For enter the window resizing mode, you may press Ctrl-F5. Now using arrows you mai move window. Holding down Shift and pressing arrows you may resize the window. _
At end, press RETURN to accept new sizes of the window or press ESC to restore the olds ones.
Help on help
That you are reading now is an help screen.
You may press
to move text. Using mouse, click on the arrows of the
scroll
on the right and on the bottom.
On most help screen there are some words highlighted, the KeyWords. The KeyWords links the current help "page" to another. You may move through KeyWords pressing TAB to pass to next KeyWord and pressing Shift-TAB to pass to the previous one. `
Pressing ENTER or clicking two times on a KeyWord, you go to the "page" linked with that word. %
Pressing letters from A to Z you pass to the first KeyWord that begin with that letter. Continuing pressing letters you make a word and you pass to the first KeyWord that begin as your word. Pressing "<-" you delete last letter pressed. Pressing HOME the word that you are written is erased.
You may return to previous page pressing Alt-F1. You may call help on help pressing F1. You may pass to help index pressing Shift-F1. Pressing ESC the help window will be closed.
When you are positioned on a menu or on a command you may press F1 to have help of that menu/command. The same if you are in a window. %
Try now to have informations about: "
Using
menus
Using
windows
Archive Help Index
-A-
Attributes,
-B-
Buttons,
defined
buttons
-C-
Calculator
Calendar
Complex,
window
Complex
search
Complex
select
Concepts
Contents
-D-
Database
structure
Date,
opzione
Dialogs: see windows.
Disks,
command
Disks,
window
Disks,
statistics
prompt
Shell
-E-
-F-
File,
Fragmentation
level
-G-
Glossary
Info,
command
-H-
Help,
contents
Help,
glossary
Help,
index
Help,
-I-
Index,
-J-
Jolly,
characters
-K-
Keys,
command
Keys,
window
Keys,
statistics
-M-
keys,
command
keys,
window
keys,
statistics
Menu,
Menus
Attributes
Utility
Options
Search
Select
Statistics
-O-
Options,
-P-
Print,
command
Print,
window
Print
styles
-R-
Reselect
Resizing
windows
-S-
drive,
option
Scroll
Search
again
Search
archive
Search,
complex
search
Search,
Search
program
Select
Select
Select,
complex
selection
Select,
Selection
Speeding
Archive
Statistics,
-U-
Utility,
-V-
Volume
label
service
-W-
window
Windows,
Window
resizing
Concepts
: Main keys
A main key is a word that may be associated to a group of programs. The main key is shown at the right of the program name on the main list. Therefore main key must denote the type of program. Goods main keys are "Game","Utility","Word processor"... With main keys you may search and
select
more speedy that with other informations. e
Before you may use a main key, you must define it through command
on menu
Attributes
The main keys may be maximum 127.
Concepts
: Keys
A key is a word that may be associated to a group of programs for
selections
. A program may have more than one keys.
Example: 7
An archive that contains source of programs may have
set to "Source" and the keys may be "C", "Pascal" ... ,
A key denote a particular of the main key. `
Before you may use a main key, you must define it through command
on menu
Attributes
The keys may be maximum 127.
Concepts
: Selection
The selection extract from database only the programs that correspond at the user prototype. With selection the programs are hidden, not erased. There are three selections, all three on menu
Select
. Selection by main key extract all programs that have the main key choos by user. Selection by disk extract all programs that are in the disk choose by user. Complex selection extract programs using all its informations.
Concepts
Selection
Database structure
The database is a group of programs. Each program may be situated on one or more compressed files (archives) Besides location and dimensions (compressed and not) for each program are stored informations about video and audio boards, CPU and memory requirements, operative sistem and peripherics supported. Yoy may write for each program a description (Memo) (Max. 10K). For each program are also stored a
and many
The Author
The Author is reachable for registration or for bugs or suggests at this address :
Gabriele Tessaro
Via Maniago N
33090 Colle di Arba
(PN) ITALY
Requirements
Archive can run under every 8088 with 288K of conventional memory free (request of memory increases with increase of database). Archive can use EMS memory (if there is, Archive use about 160K of it).
