The Arsenal Files 6/The Arsenal Files 6 (Arsenal Computer).ISO/windows/cf600.zip/SUPLMENT.TXT

Text File | 1996-02-04 | 17KB | 355 lines

                     *******************************
                     *                             *
                     *  User's Manual Supplement   *
                     *                             *
                     *  CMFiler -- Version 6.00    *
                     *                             *
                     *******************************


     The printed user's manual being sent to registered users as of the date
     of this file is current to Version 5.37b.  Any registered users who wish
     to receive a copy of this latest printed manual may order by sending $5
     to NoVaSoft.  This essentially covers our printing and mailing costs.

     The following features have been added or improved since the printing of
     the CMFiler Version 5.37b user's manual:

     Windows 95 LONG FILENAME SUPPORT:  This is the major development in
     Version 6.  CMFiler fully recognizes Win95 long filenames, and preserves
     them in all copy and move operations in the main module and tree module.
     The editor preserves the long filename when editing a file, but not in
     the original file when saving it as a backup.  The notes facility in
     CMFiler imports long filenames as notes.  The Make directory and make
     File commands allowing creation of new directories and files with long
     filenames.

     File and directory make and rename functions, F, M and R, go initially to
     standard DOS 8.3 format.  However, one press of the down arrow key
     selects Win95 long filename mode, if Windows 95 is installed.

     Also in this version, the old CMFiler note file format, NARATIVE.CF, is
     retired, and notes are now kept in the standard ASCII format of
     DESCRIPT.ION files established by 4DOS and NDOS.  Before running CMFiler
     Ver 6 the first time, run the companion utility CONV-NAR.COM in the
     CMFiler file set.  This utility examines every directory on any hard disk
     you request, and does the following:

        a.  Reads and loads as an image in memory the DESCRIPT.ION file for
     this directory, if one exists.

        b.  Determines if Win95 is the operating system, and if so, finds all
     long filenames and imports them into the memory image of the DESCRIPT.ION
     file.

        c.  Reads and translates into DESCRIPT.ION format the NARATIVE.CF file
     for this directory, if one exists, and adds to the memory image.

        d.  Reads and translates the DIRN-???.DAT file for this directory, if
     one exists, and adds to the memory image.

        e.  Removes duplicates, then checks each note to see if it has a
     corresponding directory entry, removing extraneous notes, and writes a
     new DESCRIPT.ION file into the directory.

        f.  If the new DESCRIPT.ION was made without error, deletes the old,
     now superfluous NARATIVE.CF file.
     The heirarchy in consolidating existing notes into the new DESCRIPT.ION
     file is 1) existing DESCRIPT.ION entry, 2) Win95 long filename, 3)
     existing NARATIVE.CF, and 4) existing DIRN-???.DAT.  The CMFiler view-
     notes and edit-notes facilities also perform the same consolidation in
     the specific directory in which they are called, so information will not
     be lost be not running CONV-NAR.COM first.  However, for efficiency, it
     is recommended that CONV-NAR be run before CMFiler Ver 6.

     As an assist in quickly loading DESCRIPT.ION files with many (>300)
     notes, CMFiler also creates a file called DESCRIPT.PTR, which is a table
     of pointers to the starting address of each note in memory.  This file is
     non-essential, and is for time-savings only.  It may be deleted if there
     is some indication it has become corrupt, such as loss of notes in the
     view-Notes facility.

     The previous limit of 39 characters on notes viewed or made in CMFiler no
     longer applies with this changeover in Ver 6.  Notes may be up to 260
     characters long.  Win95 users should be aware that Win95 puts a system
     limitation of 255 characters for long filenames on files and directories,
     and 260 characters total for full path specifications using long
     filenames.

     About Win95 long filename aliases:  When a long filename is created in
     Win95, Win95 also assigns an "alias" filename in standard DOS 8.3 format.
     This alias generally consists of the first six characters of the long
     filename, not counting whitespace, plus the "~" character and a number,
     starting with 1, plus the LFN's extension, if it exists.  Thus the alias
     Win95 would try to assign to the long filename "This is a long
     filename.txt" would be THISIS~1.TXT.  However, if a file be this 8.3 name
     already exists in the directory ("folder"), then Win95 increases the
     numerical tail until it finds a unique alias.

     CMFiler still uses the 8.3 filenames as the PRIMARY SORT AND DISPLAY NAME
     for all files, even Win95 LFNs.  It is possible to have the same 8.3 LFN
     aliases representing different files in different directories.  They may
     appear to be the same file in the CMFiler side-by-side listings, but they
     may or may not be the same.  During copy and move operations, however,
     CMFiler uses the actual LFNs for establishing the identity of files, and
     applies the safety nets for overcopying newer files with older of the
     same LFN, or read-only files with non-read-only files with the same LFN.
     Likewise, if you copy one file with a given LFN alias from one directory
     into another which has an entry with the same LFN alias, but a different
     LFN (i.e., is actually a different file), CMFiler will copy the file
     using the Win95 extended LFN file services, and let Win95 assign a
     different alias.  In this way, CMFiler prevents any possibility of
     inadvertent file destruction resulting from confusion over LFN aliases.

