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DOC 1.1 documentation file ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note - this is a plain ASCII text file but contains multiple documents. You may find it most convenient to view or print this file using the DOC.EXE program supplied. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Title1:PC Magazine Utilities Title2:Volume 4 Copyright:(C)1992 Ziff-Davis Publishing @@Introduction Introduction PC Magazine Utilities Disk Volume 4 ------------------------------------------------------- Volume 4 of the PC Magazine Utilities contains 13 utilities ready-to-run plus comprehensive on-disk documentation and an install program. Installing the programs ----------------------- If your PC has a hard disk, you can use the install program (started by typing GO) to copy the programs onto it. You can then change to the new directory containing the programs and try them out. After installing the software, you can come back to this documentation by changing to the relevant drive and directory and entering the command DOC. If you have a floppy-only PC or you don't want to put all of the programs straight onto your hard disk, you can run them directly from this floppy. In this case, we suggest that you make a working copy of your original disk with the DOS DISKCOPY command and keep your original somewhere safe as a back-up. For more information about setting up and starting the programs, see the "Tech Notes" document. Program summary --------------- This summary describes the utilities on this disk. ANSI Fast, convenient ANSI.SYS replacement BCOPY Background file copier CHKFRAG Reports on extent of disk fragmentation CONVERT Binary, octal, decimal & hex conversion DIMMER VGA screen blanker and brightness control LASERLST Prints two-up pages on a LaserJet printer LITES Simulates an RS232 breakout box MONO Force color displays to mono on laptops MOUSECTL Adjust mouse sensitivity SETUP2 Pop-up printer configuration program SLICE Split a large file across multiple floppies SMOOTH Smooth scrolling text file viewer ZCOPY High-speed serial file transfer program @@Tech notes Tech Notes PC Magazine Utilities Disk Volume 4 ------------------------------------------------------- This document provides general advice for using and setting up the PC Magazine utilities on this disk. It is divided into these sections... 1. Disk contents 2. Installing the programs Installing the programs from DOS Saving hard disk space Working on a floppy-only PC Putting the programs in your DOS command PATH Loading programs from AUTOEXEC.BAT Using TSR (memory-resident) programs 3. Viewing and printing the documentation 4. Customizing the utilities Tables of scan codes (SS) shift masks (MM) color values sound values 1. Disk contents ================ This disk contains the following files. These are stored in the root directory as normal and are ready to use. Files marked * are part of the installation and documentation programs rather than the utilities themselves. ANSI COM ANSI program BCOPY COM BCOPY program CHKFRAG EXE CHKFRAG program CONVERT COM CONVERT program DIMMER COM DIMMER program *DOC EXE Documentation viewer EPSON Sample Epson file for SETUP2 *GO EXE Install program HP Sample LaserJet file for SETUP2 LASERLST COM LASERLST program LITES COM LITES program *MANUALS4 TXT Documentation for this disk MONO COM MONO program MOUSECTL COM MOUSECTL program *PCLOGO EXE PC Magazine logo display SETUP2 COM SETUP2 program SLICE COM SLICE program SMOOTH COM SMOOTH program ZCOPY COM ZCOPY program Please note that the SLICE program automatically creates SPLICE.COM when used... the SPLICE.COM file is not included on the original disk. 2. Installing the programs ========================== To install these programs to a hard disk, use the install program provided (started by typing GO). Around 150K of free space is required for all of the programs and documentation... this will be checked for you automatically. The install program initially offers to install the programs to a new directory on drive C called PCVOL4. (C:\PCVOL4). If you wish to use a different directory or a different hard disk, simply type in a new name. For example, enter D:\PCMAG to put the programs into a PCMAG directory on your D drive. You can name an existing directory if you prefer in which case the install program will add the new programs to any files already there. Once you've entered the directory name, disk space is checked and then the files are copied across. After installation is complete, you can return to the opening menu (for example, to view the documentation) or go straight to the new directory. Installing the programs from DOS -------------------------------- You can install all of the programs or just selected ones using the DOS COPY command in the normal way. For example, to add the file ZCOPY.COM to your normal C:\UTILS directory, enter a command such as COPY A:\ZCOPY.COM C:\UTILS If you do this, you might also want to copy the files DOC.EXE and MANUALS4.TXT to a suitable directory so that you have the documentation to hand. Saving hard disk space ---------------------- If you are short of hard disk space, you can remove those utilities you are not using from your hard disk with the DOS DEL command in the normal way. You may also want to delete the documentation files (DOC.EXE and MANUALS4.TXT) as you can always print out those parts you need or use the original floppy when you need to refer to it. Working on a floppy-only PC --------------------------- If you do not have a hard disk, we suggest that you make a working copy of this disk using the DOS DISKCOPY command. You can work directly from this copy or use the COPY command to copy those programs you require onto your startup disk or other working disks as necessary. For example: COPY B:LITES.COM A: ...copies LITES.COM from this disk to a disk in drive A A:MONO ...loads the MONO program from this disk in drive A B: MONO ... loads the MONO program from this disk in drive B by first changing to drive B. Putting the programs in your DOS command PATH --------------------------------------------- You can start the utility programs by either: Changing to the drive and directory they are in and then entering the relevant command. For example: C: CD \PCVOL4 CHKFRAG or Giving the relevant drive and directory before the command name (DOS 3.xx and later only). For example: C:\PCVOL4\CHKFRAG However, it's easier if you make the programs available from any disk and directory by ensuring that they are in your DOS command search path, set with the PATH command. You can do this by either: Adding the directory the utilities are in to your normal PATH