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A R J M E N U
_______________________________________
User's Manual
Copyright 1991 by Michael D McCombs
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Michael D McCombs
517 Ninth Ave. #310
Seattle, WA 98104
ARJMENU ii
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
ARJMENU is Copyright (c) 1991 by Michael D McCombs
This document is Copyright (c) 1991 by Michael D McCombs
No parts of ARJMENU or this document may be copied in whole or in part,
except as provide in the license on the next page.
DISCLAIMER
Michael D McCombs, hereinafter referred to as the author, makes no warranty
of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties
of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose with respect to
this software and its associated documentation.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES
FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF INFORMATION OR DATA,
OR OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS
PROGRAM, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
Trademarks and Copyrights
ARJ, ARJSORT, REARJ, UNARJ, and AV are Copyright (c) 1990, 1991 by
Robert K Jung.
XSPAWN is Copyright (c) 1991 by Whitney Software
Other products mentioned herein are the property of their respective
authors, ordinarily mentioned with the product.
ARJMENU iii
LICENSE
ARJMENU is not, nor has it ever been, public domain software.
ARJMENU is distributed under the Shareware (User Supported Software)
concept. ARJMENU is free for the use of non-commercial, non-institutional
and non-governmental users. A limited license is granted to commercial,
institutional and governmental users to use ARJMENU for a trial period not
to exceed four weeks in order to determine if ARJMENU meets their needs.
Any use by a commercial, institutional or governmental user beyond this
period is expressly forbidden.
All users are granted a limited license to copy ARJMENU for the sole
purpose of allowing others to try it, subject to the above restrictions
and:
ARJMENU must be distributed in unmodified form, including ALL files
present in the original.
ARJMENU may not be included with any other product for any reason
without a special license from the author.
No price or fee may be charged for ARJMENU, excepting that a
subscription fee to a BBS or similar distribution system shall not be
considered such a fee.
Distributors of Shareware (User Supported) and Public Domain software MUST
obtain written permission from the author before distributing ARJMENU and
MUST follow the above conditions.
Special license is obtainable for religious institutions, excepting
schools, colleges or universities owned by religious institutions that
offer courses other than those taught toward ordination or investment as
minister, priest, rabbi, imam or other cleric.
The following section contains further information on licensing.
_______________________________________
Author's note: The above simply means you can use ARJMENU for free at home,
but not at work. It can be distributed on BBS's as normal. The special
license for religious institutions excludes all educational affiliates
except seminaries or non-christian equivalents. The author reserves the
right to judge what is a valid religious institution.
ARJMENU iv
REGISTRATION
As noted on the page before, registration is not required for use of
ARJMENU in a private home by a private user. Registration IS required by
all other users after the original four week trial period.
A donation of $15.00 (US) is suggested for all non-registering users. Such
donations are what make it possible for authors like myself to continue to
create and improve Shareware. You are also strongly urged to support ARJ,
REARJ, ARJSORT, UNARJ, and AV, without which this program would not exist.
The following page is a registration form and contains current prices.
Commercial, institutional and governmental users should also read the
following page which contains information on licensing multiple copies of
ARJMENU.
ARJMENU v
ARJMENU version 1.00
________________________________________________________________________
____ copies of ARJMENU ............................ $20.00 ea. $_______
____ copies of ARJMENU (disk requested)............ $30.00 ea. $_______
Subtotal $_______
- Discount $_______
Washington State residents or corporations + 8.3% (tax) $_______
Total $_______
Checks or money orders accepted, no PO's, no COD's
_________________________________________________________________________
Name:____________________________________________________________
Company:____________________________________________________________
Address:____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Phone:(____)_______________ (In case of problems with your order)
Where did you obtain ARJMENU?
________________________________________________________________________
Comments:_______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
ARJMENU vi
COMMERCIAL, INSTITUTIONAL, GOVERNMENTAL AND QUANTITY PURCHASES
All commercial, institutional, and governmental usage must be registered.
Volume discounts and site licenses are available. The registration form on
the previous page may be used to purchase multiple copies, using the
following schedule for discounts:
1 - 10 copies no discount
11 - 20 copies 10% discount
21 - 50 copies 15% discount
51 - 100 copies 20% discount
101 - 200 copies 30% discount
201+ copies 40% discount
Quantities in excess of 10 copies are site licenses and will receive one
copy of the distribution diskette. The licensee is responsible for copying
the disks (backup copies do NOT count toward the total number).
The name that appears on the registration form is considered the contact
and is the person to whom all correspondence will be directed.
Prices and discounts subject to change without notice. Discounts apply only
to one order, they are NOT cumulative.
Special rates are available for religious institutions as noted in the
License. Please write the author for details.
ARJMENU vii
C O N T E N T S
Copyright........................................................... i
Disclaimer.......................................................... ii
License............................................................. iii
Registration........................................................ iv
Order form.......................................................... v
Quantity discounts.................................................. vi
Introduction........................................................ 1
Requirements................................................... 1
Terminology.................................................... 2
Mouse support.................................................. 3
ARJMENU activity............................................... 3
Installation................................................... 3
Configuration.................................................. 3
General operations.................................................. 5
Options menus.................................................. 5
Child processes................................................ 6
Order of selection............................................. 6
Quick Exit..................................................... 6
Specific operations................................................. 7
Main Menu Bar.................................................. 7
"Fast" menu.................................................... 7
"Add" menu..................................................... 8
"Extract" menu................................................. 8
"List" menu.................................................... 9
"Read" menu.................................................... 9
"Misc" menu.................................................... 9
"Shell" menu................................................... 11
"Config" menu.................................................. 12
"Quit" menu.................................................... 12
Defaults............................................................ 13
Tips & Techniques................................................... 14
Error messages...................................................... 18
Technical notes..................................................... 20
The future of ARJMENU ?............................................. 21
Contacting the author............................................... 21
Credits............................................................. 22
ARJMENU 1
INTRODUCTION
ARJMENU is an attempt to bring the tremendous versatility of Robert Jung's
ARJ to those for whom the DOS command-line is a curse and not a blessing.
