Current Shareware 1994 January/SHAR194.ISO/screenut/mapper36.zip/HISTORY.DOC

Text File | 1992-11-13 | 21KB | 351 lines

Micro-Mapper Version History
3.6 *Added Change directory function key(F2) to the file list screen.
     You may now change working directories by pressing F2 and entering
     the new path.
    *Recompiled DANSI/DASCII/DMEM/DWCAT3 display programs using 1992
     compiler.  This improved pathing and sped up screen displays.
    *Changed Load/Save menus to display file extension. Just makes it
     friendlier.
    *Added User Save and User Load options to Save/Load menus. These
     options allow you to use your own format to save and load screens.
     The screen name extension looked for and passed is .USR .
     On save, the file SUSER is called. On load LUSER is called. SUSER
     and LUSER may have .BAT, .COM or .EXE extenstions.  If .BAT make
     sure that you are using MSDOS 3.3 or greater or DRDOS(any version),
     and that you place @ECHO OFF as the first line in the batch file.
     If you don't, your screen will be overwritten and unpassable. If
     you do not have MSDOS 3.2 or any version of DRDOS, consider down-
     loading BAT2EXEC from your local BBS.  It is a MSDOS batch file
     compiler.  When it is executed, commands are not echoed to the
     screen.  Otherwise, it works the same as an ordinary batch file.
    *Added Box Drawing option under Main Menu Area option.  There are
     four syles, single line, double line, double line on top/single
     on sides and double line on sides and single on top/bottom.  To use
     this function, press ESC, and select A.  Mark the two corners and
     then select 1, 2, 3 or 4 for the desired box style.  This is a
     very fast way of drawing a box.
    *Added F1 key to call up Micro-Mapper dicumentation file. An On-Line
     help so to speak.
    *Removed the SAVE screen start-up flag. This is now done automatically
     and saved as UNDO buffer number 1. To get the saved screen, press
     F10.
    *Fixed case where eraser command message disapeared when the ESC
     key is pressed.
3.5 *Added Option feature to allow user to configure color of menu
     option selection key.
    *Move most constant information to separete file(mapper.dat). This
     decreased the coding space used allowing Micro-Mapper to be
     compiled with 1992 version of my compiler instead of the 1987
     version.  This added better pathing which has improved
     Micro-Mappers performance in loading screens.
3.4 *Added three new block character sets; small, medium and large.
    *Added list of characters to BLOCK character prompt.
    *Added more information to Color and ASCII character chart screens.
     Changed Color and ASCII chart screens to make it easier to read on
     mono-color screens.
    *Added GWBASIC/ZBASIC 4.6/4.7 BSave/BLoad option to save/load screens.
    *Added ZBASIC 4.2 BSave/BLoad option to save/load screens.
    *Added Default Last ANSI row to options screen. This option allows
     you to specify how many lines will be saved (0-23) when saving a
     screen in the ANSI format.  This is to facilite use on BBS's.
    *Corrected case where ANSI blinking colors black to white were being
     incorrectly bolded.  A stupid mistake on my part(a missing paren).
    *Added new mouse routine to position mouse to cursor coordinate.
     This prevents the cursor from "jumping" when the arrow keys are used
     to move the cursor in conjunction with a mouse.
    *Fixed case where pressing the ESC twice when exiting the welcome
     screen caused the computer to lock up.
    *Fixed VERY annoying(and hard to find bug) where the draw routines
     were not properly rounding the corners.
    *Added a six level undo.  This increased memory usage by 30k but
     so many users asked for it that I could not refuse(plus I wanted
     the feature myself). Here is how it works: When the ENTER key is
     pressed while in the Text, Draw or Erase modes, the screen is saved.
     When the ESC key is pressed to bring up a menu, the screen is saved.
     When a new screen is loaded the screen is immediately saved.
     The counter starts at 0 and increments automatically to 6.  When the
     next save occurs, it starts back at 1(a circular stack). To cycle
     through the saved screens, press F10.  Each F10 key press subtracts
     one from the counter.  When 0 is reached, 6 is next used.
3.3 *Fixed case where NEW option is chosen, map name was not reset.
3.2 *Fixed case where when NEW option is chosen, it would set the mapper
     directory as the current directory loosing currency on the start up
     directory where your maps may reside.
    *Expanded the field definition box, adding the following defintions for
     a field:
       Entry Proctection
       Automatic Skip to next field when full
       Return Justification - Left, Right Center or None
       Pad character to be used with Justifcation (0-255)
       Trim spaces from field - Left, Right, Both or None
       Return characters in field - Asis, Upper or Lower
       Require user to enter data into field
       72 character picture clause
       72 character entry message
       72 character error message
       Field Edit file name
       Field Code file name
       Inclusion file name
       Exclusion file name
       These features were asked for by quite a few users.  Hope this meets the
       need.
       Adding these capablilties neccessitated moving the field definition Box
       to a separate file to gain code space.
    *Discovered that when Micro-Mapper is on drive D and you are working in
     drive C, that even though the batch call-up file correctly passes the
     drive and path of Micro-Mapper's working files, that Micro-Mapper would not
     work correctly.  Makes sense as the compiler cannot open files on
     another drive.  Solution was to add code to change drives when access
     to those files is needed.  This slows Micro-Mapper down just a tad, but
     allows you to keep Micro-Mapper in a RAM or other drive and not just the
     one you are working in.
    *Changed field mappping routine to display an underscore _ when marking the