command in AUTOEXEC.BAT. For example, if the PATH command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file reads C:\DOS;C:\UTILS;C:\WINDOWS you might change it to read C:\DOS;C:\UTILS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\PCVOL4 You should be careful when making changes to AUTOEXEC.BAT not to disturb other commands already in it. See your DOS manual for full instructions. or Copying those programs you use often to a directory already in your PATH command. Many PCs already have a directory called C:\BIN or C:\UTILS for small utility programs like these. For example, if you have a C:\BIN directory on drive C and use the ZCOPY program often, copy it across with a command like this: COPY C:\PCVOL4\ZCOPY.COM C:\BIN Loading programs from AUTOEXEC.BAT ---------------------------------- Many of these utilities are designed to be loaded or run whenever your PC is working by placing the relevant command in the AUTOEXEC.BAT startup file. Before doing this, we recommend that you test the utilities out by loading them from the command line as normal to ensure that they operate correctly with your other software. Please bear in mind: * The program file must be available for AUTOEXEC.BAT to load it. If it is not in a directory already named in a PATH command earlier in AUTOEXEC.BAT, you must give the drive and directory where it is stored (e.g. C:\PCVOL4\SETUP2) or copy the file to the root directory of the hard disk. * The order in which resident programs are loaded can be significant. If there appears to be a conflict, try re-ordering the lines in AUTOEXEC.BAT. * If your AUTOEXEC.BAT file starts a particular program or menu system running, the command to do so will normally be the last in the file... add any commands to load TSR programs before it. * Always keep a startup floppy to hand and a back-up copy of your AUTOEXEC.BAT file so that if problems arise you can restore things to normal. Using TSR (memory-resident) programs ------------------------------------ Many of these utilities are 'TSRs' or memory-resident programs. These load into memory when first started and remain there, either operating invisibly or waiting to be called up. TSR programs are very popular and those on this disk are carefully written and fully tested. However, the design of DOS means that there is always a chance of conflict between different TSR programs or between a TSR and your main software. To avoid problems, please note: 1. You should carefully test any new TSR program on your system before using it while doing your normal work. 2. Each TSR uses up memory. If you load too many at once, your normal software may not be able to run or may perform poorly. 3. If you discover a conflict, loading the TSRs in a different order may resolve it. 4. You can change the 'hotkey' used to call up many of the TSRs on this disk to avoid a conflict with your other programs. See the manual for the program in question and the notes and tables below. 3. Viewing and printing the documentation ----------------------------------------- The documentation for these programs is supplied in a plain ASCII text file called MANUALS4.TXT. You can view or print this file using normal DOS facilities (such as TYPE, MORE and PRINT) or third-party products such as most word processor or text editor programs. However, since MANUALS4.TXT contains multiple documents you will probably find it most convenient to view or print it using the DOC.EXE program supplied. To start DOC after installation, change to the drive and directory where you installed the disk to (e.g. enter C: then CD \PCVOL4) and then enter DOC. For full information on using DOC, see the document entitled DOC. 4. Customizing the utilities ---------------------------- Most of these utilities are compact assembly language .COM programs to make them small, fast and efficient. This means that many of the programs do not include built-in configuration options. However, if you're experienced with DEBUG, you can 'patch' the programs to customize their operation. The manual for each program will describe the ways in which it can be customized but typically you can do so to: * Customize the screen colors the program uses (if the display is hard to read on your screen). * Change the 'hotkey' used by one of the TSR programs to avoid a conflict with your other software. * Change defaults such as sorting order, size of records and so on. To customize a utility, follow this general procedure in conjunction with the manual for the program. (You SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT this if you are not confident about using DEBUG as a mistake may stop the program from working or even crash your PC.) 1. Always MAKE A COPY of the .COM file for the program in question as a back-up. For example, enter COPY POP-CAL.COM ORIGCAL.COM 2. Start DEBUG with the name of the program to modify. You must have the DOS DEBUG program available for this to work. For example, enter DEBUG POP-CAL.COM DEBUG loads the file and presents a - prompt. 3. Use the DEBUG E command to modify the areas of the program as described in its documentation. For example, the hotkey for POP-CAL can be changed by entering a new keyboard scan code at location 174. If we wanted to use Alt-P rather than Alt-C we can see from the scan code (SS) table below that we need to change this to code 19. This can then be entered in DEBUG with: E174 19 4. After making all the necessary changes, save the file back onto disk with the W command. Enter W 5. Now leave DEBUG. Enter Q 6. Now load and test out the new program. If it no longer works, delete it, restore your back-up copy (e.g. COPY ORIGCAL.COM POP-CAL.COM) and then try again. The tables below list the values necessary for customizing colors and hotkeys. Keyboard scan codes for alternative hotkeys (Values for SS) ----------------------- Scan Scan Key Code (hex) Key Code (hex) -------- ---------- --------- ---------- Esc 01 Z 2C 1 ! 02 X 2D @ 2 03 C 2E # 3 04 V 2F $ 4 05 B 30 % 5 06 N 31 ^ 6 07 M 32 & 7 08 < , 33 * 8 09 > . 