Tech Arsenal 1/Tech Arsenal (Arsenal Computer).ISO/tek-03/qbox10.zip/READUTIL.DOC

Text File | 1989-07-30 | 5KB | 126 lines

 README v1.3  (C) Copyright 1989 by Rohit Gupta, Auckland, New Zealand.
 ESC : Exit     SPACE : Next Page     ARROWS : Move Around
.h ┌────────────────┐
.h │  INTRODUCTION  │
.h └────────────────┘
README displays a help or message file on the screen.  It automatically
determines the active screen mode and uses it to advantage.  It does not
change screen modes.  Therefore, the information is presented in the best
possible manner on the hercules, the cga or the ega.

.h ┌─────────────┐
.h │  LICENSING  │
.h └─────────────┘
Why write another readme?  There are many similar programs around such as
BORLAND's readme or the PUBLIC DOMAIN browse.  However, they are all copy-
righted and are either expensive or not for sale.  That is you can not
distribute them with your applications legally, unless you pay a prohibi-
tive amount of money.  So here is my effort towards FREEWARE.  There is
only one condition attached for use, distribution or sale :-

.i README.EXE must be distributed together with README.DOC, both of them
.i unmodified in any fashion.

I do not want any royalties.  You can even make a profit on its distribu-
tion.

.h ┌─────────────────────┐
.h │  HOW TO USE README  │
.h └─────────────────────┘
In normal operation, README does not flash up any garbage (such as my name
or a copyright message) to clutter up YOUR screen.  The default file is
called README (without any extensions).  If this file is not found in the
current drive and directory, then this documentation is displayed.  You can
over-ride the default by typing in "README filename", where filename must
include the extension desired.

.h ┌─────────────────────────────┐
.h │  USERS VIEWPOINT OF README  │
.h └─────────────────────────────┘
As far as the end-user is concerned, he/she sees only what you want them to
see.

.i Almost any key will page forward.
.i Up/Down Arrows will scroll one line.
.i Home will restart the file.
.i Page Up/Down will scroll a screenful.
.i Esc, X or Q exits.

.h ┌────────────────┐
.h │  SHORTCOMINGS  │
.h └────────────────┘
Only 80 X 25 displays are catered for.  Any other configuration will not
work properly.

The maximum text file size is limited to 600 K, providing that the total
file fits in memory.

.h ┌────────────────────────────┐
.h │  CREATION OF README FILES  │
.h └────────────────────────────┘
If you have only one file, then just call it "README.", otherwise use any
legal file names.  The file is standard ascii text, create with any word-
processor.  Only the first 76 characters of each line are displayed.

The very first line is the title, you can have any sort of text in the
title line.  The second line is the menu, you can have any sort of text in
the menu line.  Note README does not show its own title or menu, you must
specify them.  Both these lines are displayed in yellow on blue on colour
cards and inverse on mono cards.

There are a number of switches for video control, specified by two charac-
ters at the beginning of the line (these 2 are not displayed and the next
76 characters are displayed on the screen) :-

.h.h This gives heading colour  (yel on blk in colour, high     in mono).
.b.b This gives blinking colour (yel on red in colour, flashing in mono).
.i.i This gives inverse colour  (wht on red in colour, inverse  in mono).
.r.r This gives reverse colour  (yel on blu in colour, inverse  in mono).
..   Normal text                (cyn on blk in colour, low      in mono).

In addition, for those people who dont like this colour range, an extended
version is available, in this case the first 6 characters are not displayed,
the next 76 are.  The argument forms two attribute bytes, the first is used
if a colour card is detected, the second is used if a mono card is detected.
Each byte is made of two components (each being a hex digit 0-F), the first
is the background colour and the second  the foreground colour.  For further
elucidation, refer to documentation on colour cards :-

.c2E09.c2E09 This gives  (2E) yellow on light green in colour,
.c2E09       and         (09) highlit, underlined   in mono.

Note :- High-bits generated by programs such as WORDSTAR (in document
        mode) are not allowed in the file.  Results will be unpredictable.
        Any printable character (20-FF) may be used.

Tip :- If your editor removes trailing blanks, add a ^H at the end of the
       line to block colour text.  The doc file itself uses this technique.

.h ┌───────────┐
.h │  UPDATES  │
.h └───────────┘
v1.0  First release, Major limitation was that back scrolling was  available
      for one page only.
v1.1  Scrolling now complete.  File size limited instead, to 600K or memory
      whichever is smaller.
v1.2  If length of title or menu is less than 10 characters, a default title
      and / or menu is displayed.
v1.3  Cursor is suppressed.
      The new colour command was added to enable the finicky programmer to
      select colour combinations.

.h ┌───────────────────┐
.h │  CONTACT ADDRESS  │
.h └───────────────────┘
Any suggestions are welcome.

.r ┌───────────────────┐
.r │  Rohit Gupta      │
.r │  P.O.Box 1995,    │
.r │  Auckalnd - 1,    │
.r │  NEW ZEALAND.     │
.r └───────────────────┘


.hEND