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Find Area Code (FAC), Version 1.50 Copyright 1990-91, All Rights Reserved Developed and Marketed as Shareware by Michael K. Molloy 8531 East Dry Creek Place Englewood, CO 80112 CompuServe: 72737,3237 _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER D I S C L A I M E R - A G R E E M E N T If you use Find Area Code (FAC), you must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "Find Area Code is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of Find Area Code." Find Area Code Documentation F I N D A R E A C O D E D O C U M E N T A T I O N Table of Contents o Introduction o What is Shareware? o The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) o Registration o What Do I Get for Registering, and Why Should I? o Installation o Using FAC from the DOS Command Line o The External Data File o Adding to the External Data File o Using FAC as a Popup TSR Program o What Are Swapping TSRs? o Advanced Options and Configuration o Error Conditions o Technical/Compatibility Notes o How to Reach the Author o Alternative Uses o Final Remarks o Quick Reference List of FAC Options Introduction ------------ Find Area Code (FAC) is an DOS utility which can quickly locate U.S. and international telephone area codes. FAC performs its search using any part of an area code, city, state, or country and shows matches almost instantly. The program can also do "fuzzy" searches, allowing you to use approximate spellings to find matches. FAC uses an ASCII data file (FAC.DAT) which you can change, update, or add to whenever you like. There are more than 2000 United States, Canadian, and international cities in the database. Also, without leaving the program, you can append data to an external data file, using a default or file name you specify. You can run FAC from the DOS command line or you can make it memory resident (also known as a popup or Terminate and Stay Resident [TSR] program). When you install FAC as a memory resident program, you can choose between a small (7K RAM) swapping version with a very short (less than 2 seconds) delay while it swaps into memory from disk, or you can have an instantly available popup which requires more RAM. The swapping version can also (optionally) use Expanded Memory (EMS) for almost instantaneous swapping. The program automatically senses and supports all of the 25/43/50 line modes used in most CGA/EGA/VGA video cards and pops up in the current mode, using the screen most appropriately for that mode. Also, FAC September 14, 1991 Page 2 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation senses the current color/monochrome mode and selects its colors appropriately. FAC's window can be moved around on the screen by using the cursor keys. You can also "zoom" FAC's window to use the full screen or allow the program to do so whenever required. What is Shareware? ------------------ Although you may not have paid anything to get this copy of FAC, it is not a free program. It is distributed on a "shareware" basis. What's that? Shareware is a form of distribution which gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue to use it, you are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details -- some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with printed manual. Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to everyone, or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it. Find Area Code (FAC) is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to you for your evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. Shareware works! In addition to using many commercial products, I'm a also a registered user of many high quality shareware products, including: PKWare's PKZIP, Vern Buerg's LIST, SemWare's QEdit Advanced 2.1, California Software Design's SHEZ, ECONO-SOFT's Directory eXtended (DX), PC-*.*'s PC-TAX90, John Steed's Brother's Keeper, and Falk Data System's Easy Format. Please register shareware you continue to use. Please read the important information in the accompanying file, LICENSE.DOC on the trial license for this program. For more information September 14, 1991 Page 3 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation on shareware, please read the accompanying file SHR-WARE.DOC. The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) ------------------------------------------------ Michael K. Molloy is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, the ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon MI 49442-9427 or send a Compuserve message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. Registration ------------ If you find FAC useful and you continue to use it after a reasonable (45 days) trial period, you are required to make a registration payment of $17.95 plus $2.00 shipping and handling (U.S.) to Michael K. Molloy. The $17.95 registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. Even after registering, you have a money-back guarantee for 90 days after purchase. You must treat a registered version of this software just like a book. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time, this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, as long as there is no possibility of it being used in two different locations at the same time. Commercial users of Find Area Code (FAC) must register and pay for their copies of the program within 45 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. For site-license information, see the file SITELICE.DOC. You are encouraged to pass (unregistered) copies of Find Area Code along to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of FAC when they register. Though the program is not "crippled" in anyway, this shareware version shows an "Unregistered Shareware" status message in the lower right part of the window to encourage you to register the program. Also, unregistered versions will give you a random (about 10% of the time), bypassable registration reminder when you exit. Naturally, the registered version of the program doesn't have this. FAC is one of many area code finder utility programs, but I think you'll find it is unsurpassed in speed, ease of use, convenience, and price. As far as I know, it is the ONLY area code finder capable of being installed as a 7K memory resident program. Please fill out the included registration order form (file REGISTER.DOC) and send in your registration September 14, 1991 Page 4 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation today. You can send REGISTER.DOC to your printer by typing: "COPY REGISTER.DOC PRN" (without the quotes) and then pressing ENTER while at the MS-DOS prompt. What Do I Get for Registering, and Why Should I? ------------------------------------------------ When you register, you'll receive a disk with the latest version of the program and a utility to stamp your serial number on all future versions of the program. Once you have registered FAC, you are always entitled to the latest version at anytime. You can download the latest version from CompuServe, a BBS, or other computer service or I'll send you the latest release for a small handling charge. You can either send me a SASE floppy mailer with your floppy, or just send me $4.00 and I'll furnish the floppy, mailer, and postage. Here are some reasons why you should register: o You receive a CURRENT copy of the program, fresh from the author's computer. o You get a LIFETIME license, meaning you're entitled to all future versions/upgrades of FAC. o You get unlimited technical support via surface mail or