34 ( 9 0A ? / 35 ) 0 0B R Shift 36 _ - 0C PrtSc * 37 + = 0D Alt 38 Bkspace 0E Spacebar 39 Tab 0F CapsLk 3A Q 10 F1 3B W 11 F2 3C E 12 F3 3D R 13 F4 3E T 14 F5 3F Y 15 F6 40 U 16 F7 41 I 17 F8 42 O 18 F9 43 P 19 F10 44 { [ 1A NumLock 45 } ] 1B ScrlLk 46 Enter 1C 7 Home 47 Ctrl 1D 8 UpArr 48 A 1E 9 PgUp 49 S 1F - 4A D 20 4 LArrow 4B F 21 5 4C G 22 6 RArrow 4D H 23 + 4E J 24 1 End 4F K 25 2 DnArr 50 L 26 3 PgDn 51 : ; 27 0 Ins 52 " ' 28 . Del 53 ` 29 SysReq 54 L Shift 2A F11 57 | \ 2B F12 58 Shift Mask codes for alternative hotkeys (Values for MM) ----------------------- Value Alt Ctrl L-Shift R-Shift ----- --- ---- ------- ------- 0 1 X 2 X 3 X X 4 X 5 X X 6 X X 7 X X X 8 X 9 X X A X X B X X X C X X D X X X E X X X F X X X X X signifies that this key must pressed. For example, to use Left Shift and Right Shift for the hotkey, the value to use for MM would be 3. Color values ------------ Black 0 Blue 1 Green 2 Cyan 3 Red 4 Magenta 5 Brown 6 Lt Gray 7 Dark Gray 8 Lt Blue 9 Lt Green A Lt Cyan B Orange C Violet D Yellow E White F A full color value is two hex digits, the first for the background color and the second for the foreground. For example, bright white on a dark blue background is 1F. Do not choose light colors (values larger than 7) for the background as it will produce a blinking display in most of the programs. @@PC MagNet About PC MagNet PC Magazine's On-Line Reader Service ------------------------------------------------------- PC Magazine operates PC MagNet, a 24-hour-a-day interactive on-line service where you can download the latest versions and source code to these, and other, PC Magazine utilities. PC MagNet is just a part of ZiffNet, hosted on CompuServe, offering a vast range of resources, including weekly news from PC Week, product reviews index, Buyers' Market and the chance to share opinions and get help from, or give help to, other readers. How to access PC MagNet ----------------------- 1. Set your communications software and modem to 300, 1200, 2400 or 9600 bits-per-second (BPS or baud), 7 data bits, even parity, 1 stop bit and full duplex. 2. To find the number nearest you, call 800-346-3247. When the modem connects, press Enter. At the Host Name prompt, enter PHONES. Follow the menus, note the number closest to you then hang up and dial the number you've just found. (In Canada, dial 800-635 6225 voice only for your closest number.) 3. To obtain the latest PC Magazine utility without ZiffNet connect charges, at the HOST NAME prompt, enter CIS. At the USER ID prompt, enter 60116,1. At the PASSWORD prompt, enter PCMAGUTIL. 4. To join ZiffNet, at the HOST NAME prompt, enter CIS. At the USER ID prompt, enter 177000,5000. At the PASSWORD prompt, enter PC*MAGNET. Finally, at the ENTER AGREEMENT NUMBER prompt, enter Z11D9200. Now follow the instructions displayed for opening your own account. 5. Existing CompuServe members may join by typing GO PCMAG at any CIS prompt. 6. ZiffNet membership costs $2.50 per month. PC MagNet per hour costs $6.30 for 300bps, $12.80 for 1200 or 2400bps or $22.80 for 9600bps based on 1-minute increments. @@ANSI ANSI Michael J. Mefford Fast, convenient replacement for ANSI.SYS version 1.3 ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- A memory-resident utility that enables selectable use of the extended screen and keyboard control sequences that normally require loading the ANSI.SYS device driver. Unlike ANSI.SYS, ANSI.COM supports all video modes, permits sizing and clearing the key-assignment buffer, and provides high-speed screen updating. Format ------ ANSI [FAST | SLOW][ON | OFF][/B nnn][/C][/U] Loads ANSI resident program. Remarks ------- ANSI.COM may be installed either at the DOS prompt or through an AUTOEXEC.BAT file. It will not load itself if ANSI.SYS has already been loaded as part of a CONFIG.SYS file. ANSI.COM will not load multiple copies of itself, so its command name may be invoked repeatedly in the same session to change user-selectable parameters. Upon loading, ANSI defaults to the FAST and ON status parameters. For use with IBM CGA video cards (where direct screen writes produce "snow") or with some screen capture software, the SLOW (screen writing via the BIOS, as with ANSI.SYS) status option may be selected. Entering ANSI OFF disables recognition of the ANSI control codes. The ANSI.COM key assignment buffer defaults to a size of 200 bytes. The buffer may be increased to as much as 60K or decreased to 0 bytes by entering ANSI with the /B switch and the desired number of bytes as nnn. Resizing the buffer after initial installation requires deinstallation, which may be accomplished using the /U switch. Current key assignments are lost if the buffer is resized. The buffer can be cleared without resizing by invoking ANSI with the /C switch. The full set of IBM-ANSI control sequences is printed in the DOS Technical Reference manual. @@BCOPY BCOPY Douglas Boling Background file copy ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- A memory-resident utility that copies files in the background so the user does not have to wait until the copying is completed before continuing their work. Format ------ BCOPY [source [target]] [/X][/U] Remarks ------- The source and target parameters have the same usage in BCOPY as in the DOS COPY command, except that if the source is a directory, BCOPY will not automatically assume an implicit \*.*. DOS wildcard characters (* and ?) are supported, however, and a source filename need not be repeated as part of the target filespec unless the name is to be changed. If initially run with the /X command line switch, BCOPY will use one page of Expanded memory for its data buffer, thus saving 4 KB of conventional RAM. Run with the /U switch, BCOPY will uninstall itself from memory, if possible. BCOPY will always complete all copying tasks in its queue before deinstallation. BCOPY does not support the DOS COPY /A and /B switches: it makes straight binary file copies and does not stop at a Ctrl-Z end-of-file marker. Nor does BCOPY allow using the plus (+) sign to combine multiple source files into a single copy. Notes ----- Unlike the DOS COPY command, BCOPY does not return a Target Disk Full error message, so care must be exercised to ensure that adequate storage space is available. Since the principal use of BCOPY is to load files to a RAM disk during the execution of an AUTOEXEC or other batch file, however, this should not present a problem in normal use. @@CHKFRAG CHKFRAG Bob Flanders and Michael Holmes Reports on disk fragmentation version 1.7 ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- To report, on-screen, the extent of file fragmentation on a hard disk, and provide an ERRORLEVEL value usable within a batch file to call a defragmenting program. Format ------ CHKFRAG [d:] [/% | /N | /E | /F] [/L] [/4] Remarks ------- Executed without any of its optional parameters, CHKFRAG produces a screen report indicating the number of files and directories, how many and what percentage of these are fragmented, and how many extra (non- contiguously stored) parts of files are contained on the currently-logged drive. An ERRORLEVEL code from 0-100, reflecting the percentage of fragmented files, (the /% parameter is the default) is also shown. An alternative drive (d:) to be analyzed may be specified, as may be ERRORLEVEL return codes