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SHORTCUT REFERENCE
This file is a list presented in alphabetical order of all com-
mands, features, and concepts associated with ShortCut. It will
provide you with detailed information that goes beyond what you
learned in TUTOR.DOC. Read this section to gain a greater under-
standing of ShortCut's features and refer to it anytime you have a
question about some aspect of the program.
Many of ShortCut's features are available when you pop up ShortCut
while running another program. Those features accessible to you
at this time are indicated with an asterisk (*) to the right of
the feature name at the top of the page.
Much of this section's information is available to you on-line if
the help file SHORTCUT.HLP is on your disk. Press <F1> and
<Enter> to view the main help menu, or you can press <Alt-H> for
context-sensitive assistance.
REFER.DOC - 1
Break * Alt-B
__________________________________________________________________
The Break command turns Break mode on and off. When Break is on,
DOS will check for a control break more frequently. Normally DOS
checks for a control break only when it is doing standard input or
output functions or Asynchronous Communications Adapter opera-
tions. With Break on, DOS checks for a control break whenever a
program requests any DOS function. This will slow down the
execution of the program a bit, but it does give you better
control of your system.
Using Break
Press <Alt-B> to turn Break mode on or off.
When Break is on, the word "break" will be highlighted in
capital letters in the Break box near the middle of the
ShortCut screen just above the Command Bar.
REFER.DOC - 2
Chime * Alt-C
__________________________________________________________________
When Chime is on, a chime will sound every hour on the hour.
Using Chime
Press <Alt-C> to turn Chime on or off. When Chime is
active, a small musical note will be present in the box
ShortCut uses to display the time.
REFER.DOC - 3
Changing Directories *
__________________________________________________________________
Changing Directories in the Directory Window
Move the screen arrow to the directory you wish to make the
Current Displayed Directory. Press the Space Bar.
If the directory you wish to make the Current Displayed
Directory is not visible in the Directory Window, you must
move through your directories until it is, or you can use the
following method to change directories.
Changing Directories with the Tree
Press <Alt-T> to display a visual tree of the directories on
your disk. Move the highlighting with the up and down arrow
keys to the directory you want to make the Current Displayed
Directory. Press the <Enter> key.
Changing to a Marked Directory
If a directory is marked with the Mark Directory command
(Alt-M), you can be in any other directory and the Go to
Directory command (Alt-G) will return you to the marked
directory quickly.
REFER.DOC - 4
Colors, Changing Screen * Shift-F7, 5
__________________________________________________________________
You can use the SETUP command to change the colors of the ShortCut
screen.
Changing the Screen Colors
Press <Shift-F7> to move to the SETUP command box on the
second Command Bar. Hit the <Enter> key. Choose option 5 of
the Main Setup Menu to display the Screen Display Menu.
You can use these options to change the appearance of the
ShortCut screen whether you have a single color or a multi-
color monitor.
For a complete explanation of the options available on the
Screen Display Menu see Screen Display Setup in SETUP.DOC.
REFER.DOC - 5
Command Bar *
__________________________________________________________________
The oblong rectangular box at the bottom of the ShortCut screen is
the Command Bar. It is divided into ten smaller boxes, each
containing a ShortCut command.
Actually, ShortCut has four Command Bars. The first Command Bar
is the one usually displayed. The second Command Bar becomes
visible when you press a <Shift> key, the third appears when you
press the <Ctrl> key, and the fourth pops up when you press the
<Alt> key.
Accessing the Command Bar
To reach the Command Bar, press any function key. A command
box on the Command Bar will be highlighted. You can move to
any other command box by using the left and right arrowy<-
keys. > If you move off the right end of the Command Bar, you
will move to the second Command Bar. Following the second
Command Bar is the third Command Bar and then the fourth.
Finally you will return to the first Command Bar again.
Picture the four Command Bars as sides of a square. By
traveling in any direction along the perimeter, you will
eventually return to where you started.
Each command on any of the Command Bars correspond to a
function key alone or in combination with the Shift, Ctrl, or
Alt keys. You can move directly to a command box by pressing
the proper function key combination. The numbers in the
command boxes tell you which function key to use.
The First Command Bar
The first Command Bar is the one usually displayed on your
screen. Press a function key to move to a command box.
F1 Help * Displays a help screen listing ShortCut
commands. Detailed help is available by
pressing the keys for any command from this
screen.
F2 Run Executes the program pointed at by the screen
arrow. The file must have an extension of
.COM, .EXE, .BAT, or .BAS.
F3 Copy * Copies the marked files to the directory or
drive you select.
F4 Edit Edits the marked file with the text editor or
word processor of your choice. This command
is covered in SETUP.DOC.
REFER.DOC - 6
F5 Type * Displays the contents of the mark file(s).
Files must be an ASCII file or the characters
"typed" on your screen may not be readable.
F6 Print * Sends the contents of the marked file or files
to your printer.
F7 Erase * Erases the marked file or files.
F8 Mkdir * Creates a subdirectory that belongs to the
Current Displayed Directory.
F9 Rename * Renames the marked file or files.
F10 Commnd Displays the normal DOS command line. You may
enter any DOS command. Chapter 5 is devoted
to the use of COMMND.
The Second Command Bar (Shift)
All commands on the second Command Bar use the <Shift> key
plus a function key. For example, use <Shift-F1> to reach
the PATH command.
F1 Path * Displays the path DOS uses to find executable
files, and allows you to change it if you
wish.
F2 Labl * Changes the volume label of your disk.
F3 Move * Moves files from one directory to another on a
disk.
F4 Date * Displays the system date and allows you to
change it.
F5 Time * Displays the system time and allows you to
change it.
F6 Dcopy Formats a disk in drive B and copies all files
from the disk in drive A to the disk in drive
B.
F7 Setup * Allows you to configure ShortCut to your
specifications. SETUP is covered in detail in
SETUP.DOC.
F8 Rmdir * Removes the empty subdirectory pointed at by
the screen arrow.
F9 Search * Searches all directories on a disk for a file
matching a pattern you specify.
F10 Format Formats a disk in drive B.
REFER.DOC - 7
The Third Command Bar (Ctrl)
All commands on the third Command Bar use the <Ctrl> key plus
a function key.
F1 - F10 Your commands
You determine what these commands will be. SETUP.DOC
will tell you how to "install" these commands. The
command boxes will say Ndef for not defined until you
put your commands in them.
The Fourth Command Bar (Alt)
All commands on the fourth Command Bar use the <Alt> key plus
a function key.
F1 - F10 Your commands
You determine what these commands will be. SETUP.DOC
will tell you how to "install" these commands. The
command boxes will say Ndef for not defined until you
put your commands in them.
Executing Commands
Once a command on the Command Bar is highlighted, start the
command by hitting the <Enter> key. Follow any directions
that appear on the message line.
REFER.DOC - 8
Command Buffer F1, F9 and F10
__________________________________________________________________
When you use the COMMND command (F10), you can recall to the
command line any of the last ten commands you sent to DOS with
COMMND.
Using the Command Buffer
Press <F10> to reach the COMMND command box on the second
Command Bar. Hit <Enter>.
ShortCut stores the last ten commands that you sent to DOS
with COMMND in its command buffer. To see your previous
command, press <F9>. To see the command before that, press
<F9> again, etc. When you reach the last of your stored
commands, the most recent command will be displayed again.
<F10> will move you forward through the list of commands.
When the Command you want is displayed on the command line,
you may edit it with any of the other command line editing
keys, and you can press <Enter> to send the command to DOS.
This command then becomes the most recent in the command
buffer.
REFER.DOC - 9
Copy * F3
__________________________________________________________________
The COPY command is used to make a duplicate of one or more files
in another directory on the same or another disk.
Using COPY
Mark the file you wish to copy in the Directory Window.
