files etc.). If you have such kind of device (i.e. a RAMDISK or VIRTUAL disk on for example "F:" device), write TMP_DEV=F: in VISION.CFG configuration file. Otherwise write TMP_DEV=NO not to use this option. VISION.MSG Message file ======================= Edit VISION.MSG messages file to change what you need (i.e. from my Italian- English to Queen's English, etc.) To change language file use COPY DOS command : C:\VISION\COPY vision.ita vision.msg to get the Italian comments/help. You can obviously create a new comment/help file with your own language; i.e. for Spanish : - copy VISION.ENG into a new file VISION.ESP (DOS "COPY VISION.ENG VISION.ESP") - modify the new file with Spanish translation using a TE or WP (Text Editor or Word Processor) - copy new VISION.ESP into VISION.MSG (c:\vision\COPY VISION.ESP VISION.MSG) ================================================================== New comment strings MUST MUST have the same LENGTH of the old ones ================================================================== [pag 8] Executing VISION ================ Before executing VISION for the first time, verify to have available at least one database with both .DB (or .DBC) and .NDX files. You must have VISION .DBC .NDX and .KEY files. You can create a new one by yourself (see below) or download some from a BBS. Remember to decompress them if they are ZIPped as explained before. You have two different ways to execute VISION. 1) MENU MODE. Typing VISION at DOS prompt, you enter into Main Menu Window with the list of available Data Bases (see below): C:\VISION>vision 2) COMMAND LINE MODE. Typing VISION followed by data base name at DOS line prompt, you enter directly into Index Menu from which, using ESCape command, you come back directly to DOS : C:\VISION>vision b_netw If you have a VGA monitor you can execute vision typing VGA instead of VISION. This allows VISION to load into PC ROM a new text font (modern-d) resulting in a more readable text: C:\VISION>vga Also in this case you can enter directly into the Index Menu writing VGA followed by data base name: C:\VISION>vga #_vision to have on line VISION documentation. VISION can also be executed from WINDOWS (see pag 29). [pag 9] VISION Data Base Structure ========================== Before going on, it's a good idea to define the Textual Data Base structure used by VISION. ********************************** A VISION Data Base has FOUR layers ********************************** 1) Data Base Layer (list of all available Data Bases names, up to 100) 2) Title Layer (list of all Data Base Titles, no limit) 3) Page Layer (text pages of selected Title, no limit) 4) Keyword Layer (window text on selected word, no limit for keyword number, 16 windows in depth for each keyword) Two examples ------------ #_VISION Data Base: . Name, comment, creation date and size => Data Base LAYER (1st) . Chapter titles => Title LAYER (2nd) . Vision document Pages => Page LAYER (3rd) N_GLOSSA Data Base: . Name, comment, creation date and size => Data Base LAYER (1st) . Glossary Terms => Title LAYER (2nd) . Term Description => Page LAYER (3rd) . Keyword Comment => Keyword LAYER (4th) [pag 10] Main Menu Window ================ In the Main Menu, you can see at the same time up to 16 available databases with related comment, last update data and size. The limit of available databases is 100. Press Alt-H keys (or Left Click on 24th line where the Help info is) to get an on line help. ******************************** Alt-H to get VISION on line HELP or CLICK (Left) on 24th line ******************************** Help - MAIN MENU Available Commands (1st) ========================================= <Alt-B Build New Data Base > PgDn Page Down <Alt-C Change Data Base Comment Line > PgUp Page Up <Alt-D Delete Data Base > Title Up <Alt-E Edit Source ASCII file (.UPD) > Title Down <Alt-R Restore Original Index > Home Top of List <Alt-S Sort Title Index Ascending > End Bottom of List <Alt-T Sort Title Index Descending > ─┘ Open Data Base <Alt-U Rebuild ASCII UPD file (EXPORT)> ESC Exit Use Up/Down arrows or PgUp/PgDn to navigate, Alt-H for on-line help. Once on the line of chosen DB (highlighted color) the ENTER key allow you to open the Title Menu (you enter into 2nd layer). Using MOUSE, move its cursor on i.e. 'PgDn' string in the 24th line and click with the left button to activate the Page Down function. ***************************************************** ENTER key or LEFT Click to OPEN highlighted Data Base ***************************************************** Initially Titles are indexed sequentially (first record found, first record in DB). You have two possibilities to change the indexing method by pressing ALT-S or ALT-T keys. These two commands tell VISION to sort highlighted index by alphabetical ascending (ALT-S) or descending (ALT-T) order. ******************************************* Alt-S Alt-T to index differently Title list ******************************************* Any way Alt-R option restores the original indexing method. ***************************************** Alt-R to RESTORE original indexing Method ***************************************** [pag 11] From Main Menu you can directly edit a new/old VISION source .UPD file. To use this option you have to declare before, in VISION.CFG file, the preferred Text Editor with its FULL PATH and EXTENSION. Then, non depending on which highlighted name you are, press together Alt-E keys and give the filename WITHOUT .UPD extension. If you use an editor called EE, in \EDITORS\ directory on D: device, write in your VISION.CFG the following path: ........................ EDITOR=D:\EDITORS\EE.EXE ........................ ************************************ Alt-E to EDIT source ASCII .UPD file ************************************ From Main Menu you can also directly build a new VISION Data Base. Non depending on which highlighted name you are, press together Alt-B keys and give the New data base name WITHOUT .UPD extension (you must have this ASCII file on VISION directory). ************************************** Alt-B to CREATE new Data Base (IMPORT) ************************************** You can also rebuild the original .UPD ASCII file from main Menu, 1) move the bar on the Data Base name then 2) press Alt-U. You are required for a confirmation. ****************************************** Alt-U to REBUILD source .UPD file (EXPORT) ****************************************** To delete an existing Data Base, move the bar up to selected Data Base name and press Alt-D keys. Before removing highlighted Data Base, you are required to confirm that. This command DOESN'T cancel the related .UPD source file but only .DB (or .DBC), .NDX and .KEY files. ************************************* Alt-D to DELETE highlighted Data Base ************************************* [pag 12] Title Window ============ Once on TITLE Window, press Alt-H keys to get the following on line Help : Help - TITLE WINDOW Available Commands (2nd) ============================================ PgDn/Up Page Down/Up / Title Up/Down Alt-H This Help Home/End Top/Bottom List F1 Search String F9 Search String Globally F2 Search Again F10 Global Search Again ─┘ Open Document ESC Exit Use Up/Dn arrows and PgUp/PgDn keys to navigate this list. If you have a long list you can use F1 key to quickly search the title you need, F2 to search again. You can search also for a piece of word, i.e. "etw". In this case all words having "etw" will be displayed. F2 search again using same search string. ********************************************* F1/F2 keys to SEARCH a word in the Title list ********************************************* Using F9/F10 you search instead for words line per line across documents. An example. Let imagine you want to search the word "disciple" in the New Testament. 1) be in New Testament index window (Title level) 2) press F9 and give search string "disciple" 3) VISION finds search string in a book title 4) enter in the book (ENTER key) 5) press F2 to search same string inside the document 6) press ESC to come back to Index window 7) press F10 to search again at book title level (index) The difference between two above searching methods is that F1/F2 keys search the string within the index comment line (Index level), while F9/F10 keys search the string in the entire Data Base. **************************************************** F9/F10 keys to SEARCH a word in the ENTIRE Data Base **************************************************** Opening Document ---------------- Move bar up to desired title, then press the ENTER key to open related document. ************************************** ENTER key to OPEN highlighted Document ************************************** [pag 13] Document Window =============== Once in Document window press Alt-H keys to get the following help: Help - DOCUMENT Window Available Commands (3rd) =============================================== TAB/s-TAB Scroll Text Right/Left s-Home Left Scroll Home (col 1) Alt-A Automatic Scroll On/Off PgDn/Up Page Down/Up Alt-F Write Document to File / Line Up/Down Alt-M Mark Document Position Home/End To/Bottom List Alt-J Jump to Mark (Alt-M) -/+ Dec/Incr Scroll Speed Alt-P Print Document F1 Search String -/- Keyword Navigation F2 Search Again ─┘ Open Keyword ESC Exit (s-TAB = Shift TAB keys) (s-Home = Shift Home keys) Up/Down arrows, PgUp/PgDown and Home/End keys allow you to quickly navigate across Document Window. ************************************************** Up/Down,PgUp/PgDown,Home/End to navigate DOCUMENTS ************************************************** While Left/Right arrows let you navigate through keywords (if they exist) ************************************** Left/Right Arrows to navigate KEYWORDS ************************************** Reading Long Document ===================== Reading long document you need some functions to emulate real book reading. The first one is to mark a position for latter retrieve. Use Alt-M when you want stop reading at a specific position (a soft beep advises you of work done). Once you are back to same document use Alt-J to jump to mark. With no mark, Alt-J jumps to first document line. ****************************************************** Alt-M and Alt-J to MARK a position for later retrieval ****************************************************** If you want to read document without using arrows for navigation, you can use the Alt-A automatic scroll option. VISION has a default value of 7 seconds delay time between scrolling (see in VISION.CFG the SCROLL_SPEED option) so that you can read it relaxed and quite. Use plus key (+) to slow down scrolling speed or minus (-) key to increase it. [pag 14] Keyword WINDOW ============== Once in the a <Keyword Window>, press Alt-H keys to get following Help: Help - Keyword Window Available Commands ======================================== Alt-P Print Window Text PgDn/Up Page Down/Up Alt-F Write Window Text to File / Line Up/Down -/- Keyword Navigation Home/End To/Bottom List ─┘ Open Keyword ESC Exit Free Memory: nnnnnn bytes In a Keyword Window you can find other keywords. Use Left/Right arrows to navigate