that reflect the actual number of fragmented files (the /N parameter), the number of contiguous free areas on the disk or of extra sections (the /E parameter). The ERRORLEVEL return codes are not intended for strict accuracy: if any file is fragmented the minimum ERRORLEVEL returned by the /% parameter is 1%, and 254 is the maximum ERRORLEVEL returned by the /N and /E switch options. These return codes are intended to be used to trigger automatic loading and execution of the user's defragmenting utility from within a batch file. An ERRORLEVEL return code of 255 is used to indicate an error condition, which halts operation. If desired, a list of the names of fragmented files and directories can be produced by specifying the optional /L parameter. The normal screen output from CHKFRAG may be redirected to a file or to a printer, for easier analysis. If you are using DOS 3.31 (or any version of DOS before 4.x that used 32 bit sector numbers for large hard disks), the /4 parameter will cause CHKFRAG to use a the DOS 4.x interface for large drives. The DOS CHKDSK command, specified with its /F switch, should be executed before running CHKFRAG; lost clusters or cross-linked files are interpreted by CHKFRAG as a error condition. Drives created with the DOS ASSIGN or SUBST commands, and directories created by JOIN, are not checked by CHKFRAG. While analyzing large disks, the utility requires approximately 100KB of available RAM. On-screen recommendations are to consider using a defragmenting utility when file fragmentation is in the range from 11% to 75%, and definitely to defragment disks that show more than 75% fragmentation. Notes ----- If CHKFRAG is used within a batch job, the "/%" parameter must be specified as "/%%". This is necessary because the DOS batch interpreter uses the percent (%) character to indicate where replaceable parameters are to be inserted in the command line. @@CONVERT CONVERT Michael J. Mefford Convert between hex, decimal, octal and binary ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- Simultaneously displays an ASCII code or whole number between 0 and 65,535 in its hexadecimal, decimal, octal, and binary equivalents; especially useful in translating printer, modem, or display escape sequences and set-up strings from one number base to another. Format ------ CONVERT number[-number][base] | "character(s)" Remarks ------- Either a single number or a number-number range may be input to CONVERT for multiple number base display. Decimal input is assumed, unless otherwise indicated by adding b (binary), o (octal), or h (hexadecimal) to the number(s). An ASCII code to be converted must be placed within double quotes. Control codes (for example, Ctrl-A) may be entered normally at the keyboard (within double quotes), with the exception of the escape character. To display the equivalents (including the ASCII left-arrow graphic) of the escape character, enter CONVERT 27. When large numbers are converted, the 2-byte sequence displayed within quotes in the right-hand column as the ASCII "equivalent" should not be used in translating set-up strings. It represents the individual byte values, not the value of the combination. Note, too, that in this display, decimal 0 (null), 32 (space), and 255 (blank) all appear as blanks. The output from CONVERT may be redirected to a printer or to file, so a multi-line table of values can be created. When redirection is used, however, the ASCII equivalent normally shown in the right-hand column is dropped. @@DIMMER DIMMER Douglas Boling and Jeff Prosise Software VGA brightness control ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- To provide software control of VGA monitor brightness interactively from the keyboard, through parameters entered on the command line, or at a specified interval after the last keystroke. Format ------ DIMMER [[+|-]adj] [/D time [+|-]adj] [/V[+|-]] [/U] Remarks ------- Entered without any of its optional parameters, DIMMER uses the Alt-Up-Arrow and Alt-Down-Arrow keys to increase or decrease screen brightness. The original intensity level can be restored at any time by pressing Alt-Home. DIMMER is a memory-resident program and can be uninstalled by being run with the /U switch. The adj parameter accepts integer values from +63 to -63. Although relative to the intensity level in effect when the program loads, a value of -63 will completely blank the screen and +63 will wash out almost all colors. The time parameter sets the number of minutes (up to 65,534) to allow after the last keystroke. Used in conjunction with the optional /D switch and an adj value (usually -63), the time parameter is normally used when it is desired to blank the screen after a specified period of keyboard inactivity. Any subsequent keypress will restore the screen to its original level, but as this keystroke will be fed to the application, it is safest to hit an unaccompanied Ctrl, Alt, or Shift key. Once active, the screen-saver option can be cancelled by entering DIMMER /D 0. With applications that do not write directly to the video BIOS, a blanked screen can be automatically restored when the program attempts to update the display. This is accomplished by using the optional /V (or V+) switch. By default, DIMMER restores the intensity level only when a keystroke is entered, which is equivalent to running the program with a /V- command-line switch. @@DOC DOC Documentation viewer and printer version 1.1 ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- DOC is a simple on-disk documentation viewer to present the manuals for the programs on this disk. It displays a list of available documents down the left side of the screen and shows the text of the currently selected document on the right. DOC has a simple printing ability which will produce a neat printout of a document so that you can have a manual to hand while working with a program. Running DOC ----------- To start DOC, enter the command DOC. If you're looking for a particular manual, you may also give it at the command line. For example: DOC CDX starts DOC and asks it to look for the manual for the CDX program. To select documents, use the up and down arrow keys to move through the list on the left. Typing the initial letter of a document name will jump directly to the next matching document. Once you've found the document you want, press TAB or the right arrow key to move to the text of the document on the right. The cursor keys (Home, End, Up, Down, PgUp, PgDn) will now move through the text. Press the left arrow or TAB key again to go back to select other documents. The DOC menu ------------ To call up DOC's menu, press the ESC key. DOC presents various options