Press <F3> to move to the COPY command box on the Command Bar
and hit the <Enter> key.
ShortCut will tell you to make the directory to which you
want to copy the marked file the Current Displayed Directory.
If this directory is on the same disk, point the screen arrow
at it. Press the <Space Bar> to make it the Current Dis-
played Directory.
Press <Enter> to complete the COPY command.
You can stop COPY by pressing <Esc> before you press <Enter>
the second time.
You may also use the Tree command (Alt-T) change directories
on the same disk during the COPY command.
Whenever you copy a file to a directory that already contains
a file with the same filename, the file is replaced with the
new copy and the contents of the old file no longer exists.
Copy to Another Disk
If you want to copy a file to a directory on another disk,
mark the file and start the COPY command by pressing <F3> and
then <Enter>.
Move the screen arrow to the Display Drive box and type the
letter of the drive you want the file copied to. ShortCut
will display the files and directories on that disk drive in
the Directory Window. Then make the desired directory your
Current Displayed Directory as above and strike the <Enter>
key.
Single Floppy Drive Systems
COPY also allows you to copy files from one floppy diskette
to another disk on systems having only a single floppy drive.
DOS will give you numerous prompts to change diskettes. Just
follow the messages that appear on your screen.
REFER.DOC - 10
Copying Multiple Files
When you mark more than one file to COPY, ShortCut will copy
all your marked files one after another without requiring any
further action from you. As your files are being copied, you
will see the number of bytes in the Disk Status box change
and the filenames will appear in the Directory Window just
below the Current Displayed Directory name above all the
other files and subdirectories. They will be highlighted and
will not fill their proper positions in the Directory Window
until all the files have been copied.
Copying to a Different Filename
Whenever you use ShortCut's COPY command, a file is created
with the same filename as the original. Occasionally you may
want to copy a file to a different name. You can do this in
two ways.
The first is to use the COMMND command and enter the usual
DOS command on the command line. This will be the preferred
method for those who are familiar with DOS commands as it is
quick.
If you choose to avoid DOS command syntax altogether, you may
use a two step process. First use ShortCut's COPY command as
usual, then use the RENAME command to give the file or files
new names.
Make a Directory while Copying Files
Occasionally you may mark several files to copy to another
directory and then realize you have not created a directory
to put them in.
If this happens to you, press <F8>. ShortCut will prompt you
for a new subdirectory name. Hit <Enter>.
Now you can make the new directory the Current Displayed
Directory and complete the COPY command.
REFER.DOC - 11
Date * Shift-F4
__________________________________________________________________
The DATE command is used to change the system date.
Using DATE
Press <Shift-F4> to move to the DATE command box on the
second Command Bar. Press <Enter>.
ShortCut asks you to enter a date. You may choose either of
these formats:
mm-dd-yy or mm-dd-yyyy
After you hit <Enter>, ShortCut will display the date you
typed including the proper day of the week on the ShortCut
screen.
System Date
The system date is the date your computer thinks is correct.
If you entered a date when you booted up your computer using
DOS, this is the system date. If you have a "clock" in your
computer system, the system time will be determined by this
clock. If you don't have a clock or you did not enter a date
when DOS requested it, the system date will be January 1,
1980. The DATE command will change the system date in all
cases.
REFER.DOC - 12
Dcopy Shift-F6
__________________________________________________________________
The DCOPY command is used to create an exact copy of the floppy
disk in drive A on the disk in drive B. If the disk in drive B is
not formatted, DCOPY will format it while copying the files.
Using DCOPY
To use DCOPY, the DOS program DISKCOPY.COM must be in the
Current Displayed Directory or along the path. Press <Shift-
F6> to move to the DCOPY command box on the second Command
Bar and hit the <Enter> key.
Follow the DOS prompts on your screen. Remember that the
source diskette is the diskette you are copying FROM, and the
target diskette is the one you are copying TO.
If you have only one floppy disk drive, you will need to
switch diskettes several times before DCOPY is finished.
Every time you are told to insert a diskette in drive B, put
the target diskette in drive A.
REFER.DOC - 13
Default Drive *
__________________________________________________________________
The Default Drive is the drive used by DOS. DOS searches for a
file only on the Default Drive if the filename is not prefixed
with a drive specifier and if a path is not set up. ShortCut does
not use the Default Drive as most of its commands work on the
Current Displayed Directory and it will preface the commands it
sends to DOS with the correct drive specifier automatically.
The COMMND command and User commands use the Default Drive, not
the Display Drive. This is because if you use these commands, you
are actually bypassing ShortCut and using DOS.
The Default Drive Box
The current Default Drive is shown in the Default Drive box
as a highlighted capital letter.
Changing the Default Drive
To change the Default Drive, move the screen arrow to the
Default Drive box. Press the letter of the drive to which
you wish to change (A, B, C, or D).
Although only four drives are shown in the Default Drive box,
ShortCut can work with as many as eight drives. If you have
more than four drives, you can also choose E, F, G, or H and
ShortCut will display the files on that drive. You cannot
change to a drive that your system does not have.
If you change to a drive that exists but you don't have a
diskette in it or the drive door is not closed, there will be
a pause and you will eventually get the following message
from DOS:
not ready error reading drive (the drive where the error
occurred)
Abort, Retry, Ignore?
In this case, you should fix the problem (put a diskette in
the drive or close the drive door) and type R for Retry.
You will also get this error if there is some other problem
with your disk drive or your disk and your computer is unable
to read it. Again you should try R once or twice first. If
this does not work, you will have to type A for Abort. This
will essentially restart ShortCut, but no harm will be done.
REFER.DOC - 14
Disk Status *
__________________________________________________________________
The Disk Status box displays useful information about the Display
Drive disk.
Disk Space Statistics
ShortCut shows you the number of bytes that still remain on
your disk that are free for you to use, the number of bytes
that are already being used, and the total number of bytes on
your disk.
If you set up a RAM disk smaller than a full size disk
(360 K) and make it the current Display Drive, the number of
bytes used and the bytes total will not be correct. The
number of bytes free will be accurate, however.
File Statistics
ShortCut also shows you the number of user files in your
Current Displayed Directory. A user file is any file shown
in the Directory Window. This also includes any subdirec-
tories that belong to the Current Displayed Directory.
If you set the File Pattern to anything other than *.*, the
number of user files may change. ShortCut only counts those
files that match the current File Pattern.
The number of hidden files are also shown. Hidden files will
not appear in the Directory Window.
The number of total files sums the user files and the hidden
files.
REFER.DOC - 15
Display Drive *
__________________________________________________________________
The Display Drive is the drive whose files and directories are
shown in the Directory Window. When you first start up ShortCut,
this will be the same as the Default Drive, but you can change it
to any drive on your system.
The Display Drive Box
The current Display Drive is shown in the Display Drive box
as a highlighted capital letter.
Changing the Display Drive
To change the Display Drive, move the screen arrow to the
Display Drive box. Press the letter of the drive to which
you wish to change (A, B, C, or D). ShortCut will display
that drive's files and directories in the Directory Window.
Although only four drives are shown in the Display Drive box,
ShortCut can work with as many as eight drives. If you have
more than four drives, you can also choose E, F, G, or H and
ShortCut will display the files on that drive. You cannot
change to a drive that your system does not have.
If you change to a drive that exists but you don't have a
diskette in it or the drive door is not closed, there will be
a pause and you will eventually get the following message
from DOS:
not ready error reading drive (the drive where the error
occurred)
Abort, Retry, Ignore?
In this case, you should fix the problem (put a diskette in
the drive or close the drive door) and type R for Retry.
You will also get this error if there is some other problem
with your disk drive or your disk and your computer is unable
to read the data on it. Again you should try typing R once
or twice first. If this does not work, you will have to type
A for Abort. This will essentially restart ShortCut, but
don't worry. No harm will be done.