electronic mail. o You have the author's ear when it comes to suggesting new features and capabilities. o You help increase competition in the software industry by keeping prices low (shareware doesn't rely on expensive advertising). o Finally, you can be proud of the honesty and integrity you've shown in registering the program and having participated in the Shareware revolution. Installation ------------ The Find Area Code distribution file is now created using PKZip's Authenticity Verification (AV) feature. This virtually guarantees BBSs and users virus-free, unmodified files. If after unzipping your distribution files you don't see the message: "Authentic files Verified! # EOA070 MICHAEL K. MOLLOY" you've have a modified distribution file. Get another copy of the ZIP file from me, CompuServe, another BBS, or another Disk Vendor. September 14, 1991 Page 5 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation Once you've unzipped the distribution file, you can put Find Area Code's files in any directory. The FAC.EXE and FAC.DAT files can be anywhere on the disk as long as you set a path to them with the DOS PATH statement. Note that FAC.DAT need not be in the same directory as FAC.EXE as long they are both on the PATH. For example, if you put FAC's files in the C:\UTIL directory, you would need to have a PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file which might look something like this: PATH=C:\;C:\DOS;C:\MISC;C:\UTIL;C:\MENU You need at least 120K of disk space and 140K RAM to run the program from the DOS prompt (non-TSR mode). To use the program as a swapping TSR, you must either have: an additional 265K of free disk space (hard disk recommended); or 265K of expanded memory (EMS). Actually, FAC.EXE is the only you must have on your path. If you are running FAC from the same directory where FAC.DAT resides, FAC.DAT need not be on your PATH. ------------------ For Registered Users Only ------------------------- When you register FAC, you'll receive an additional program which is used to "stamp" a registered serial number on your copy (and all future copies) of your program. Stamping the serial number also removes the "Unregistered Shareware" reminder in the lower right part of the window. To run this program, type "STAMP-SN" at the DOS prompt, and press ENTER. You'll be asked for the name of the EXE file to modify (since FAC.EXE could be renamed to whatever you want). If you're using FAC.EXE, just press ENTER. If the file is found on the PATH, it will be stamped with a serial number identified with your registration. Be SURE to save your copy of STAMP-SN.EXE so you can use it with future releases of FAC. If you're a user of various executable-file compression utilities like LZEXE, PKLITE, or EXEPACK, you MUST run STAMP-SN on the unmodified (uncompressed) original file BEFORE you use on of these utilities. If you try to run STAMP-SN on a compressed EXE file, you'll be unable to stamp the serial number. If you are a registered user of FAC, you MAY NOT give anyone a copy of the serial number stamped program, nor may you give anyone the STAMP-SN.EXE program. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Using FAC from the DOS Command Line ----------------------------------- First, you must know how to invoke FAC from the DOS command line prompt. Type "FAC /H" (or "FAC /?" or "FAC /" or "FAC ?") then press ENTER and you'll see a complete list of options you have for using FAC. Don't be alarmed at all the options. FAC is very simple to use and September 14, 1991 Page 6 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation really requires only one thing--a string to search for. All the options are for more advanced use. FAC is designed to be very easy to use without reference to documentation or help screens. FAC will immediately search for area code information if you enter the search string as an DOS parameter after the program name. If you wish, you can simply type "FAC" to start the program without a parameter. You'll be prompted for a search string once inside the program. For example, suppose you wanted to know the area code for Boulder, Colorado. At the DOS prompt, type: "FAC boulder" (without the quotes, of course) then press ENTER. The program will start, a window will popup on the screen, and the program automatically begins its search. Almost instantly, you'll see information about the area code for Boulder. The first column in the display window has the 3 digit area code 303 (international area codes aren't necessarily 3 digits). The next column shows the 2 character postal abbreviation for Colorado, CO. The third column shows the full name of the state. The last column shows the major cities in this particular area code. Notice Boulder appears in this list. When you've finished with the program, just press Esc and you'll exit back to DOS. Let's take another example. Suppose someone leaves you a note to call someone in a 309 area code. You don't recognize this area code and it's inconvenient to look up the area code in the phone book. You type "FAC 309" then press ENTER. Almost instantly, you learn that the 309 area code includes Peoria, Moline, and Rock Island, Illinois. Searching for an international area code is almost exactly the same. Just type in a city name, say Paris. The program will display the country code in the first column, the country name in the next column (there is no postal abbreviation for most foreign countries), and a list of major cities and city codes for that country in the last column. Each city code is listed in parentheses immediately after the city name. If you searched for Paris, you would know the country code for France is 33 and the city code for Paris is 1. Anytime you see a city name in all CAPITAL letters, that city is a state or country capital. You get the idea. By typing "FAC X" where X is any alphanumeric string, you can quickly search the area code database. You can search by area code, state postal abbreviation, state name, country, city, or any portion of thereof. The search string can be in any combination of upper or lower case letters and numbers. and must be at least two characters. If you use only two characters, the program assumes you want to search for two-letter state postal abbreviations which appear only in the first 7 characters of each line. The program doesn't look at anything else on the line except these first 7 characters. Note: this restriction does not apply to the data in the external data file (see the section below on The External Data File). After you've performed a search, the last string searched for is shown September 14, 1991 Page 7 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation after the prompt. To enter a new string, just start typing it in (the old string will go away when you press the first character). You can also edit the existing string by using the following keys: Left Arrow - Cursor left one character Right Arrow - Cursor right one character Ctrl-Left Arrow - Cursor left one word Ctrl-Right Arrow - Cursor right one word Home - Cursor to the beginning of the string End - Cursor to the end of the string Del - Delete the character under the cursor BkSp - Delete the character the left of the cursor Ctrl-Y - Delete the entire string Ctrl-End - Delete from the cursor to the end of the string Ctrl-Home - Delete from start of line to the cursor Ctrl-T - Delete word to the right of the cursor Ins - Toggle between Overwrite and Insert mode Ctrl-R - Restore the original contents of the line ENTER - Start searching for the specified