which you can select with the cursor and Return keys or by pressing one of the highlighted letters. The options will vary depending on your PC's configuration and the document files available. Pressing ESC a second time cancels the menu. Quitting DOC ------------ Choose the Quit option from the menu to leave the DOC program and return to DOS. Color Display Off ----------------- Choose Color display off from the menu to ask DOC to work in black-and-white. You may wish to do this if you're using a laptop with an LCD screen that doesn't show colors well or with some greyscale or CGA composite video monitors. If you need to do this, you might also enter the DOS command MODE BW80 before running DOC. This makes DOC and many other programs start up in black-and- white. Adding /M to the DOC command at the DOS prompt also forces monochrome operation. This menu option does not appear on PCs that do not have a color capability. Extended screen on ------------------ Choosing this menu option switches the display to 43 or 50 lines so that you can see more text without scrolling. You can go back to the normal display by choosing Extended screen off subsequently. If you have a Super VGA display card and a program to set extended text modes, such as 60 lines deep, you might like to try setting an appropriate mode before starting DOC. DOC will usually operate with the non-standard format. This menu option is only available on EGA or VGA equipped PCs. Fast screen on -------------- This menu option only appears on PCs fitted with CGA standard or equivalent displays. Normally the DOC program deliberately slows down on this type of display to prevent the screen flicker or 'snow' that genuine IBM CGA displays (and some compatible makes) can suffer from. If your system does not suffer from snow, choose 'Fast screen on' for a faster screen display. There's no harm in trying this option either way on your PC... snow does no harm and you might prefer to have a fast display that flickers to a slow one that doesn't. Print Document -------------- Choose this menu option to print the currently selected document. A menu appears from where you can make four print settings, choose Go to start printing or Cancel to return to viewing documents. You may need to alter the settings to suit your system before choosing Go as follows: 1. Output port This is the printer interface that DOC should print the document to. By pressing O you can step through the ports fitted to your computer. The default LPT1, the first parallel printer port, is correct for most PCs. DOC can work with a serial printer (COM1 or COM2) if you have one but you must make sure that the port is correctly set up (e.g. with a command such as MODE COM1:9600,n,8,1,p) BEFORE running DOC. X-On/X-Off handshaking is automatically provided for serial printers. You can set the output port to "FILE". In this case, DOC will ask for the name of a disk file when you start printing and will then print to disk rather than to a printer. If the file you name already exists, DOC will append pages to it. Note that DOC will not print on PostScript printers. If you have one of these, you might like to use the print to FILE option and then use a PostScript conversion program or word processor to print the resulting file. 2. Lines per page This is the number of printable lines on each page on your printer. DOC will print with this set incorrectly but will not be able to put page breaks and headers in the right place. The default is 66 lines for standard fan-fold paper. Other common values are 60, 62, 64 and 70. If you have difficulty with this setting, a workaround is to set the form-length correctly on your printer, enter a small number of lines per page (e.g. 60) and then select the "Use form-feeds" option. 3. Use form-feeds Set this option to Yes if you're using a LaserJet- style printer or any printer with the form-length set correctly. DOC will work with this option set to No by counting output lines but this is slower. 4. Pause between pages Set this option to Yes if you're feeding single- sheets to the printer... DOC will pause for you to get the next sheet ready between each page. Working with document files --------------------------- Document files should be kept in the same directory as the DOC.EXE program. Under DOS 3.0 or later, DOC will find the files when it starts no matter which drive or directory is current (with older versions of DOS, you should change to the relevant drive and directory before starting DOC). Multiple document files ----------------------- You can, if you like, place more than one document file in the DOC.EXE directory. DOC will display a menu of available files when first started and offer a 'Select document file' option on its menu to let you switch between documents. You can start DOC with a particular document file from the command line by entering its name. For example: DOC MANUALS4 You can also search for a particular program. If you enter a command such as: DOC ZCOPY DOC will search each document file in turn looking for a ZCOPY document. If you know which document file the document you want is in, you can reduce the search time by telling DOC on the command line. For example: DOC MANUALS4 ZCOPY @@LASERLST LASERLST Michael Holmes and Bob Flanders Two-up printer on HP LaserJet printers ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- Formats text files so that two standard-sized pages will print side-by-side on a single landscape mode page when using an HP LaserJet (or compatible) laser printer. Format ------ LASERLST infile [outfile] [/Tn] Remarks ------- The infile parameter designates the text file(s) to be printed. DOS "wildcards" (* and ?) can be used to designate multiple files, and a drive and path may also be included as part of infile. By default, LASERLST sends its output to the standard DOS printing device, which is normally LPT1:. The optional outfile parameter can be used to direct the output either to another DOS device (e.g., LPT2:), or to a disk file instead. The optional /Tn switch causes each tab character (ASCII 9) in the infile to be replaced in the outfile with n spaces. The default value of n is 8; other values up to 16 may be used. The outfile produced by LASERLST contains the requisite formatting and printing Escape sequences used by the HP LaserJet series printers. The infile is printed in landscape mode with two 66-line x 81-character pages on each physical page. Files suitable for processing by LASERLST should be ASCII files that do not contain Escape sequences of their own and that do not require any specific word processor's formatting codes. Underlining produced by a backspace and character overstrike is