REFER.DOC - 16
DOS Screen * Alt-D
__________________________________________________________________
The DOS Screen command is used to view the normal DOS screen that
was on your monitor just before the ShortCut screen reappeared.
This can be useful if you need to see output from a program such
as CHKDSK.COM and you do not have the Pause mode turned on.
You can also use DOS Screen to enter more than one command in
succession while you are using the COMMND command without return-
ing to the ShortCut screen. Your monitor's screen will look like
you are just using DOS without ShortCut.
Using DOS Screen to View
Press <Alt-D>. When you are through viewing the DOS screen,
press any key to return to the ShortCut screen.
Using DOS Screen to Enter Multiple Commands
Press <F10> to move to the COMMND box. Press <Enter>. Now
press <Alt-D>. The ShortCut screen will disappear and the
DOS screen will be displayed. You can enter as many DOS
commands as you wish without the ShortCut screen reappearing.
When you want to return to the ShortCut screen, press <Alt-D>
again.
REFER.DOC - 17
DOS Version *
__________________________________________________________________
The DOS version box indicates the version of DOS you used to start
up your computer. ShortCut works with DOS versions 2.xx and 3.xx.
REFER.DOC - 18
Edit F4
__________________________________________________________________
The EDIT command is used to start up the word processor or text
editor of your choice for you to use to edit a file.
Your Editor
ShortCut is preset to use EDLIN, the editor that is part of
the DOS package. You can specify a different editor or word
processor by using the SETUP command.
Regardless of which editor you use, it must be in the default
directory of the default drive or along the DOS path. Or you
can specify the drive on which ShortCut will always find your
editor when you set up the EDIT command.
Specifying a File to Edit
If there is a particular file you want to edit, mark that
file before you give the EDIT command. This filename will be
passed as a parameter to your editor. Then when EDIT starts
up your text editor or word processor, the file you want will
be displayed on your screen, all ready for you to edit.
If you do not mark a file, ShortCut will pass the filename
SCRATCH.PAD to your editor. With the SETUP command you can
specify a different filename or prevent any filename from
being passed. If you mark more than one file, only the first
will be passed to your editor.
Using EDIT
Press <F4> to move to the EDIT command box on the Command Bar
and hit the <Enter> key. Your editor or word processor will
be started and you will be editing your marked file if you
marked one.
Specifying Your Editor and the Default Filename
ShortCut allows you to specify which editor or word processor
you choose to use with the EDIT command and the name of the
file you want to edit if you do not mark one in the Directory
Window.
Press <Shift-F7> to move to the SETUP command box on the
second Command Bar. Select option 1 of the Main Setup Menu
and the Edit Setup Menu will appear on your screen.
Two options are available: the editor to be used and the
default edit file.
For a complete explanation of these options and how to use
them, see SETUP.DOC.
REFER.DOC - 19
Equipment Installed *
__________________________________________________________________
The Equipment Installed box displays information about your
computer system.
Disk Drives
Listed first is the number of disk drives on your system.
This is the number of drives that are known to DOS and it can
vary from the actual physical disk drives you can see.
For example, you may have set up a RAM disk which you can't
actually see but DOS and ShortCut know it exists. Also if
you only have a single floppy drive, the number of disks will
be shown as two drives. This allows for the copying of files
using just the one drive. Similarly ShortCut will report at
least three drives for an IBM XT with a single floppy drive:
two floppies and a hard disk.
If you use DOS version 3.0 or greater, ShortCut will probably
tell you that you have 5 disk drives, no matter how many you
actually have. ShortCut gets its information from DOS.
These versions of DOS report the number of logical disk
drives, not physical disk drives, and the default number is
always 5.
You can change this by placing the DOS LASTDRIVE command in
your CONFIG.SYS file. For example, if you have 3 disk
drives, you would enter the command like this:
LASTDRIVE=C
Now when you reboot, ShortCut will report your system as
having 3 disk drives instead of 5.
See your DOS manual for more information about LASTDRIVE.
Ports
Below the number of drives, ShortCut displays the number of
parallel and serial ports your computer has. Also it tells
you if you have a game port installed.
REFER.DOC - 20
Erase * F7
__________________________________________________________________
The ERASE command is used to erase one or more files on your disk.
Using ERASE
Mark the file that you want to delete in the Directory
Window. Press <F7> to move to the ERASE command box on the
Command Bar and hit <Enter>.
ShortCut will ask you if you want to erase a marked file
before it deletes it. This gives you a chance to change your
mind or to prevent a file being erased if you marked it by
mistake. If you respond with Y for Yes, the file will be
erased from your disk and ShortCut's display will be updated.
If you reply with N for No or press any other key, the file
will not be erased.
If you prefer, you can have ShortCut erase your marked file
without seeking your confirmation. See Miscellaneous in
SETUP.DOC on how to do this using the SETUP command.
Erasing Multiple Files
If you have more than one file marked in the Directory Window
when you use the ERASE command, ShortCut will erase one file
after another pausing to seek your confirmation before
deleting each one unless you have set up ShortCut so that
does not ask you first. You may respond with Y for some
files while responding with N for others.
If you have several files marked in the Directory Window,
have Confirm before Erasing turned off, give the ERASE
command, and suddenly realize that is not what you want to do
as you see your precious files rapidly disappearing from the
Directory Window, press <Esc>. This will stop ERASE. You
will have lost some files, but hopefully, you reacted quickly
enough to save others.
REFER.DOC - 21
Exit ShortCut Alt-E
__________________________________________________________________
The Exit command is used to exit ShortCut and remove it from your
computer's memory.
Using Exit
Press <Alt-E> when the ShortCut screen is displayed. This
command will not work when ShortCut is popped up within
another program.
Exiting When Other RAM Resident Programs Are Loaded after ShortCut
If you have other RAM resident programs running that were
loaded after ShortCut, you will get a message to this effect
on the message line and you will not be allowed to exit. You
must first exit these other programs before you can remove
ShortCut from memory. This will prevent you from leaving an
empty space in memory that will confuse your computer system.
Sometimes after you have removed other RAM resident programs
loaded after ShortCut, you will still get a message saying
that there are RAM resident programs in memory. If this
happens, press <Alt-E> again and you will exit ShortCut.
REFER.DOC - 22
Expanded Keyboard Buffer * Shift-F7, 6, 7
__________________________________________________________________
The Expanded Keyboard Buffer option of the SETUP command increases
the keyboard buffer of your computer from 16 to 128 characters.
Even while your computer is busy with some other task, it will
store your keystrokes in a section of memory and then retrieve
them when it is ready for them. To you, this means you will not
have to wait for your computer, but you can continue typing
characters without getting the "beep" that means the buffer is
full.
Using the Expanded Keyboard Buffer Option
Press <Shift-F7> to move to the SETUP command on the second
Command Bar. Hit <Enter>. Select option 6, Miscellaneous,
from the Main Setup Menu. Choose option 7, Expand Keyboard
Buffer. Type Y to expand the buffer size, N to return the
buffer size to 16 characters.
Do not increase the buffer size with ShortCut if you use
programs that also expand the keyboard buffer. This includes
Borland's SuperKey. You will know it if you do as you will
not be able to move the screen arrow at all.
Initially, this option is turned off.
REFER.DOC - 23
File and Directory Names
__________________________________________________________________
ShortCut uses the same file and subdirectory naming conventions as
DOS. A legal file or subdirectory consists of a name from 1 to 8
characters that may be followed by a period and an extension of 1
to 3 characters. For example:
MYFILE.TXT
MYFILE is the name and TXT is the extension.
Most people do not put an extension on a subdirectory name, but it
is perfectly permissible to do so.
