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1993-08-19
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VIEW ▌
▌
Version 8.5 ▌
▌
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▌
Copyright (c) 1993 Malcolm Drury
Note: this package contains the following files:
VIEW85.EXE (file viewer version 8.5)
VW85CFG.COM (customizer)
VIEW85.DOC
VIEWCUST.BAT - sample batch file
FILE_ID.DIZ - description file for BBS
(zipped with PKZIP 1.10)
VIEW is a file viewing utility, allowing you to read ASCII, WordPerfect
(5.0, 5.1/5.2, including Windows, and 6.0), Microsoft Word (4 and 5 and
WinWord 1 and 2), and Windows WRITE files, and to print all or part of them
to file or printer. VIEW also allows you to search for text strings (both
case-sensitive and case-insensitive), and print all lines that include or
exclude a particular text string. You can also print files directly from the
file selection menu, and you can split large files.
VW85CFG allows you to customize display colors for VIEW and also allows you
to customize its printing, display and memory features.
*** IMPORTANT ***
The author makes no warranty that the software in this package will work
with your particular hardware configuration. You use the programs entirely
at your own risk, and the author will not be held liable for any damage
caused to your hardware or software through their use. nor for any
consequential damages.
Legalities aside, you should not run into difficulties with this software.
**** SHAREWARE ****
These programs are distributed as shareware, AND ARE NOT CRIPPLED!!.
(Editorial note: I don't support "crippleware" - I want to know
EXACTLY what I'm expected to pay for! Crippleware is, in my opinion,
like test driving a Mercedes that's been fitted with a two-stroke engine!
There, that's said - but each to his own.)
You do not have to register as a user, nor are you under any
obligation to buy the program(s). However, they are not free, and in
the spirit of shareware, you are requested to make a small
donation to the author if you find the software in this package useful,
and if you continue to use it after an evaluation period of 30 days. This
would both fulfill your moral obligation and help ensure the viability of
the shareware concept, from which we all benefit.
The suggested contribution is $15 but less (or more!) would be fine. Pay what
you think the software is worth to you. If you pay the recommended amount
plus add $4 for shipping and handling, I will send you a 5 1/4" diskette
with the latest version plus a selection of other shareware for you to
evaluate, including Tony Caine's excellent 2COL and JETCOL utilities, which
allow you to print files in double columns. Alternatively, send a blank
diskette of your preferred size (5 1/4" 360kb or 1.2Mb, or 3 1/2" 720kb
or 1.4 Mb) plus $3 s&h.
Should you decide to make a contribution, please remit to:
Malcolm Drury
11 Adele Crescent
Nepean
ON K2J 2T7
Canada
Internet drury@gsc.emr.ca
Compuserve 70574,3457
Bank notes would be fine! Thank you. Please tell me where you
got the software from (this helps me in knowing where to post updates), and,
most importantly, which version it is.
IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY PAID FOR AN EARLIER VERSION - THANKS, AND
OF COURSE YOU ARE NOT EXPECTED TO PAY AGAIN. YOUR INPUT, COMMENTS
ETC. ARE ALWAYS WELCOME.
Please note that at the low contribution requested, I cannot provide direct
technical support, nor automatically send upgrades, should they
become available. If you have comments, questions, bug reports etc., please
leave a message at my Compuserve or INTERNET address, or write to me via
snail mail. I will endeavor to fix any problems you might encounter.
The software is supplied on an "as is" basis. You are free to distribute
this software package provided that you distribute the ENTIRE package,
including this documentation file. (This is necessary for others to be able
to use it properly. I've downloaded too many shareware packages that had
been posted without accompanying documentation!).
I hope you find this package useful.
Now to the fun stuff!
**************************************************
VIEW
Usage: view [d:][path][filename] [/a]
If you just type VIEW you will get a list of files on the current drive and
directory, from which you can select the one to view. Similarly, if you
type VIEW plus drive and directory parameters, you'll get a list of files
on that drive and directory.
The /a switch, which MUST come after the filename, forces VIEW to display
the file in stripped ASCII format. VIEW attempts to determine if a file
is not a true word processor or text file, and forcs the ASCII display
acordingly. "Stripped" means the high order ASCII characters are omitted.
You can use the * wild-card character in a file name. Then you will get a
list of files in the default or specified directory that match the * criteria.
e.g. view *.doc - list of files with extension doc in the current
directory
view d:\docs - list of all files on drive d, directory docs
view d:\docs\*.txt - as above, but only files with extension txt
Alternatively, you can specify a particular file:
view c:\moredocs\readme.doc
view c:\moredocs\another.one /a
If you do not specify a particular file, VIEW will allow you to select a
new file from the list that meets your selection criteria.
Using VIEW is pretty straightforward. Pressing F1 brings up a help menu,
and the key features of the menu are permanently displayed on the bottom
line.
Note that VIEW reads as much of a file as possible into memory, but if not
all of a file can be read in it won't display the full file. This allows
you to skip instantly to any part of the file in memory without disk reads.
If you are not using DOS 5.0 or later, or a memory manager such as QEMM386
or 386MAX, I strongly recommend you do so.