these new keywords. You can have up to 16 Keyword Windows in depth. ******************************************************** Up to 16 Keyword Windows in depth for each DOCUMENT word ******************************************************** How Many Keyword Windows ------------------------ When at document level (3rd layer), each word can be a keyword. If a document has for example 1000 words, you can have at the maximum 1000 keywords for this level. Once open one of these 1000 keyword, you enter FIRST LEVEL Keyword Window where you can find other keywords (in a Keyword Window you can find about a maximum of 100 words per screen). Then you can choice one of them and enter in the SECOND LEVEL Keyword Window, and that up to 16 LEVELS Keyword Windows in depth. If we have for example a Data Base with 100 documents, each document with 1000 words and assume that each of them are a keyword, and each of them opens a FIRST level window with about 100 keywords per window, up to 16 LEVELS in depth, the maximum number of Keywords Windows we can have for that Data Base is the following : 100x1000x100x16=16,000,000 [pag 15] Type of Keywords ================ VISION has three types of <Keyword> : Normal Keyword -------------- A <Normal Keyword> is an highlighted word or text able to open another Text Window allowing reader to navigate text. Usually used to explain the highlighted word or text. Calling Keyword --------------- You can execute any PC program (depending only on available main memory) from VISION, then you can come back to <Calling Keyword>. You should have available about 370 Kbytes of Main memory on 640 Kbytes systems. The Calling Keyword opens another window called <Execution Window>. The only allowed actions you can take on it are: 1) the program execution (ENTER key or a click on the execution command on the 24th line), or 2) to come back to calling keyword (ESCape key or a click on the ESCaping 24th command). Picture Keyword --------------- For training purpose you can use this <Picture Keyword> which allows you to display 256 colors VGA pictures. Allowed format are: .PIC (PC Paint, PC Paint Plus, PICTOR, GRASP) or .PIX (PC Paintbrush, Publisher PC Paintbrush) or better known and available .GIF (Compuserve Graphics Interchange Format). Called picture MUST reside on VISION directory. The Picture Keyword opens another window called <Execution Window>. The only allowed actions you can take on it are: 1) the program execution (ENTER key or a click on the execution command on the 24th line), or 2) to come back to calling keyword (ESCape key or a click on the ESCaping 24th command). [pag 16] VISION Data Base Technical Structure ==================================== VISION System works using two different files, the index file with .NDX extension and data base file with .DB extension (or .DBC if compression is ON). If Data Base uses also keyword option, VISION creates in this case a third file with .KEY extension. The following is its structure : 1) Index record title (78 bytes 78 character) 2) Physical DB address (2 bytes integer) 3) Length of document (4 bytes long integer) 4) Position of the Mark (2 bytes integer) 5) Reserved for later use (2 bytes integer) The Data Base structure is depending on ASCII document maximum line length. VIS_CRE program (executable directly at DOS level or using Alt-B command on VISION) before building a new Vision Data Base, displays the maximum text line length which is used to determine the simple Data Base structure: 1) Comment line (variable length) But you have to don't care at all of this technical info, you have only to follow these very simple instructions to create your new data base. [pag 17] Creating New Free Form Textual Data Base ======================================== A) Building New Source ASCII File --------------------------------- Take your favorite Text Editor or use Alt-E option from Main Menu to edit a new source file called i.e. #_PIPPO.UPD (the .UPD extension is a MUST) and write your info in the following order : 1) First row will become FIRST index record 2) from second line up to the special break-characters line, write document lines (pay attention to don't write the following special combination of characters '@#$' at the line beginning). 3) special break-string combination to close the document; that is a '@#$' at the beginning of the line. Look at the following simple #_PIPPO.UPD example : ---beg of file----- (don't insert this line in your file) NETWORK ======== The network is.... .................. .................. [@#$] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) SUPER-CENTER ============ The supercenters are.................................... ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ [@#$] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) PROTOCOLS ========= You need protocols when you have to exchange information with other people/computers. The language is one of above protocols. ---end of file----- (don't insert this line in your file) ********************************************************** DON'T insert the break-string at the BEGINNING of the file ********************************************************** **************************************************** DON'T insert the break-string at the END of the file **************************************************** *********************************************************** DON'T put BLANK lines between break-string and FIRST record *********************************************************** [pag 18] B) Creating a VISION Data Base ------------------------------ Once done this ASCII test file, on VISION Main Menu, press Alt-B keys and give its filename without any extension. This file MUST reside in same VISION directory. ****************************************************** .UPD source files MUST be in the same VISION directory ****************************************************** You can also use VIS_CRE program at DOS level without entering VISION Main Menu : C:\VISION\vis_cre #_pippo This program creates #_PIPPO.NDX with three master records (NETWORK,SUPER- CENTER,PROTOCOL) and the #_PIPPO.DB (or .DBC) data base with text. After VISION has created these two files, it asks for a DB comment line. (You can also change this comment later, on Main Menu press Alt-C keys on highlighted name). See and use this example to understand how to build or to modify a source ASCII .UPD file. #_PIPPO.UPD must be in the VISION delivery disk or ZIP archivie. *********************************************************** USE #_PIPPO.UPD file to understand how to build a VISION DB *********************************************************** [pag 19] New Data Base From Existing Text File ===================================== This procedure is the most common use of VISION because you have often some .DOC/.MAN/.TXT/.HLP files in printable or listable ASCII format and you want to transform them in the more readable VISION format. VISION can very easily transform this ASCII files in a Textual Free Form Data Base. ******************************************************** VISION can quickly transform ASCII files in FREE FORM DB ******************************************************** A) Modifying Source ASCII File ------------------------------ Take the ASCII file you want to convert and rename it with the .UPD extension (i.e. PIPPO.DOC in #_PIPPO.UPD); remove all extraneous lines (top of form character, page break, etc.) and do exactly the same procedure as to build a new VISION source .UPD file. Example of #_PIPPO.UPD ASCII file to convert ------------------------------------------ - Pag 1 - NETWORK ======== The network is.... .................. .................. TOF (Top of Form printer command) - Pag 2 - SUPER-CENTER ============ The supercenters are.................................... ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ TOF (Top Of Form printer command) - Pag 3 - PROTOCOLS ========= You need protocols when you have to exchange information with other people/computers. The language is one of above protocols. [pag 20] Now remove ALL EXTRANEOUS lines, i.e. the "Pag nn" lines, the "TOF" characters, the blank not useful lines, then follow the same procedure as before to create new source file so that the original PIPPO.DOC looks like the following #_PIPPO.UPD file : ---beg of file----- (don't insert this line in your file) NETWORK ======== The network is.... .................. .................. [@#$] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) SUPER-CENTER ============ The supercenters are.................................... ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ [@#$] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) PROTOCOLS ========= You need protocols when you have to exchange information with other people/computers. The language is one of above protocols. ---end of file----- (don't insert this line in your file) Once PIPPO.DOC has been modified in this #_PIPPO.UPD way, enter VISION Main menu and press Alt-B keys to generate new DB. [pag 21] Updating an Existing Data Base ============================== The best way to update a VISION DB is to : 1) enter VISION Main Menu (1st level) 2) move the bar to Data Base name 3) press Alt-U keys and confirm Now VISION creates again original .UPD source file, then : 4) press Alt-E keys and give its name without any extension 5) change what you need to change or update or add 6) come back to VISION 7) Alt-B keys to recreate VISION Data Base (.DB[C], .NDX and eventually .KEY) Erasing Data Base ================= Enter VISION Main Menu, move bar on Data Base to remove, then press Alt-D keys. VISION removes only .DB, .NDX and .KEY files; it doesn't delete the .UPD source ASCII file. [pag 22] Sort Option =========== You can have the list of available TDB (Textual Data Bases) sorted in three different ways (first Menu Window). Write in VISION.CFG file your sorting choice. SORT=BYNAME It sorts Data Bases by names. SORT=BYDATE It sorts Data Bases by date (last equal first) SORT=NO VISION doesn't sort at all. Using SORT=NO and VISION.DIR option, you can decide by yourself the Data Bases order (thus you get in main Window the exact order of VISION.DIR file). Changing the Main Menu List =========================== Renaming BOTH files (.NDX and .DB file) with a name of your choice, VISION sorts automatically them by new alphabetical order putting them in the position you prefer (if the sorting option is set on BYNAME). For example : N_...... = network related data bases P_...... = product related data bases S_...... = services V_...... = various and generic data base $_...... = pricing data bases .. = ............................... Simply changing the name of your DB (and related .NDX and .KEY file), you get a different classification. For example if you want to put #_PIPPO Data Base in first Main Menu line, execute the following DOS command, at DOS prompt, in the VISION directory : C:\VISION\rename #_pippo.* !_PIPPO.* to be sure to change all #_PIPPO DB related files. [pag 23] Directory Option ================ When VISION starts, it firstly look for a file called VISION.DIR. So that you have two different VISION behavior : 1) VISION doesn't find it in current directory. Then VISION looks for files on current directory as usual. 