string Search strings are limited to 20 characters. Spaces entered at the beginning and end of the search string are ignored (and discarded), but spaces anywhere else in the string are valid. This means you could search for "San Francisco" but not for " San Francisco ". You can make any number of searches before exiting the program. Remember, just press Esc to exit the program (Ctrl-C or Ctrl-Break will also exit). While you're inside FAC, you can get brief help by pressing F1. This shows you that F1 gets help, F2 toggles the "Fuzzy" search mode, F5 prompts you for new data to add to an external data file, F9 toggles the AutoZoom screen size feature, F10 toggles screen zooming, and Esc exits the program. You can reposition FAC's window up and down on the screen by pressing the up and down arrow keys. Sometimes, your search string will find more information than can be displayed in the window. If the screen fills up with information, the program will pause and prompt you to press the Esc key to stop displaying information from the current search, or press any other key to continue displaying information. If you press Esc to stop displaying information, you'll be returned to FAC's prompt. Pressing Esc once more will exit the program. If FAC doesn't find a match for your search string in its data file, you'll see a brief message in the center of the window saying that the string couldn't be found. You can then edit the search string if you wish. Once you've experimented with FAC, you may notice that sometimes it pops up in the upper half of your screen and sometimes it pops up in the lower half. Why? FAC looks at where the cursor is positioned and brings up the FAC window in the opposite half of the screen you're working in. This insures the program doesn't obscure something you may need to see September 14, 1991 Page 8 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation while you're using the program. The other thing you may have noticed is that FAC pops up in whatever mode (25, 43, or 50 lines) your video card is in. FAC automatically checks to see how many lines you're using at the moment and adjusts its windows accordingly. FAC isn't designed to support 40 column mode, but will safely pop up (although you won't like what you see). FAC won't popup at all when you're in graphics mode. One final note on using FAC from the command line. You can "redirect" the output from the program's status messages and so forth by using standard MS-DOS redirection conventions. For example, if you didn't want info on the program's installation to appear on the screen while booting up, you could install FAC like this: FAC /I >NUL When FAC installs, you wouldn't see messages from the program at all. If you want to, you could use the redirection capability to send FAC status messages to a file or to the printer. FAC -H >FILENAME.EXT This would send help info to FILENAME.EXT FAC -H >PRN This would send help info to the printer PLEASE NOTE: If you redirect FAC's output to a file when you install it as a memory resident program, that file remains "open" and is not "released" back to MS-DOS normally until you uninstall FAC using the /U option (or until you reboot your computer). This is normally not a problem, but could be if you had an extreme number of files open. If you have problems, try using a larger FILES entry in your CONFIG.SYS file (if you're currently using FILES=24, try using FILES=28). Again, this is only when you redirect output when installing FAC as a TSR. You cannot redirect any of the windows or output from the running program. The External Data File ---------------------- FAC uses its own data file, FAC.DAT to store area code information so that you can search for it. This file contains ASCII text which you can modify to update or correct area codes, or for any other purpose. Many users use FAC to keep track of their own personal information (see the section toward the end of this document on Alternative Uses). Beginning with FAC Version 1.50, your data can be stored in a data file external to the FAC.DAT file. This allows you to maintain your own file of information and keep it separate from the area codes in the FAC.DAT file. The default external data file, MY-DATA.DAT is automatically searched if it exists in: the directory you're currently PATHed to; the directory where FAC.EXE resides; or elsewhere on the path defined by the DOS PATH statement most people have in their AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If a line in the September 14, 1991 Page 9 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation MY-DATA.DAT file contains the string you're searching for, it will be displayed in FAC's window after the FAC.DAT file is searched. Text found in the external data file will be displayed in dimmer characters than text found in the FAC.DAT file so you'll know where the information came from. If you specify a different external data file via the /D switch (see Advanced Options and Configuration), the specified file will be searched instead of the MY-DATA.DAT file. This file can be anywhere on the disk, but if it isn't in one of the places where FAC looks for MY-DATA.DAT, you must use the /D switch to specify the full disk, directory and file name. The external data file can contain any text you wish. This can be a file you create, or it can be a pre-existing file like a BBS listing. FAC expects the file to be "line-oriented". This means that if you're searching a text document for two words which are on different lines, FAC won't be able to find the line. Adding to the External Data File -------------------------------- You can add your own information to the external data file in two ways. You can use a text editor or word processor to create and maintain the file, or you can you use FAC's internal capability to add data to the external data file. If you use an editor to create or modify the external data file, you must adhere to two rules: 1) you must save the file in pure ASCII format; and 2) each line must not exceed 119 characters. You can add your information anywhere in the file in any order. Once you've added a line to the file, FAC will be able to search for that information if the file is the default or specified external data file. While using FAC, you can press F5 to add a new line of data to the end of the default or specified external data file. Just press F5, and you'll see a status message indicating you're adding data. On the bottom line of the window, you'll see a prompt for the new data to add. Type in the line of information at the prompt and press ENTER when you're satisfied with the way the information looks. You can use the same keys, described above, to edit this line as you use to edit the search string. You'll automatically be limited to 119 characters. If MY-DATA.DAT doesn't exist, the file will be created in the same directory which contains FAC.EXE. If you specified an external data file with /D, the file must already exist, or the program won't start. When you press ENTER, you'll see a status message that the new data was added to either the default or specified external data file. Now you can search for the information. Press F5 to add another line of information to the external data file. When you add data to the external data file, your information is appended to the very end of the file--it isn't sorted in any way. If you want the file sorted, use a separate utility like Vern Buerg's excellent SORTF.COM September 14, 1991 Page 10 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation (current version as of this date is SORTF235.ZIP). Note that it really isn't necessary to have the file sorted since the entire file is searched each time. Even you don't know where something is in the file when you edit it, you can always use your editor's search function to find the line you want. Using FAC as a Popup TSR Program -------------------------------- More often than not, when you're at your computer and you need area code information, you're in the middle of doing something else. To use FAC as described above, you must save your work, exit the program you're using, then invoke FAC. FAC would tell you what you need to know, then you would have to restart your original program, go back to where you left off, and try to go back to work. It would be much more convenient if you could simply have FAC immediately "popup" over whatever you're doing, give you the information you need, then go away, leaving you exactly where you were. Not only would it be more convenient, it would save a lot of your valuable time. FAC can do this. All you have to do is tell FAC to install itself as a "popup" or memory resident program. You'll also see this type of program called a TSR, which stands for Terminate & Stay Resident. A TSR is installed or loaded once from the DOS command line. It stays in memory even while you're doing other things, and watches to see when you press a special key or key sequence to activate it. This special key sequence is known as a "hotkey". When you press the hotkey, the program starts. Here's how to install FAC as a memory resident, popup program. At the DOS prompt, type: "FAC /I" (without the quotes) then press ENTER. FAC will then install itself in memory as a TSR. When it has successfully installed itself, it will describe how it has been installed. In this case, you will use FAC's defaults. Once you've installed FAC as described above, you can press FAC's hotkey to pop it up wherever you are. FAC's hotkey is <Alt><LeftShift><F>. To press this key sequence, press and hold the "Alt" key, press and hold the Shift key on the left side of your keyboard, then press the F key. As soon as all three keys are pressed, FAC will "wakeup" and activate itself. FAC will draw its window on the screen right over the top of whatever you're doing. Don't worry. When FAC is done, it will return the screen to exactly the way it found it. When you invoke the TSR version of FAC as installed above, it works somewhat differently than it does when you start it from the DOS prompt. Recall that when you run the program from the DOS prompt, you must enter a parameter (search string) so FAC knows what to search for. When FAC operates as a TSR, it can read the text string (state, area code, city, September 14, 1991 Page 11 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation etc.) you want to search for right off the screen by looking at the word "under" or to the left of where you have the cursor positioned! (You can turn off reading the search string from the screen by using the /G switch. See Advanced Options and Configuration.) If the cursor isn't in a word or just to the right of a word, no search string will be passed to FAC, but it will still pop up. Reading the search string from the screen can save you time typing in what to search for and it can avoid errors you might make while typing. So, what happens? You press the hotkey, FAC pops up over your work, reads the text "under" the cursor, and immediately begins its search. After it finds and displays a match, it prompts you for another search. Now the program operates exactly the way it does when used from the DOS prompt. If you use the up/down arrow keys to reposition the normal FAC window, the position you choose will be retained the next time you press the hotkey. Note that this means that because you've repositioned the window, it may pop up and obscure text near the cursor. If this is a problem or you want to "reset" window positioning to pop up in the opposite half of the screen from the cursor, just press F10 (once if you are zoomed, twice if you aren't zoomed) and the automatic positioning will be restored. You can press F10 to zoom FAC's window to take up the full screen, and the program will "remember" to pop up in this mode the next time you press the hotkey. When you want to exit, press Esc, and FAC will collapse its window, and restore your screen and cursor location exactly the way it appeared when you pressed the hotkey. If you want to uninstall FAC as a memory resident program (TSR), you have two choices. You can uninstall FAC from the command line by using the /U switch, or you can press Alt-U twice while inside FAC's window. After you press Alt-U a second time, the program will exit and will uninstall itself from memory. What Are Swapping TSRs? ----------------------- You may have noticed that when you pressed the hotkey, a reverse video message appeared on the bottom of the screen which said "Swapping in..." Similarly, when you pressed Esc to exit the program, "Swapping out..." appeared. These messages tell you the program is swapping into and out of memory (RAM) from disk or expanded memory (EMS). Why does the program do this? Swapping TSRs are relatively new. When they install, they take a snapshot of the complete program and write it out to a "swap file" on disk (or use EMS memory), then free up all but a tiny portion of memory (which holds the portion of the program which watches for the hotkey and then does the actual swapping to/from disk). When swapping TSRs pop up September 14, 1991 Page 12 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation over your existing program, they may also have to take a snapshot of your application and write it to disk or EMS memory before it swaps the rest of the TSR in. So why do we want to put up with all this swapping in and out? Doesn't this cause delays? Why can't the program just pop up instantly like my other TSRs? Well, like everything else in the world, there are tradeoffs. In order to run full-featured, advanced programs, it takes memory (RAM). The more full-featured the program, the more memory it takes. Unfortunately, memory is a limited resource and "full-featured" often translates to "memory-hungry." FAC has many features but still only requires about 128K of RAM to run. This isn't a problem if FAC is the only program you want to run, but it's a big problem if you want FAC to be loaded as a TSR at the same time you're running other (full-featured) programs. When FAC is installed as a swapping TSR, it only requires about 7K of RAM to watch for you to press the hotkey and then swap what you're doing out and swap itself in. With all the other TSRs you use and the other programs you run, you need all the help you can get. The TSR swapping technology FAC uses helps you optimize all the memory you have with very little impact on how you use the program. As computers continue to become faster and more powerful, you'll see more and more swapping TSRs. The time you spend waiting on swapping is relatively trivial compared to the time it takes to leave your application, then return. On even the slowest computers, swapping delays are only about 1 or 2 seconds. On faster computers using EMS memory for swapping, the TSR can pop up instantaneously, for all practical purposes. Of course swapping delays can be affected by a wide range of hardware and software variables. Fast hard disks with 1:1 interleaves and high data transfer rates make a huge difference, even when used on an 808X CPU. If you're able to use EMS memory, RAM