IMPORTANT: If you are running a DOS shell, the amount of memory available
to VIEW may be much reduced. If you do have a file that is too big to fit
into memory, there are two ways to proceed: first, if the file is not an
ASCII one, convert it (see instructions for file selection menu). This
usually reduces the size somewhat. Secondly, VIEW allows you to split the
file into sequential ASCII components.
Note that if you have files with embedded graphics, the file size may be
substantial - not to worry, VIEW will automatically bypass the graphics
information.
VIEW will automatically detect WordPerfect 5.0 and later, Microsoft Word and
Windows WRITE formats. However, you can override this by using the
"/a" switch (see below).
Flag usage: VIEW [drive][path]filename /x
where x = a - force to display straight ASCII (i.e
without omitting formatting codes).
==============================================================================
THE VIEW SCREEN
The keys:
Navigate through the file using the cursor keys. The right arrow scrolls
right (what else?!), allowing you to view the ends of lines more than 80
characters long (e.g. WordPerfect files that use proportional fonts). Note
that Word and Write files will automatically wrap before 80 columns.
F1 - help menu; all menu items are avaliable directly from this menu
(i.e., while the menu is displayed, pressing F2 will activate
the appropriate function).
F2 - case-insensitive text search - matching text is shown in the
highlight color.
Shift-F2 - case-sensitive text search
F3 - find next occurrence of text defned by F2 or Shift-F2
F4 - toggle off text search
F5 - go to a particular line number
F6 - print all of file to printer or disk
Shift-F6 - this is a toggle for printing (to printer or disk) a block of
text. The first time you press Shift-F6, the current top line
is set as the beginning of the block. The second time, the
current top line is set as the end of the block, and the block
is printed to the location you specify. While block select is
on, you will see a B at the bottom-left of the screen.
F7 - print all lines that specifically include or exclude a particular
text string
F8 - print screen
F6, Shift F6 and F7 all give you access to a user-defined function, which
causes the file you are viewing to be printed to a file called
viewcust.fil. It then calls a user-defined batch file (which you
must prepare) called viewcust.bat. The recommended use is to
print the file you are viewing in two columns using Tony Caine's
2COL (dot matrix) or JETCOL (laser printer) utilities.
A sample viewcust.bat is included in this package. The function
produces a file called viewcust.fil that can be processed, via
viewcust.bat, by a calling function. Normally, this is deleted
when processing has finished. However, if you have not set aside
memory for the user-defined function (see configuartion, VW85CFG)
it is left on disk for you to process separately, if you wish.
IMPORTANT NOTE
If you are viewing a WordPerfect or Word file, it will not look
the same as the version that you print from the word processing software.
If the document uses a proportional font, or contains columns or tables,
the appearance under VIEW will in all probability be different. This is
because of the way VIEW simplifies the formatting built into such documents.
If VIEW were to be designed to show all formatting faithfully, it would be
at least as big as the executable files used by the word processers
themselves and would therefore lose its point as a quick viewer.
I have attempted to cover all formatting and embedded code possibilities,
but with the power of both WordPerfect and Word, the possibilities are
mind-boggling! If you come across a file that does not seem to display
properly - e.g. hangs mid-way through or displays garbage - please send it
to me and I will attempt to fix the problem.
=============================================================================
THE FILE SELECTION MENU
If you have called VIEW without specifying a particular file, you have
access to the file selection menu, which looks like this:-
Currently in: F:\VIEW85\*.* 8 item(s) (1 read)
Use up and down arrows, PgDn, PgUp, Home, End to place file at top of window
┌──────────────┐
Press Enter to select »»│ file_id.diz │«« this file or directory
│ view85.doc │
│ view85.exe │
UPPER CASE - directories │ viewcust.bat │
lower case - files │ vw85cfg.com │
│ distrib.doc │
F1 - force ASCII display │ │
F2 - normal display │ │
F3 - convert/print directly │ │
F4 - split file │ │
Esc - exit to DOS │ │
│ │
└──────────────┘
Keys
Use the arrow and cursor keys to position the file you want to view, or
the directory you want to change to, at the top of the file list.
Enter - view currently selected file OR change to currently selected
directory.
F1 - forces the file to be displayed as ASCII, without the high order
characters. VIEW automatically selects this option for certain
types of files (e.g. EXE, COM, DLL files).
F2 - causes the file to be displayed without stripping the high order
characters (in fact, you should never need to use this!).
F3 - allows you to convert a file to ASCII or print it directly without
viewing it, including via the user-defined function.
F4 - allows you to split a file into sequential components in the same
directory. You choose the filename; each sequential file increments
the last character of the filename extension by 1:
e.g. myfile.00a
myfile.00b
myfile.00c
This allows you to view the files rapidly in sequence when using the file
menu. You specifyc the number of lines at which the original file should
be split.
NOTE: these functions are only available from the file selection menu. If
you want to split the file hugefile.doc you should access it by
typing view hugefile.*
F10 - tells you how many lines the current configuration can display, and
how much reserve memory you have.