supported, however. LASERLST may be used with files whose line lengths exceed 81 characters if it is understood that lines will be wrapped automatically at their 82nd character and that no provision is made for word wrap. LASERLST is especially suitable for printing program listings, readme files, and rough drafts of text to be edited. Updated ------- 8/24/90 To fix problem with IID, IIP and other series II near compatibles @@LITES LITES Jeff Prosise Display RS232 status ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- Replaces an RS232 breakout box by displaying the status of the DTR, DSR, RTS, CTS, DCD, and RI pins; also indicates the data rate, parity, number of data bits, and number of stop bits of the serial port being monitored. Format ------ LITES [comport] [U] Remarks ------- LITES is a memory-resident utility and may be loaded either at the DOS prompt or as part of an AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If no communications port is specified, the default comport monitored is COM1. After loading, alternately pressing Alt-L (the default hotkey) pops up and cancels the on-screen display, which is located (by default) in the upper right corner of the screen. LITES can be deinstalled by entering it with the optional u (or U) parameter, which simplifies changing the comport to be monitored. (Do not precede the U with a slash.) @@MONO MONO Michael J. Mefford Force screen display to mono on laptop screens ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- Makes the display of color applications legible on laptop computers and other monochrome screens that have limited intensity range capabilities, by translating the color attributes into black-and- white. Format ------ MONO [U] Remarks ------- MONO is a memory-resident utility that is normally loaded as part of an AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If no other TSR programs are installed after it, MONO can be deinstalled by reentering the command with the U parameter added. Once installed, MONO automatically converts color attributes into black-and-white, updating the screen approximately five times each second. Since a typical 80 by 25 display contains 2,000 attribute bytes, some loss in speed must be anticipated, though the amount of degradation will vary with the type and clock speed of the system microprocessor. For applications that do not require MONO, its active state can be toggled off and on with alternate presses of Alt-M, the default hotkey. The default hotkey values, screen update speed and display algorithm, and CGA snow-eliminating routine can all be changed with DEBUG.COM. The addresses, bytes allocated, and default values are shown below: Function Address Bytes Default ------------------------ ------- ----- ------- Hotkey ID String 0299h 5 "Alt M" Hotkey Scan Code (SS) 0194h 1 32h MONO Update Frequency 016Ah 1 40h MONO Screen Display Alg. 0211h 2 07 70h CGA Snow check (off) 0213h 2 90 90h Hotkey Shift Mask 018Eh 1 8 The Hotkey Scan Code (SS) and Shift Mask (MM) values you can substitute for the defaults are listed in the Tech Notes document on this disk. Decreasing the Update Frequency value (default 40h) lowers the load MONO puts on your system, and increasing its value speeds up screen updating. If the default screen display algorithm produces inverse video on your machine, change the 07 70 to 70 07 at address 0211h to reverse the algorithm. Changing the two bytes at 0213h to EB 14 will add snow checking, but will slow down your machine considerably. Note ---- MONO is not intended to work with graphics programs. @@MOUSECTL MOUSECTL Michael J. Mefford Adjusts mouse sensitivity ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- Provides multiple sensitivity settings for achieving more precise and smooth control of IBM and MicroSoft mice. Format ------ MOUSECTL [n ... n | filename | /U] Remarks ------- MOUSECTL is a memory-resident utility that can be loaded either at the DOS prompt or as part of an AUTOEXEC.BAT file. It can be used only with IBM or Microsoft mouse drivers and must be loaded after either MOUSE.SYS or MOUSE.COM. MOUSECTL can be deinstalled by entering the command with the /U switch. The optional n parameters consist of up to eight "multiplier" values between 0 and 32767, which are used to modify the mouse sensitivity. The default values are 5,6,10,15,22,30,50,70. Other values for n may be entered using either a space or a comma delimiter. The n values are entered into a look-up table from left to right; if less than 8 numbers are entered those already in the table remain in force. The range values represent the number of mickeys (1/200th-inch increments) the mouse actually moves during its 25-millisecond reporting period. The multiplier values (n) are divided by 10 and then multiplied by the range value to determine the adjusted number of mickeys reported to the application program. For example, an actual motion of 5 mickeys, multiplied by 0.6 results in 3 mickeys being reported, slowing the mouse movement to obtain more precise control for drawing. A movement of 30 mickeys in one 25-ms period will be multiplied by 5.0, so that 150 mickeys will be reported, moving the cursor very rapidly for page scanning. Note ---- Because Microsoft Windows loads its own mouse driver, MOUSECTL cannot be used with Windows utilities or with programs (such as Pagemaker) that must, rather than may, be run under Windows. @@SETUP2 SETUP2 Jeff Prosise Pop-up printer configuration program ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- Sends menu-selected or typed control codes to a printer from within an application or from the DOS prompt. Format ------ SETUP2 [d:][path][filename] | [/C codes] | [/U] Remarks ------- Entered without the /C option, SETUP2 becomes a RAM- resident utility with a pop-up menu of user-configured printer control sequences specified in filename. The default hotkey is Ctrl-Right Shift. Esc closes the menu window and returns to any already running application. Entering SETUP2 with the /U option uninstalls the utility if no subsequent TSR program has been loaded. Any ASCII text editor or word processor can be used to create filename, which contains the desired printer commands. This file may be up to 64KB in overall size, and may contain any number of lines, each each of which must be ended by pressing Enter. The first line identifies the printer or company (hit Enter alone to leave it blank), and may be up to 26 characters long. Subsequent lines consist of up to 20 characters of identifying ASCII text, followed by a semicolon, followed by up to 255 bytes containing the printer control sequence. For example, the first four lines of a filename for