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README
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Welcome to SHAZAM!
------------------
SHAZAM opens the "readme." file and invokes F1-HELP on startup. To stop
this from happening, rename the file to something else (like "readme.txt").
Context-sensitive Help and the Technical Manual are in HyperText format,
available anytime by pressing F1-Help. Also, the Software License,
How-To-Order, and BBS/Disk Library/ShareWare information are available from
the primary Help Screen.
This file contains installation instructions, brief descriptions of the
demostration files and last-minute information (if any).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
1. Update Notes
2. Installation
3. Operation
4. Requirements
5. Overview
6. Clean-up
7. Examples/Demos
8. Registration
1. UPDATE NOTES: Version 1.1
==============================
Improvements, changes and fixes.
IMPROVEMENTS
------------
The following improvements have been made:
[X] Compile/Run/Shell overhead reduced to less than 6k.
("Swap-to-disk" is now the default EXEC option)
[X] Print one or all files (within editor) to any LPT port.
FIXES
-----
Using the mouse to activate "F3 File|Open" may sometimes have resulted
in an error message. This is corrected.
DOWNLOAD/UPDATES
----------------
Example files have been separated from the program files, to make
downloading of updates faster/less redundant:
[X] SHAZAM.ZIP contains the program and only 3 demo *.DEF files
[X] SZDEMO.ZIP contains 40+ more example definitions (70+ total files)
2. INSTALLATION
================
Installation is pretty straightforward:
1. Create an \SZ sub-directory.
2. Uncompress the files to it.
3. Move SHAZAM.* to the \TP directory (leave all other files in \SZ).
You don't have to copy SHAZAM.* to \TP, but by doing so SHAZAM will be
available to you from any other directory. Also, the configuration (if you
want to save one) is placed in a file in the program directory.
FYI: For convenience, you may create a single program from the *.EXE and
*.VRM files:
C:>copy /b shazam.exe + shazam.vrm { combine files to EXE }
C:>del shazam.vrm { delete overlay }
3. OPERATION & SWITCHES
========================
SYNTAX: C:>shazam [ filespec ] [ /switches ]
The program allows interactive use or wildcard command-line operation.
If no filespec is given, you get interactive mode. Switches affect
both modes. To see a list of command-line switches, use "/?" or "?".
Options|ExecSwap
----------------
When accessing DOS to compile, run a program, use the command-line, etc.
SHAZAM can swap itself to EMS or disk. This maximizes available memory
for a sub-process, at a small cost in time required for the swap.
Default operation is ON; SHAZAM will swap itself to EMS or disk. You may
deactivate it from the Options|Change dialog box.
NOTE: The swap feature uses EXECSWAP, by TurboPower software. This
code is available on CompuServe, in the PCVENB forum library.
4. REQUIREMENTS
================
√ Turbo Pascal 6.0 and Turbo Vision
√ PATH= statement must contain x:\TP (directory where TPC.EXE is)
√ TPC and TVHC programs; HELPFILE unit directory in TPC.CFG
TPC, TVHC & HELPFILE
--------------------
SHAZAM uses the following programs/units:
[X] TPC.EXE, the Turbo Pascal command-line Compiler (x:\TP)
[X] All Turbo Vision units (x:\TP\TVISION)
[X] TVHC.EXE, the Turbo Vision Help Compiler (x:\TP\TVDEMOS)
[X] HELPFILE.TPU (x:\TP\TVDEMOS)
TPC.EXE and TVHC.EXE must be available via the PATH= environment variable,
or the program will HALT and display an error message.
Your TPC.CFG file MUST contain the Turbo Vision directories.
Also, HELPFILE.TPU must be available via:
() TPC.CFG, or
( ) be in the current directory
FYI: In addition to calling the Help Compiler, SHAZAM also creates
and/or updates Help Text for TVHC.
FYI: GADGETS.TPU is used by some example *.DEF programs.
IDE & DLGDSN
------------
Both the IDE (Alt-U) and DLGDSN (Alt-D) may be accessed directly from
SHAZAM, if on the PATH. DLGDSN (Dialogbox Design) is recommended; it
is available on-line (CompuServe) in the BPROGA forum.
5. OVERVIEW
============
SHAZAM generates complete TApplications, including help, so you can test
the look & feel of your visual shell.
You can generate, compile and run directly from SHAZAM.
The Turbo Vision objects provide you with a set of "bones", around which
you add the "meat" of your application. With SHAZAM, you change the
skeleton to make different animals. This lets you concentrate on "fleshing
out" your program, rather than writing and debugging user-interface code.
(OK, OK, enough with the analogies already...)