Disk, or disk caching (hardware or software) you'll find swapping delays to be negligible or even unmeasurable. See the section below on Advanced Options and Configuration for information on how to reduce swapping delays. The bottom line: I think the tradeoffs (swapping delays) are completely acceptable given the tremendous savings in your precious RAM. I think you'll think so, too! Advanced Options and Configuration ---------------------------------- FAC has several different options or "switches" you can use to customize the way FAC works when you invoke the program or install it as a popup. Again, FAC is designed to be very easy to use, and you may be perfectly happy with FAC's performance when you use its default options. Switch options are always preceded by either a "/" or a "-" and can be upper or lower case letters. Remember, to see a complete list of all FAC's options, just type "FAC /H" at the DOS prompt and press ENTER. Here's a quick summary of FAC's switches: September 14, 1991 Page 13 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation /A Don't make disk swap files hidden/system file(s); (with /I) /B Don't use color attributes; use monochrome attributes /D Use the specified file for the external data file /E Don't use EMS memory for swapping (use disk); (with /I) /F Enables "fuzzy search" mode /G Don't read text from screen on popup; (with /I) /H Show a list and description of the various switch options /I Loads popup/TSR with defaults /M Suppresses swapping messages; (with /I) /N No swapping; (with /I) /P Path for swap files; used (with /I) /T Don't use the AutoZoom feature /U Unload popup from memory, if possible /X Don't use exploding windows /Z Use a "zoomed" window which uses the full screen Most of these switches can be used in either of two ways: 1) as command line switches, entered when the program is run; or 2) entered as part of an environment variable called "FAC". If you wanted the program to use the fuzzy search mode, you could simply enter "FAC bolder /f" and the search would take place, using the fuzzy search. But, what if you wanted FAC to ALWAYS start in (default to) fuzzy mode? This is where the FAC environment variable would be used. Use the SET command to assign a string to the FAC environment variable: SET FAC=/f If you entered this before running FAC or had this line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, FAC would always start in fuzzy mode without having to enter it on the command line when you start the program. Suppose you always wanted FAC to use fuzzy search mode, zoomed windows, non-exploding windows, and when installed as a TSR: no swapping messages with a swap file path of d:\temp and without getting search strings from the screen. Instead of entering each of these switches each time you run the program, you would use the following environment variable entry, preferably in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file: SET FAC=/f /Z -x /M -pd:\temp /g ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Fuzzy mode ----------------| | | | | | Zoomed window ----------------+ | | | | Non-exploding window ------------+ | | | Swapping messages off --------------+ | | Swap path -----------------------------+ | Don't get search string from screen -------------+ Now, every time FAC is run the above settings will be the defaults. If you install the program as a TSR, these settings will be the default settings unless you change them after invoking the program with the hotkey. If you change them while TSR, that change will remain effective until the next time you change it. Note the use of both a slash and dash as switch characters and the mixed September 14, 1991 Page 14 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation use of upper and lower characters. You can use all FAC option switches in the SET FAC environment variable except /I and /U. You can use any combination of switches in any order. Invalid switch settings will be ignored. If you enter a swap path with the /P switch, it will be checked for validity prior to program execution. The following is a complete description of all FAC option switches listed in alphabetical order. The "/A" Switch --------------- When used with /I (and when disk is used for swapping), uses swap files with "normal" file attributes rather than hidden/system attributes. Can be used in the FAC environment variable. The /A switch says, "When FAC is installed as a TSR using disk for swapping, don't use hidden/system attributes on the swap file(s)." This switch allows you to control the file attribute used on the swap files. NOTE: If you use this switch, be SURE not to delete the swap file(s) while FAC is memory resident (TSR). If this file isn't present when the program tries to swap itself in, you'll probably have to reboot your computer to recover. The default is to use hidden/system attributes on the swap file(s) when swapping to disk. This switch does nothing if EMS is being used. Example: "FAC /I /A" In this example (if EMS wasn't available), the swap files would have normal attributes instead of hidden/system attributes. The "/B" Switch --------------- Used for both non-TSR and TSR. Can be used in the FAC environment variable. This option or program "switch" applies to FAC when run from the DOS prompt (non-memory resident mode) or when you install it as a popup. If you use the "/B" switch, FAC will use only black and white (monochrome) attributes for its text and window displays. If you have a monochrome system, FAC will normally be able to detect this and automatically use monochrome attributes. If you use a system which has a color card, running in color mode, but have a monochrome monitor, you should use the /B switch or use the DOS MODE command (e.g., MODE BW80). You may also want to use the /B switch if you have a laptop or notebook computer with a liquid crystal display (LCD). The default is to use color attributes if you system is using the color mode. September 14, 1991 Page 15 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation If you want to disable the use of color attributes when you run the program from the DOS command line (non-TSR), just put the /B switch after your search parameter. Example: "FAC City /B" When the program starts, the window and its contents would start out using monochrome or black and white screen attributes. The "/D" Switch --------------- Used when FAC is run from the command line or when it's installed as a TSR. Can be used in the FAC environment variable. The /D switch, when followed by a filename specification, says, "use the specified file name as the external data file to search or add information to." The file specification must be a valid, already existing file on your system and must reside in: the current directory, the directory where FAC.EXE resides, or in a directory defined by the DOS PATH statement. If the file doesn't exist, or can't be found, FAC will abort with an error message. If you know the file exists, make sure it is one of the three places described above. If the file doesn't exist, you must create it. To create a new file, use a text editor or use COPY CON FILENAME.EXT <ENTER> then type in text to be entered in the file. When you're done, press F6 to create the end of file marker then press ENTER to save the file. The default is to use the file MY-DATA.DAT. Examples: "FAC /Dstuff.txt" This example would start up FAC using the file STUFF.TXT as the external data file instead of the default, MY-DATA.DAT. The "/E" Switch --------------- When used with /I; don't use Expanded