In the creation of ARJ, Robert added so many commands and switches that
it can be very difficult to remember them all. Thus ARJMENU. With ARJMENU,
all this power is available in a pop-up window environment with full mouse
support. It is quite possible to do the vast majority of your archive
operations without ever using anything but your mouse or the cursor keys
combined with the Escape and Enter keys.
ARJMENU is an ARJ shell utility. ARJ still provides the services, but you
build the command-line without conscious thought via the menu structure.
I have structured ARJMENU to break the process into a series of logical
steps that should be more or less intuitive for the normal user.
Features: ARJMENU is a user friendly, ANSI graphic interface for
Robert Jung's powerful ARJ compression utility.
1. Provides "point and shoot" flexibility
2. Fully mouse supported
3. Provides access to all commands, switches and options
of ARJ, REARJ, and ARJSORT
4. Allows loading an archived file to Buerg's LIST.COM
5. Allows virus checking of files in an ARJ archive with
McAfee's SCAN.EXE
6. Allows use of the user's favorite editor to edit
files in an ARJ archive
7. Supports multiple drives for greater flexibility
8. Supports external DOS commands via a DOS shell
9. Provides access to all files on disk with scrolling
directories
10. Heavy error protection to prevent damage or loss to
important files and data
REQUIREMENTS
ARJMENU requires about 150K RAM. To make ARJ fully operational, a full
640K is suggested, as ARJ requires 300K plus adequate memory to store path
and file names. ARJ.EXE must be in a directory included in your PATH
statement. See your DOS manual for details of the PATH statement if you
are unfamiliar with it. ARJSORT also needs to have the DOS program
SORT.EXE in the DOS PATH if the Order option is used. For full
functionality Robert Jung's REARJ.EXE and ARJSORT.COM, Vern Buerg's
LIST.COM, McAfee's SCAN.EXE and your choice of a text editor that accepts
a file name on its command line should be PATHed. (ARJMENU 1.00 is written
for ARJ version 2.21. Not all the commands available to ARJMENU will work
on previous versions of ARJ.)
ARJMENU 2
ARJMENU is designed for use with hard disk drives. It currently supports
drives C through F. Your floppy disk drive(s) can be accessed. See the
section on "Tips & Techniques", below. If you do not currently have a
LASTDRIVE statement in you CONFIG.SYS, it would be best to add one. Again,
refer to your DOS manual if this is unfamiliar to you. You will probably
not be able to run ARJMENU on a "floppy only" system as all temporary
files are written to the root directory of "C:".
I strongly urge you to read the documentation that comes with ARJ. Robert
Jung's excellent user's manuals will greatly enhance your use of ARJMENU.
TERMINOLOGY
The following terms are used throughout this manual:
ARJ-pick-screen: A scrolling menu screen that shows all ARJ archive files
in the current directory. Directories and drives may be changed to view
all ARJ files available. Toggle with TAB to view files other than .ARJ.
ARJ-file-pick-screen: A scrolling menu screen that shows the contents of
the selected ARJ archive file. Directories may be selected to view all
files in the archive.
Command: The one-letter command selected for passing to ARJ.EXE.
Current directory: The directory in which ARJMENU is currently operating.
This will remain the same until changed by you from a pick-screen or
upon exitting the program. It is indicated in a box on the pick-screens.
File-pick-screen: A scrolling menu screen that shows all files in the
current directory. Directories and drives may be changed to view all files
available. Does not select files with the "Hidden" or "System" attributes
set. Toggle with TAB to view only .ARJ files.
Menu: A rectangular box with multiple selections. The choice may be made
with the highlighted letter or either the Enter key or the left mouse
button.
Menu-bar: The main menu for selecting categories of commands. Selection is
made with the highlighted letter or the Enter button or the left mouse
button.
Options: Options are switches for other programs. They are selected form
the options menus.
User input box: A dialogue box that appears in which you may enter the
information requested. See "Defaults", below, for further details.
ARJMENU 3
Variables: These are files on which you wish ARJ to operate - extract,
delete, add, update, freshen, etc. May be either full names or wildcards
may be used.
Working directory: This is the directory in which ARJ.EXE builds its
working files. If you are working on a nearly full disk, specifying a
working directory will move most of the temporary files built by ARJ
elsewhere to avoid "Out of disk space" problems.
MOUSE OPERATIONS
ARJMENU supports any two button mouse, and should work with most three
button types. The left button simulates the Enter key, the right button
simulates the Escape key. Movement right, left, up or down acts as the
similarly marked cursor key. Pressing both buttons together simulates the
Space key.
ARJMENU ACTIVITY
ARJMENU is disk I/O intensive - it reads and writes to disk extensively.