Legal Characters
You can use these characters in a file or subdirectory name:
A-Z
0-9
! @ # $ % & ( ) - { } / ` '_
These characters are not permitted:
* + = [ ] : ; " ~ < > ? ,
Wildcard Characters
Wildcard characters match a group of filenames. There are
two wildcard characters: asterisk (*) and question mark (?).
* means any series of characters
? means any single character
Here are some examples of filenames that use wildcards.
*.TXT
Files with any name carrying a TXT extension.
?FILE.TXT
Filenames with any single character followed by the
letters FILE.TXT.
?????.*
Any filename with five characters and any extension.
KITTY.CAT would match this pattern. DOGGIE.DOG would
not because the name has 6 characters.
B*.*
Any filename beginning with the letter B.
*.*
Any file; all files.
REFER.DOC - 24
File Pattern * Alt-F
__________________________________________________________________
The File Pattern command is used to set up a pattern for ShortCut
to use when displaying files in the Directory Window. Only those
filenames that match the current file pattern will be shown.
Using File Pattern
Press <Alt-F>. You will be asked to type in a new pattern.
When you hit <Enter>, ShortCut will display only those files
that match the pattern you specified. Directory names are
not affected.
Creating a File Pattern
A file pattern may contain any acceptable character in a
filename plus wildcard characters.
Here are some examples of acceptable file patterns.
*.TXT
Files with any filename having a TXT extension.
?FILE.TXT
Files with any single character followed by the letters
FILE.TXT.
?????.*
Any file with five characters and any extension.
M*.*
Any file that begins with the letter M.
*.*
Any file; all files.
If you are ever puzzled as to why files you know are on your disk
aren't shown in the Directory Window, check the File Pattern to
make sure it isn't screening out the very files you are looking
for.
REFER.DOC - 25
Format Shift-F10
__________________________________________________________________
The FORMAT command is used to format a diskette in drive B. It
will also add system files to the diskette and create a volume
label, if you wish.
Using FORMAT
To use FORMAT, the DOS program FORMAT.COM must be in the
default directory of the default drive or along the path. If
it is not, ShortCut will request that you insert your DOS
disk in drive A. Press <Shift-F10> to move to the FORMAT
command box on the second Command Bar and hit <Enter>.
ShortCut will ask you if you want to put the system files on
your diskette. System files are COMMAND. COM and two hidden
files used by the operating system. You diskette will be
"bootable" if it contains these files. Answer Y for yes, or
N for no.
Next ShortCut will ask you if you want to create a volume
label. Answer Y for yes or N for no.
If you choose to create a volume label, you will be asked to
type one in. Remember that the label must be no more than 11
characters in length. Press <Enter>.
If you have only one floppy disk drive, you will need to
switch diskettes several times before FORMAT is finished.
Every time you are told to insert a diskette in drive B, put
the target diskette in drive A.
REFER.DOC - 26
Go to Directory * Alt-G
__________________________________________________________________
The Go to Directory command is used to make a directory that was
previously marked with the Mark Directory command (Alt-M) the
Current Displayed Directory.
Using Go to Directory
Press <Alt-G>. ShortCut will switch to the previously marked
directory.
REFER.DOC - 27
Help * F1 or Alt-H
__________________________________________________________________
Help is available on-line for any ShortCut command and most of its
major features.
Using Help
Press <F1> to move to the HELP command box. Press <Enter>.
The Main Help screen will appear on your monitor. For more
information, press the highlighted key or key combination
listed along side the command or topic. ShortCut will search
for the related help screen and display it on your monitor.
When you are done viewing the help screen, you may press the
<Space Bar> to return to the Main Help screen, or you may
press <Esc> to exit the help system altogether.
To exit from the Main Help screen, press <Esc>.
Context-Sensitive Help
If you are in the middle of doing something with ShortCut and
suddenly need help, press <Alt-H>. ShortCut will select a
help screen for you to view based on what you were doing at
the time.
When you are through reading the help text, press the <Space
Bar> to go to the Main Help screen, or press <Esc> to exit
the help system. When you exit, you will return to where you
were before you asked for help.
REFER.DOC - 28
Labl * Shift-F2
__________________________________________________________________
The LABL command is used to change the volume label of your disk.
Using LABL
Press <Shift-F2> to move to the LABL command box on the
second Command Bar. Hit <Enter>.
ShortCut asks you to enter a new name for your volume label.
The label must be no more than 11 characters in length. Type
in the new name and hit the <Enter> key. You will see the
new name appear at the top of the Directory Window in the
root directory position.
Volume labels are handy for identifying a disk, especially
floppy diskettes. If you have not created a volume label for
your disk, NO LABEL will appear in the root directory posi-
tion in the Directory Window.
REFER.DOC - 29
Locate File * Alt-L
__________________________________________________________________
The Locate File command is used to move the screen arrow to a
particular filename in the Directory Window.
Using Locate File
Press <Alt-L>. Type the first letter of the filename. When
you do, it appears on the message line and the filenames are
sorted by Name alphabetically. Also the screen arrow will
move to the first file beginning with that letter. As you
continue typing the letters of the filename, the screen arrow
will move to the first filename that matches the displayed
letters. You may erase typed letters with <Backspace>. You
need type only as many letters as necessary to point the
screen arrow at the correct file.
If you type a letter that ShortCut cannot find, the letter
will blink. Simply type the correct letter over it.
End Locate File by pressing either <Enter>, <Esc>, or the Up
and Down Arrow keys. The <Space Bar> will also stop it and,
in addition, mark the file in the Directory Window.
If the files in the Directory Window are sorted by Extension
when you give the Locate command, the filenames will remain
sorted in this order. Type the first letters of the filename
extension you want. As you type, the screen arrow will zero
in on the correct extension. Stop Locate with <Enter>,
<Esc>, <Space Bar>, or the Up and Down Arrow keys as above.
REFER.DOC - 30
Low Disk Space Warning * Shift-F7, 6, 6
__________________________________________________________________
When the remaining unused space on your disk drops below the
number of bytes specified, the number of bytes free in the Disk
Status box of the ShortCut screen will blink on and off to attract
your attention.
Setting Low Disk Space Warning
ShortCut is preset to warn you when you have less than 10,240
bytes remaining on your disk.
If you wish to change this number, press <Shift-F7> to move
to the SETUP command box on the second Command Bar. Hit
<Enter>. Select option 6 on the Main Setup Menu and option 6
of the Miscellaneous Menu. Enter the number of bytes you
want.
REFER.DOC - 31
Mark Directory * Alt-M
__________________________________________________________________
The Mark Directory command is used to "mark" a directory so that
ShortCut will change to that directory when the Go to Directory
command (Alt-G) is given.
Using Mark Directory
Make the directory you want to mark the Current Displayed
Directory. Press <Alt-M> to mark it. Now you can change
directories and any time you want to return to your marked
directory, give the Go to Directory command (Alt-G) to
quickly return. This can be useful while moving and copying
files.
Only one directory can be marked at any one time. If you
mark a directory when another is already marked, the second
directory becomes the marked one.
REFER.DOC - 32
Marking Files * Space Bar
__________________________________________________________________
You tell ShortCut which files you want the Command Bar commands to
work on by "marking" files in the Directory Window.
Marking a File
Point the screen arrow at the file you wish to mark and press
the <Space Bar>. When a filename is marked, it will be
highlighted.
You may mark a file before or after you have moved to the
Command Bar as long as you have not selected a Command Bar
command with the <Enter> key.
ShortCut always checks to see that the file exists on the
Display Drive before marking it. If ShortCut does not find
the file, it assumes you have changed disks. It will display
a message on the message line and then it will read the new
disk directory.
The Disk Status box displays how many bytes are in all
currently marked files.
Do not attempt to mark a directory by pressing the Space Bar
as this will cause ShortCut to change your Current Displayed
Directory.
Marking Multiple Files
All of the ShortCut file commands on the Command Bar except
EDIT can work on multiple files, one after another. There-
fore, you can mark more than one file in the Directory Window
before you use a command.