an HP LaserJet might be entered thus: HP LASERJET Spreadsheet; 27,"&l1o2e5.647c66F",27,"&k2S" Reset Printer; 27,"E" Form Feed; 12 ASCII 27 is the (decimal) escape character; it could alternatively be entered in hexadecimal notation as x1B or 0x1B, following the C-language style. Numeric entries may be separated by commas (as shown), or by spaces or tabs. Literal ASCII text must be enclosed either within double quotes (as shown) or single quotes. White space to the right of the semicolon is ignored, and any line in filename beginning with a pound sign (#) is treated as a comment line and will not appear in the SETUP2 window. In the example just cited, when the SETUP2 menu is popped up with Ctrl-Right Shift, the words "Spreadsheet," "Reset Printer," and "Form Feed" will appear next to lines identified as F1, F2, and F3. The associated printer control codes do not appear in the on-screen menu, but are sent to the printer either by pressing the indicated function key or by moving the menu highlight bar to the appropriate line with the Up- and Down-Arrow keys and pressing Enter. The PgDn and PgUp keys bring lines in filename beyond the first "page" (ten lines) into the menu window. Below F10 in the SETUP2 menu is a blank line that may be used to send printer control sequences not contained in filename. This line is accessed by pressing the Slash key (/), typing in the actual control codes (using the format conventions previously discussed), and pressing Enter. In this case, the actual printer codes are shown on the screen; the entry line scrolls horizontally to accommodate sequences of more than 100 characters. Entering SETUP2 with the /C option enables sending printer control codes from the DOS command line without making the utility RAM-resident. This is useful both for testing and for batch file operations. The codes are again entered with the numeric and quotemark conventions previously indicated. Note that each line must end with an ASCII 13,10 (carriage return/line feed) sequence. By default, SETUP2 uses LPT1. Users familiar with DEBUG.COM can change the entry at offset 018A (normally 0) to 1 (for LPT2) or to 2 (for LPT3). Similarly, the default Ctrl-Right Shift hotkey can be changed to another shifting key combination by changing the entry at offset 01B3 (normally 5). A hex value of C in this location would change the hotkey to Ctrl-Alt, for example. A complete table of shift-mask values is contained in the HOTKEY.MOD file on this disk. A sample file with the menu entries and codes for most Epson dot-matrix printers is shown below: #============================================ # Epson RX/FX-80 Printer Make File # Copyright (c) 1989 Ziff Communications Co. #============================================ EPSON RX/FX-80 PRINTER Compressed Mode On; 15 Compressed Mode Off; 18 Expanded Mode On; 27,"W1" Expanded Mode Off; 27,"W0" Emphasized Mode On; 27,"E" Emphasized Mode Off; 27,"F" Double-Strike On; 27,"G" Double-Strike Off; 27,"H" Miniature Mode On; 15,27,83,0,27,65,6 Miniature Mode Off; 18,27,84,27,50 #-------------------------------------------- Elite Mode On; 27,"M" Elite Mode Off; 27,"P" Skip Perforation On; 27,78,8 Skip Perforation Off; 27,79 1/8" Line Spacing; 27,"0" 7/72" Line Spacing; 27,"1" 1/6" Line Spacing; 27,"2" Line Feed; 10 Form Feed; 12 Reset Printer; 27,"@" A similar sample for LaserJet printers is: #============================================ # HP LaserJet Printer Make File # Copyright (c) 1989 Ziff Communications Co. #============================================ HEWLETT-PACKARD LASERJET Portrait Mode; 27,"&l0O" Landscape Mode; 27,"&l1O" 10 Pitch; 27,"&k0S" 12 Pitch; 27,"&k4S" 16.66 Pitch; 27,"&k2S" Light; 27,"(s-3B" Medium; 27,"(s0B" Bold; 27,"(s3B" Form Feed; 12 Reset Printer; 27,"E" #-------------------------------------------- Line Printer; 27,"(s0T" Pica; 27,"(s1T" Elite; 27,"(s2T" Courier; 27,"(s3T" Helvetica; 27,"(s4T" Times Roman; 27,"(s5T" Gothic; 27,"(s6T" Spreadsheet; 27,"&l1o2e5.647c66F",27,"&k2S" These two sample files are included with SETUP2.COM, called HP and EPSON. If you have an Epson-compatible dot-matrix printer, you can try SETUP2 with the command: SETUP2 EPSON followed by pressing Ctrl and Right-shift to pop-up the program. If you have an HP LaserJet or compatible printer, enter SETUP2 HP @@SLICE & SPLICE SLICE & SPLICE Bob Flanders and Michael Holmes Split large file across multiple floppies version 1.3 ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- Spreads a DOS file too large to be copied onto a single floppy disk across multiple diskettes, enabling the file to be restored onto a second machine. Format ------ SLICE [d:][path]filename[.ext] d: Remarks ------- The filename of the file to be divided may be preceded with a drive and/or path, if needed. The target drive may be any drive that DOS recognizes as a removable medium. Diskettes from 160KB to 1.44MB capacity may be used, as may disk cartridges whose device driver identifies them as employing a removable medium. As each target diskette is filled, the user is prompted to insert a fresh one; up to 99 formatted target disks may be accommodated. On the first of these, SLICE also creates a short (approximately 1KB) program, SPLICE.COM, which is subsequently used to reassemble the separate sections into which filename has been broken. The syntax for SPLICE.COM is: Format ------ d:\SPLICE s: [t:][path] [/R] Remarks ------- The d: parameter designates the drive on which SPLICE.COM has been written, and s: designates the source drive. Normally, these are the same. The optional t: and path identify the hard disk/path onto which the file is to be reassembled as single entity. If these latter parameters are unspecified, the default drive and directory will be used for restoration. The original filename cannot be changed in either the SLICE or SPLICE operations, each of which requires approximately 34KB of available memory. The optional /R parameter tells the program to disable the check for removable media. If you receive an error message saying, "Must be removable media," you can try running SPLICE with the /R parameter. This is useful when the device driver for a drive does not support the IOCTL requesting removable status. Note ---- Although the DOS BACKUP and RESTORE utilities also permit a single file to be divided among multiple disks, they require that the same version of DOS be present on both the originating and the receiving machines. @@SMOOTH SMOOTH Michael J. Mefford Smooth scrolling text file viewer ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- An EGA or VGA text-browsing utility that makes reading from the screen easier by providing smooth scrolling in either direction at