Current Shareware 1994 January/SHAR194.ISO/textutil/simdoc20.zip/WHATSNEW.DOC

Text File | 1993-07-12 | 8KB | 183 lines

July 93

- I added a reminder, nag, beg (call it what you will) screen to the
  shareware viewer.  This screen is only displayed after a file has
  been executed at least 5 times.  I wish I didn't have do this but I
  had several reports of people distributing files (even requesting
  money) with shareware copies of version 1.xx.  Most people who have
  a use for this program are honest professionals who will register if
  they use it.  As always a few spoil it for the majority.

- Extensive support for COLOR documents.  Colors are defined by placing
  special codes within your text file.  You can hard code a color in which
  case a user cannot change it with the F/B keys.  You can also choose to
  specify only a foreground or only a background color to honour the users
  settings for the other.  All color codes are removed before printing.

      Code format is:  ~FB

               Where:  ~ is the character to mark a color change.  To
                       enter this character into your text repeat it ~~.

                       F = Foreground color. 0-F hex for sixteen colors
                       B = Background color. 0-F hex for sixteen colors

                       Either of the colors may be replaced with a $ which
                       will use the current colors selected by the user.

         For Example:  ~F1 = Bright White on Blue background
                       ~F$ = Bright White on current background
                       ~$4 = Current color on red background
                       ~$$ = Return to user selected colors

  A TSR is supplied to make it very easy to add color to your text files.
  This TSR pops up over your text editor/word processor, displays a color
  chart for you to select your colors and inserts the proper color codes.
  It even allows you to preview your text to see how it will be displayed
  by Simply Docs.  (Many requests for color support)

- A second TSR is included for color support.  This one allows you to
  capture any part of a text screen and save it to a text file with the
  proper color codes for Simply Docs.  Great for program to add screen
  dumps to your documents.

- Added user defined bookmarks.  Press F5 to set a bookmark and give it a
  name.  F6 uses a defined bookmark.  Up to 5 bookmarks can be saved.
  (Requested)

- User selected colors are saved. (Requested)

- Hypertext support.  The BackSpace key will automatically return from any
  Page# jump, Bookmark jump or search jump.  This allows you to jump anywhere
  in the document and return by pressing the Bsp key.  The best part of this
  is that its all automatic.  The last 10 jumps are remembered. (Requested)

- Added auto scrolling.  Pressing the plus (+) key will scroll the document
  forward and the minus (-) key will scroll backward.  The speed can be
  adjusted by pressing the number keys 1-9.  Pressing any other key will
  turn off auto scrolling. (Requested)

- Reduced the memory requirements when resident from 50k to 35k.

- All TSRs now swap to EMS or Disk when not active.  This results in a
  DOS memory footprint of only 3.5k when not active.  TSRs may be
  installed without swapping by using the /NOS command line switch.
  (Requested)

- The /R switch to remove a TSR now requires you to specify the same hot key
  used when the TSR was installed.  For example:

       Installed with  -->      MANUAL /TSR:2
       Remove with     -->      MANUAL /R:2

  This is necessary to remove a swapped TSR.

- NOTE: The option of setting the SIMDOC environment variable to specify
        the page number to display has been removed.  This option was not
        very useful since most people could not set the parent variable (DOS)
        from within a program.  The /PAGE:x switch will do the same thing
        and is much easier to use.  If you used this option in a previous
        version and cannot use this version because of it, contact me and
        I may be able to provide some help.

- Pressing Ctrl+Break in version 1.xx would exit the viewer when printing.
  This has been disabled.


May 93
- Added option to specify a starting page number from the command line.
  Use the following to display a particular page when starting. (Requested)

          MANUAL /PAGE:xx             (where xx is the desired page#)

  If xx is zero or not specified the document is displayed at the last
  position viewed.  This is very useful for displaying a users manual from
  within your program.  For Example:

          MANUAL /PAGE: /NOMENU

  If you shell out to your manual with the above command, the user is returned
  to the exact position they last viewed.  Pressing ESC returns directly to
  your program.

- Added the option to print the complete file from within the viewer.  You
  no longer have to go to the menu to print the complete file.  If you
  want to specify a range of pages you still must use the menu.  (Requested)

March 93
- Release of version 1.8

- Added support for network operation.  All compiled files may now be used
  by multiple users at the same time.

- The Disable Page Breaks option has been changed to completely remove the
  page break.  In the previous versions it was shown as a blank line.  Your
  document will now appear as one long continuous file even though it is
  still split into pages.  (Requested)

- The maximum line width has been increased to 136 characters. (Requested)

- You can now tell a TSR which page to display when it is poped up by
  setting the environment variable called "SIMDOC".  For example to display
  page 10 you would use:

       From DOS -->        SET SIMDOC=10
       In BASIC -->        ENVIRON("SIMDOC=10")
  See the manual for more information.  (Requested)

- Added small help screen to viewer.  F1 is used to display help and the
  "Jump to Page#" function has been moved to F4.


Feb 93
- Release of version 1.7

- Increased maximum number of pages to 4096.  I haven't found any files big
  enough to test this but it should work.  I had a request for 3000 pages...
  (Requested)

- It is now possible to have several Simply Docs TSR's installed at one time
  as long as they all have different hot keys and file names. (Requested)

- Added /NOMENU switch to disable the menu from the command line.  This allows
  you to install as a TSR and shield the user from the menus.  This is useful
  for displaying a users manual from within a program.  It will still allow
  printing if the EXE is run without the switch.  Install TSR as follows:
               MANUAL /TSR:x /NOMENU > NUL

- Added /R switch to Remove a TSR from the command line.
               MANUAL /R

- Made the document name field slightly longer. (Requested)

- Fixed problem with installing TSR from the command line and made it
  possible to use any hot key combination.
  (/TSR:x switch)   Where x = 1 to 4 - for the predefined hot keys.
                            = &hxxyy - a HEX number to specify any hot
                                       key combination. xx = shift mask
                                       and yy = scan code
  Specifying hot keys is explained further in the manual.

- You can now install as a TSR from the command line (shown above) even if
  the TSR option was disabled when the file was compiled. (Requested)

- Fixed bug in "F1-Page#" function for very large files.


Jan 93
- Release of version 1.6

- Added support for text wider than 80 characters since files printed at 12
  characters per inch can be wider than 80 columns.  Simply Docs will now
  scroll left and right to support lines up to 108 characters long.  If any
  line extends past the edge of the screen it will display a double angle
  bracket to indicate this. (Requested)

- Added a new option to disable the display of page breaks.  The default is
  to display page breaks with a line of equal signs.  This option allows
  a blank line to be used instead.

Nov 92
- Release of version 1.5