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READ.ME
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DMX Text Listing Programs
(C) 1990 Randolph Beck
These programs and units can create a README-like program that will
display and scroll text-files. It is window-sensitive, so that the
text-file can be displayed in any area of the screen.
A variation allows one file to contain several separate help-screens.
The original DMX demonstration program DMXAMORT.PAS has been modified,
and now uses this help-file system.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
This software assumes that you have already obtained the central DMX
unit to compile these programs. This also assumes that you have the
Turbo Pascal 5.5 compiler and some familiarity with Turbo Pascal and
object-oriented programming.
If you do not already have it, you should be able to upload the DMX unit
from the same source as this program (named TP_DMX23.ZIP or DMX23.ZIP).
DMX is a shareware product and may be copied and distributed freely.
Its registration cost (free to tinkerers, but $12 minimum for support)
is detailed in its accompanying documentation.
There are no additional fees required for these accompanying units.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Files included:
READ.ME This.
DMX_LIST.PAS Listing program unit.
DMX_WIND.PAS Supporting window procedures.
README.PAS Source code for the README program.
AMORT2.PAS Source code for a revised amortization program.
AMORT.HLP Help file for AMORT2.EXE.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DMX_LIST Unit
In its generic sense, the DMX unit creates software for editing "flat"
databases. With object-oriented enhancements, programs can manipulate
more complex structures. The DMX_LIST unit treats each line of text as
a variable-length record with just one field.
DMX_LIST uses the DMXviewer object --which is a descendant object that
only allows scrolling.
All the "object-orientedness" is handled internally within this unit.
There are two global procedure to be called by the main program.
The first procedure name and syntax is:
ViewTextWindow (Filename : pathstr; Bor,Txt : word);
FILENAME is the name of the text file;
BOR is the border color;
TXT is the text color.
Since DMX is window-sensitive, the position and size may be determined
by the individual programmer. That way, it can be used for both README
files or HELP files. Text color is also variable.
The only caveat is that the number of text-lines is limited by the value
set in the constant LASTLINE, which is now set at 999. You may change
this if you feel that this is too much or too little.
The second procedure name and syntax is:
ViewHelpWindow (Filename : pathstr; Help : char;
Y1,X1,Y2,X2, Bor,Txt : word);
FILENAME, BOR, and TXT are as above;
HELP is a character code, for using multiple windows;
Y1,X1,Y2,X2 denote the window size.
The first procedure used the current window size. ViewHelpWindow uses
the dimensions from the parameters given --via by windowing procedures
from the file DMX_WIND.PAS. The window size is reset to the original
dimensions when the procedure is completed.
The use of a HELP variable is the major difference between the two
procedures. Each line of text in the help-file must begin with a
character that denotes which help screen is displayed. This way,
one file can be used for several help screens.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DMX_WIND Unit
The ViewHelpWindow procedure in the DMX_LIST unit requires procedures
to save and restore the screen.
The DMX_WIND unit uses the simplest methods to do this. This was done
with the premise that programmers may choose to use their own windowing
procedures. The two procedures are SaveWindow and RestoreWindow.
Please refer to the DMX_WIND.PAS file for more information.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
The README program
The README program uses the DMX2 and DMX_LIST units to create a simple
text-file lister. The filesize is about 20k, which is admittedly high
for a program of this type. Although disk-space is becoming less of a
problem for many, this is still an important consideration.
But when using the DMX unit for other purposes (like actually editing
data) most of the overhead is already taken. You can see this by
comparing the file sizes of the new and old amortization programs.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
The AMORT2 program
AMORT2.PAS is an improved version of DMXAMORT.PAS, which is with the
original DMX code. AMORT2 makes it much easier to compare several
mortgages: Up to five mortgages can be entered at a time, and it
supports context-sensitive help.
As already mentioned, the file size is not much greater than the first
amortization program.
More notes are embedded within the source code and help-file.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Trademark acknowledgement:
Turbo Pascal is a trademark of Borland International, Inc.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Randolph Beck
DMX Registration
P.O. Box 56-0487
Orlando, FL
32856-0487
Please include any questions or comments.