To mark all the files in the Current Displayed Directory,
press <Ctrl-Space Bar>. All of the filenames in the Direc-
tory Window will be highlighted.
Unmarking Files
You can "unmark" a file in the Directory Window by pointing
at the marked filename with the screen arrow and pressing the
<Space Bar>.
You can also unmark any marked files by moving the screen
arrow to the Current Displayed Directory and pressing the
<Space Bar>. ShortCut will read your disk's directory once
again and all marking will be removed. This is useful if you
want to unmark all filenames at once.
If you used <Ctrl-Space Bar> to mark all the files in a
directory, you can unmark them all by pressing <Ctrl-Space
REFER.DOC - 33
Bar> once again. This method is quicker than moving the
screen arrow to the Current Displayed Directory and hitting
the <Space Bar>, but either method gets the job done.
Reverse Marking
If you want to mark all filenames except for a few, mark only
those files you don't want to mark and press <Alt-Space Bar>.
The marking will be reversed and all the filenames except
those you marked will be highlighted. To reverse the marking
again, press <Alt-Space Bar> once more.
REFER.DOC - 34
Memory Status *
__________________________________________________________________
The Memory Status box displays how many bytes of random access
memory (RAM) your computer has. It also shows you how many bytes
are free; that is, the number of bytes of memory not being used by
the programs currently running.
Remember that DOS and ShortCut are always in your computer's
memory so the number of bytes free can never equal the number of
bytes total on the ShortCut screen. For example, even if your
computer has 640K of memory, ShortCut will never report that you
have 640K free for you to use as ShortCut itself and DOS already
use some of that memory.
When ShortCut is popped up over another program, you may be
surprised to see that you have 0 bytes of memory free for use.
For example, our favorite word processor uses all available memory
for edit space. Therefore, every time we pop up ShortCut while
using this program, ShortCut tells us we have no more memory free.
ShortCut can only look at the amount of memory free from the
system point of view. Since our word processor gobbles all of it
up, we really can't tell how much memory remains for us to use.
Many spreadsheets will function the same way, and you won't be
able to tell how much space still exists for your spreadsheet
model. This is wholly dependent on how the application program is
designed and ShortCut has no control over it.
REFER.DOC - 35
Mkdir * F8
__________________________________________________________________
The MKDIR command is used to create a new subdirectory on your
disk.
Using MKDIR
Press <F8> to move to the MKDIR command box on the Command
Bar. Hit <Enter>.
ShortCut will ask you for the name of the new subdirectory.
The name must be no more than 8 characters and may include a
filename extension of 3 letters or less for a total maximum
length of 11 characters. After you type in the name and hit
<Enter>, the new subdirectory will be created. This new
subdirectory will belong to or be a branch from the Current
Displayed Directory. Therefore, it will appear after the
list of filenames at the bottom of the Directory Window.
You can also create a subdirectory that belongs to another
directory that is not the Current Displayed Directory. In
this case, you must include the path along with the subdirec-
tory name. You will not see this new subdirectory on your
screen until you make its parent directory the Current
Displayed Directory. Or you can use the Tree command (Alt-T)
to see it.
MKDIR with COPY and MOVE
Occasionally you may mark several files to copy or move to
another directory and then realize you have not created a
directory to put them in.
If this happens to you, press <F8>. ShortCut will prompt you
for a new subdirectory name. Hit <Enter>.
Now you can make the new directory the Current Displayed
Directory and complete the COPY or MOVE command.
REFER.DOC - 36
Modes *
__________________________________________________________________
ShortCut has several modes of operation that can be toggled on and
off.
Some modes have dedicated keys on the keyboard to turn them on and
off. These are displayed on the ShortCut screen in the Modes box.
Caps When on, all letters typed will be capital letters.
Press the <Caps Lock> key to turn Caps mode on and
off.
Num When on, the numeric key pad can be used to enter
numbers and the cursor control keys will not work.
Press the <Num Lock> key to turn Num mode on and
off.
Prn When on, everything you type on the command line
and everything displayed on the DOS screen will be
sent to your printer. Press <Ctrl-PrtSc> to turn
Prn on and off.
Ins Use varies from program to program. Insert mode
can be used to edit the command line in ShortCut.
When on, all typed characters will be inserted in a
line and characters to the right of the cursor will
be pushed further to the right. When it is off,
any characters you type will replace any characters
already on the command line. Press <Ins> to turn
Insert mode on and off.
Scrl Lock Use varies from program to program. In ShortCut,
Scroll Lock affects how the up and down arrow keys
work. With Scroll Lock engaged, the screen arrow
will remain stationary while the entry names will
scroll around it. Press the <Scroll Lock> key to
turn Scroll Lock on and off.
Other modes are Pause, Break, and Verify which are described
individually in this Reference section.
REFER.DOC - 37
Move * Shift-F3
__________________________________________________________________
The MOVE command is used to move files from one directory to
another on the same disk.
Using MOVE
Mark the file you wish to move to a new directory in the
Directory Window. Press <Shift-F3> to move to the MOVE
command box on the second Command Bar and hit <Enter>.
ShortCut will tell you to make the subdirectory to which you
want to move the marked file the Current Displayed Directory.
Move the screen arrow so that it points at the subdirectory
you want. It must be on the same disk. Press the <Space
Bar> to make it the new Current Displayed Directory.
Press <Enter> to complete the MOVE command.
You may also use the Tree command (Alt-T) to change direc-
tories on the same disk during the MOVE command.
You can stop MOVE by pressing <Esc> before you press <Enter>
the second time.
Moving Multiple Files
When you mark more than one file to MOVE, ShortCut will move
all your files one after another without requiring any
further action from you.
As your files are being moved, you will see the filenames
appear in the Directory Window just below the Current Dis-
played Directory name above all the other files and subdirec-
tories. They will be highlighted and will not fill their
proper slots in the Directory Window until all the files have
been moved.
Make a Directory while Moving Files
Occasionally you may mark several files to move to another
directory and then realize you have not created a directory
to put them in.
If this happens to you, press <F8>. ShortCut will prompt you
for a new subdirectory name. Hit <Enter>.
Now you can make the new directory the Current Displayed
Directory and complete the MOVE command.
REFER.DOC - 38
Path * Shift-F1
__________________________________________________________________
The PATH command permits you to view the current DOS path and to
set a new path if you wish.
Using PATH
Press <Shift-F1> to move to the PATH command box on the
second Command Bar. Hit <Enter>.
ShortCut will display the current path.
If no path is set, you will see this:
PATH=,
In either case you are asked if you wish to change the path.
Answer Y for Yes or N for No. If you reply with Y, ShortCut
displays PATH=. Type in your new path and hit <Enter> when
you are through.
The PATH Command while ShortCut is Popped Up
You can use PATH while ShortCut is popped up to view the
current DOS path, but you will not be able to change it.
REFER.DOC - 39
Pause * Alt-P
__________________________________________________________________
When Pause mode is active, ShortCut will delay before changing
from the DOS screen back to ShortCut's screen and prompt you to
press a key.
Whenever ShortCut sends a command to DOS or runs a program, the
ShortCut screen disappears and normal DOS output is displayed on
your monitor. When DOS completes its job, the ShortCut screen
reappears. If the command or program produces screen output as in
a DIR command, or perhaps as a result of running CHKDSK.COM, the
screen will flip back to the ShortCut screen before you have a
chance to read this output. When Pause is on, the ShortCut screen
will not reappear until you press a key.
Using Pause
Press <Alt-P> to turn Pause on or off. When Pause is active,
the word PAUSE will be in capital letters and highlighted on
the ShortCut screen in a box beneath the Memory Status
information.
When you start up ShortCut for the first time, Pause will be
on.
See also DOS Screen.