Memory (EMS) when it's available. Can be used in the FAC environment variable. The /E switch says, "even if EMS memory is present, don't grab it and use it for swapping--use disk instead." This switch prevents the program from automatically allocating your EMS memory. Note that using EMS memory greatly speeds up swapping; you should use it if possible. The default is to use EMS memory for swapping. Example: "FAC /I /E" September 14, 1991 Page 16 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation This example disables the use of EMS memory for swapping when FAC is installed as a TSR. The "/F" Switch --------------- Used for both non-TSR and TSR. Can be used in the FAC environment variable. The /F switch says, "Use a 'fuzzy' search method which doesn't require an exact spelling to get a match." When you use the /F switch, you tell the program to use a powerful text matching technique called the soundex algorithm. Soundex searches attempt to match words based on the way they sound rather than by how they're spelled. If you aren't sure how a city, state, or country is spelled, or you're getting a 'not found' message with the string you're using, try the /F switch. There is a price to pay for the soundex searching method: speed. Searches may take up to 10 times as long as normal "exactly spelled" searches, but this is well worthwhile if it's the only way you can find what you're looking for. You may also get a lot more seemingly unrelated "hits" from a fuzzy search, but this is normal. After all, you're looking for anything that remotely resembles or sounds like your search string. Since fuzzy searches take longer, you may need to stop the search before it completes. You can press any key during the fuzzy search and it will stop and return to the program's prompt. Once you're inside FAC, you can use the F2 key to toggle between normal searching and fuzzy searches (there's an indicator on in the top center of the window frame when you're in fuzzy mode). If you've installed FAC as memory resident program, the program will remember whether you were in fuzzy mode the last time you used it. Examples: "FAC Colorawdo /f" "FAC springfeild /f" In both these examples, the program would immediately start searching for the specified strings, but the 'Fuzzy Search' indicator would be on at the top center of the window frame, and you would also see a flashing message telling you the search is in progress. The first example would give you "hits" for Colorado, even though it's misspelled. The second example would find three instances of Springfield as you might expect, but also yields Palm Springs, Steamboat Springs, Colorado Springs, and Big Spring. The "/G" Switch --------------- When used with /I; don't get search strings from the screen in TSR mode. Can be used in the FAC environment variable. September 14, 1991 Page 17 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation The /G switch says, "When you popup FAC, don't read the text to search for off the user's screen; just ask for a string." This switch prevents you from grabbing the search string from the screen and requires you to enter it yourself. The default is to read the screen for the text to search for. Example: "FAC /I /G" This example disables reading the text from the screen when FAC is popped up. The "/I" Switch --------------- Used to install FAC as a swapping or non-swapping TSR. Can NOT be used in the FAC environment variable. The /I switch says, "Install FAC as a memory resident program using its defaults and/or other switches." If you use /I by itself, the program will install itself using several predefined defaults, all of which can be changed by using other switches. If you use /I alone to install FAC, the following defaults are used: - Swapping to disk is enabled unless sufficient EMS memory is found. - Messages which tell you swapping is happening are enabled. - Disk swap files will be hidden/system files. - The disk and directory path FAC uses for swap files is the same disk/directory where FAC found FAC.DAT. - AutoZoom is on. - Exploding windows are enabled (see the /X switch above). After you use the /I switch to install FAC, you will see a status message which describes the state of each of the above defaults. Note that if FAC is already installed, you won't be able to install a second copy. If you try to install it again, you'll get an error message and the installation will abort. If you don't have enough disk space for the swap files, you'll get an error message and FAC won't install as a TSR. After you install FAC as a TSR, don't move or rename the FAC.DAT file or you will probably get dumped from the TSR when you try to use it. Please note that you can't pop up FAC when you're using a program which is currently in graphics mode. If you try to pop it up, you'll hear a beep and nothing else will happen. Also, be aware that since FAC swaps the currently running program out so it can become active, you could have a problem with some programs, September 14, 1991 Page 18 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation especially communications programs. In this case, you should run the program in non-swapping mode (/N). It still isn't advisable to pop up any TSR when a communications program if data is coming in or going out. FAC should work fine with most other TSRs. The only problem you may encounter is when you don't load FAC last among other TSRs. This won't hurt anything, but you may not have access to your other TSRs when FAC is swapped in (since it may have swapped the other TSR(s) out of RAM). If FAC isn't in use, or it's been installed as a non-swapping TSR, you shouldn't have a problem with TSRs loaded after it. Don't attempt to install FAC while you're "shelled out" of other programs. For example, you can drop temporarily to DOS from many programs, but you should never try to install FAC while you're doing so. This also applies to many menu programs like PowerMenu and AutoMenu. These programs can leave a portion of themselves in memory. You should never try to install FAC as a TSR from any menu program. Completely exit from any other program before attempting to install FAC as a TSR. You may run FAC from the DOS prompt (non-TSR) while shelled out of another program if you wish. Example: "FAC /I" This would install FAC as a TSR with the defaults described above. The "/M" Switch --------------- Used with /I when installing FAC as a swapping TSR. Can be used in the FAC environment variable. The /M switch says, "don't put the swapping in/out... messages at the bottom of the screen when swapping." The program doesn't work any differently, except that you won't see the messages. If you use EMS memory (the default if you have EMS installed), or a RAM disk for swapping, the swapping messages might be an unnecessary distraction. The default is to have swapping messages appear. Example: "FAC /I /M" This would install FAC as a swapping TSR, but swapping messages would be disabled. The "/N" Switch --------------- Used with /I to install FAC as a non-swapping TSR. Can be used in the FAC environment variable. The /N switch says, "NO swapping; don't use the swapping TSR mode; keep the entire TSR in RAM." This will give you instant access to FAC when September 14, 1991 Page 19 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation you press the hotkey, but requires about 140K of RAM. If you have plenty of RAM, need FAC to be available instantly, and use programs which won't miss the memory FAC requires in this mode, use the /N switch. The default is a swapping