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-
- DISPLAY Version 1.1
-
- (c) Copyright Douglas Clark and William .C. Parke 1987
-
- Command DISPLAY
- ----------------
- Purpose: To quickly display the contents of an ASCII text file, page by
- page or a single page, with the ability to show intense, reverse
- video, underline, color, and blinking characters using simple
- text codes which can be entered from a standard text editor.
-
- DISPLAY is particularly useful in batch files because of its
- screen display speed and the ability to display words with
- special attributes set.
-
- Format: DISPLAY [d:][path]filename [/p=string]
-
- Requirements: MS-DOS 2.0 or higher; IBM PC or Compatible
-
- Using DISPLAY:
-
- Operation:
-
- If no file name is given, DISPLAY shows a help screen.
-
- If no page is given, DISPLAY loads the given file into memory
- and shows its first page (23 lines). Use the PgDn key to show
- the next page, PgUp the previous page, Home to show the first
- page, and End to return to the last shown page. Use the ESC
- key or CTL-C to exit DISPLAY. Note, however, that DISPLAY
- will automatically exit if the file has no more than one page
- of text.
-
- If the /p=string switch is given, then DISPLAY will load the
- given file into memory and search for the given page string
- which is enclosed in a double carot prefix and suffix.
-
- For example, if /p=MENU is on the command line, then the string
-
- ^^MENU^^
-
- will be searched for. If it is not found, an error message
- is generated. If it is found, then the following text will be
- shown, after which DISPLAY exits automatically, putting the
- cursor at the end of that text.
-
- DISPLAY in Batch Files:
-
- A principle use of DISPLAY is the fast generation of several
- lines of text and extended IBM character graphics (including
- boxes) from within batch files (command text files with the
- extension BAT).
-
- The 'standard' way for showing text from a batch file is to
- use the ECHO command. As users of BAT files know, several
- such ECHO lines are generated at noticeable slow speeds
- compared to screen updates they may be accustomed to.
- Moreover, it is often desirable to enhance menu choices
- in BAT files with color, intense text, and graphic
- boarders.
-
- DISPLAY lets the user generate a screen for his BAT file
- using his favorite text editor. By including special
- text codes, enhanced displays can be designed. Several
- such screens can be put into one text file, with each
- screen labeled by a page identifying string. By including
-
- DISPLAY file /p=string
-
- as a line in the BAT file, a very rapid display of the
- custom screen identified by the string will be shown
- when the BAT file is run.
-
- Using Special Text Enhancements:
-
- By including a backslash character followed by a one or
- two letter mnemonic code, one can turn on special text
- enhancements and attributes, such as intense, color,
- reverse video, etc. The attributes will remain in
- effect until changed or turned off by a second such
- code.
-
- The table below gives the code necessary to control text
- attributes from within a text file:
-
- Monochrome: Start Stop Color: Character Screen
- --------------------------------------------------
- hide \H \h blue \cb \sb
- underline \U \u green \cg \sg
- reverse video \R \r turquoise \ct \st
- blinking \B \b red \cr \sr
- intense \I \i violet \cv \sv
- alternate ibm- pink \cp \sp
- character set \A \a white \cw \sw
-
- Some combinations of attributes are meaningful. For
- example, \I\cr\sb will set intense red text characters
- on a blue background screen.
-
- Distribution:
-
- DISPLAY is supplied for personal, private use only. The authors
- can be reached through CHUG, the Capitol Heath/Zenith Users'
- Group, Arlington, Virginia.
-
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