Registration
If you think Archive good, you must register after a trial period of 30 days, oterwise you violate law. The registered version of Archive can print the list of programs on printer, on disk and simple on the screen, in two styles. The registered version haven't registration messages and waits. Register is simple: call INSTALL and use "How can I register" to view registration instruction. -
Register now: registration costs only 20$ !
Welcome to Archive v2.0
Archive 2.0 is a database specialized in memorize programs so you can search them without look in all the disks. For each program are stored many informations: from dimensions to video boards supported. ?
Till now it looks like a normal database, but Archive is created on purpose of manage a database of compressed files (archives), so its use is much move fast and simple. Archive 2.0 can read by oneself informations about archives compressed by PkZip, Arj e Squeeze (not self-extracting) and DIET (not self-extracting)
Archive 2.0 can
select
programs for a more fast search. Using Archive you may also have statistics about programs: from space occupated by all catalogued archives (compressed and expanded) to archives compression ratio for each copressor (for all files .ZIP, for all files .ARJ ...).
Production notes:
Archive 2.0 was compiled with Turbo Pascal 6.0 from a source of about 9000 lines. I thank producers of PkZip, Arj and Squeeze for documentation enclosed in their compressors.
!!! If you have informations about archives .LHA, .ZOO, .UC2 and other compressors, please send these information by mail to the
author
. I will create a new version of Archive.
See also: 0
Author
Database
structure
Requirements
Glossary
Jolly
characters
Promt
Scroll
The Print Window
The print window is made up by group of options about: #
- What print: you may choose what
informations print for each program.
- Print style: with this option you
may choose if you want to print each program
in a single line or in a block of lines.
Using line style all information are put in
a table. The result is this :
Name program | Main Key | Video | Cat. data
-----------------------------------------------
Lotus 1.2.3 | Applicati|.......| 01/01/1995
Space invaders | Game |CEMV...| 04/01/1995
Using block style the result is this
Lotus 1.2.3 --- Application
Was catalogued in 01/01/1995
Description:
.........
.
Space Invaders --- Game
Was catalogued in 04/01/1995
Supports these audio boards: CGA, EGA, MCGA, VGA.
Description:
Space game ......
.
- Print columns: Select the number of
columns of your printer
Button "Print !!" starts print.
Print
With this command you can export database informations sending them to printer, to a file on the disk or on the screen. Sending the list of programs to file, Archive make a file that you may print after with the dos command "COPY nomefile.ext >PRN". Sending list of programs on the screen you may have a preview of printing result.
See also:
Print
window
Exit
With this command you exit Archive and return to DOS.
Speed up Archive
There is some trick that can speed up Archive:
- Put Archive and its files on Hard Disk,
so that speed up disk accesses.
- Left to Archive about 160K of EMS memory free.
They will be used to load overlay in memory.
- When you would to see a program without
modify it, exit from window pressing ESC
or click on the button "Cancel" or in the
close icon. So archive don't write the
information (not changed) on the disk.
Note: You must press "OK" if you have
changed some information.
Get Info
Using "Get Info" command is opened a window that reports informations about Archive status.
In the window are reported the memory free (readable also in the low-right corner of the screen), the memory used by database informations ("Used by database") and the percentage of memory free. x
If Archive use EMS memory to load overlays, there is a line that show this. About this, see also "
Speed
Archive
Press OK button to close window.
Complex Window
This window asks you informations for search or
select
programs. In the box in the top there is the display that show current search/select criterion that you are writing. In the bottom there are the buttons that are divided into five groups:
- Parentheses buttons.
- Conditional buttons (AND OR and NOT)
- Delete button (<-)
- Confirm (GO) and abandon (ESC) buttons
- Search/selection criterion buttons.
These buttons are:
MKy - Main key
Key - Key
Vid - Video board
Aud - Audio board
OS - Operative system
CPU - Processor
Prg - Program name
Ark - Archive name
Mem - Memory
Msc - Miscellaneous
Dta - Inserting data
Dsk - Disk
When you pressone of this buttons
you open a window that asks you
which element of the list you want.
