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Text File | 1992-01-14 | 23KB | 542 lines

CA 2.2 Resident four function calculator by Bob Eyer [73230,2620] Jan 14, 1992 ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ WARNING: THIS SOFTWARE MAY NOT WORK PROPERLY WITH CERTAIN │ │ APPLICATIONS. SEE CAUTION BELOW. │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ** SHAREWARE NOTICE ** This program is shareware: if you think it's a worthy addition to your personal software, you should register with the author. Register this one, and you get a disk full of some of the best utilities in the business FOR FREE!! The registered version of CA lacks the "Please register!" note on return of results from the Accumulator. See Accumulator section below on how to display or paste the result. Simply make out a money order in the amount of $20 US to Bob Eyer and send with your return address to: Bob Eyer 1100 Bloor Street West Suite 16 Toronto, Canada M6H 1M8 Please mention in your accompanying note whether you wish 5.25" or 3.5" diskette format, and state the name in which you wish registration-only utilities to be registered. [Certain of the most important items have never been posted and are distributed only through the registration.] Enquiries may be placed by writing directly to the author at Compuserve userid [73230,2620]. Warranty and Disclaimer: ----------------------- The author, Bob Eyer, guarantees the physical integrity of the diskette covering the points above, and will replace free of charge, if it is received defective. However, in no case will the author be responsible for any damages due to loss of data or any other reason. In no event does the author's liability for any damages exceed the price paid for the buyer's order of this software, regardless of the form of the claim. The person using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the software. See Program Listing at end of documentation for the primary benefits of registering. Help screen ----------- Syntax: CAF [/U] /U = unload from memory Hotkey: Rightshift-/ Binary operations: + - * / ^ Accumulator: ADD [Esc to exit] Modes: x PLACES COLOR y E 0 N D Review: ST See the note about Errors below. INTRODUCTORY NOTE: CA is the 4-function fixed-point alternative to CAF (see program listing at end of this doc file). CA supports just four functions (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) plus an accumulator for performing many additions. The advantage of CA is that it uses only about 13K of memory; CAF requires about 27K. The disadvantage is that it has only single-precision range and accuracy, and is restricted to the standard array of arithmetic functions. The new version of CA adds an Accumulator and introduces a more sophisticated input routine which has sensitivity to the Esc key and destructive backspace for window editing purposes. IMPORTANT: This program does not provide a menu or picture of a calculator - so as to avoid obscuring portions of the underlying editing application, and to avoid requiring the user to employ only 25 x 80 screens (some TSR calculators require this, to make use of Line 25 for calculator monitoring). CA responds equally well in 50 x 80 or 44 x 132 video environments; generally, it is indifferent to the manner in which the video raster is defined. CA is designed to respond just to the hotkey, which provides merely a 'calculation window', in which the user enters his calculations or mode changes. Hitting ENTER after supplying a calculation or mode change to the window, simply executes the job and returns to the application. Where a result is generated, it is pasted directly to the underlying application where the cursor was last located. In examples seen below, EACH calculation or mode change is preceded by invoking the hotkey. This, however, does not apply to the Accumulator (see below). CA is also designed to return the cursor to the initial position in the same window, to permit making mode adjustments without line skipping. Once a task is completed, you may exit the window merely by hitting ENTER one additional time or by using the spacebar to delete the window. The old window always disappears in an editing environment after the result is injected to the text, but mode change information will, in general, remain. Modes/review ------------ CA provides four groups of mode selections - number of decimal places to which to round results, colour of calculation window, whether to display results in scientific notation, and whether to echo the result to display or paste to text. The current mode situation may be viewed simply by entering ST in the calculation window (ST is short for 'status'). Mode changes are entered directly in the calculation window and the new mode specs are resummarised in the calculation window, just as though ST had been issued. x PLACES: Entry of '5 places' in the calculation window will cause CA to operate so as to round pasted results to five decimal places. Entry of '0 places' means that no formatting will occur; that is, results will appear with the maximum precision stuffable into the keyboard buffer at one pass. The default value for Places is 0. The maximum number of places is 6. COLOR y: Entry of 'COLOR 30' will cause the calculation window to have a bright yellow foreground and a blue background. For colour details see below. The default colour scheme is black on white (112). Color 0 automatically converts to 112, so as to avoid black on black. E/0: Entry of E in the window will cause results to be exhibited using scientific notation. When E is set, CA will default Places to 6. When 0 is entered, scientific notation is removed, but places will remain as before. N/D: N means normal, and D means display. N is the default. Normal mode injects results to the underlying application; display mode echoes results to the screen without pasting to the application. CA's variable review -------------------- Whether in the regular calculation window or in the Accumulator, the user may retrieve a variable, simply by entering its name. (See below about CA's "store/recall" facility). Binary operations ----------------- CA supports four two-variable ('binary') operations: + - * /, or add, subtract, multiply, and