MenuBars and Hints, StatusLines, etc. are composed one line at a time, in a
definition (*.DEF) file. Most of the example files (DEMO*.DEF) are
commented; you can generate or compile all of 'em from the command-line:
Command Action Disk space 12mhz/286
------- ------ ---------- ---------
C:>shazam */x- {code & help} 2.2 megabytes 33 min
C:>shazam */m/x- {compile to *.EXE} 2.9 megabytes 44 min (48 w/x+)
Note the "/x-" switch; this disables ExecSwap, which gains you about
4 minutes, when doing all-at-once.
You might want to do one at a time, however, then delete generated/compiled
files, 'cause doing all-at-once takes a serious chunk of disk space:
ESTIMATE
C:>shazam */m Files Size
********************************************
Program & Help (SHAZAM.*) 3 291 k
--------------------------------------------
Demo (*.DEF, *.TXT, etc) 77 251 k
============================================
TOTAL 80 542 k
********************************************
TPU 41 66 k
--------------------------------------------
HLP 40 297 k
--------------------------------------------
Generated Code 383 1.8 M
============================================
TOTAL 464 2.2 M
********************************************
EXE 45 2.9 M
============================================
GRAND TOTAL 589 5.6 M
============================================
6. CLEAN-UP
============
If you're in interactive mode, you can use File|Erase.. to delete
generated/compiled output.
From the command-line, you can delete all generated output by:
C:>shazam */del {CLEAN.BAT does this & CHKDSK too}
For each *.DEF file, SHAZAM deletes all generated files plus any compiled
files (*.EXE, *.TPU, *.OVR and *.HLP).
7. EXAMPLES
============
While the main purpose of SHAZAM is to provide a fast and easy way to
create visual shells, you can also "activate" some or all of your
shell's menu/status commands, using the "Custom Components" and
"ListItem Symbols" (^^ and %%) features; the example files show both
simple shells and functional programs.
{- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
...please drop a line with your opinion of the demos!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -}
"demoSE.def" is a complete and working Turbo Vision program.
(If you rename it to "EDIT.EXE", it makes a nice replacement for the
DOS 5.0 editor and works like Windows' 3.0 SYSEDIT. Then use LZEXE
and you've got a portable editor that's less than 60k (HLP is 13k).
This program really shows off the power of Turbo Vision.)
"demoTS.def" is the most heavily commented; it also shows off most of
what SHAZAM can do for you, when writing just TApplication shells.
The "demo00.def" (zero-zero) file is deliberately empty, to demonstrate
default generated elements.
The rest of the demos...
demoX?.def - Where "X" is a NUMBER, such as demo1A.def, demo2A.def, etc.
---------- These show stand-alone menus, like "File", "Edit", "Search",
etc. For simplicity's sake, these are not commented at all.
In A-B-C order (demo1A.def, demo1B.def, demo1C.def), they
become more enhanced at each level:
demo?A.def - Simplest possible menu model
demo?B.def - has Hints, also used to create "dummy" Help Text
demo?C.def - has Help Text (*.TXT) files
---------------------------------------------
And now for something completely different...
---------------------------------------------
"create6C.BAT" uses DOS COPY to assemble a "composite"
application from tested components, complete with Help Text.
Even if you modify any of the demo?C.def files, it will still
create new help text to add help references for your changes.
demoX?.def - Where "X" is a LETTER, such as demoL1.def, demoN1.def, etc.
----------
"C?" - Custom Component files. Specific examples of how
*.USE, *.INC, *.VIR and *.EVT are used for real code.
"E?" - Editor demo. Starts with a just a menu structure,
then adds Custom Component files, then changes menus.
(These are working programs, not just models.)
"L?" - Learning files. These show each major function
separately.
"N?" - Nested menu demonstrations, show how you can change
a definition, then quickly regenerate code ("The
Interface Game".)
"Q?" - Quattro Pro menu models.
"P?" - Paradox 3.0 menu models.
"DD" - Dialogbox Design
"SE" - System Editor (complete program, not a model)
"SZ" - Shazam
"TP" - IDE for a popular language/compiler...
8. REGISTRATION (ShareWare)
============================
This is a fully functional program, with only a filename restriction:
[X] *.DEF filenames must be exactly 6 characters in length
[X] The first 4 letters must be "DEMO" (2-character suffix allowed)
Cost is $39.00 and you get the complete version by 1st Class Mail. Send
your name, mail-address, disk-size and check or credit-card information by:
() CompuServe EMAIL or Telephone, using MasterCard or Visa.
( ) U.S. Mail, using Check, MasterCard or Visa.
Registration/Tech Support (also in "About" and "Help"):
Johnathan J. Stein
Post Office Box 346
Perrysburg, OH 43552
419-666-7103
CompuServe 76576,470
{///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// THE END //
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// //
// Our Hero will return, in... //
// --------------------------- //
// Shazam, Part II: //
// "CONQUEST of the RESOURCE MONSTER!" //
// //
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Advance tickets sent to Registered Users of 1.x //
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////}