2) VISION finds this file. Then it uploads DBs into Main Menu following VISION.DIR directive. In the last way you can have your VISION files anywhere in your PC. Look at the example for a better understanding. ***************************************************************** Using VISION.DIR option you can have DB files ANYWHERE in your PC ***************************************************************** VISION.DIR example ------------------ D:\VISION\#_VISION (.DB .NDX and .KEY files on current dir) C:\BIBLE\B_NEWT (.DB .NDX and .KEY files on C:,in \BIBLE\ dir) G:\V_PRESS (.DB .NDX and .KEY files on G:\, optical disk) ******************************************************* YOU MUST GIVE THE FULL PATH (DEVICE,DIRECTORY and NAME) ******************************************************* You have to build that VISION.DIR file using your preferred text editor. VISION.DIR must reside in the same VISION programs directory. Give a look to VISION.DDD, an example file in the distribution disk. When you load a new data base, remember to update VISION.DIR file otherwise the program will ignore it. ************************************************** REMEMBER to UPDATE VISION.DIR when adding a new DB ************************************************** N.B. If the compression is ON, VISION executes before LHA to decompress the .DBC file (every where it is on PC) into the .DB format file, which is temporary stored in the SAME VISION directory. In this way, if you have for example a "write once" optical disk containing VISION files, VISION decompress the data base not on the source device (in this case the optical disk) but into an erasable device (where it is supposed VISION programs reside). [pag 24] To Create an Hypertext Document =============================== To build document in <Hyper Text> way you have to remember three main things: 1) how to declare a <SOURCE keyword> 2) how to mark a <TARGET keyword> 3) how to write a <Keyword WINDOW> HyperText Parameters in VISION.CFG ---------------------------------- Give a look at VISION.CFG file (TYPE it or use a Text Editor). You have to find the following parameters: WDW_EWND=@@@ this means you declare this three characters as the break-string to let VISION understand where a Keyword Window text stops. SKD_LFT=60 source keyword left delimiting character SKD_RGT=62 source keyword right delimiting character these characters delimit the text word you want be a text keyword TKD_LFT=17 target keyword left delimiting character TKG_RGT=16 target keyword right delimiting character for each SOURCE keyword you have to declare a TARGET keyword using these two delimiting characters Now an example. Let's imagine to have the example as before (#_PIPPO.UPD) to which we want add HyperText facility. Call this new file #_PLUTO.UPD. ********************************************* See #_PLUTO.UPD file for an Hypertext Example ********************************************* [pag 25] ---beg of file----- (don't insert this line in your file) NETWORK ======== The <network> is....(here "network" is the 1st SOURCE keyword) .............................................................. .............................................................. [@#$] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) SUPER-CENTER ============ The <supercenters> are............ (2nd SOURCE keyword) ....................................................... ....................................................... ....................................................... ....................................................... ....................................................... [@#$] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) PROTOCOLS ========= You need <protocols> when you (3rd SOURCE keyword) have to exchange information with other people/computers. The <language> is one of above protocols. (4th SOURCE keyword) [@#$] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) Hypertext Notes --------------- network (1st TARGET keyword) With Network word we intend here a Telecommunication Network. Also called <VAN>. [@@@] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) supercenters A Supercenter has clusters of processors, hundreds of disk devices. For this reason we use to call them Supercenter. [@@@] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) protocols See <protocol> [@@@] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) language Usually in Information Technology we use to call language a source high level group of rules to be translated in machine sequence of binary symbols. [@@@] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) VAN It stands for Value Added Network. Differs from carrier because of some added features like a protocol conversion, etc. [@@@] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) protocol It's a group of rules to let participants to understand each other. ---end of file----- (don't insert this line in your file) We have declared network as the first SOURCE keyword. We've enclosed this word between decimal 60 character (as in CONFIG.SYS in SKD_LFT parameter) and decimal 62 character (as in SKD_RGT). Now we have to put somewhere the corresponding TARGET keyword. You can change in CONFIG.SYS these delimiting characters. [pag 26] *************************************************** For each SOURCE keyword a TARGET keyword MUST exist *************************************************** In #_PLUTO.UPD example we've put at documents end a new document called "Hypertext Notes" where we can write all Hypertext TARGET keywords and related texts. We have here to declare first TARGET text (in this case the word "network") and we have to enclose it between a "" decimal 17 (as in VISION.CFG in the TKD_LFT parameter) and a "" decimal 16 (as in TKD_RGT parameter). Obviously you can change these two characters in VISION.CFG. After TARGET keyword declaration we have to write below an explanation of this keyword with following limits : no more than 78 characters per line. ********************************************* KEYWORD WINDOW limit is 78 characters x lines ********************************************* After text end write three "@@@" (as in VISION.CFG in WDW_END parameter) to let VISION understand where text stops. **************************************************** DON'T insert the break-string at the END of the file **************************************************** Attention to break-string ------------------------- When you are using HyperText capability, pay attention to the break-string characters of HyperText texts (usually three "@@@", decimal 64, declared in VISION.CFG in the WDW_END=xxx option), different from the break-string characters for VISION texts (they MUST be ALWAYS "@#$", dec 64, dec 35 and dec 36). You have the option to change the HyperText break-string to get more flexibility in designing you HyperText structure. In fact in the "glossary document" case you need to have each VISION text be at the same time an HyperText text too. In this case, declare the same VISION break-string (thus "@#$") in WDW_END=xxx parameter in VISION.CFG file, for HyperText break- characters. **************************************************************** Every time you're building a new doc with HyperText function VERIFY the break-string value on VISION.CFG in WDW_END parameter **************************************************************** [pag 27] How VISION Looks for Keywords ============================= When VIS_CRE program founds a keyword, before saving it to filename.KEY file, it removes both leading and trailing blanks, embedded blanks and convert it into an UPPERCASE string. Thus the keyword "pippo" or "Pippo" is converted to "PIPPO". The keyword "Pippo is beautiful" to "PIPPOISBEAUTIFUL". VISION Command Line =================== You can execute VISION also from another program capable to SHELL to DOS. To do that you have only to execute VISION in command line mode, thus VISION.EXE followed by data base name: C:\VISION\VISION #_pippo Changing Screen Text Font ========================= If you have a VGA monitor, you can change the ROM standard PC font. You have to execute before VISION a small utility VIS_FONT which loads a modern-d font (use firstly VIS_FONT /D option) into PC ROM. You can change the font using instead of /d the /s "scrawled" hand made font, or /l or no option for modern-s font. Using VISION on a LAN ===================== Create a VISION directory on the LAN server giving to ALL VISION files ALL LAN permissions (read, write, cancel, etc.) In reality, to don't getting mad with LOCK/UNLOCK SHARE and other LAN programming techniques, VISION simply generates a temporary file, copy of requested .DB, .NDX and .KEY files for each LAN user requestor. Now, because usually each LAN PC executes a copy of VISION program on its CPU, with above procedure it reads also its own data base copy. In this way no concurrent users conflict. [pag 28] Using MOUSE =========== VISION detects if a mouse driver is loaded (MS software driver) and if the case displays its cursor starting from the center of the Main Window. You can still use keyboard commands. The Left Mouse Button is used to execute a command and the Right Button always used to escape from current window or activity. To execute VISION commands you can move the mouse cursor to the 24th line and click on the string enclosed between two brackets (decimal 60 and decimal 62). You can also enter the HELP window and click on the commands enclosed between the same brackets as before for the execution. To open a Databases or a Title or a Keyword you can move the mouse on the chosen title, then click once to move there the highlighted bar, then the second Left Click will open it. Customizing the Roditor ======================= The mouse driver provides a service whereby you can customize the effects that the pointer has on the color attribute and character at the pointer position. This is accomplished by providing two "bit-masks" that define which bits comprising the attribute/character will be preserved (ANDed) and which will then be toggled (XORed). Since manipulation of the mouse pointer on this level is of little interest and would require a crash course in video memory and bit manipulation, I'll skip its description and give you instead some values to test. If you would like more indepth information about this function, refer to the Microsoft Mouse Programmers Guide. In VISION.CFG configuration file set the two Mouse parameters as the following values: M_AND = &H77FF M_OR = &H7700 The first byte of each mask represents the changes made to the color attribute. The "77" part of the AND mask indicates that the foreground color (bits 0-2) and background color (bits 4-6) will be preserved and the high- intensity (bit 3) and blink (bit 7) bits will be turned-off. The "77" part of the XOR mask indicates that the bits comprising the foreground and background colors should then be toggled. The "FF" part of the AND mask indicates