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Night Owl's Shareware - PDSI-006 - Night Owl Corp (1990).iso
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README.4F
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1991-03-21
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"READ.ME" FOR 4FILES V-1.5
===========================
(Also see 4FILES.DOC.)
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| CONTENTS OF THIS FILE: |
| ===================== |
| 1) Description of EXAMPLE Batch files included in 4FILES.ZIP. |
| |
| 2) Auxilliary programs you will need to download if you don't already |
| have a good file browser or archive viewer. Besides viewing the |
| contents of any file, the browser displays 4FILES' help screen. |
| |
| 3) Some notes about 4DOS and its remarkable features. 4FILES may be |
| fully evaluated without 4DOS installed on your system, but is |
| intended to work with it. 4DOS is incredible -- try it! |
| |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
1) EXAMPLE BATCH FILES
=================== The included batch files are examples of how to set
colors or monochrome highlights with command line switches. See 4FILES.DOC
for full instructions on writing your own -- there is a trick involved which
is not obvious. Screen blinking is disabled in 4FILES, allowing a choice of
all 16 colors.
2) AUXILIARY PROGRAMS YOU SHOULD HAVE
==================================
You may wish to download some other utilites 4FILES can execute as child
processes to perform the functions described below. As supplied, 4FILES is
coded to look for these programs shown below in the places shown. If you do
not wish to employ these filespecs, you may patch 4FILES to use different
ones. Clear, detailed instructions on how to do this using DEBUG are in
included in 4FILES.DOC. These programs are called with the DOS EXEC
function, which will not recognize your path.
C:\4DOS\LIST.COM Used for browsing files and displaying the
4FILES help screen. Vern Buerg's LIST.COM
is perfect for this.
C:\4DOS\FV.EXE Used to display a list of the files
contained in any of seven types of archive
files. FV exits immediately, so 4FILES
waits for a key hit before repainting the
screen. FV.EXE is another Buerg program.
C:\E\EDIT.EXE Calls the text editor or your choice. This
is not coded to any specific editor.
Either move and rename your editor, or
patch the filespec you want into 4FILES.
C:\4DOS\WHERE.EXE This is for a file finder such as WHEREIS
or Bruce Gavin's FIND.EXE. The calling
function will pause for a keyhit, as for
FV.
C:\4DOS\4FILES.DOC The first page of the manual is a help
screen, and this is where 4FILES looks.
Of course, you can always substitute any kind of program you wish for any
of the program calling functions. For example, you could patch in a hex
editor in place of a file finder (or simply rename the editor "WHERE.EXE"
and move it to \4DOS).
Note that in all cases the full path and complete filename, including
extension, must be given. The DOS function used to call these programs will
not recognize your PATH.
You may obtain LIST.COM and FV.EXE from most BBSs or from their author:
Vern Buerg, 139 White Oak Circle, Petaluma, Ca 94952
His BBS: 415-994-2944.
===========================
3) 4DOS REVOLUTIONARY FEATURES
===========================
4DOS replaces the MSDOS command processor (COMMAND.COM), vastly improving the
standard internal DOS commands, and adding many important new commands and
features. It has truly revolutionized my computer usage. For starters, it has
made a whole slew of utilities obsolete, incorporating their features into one
seamless, fast executing package. This also freed up a lot disk space and has
simplified management of my hard disk.
Here is a PARTIAL list of 4DOS features and internal commands and what they
make obsolete:
FEATURES METHOD FUNCTION
----------------- ----------- ----------------------------------------
Command History arrow keys: Scroll through previous command lines.
edit keys: Edit an earlier command for execution.
Replaces CED type utilities.
Command Line -- Multiple commands on one line accepted.
ALIAS Command line Replace many short batch files with fast
or via an RAM based commands. Also, rename any
ALIAS file. internal command to your whims, and more.
Batch Language -- Significantly expanded!
File Notes -- A 40-character note may be associated with
any file, and will be transferred with it
during move/copy/rename operations. Use
4FILES.COM (shareware) for best advantage.
COPY COMMAND Can be set up to warn you if you are
overcopying an existing file. Replaces
COPYSAFE.COM type utilities.
MOVE COMMAND Move a file anywhere. Replaces MOVE.COM
type utilities.
KEYSTACK Batch file Stuff characters in the keyboard buffer
or alias for a called program. Replaces KEYFAKE
and STACKEY type utilities.
DIR ENHANCED Over 20 options are provide for the
standard DIR command, allowing you to
display 1-4 columns sorted or filtered
any way you like. Using entries in an
ALIAS file, you can put easy names (DD,
DF, etc) on a few of your favorite sorts,
and call them as internal commands.
GLOBAL COMMAND A command augmenter, causing execution
AUGMENTER of the command in the current directory
and its subdirectories. Replaces SWEEP.COM.
SELECT COMMAND Shows a list of files meeting a filespec,
AUGMENTER and allows files to be marked for copy,
move, etc. Example: SELECT COPY (*.*)
EXCEPT COMMAND Perform the command on all except the
AUGMENTER files specified. Replaces NO.COM.
ATTRIB COMMAND Display and alter a files's attributes.
CDD COMMAND Change drive and directory in one command.
TEE & Y COMMAND LINE Enhanced piping commands.
LOG COMMAND Save commands to a disk log file.
TIMER COMMAND Stopwatch.
REN COMMAND Can also rename subdirectories!!
ESET COMMAND Edits environment variables & aliases.
==================
4DOS AVAILABILITY:
==================
4DOS is available as shareware from many BBSs, but since it is a long down
load you may wish to get it (complete with printed manual) by mail from:
JP Software, Box 1470, E. Arlington, Ma 02174 (617)-646-3975 (voice)
4DOS costs $50 for disk, a nice printed manual, a free upgrade to the next
version, and free technical support. Cost for the disk only is $35. The manual
is excellent, and worth the extra $15.