Example: For Main keys you must
choose one of main keys in
the list.
Using example: y
If you want to select all sharware ("sharware" is key) programs that aren't games ("game" is main key), you must press: W
"Key", choose from list "Sharware"
"AND"
"NOT"
"MKy", choose from list "Gioco"
The display will show: "
[Key:Sharware]ANDNOT[MainK:Game]
Note: Operators "()", NOT, AND, OR, have an exact priority:
"()" > "NOT" > "AND" > "OR"
That is in an expression
[..]OR[..]AND[..]OR[..]
are calculated first the AND then the two OR. *
For use first the two OR, you must write
([..]OR[..])AND([..]OR[..])
Command Main keys
This command opens you the gate to access the list of main keys from that you may add, edit or delete (if not used) some main key.
Command Keys
This command opens you the gate to access the list of keys from that you may add, edit or delete (if not used) some key.
Command Disks
This command opens you the gate to access the list of disks from that you may add, edit or delete (if not used) some disk.
Menu Attributes
With "Attributes" menu you may accede to list of disks, main keys amd keys. The disks and the main keys are important. Without them you can't insert programs in the database.
The commands of menu are:
Disks
Comando Pack
This command frees the empty holes that may form in the database with an intensive use. Using this command the space occupated by database on the disk decrease. Note: for use this command you must have enought space on the disk. This empty space don't form often: for know when you must use Pack, you may use command
Fragmentation
Level
in the
Statistics
menu. This command reports you the percentage of empty holes in the database. It's expedient use the PACK command when this percentage exceed 10%.
Glossary
: DOS prompt
The DOS prompt is the line that the DOS usually write waiting a command.
Example:
A:\>
C:\ARCHIVE>
DOS shell
This command allows you to exit TEMPORALY to DOS to exec some command ... To return to Archive, write EXIT at the
prompt
and press ENTER.
Menu File
This menu allows you to interface Archive with the DOS operative system.
Available commands are: 7
Print
shell
There is also the sub-menu
Utility
Glossary
- Jolly characters
Jolly characters are special characters that may used to replace one or more letters in the description of a name. The using is identical to use in the DOS:
? - Replace one and only one character.
* - Replace one or more characters.
(Pu
anche non sostituire nessun
carattere.
Search Again
Repeat last search, beginning from last program checked. Naturally it is not available until you don't do a search.
Complex Select
With the "Complex search" you can
select
a program using information as video boards, memory requirements..
See also: "
Complex
window
Search
Again
Complex Search
With the "Complex search" you can search a program using information as video boards, memory requirements..
See also: "
Complex
window
Search
Again
Search Archive
With this command you can search in the database an archive that have a name correspondent to the name written by user. Q
Writing name to search you can use the
Jolly
characters
to describe the mask.
See also:
Search
Again
Search Program
With this command you can search in the database a program that have a name correspondent to the name written by user. Q
Writing name to search you can use the
Jolly
characters
to describe the mask.
See also:
Search
Again
Select by main key
With this command Archive select only the program that use the choice main key.
Select by disk
With this command Archive select only the program that use the choice disk.
Reselect all
With this command all effects of a selection are eliminated and all programs are shown. Naturally, this command is not available until you do a selection.
Menu Select
"Select" menu allows you to
select
the database, that is to show only a portion of database. Note: If you select the database when it is already selected, the selection will do on at the moment listed programs.
Available commands are: V
Select
Select
Complex
selection
Reselect
programs
Menu Search
Menu search allows you to search a program in the database.
Available commands are: F
Search
program
Search
archive
Complex
Search
Search
Again
About
In the About window there are Archive's logo and informations about productions. Click on the OK button or press ENTER to close the window.
Menus and Hot keys
In the top of the screen there are the menu bar, the gate to access to all menus. You may switch to the menu bar pressing F10 or clicking to a name of menu.