REFER.DOC - 40
Pop Up ShortCut Alt-Left Shift
__________________________________________________________________
While you are running another program, you can pop up ShortCut and
use many of its features. When you return to your program, you
will find it exactly as you left it.
Using Pop Up
Press <Alt-Left Shift> to bring up ShortCut.
The ShortCut screen will appear and the words POPPED UP will
blink on and off at the top of the screen. This is to remind
you that another program exists under ShortCut.
To return to your program, press <Alt-Left Shift> again.
In general, you will be able to pop up ShortCut when your
program is waiting for a keystroke from you. If your com-
puter is busy with some other task when you press <Alt-Left
Shift>, ShortCut will twitter telling you it can't come up at
the time.
Available Commands
All of the Alt key commands except Exit (Alt-E) are available
while ShortCut is popped up over another program. In addi-
tion, the following Command Bar commands can be used:
COPY HELP MOVE RENAME SETUP
DATE LABL PATH RMDIR TIME
ERASE MKDIR PRINT SEARCH TYPE
These Command Bar commands are not available when ShortCut is
popped up.
COMMND EDIT RUN
DCOPY FORMAT User Commands
Changing the Pop Up Keys
When you use ShortCut with some other RAM resident program,
you may want to change the keys ShortCut uses to pop up to
Ctrl-Left Shift. This will avoid problems with SuperKey and
may help with other programs also.
To change the Pop Up keys, move to the SETUP command on the
second Command Bar. Press <Enter>. Select option 6 on the
Setup Main Menu. Select option 8, Using Ctrl-Left Shift to
pop up ShortCut on the Miscellaneous Menu, and type a Y.
Press <Enter>. Now Alt-Left Shift will no longer pop up
ShortCut but Ctrl-Left Shift will.
REFER.DOC - 41
Print * F6
__________________________________________________________________
The PRINT command is used to send one or more files to your
printer. The file must be in ASCII format or your printed output
will not be legible if it prints at all.
Using PRINT
Mark the file that you want printed in the Directory Window.
Make sure your printer is all ready to go. Press <F6> to
move to the PRINT command box on the Command Bar and hit the
<Enter> key.
Printing Multiple Files
You may mark more than one file when you use the PRINT
command. As soon as one file is printed, ShortCut will send
another marked file to your printer until all marked files
are printed.
Printing Options
ShortCut is preset to make your printer move to the top of a
new page after 60 lines of text have been printed. Also your
printer will move to the top of a new page whenever a file is
finished printing.
You can change these settings and send other printer codes to
your printer using the SETUP command. See Printer Setup in
SETUP.DOC for detailed information about these options. Here
is a list of what is available to you when you use the PRINT
command.
Leading Printer Code - the code(s) sent to your printer
whenever you use the PRINT command.
Trailing Printer Code - the code(s) sent to your printer
after a file has finished printing using the PRINT
command.
Page Size - the number of printed lines on a page.
Expand Tabs - determines if Tabs in your file will or will
not be expanded with spaces.
Tab Size - sets the number of spaces your printer will move
when it encounters a Tab in your file if Expand Tabs is
on.
REFER.DOC - 42
Printer Setup * Shift-F7, 2
__________________________________________________________________
You can use the SETUP command to specify how your output will look
when you use the PRINT command.
Setting Up Your Printer
Press <Shift-F7> to move to the SETUP command box on the
second Command Bar. Hit the <Enter> key. Choose option 2 of
the Main Setup Menu which will display the Printer Setup
Menu.
These options are available to you:
Leading printer code
Trailing printer code
Page size
Expand tabs
Tab size
Send leading printer code now
Send trailing printer code now
For a complete explanation of each of these options see
Printer Setup in SETUP.DOC.
REFER.DOC - 43
Refresh Directory * Shift-F7, 6, 4
__________________________________________________________________
This is an option of the SETUP command that determines if ShortCut
will or will not refresh the listing of filenames and subdirec-
tories in the Directory Window and update the system statistics
when the ShortCut screen reappears after a DOS command.
Setting Refresh Directory
Press <Shift-F7> to move to the SETUP command on the second
Command Bar. Select option 6, miscellaneous, from the Main
Setup Menu. Choose 4 from the Miscellaneous menu. Enter Y
for Yes to turn it on or N for No to turn it off.
When Refresh Directory is off, you will not need to wait
while ShortCut reads a fresh copy of the directory on your
disk. However, if the command you just executed or the
program you just ran altered files on your disk, the informa-
tion on the ShortCut screen will not be correct until you
move the screen arrow to the Current Displayed Directory and
press the Space Bar.
If Refresh Directory is turned on, the ShortCut screen will
be updated every time ShortCut returns from the DOS screen.
This is the original setting.
REFER.DOC - 44
Rename * F9
__________________________________________________________________
The RENAME command is used to rename a file on your disk.
Using RENAME
Mark the file you wish to rename in the Directory Window.
Press <F9> to move to the RENAME command box on the Command
Bar and hit <Enter>.
ShortCut will display the marked filename and ask you to
enter a new name for the file.
You may use wildcards in your new name. For example, if you
want to rename BOY.TXT to GIRL.TXT, you could enter GIRL.* at
the ShortCut prompt. Do not include a drive specifier in
your new filename!
Renaming Multiple Files
If you have marked more than one file in the Directory
Window, ShortCut will rename each marked file one after
another pausing for you to enter the new filename.
REFER.DOC - 45
Rewrite the Screen * Ctrl-Break
__________________________________________________________________
If the ShortCut screen does not look right, rewriting the screen
will usually fix things up.
Using Rewrite the Screen
Press <Ctrl-Break>. This will essentially restart ShortCut.
Your Display Drive may change back to the drive you used to
start up ShortCut, but no harm will be done.
REFER.DOC - 46
Rmdir * Shift-F8
__________________________________________________________________
The RMDIR command is used to remove or delete a directory from
your disk.
Using RMDIR
Before you can remove a directory, all the files and sub-
directories in that directory must be erased or removed. You
can not remove the Current Displayed Directory or any direc-
tory that is part of its path. In other words, the subdirec-
tory you want to delete must be listed after the filenames in
the Current Displayed Directory.
Point the screen arrow at the directory you wish to remove in
the Directory Window. You should not attempt to mark it
because pressing the Space Bar when the screen arrow points
at a directory makes it the Current Displayed Directory.
Press <Shift-F8> to move to the RMDIR command box on the
second Command Bar. Hit the <Enter> key.
ShortCut will remove the directory and update the Directory
Window.
REFER.DOC - 47
Run F2
__________________________________________________________________
The RUN command is used to execute a program file.
Using RUN
Point the screen arrow at the program file you wish to
execute. It is not necessary to mark this file, although no
harm is done if you do. Press <F2> to move to the RUN
command box and hit <Enter>.
The ShortCut screen will disappear and you will see the
command ShortCut sends to DOS on your monitor before the
program is run. When your program is finished, the ShortCut
screen will reappear automatically unless the PAUSE mode is
on. In this case, you will be prompted to press any key to
return to the ShortCut screen.
Executable Files
Not every file on your disk is executable, of course. The
RUN command will work only on files having a filename exten-
sion of .COM, .EXE, .BAT, or BAS. If the file has a dif-
ferent extension, ShortCut will display a message on the
message line telling you that the file cannot be run.
BASIC Programs
If the program you wish to run is a BASIC program (the
filename has a .BAS extension), ShortCut will load BASICA.COM
and then pass the program filename to BASICA. Your program
will begin running without any further action from you. For
this to occur, BASICA.COM must be in your default directory
of the default drive or it must be in a directory specified
by the path.
If your computer system uses a different BASIC, you will want
to use the SETUP command so that the BASIC your computer runs
will be loaded instead.
Whenever you are running a BASIC program and you want to
return to ShortCut, use the BASIC "system" command.