It also creates several temporary files and directories to avoid DOS
command-line length limits. All extra files and directories are eliminated
by normal exit. For the curious, these temporary files are: AMADD.$$$,
AMEXT.$$$ and AMEXC.$$$. ARJMENU also creates a working directory during
some operations, called AMTMP.$$$. The XSPAWN module that swaps ARJMENU to
disk during child processes, creates a working directory called AMXSPAWN
on the root of the default drive. The swap files in that directory will be
called SWPn, where n is a number from one to 10. ARJMENU is also memory
usage intensive. While it occupies less than 2K when it spawns another
process (ARJ, REARJ, ARJSORT, SCAN, LIST, or the user defined editor), it
can occupy over 150K while conducting other operations. Certain TSR's may
cause ARJMENU to not perform or open a hyperlink to Never-Never land. If
ARJMENU does odd things, try removing all TSR's and run it again.
INSTALLATION
ARJMENU is installed by copying the executable ARJMENU.EXE to a directory
on your disk that is defined in the DOS PATH statement. See REQUIREMENTS,
above, for other files that must also be available on the PATH.
CONFIGURATION
The ARJMENU display is largely able to be configured to the user's personal
taste. Select "Config" from the Main Menu Bar as described below and choose
the colors, line style, shadows, and define your favorite text editor. Then
ARJMENU 4
simply choose "Save to file" from the main configuration menu. This will
write a file with your choices to the default directory. This file,
ARJMENU.CFG, may then be moved to any directory named in your PATH. If you
are using a green or white monochrome monitor, the default selection may
be the best for you. With an amber monochrome monitor, you will probably
wish to change the highlighted letter color to bright red or some other
intermediate color. If you are going to use the text editor option of
ARJMENU, you MUST choose an editor with the Config menu. You may also
select the order of selection (command first or archive name first) from
within this menu.
ARJMENU 5
GENERAL OPERATIONS
ARJMENU uses pop-up menus to logically assign the instructions for the
other programs to use. You may select a menu item in two ways. Either
scroll up or down to the selection desired with the cursor control keys or
the mouse, or type the highlighted letter starting the selection. On menus
with more than one selection beginning with the same letter, only the first
one may be selected in this manner. Pressing Enter at this time will
execute that selection: choose an option, produce another menu, launch a
process, or other action as appropriate. Esc will exit any menu (except the
Main Menu-Bar) without action and return you to the previous menu. Also,
menus are "continuous" - reaching the bottom of a menu will start the
cursor over at the top. An up movement at the top of a menu will act like
the Esc key.
Some information simply can't be entered by point and shoot, so pop-up user
input boxes are used. These work in much the same way. Enter concludes the
use of the box, Esc exits without input and aborts the operation, returning
you to the menu - except in the Options menus, where it acts like an Enter.
User input boxes are also used whenever it may be convenient to use DOS
wildcard characters, as in selecting files to be included/excluded in an
ARJ archive. All standard DOS wildcard usage is supported.
ARJMENU also uses pop-up scrolling directory selection menus, called pick-
screens. There are no highlighted letter features, but Home, End, PgUp and
PgDn are active to permit more rapid searching through a large directory.
ARJMENU supportss directories up to 500 files in size. In general, however,
directories larger than 100 files slow DOS operations and should be
avoided. This menu allows the changing of drives and directories. Selecting
a <DIR> will change to that directory, "/" will pop-up a drive selection
menu. TAB will cycle through *.*, *.ARJ and a user-input box.
ARJMENU uses a similar scrolling menu for the contents of an ARJ archive.
Because of the way an ARJ file is constructed, the directory structure is
a construct rather than actual. However, it operates basically like the
previous menu. The usage of both is documented in an information box that
appears along with the menu on the same screen. Selecting a <DIR> will
change to that path, selecting <ROOT> will return to the "base directory"
of the archive. TAB will toggle to a user-input box.
The whole process is intentionally self-explanatory. I provide instructions
here, but, by and large, they are unnecessary. You will find yourself
moving around in and using ARJMENU with complete comfort in a very short
period of time, possibly even during your first session.
OPTIONS MENUS
The unique versatility of ARJ lies in its wide selection of options via
switches. To support this, ARJMENU uses a series of interconnecting
"sticky" menus - they remain after selection so that further selections can
be made. In the "Add" category, there is a chain of three of these,
ARJMENU 6
interchanged by selecting the "More options". In "Extract" there are two.
The other categories do fit onto one screen as of ARJ version 2.21. Many
of the switches require filenames, numbers or other user input, and for
each of these a user input box is presented with enough information for you
to enter that data. If the "Xclude files" (-x) switch is selected, either
the file-pick-screen or the ARJ-file-pick-screen, as appropriate, is
available for point and shoot entry. A description of what each of these
switches does is beyond the scope of this manual, and you are urged to read
the ARJ.DOC file that comes with ARJ to familiarize yourself with their
functions.
CHILD PROCESSES
A "child" process is an operation started from within another operation
that returns to the original. In this sense, ARJ, ARJSORT, REARJ, LIST,
SCAN and your text editor are child processes of ARJMENU. ARJMENU is
basically a sophisticated file manipulator and command line generator, and
hands all actual processing of ARJ files to ARJ.EXE. As a child program
is started, you will note the screen go blank for a brief moment as the new
program loads into memory and the "parent" is moved from RAM to disk to
allow more room for operation by the child process. The same thing will
occur as the child program returns control to the "parent" -
ARJMENU.EXE. While in the child program, that program controls your
computer, not ARJMENU. This allows full utilization of all a programs
resources..., and any of its failings. I carefully selected Vern Buerg's
LIST.COM and John McAfee's SCAN.EXE for their durability and compatibility
with ARJMENU and many other programs. ARJ.EXE, ARJSORT and REARJ.EXE are
also very strong programs, not easily disrupted. Try to choose a text
editor that is also robust and handles both critical errors (those that
produce messages like "Abort, Retry, Fail?") and control-break situations
gracefully. ARJMENU has built-in routines for handling these, but its not
"in-charge" while the child process is running.