The menus are: J
Search
Select
Attributes
Options
Statistics
Clicking on "
" you open the window with the
About
Choose now if you want to see:
menus
Calculator
With Archive there is also a calculator reachable by menu
in the sub-menu
Utility
. The use is identical to a normal calculator. The "<-" button delete the last number written.
Calendar
The calendar is reachable by menu
in the sub-menu
Utility
. The calendar open itself on the page of current month. You may change month by "
" or "-" for switch to previous month and by "
" or "+" for switch to next month. The current day is highlighted.
Volume label service
With this utility (menu
, sub-menu
Utility
) you can write a label into a disk without it and change the label to a disk that already have one.
Menu Utility
(Sub-menu of menu
In the utility menu you can choose one of these commands: 2
Volume
label
service
Calculator
Calendar
How use menus
You may activate a menu pressing Alt with the letter highlighted in the name of menu. Example: For activate the File menu you must press Alt-F.
When you active a menu, you see a list of commands. Pressing
you may move the bar that identify current command. Press
to exec it. Pressing
you may move from a menu to another one.
How use windows
Through window Archive can communicate with user. This is a window of type blue or cyan. t
Close icon
Zoom icon
V V
Title of the window
<-- Scroll bar that
moves text up
and down.
<-- Resize icon
A
Scroll bar that moves text
left and right
This is a gray window:
Close icon
V
Title of the window
Buttons
In both window types, clicking on the close icon (or pressing Alt-F3) the window will close itself and if the window was gray the current operation is cancelled. Clicking on the zoom icon of the cyan or blue windows (or pressin F5) the window enlarge itself to all screen. Click again to return the window at the previous size. Clicking on the resize icon you enter in the
resize
window
Holding click on the title of the window you may move the window. In the blue or cyan windows there are the scroll bar to move the text. In the gray windows there are buttons and other input devices: u
Click on the buttons to do action written.
By keyboard, press SPACE when they are selected.
) Abc This is a radio button. The point denote the action
( ) Def selected. Click to another option to change.
( ) Ghi By keyboard, press
[X] Abc This is a check box. The cross denote that that cross
[ ] Def is actived. Click on it to disable. Click on a not
[ ] Ghi active to active it. By keyboard press
to move
selected option and SPACE to enable/disable.
For pass from a button to another, from a group of options to another by keyboard there are two ways: -
- Press TAB for pass to next and Shift-TAB
for pass to the previous. 7
- Press Alt with the highlighted letter of the name.
The red window communicate an error. Click on the OK button or press ENTER for continue.
Glossary
: Scroll bar
<- This is a scroll bar.
Its purpose is to show the list on its left when
you are using the mouse. (With keyboard you use
, Pag
, Pag
when the list is selected).
Clicking on the top arrow the list scroll itself by one row to top. Clicking on the bottom arrow the list scroll itself by one row to bottom. Clicking in the space between the top arrow and the square the list scroll itself by one page to top. Same to the bottom.
Option Scan drive
With this option you choose what drive use to scan and setting disk label operations.
Option Date
With this option you choose if the date must be shown in the Italian mode (DD/MM/YYYY) or the English mode (MM/DD/YYYY).
User defined buttons
In the box in the top-rigth of the screen, in the bottom there are four buttons that the user may change. Pressing them they exec command planed by user. Button 1 is the button at the top-left. Button 2 is the button at the top-right. Button 3 is the button at the bottom-left. Button 4 is the button at the bottom-right. When they are not setted to a command, if you press them they call the
defining
buttons
window
Menu Options
With "options" menu you may configure some options to personalize your version of Archive.
The menu have these commands: <
drive
Button1,
Button2,
Button3,
Button4
Contents
Call help on page of contents of help.
Index
Call help on page of index.
Glossary
Call help on page of glossary.
Help on Help
This command explain you how to use the help. %
Click
learn
Menu Help
From menu help you may accede at the help. The main pages are reachables by: 1
Contents
Index
Glossary
Command Program statistics
This commands opens a window that shown main informations about database. The window reports the number of programs and archives and space occupated by archives compressed and decompressed.