TSR. Example: "FAC /I /N" This would install FAC as a non-swapping TSR. The "/P" Switch --------------- Used with /I when installing FAC as a swapping TSR. Can be used in the FAC environment variable. The /P switch, when followed by a complete path specification, says, "put the swap files in the specified disk/directory." The path specification must be a valid, already existing disk/directory, and must be less than 127 characters. Do not put a backslash on the end of the path specification (unless you're using the root directory of the specified disk). In other words, use the same format for the /P path specification that you would for a normal DOS PATH statement. The main reason you would use this switch would be to tell FAC to use a RAM disk. If you have a RAM disk, with at least 250K of space, you should use the /P switch to significantly speed up swapping. If you use /P to swap to RAM disk, you may wish to use the /M switch to disable the swapping in/out messages. It's highly inadvisable to use a removable (floppy) disk for the swap path. You won't harm anything, but you could lock up your machine and have to reboot if the disk isn't there when swapping needs to occur. Whether you use the /P option or not, FAC generates either one or two swap files, named FAC-SWP1.$$$ and FAC-SWP2.$$$, each about 130K in size, located wherever FAC.DAT was found (unless you specify otherwise with the /P switch). These files are marked with both System and Hidden attributes to make it less likely you will accidentally delete them unless you use the /A option). If they are deleted after FAC is loaded, and you try to pop up the program, you'll get an error message and you'll have to reboot. When you successfully unload FAC, the swap files are deleted. If you reboot or turn your machine off, the file(s) will remain, but will be written over the next time FAC is loaded as a TSR. The default is to put swap files in the same disk/directory where FAC.DAT was found. If you aren't sure where this is, run FAC with no parameters and look at the default determined by the program at run time. Examples: "FAC /I /Pd:" "FAC /I /Pc:\junk "FAC /I /Pc:\temp\" <=== WRONG!! No backslash after the path! September 14, 1991 Page 20 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation The first example would install FAC as a swapping TSR with the swap files located on the D: drive. The second example would use a swap file directory called C:\JUNK. The third example is an invalid path name and would give an error. The "/T" Switch --------------- Used for both non-TSR and TSR. Can be used in the FAC environment variable. This option or program "switch" applies to FAC when run from the DOS prompt (non-memory resident mode) or when you install it as a popup. If you use the "/T" switch, FAC will disable its use of the AutoZoom screen-sizing feature. If you use this option, it means that when a large number of lines needs to be displayed, the screen won't automatically zoom to full size to show you as much text as possible. The default is to use the AutoZoom feature. If you want to disable the AutoZoom feature when you run the program from the DOS command line (non-TSR), just put the /T switch after your search parameter. Example: "FAC City /T" When the program starts, the window would start out at the half size and then, when the window fills up with area code information containing the word "city," the program would pause instead of automatically zooming to full screen. The "/U" Switch --------------- Attempts to uninstall FAC (in TSR mode) from memory, and delete swap files, if they exist. Can NOT be used in the FAC environment variable. The /U switch says, "If it is safe to do so, remove FAC from RAM as a swapping or non-swapping TSR, free up associated memory, and delete any swap files which may have been created." Use the /U switch if you need to uninstall the program. "If it is safe to do so" means just that. If FAC isn't installed as the last TSR, you won't be able to uninstall it. (You may be able to uninstall FAC by using something like the Mark/Release TSRCOM utilities, but even then, you must remove FAC and all TSRs loaded after it. If you plan to frequently uninstall FAC you should load it last. Of course if you load FAC last, then you won't be able to unload TSRs loaded before it. Naturally, you can uninstall any TSR by rebooting your machine. Example: "FAC /U" September 14, 1991 Page 21 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation This example would uninstall FAC if no other TSRs were installed after it. Note that you can also uninstall FAC from inside the program by pressing Alt-U twice in succession. The "/X" Switch --------------- Used for both non-TSR and TSR. Can be used in the FAC environment variable. This option or program "switch" applies to FAC when run from the DOS prompt (non-memory resident mode) or when you install it as a popup. If you use the "/X" switch, FAC will disable its use of exploding windows. Exploding windows don't change the way the program searches or the way you use it, it just changes how the program looks when it starts and finishes. If you want to disable exploding windows when you run the program from the DOS command line (non-TSR), just put the /X switch after your search parameter. Example: "FAC boulder /x" When the program starts, the window would appear instantly on the screen instead of being exploded onto the screen. The "/Z" Switch --------------- Used for both non-TSR and TSR. Can be used in the FAC environment variable. This option applies to FAC when run from the DOS prompt (non-memory resident mode) or when you install it as a popup. If you use the "/Z" switch, FAC will "zoom" its window to take up the entire screen. Example: "FAC TX /Z" When the program starts, the window takes up the entire screen. You might want to use this option if you're viewing lists of area codes or all the area codes for one state. Error Conditions ---------------- FAC is very friendly and shouldn't give error messages unless there's really something you need to fix. Here are some error messages FAC could generate and why you might get them: September 14, 1991 Page 22 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation - "Error while trying to find/open FAC.DAT" Make sure FAC.DAT exists and that the disk and directory containing FAC.DAT is on your DOS path. - "XXXX is an invalid path name!" You've specified an incorrect path when using the /P switch or the path you've specified is too long the limit is 127 characters) - "XXXX is an invalid file name!" You've specified an incorrect file when using the /D switch. - "FAC isn't loaded!" You've tried to uninstall FAC (as a TSR) when it wasn't previously loaded. Use the /I option to install it. - "Unable to unload FAC. Probably isn't safe to do so!" This isn't really an error message; it just means that the program can't uninstall itself, probably because there's another TSR or program loaded after it. Try rebooting if you have to unload it. - "XXXX not found." This, too, isn't really an error message. You'll get this message any time you searched for string and it wasn't found. The string you're searching for may not be in FAC.DAT or you may need to check your spelling. Try the fuzzy search mode if you aren't sure of the spelling. - "FAC is already memory resident!" You're trying to install FAC after it's already been loaded. Use FAC /U to uninstall it. - "Unable to go TSR. Do you have enough swap file disk space on X:?" This message means FAC couldn't go TSR, probably because you don't