ORDER OF SELECTION
You may select from two different orders of entering information into
ARJMENU. I recommend the novice use "Command first". Once you become
experienced with ARJ and ARJMENU, try "Achive first". The main body
of this manual is written for "Command first" - differences are discussed
in some detail in "Tips & Techniques" later in this manual.
QUICK EXIT
ARJMENU may be exited at virtually any time with a <Ctrl> C - that is,
holding down the CONTROL button and pressing "c". Remember, however, that
the child process may have its own way of handling <Ctrl> C, and may not
have the expected result if used while in such a process.
USER INPUT BOX EDITOR
The user-input boxes are fully editable. The usual editing keys are
available: left and right cursor, <CTRL> left and right cursor (words),
HOME, END, DEL, BKSP, and INS to toggle between "overwrite" and "insert".
ARJMENU 7
SPECIFIC OPERATIONS
MAIN MENU BAR
The Main Menu-Bar is divided into categories of ARJ and other program
commands. From left to right, these are:
Fast
Add
Extract
List
Read
Misc
Shell
Config
Quit
A category is selected by moving the cursor with the cursor control keys
or the mouse to the desired entry, or typing the first letter. Pressing
Enter or the down cursor key will pop-up the associated menu. Esc will
return you to the Main Menu-Bar.
On the far left of the Main Menu-Bar is the program Title. Selecting this
will present the version number and the author's name and address.
"FAST" MENU
The FAST menu is for rapid access to the most frequently used ARJ commands.
The command available on this menu are:
Add (make)
Extract
Freshen
List
Update
Each of these is a simplified version its counterpart command available in
the Add, Extract or List category. Each starts with the presentation of the
ARJ-pick-screen. Once the ARJ archive file is selected, all else is
automatic. All these commands use the "all files" and directory defaults of
ARJ. Specifically, this means:
Add will place all files in the default directory into the archive file.
Extract will extract all files in the archive to the default directory.
Freshen will replace all files in the archive with newer versions that are
located in the original directories - unless the -e option was used to
create the original archive, in which case ARJ will look for newer
ARJMENU 8
versions in the default directory. List will display the contents of the
archive. Update will operate like "Fast - Freshen", except that all files
in the default directory NOT in the archive will also be added.
Not selecting an ARJ file (through the use of the Esc key) will abort the
operation and return you to the "Fast" menu.
"ADD" MENU
The ADD menu provides access to the commands for adding files to a new or
pre-existing archive. Each starts with the presentation of an ARJ-pick-
screen. You may TAB to cycle through the selection options to the user
input box. This box will also accept wildcards so that, for example,
multiple archives can be freshened at once - i.e. c:\storage\*.arj. Both
absolute and relative pathnames are acceptable. Pressing Esc while in this
input box will abort the operation and return you to the "Add" menu.
This step will be followed by a file-pick-screen for selecting files to be
added/updated. Again, TAB from the pick screen will present a user input
box. This allows wildcard entries as before. Pressing Esc while in this
input box will retrun you to the "Add" menu.
This will present a series of "Option" menus. This is the selection process
for the ARJ switches. See OPTIONS MENUS, above, for more detail.
"EXTRACT" MENU
The EXTRACT menu provides access to the commands for extracting or deleting
from an archive. Each starts with the presentation of an ARJ-pick-screen.
TAB will, again, cycle through the possible file selection processes.
This box will also accept wildcards so that, for example, multiple
archives can be processed at once - i.e. c:\storage\*.arj. Both absolute
and relative pathnames are acceptable. Pressing Esc while in this input box
will abort the operation and return you to the "Extract" menu.
This step will be followed by a ARJ-file-pick-screen for selecting files
to be extracted/deleted. Again, TAB from the pick screen will present a
user input box. This allows wildcard entries as before. Pressing Enter
on a blank line in this input box will select the default "all-files"
used in the "Fast" menu.
An additional step is inserted at this point for selection of a directory
to which to extract for both the "Extract" and "Xtract with full path"
commands. For "Extract", all files will be extracted to this directory. For
"Xtract", this directory will be used as the base directory from which the
archive internal directory structure will be built.
This will then lead to the "Options menu".
ARJMENU 9
"LIST" MENU
The LIST menu provides access to the commands for listing files in an
archive. Each starts with the presentation of an ARJ-pick-screen. TAB
selection presents the noranl file selection sequence and user input box.
This box will also accept wildcards so that, for example, multiple archives
can be listed at once - i.e. c:\storage\*.arj. Both absolute and relative
pathnames are acceptable. Pressing Esc while in this input box will abort
the operation and return you to the "List" menu. This step will be followed
by a user input box for selecting which files to list by filename or
wildcards. This allows you to view only that part of the archive you wish.
Pressing Esc while in this box will select "all files" as in the "Fast"
menu.
This will be followed by the "Options menu".