Command Archives statistics
With this command are shown the list of extensions of archives, each with his number of archives (number (N
) and percentage on the total (P%)). There is also another percentage (Rem%) that shown the compression ratio and denote the REMaining dimension of archive. Example: if the compression ratio is 40%, the size of compressed archive is 40% of real size.
Command Disks statistics
With this comand are shown statistics about composition of disks database (number of disks 3
720 K, 5
da 360 K ...).
Command Main keys statistics
With this command are shown the composition in number and in percentage of the database, studied by main keys. For each main key are shown the number of programs that use it.
Command Keys statistics
With this command are shown the composition in number and in percentage of the database, studied by keys. For each key are shown the number of programs that use it.
Command Fragmentation level
With this command are shown the level of fragmentaation of database. Sometimes modifying the list of programs may create some empty hole. Is shown the percentage of this empty holes in the archive. These holes may be deleted using command
Menu Statistics
Statistics menu have a group of commands for show information about state of database.
Available commands are:
Programs
statistics
Archives
statistics
Disks
statistics
statistics
statistics
Fragmentation
level
Press this button
O k
to continue
Now press ESC to put
away this help screen
Hot keys
There is some key that shorten the operations. Some of these are written in the bottom of the screen.
The Hot Keys are:
TAB - Switch to next field.
F1 - Call help. If you are using menus,
the help will switch in the argument
of current command.
Shift-F1 - Call help index.
Alt-F1 - (only in the help)
Return to previous topic.
Alt-F3 - Close current window.
F5 - If you are using a blue or cyan window,
the window will zoom to the maximum
size.
Ctrl-F5 - If you are using a blue or cyan
window, you will enter in
resizing
window
mode.
F10 - Switch to Menu bar.
ESC - Close current window or escape
from current menu.
Alt-X - Exits from archive.
Calculator
With Archive there is also a calculator reachable by menu
in the sub-menu
Utility
. The use is identical to a normal calculator. The "<-" button delete the last number written.
Calendar
The calendar is reachable by menu
in the sub-menu
Utility
. The calendar open itself on the page of current month. You may change month by "
" or "-" for switch to previous month and by "
" or "+" for switch to next month. The current day is highlighted.
Search program window
Write here the name of program to search. You may use
Jolly
characters
writing name. Press OK to begin search or CANCEL to abandon it.
Search archive window
Write here the name of archive to search. You may use
Jolly
characters
writing name. Press OK to begin search or CANCEL to abandon it.
Main key selection window
In this window are shown the list of main keys inserted. Use the
scroll
to view the list of main keys if it's too long. Click two times on a main key or press OK when it is selected to choose that main key and continue selection; press ESC to abandon selection.
Disk selection window
In this window are shown the list of disks inserted. Use the
scroll
to view the list of disks if it's too long. Click two times on a disk or press OK when it is selected to choose that disk and continue selection; press ESC to abandon selection.
Wait window
The wait window open itself when Archive are busy in slow operations. The progress of the operations are shown by the black bar that fills the gray one. When it cover all bar, Archive has finished. 1
You can press ESC anywhen for breack operation.
Defining buttons window
The window is made up by three parts:
- In the left, the list of commands that you may associate to the button.
- In the top-right, the field for the button name.
If you want to associate a rapid access key (Alt-Letter) you must write the letter you choose between ~ (#126). Example: If you want a button "Quit" that active itself by Alt-Q, you must write "~Q~uit". The letter for rapid access is optional. C
- In the bottom there are the buttons for confirm ("OK") and for
discard modifications("CANCEL").
Choose date mode window
With this window you can choose if you want the Italian mode or the English mode to show the date. The English mode is MM/DD/YYYY. The Italian mode is DD/MM/YYYY.
Finestra di scelta del drive di scan
With this window you may choose which drive you want use for scan operations. Select "Drive A:" if for scanning and setting volume label operations you want to use the drive A. Select "Drive B:" if you want to use drive B.