that all bits comprising the character should be preserved. The "00" part of the XOR mask indicates that none of the character's bits will be toggled. In other words, when the mouse pointer appears on the screen, the color of the cell will be modified but the character won't. To take another example, we'll leave the color attribute alone, but will change the mouse pointer to an asterisk: M_AND = &HFF00 'Preserve all attribute bits and discard the char M_OR = &H002A 'Don't mess with attribute, make char an "*" Try also : M_AND = &HA8FF or M_AND = &HA0FF M_OR = &H7700 M_OR = &H7F00 [pag 29] VISION and WINDOWS ================== You can use VISION also from WINDOWS. Once on WINDOWS click on the application group you prefer than click on FILE and NEW. Give all path informations and choose an icon. Now VISION is one of the DOS programs you can execute from WINDOWS. To let VISION detect the mouse, you have to load the mouse driver BEFORE executing WIN. VISION and Bulletin Boards ========================== You can download from BBs VISION databases compressed using PKZIP utility and move them to VISION directory. As soon as VISION starts it looks for .ZIP data bases and decompresses them. You need PKZIP package in the VISION directory or reachable via PATH DOS command. Idle Time ========= After a predefinited idle time (default is 5 minutes) VISION executes your preferred Screen Saver (write its full name in VISION.CFG file at SAVER= option). Try PW.COM which is in the package to have also a security way to leave VISION unattended. PC Configuration ================ You need any MS-DOS compatible Personal Computer with : - at least 256 k Bytes of main memory - hard disk - video better if : - 640 K bytes of main memory - VGA color video - Mouse [pag 30] History ======= 4.1 - Added VIS_UPD.EXE to revert VISION Data Bases into the original ASCII .UPD file. - Fixed a bug while printing documents from a very large Data base. 4.2 - Fixed minor bug in main menu window when DBs are exactly 14 files. 4.4 - 15 Data Base names on Main Menu instead of 14. 20 text rows on Text Windows instead of previous 19. - No more RAM option. - No more SOUND option. - Added Data Base name SORT option. - Slightly faster than 4.2 version. 5.1 - Partially rewritten and recompiled used P.D.Q library to have a complete assembler code. Much smaller than before and faster. - Added Hypertext Capability. - Removed Alt-D shell to DOS. - Added Alt-B to create new DB directly from Main Menu. - Added Alt-E to edit source ASCII .UPD file. - Added Alt-U to rebuild original source .UPD file. - Added Alt-D to erase a DB from Main Menu. - Each of four layers has each Help screen. 5.5 - Fixed a bug in Command Line option. - Alt-P and Alt-F in a Keyword Window print also first line. - No limit in a Keyword Window. Text can be of any length. [pag 31] 6.0 - Text Data Base with variable record length - Added TAB, Shift-TAB and Shift-Home commands to scroll text left and right (variable line length). - Revised VISION doc with added Hypertext features 6.1 - Fixed a bug in Title section. Extraneous text after an F10 type string search in some circumstances. - Keywords are searched without taking care also of embedded blanks (leading and trailing blanks were not taken into account in previous versions) 6.2 - Added compression option (using LHA) - Cosmetics to VIS_CRE and VIS_UPD - 16 titles instead of 15 in Main Menu - Fixed a bug using VISION.DIR option and SORT=BYNAME 6.3 - Fixed a bug when using VISION.DIR option 6.5 - LAN version 7.0 - MOUSE support - Intel 486 compatibility - Added Screen Saver option - Changed graphic window characters to allow the use of the extended international character set 7.3 - Executable compressed via LZEXE.EXE utility instead of DIET.EXE. To avoid wrong Amoeba virus presence message - Speeder uncompressed database preparation (half time) 7.5 - Added PKZIP decompression capability - Added <Calling Keyword> to execute PC program - Added <Picture Keyword> to display Pictures - Added Main Memory availability info on Help Screen [pag 32] HyperText Notes =============== Hyper Text An Hyper Text is a text in which each word can be a keyword to access an other text via a Keyword Window, opening new text paths, adapting the document reading to the specific <reader knowledge>. Once in a new path (or in a new <Keyword Window> ) you can find there another <keyword> to access another keyword window so that you can <navigate> your text as you like, or better as it's required by the level of your knowledge, following different text paths. You can have, as keyword, even an IMAGE (<Picture Keyword>) or a PROGRAM (<Calling Keyword>) so that your text could become a media not only to inform readers but also to teach them lessons executing demo programs etc. To declare a word be a keyword,enclose it between two <character delimiters>. @@@ keyword In an Hypertext each word can be a keyword, thus pressing the ENTER key on this highlighted word, you can enter in a new text path, opening a new <keyword window>. You can have three types : - <Normal Keyword> - <Calling Keyword> - <Picture Keyword> @@@ keywords See <keyword> @@@ character delimiters See <Character Delimiter> @@@ Character Delimiter VISION must know the hot keyword you want to investigate. It's enough to delimit the word or the phrase with two characters, the first one is the starting and the second one the ending character. You can use the character you want (declare them in the VISION.CFG file) i.e. brackets, parenthesis,etc. but you must be careful to don't declare characters