     However, what this also means is that you may have to use the CMFiler
     view-notes facility (Shift-N) when comparing directories side-by-side, to
     see whether same-named LFN aliases represent the same or different files.
     A good practice in assigning long filenames is to use unique first words
     or character combinations.  Avoid naming every letter "Letter to Jim",
     "Letter to Sarah", but rather try "Jim Jones letter 1-3-96", "Sarah Smith
     letter 2-5-95", and so forth.

     TURNING OFF DESCRIPT.ION FILE UPDATING:  The Shift-O user Options menu
     now has an option to turn off the automatic updating of the DESCRIPT.ION

          CMFiler -- Supplement               1-2
     notes files during file copying/deleting/moving/renaming.


     TREE IMAGE FACILITY:  The tree module now has a feature that captures to
     a directory ~TREES~ (which CMFiler creates for this purpose) an image
     file of the tree and of its filenames for each drive when that drive is
     first accessed.  These image files are then available for use as a quick
     alternative to rereading the whole drive the next time the tree module is
     entered and that drive is selected.  The image files load the tree
     structure in a fraction of the time it takes to read the whole drive and
     construct the directory and file list.  The ~TREES~ directory will be
     created on the path in the configuration environment parameter CF-CFG, if
     one has been specified by a SET command.  Otherwise it will be created on
     the root of C.

     The first time it is run in tree mode, CMFiler explains three basic setup
     options to help the user use this new feature in the best way.  In one
     option, you can tell CMFiler to ask permission to reread the drive and
     refresh the tree image on file after copying a structure into the drive
     tree.  It is often convenient, if you have several structures to copy, to
     wait until the last before rereading the drive and refreshing the tree
     image.

     The tree image can also be manually updated using Shift-R (Refresh tree).
     The Tree image option menu can be brought up with Ctrl-O.

     FULL COLOR SELECTION CAPABILITY:  Press Ctrl-P to select from four
     palettes.  However, each palette can now be edited by pressing E within
     the palette facility.  Each of five colors in the file list display can
     be selected by arrowing around an 8x8 color array, and pressing the
     spacebar when the desired color is reached.  The affect of each selection
     is shown as the arrow is moved around the color array, so no guesswork is
     required.

     This new facility is best used with both panels open, and some files
     tagged in one of the panels, since the file tagging color and both the
     source and target path line colors are independently variable.  When
     finished editing one palette, hit Enter to return to the original level
     of the palette facility, and either Enter to set that palette as the
     default choice, or another key to rotate to the next palette.  The editor
     and tree displays are not independently adjustable, but take their colors
     from the current palette.

     The palette edit routine (Ctrl-P, E) now has the option to toggle the
     high-intensity bit selectively for each color field.  The command "T" in
     the color menu toggles between high- and normal-intensity foreground
     color attribute.

     In addition, we have added to the color palette exit sequence the option
     to set an internal flag which causes a "pip" to be shown in front of the
     extension of each file with today's date stamp, and colors the extensions
     of certain "preferred" files differently from the normal file color.  The
     initial setting of this flag is "on", and the "preferred" extensions
     which are specified for the special colors are the executables -- .COM,
     .EXE, .BAT and .BTM.  The flag may be turned off, and the preferred
     extension colors may be edited:


          CMFiler -- Supplement               1-3
        1.  When you leave the palette menu with the Enter key, you will be
     asked if you want to flag today's files and the "preferred" files.
     executables.  If you answer No, the exit sequence is complete.

        2.  If you answer Yes, you will be given an opportunity to edit the
     colors for each of the preferred extensions in the same way as you edited
     the main palette colors.  When you are finished, exit this secondary
     color facility with the Enter key.

     The preferred extensions may themselves be edited in the Ctrl-O Order
     menu.

     ENHANCEMENT TO FILE ORDERING:  In the main module, the Ctrl-O Order menu
     has been expanded to include a switch, toggled with P, to cause the
     appearance of files with the "preferred" extensions ahead of all others
     in any file listing.  The preferred extensions can be edited from this
     menu with the keystroke command E.