     field locations.  The length of the underscore will be the defined field
     length minus 1 as the field mark itself takes up a space.  The color of the
     underscore will reflect the defined field color.
3.1 *When I started breaking Micro-Mapper into pieces to fit within the
     small memory model(64k) I inadvertantly created a problem.  I did not
     find out about the problem until I installed Micro-Mapper on a machine
     used for a class I was taking.  It was then that I discovered that
     Micro-Mapper was unable to find its files unless the file resided in
     the same directory as was being worked in. The pathing problem should
     now be solved. Micro-Mapper will now be called via a batch file that
     will supply Micro-Mapper with the "home" directory where it can find
     all of its files and support programs. If the path that is passed to
     Micro-Mapper is null, then the current path is assumed to be the home
     directory.
    *If Micro-Mapper is unable to find the MAPPER.MNU file on start-up, it
     assumes that the path is wrong and stops execution. Make sure that
     Micro-Mapper is called with a batch program that passes the directory
     name where the Micro-Mapper programs reside.
    *When asking to load a new file and the file is not found, perhaps due
     to a typo, the original file name was wiped out and the erroneous one
     became the default map name.  Prior to the impementation of field
     definitions, this did not cause a problem. Micro-Mapper would allow
     you to define the fields for the map on the screen and place them under
     the name of the failed map name.  While this was not a fatal error,
     it did cause understandable confusion. Micro-Mapper will now reset the
     map name to the current map name instead of the fialed name.
    *The routine that allowed entry of the Map name to load or save would
     not allow numbers.  This has been corrected to allow ANY character.
    *Block character routine would accept lower case characters and not
     display the upper case equivalent.  This is now fixed.
    *MEM file format display routines sped up 300%.  Also, preliminary
     testing has shown that screens saved in the MEM format can be
     loaded directly by CLIPPER 5.1 programs using the RESTORE SCREEN
     command.
    *When an area was loaded onto the screen from disk, the map name was
     changed to the name of the area just loaded.  This has been corrected
     to preserve the map name.
    *When displaying the directory prior to specify the name of a map, various
     uses had reported that it did not display correctly.  Subsequent
     investigation showed that the display works fine with MSDOS 3.2 or DRDOS
     v5.0 or v6.0, but NOT with MSDOS 5.0 or 4.01.  After many frustrating
     hours of trying to ensure a uniform display in a tight code space, I
     gave up.  The directory will still be displayed, it will just be in the
     normal DOS format instead of the compact one provided Micro-Mapper.
    *Format of COLOR1(configuration screen), COLOR2(Change color scree),
     and TBL(Character chart scree) have been changed from .COM to .MEM.
     This allows faster loading and saves disk space.
    *Formated Documentation file in "ready to print" format.  Use PRINTDOC.COM
     to send file to printer.  File is set up for standard IBM printer
     command set and should print with page breaks, headers and footers.
    *Added PRINTDOC.COM utility to print MAPPER.DOC file.
    *Added Edit Screen message to remind user to press the ESC to get the Main
     Menu.
    *I have noticed that CAPTURE.COM does not seem to work with VGA screens.
     It is being worked on but a remedy is not yet available.
3.0 *Added Map Field function to Main Menu.
    *Moved all menus to MAPPER.MNU file to provide code space  for  Map
     Field function.
    *Modified DMEM.COM to prevent screen overrun when displaying screens
     saved by CAPTURE.COM.
2.9 *Added HOT keys to draw mode. This allows you to  press  a  key  to
     switch  between  double/single  line,  change  color,   select   a
     repeating character.
    *Added U - use character command to draw  mode.   Place  cursor  on
     character to use(mouse only-if you don't have a  mouse  use  R  to
     select from character chart) and press U.  The character under the
     cursor is now used as the repeating character.
    *Added A - use Attribute command to  draw  mode.  Place  cursor  on
     attribute(color) and  press  A(mouse  only-if  you  don't  have  a
     mouse use C and select attribute from color chart).
    *Added +- Commands to draw menu.  Press + to increment the  current
     color and - to decrement the color.
    *Modified Find/Change Function to allow  finding  a  character  and
     change its attribute and to  find  an  attribute  and  change  the
     character.
    *Added */ commands to the draw menu. Press * to increment the color
     by 16 steps(increments background by 1).  Press / to decrement the
     color by 16 steps.
    *Added Zap Attribute to Area Function.  This allows you to step the
     colors in an area and optionally keep the results or  restore  the
     area to original attributes.
    *Added ANSI color table to Color Chart.
    *Added routine to display 10 occurrences of draw character in color
     under cursor when selecting a color from the color chart.
    *Added F2 - use attribute to text mode.  Place the cursor over  the
     attribute you wish to copy and press ALT A.  The typing color will
     change the one at that location.
    *Changed status  line  to  show  foreground  and  background  color
     numbers.
    *Changed Edit Options Function on Main  Menu  to  Options  Edit  to
     allow addition of Erase function.
    *Changed status line to show ANSI color sequence numbers.
    *Added Erase function to main menu.  Default erase color  is  white
     on black.
    *Re-wrote, Map loading routines to use external loaders, DANSI.COM,
     DASCII.COM, DWCAT3.COM and DMEM.COM.  This was  done  to  free  up
     some code space for this release.
    *Re-wrote ANSI and Wild Cat 3 screen generator routines to free up
     code space for this release.