divide. For example, 1991-1917 [= 74 Entry of numbers using scientific notation is not supported by CA. Additional examples: 35/34 [= 1.0294117 35*34 [= 1190 Automatic store/recall ---------------------- If you are doing several calculations which involve use of the same term, you may reduce typing further by using variables. Calculation window variables are A, B, and C. The first time you execute a calculation with numbers, the first number is always stored into A, the second number into B, and the result into C. These values can be re-used, simply by employing these variables in subsequent calculations [except, of course, for the fact that, as each new calculation is done, the value of C will be updated with the new result]. Example (after entering '3 PLACES' and then 'E' in the window): Suppose we wish to perform the following calculations - 34.21102 x 435, and 34.21102 / 355.5 Here, each calculation uses the same initial term. We proceed as follows, each time by hitting Rightshift-slash, and entering the calculation shown: 34.21102 * 435 [= 1.488e+4 a/355.5 [= 9.623e-2 The second calculation above could be repeated merely by entering a/b The user may also proceed to obtain results for the other three operations, using the same numbers, as follows: a*b [= 1.216e+4 a+b [= 3.897e+2 a-b [= -3.213e+2 The output C-variable can also be used in calculations. For example, we may first calculate with no scientific notation 2/3 [= 0.667 ] Here, A = 2, B = 3, and C is the result in brackets. Now, if we multiply the result C by 3, we should get back the numerator A: C * 3 [= 2.000 This example illustrates the fact that CA, like handheld calculators with the store/recall function, stores results in a separate register before rounding. It is this separate register that is used for input, when the user employs C in a calculation. [otherwise, the user might get back 2.001]. This type of 'result protection' on use of a previous result is not, however, found in most TSR calculators. Accumulator ----------- Entry of the keyword ADD in the calculation window, will transfer control to a special area of CA, which displays the following type of prompt: > Use your Esc key to exit accumulator and return to the main window, or paste result to text. Numbers entered at this prompt are totalled, each total being echoed in the right half of the display. Hitting the Esc key finishes the operation, wipes the special window from the screen (if you're in an editing environment), and injects the result to the underlying application. If you have a consecutive series of the same number to add, just enter the first one, and then A for each of the following ones. The accumulator always stores the current addend into variable A, and the result into C. Entering C adds the previous result to itself. In unregistered distribution versions, the Accumulator returns the message "Please register!" in the calculation window. To paste the result, just hit the hotkey and enter C. Registered users are spared of this minor inconvenience, as well as the opening shareware notice. Prompt Colour ------------- As stated above, to change the colour of the calculation window, simply enter COLOR x in the window, where x is a COLOR number. The default is 112, which describes black foreground on a white background. 0 is impossible (black on black), and so CAF converts that number to 112 automatically. Foreground and Background colours may be determined by using the following table: Back Fore Bright Fore ---- ---- ----------- Black 0 0 8 Blue 16 1 9 Green 32 2 10 Cyan 48 3 11 Red 64 4 12 Magenta 80 5 13 Brown 96 6 14 White 112 7 15 The correct COLOR number is found merely by adding the Foreground number to the Background number desired. For example, Bright Green on Blue background is 10 + 16 = 26. Avoid setting COLOR above 127. Values above that limit will produce blinking displays. In my estimation the COLORs best for the eye are 10, 11, 14, 15, 26, 27, 30, 31, 74, 75, 78, 79 and 112. But you may have other ideas. Example, COLOR 75 sets the window to Bright Cyan on a Red background. Errors ------ CA supports three error reports - xyz: illegal - This message occurs where your entered instruction, 'xyz', is not recognised by CA. Zero divide error - Attempt to divide by zero. E + number - When an operation results in the internal truncation of a number due [E]xceeding the capacity of CA's long integer number system, the paste default is overridden, and the result displayed to the window with an E prefix. CAUTION ------- Certain types of editors will not work consistently with CA - in particular, editors which simulate the Macintosh console environment, such as the Microsoft DOS 5.0 Editor, or Microsoft Windows. The problem here is not unique to CA, as collateral testing of other TSR calculators has shown. If you're serious about computing, don't use graphics user interfaces (GUI's)! Further, like all memory resident programs, CA is vulnerable to compatibility problems which may arise from its use with other TSR's. If you find you must reboot, try removing other memory resident programs from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, or try changing the sequence in which they are loaded until you find the best combination. However, tests have shown that CA is much less vulnerable to interrupt collisions and other compatibility problems than other TSR calculators. One category of TSR which is almost guaranteed to cause trouble for CA (and for any program which stuffs keystrokes into the keyboard buffer) are programs like 128KEY.COM, which lengthen or change the effective size of the keyboard buffer. Don't use such programs with CA. CA is primarily intended to work with editors and wordprocessors, and has been tested on Wordperfect 5.0, Galaxy 2.42, Captain Blackbeard 1.13, SLED 1.1, QEDIT 2.08, pEDIT 2.10, and a number of other editors/wordprocessors, with no confirmed problem or abnormality. CA is recommended for use as the last memory resident program loaded, so as to permit the use of the /U commandline option to unload it from memory, and only in standard text-editing or wordprocessing applications. Unless you have found that CA works with your non-standard application, it is recommended that you take the precaution of unloading CA before you invoke such an application. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAMS YOU WILL RECEIVE FREE WITH YOUR REGISTRATION ******************************************************** Many of the programs in the following list have not been publicly posted, and those which have been posted previously are unlikely to be posted in new updates, except in rare cases. Certain programs are registered-only, which means that the user must not post copies on bulletin boards. Some of these have also never been posted at all, and are available ONLY to registered users. All of the non-posted programs are continually being updated, as they are in constant use by the author. The ones which have never been been posted are marked by double asterisk. Versions new since last public post are indicated with a + sign. Nearly all file-processing programs take full advantage of wildcard logic, including DOS shortcuts, keeping keystrokes to absolute minimum. Total size in compressed form for all of below, including docs: about 320K. ** MG -- Moving average ASCII graphing program. Especially designed for obtaining graphic updates on stock-market activity in practical trading environments, in which it is essential that the user get a quick graph immediately, with points of the graph directly associated with the numerical and other text information which these points represent (a feat impractical in Lotus graphics). Designed to be used with SETV below. + SPC --- Multidrive columnar drive report, with fairly complete description of your machine including communications, important chips, printer, BIOS, memory, processor and coprocessor speed, multitasking, networking, and so on, all in one single snapshot. SETV ---- Sets seven VGA text video modes. Enables Multisync or VGA user to make use of seven major video text modes at DOS level, including 132 column modes. AL -- Best and most flexible TSR alarm program with clock option. Has time-locking and a full range of options. 7K of memory. CA -- Four-function fixed point TSR calculator with formatted displays and scientific notation for direct paste to text. Also has accumulator. Four mode groups. About 13K of memory. + CAF --- TSR floating point calculator with formatted displays and direct paste to text. 18 functions, and an accumulation area. Five types of modes. Number formatting. CAF is the most sophisticated calculator in the business, for its size. 27K of memory. PAUZ ---- Replacement for DOS PAUSE, allows specification of seconds to wait or target [<=] time, as well as what key to use for pause interruption. User triggering of error levels 1 to 9. + MV -- Fast file mover. Preserves date/time/attribute stamp for all moves. Allows moving Read Only and Hidden files, source files opened in SHAREd mode for network users. Wildcards. None faster or safer. ** SPLT ---- ASCII file splitter which, for the first time, offers the ability to prevent the split from resulting in split messages or other defined text blocks. Works with DIV and REV, below. ** OTL --- Makes it possible to apply any set of operations, say, as specified in a batch file, to every file in an ASCII list, without having to specify the path information for each file. For Sysops. + KALL ---- For users of DOS 3.0-3.2 who would like batch file control like that offered in the more advanced DOS versions. Allows redirection of batch file output, unlike DOS 4/5 CALL. ** SS -- Secure shell, protects your system from keyboard redefinition resulting from ANSI codes read in remote message areas. Maintains default DOS colour scheme, but requires use of NANSI.SYS. DIV --- Generalisation of FGREP-type programs to include blocks of text. A single string defines a block in most kinds of blockable text. DIV handles almost any kind. Returns blocks containing one or more of up to 64 different strings from large ASCII files. Useful in extracting messages or extended file descriptions containing a range of strings without manual cut and paste. Can prepare a file containing every block EXCEPT the ones selection, and simultaneously. See REV in short list below. COMB ---- Sorts and combines wildcard text files in specified order into first file found in that order. Primarily for eliminating the tedium and error involved in accumulating message files into one file for easy reference. Essential for systematic followers of international correspondence forums. ADD --- Adds very lengthy columns of numbers found in ASCII text, such as byte counts in BBS listings without manual data entry. (Capable of handling the addition of up to 1 billion numbers in one pass). CITM ---- Counts similar items in formatted ASCII lists, where the similarity is based on a fixed string field found at one position in each line of text, and all lines have been previously sorted, based on the contents of that string field. Perfect as a companion utility for Baker's QSORT. + FVER ---- Compares a file list, like a BBS listing, to the actual files found anywhere in the BBS's download path. Operates in FAST or SLOW mode, depending on your safety requirements. Can be operated remotely through a BBS door. + MVA --- Moves files, even if set to read only status, from anywhere in a specified download path to a given location. Operates directly on ASCII lists, like directories or BBS listings. Can be operated remotely through a BBS door. RNF --- Minimises keystrokes and keystroke error on renaming files with date or time info or special flags. plus: ---- ELIM - Advanced replacement for DEL. LCNT - Very fast linecounter; formatted output. ESRT - Element sorter. User specified delimiter. + TYME - Program execution timer. CHG - Attribute file/directory/date/time file changer/reader. + CBRO - Compuserve Browse converter. Old/new formats. REV - Reverses order of blocks of text (messages, etc). DTR - Toggles modem DTR line. RTS - Toggles RTS line. ** ENV - Environment statistics ** CFIX - Fix cursor to normal, block or off. ** EL - Converts number to error level, for batch files. WD - Gives wildcard support to any program. SWP - Fast single-level sweep program. TSTF - Floppy disk status tester. ---------------------- End of documentation