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1993-05-28
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┌─────────╖ ┌─────────╖
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╘═════════╝ ╘═════════╝
ANSIBlk, Ver. 1.5, (c) 1993
EFD Systems, All Rights Reserved
304 Smokerise Circle
Marietta, GA 30067
CompuServe: 72627,3026
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DESCRIPTION
ANSIBlk (short for ANSI BLOCK) is a rudimentary program for producing colorized
ASCII character display screens, commonly referred to as ANSI graphics. ANSIBlk
was primarily designed for programming applications; however, other uses are
possible. ANSIBlk works equally well with either full or partial screen
displays. All data is stored and manipulated as a binary text-mode memory image
(character byte followed by attribute byte) with a 2 byte header (block width
and height) added to facilitate re-loading partial screen images. The DOS
ANSI.SYS screen driver is not required and the ASCII ESC code sequences used by
this driver are not supported. Obviously, a color monitor is needed; otherwise,
there is no reason to use ANSIBlk. The included DSPLYBLK utility can display
images from the command line and from batch files at any given screen location.
This is not the only ANSI graphics software available. Others provide similiar
or even much more extensive capabilities; however, the available ones were all
unacceptable to me for one reason or another. Many will not work well with
partial screen images. Some will save a partial screen block but do not store
any image size information with the data making it difficult to re-display the
image later from a user written program. Others are simply too complex, in my
opinion, for simple, occasional use. Hence, ANSIBlk was born.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
USING ANSIBlk
To use ANSIBlk type: ANSIBlk [filename] [options]
filename: A valid DOS file name. A .BIN extension is assumed unless
otherwise specified. The file is created if it does not
exist. Files can be loaded, saved and renamed from inside
ANSIBlk.
options: /A - import ASCII characters from "filename". Only the
first 80 columns of each line are imported.
/30 - 30 lines per screen, VGA graphics mode
/43 - 43 lines per screen, EGA text mode
/50 - 50 lines per screen, VGA text mode
/60 - 60 lines per screen, VGA graphics mode
Default mode is 25 lines per screen, binary data format.
ANSIBlk works in VGA graphics modes using the same character/attribute data
format as for the text modes. The ASCII character portion of a graphics mode
screen can be created and stored very efficiently in this way while allowing for
bit-mapped graphics to be added later. The user's program must interpret and
load the ANSIBlk data onto the graphics mode bit-planes.
ANSIBlk provides rudimentary editing capability. Existing on-screen characters
can be either painted (colorized) with selected foreground and background colors
or erased with the DELETE key or overwritten by typing new characters. A full
set of block functions (PAINT, CUT, COPY, and PASTE) are provided for working
with rectangular screen regions. A convenient box drawing mode and a
point-and-shoot ASCII character chart are also provided. If more extensive
editing capability is required, you should consider creating the screen using an
ASCII editor and then import the ASCII screen into ANSIBlk for colorization.
All input from the keyboard is interpreted literally for screen display. For
example, pressing ENTER simply displays an ASCII character 13 at the current
cursor location in the currently selected colors.
The bottom line of the screen is used as a menu/dialog area. A function key
menu is displayed on the bottom line at startup by default. ALT-F1 toggles this
menu ON/OFF, thus allowing the bottom line to be used for drawing and creating
full screen images. Image data entered on the bottom line remains stored in
memory even if the menu is later toggled back on.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PAINTING
The color of existing screen characters can be altered by "painting" with a
virtual pen or brush. Painting is a 3 step process:
1) select the desired foreground and background colors using F2 then;
2) place the pen in the DOWN position using Page Down and;
3) move the cursor using the Arrow keys to change foreground and background of
on-screen characters to the current color settings.
Page Up and Page Down are used to control the Pen position. Pen DOWN is
indicated by an asterisk cursor. With the Pen UP, the arrows keys simply move
the cursor without painting.
Block operations (see below) allow entire rectangular regions to be painted in
one easy step.
Keyboard input is displayed on-screen in the currently selected colors without
regard to the Pen position.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
BOX DRAWING
F4 toggles ASCII box drawing mode ON/OFF and allows the user to select one of
five different box drawing modes. The available modes are:
┌────────┐ ╔════════╗ ╒════════════╕ ╓─────────────╖ ──┐
│ SINGLE │ ║ DOUBLE ║ │ DOUBLE TOP │ ║ DOUBLE SIDE ║ │ ERASER │
└────────┘ ╚════════╝ ╘════════════╛ ╙─────────────╜ └────────┘
With box mode ON, lines, corners and intersections are all created on-the-fly by
simply moving the cursor.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
BLOCK OPERATIONS
F3 selects the block function sub-menu. Available block functions are PAINT,
CUT, COPY and PASTE. After selecting a function, the user is prompted to
indicate the rectangular screen block to be operated on by moving the cursor
first to the upper-left corner of the block and then to the lower-right corner
of the block. ESC cancels any block operation in progress.
The Pen position has no affect on block operations.
SAVE is also a block function, although it is not part of the block sub-menu.
The same block marking procedure described above is used to define the screen
area to be saved.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
FILE OPERATIONS
Files can be loaded and saved using F9. Any number of disk file images can be
overlayed on the screen. Images are loaded from disk and positioned with the
upper left corner of the image at the current cursor location. Data that falls
off the screen is ignored.
When saving, the user is always prompted to indicate the upper left and the
lower right of the screen block to be saved. To include the bottom line of the
screen in the save block, the function key menu must be turned off (ALT-F1)
before the save is started.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
MISC.
INSERT re-enters the "last character" as if it were typed from the keyboard. The
"last character" is either the character that was last typed from the keyboard
or the character that was selected from the point-and-shoot ASCII chart using
F1. With menu ON, the "last character" is shown at the start of the function
key menu line.
ALT-X sets "last character" as the character at the current cursor location.
ALT-C sets foreground and background colors to match the character at the
current cursor location.
HOME/END move the cursor to the Start/End of the current line.
CTRL-HOME/CTRL-END move the cursor to the extreme upper left/lower right of the
active screen.
The included command line screen display utility, DSPLYBLK.EXE, leaves the
screen in whatever mode was selected for the screen display. To restore the
screen to normal 80 column text mode type "MODE 80 [ENTER]" at the DOS prompt.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
LICENSE AGREEMENT and DISCLAIMER
This software and the included documentation is provided solely "as is". The
author hereby disclaims any and all warranties, either expressed or implied,
including without limitation the warranties of merchantability and fitness of
purpose. In no event will the author be liable for any damages, incidential,
consequential or otherwise, resulting from the use or mis-use of this software.
In any event, the author's liability shall be limited to the originial software
license purchase price.
ANSIBlk ver. 1.5 is provided for private personal use without payment of a
license fee; however, it is not public domain software. Legal ownership and all
other legal rights pertaining to the software are reserved and retained by the
author. Later versions of the software may or may not enjoy similiar status.
The software may be freely distributed provided that no fee of any kind is
charged in connection with such distribution. The only exception is electronic
phone service connection fees. This software may not be distributed in
connection with or incorporated into any software or other product being
distributed, demonstrated, sold or offered for sale without the expressed
written permission of the author. Anyone wishing to obtain such permission may
contact the author at the address listed at the front of this documentation.