"READ" MENU
The READ menu provides a variety of options for reading files within an ARJ
archive. The "Print" selection provides access redirecting the contents of
an archived file to another file or directly to the printer (with support
for prn, lpt1, lpt2, com1, com2, etc.). The first thing you see if you
choose "Print" is this choice. From there, it goes through the normal
sequence of ARJ-pick-screen or ARJ input box, ARJ-file-pick-screen or wildcard
or filename input box. The options available for the "Print" command are
limited to those necessary to extract the file.
The "Read with LIST.COM" command is similar. ARJMENU cycles through the
usual sequence. After options are obtained, the file(s) are extracted and
LIST.COM is loaded to read them. Any errors in the extraction process will
bypass LIST and return you to the "Read" menu.
The "Sample" command uses ARJ's built in file sampler to read the files.
This command (the ARJ "s" command) is designed to take a quick look at the
file to determine if it is the one you really want. The sequence is exactly
like that of "Read - LIST.COM".
The "Where is" command locates text within files archived in an ARJ
archive. The sequence is the same, as ARJ asks for the words or phrases you
are seeking after it is in operation.
"MISC" MENU
The MISC menu provides access to the various ARJ commands that do not
logically fall into the other categories, plus McAfee's SCAN.EXE. Each uses
a unique menu sequence, logical for its function.
"Backup" uses The ARJ "a -v..." command structure to backup all or a
ARJMENU 10
specified portion of your disk. The ARJ filename input box is presented
first. Enter the name of the ARJ backup files (the extensions are
automatic) and the drive/directory in which you want the files placed -
frequently drive A:. Exiting without a filename aborts the function. This
is followed by a "Files to include" input box, "Files to exclude" input
box, volume size input box, and a "Command" input box. These complete the
necessary command line options for creating an ARJ backup. Entering a blank
while in any box will select the default values as defined by ARJ.EXE,
which is fine for most backup operations. The "Options" menus follow -
don't forget the "Recurse subdirectories" and "Match pathnames" options if
doing a large scale backup. See Robert Jung's ARJ.DOC for details on the
exact functioning of this command. "Tips & Techniques", later in this
document, also provides some hints and guidelines.
"Comment" accesses the ARJ file and archive commenting command. ARJ allows
the user to define comments for both the archive itself and all its
included files. "Comment" takes maximum advantage of this feature to allow
both manual entry on a file by file basis or "batch" commenting - all files
receiving the same comment, as in BBS "signed" archives. After the ARJ-
pick-screen, a menu will appear with those options. Both the manual and
batch comment selections for "enclosed" files allow commenting of the
archive as well as individual files. If either of the "Batch" options is
selected, user input boxes will appear for you to input the path and
filename of the comment file(s). Selecting "Manual- enclosed" will bring
up a ARJ-file-pick-screen for choosing those files you wish to comment. Esc
will produce a user input box for the same purpose. Entering without a
filename will ask ARJ to prompt for every enclosed file. Only a few
options are available in the "options menu".
"Join" activates the ARJ join command, a sophisticated process for merging
two or more ARJ file together. The process begins with the selection of an
archive name via the standard ARJ-pick-screen or ARJ filename input box.
This is followed by another ARJ-pick-screen/input box combination for
selecting the ARJ files to merge into the new archive. Enter without a
filename defaults to all ARJ files. The "Options menu" follows.
"Name" uses the ARJ command for changing the name of a file in an ARJ
archive. The process is similar to other sequences. An archive name is
selected via an ARJ-pick-screen or an input box. Files to rename are
selected by the ARJ-file-pick-screen or an input box. This will lead to
a limited "Options menu".
"Order" simply uses ARJSORT.COM to reorder the files in an archive. It
starts with ARJ filename selection via pick-screen or input box. You then
get to choose the method by which the files will be sorted via an option
menu. Finally, a short menu to choose normal or reverse order is presented.
ARJSORT then takes over and reorders your archive.
"Remove" accesses the ARJ command to strip pathnames from files in an
archive. It follows the standard sequence of ARJ-pick-screen or ARJ filename
ARJMENU 11
input box, ARJ-file-pick-screen or file input box. Pressing Enter without any
file specifications in the final input box will remove the pathname from
all files in the target archive. There is a short "Options menu" to
follow.
"Test" verifies the integrity of an ARJ archive. It uses the normal
sequence to determine ARJ filename and internal files to be process. This
is followed by a short options menu to allow for encrypted archives or some
other common selections.
"Virus scan" processes an archive with McAfee's SCAN.EXE to search for
infected files before you use them. You are reminded that all the caveats
that go with McAfee's documentation are in force. SCAN does NOT check for
"bombs", "trojans" or some other damaging code, only for known viruses. The
sequence consists only of selecting the ARJ archive to be processed. All
executables, overlays and system files are tested. If the archive selected
has none, SCAN is not run and you are returned to the main menu-bar.
"SHELL" MENU
The SHELL menu provides "external" commands for greater flexibility. The
first, "Convert files with REARJ", taps into Robert Jung's file conversion
program for changing archive formats. First, a modified ARJ-pick-screen is
shown, followed by the archive input box, if no archive is selected from
the pick screen. This allows the use of wildcards for "batch" operations -
converting all .LZH files to .ARJ, for example. This is followed by the
REARJ options menu. These options are described in detail in REARJ.DOC
which accompanies the original ARJ archive.
