home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
-
- Getting Started Quickly:
- ________________________
-
- Start BOXER by entering the file name(s) to be edited:
-
- B MYFILE.TXT
-
- All key assignments are displayed in the pull-down menus. The Help key
- (F1 or Alt-H, depending on the keyboard layout selected) will summon a
- pop-up help window for the current menu item, or for whatever command is
- in-process. "B -?" will show a display of various command line options;
- "B -?p" will print that display to the printer.
-
- If you'd like to resume the previous edit session, just enter "B" without
- naming any files to edit. BOXER will load the files last edited and
- restore the cursor position in each. Use "B -0" if you prefer to select
- a file from a menu upon startup.
-
- This may be all you'll ever need to be told about BOXER. Now go PLAY!
-
- The file DESCRIPT.ION serves double-duty as both a packing list and a
- descriptor file for 4DOS/NDOS users. Look at this file for a short
- description of each of the files in the BOXER release.
-
- If you are upgrading from a previous version of BOXER, or just want to see
- what changes have been recently made, be sure to read HISTORY.DOC for a
- complete list of recent enhancements.
-
- In order to be able to use BOXER from any directory you will need to add
- the directory into which you installed BOXER to the PATH statement within
- AUTOEXEC.BAT. If you plan to edit only from within BOXER's home directory
- you will not need to make this change.
-
- The file README.2ND contains answers to some commonly asked questions.
-
- See the file TKO.DOC for information about BOXER/TKO, our new product which
- can edit multi-megabyte files.
-
- Blind Users: use the -B command line option to enable special cursor
- positioning and other features for easier use with Speech Software.
-
- How to Create a Reference Manual:
- _________________________________
-
- To create a printed Reference Manual, move to BOXER's home directory and run
- the MAKEMAN.EXE utility. It will create a formatted file called MANUAL.REF
- which can then be printed:
-
- COPY MANUAL.REF PRN
-
- This will provide you with hard copy documentation of all of the editor's
- features. The key assignments within the file DEFAULT.KEY, if present,
- will be used during the creation of the manual. If you intend to use an
- alternate keyboard layout you should make sure that DEFAULT.KEY contains
- the assignments you desire before creating a manual (see RECONFIG.DOC).
-
- You can also create a reference listing of the key assignments by invoking
- the RECONFIG utility with the name of the file which contains the key
- assignments, for example:
-
- RECONFIG DEFAULT.KEY
-
- This will create a file called DEFAULT.REF which lists the default key
- assignments.
-
- (Note: the file DEFAULT.KEY is not present in the release file set. Since
- B.EXE contains the default BOXER key assignments, a DEFAULT.KEY file is
- needed only when changes are made to BOXER's default assignments)
-
- A keyboard template which details BOXER's function key assignments can be
- created by printing the file FKEYS.REF - see the notes therein.
-
-
- How to Obtain Technical Support:
- ________________________________
-
- All users can obtain Technical Support either by U.S. mail, CompuServe
- Email (70242,2126) or Internet mail (70242.2126@compuserve.com). We will
- try our best to fully support unregistered users during their evaluation
- period, but we will give priority to registered users, if necessary.
- Registered users become eligible to receive free, unlimited Technical
- Support by telephone.
-
- Technical support can also be obtained by calling our new in-house
- Bulletin Board System, the Ringside BBS. Our BBS is on-line 24 hours a
- day with speeds to 14,400 bps and v.32bis connections. After signing
- in you'll be able to ask your questions by following the menus provided.
- The BBS phone number is 603-924-3859.
-
- If you have access to either the FIDONET or RIME networks, you can leave
- mail to David Hamel in the Shareware conference of these networks. We try
- to monitor the Shareware conference regularly, but even if we miss your
- question, another BOXER user is certain to jump in and help out.
-
- BOXER also has its own File Section on the Software Creations BBS where
- you can be assured of finding the latest versions. Select F)iles from the
- Main Menu, and then select File Section #6. With 83 lines and more to
- come, Software Creations is dedicated to the development and distribution
- of great software. Here are the phone numbers:
-
- 1200/2400 508-365-2359
- CompuCom 508-365-7009
- USR HST 508-368-4137
- v.32bis 508-368-7423
-
-
- Users within the U.K. and Europe can receive technical support by
- contacting The Thompson Partnership by post: Church Croft, Bramshall,
- UTTOXETER, Staffs. ST14 5DE, U.K. or by phone or FAX on +44 0889 564601.