you use currently as text. You can also use the character set from DECIMAL 1 to DECIMAL 31 (unprintable characters) being careful on some special characters like DECIMAL 26 (end of file). Try first DECIMAL 16 (starting) and DECIMAL 17 (ending) or DECIMAL 4 and 5. @@@ Source Keyword The source keyword is the word which opens a new text path opening a new <Keyword Window>. @@@ [pag 33] Target Keyword The TARGET keyword is the corresponding <Source Keyword> word with its explanation. In this opened new window, other keyword can exist. @@@ Keyword Window You can mainly use this kind of keyword to immediately open a Pop Up Window on the Source Keyword, useful in HELP files. VISION looks for a keyword delimited <character delimiters>, reads all the lines up to ending mark (i.e. "@@@") and displays related text in a window of 78 characters x 20 lines. A Keyword Window can have one or more keywords opening other Keyword Windows up to a maximum of 16 nested windows. @@@ navigate See <Navigation> @@@ navigating See <Navigation>. @@@ Navigation You can navigate an <Hyper Text> in the following way : - Home key go to document beginning - End key go to document end - PgDn/PgUp one screen page Down or Up (21 rows) - Arrow Dn/Up one line Down or Up - Arrow Left/Right change keywords (if they exist) - ENTER key open a new <Keyword Window> - ESCape key come back to previous help window or main text @@@ reader knowledge Current media force people to adapt themselves to them, having available only a YES-or-NOT option. If you want to read a newspaper article you have to read everything or nothing, if you're listening to a television speaker you have to listen all the speech or to close the TV, the same for movie, theater, book etc. Using Hyper Text document, the reader can decide the level of knowledge he wants, because <navigating> the text he can go where he needs, can come back, navigate again so that at the end he can learn exactly what he wants, nothing more, nothing less. @@@ network With Network word we intend here a Telecommunication Network. Also called <VAN>. @@@ [pag 34] supercenters A Supercenter has clusters of processors, hundreds of disk devices. For this reason we use to call them Supercenter. @@@ protocols See <protocol> @@@ language Usually in Information Technology we use to call language a source high level group of rules to be translated in machine sequence of binary symbols. @@@ VAN It stands for Value Added Network. Differs from carrier because of some added features like a protocol conversion, etc. @@@ protocol It's a group of rules to let participants to understand each other. @@@ Free Form Textual Data Base . Free Form because you can build a new Data Base from an existing ASCII, listable file, without any change. . Textual because each DB record is a text line . Data Base because VISION uses DB technique to organize text lines in DB records @@@ directory A DOS directory is a part of the PC non volatile storage (hard disk or diskette). You can create a directory, enter into this directory or remove the directory. MD = Make Directory (to create a new directory) CD = Change Directory (to enter into a new directory) RD = Remove Directory (to cancel an empty directory @@@ Execution Window The Execution Window is a special window opened by the <Calling Keyword> or by the <Picture Keyword>. It's special because you CANNOT have there other keywords but you can take only two actions : 1) to execute the .BAT file (ENTER key or a click on the 24th line execution command) 2) to ESCape, coming back to calling keyword (ESC key or a click on ESCaping 24th line command) @@@ LHA VISION uses LHA version 2.13 July 20,1991 developed by Haruyasu Yoshizaki to compress and decompress VISION Data Bases. LHA is embedded into VISION programs so that you see only "Expanding Data Base.." message while it works. Thank you to Yoshizaki this program, under simple conditions you can read executing LHA213.EXE program included in this package and reading LHA213.DOC file, can be considered Public Domain. @@@ DEMO.BAT This simple .BAT demo file execute LHA.EXE program. Without parameter LHA displays its help screen. @echo of lha echo . pause Press the ENTER key or click with Left MOUSE Button on the 24th line executing command. Press the ESCape key or click with the Left MOUSE Button on the 24th line ESCaping command, to come back. @@@ Calling Keyword A Calling Keyword allows you to execute from VISION an existing .BAT file and to come back exactly at the same point of call. To see how many free bytes your called program has available, see Help. As an example execute the following Calling Keyword : <DEMO.BAT> See also <Normal Keyword> and <Picture Keyword>. @@@ Normal Keyword It is a normal text, highlighted. Pressing the ENTER key or clicking on it with the mouse you open another Text Window. See also <Calling Keyword> and <Picture Keyword>. @@@ Picture Keyword Using this keyword you can display some pictures. Allowed formats are : - PIC (PC Paint, PC Paint Plus, PICTOR, GRASP) - PIX (PC Paintbrush, Publishers PC Paintbrush) - GIF (Compuserve Graphics Interchange Format) Last GIF format is the most famous and the most availabe on many BBS. You have simply to declare as a keyword the name of the picture with one of above extension. As an example execute the following keyword : <BLUEYES.PIC> See also <Normal Keyword> and <Calling Keyword>. @@@ BLUEYES.PIC Press the ENTER key or click with Left MOUSE Button on the 24th line execution command to see...my picture! ESC to quit or click on ESCaping 24th line command.