============================================================================
**** NEW IN VERSION 8.3 ****
The following changes have been adopted:
- VIEW allows you to view WordPerfect 6.0 files.
- VIEW allows you to select files from a list, including
selecting a new file.
- VIEW gives you access to a function you can define yourself.
**** NEW IN VERSION 8.4 ****
The following changes have been adopted:
- file selection menu enhanced to allow change directory,
print file, split file. Also, exiting from a file view now
brings you to the next file in the list. The "n" key in
8.3 is therefore no longer necessary.
- Bug in "print lines containing specified text" (F7) has been
fixed.
- A maximum number of files that can be read from the file
selection menu has been set; the default can be changed by
the user.
**** NEW IN VERSION 8.5 ****
8.5 is basically the same as 8.4, but the memory allocation
method has been completely changed to prevent your system
from crashing. As part of this, 80 column word wrap has been
enabled for all files; this cannot be changed.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
VW85CFG
usage: vw85cfg [filename]
where filename is view.exe or an exact copy with some other file
name.
This program allows you to customize VIEW.EXE.
Setting colors is self-explanatory. However, VW85CFG also allows you to set
some print parameters, such as number of lines per printed page, number of
spaces to expand tabs, and number of spaces to leave for the left margin.
It also allows you to choose whether the "delete file?" feature of
VIEW is activated. As a safety measure, the default is delete off. You can
override this. Even with the feature on, a file will not
be deleted until you have answered an "are you sure?" question.
Finally, VW85CFG allows you to override the default number of lines of
display and display speeds. VIEW as shipped is configured for normal
display speed and hard coded to display 25 lines by 80 columns. Try
experimenting with the display parameters to get maximum benefit; if
your system crashes - and there's a lot of non-standard hardware and BIOS
software out there - just reconfigure VIEW to a lower display standard.
VW85CFG allows you to set the right margin for use with the word wrap
feature. The default is 12 - that is, VIEW counts characters per line and
if it is within 12 of the rightmost screen column puts in a line feed if
it finds a space. This is not absolutely foolproof; you may find that
setting the line wrap margin to greater than 12 gives better performance.
Next, VW85CFG allows you to change the default number of files that can
be read in sequence from the file selection menu. Each time you read a file
a small amount of memory is lost to the system (until you exit to DOS, when
it is fully restored). To prevent memory allocation errors VIEW exits to
DOS after a certain number of files have been read. The default is 50. If you
wish to experiment with a higher number, you can do so via VW85CFG. Don't
go above 100. If you find that your setting does cause a system freeze,
just reduce the number. There is no "best" value - it depends on the amount
of free RAM on your system, the nature and operations of any TSRs or memory
managers you have running, etc.
Finally, VW85CFG allows you to reserve some memory for a user-defined
function. When it loads, VIEW uses all available conventional memory for
displaying files, in 80 column lines. You set aside memory for the user-
defined function in 8000 byte blocks, equivalent to 100 lines of file.
There is a trade-off - the more memory you set aside for the user function,
the fewer the lines before getting a "file too big" message. VIEW ships set
for 112000 bytes reserved, enough for JETCOL. If you don't want a user-
defined function, reduce this. You are asked to enter a number of 8000 byte
blocks. You should enter at least 4 (VIEW needs some memory in reserve for
other things). TIP: to see how many lines can be displayed, and how many
allocation units you have set, press F10 at the file selection menu. If you
have a low setting and you run into memory problems try increasing the
reserve memory allocation.
Malcolm Drury
August 19th, 1993
**************************************************************************
Look for the following shareware
VGAPAL40.ZIP - customize up to 4 VGA text color palettes, choosing from more
than 250,000 colors! (And see how many you can actually
discern!). One palette can be used to create a small (2k) TSR
program that maintains your chosen scheme. Alternatively, you
can set any of the palettes, or a grey-scale scheme, from a
non-TSR if memory is a problem. (On CIS Ziffnet as vgacus.zip,
in ZNT:TIPS). BBS SEARCH: VGAPAL??.ZIP
DDIR92.ZIP - double-column directory display that highlights new files,
flags system, hidden and read-only files, and optionally shows
the "dead" space on disk associated with each file or the total
space each file actually uses. Full file list sorting, and
can scroll back and forth within the file list. Has file
delete and protect/unprotect functions. (On Compuserve
Ziffnet as dirdpy.zip in forum ZNT:TIPS and PBSAPPS)
BBS SEARCH: DDIR??.ZIP
DSPACE61.ZIP - shows graphically hard disk space installed, used and free,
for all drives; second program shows graphically space on
designated drive (including floppy), and reports on installed
and available RAM, including XMS and EMS memory. (On CIS
Ziffnet as dskspc.zip, in ZNT:TIPS).
BBS SEARCH: DSPACE??.ZIP
IF YOU DO NOT FIND ANY OF THESE, LEAVE ME A MESSAGE!
CIS 70574,3457
INTERNET drury@gsc.emr.ca
Malcolm Drury
11 Adele Crescent
Nepean
Ont. K2J 2T7
CANADA