user-selectable speeds. Format ------ SMOOTH filespec [/W][/Snn][Cmmm] Remarks ------- The filespec entered with SMOOTH is a filename plus any required drive and path information. The optional /W switch strips the "high bit" from WordStar document files. The optional /Snn switch sets the scrolling speed, where nn is a decimal number that represents twice the number of pixel rows to be scanned on each screen refresh cycle. The default value for nn is 3. For comparative purposes, the DOS TYPE command used with an EGA (14 pixel rows per character) would have an nn of 28. The optional /Cmmm sets the foreground and background colors according to: mmm = Foreground color + (Background color * 16) The foreground and background color numbers are given in the BASIC manual under the heading, color statement. The default is 23 (white letters on a blue background). The up-arrow and down-arrows set the scrolling direction, and PgUp and PgDn flip a screen page. The Home and End keys go directly to the top and bottom of the file. Pressing the space bar (or the numeral 0) freezes the screen, which can be restarted by pressing any key. Hitting Esc cancels SMOOTH and returns to DOS. Pressing the plus and minus keys speeds up or slows down the scroll rate, as does pressing the number keys. Note ---- Since SMOOTH manipulates the Cathode Ray Tube Controller registers directly, it is incompatible with operation of SideKick and Print Screen. @@ZCOPY ZCOPY Bob Flanders High-speed serial file transfer Version 1.4 ------------------------------------------------------- Purpose ------- Transfers files at high speed, via a serial link, between two PCs. It can be used to move files between machines that do not share a common disk format, such as a laptop and desktop PC or to conveniently move large quantities of data between two standalone PCs. Format ------ ZCOPY source [target] [/w][/n][/u][/o][/a][/p][/d] Remarks ------- The two machines must be IBM-compatible and must be connected by a standard "null modem" cable. ZCOPY is executed, with appropriate parameters, on both machines; a 30-second (default) connect timeout is provided. On the sending machine both a source (filename plus any needed drive and path) and a target (COM1 or COM2) must be specified. ZCOPY supports the * and ? DOS filename "wildcards," but it does not permit renaming files during transfer. On the receiving machine the source is COM1 or COM2, and the target, if specified, must be a directory path. (Any needed subdirectories must be created on the receiving machine before using ZCOPY.) The optional /w and /n switches operate before connection is established, and so are entered on the ZCOPY command line of each machine. The /w parameter prolongs the default connection timeout indefinitely; it can be cancelled with Ctrl-Break. The /n parameter sets the highest bit-per-second (bps) rate at which ZCOPY will attempt to transfer data. If used, it must be the same on both machines. The default is /1 (115 kbps). Other acceptable values are /2 through /6 (57.6 kbps, 38.4 kbps, 19.2 kbps, 9600 kbps, and 4800 kbps, respectively). If ZCOPY cannot maintain error-free transfer at a given transfer rate, it automatically steps down to the next lower speed. The other optional parameters may be entered on either machine's ZCOPY command line. The /u (Update) switch permits overwriting same-named files on the receiving machine without operator confirmation if the source file is more recent. The /o (Overwrite) switch suppresses the confirmation prompt for all files. By default, when ZCOPY receives a disk-full signal, before aborting it tries to find a smaller selected source file that will fit on the receiving disk. The /a (Abort on Full) aborts at the first disk-full indication. The /p (Pause) switch creates a pause before the transfer operation begins after the connection between machines has been made, permitting changing a disk. The /d option changes the date of a received file to that of the receiving machine. Null modem cable ---------------- A Null modem cable is one that allows data to be transmitted directly between two PCs and most dealers will be able to supply a suitable one. If you need to have one made, ZCOPY's standard configuration is: 1st Machine 2nd Machine ----------- ----------- PIN PIN 2 <----------> 3 3 <----------> 2 7 <----------> 7 All other leads are optional and are not used by ZCOPY. Transferring ZCOPY without common media --------------------------------------- If you find yourself in the situation where you have ZCOPY one one machine but not on the other and can't get ZCOPY on a disk for the other machine, you can use the following procedure to transfer ZCOPY itself over the serial link. 1. Connect the two machines together via the null modem cable. You must know which communications ports you are using. 2. At each machine, set the communications port to the same communications parameters use the DOS MODE command. Enter: MODE COM1:1200,N,8,1 Substitute COM2, COM3 or COM4 if appropriate on each machine but keep the other values the same. 3. On the machine receiving ZCOPY, do the following (without the comments): A>COPY CON TMP.DBG ; Build the debug script n zcopy.com ; Name of the received program a 5000 ; Assemble at a high address CALL 5016 ; Get low character of count MOV CL,AL ; cl = low byte CALL 5016 ; .. Get high character MOV CH,AL ; cx = length of program PUSH CX ; .. save it MOV DI,0100 ; di -> output area for program CALL 5016 ; Get program character STOSB ; Store it LOOP 500E ; .. Loop until all received POP CX ; cx = length for write INT 3 ; .. return to debug ADD DX,+05 ; dx -> line status register IN AL,DX ; al = lsr value TEST AL,01 ; q. any data available? JZ 5019 ; a. no .. loop until ready SUB DX,+05 ; dx -> data register IN AL,DX ; get the character RET ; return w/al = character ; enter a blank line to stop rdx ; set dx ... :3f8 <== Note: This would be 3F8 for COM1, 2F8 for COM2, 3E8 for COM3, 2E8 for COM4! g=5000 ; start the program rip ; IP = write address :100 ; .. address 100 hex w ; write out ZCOPY.COM q ; .. and back to DOS ^Z<CR> ; (or use F6<CR>) A>debug <tmp.dbg Complete these steps before the next one... the receiving machine will wait for ZCOPY to be sent to it. 4. On the machine sending ZCOPY, do the following: A>debug zcopy.com ; bring in zcopy rdx ; setup the comm port :3f8 <== Note: This would be 3F8 for COM1, 2F8 for COM2, 3E8 for COM3, 2E8 for COM4! g=103 ; call the self-transfer routine ; (30-40 secs will pass) AX=00CC BX=0000 CX=0000 DX=03F8 SP=FFFE BP=0000 SI=1354 DI=0000 DS=1FE1 ES=1FE1 SS=1FE1 CS=1FE1 IP=1353 NV UP EI PL NZ NA PO NC 1FE1:1353 CC INT 3 q A> ZCOPY is now on the receiving machine.