"Edit" loads selected files from within an archive to your editor. Again,
this follows the normal sequence to select the archive containing the files
to be edited and then the files themselves. If no files are selected, the
process is terminated with a return to the "Shell" menu. If files are
selected, they are loaded to the editor one at a time, and your editor
controls the process while loaded. ARJ reads the date/time of the finished
file, and if it is newer than the one in the archive, it is updated to the
root directory of the archive. If you do not modify the file, ARJ ignores
it and the next file is loaded. Note that the modified file is placed in
the root - not necessarily to the same directory from which it was drawn.
This allows automatic backup of the file unless it came from the root in
the first place. In that instance, the original is replaced by the modified
file.
"Shell to DOS" executes a call to COMSPEC and leaves you with a DOS
prompt so you may perform any normal DOS function. Upon shelling, ARJMENU
reduces to less than 2K, so you may do almost anything you could if ARJMENU
were not loaded. Simply type "EXIT" to return to ARJMENU.
ARJMENU 12
"CONFIG" MENU
The CONFIG menu provides you with control over the appearance of ARJMENU
and allows the selection of the text editor of your choice. The colors,
line styles and shadows you select during the process do not become
permanent unless you save them, enabling you to choose different
combinations for different sessions. As you select each item, it is
immediately visible in the lowest menu, giving you immediate feedback on
your selections. The default user editor is EDIT.COM from DOS 5.0.
"Restore" from the "Config" menu will restore the defaults in your current
ARJMENU.CFG, if it exists. ESC. will accept changes for the current
session.
"Colors" allows you to choose the combinations you find most useful or
pleasing for everything but the screen background. As you select an item
to change the color, a menu of possible colors (either eight or sixteen,
depending on the item) appears. It is strongly suggested that you choose
colors that do not clash - it can cause headaches and eye irritation.
Still, "one person's poison is another's delicacy...."
"Line styles" selects one, two or no lines in the menu and message boxes,
as you please.
"Shadows" either turns on or off shadows under menus, input boxes and
message boxes, again, as you choose.
"Order of selection" chooses the order you wish to issue information to
ARJMENU. See "Tips & Techniques" for details.
"Define editor" calls an input box for entering the name of your editor.
Do not put in the full pathname, just the editor name. The box is larger
than required for this, but you are still limited to a standard length DOS
filename.
"Restore Previous" exits the "Config" menu without writing the selections to
the ARJMENU.CFG file. Instead, your previously defined ARJMENU.CFG is
reread into memory to "undefine" any changes you may have made while
in the Config Menu. menu. Escape without an existing ARJMENU.CFG on the DOS
PATH will have the same effect as the "Exit" selection.
"Write to file" saves the current configuration to a file called
ARJMENU.CFG. If one previously existed on the DOS PATH, it will be
overwritten. If there wasn't one to start with, a new one will be written
in the default directory.
"QUIT" MENU
The QUIT menu is for exiting ARJMENU. "No" will return you to the main
menu-bar, "Yes" will present you with the option of exiting to your
original load directory (the directory that was the default when you
entered ARJMENU) or the last directory you changed to with one of the
pick-screens. No choice will be made if the current directory is the original.
Esc on this final choice will abort the exit routine.
ARJMENU 13
DEFAULTS
A "default" is the value used by a program in the absence of one you
supply. Software authors try very hard to set these to practical values
that will work most often for most users. We are not always successful.
ARJMENU, as a menu system that launches other programs, also has to deal
with the default settings of these programs. I strongly urge you to
familiarize yourself with the manuals for each of the programs mentioned
in this document so that you know what defaults are used.
ARJMENU, for the most part, uses the defaults of its "child" processes.
For nearly all ARJ operations, this is "*.*", meaning "all files
available". For example, list, sample, extract, add, and so on, will act
upon all files in the archive or the default directory unless other
specifications are provided by you. Other defaults for ARJ are:
Binary mode (-t0)
Maximum compression (-m1)
All temp files in default directory (override with -w)
Query if a file is to be overwritten (override with -y)
Full pathnames used (override with -e)
Do not select hidden files with wildcards (override with -a or -a1)
Delete old ARJ file (override with -k)
Huffman buffer size of 16384 bytes (override with -jh)
To these, ARJMENU adds:
Automatic disk size detection in backup mode
PRN as default printer specification
Automatic pause at end of screen for "Fast - list"
LIST.COM uses a wide variety of defaults, nearly all user controlled.
ARJMENU accepts all of these, merely loading the selected files for it to
read.
SCAN.EXE also uses a variety of defaults. ARJMENU supports only the basics
of "all-files" and "check RAM". To use other SCAN features, it is necessary
to extract the files and use SCAN from the command-line.
ARJMENU also uses all defaults of both REARJ and ARJSORT. You should see
those manuals for details. The same applies to your own editor.
In all cases, I believe the defaults to fit the vast majority of user's
needs the vast majority of the time. If you disagree, please write and let
me know. Without that kind of input, they will remain the same.
ARJMENU 14
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
ARJMENU is designed to be intuitive and simple in operation. At the same
time, it is designed to take full advantage of the tremendous flexibility
of ARJ, REARJ, ARJSORT, SCAN and LIST. The simple interface supports all
of this through the options menus and the user input boxes. The options
menus are obvious - they link you to all of ARJ's switches. The seemingly
innocuous input boxes supply an equal amount of power.