2.8 *Added Wild Cat 3 BBS format to save and load screen functions.
    *Wrote Stand-alone  display  programs  for  MEM  and  Wild  Cat  3.
     Added  feature  to  allow  you  to  display  an  area  using   the
     stand-alone display programs without clearing the  screen.   Handy
     for displaying pop-up menus.   See  documentation  under  required
     files.
    *Added G - Get Area function  to  the  Main  Menu.   This  function
     allows you to use the hard drive as a scratch  pad,  saving  areas
     and later, loading them into a screen  that  you  are  developing.
     All formats are supported though I strongly recommend  that  areas
     saved for this purpose be in the MEM format.

2.7 *Added G - General ANSI option to the Load screen function to allow
     loading of an ANSI screen without  having  to  load  the  ANSI.SYS
     device driver.
    *Removed Block character set from program.  Micro-Mapper  now  uses
     .MCS files to get the desired character.  Option was added to  the
     configuration editor allowing  you  to  change  the  name  of  the
     character set file. This change gave back over 10k of  code  space
     and made it possible  for  user  to  create  and  use  their   own
     character sets.  If you make a nice one and would like it included
     in the next release, please send a floppy(360,1.2,720 or 1.44)  to
     the registration address.  Please specify if it is ok  for  me  to
     put your name in the  documentation  as  the  contributor  of  the
     character set.  The same thing applies to screens.  I  may  rotate
     them though to keep the size of the MAPPERxx.ZIP file  small.  Put
     your name on the screens if you want.
    *Created the WIRE.MCS and LLET.MCS character sets.

2.6 *Fixed strange error #9 or memory supervisor error.  Error occurred
     when running Mapper from within another program.  Stack was  being
     corrupted. Sorry about that.  Stupid error on my part.
    *Fixed case where mouse driver allows mouse to  visit  26  or  more
     lines on screen.  Caused cursor to go to first line and lock.
    *Added File list display when or saving loading screens. Up to  187
     files are displayed.  IF there are more than 187, the screen  will
     scroll, losing the fist lines displayed.  Had a  lot  of  requests
     for this feature from  registered  users.   Note  that  all  files
     having the proper extent are displayed  whether  they  are  mapper
     screens or not.
    *Fixed black hole error that  occurred  when  loading  a  map  over
     another map.

2.5 *Added Configuration editor.

2.4 *Fixed various ESC/Select "hole" bugs in new routines.
    *Added Load Map error routine to properly detect when  map  is  not
     found in current directory.  Hard to believe that I  did  not  put
     this in from the start.
    *Added C as  last  character  on  25th  line  to  indicate  current
     Text/Draw color.
    *Added MAPPER.CFG check to program initialization routine to  allow
     you to change various program defaults such as window color, mouse
     delay times etc.  See documentation for details.
    *Delete Area changed to use Current Text/Draw color, not the colors
     in the area to be deleted.