-
-
- What SHAREWARE is:
- __________________
-
- Shareware describes a method of distributing copyrighted software in which a
- user is allowed to fully evaluate the software before purchasing it. After
- an evaluation period, the user is required to register the product if s/he
- decides to keep using it.
-
- Shareware distribution addresses all of the legitimate complaints that users
- have with commercial software distribution.
-
- o Shareware allows a user to fully evaluate a product, free of charge, in
- his or her home, *before* deciding to buy it.
-
- o Shareware programs can circulate freely on Bulletin Boards, through
- Shareware disk distributors, or through user groups.
-
- o Because Shareware distribution reduces the need to advertise, Shareware
- is less expensive than commercial software.
-
- o Shareware authors can often be more responsive to users' requests for
- help or bug fixes than large software companies.
-
- o Shareware software, needless to say, is never copy-protected.
-
-
- In short, Shareware is a user's dream come true. Users show their
- appreciation to developers for this extremely flexible distribution scheme
- by registering their software. Without user registrations Shareware
- software would gradually disappear. It is not sufficient to simply let the
- "other guy" pay the registration. You are the other guy's "other guy".
-
-
- What SHAREWARE is not:
- ______________________
-
- Shareware is not "free" software. Shareware is not Public Domain software.
- The fee that you may have paid to receive a Shareware program does not mean
- that the software has been paid for. This money was paid to a Shareware
- disk vendor, User Group, Bulletin Board Service or retailer to cover their
- cost of getting the program to you. Shareware software is paid for by
- registering your copy with the author.
-
-
- The History of BOXER:
- _____________________
-
- BOXER has been under development for over seven years. During that period
- it has been in constant use by its author and several other Software
- Engineers in New England. BOXER was originally developed for the IBM PC.
- Early versions were rudimentary by comparison with the editor you are
- evaluating. It was later ported to run on Atari ST computers. There it
- was enhanced and marketed commercially - but very briefly - under the name
- of SPROUT. Original SPROUT diskettes are certain to be collector's items.
- It returned to the PC some time later, where it was further enhanced and
- renamed to BOXER.
-
- BOXER was written almost entirely in the C programming language. It
- currently consists of over 30,000 lines of source code. BOXER was compiled
- with the Borland C++ compiler. The BOXER source code has been edited with
- BOXER since the editor was old enough to crawl. This raises the old chicken
- and editor question: What text editor was used to write the first editor? I
- believe that text editors enter the market more bug-free than other programs
- because they were likely to have been used extensively by their developers
- during their own development. This is certainly the case with BOXER.
-
-
- The Future of BOXER:
- ____________________
-
- BOXER is a dynamic program. BOXER has changed considerably since its
- conception, and it has been further enhanced since its Shareware release.
- I have called myself a perfectionist, and so long as BOXER is imperfect, I
- will persevere. I have already spent thousands of hours developing this
- editor. The development of BOXER has been an extremely rewarding project;
- BOXER has grown with me as my own programming skills have grown.
-
- By distributing BOXER as Shareware I am expressing my confidence in the
- public to "Do the Right Thing". I would like you to evaluate BOXER for as
- long as 30 days before deciding whether you want to keep it. If you do
- decide to keep it, you must register your copy. Full details on registra-
- tion can be found in the REGISTER.DOC file. I would be anxious to hear your
- comments about BOXER. Please feel free to contact me with your suggestions
- for new features, etc.
-
- _______
- ____|__ | (R)
- --| | |-------------------
- | ____|__ | Association of
- | | |_| Shareware
- |__| o | Professionals
- -----| | |---------------------
- |___|___| MEMBER
-
-
- Voice: 603-924-6602 Boxer Software Internet Email:
- Sales: 800-982-6937 P.O. Box 3230 70242.2126@compuserve.com
- Fax : 603-924-4471 Peterborough, NH CompuServe Email:
- BBS : 603-924-3859 03458-3230 U.S.A. 70242,2126
-