Accessing the floppy drives
As noted at the beginning of this manual, ARJMENU was written primarily for
use on hard disks. You can't even access the floppy drives via the drive
changing mechanism available with the Tab key on the pick-screens. But you
certainly can with the input boxes. The input boxes pass their contents
directly to ARJ without modification. So if you specify "A:\ARCHIVE.ARJ"
in the ARJ filename input box, that is what ARJ will look for when
launched. You can also load ARJMENU from a floppy drive and use the pick-
screens on it, as this does not require a drive change. I recommend against
this, however, as ARJMENU will attempt to save the swap file to the default
drive - a very slow process on a floppy disk. Trying to access drive B:
from a single disk drive machine will result in messages overwriting the
ARJMENU screen. Also, since ARJMENU was written for a hard disk, attempting
to access a floppy drive that is not ready because the door is open or the
disk bad will result in a fatal ARJMENU error - see the section on error
messages, below.
Archives without the ".ARJ" extension
The ARJ-pick-screen displays only files with the .ARJ extension, as testing
every file in a directory to see if it is an ARJ archive is VERY time
consumptive. If you wish to save and access ARJ archives with other
extensions, use the TAB to view all the directory files. Again, this
information is passed directly to ARJ and it will respond accordingly.
Whenever possible, you are urged to use the .ARJ extension to avoid
confusion at some future date.
The "Fast" commands
The commands available in the "Fast" menu are designed to give rapid access
to the most frequently needed archive functions. They all generate an ARJ
command of the type "ARJ command filename.ARJ". No switches are appended
except in the "Fast - list" command, where a "-jp" is added for controlling
the display of the files. The best way of using these commands is in an
empty directory. Since ARJ defaults to all files in the current directory,
you get maximum use with minimal waste when used in this manner. If
gathering files from all over the disk, or desiring to extract only a few
files from an archive, using the "full" commands in the other categories
is best.
ARJMENU 15
The "Fast - add" command provides a little more flexibility. Since an input
box is available for the creation of a new archive, tricks can be played
on ARJMENU. Instead of just specifying a filename, try adding switches
after the entry. The input is passed to ARJ intact, allowing you to pass
items up to the length limit of the input box. This is a good way, for
example, to make a fast self-extracting archive. Simply append a "-je" to
the end of the filename, and it gets done. Other options will work equally
well, assuming they fit within the length limit of the box.
The "full" commands
The "full" commands are those contained in the "Add", "Extract", and "List"
menus. Each of these also uses input boxes as alternatives to the pick-
screens. This allows flexibility like that in the "Fast - add" command.
While each of these also ends with an Option menu, there are circumstances
where using the input boxes to add an option or two is considerably faster
than using the Options menu.
It is also in the "full" commands that the possibility of exceeding the DOS
command-line limit of 127 characters becomes very real. Each option that
requires additional information places it directly on the command-line. If
several options that require path and filenames are used, you can very
rapidly exceed the limit. To ease this situation, ARJMENU does have a
"command-line adjustment" function that moves some items to an environment
string and adjusts pathnames if possible. Even so, it remains possible to
exceed the DOS limit. If you suspect that this may happen, you can do some
things with the input boxes to eliminate the problem. The input box, your
input, can be a relative path rather than the absolute path ARJMENU would
normally write from a pick-screen entry. Frequently, this will be shorter.
The intelligent use of wildcards to specify files can also reduce command-
line length - by consolidating several entries into one. You can also place
the files to be created (archive, list files, log files, etc.) into the
default directory to minimize length.
The "Read" commands
The "print" commands use DOS redirection (">") to send the file to the
printer or another file. Because of this, you cannot append one file to
another with ARJMENU. Try the DOS command "copy file1 + file2 file3" to
accomplish this - either from "Shell to DOS" of outside the program
entirely.
The "Read file(s) with LIST.COM" uses the ability of all recent versions of
LIST to accept wildcards on the command line. You change between files
selected for reading with the LIST commands "^PgDn/^PgUp". You can safely
use LIST to read files other than those extracted while in this mode by
using LIST's built in file selection facility.
"Where" is one of ARJ's most powerful features, allowing rapid reading of
ARJMENU 16
an entire archive to find which file has the text you seek. A good way to
use this feature is by starting with "Where" to find the text and then
"Read" the file with LIST.
The "Backup" command
One of the things that makes ARJ the "cream of the crop" in compression
utilities is it ability to act as a backup utility as well as the usual
features. The "Backup command" is actually selected use of the ARJ add
command coupled with the "-v" series of switches. I have tried to make
ARJMENU a good, solid interface for all your backup needs. Once again, I
urge you to read Robert Jung's ARJ.DOC for the details of what is actually
occurring. Simply following the menus and input boxes will allow you to
shave time and disks from your previous multi-disk backups.
The ARJ environment variable - ARJ_SW
ARJ supports an environment variable for your "normal" switch selection.
ARJMENU allows full usage of this feature. See ARJ.DOC for full details.
One of the best uses for ARJ_SW is to set your "precautionary switches"
(see below) and your choice of indicators - percentage (default), graphical
(-i1) or no indicator (-i). Your use of any of these from the Options menu
will override the ARJ_SW selection for that command.
"Precautionary switches"
ARJ comes with a wide selection of switches to protect you from loss of
data and unintentional overwrites. The -k saves the original archive you
are updating, the -q allows you to say "no" to particular files being
updated, the -jk keeps the temporary archive upon error, the -jo does the
same thing for overwrites on the add and move commands that -q allows for
others, and the -jt tests the temporary archive to insure its validity
before it is made final. If your data is important to you, you will wish
to consider these switches for inclusion with your archiving as
appropriate.