     PATH ALIAS FACILITY:  A "path alias" facility now exists in the main
     module.  This allows assigning the commands Alt-1 through Alt-9 to your
     nine most frequently used directories, for instant navigation from any
     drive and path.  To assign a path to the alias list, first go to the
     subdirectory you want to add, then press Alt-A (for Alias).  The Alias
     menu shows a list numbered 1 through 9, each with a user-definable title
     and path.  Pick a free number, press it and type in the title you want as
     your key for the path.  Hitting Enter saves the alias.

     To navigate to that aliased path instantly, either press Alt- and the
     number you assigned (if you remember), or press Alt-A, look over the
     list, and while still holding down the Alt-key press the number.  The
     alias facility can also be used in place of pressing a drive letter after
     the New drive command, or when arrowing over to the right-hand panel when
     it is blank.  The Shift- key, used with Alt-1 through Alt-9, puts the
     aliased path into the opposite panel and goes across to it, in much the
     same way as Shift-\, Shift-P and Shift-Enter on a directory name act to
     put the selected directory into the opposite path and jump across.

     JUMP COMMAND:  A new Jump facility may be used to jump to another path.
     In either panel, press J, and type in the new path, including drive if
     desired.  If the path exists, CMFiler will read and display its directory
     contents and set it as the new path for that panel.

     FILE SPLITTER:  We have added to the main module a file splitter, called
     by Alt-S.  With the target panel set up as the destination path for the
     split files, position the cursor on a file in the source panel and press
     Alt-S.  CMFiler first asks for confirmation that you desire to split the
     file into smaller files, with extensions .A00, .A01, ..., .A99, .B00,
     etc.  The it asks for the file size for the split files, in Kb.  Split
     files are created in the target path, and the original file is left
     untouched in the source.  File splitter provides option to split files at
     nearest end-of-line, which is useful in splitting text files.  File
     splitter also works with a single panel open.

     SWAPPING PANELS:  In the main and tree modules, you can quickly swap
     panels left-for-right and right-for-left, keeping the cursor in the same
     panel, left or right, with the new command Ctrl-W (for sWap).


          CMFiler -- Supplement               1-4
     POPUP ASCII TABLE:  The editor/viewer now has a popup ASCII table, called
     with the command Ctrl-A.  Navigate through the table with the Arrow keys
     or mouse to highlight a specific character, then type that character with
     Enter or the mouse left button.

     BUG FIXES AND MISCELLANEOUS:

     o   We have added to the file display ordering options (Ctrl-O menu) a
     switch, toggled with "E", which when set causes the executable files to
     appear first in the file listings, in the order .COM, .EXE, .BAT and
     .BTM, followed by all other files, in the order specified.

     o   The new command Ctrl-K decrements the cursor height on each keypress.
     The cursor height is now a savable parameter using Shift-S.

     o   Corrected a bug in the navigation routines in the tree module that
     occasionally caused confusion when navigating using the Shift-Up/Down
     arrows in a directory level in which one or more directories had been
     deleted since the last tree refreshing operation.

     o   Revised the display routines to show the time in 12-hour format, with
     the letter "p" for post-meridian times. (Absence of a "p" implies ante-
     meridian, including the hours from 12 midnight to 1 AM.)

     o   When you select a disk containing deleted files in a ~TRASH~
     directory the first time each new day, CMFiler asks if you want to leave
     it alone, purge (hard-delete) its files, or view it.  Heretofore, if you
     specified viewing ~TRASH~, you would be returned to the root directory
     when you were finished, even if some other directory had been specified,
     for example as an initial path parameter in the command line.  Now
     CMFiler remembers the specified path, and returns to it after you leave
     ~TRASH~ with the \ (Root) or P (Parent) command.

     o   Corrected a bug in the file copying routine in the main module that
     was causing incorrect attributes to be assigned to the target files.

     o   File compression and extraction can now by done with only the left
     panel open.  In this case, the same path serves as source and target for
     compression or extracton.

     o   When you select a disk containing deleted files in a ~TRASH~
     directory the first time each new day, CMFiler asks if you want to leave
     it alone, purge (hard-delete) its files, or view it.  Heretofore, if you
     specified viewing ~TRASH~, you would be returned to the root directory
     when you were finished, even if some other directory had been specified,
     for example as an initial path parameter in the command line.  Now
     CMFiler remembers the specified path, and returns to it after you leave
     ~TRASH~ with the \ (Root) or P (Parent) command.

     o   Improved the handling of errors during floppy formatting/duplicating,
     and added self-checking "boot-through" code to the boot sector placed on
     CMFiler-formatted diskettes.

     o   In the confirmation request for file deletion, a choice has been
     added to switch deletion type between "soft" and "hard".

     o   Corrected a bug in the file copying routines that could cause

          CMFiler -- Supplement               1-5
     assignment of incorrect file attributes to the copied files.

     o   Corrected a bug in the rename facility that caused failures in name
     swapping.






















































          CMFiler -- Supplement               1-6