REFER.DOC - 48
Save Configuration * Alt-S
__________________________________________________________________
The Save Configuration command is used to save settings on your
disk that determine how ShortCut appears and operates.
Using Save Configuration
Press <Alt-S> to save your current configuration any time the
ShortCut screen is displayed.
What is Saved?
Any settings that you can change with the SETUP command are
saved with Save Configuration.
In addition, the following parameters are saved:
Which piece of information to display about a file
(DATE, TIME, or SIZE)
How to sort the displayed files (TIME, SIZE, EXT, NAME,
UNSORTED, As, Ds)
Pause - on or off
Chime - on or off
These parameters are saved according to how you have the
ShortCut screen set up at the time you give the Save Con-
figuration command. For example, if Chime is turned on when
you press <Alt-S>, then the next time you start up ShortCut,
Chime will be on.
This information is also saved whenever you answer Y for Yes
when you exit the Setup Main Menu and ShortCut asks you if
you want to save your configuration.
Where is Your Configuration Saved?
When you use Save Configuration, ShortCut searches for the
file SHORTCUT.DAT in your default directory on the default
drive and along your established DOS path and updates it. If
it does not find this file, it creates a new SHORTCUT.DAT in
your default directory of the default drive.
REFER.DOC - 49
Screen Arrow * Arrow keys
__________________________________________________________________
The screen arrow is the small triangular arrow on the ShortCut
screen. It is used to point at filenames and directories in the
Directory Window and to move to other areas of the ShortCut screen
so that you can use ShortCut's features.
Moving the Screen Arrow in the Directory Window
You must use the screen arrow to select files for ShortCut to
perform file operations on. Do this by moving the screen
arrow so that it points at the desired filename in the
Directory Window.
The following keys will move the screen arrow about in the
Directory Window.
Down Arrow - Moves the screen arrow down one line. When the
arrow is at the bottom of the window and more entries
exist, pressing the down arrow key will scroll the
entries up one at a time until the last entry is reach-
ed.
Up Arrow - Moves the screen arrow up one line. When the
arrow is at the top of the window and more entries are
above it, pressing the up arrow key will scroll the
entries down one at a time until the root directory
entry is reached.
Scroll Lock - Scroll Lock affects how the up and down arrow
keys work. With Scroll Lock engaged, the screen arrow
will remain stationary while the entry names will scroll
around it. You will hear a beep when ShortCut cannot
scroll up or down any more.
Home - Moves the screen arrow to the top entry in the Direc-
tory Window.
End - Moves the screen arrow to the bottom entry in the
Directory Window.
Ctrl-Home - Moves the screen arrow to the first entry (the
root directory) and positions that entry at the top of
the Directory Window.
Ctrl-End - Moves the screen arrow to the last entry and
positions that entry at the bottom of the Directory
Window.
PgDn - Displays the next 16 entries in the Directory Window.
The screen arrow will not move below the last entry so a
partial PgDn will occur if there are less than 16
entries below the displayed files.
REFER.DOC - 50
PgUp - Displays the previous 16 entries in the Directory
Window. The screen arrow will not move above the root
directory so a partial PgUp will occur if there are less
than 16 entries above the displayed files.
If you know the name of the file, you can move the screen
arrow to it quickly with the Locate File command. Press
<Alt-L>. Type the first letter of the filename. The screen
arrow moves to the first file beginning with that letter.
Continue typing letters and the screen arrow will move to the
first filename with the displayed letters. You need type
only as many letters as necessary to point the screen arrow
at the correct file. Press <Enter>, <Esc>, or the Up or Down
Arrow to stop Locate or press the <Space Bar> to stop it and
mark the filename. See Locate File for more information.
Moving the Screen Arrow to Other Areas of the Screen
You must move the screen arrow to other areas of the ShortCut
screen before you can use certain features. For example, you
must move the screen arrow to the Sort On box before you can
sort the filenames in the Directory Window.
Use the right arrow key to move the screen arrow out of the
Directory Window. The screen arrow can move to the addition-
al file information box (DATE, TIME, or SIZE), the Display
Drive box, the Default Drive box, and the Sort On box as well
as the Directory Window. Use the right, left, up, and down
arrow keys to move to these areas.
<Ctrl-Right Arrow> will move the screen arrow from the
Directory Window to the Sort On box directly.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If you find that you cannot move the screen arrow at all, you are
in NumLock mode. Press the <NumLock> key on your keyboard. Now
you should be able to move the screen arrow.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
REFER.DOC - 51
Screen Blank * Shift-F7, 6, 2
__________________________________________________________________
When on, Screen Blank will make your screen go blank when you have
not pressed a key or there is no activity on your screen for a
specified period of time. This feature is designed to save your
monitor's screen from "burn in" damage.
When the same image remains on your monitor's screen for long
periods of time, the screen's phosphor becomes "worn". After a
while, you may see faint images on your screen where characters
were displayed, even if your monitor is turned off. This is "burn
in". Screen Blank can help prevent this.
Using Screen Blank
If Screen Blank is turned on, your screen will be blanked
automatically. Press any key to bring your screen back to
life. We suggest you use the <Alt> key. That way, you won't
do something with the program you did not intend to do.
Some programs are continually writing to the screen, even if
they appear not to be. Because there is screen activity, the
screen will never be blanked.
If you have such a program, you might try this. Whenever you
know you are going to be away from your computer for a while,
pop up ShortCut. Even though ShortCut's screen is continual-
ly being rewritten, we have programmed its screen to be
blanked according to the time interval you specified. Then
when you return, press any key to display ShortCut's screen
and "unpop" back to your program.
Setting Screen Blank
Initially Screen Blank is turned off. To change this, press
<Shift-F7> to move to the SETUP command box on the second
Command Bar. Hit <Enter>. Choose option 6 on the Setup Main
Menu and option 2 on the Miscellaneous Menu. To turn Screen
Blank on, enter Y for Yes. To turn it off, enter N for No.
The time interval that must pass after a key is pressed and
before the screen is blanked is set with the next option on
the same menu. Choose option 3, time in minutes before
blanking screen. Enter a number between 1 - 30 and hit
<Enter>. ShortCut is preset for 5 minutes.
REFER.DOC - 52
Search * Shift-F9
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The SEARCH command can be used to find any file on your disk even
if you do not remember the entire filename.
Using SEARCH
Press <Shift-F9> to move to the SEARCH command box on the
second Command Bar. Hit the <Enter> key. At ShortCut's
prompt, type in the name of the file you are looking for.
You may use wildcard characters if you are not sure of the
correct name. Press <Enter>.
ShortCut begins searching all directories on your disk for a
file that matches the filename you specified. When it finds
a match, you are asked if this is the file you want. You may
respond with one of three options: Y, N, or V.
If you type Y for Yes, ShortCut will make the directory the
file is in the Current Displayed Directory. It will also
mark the file and put it at the top of the Directory Window.
Type N for No and ShortCut will continue searching for
another match.
A V response for View will display the contents of the file
on your screen, just as it is with the TYPE command. This
may help you decide if this is the file you want. Once the
ShortCut screen reappears, you can then type Y to "take it"
or N to continue the search.
If there is no match before ShortCut finishes searching your
entire disk, the message line will tell you this and the
search ends.
However, if you are searching the disk in drive A and there
is no match, you will be instructed to insert another dis-
kette. Then you can continue the search, if you wish. This
is useful if you can't remember which floppy diskette you
used to store the file.
You can stop the search anytime by pressing <Esc>.
REFER.DOC - 53
Setup * Shift-F7
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The SETUP command is used to change the way ShortCut appears and
operates to suit your own tastes.
Using SETUP
Press <Shift-F7> to move to the SETUP command box on the
second Command Bar and hit the <Enter> key.