2.3 *Added ability to hunt through screen or area to change a color  to
     another color.
    *Repeating character, under draw mode, now displays ASCII chart for
     character selection.
    *Areas may now be  saved  in  MEM  format.  Such  files  are  named
     SA#.MEM.
    *Smoothed out mouse interface to remove annoying "back  hole"  that
     occurred when a menu  was  placed  over  the  cursor.   Subsequent
     movement of the mouse cursor caused a hole in the menu.
    *Updated documentation  to  reflect  use  of  COLOR  and  CHARACTER
     charts.

2.2 *Changed Area save feature to automatically save area under  a  new
     name if old name exists.  IF  SA#.ANS(ASC)   exists   the   #   is
     incremented one step. Six places are reserved, so you can have  up
     to 999,999 temporary files under ANS, another 999,999  under  ASC.
     That should be more than enough temporary file name combinations.
    *Added Color Change option to Draw sub-menu.  Now  you  can  change
     draw colors without exiting draw mode.
    *Re-wrote X-Chart routine to display Color ASCII chart  instead  of
     scrolling character BOX.
    *Re-wrote Color change routines to display Color chart  instead  of
     color box.
    *Changed all routines that allowed color/character changes  to  use
     new ASCII character and Color routines.

2.1 *Fixed Bug with ANSI screen load where the 0,0 character was erased.
    *Added feature to display draw character when in draw mode.
    *Fixed Bug with ANSI screen save that incremented the color of  the
     foreground character 1 step when the background  color  was  green
     (Stupid error that took an hour to find).
    *Fixed bug where when the mapper is started with the SAVE option, a
     subsequent selection of the New function displays the  last  saved
     screen image(save prior to displaying the menu).
    *Wrote companion TSR program to allow you to capture  screens  from
     already  developed  applications.   Saves   re-engineering   time.
     Captured screens are saved as CS#.MEM and can be loaded  into  the
     mapper as memory format files.  The screen may subsequently  saved
     as ANSI, COM or ASCII. Note: the TSR uses about  27,872  bytes  of
     your memory.  This was kept a no-frills program to keep  the  size
     down. Main Frame users: many terminal emulation software  packages
     trap the keystrokes preventing your favorite TSR from  poping  up.
     Some of the better packages allow you to invoke the  emulator  and
     tell it to allow the keystrokes to pass through.  See  the  manual
     that came with the emulator  for  details.  Why  doesn't  the  TSR
     create a COM file?  See note about keeping it small. To  load  the
     TSR type CAPTURE.  To invoke the TSR and capture the screen, press
     CNTL(control) Backspace.  Note that if CS#.MEM already exists, the
     # is incremented and the screen is saved  as  that.   Screens  are
     saved in the CURRENT directory.

2.0 *Improved COM(Generate) screen loading, faster displays.
    *Added Mouse/Cursor positioning routines with mouse  mickey  column
     and row values displayed.
    *Interfaced mouse with menus, now you can click on a letter and  it
     will execute the  function.   Mouse  may  also  be  used  for  all
     sub-menu positioning with the exception of the drawing menu.   You
     may also place the mouse cursor on and arrow and hold it  down  to
     scroll(ASCII chart and Color select window.
    *Added a user program exit(U) on the main menu.  This exit  may  be
     used to call MUSER(BAT, EXE or COM).
    *Fixed  bug  with  repeating  character  that  disallowed   exiting
     feature.
    *Mapper may now be invoked without clearing the screen by using the
     following start up command:  "MAPPER SAVE"
    *Main Menu  option(Z)  allows  you  to  clear  the  screen  with  a
     specified character.  Remember that non-keyboard characters may be
     entered by 1) ensuring that the num lock is on, 2) hold  down  the
     ALT key, and 3) enter the decimal number of  the  character  using
     the number pad.
    *Made minor changes to the Block character set.

1.9 Added High Speed Screen Save/Get routines to improve performance

1.8 Added ANSI Screen/Code generation/save/load functions

1.7 Added Line(Box) Drawing Function

1.6 Added DOS Window Function

1.5 Fixed Bug in Save Routine. Added character Find/Change function

1.4 Added ASCII Chart/ALT NUM character entry

1.3 Added Color Capability

1.2 Added Area Commands

1.1 Added COM Generate ability

1.0 Micro Mapper begins, Saves ASCII screens.