have enough RAM, or you don't have enough disk space for the swap files. - "Couldn't make window!" There was a memory allocation error when FAC tried to draw its window. You probably don't have enough RAM to run FAC. Technical/Compatibility Notes ----------------------------- Find Area Code runs on IBM PC compatibles (clones) using DOS 3.XX and 4.01, and MS-DOS 5.0. I'm pretty sure the program won't work with DOS 2.X since 2.X handles paths differently. It might work if you're in the same directory as the data file. FAC is DESQview-aware in the sense that it will disable direct-screen writing when it detects the presence of DESQview. FAC runs well in a small (160K) DESQview window. FAC is written mainly in Borland's Turbo Pascal 6.0. One of the reasons the program searches so quickly is RLINE, Don Strenczewilk's excellent Turbo Pascal OOP text file handling unit. RLINE allows you to define a "file of lines" object. In addition, FAC can search at a rate of over September 14, 1991 Page 23 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation 800 lines per second on an XT with a slow hard disk, 2200 lines per second on a 386SX without caching and 3400 lines per second with caching! Thanks to Don for graciously donating his code to the public domain! The excellent TSR swapping system and windowing comes from Object Professional 1.1 from TurboPower Software. If you do any programming in Turbo Pascal 6.0, you owe it to yourself to use Object Pro! How to Reach the Author ----------------------- Michael K. Molloy 8531 East Dry Creek Place Englewood, CO 80112 CIS: 72737,3237 CompuServe Information Service (CIS) is the best place to reach me, but I also frequent the MicroManiac!, Tom Gettys' fantastic Wildcat BBS (303-673-9470) in Lafayette, CO. I would be happy to provide electronic support there, if you wish. His board should always have the latest version of Find Area Code (and hundreds of other fresh uploads!). Alternative Uses ---------------- You may have thought to yourself as you used FAC, "Hmmm, if I can pop FAC up anywhere as a tiny TSR, and if I can change the contents of the FAC.DAT file and the external data file, why can't I put my own personal information into it and quickly and conveniently search for it when I need it?" You can, and I hope you will. I think the ease of modifying FAC's database is a very valuable feature. In fact, one of the reasons I decided to write "yet another area code finder" was the frustration I had with the fact you couldn't modify, correct, update, or add to some of the other area code program data files. My own personal use of FAC goes far beyond just using it to hunt down area codes. Here's what I do. I have (you probably do, too if you're any kind of computer nut) a database of friends and relatives with which I maintain a quick reference phone list. Periodically, I use my database program to generate a report which I print to disk. The report looks something like this: John Doe 555-555-5555 1234 Anywhere St., Anyplace, CO 12345 Joe's Software Shop 555-1234 (open 24 hours) Jay's Hardware Emporium 555-9876 (Closes at 6pm) Jim Smith 555-0000 (Keep trying; has teenagers on phone) ... (you get the idea) September 14, 1991 Page 24 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation I use an editor to paste the ASCII information into the MY-DATA.DAT file and presto, I have a 7K popup database of our family and friends. I put the information at the front only to improve search times for the information I need most frequently; it can be anywhere, in any format, in any order since every character of the entire file is searched every time. Obviously, if you change the data file to reflect your own data, it could be used for almost anything. Just remember, the program is line-oriented--all the information for one "record" must be on the same line. Each line in the data file is limited to 119 characters. If lines are longer than 119 characters, they'll be truncated when they are displayed. The program will automatically wordwrap lines of up to 119 characters when the "record" is displayed. I guess the way I use FAC makes it kind of a "poor man's personal information manager (PIM)". I've found that FAC is far superior to LIST and other text file handling programs when it comes to ease of use and search speed. FAC certainly isn't offered as any kind of free format database package, but I think it bridges an important gap between a full-blown database application and a tattered piece of paper taped above your computer desk. I think this capability gives FAC significant "value added." I hope you agree and see another reason to support the program with your registration. Use your imagination! If you come up with radical or useful new applications for Find Area Code "engine", please let me know. Final Remarks ------------- Many thanks to my wife, Bobbea, for her friendship, love, and support in every aspect of my life. Thanks to Tom Gettys and George Clifford for their valuable beta test feedback and for having the best BBSs in Colorado! Thanks to members of the Association of Shareware Professionals, especially Paul Mayer and Bob Falk for advice on shareware and for some of the boilerplate text for my documentation. I've made every effort to provide the correct area codes and foreign country city codes. If you find errors or additions, please let me know. NOTE: Your registration and support for this program will enable me to continue to develop FAC and add other valuable features in future versions: - Capability to set user defaults (colors/hotkey/etc.) - Extended "record" length - Mouse support? - You tell me. If FAC doesn't do what you think it should, or you'd like for it to do September 14, 1991 Page 25 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation something else, I would be happy to develop a customized version of the program for anyone who wants one (for a reasonable fee). I'd appreciate bug reports, new feature requests, comments, performance problems, constructive criticism, suggestions, additions, and/or corrections regarding Find Area Code. September 14, 1991 Page 26 of 27 Find Area Code Documentation Quick Reference List of FAC Switch Options ------------------------------------------ /A When used with /I & disk swapping, don't use hidden/system attributes on swap files /B Don't use color screen attributes; use monochrome (black & white) only /Dfilename.ext Use the specified file name as the external data file to search/add to /E When used with /I, don't use Expanded Memory (EMS) even if it's available; use disk swapping /F Enables "fuzzy search" mode to find sound-alike, approximate spellings /G When used with /I, don't read text from screen on popup /H Show a help screen of options & descriptions /I Loads popup/TSR with defaults: - Swap using EMS memory (or disk if no EMS) - Swapping messages on - Swap files have hidden/system attributes - Swap file path = same path FAC.DAT found on - Exploding windows on - AutoZoom is On - Read search string from screen /M When used with /I, loads popup; suppresses swapping messages /N When used with /I, loads popup; no swapping (instant popup mode, but requires 140K RAM) /Pc:\temp When used with /I, loads popup: path for swap files = c:\temp; Specify RAM disk if possible /T Don't use the AutoZoom feature (automatically zooms to full screen when necessary) /U If installed as a TSR, unloads popup from memory, if possible; deletes swap files /X Don't use exploding windows /Z Use a "zoomed" window which uses the full screen September 14, 1991 Page 27 of 27