You will see the Setup Main Menu appear on your screen
listing five options:
1 Editor Setup
2 Printer Setup
3 Third Command Bar (Ctrl)
4 Fourth Command Bar (Alt)
5 Screen Display Setup
6 Miscellaneous
At the bottom of the screen you will see a message that
prompts you to choose an option by typing a number and
hitting the <Enter> key. Each selection will display another
menu that will allow you to change ShortCut's settings.
Editor Setup
This option allows you to designate a text editor or word
processor to use with the EDIT command. It also lets you
specify a filename to edit if no file is marked in the
Directory Window. ShortCut is preset to use EDLIN as the
editor and SCRATCH.PAD as the filename.
Printer Setup
This option allows you to specify how you want your files
printed when you use the PRINT command.
User Commands
These options permit you to put your own commands on ShortCu-
t's third and fourth Command Bars.
Screen Colors
This option lets you specify the colors of ShortCut's screen
for both multi-color and single-color monitors.
REFER.DOC - 54
Miscellaneous
The final option displays a menu that lets you change several
miscellaneous ShortCut settings.
BASIC to be Used - the BASIC interpreter or compiler used to
run BASIC programs. The initial setting is BASICA.
Screen Blank - turns ShortCut's screen saving feature on or
off. The initial setting is N for No.
Minutes before Screen is Blanked - the time interval before
your screen is blanked if Screen Blank is active. ShortCut
is preset to 5 minutes.
Refresh Directory on Return from DOS - determines if ShortCut
should update its Directory Window and system statistics when
it flips back to its own screen from the DOS screen. The
initial setting is Y for Yes.
Confirm before Erasing Files - turns the seeking of your
confirmation before erasing files on and off. ShortCut's
initial setting is Y for Yes.
Low Disk Space Warning - the number of bytes still unused on
your disk when ShortCut warns you about low disk space on its
screen. ShortCut is preset to 10,240 bytes.
Expand Keyboard Buffer - when on, the keyboard buffer is
expanded to 128 characters. Initially, this option is turned
off.
See SETUP.DOC for in-depth information on each of these features
and how to change the initial settings.
Saving Your Changes
When you exit the Setup Main Menu, ShortCut asks you if you
want to save your changes. If you respond with Y for Yes,
your changes will be saved on your disk. The next time you
start up ShortCut, your changes will still be in effect. If
you answer with N for No, your changes will remain active
until you exit ShortCut or reset or turn off your computer,
but they will not be saved on your disk.
You may also save your changes any time the ShortCut screen
is displayed by using the Save Configuration command (Alt-S).
REFER.DOC - 55
Sorting Files in Directory Window *
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Sorting the filenames in the Directory Window will make it easier
to locate a file.
How to Sort the Filenames
Move the Screen Arrow to the Sort On box. Press the first
letter of one of the following options:
Name sorts the filenames alphabetically.
Ext sorts the filenames alphabetically by their extensions
and then by their filenames.
Size sorts the filenames by the number of bytes contained in
each file. Sorting by Size also changes the additional
file information (Size, Date or Time) to Size.
Time sorts the filenames by the date and time the file was
created or updated. The files are first sorted by date
and then by time. Sorting by Time also changes the
additional file information in the Directory Window
(Size, Date, or Time) to either Date or Time. Press T a
second time while in the Sort On box to display the
other information (Date or Time).
Unsorted displays the filenames in the order they are placed
on your disk.
In addition, these sorts can be performed in ascending or
descending order. Press A for ascending (As) or D for
descending (Ds).
As sorts filenames from the least to the greatest. Name
sorts will be in alphabetical order, Ext sorts will be
in alphabetical order by extension, Size sorts will
display the smallest file first, and Time sorts will
list the oldest file first. Unsorted filenames will not
be affected.
Ds sorts filenames from the greatest to the least. Name
sorts will be in reverse alphabetical order, Ext sorts
will be in reverse alphabetical order by extension, Size
sorts will display the biggest file first, and Time
sorts will list the newest file first. Unsorted file-
names will not be affected.
REFER.DOC - 56
Time * Shift-F5
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The TIME command is used to change the system time.
Using TIME
Press <Shift-F5> to move to the TIME command box on the
second Command Bar. Hit <Enter>.
ShortCut will ask you to enter a new time. Use this format:
hh:mm:ss
It is not necessary to use colons to separate the hours,
minutes, and seconds. You can use any character you like.
For example, you could use hyphens to separate the hours,
minutes, and seconds.
You must use military time which adds 12 to any hour after
noon. You don't have to type in the minutes and/or seconds.
In this case, the minutes and/or seconds will be zero.
When you hit <Enter>, ShortCut will display the time you
entered on its screen and will continue to update it every
second.
System Time
The system time is the time your computer thinks is correct.
If you entered a time when you booted up your computer using
DOS, this is the system time. If you have a "clock" in your
computer system, the system time will be determined by this
clock. If you don't have a clock or you did not enter a time
when DOS requested it, the system time will be in the wee
hours of the morning of January 1, 1980. The Time command
can change the system time in all cases.
REFER.DOC - 57
Tree * Alt-T
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The Tree command displays the directory structure of your disk.
It also provides an easy way to change directories.
Using Tree
Press <Alt-T> to display a tree directory of your disk. Your
Current Displayed Directory will be highlighted. Now you can
return to the regular ShortCut screen with <Enter>, or you
can use the tree to change directories.
To change to a new directory, move the highlighting to the
desired directory with the Up or Down arrow keys. You can
also press <Home> to move to the root directory, or <End> to
go to the bottom directory. Press <Enter> and ShortCut will
make your selection the Current Displayed Directory.
If you change the Display Drive and later press <Alt-T> to
see your tree, you will see the directory structure of your
old Display Drive disk. Press <Alt-T> again while the tree
is shown and ShortCut will read the new Display Drive disk.
Each time you modify the directory structure of your disk
with MKDIR or RMDIR, ShortCut will automatically scan your
disk the next time you call up the tree.
The Tree Screen
In the top left corner of the tree screen you will see the
letter of the Display Drive followed by \. For example, if
your Display Drive is C, you will see C:\. This indicates
the root directory of drive C.
The line that descends from the drive letter leads to all
subdirectories that are in the root directory. Likewise, a
line descending from one of these subdirectories leads to all
the subdirectories it contains, and so on.
At the top of the tree screen is the full path of the direc-
tory the highlighting is resting on. This will change when
you move to other directories with the up and down arrow
keys.
REFER.DOC - 58
Type * F5
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The TYPE command will display the contents of a file on your
screen. The file must be in ASCII format or you will not be to
read it.
Using TYPE
Mark the file you wish to view in the Directory Window.
Press <F5> to move to the TYPE command box on the Command
Bar. Hit <Enter>.
The contents of your marked file is "typed" very rapidly on
your screen. If you want the display to pause so that you
can read it, press <Ctrl-Num Lock>. Your screen display will
stop scrolling. When you are ready, press any key to con-
tinue.
If you are tired of looking at the what is being written on
your screen, press <Ctrl-Break> and the display will be
ended.
Typing Multiple Files
If you have marked more than one file in the Directory
Window, ShortCut will immediately start displaying the next
file as soon as the first is completed unless Pause is on.
In this case, ShortCut will prompt you to press any key
before the next file is displayed.
Viewing a File with SEARCH
You can also view the contents of a file while using the
SEARCH command. See SEARCH for more information.
REFER.DOC - 59
Verify * Alt-V
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Verify is used to turn on and off the verification of files after
they are copied.
When Verify is on, DOS will make sure that the data written on
your disk when you copy a file are readable by your computer. The
Verify command toggles this verification on or off.
Using Verify
Press <Alt-V> to turn Verify on or off. The word VERIFY will
be displayed in highlighted, capital letters in a box beneath
the Memory Status box when Verify is active.
REFER.DOC - 60