Main keys window
Through this window you may add, delete or edit the main keys. With ADD button you add a new main key. With EDIT button you change the name of the selected main key. With DELETE button you delete the selected main key from the list if it isn't used.
Keys window
Through this window you may add, delete or edit the keys. With ADD button you add a new key. With EDIT button you change the name of the selected key. With DELETE button you delete the selected key from the list if it isn't used.
Disks window
This window allows you to add, edit or delete disks from list of there known. With ADD button you may add a new disk to the list through another window. In this window there is the button SCAN that allows you to read informations from disk inserted in the drive. With EDIT button you may change the attributes of disk. With DELETE button you may delete a disk, if it is not used. With SCAN button you may add a new disk reading informations from the disk in the drive.
Program window
This is the main window of Archive because allows you to insert or edit informations about programs. 4
The window is divided in three groups of programs: 8
Location
Group Main
In this group are registered the name of the program, his real and compressed (packed) dimension, the number of archives and the main key. In the bottom there is also the insertion date (Cat. date).
In the right there are the buttons for close the window and save information (OK), for discard mofifications (CANCEL), for restore old informations (RELOAD) and for call help (HELP).
Note: Real and Compressed dimension values and number of archives are calculated by list of archives in the
Location
group
Group Location
The Location group manages the list of archives that the program occupes. There are buttons for add, edit and delete an archive and there is also the button "SCAN" that allows you to insert a new archive reading from disk the informations: a window allows you to choose which is the file to scan.
Note: If the archive is compressed by PkZip, Arj, Squeeze or Diet Archive can read by oneself the real dimension of compressed data.
Each time that the list of archives is modified, the real and compressed dimension value in the
group
are recalculated.
See also :
Add/Edit
archive
window
Group Info
In this group are managed all other informations of the program. N
There are two green fields in the bottom: Pressing key
or clicking on the arrow to choose one value. The first field is "CPU": it show the processor minimum required. The other field ("OS") show the operative sistem required by program. "Dos & Windows" denote that the program have one version for DOS and one version for Windows. `
The Keys button open a Window that allows you to add o delete keys associated at that program. q
The Memo button open the window that allows you to write a little description (Max. 10K). See "
Video and Audio buttons open two windows that manages audio and video boards supported by program. 6
Memory button allows you to set memory requirements.
Misc. (miscellaneous) button allows you to set the peripherics supported by program. (FPU = Floating Point Unit, mathematic processor).
How use memo
The memo editor is situated in a window with some button. One of this is the button "Import" that allows you to copy the memo from an existing file on the disk. <
The keys to move cursor in the memo are the standart ones:
, : one row to top.
, : one row to bottom.
: one page to top.
: one page to bottom.
: one character to left.
: one character to right.
Crtl-
: one word to left.
Ctrl-
: one word to right.
Naturally there are also the combinations CTRL-letter used by Word Star. F
Pressing OK all modifications are stored, pressing CANCEL are losed.
Add/Edit archive window
In this window there are many fields:
Name: the file name.
Expd: (Expanded) dimension of files of archive not compressed.
Pakd: (Packed) dimension of files of archive compressed.
Disk: the disk occupated by the file. Press key
or click on the arrow
to open the window that allow you to choose the disk.
With Scan button all information are readed by the file specified by user among the files in the disk on the drive di scan (see option:
drive
Choose the file to scan. Press OK to continue or Cancel to leave.
The main screen
The main screen of Archive is made up by many zones: A
- In the top, the
, the access to Archive's commands.
- In the bottm, the status line. In the status line there are the shortcuts of some command and, when you use menus, a little description of what the current command do. 5
- In the center-left there is the list of programs.
- Under the list of programs there are a box that reports the number of programs in database, the number of current program and the
selection
status.
- In the top-right there are the buttons. In the top there are the buttons for add, edit and delete programs and for call help and in the bottom there are four
defined
buttons
- In the bottom-right there is Archive's logo.
About
In the About window there are Archive's logo and informations about productions. Click on the OK button or press ENTER to close the window.
(.txt)