The "missing switch"
ARJMENU supports every option of ARJ except one, the "!" switch. This was
left out because ARJMENU makes extensive use of files to shorten the
command line. If the -! switch was selected, this facility would fail
entirely. This should pose no handicap, however, as its usage is totally
transparent to the user. ARJ does support different "include file"
characters for the command line (generated by ARJMENU) and ARJ_SW. This
allows you to use your favorites in ARJ_SW if you so choose.
Input box cautions
Pick screens ALWAYS use full pathnames. If you use an input box in
conjunction with a pick screen, but don't use a full pathname, the
selections may not work as anticipated. Generally, if you use an
input box for one type of file selection, use it for all.
ARJMENU 17
Order of selection
ARJMENU allows you to select either the archive filename or the command
as the first item of entry in a process. This is controled by the "Order
of selection" menu under the "Config" menu. The default is "Command first"
as this is perhaps easier for the novice. Changing to "Archive first"
places the ARJ-pick-screen on the screen prior to any command selection.
With "Archive first", the selected archive remains your archive upon which
to operate until you change it. Changing it is accomplished by hitting
"Space" while on the main-menu-bar. This presents ARJ-pick-screen for a
new entry. If no filename is selected (by using the ESCAPE for the ARJ-
pick-screen), you will be prompted with an ARJ-pick-screen every time you
hit ESC or exit a first level menu. After a command is selected, the
ARJ-pick-screen is omitted, as you have already selected the archive to
manipulate.
With "Command first", the order remains as specified in the main body of
this manual. You can, however, use the "Space" on the main-menu-bar to
select an archive. That archive selction will then act as mentioned above
until replaced or ESC is chosen from the ARJ-pick-screen.
As with anything on the "Config" menu, you can temporarily alter your
usual order by going to the "Config" menu and selecting the way you want
to work at that time. Escaping the "Config" menu without "Write to file"
will install that option until you exit ARJMENU or change it.
NOTE: "Archive first" does not effect the operations of the "Convert
files with REARJ.EXE" command. It operates exactly as outlined on page 11.
ARJMENU 18
ERROR MESSAGES
ARJMENU is heavily protected to prevent loss of data and computer "hangs"
form occurring. The following is a list of internal ARJMENU error messages
that may be seen if something goes wrong:
Archive: Bad archive header
Archive: Bad header
Archive: Can't read file or unexpected end of file
Archive: Header CRC error
Each of these represent an archive that has been corrupted or is
otherwise unreadable. Restarts selection process.
ARJ file: Memory allocation failure
The ARJ-file-pick-screen could not allocate adequate memory to
operate. You have inadequate memory or there are conflicting TSR's.
Break signaled!
Not really an error message. This message presents itself after you
have pressed a "control break" to exit ARJMENU.
Command: Inadequate environment space to adjust
The command line passed to ARJ was too long and your DOS environment
space is too small to adjust it. See TIPS & TECHNIQUES for suggestions
on reducing the command line length. Restarts selection process.
Command line: Exceeds 127 characters, unadjustable
The command line passed to ARJ was too long and cannot be adjusted.
See TIPS & TECHNIQUES for suggestions on reducing command line length.
Device: Can't access requested drive
If a floppy drive, check the disk and make sure the door is closed.
If a hard disk drive, it doesn't exist, is non-standard, or is
corrupted. If you chose a drive with a letter higher than exists on
your system, use the LASTDRIVE environment variable to avoid this in
the future. If unfamiliar with LASTDRIVE, see your DOS manual.
Device: Can't open requested file
The file you requested does not exist, is not on that path, or is not
an archive file. This error returns you to the main menu to try again.
Directory: Failed to make temporary directory
Directory: Failed to find temporary directory
Directory: Failed to remove temporary directory
These represent errors in the use of ARJMENU required temporary
directories. "Make" is usually caused by inadequate memory or a
directory by that name already exists. "Find" and "remove" are
generally caused by failure to remove files, deletion of the directory
while shelled to DOS, or a hardware malfunction. If persistent, see
a computer repair person.
Directory: Memory allocation failure
The ARJ-pick-screen or file-pick-screen failed to allocate adequate
memory to operate. See ARJ file: Memory allocation error, above.
ARJMENU 19
Menu: Memory allocation failure
The menu drawing function failed to allocate adequate memory to
operate. See ARJ file: Memory allocation error, above.
XSPAWN error
Something has happened to the ARJMENU swap file. It has been corrupted
or deleted, a disk read error has occurred, or the ARJMENU kernel has
gone permanently resident.
Video: Not in text mode
ARJMENU was unable to place your hardware into an CGA compatible text
mode. You will be unable to use ARJMENU.
In addition to these, each of the child processes, when running, has its
own error messages. See the individual user manuals for information on
these.
ARJMENU 20
TECHNICAL NOTES
ARJMENU is a sophisticated command line generator and shell for ARJ,
ARJSORT, REARJ, LIST and SCAN. It accomplishes this by building and
catenating a series of strings (character arrays) which are passed to
specialized 'C' spawn functions. This function is XSPAWN from Whitney
Software. XSPAWN swaps ARJMENU to disk, leaving behind a small kernel to
reactivate the program upon completion of the child program. In several
cases (SCAN, LIST and Edit), a series of programs are spawned to accomplish
the desired result.
The pick screens are a modified scrolling directory function I wrote
several years ago. They use DOS specific 'C' functions, which makes the
whole program non-portable to other OS's. These functions load the entire
directory (or the entire table of contents of the ARJ file) into memory via
a malloc() routine. This is a little slower than a "read and fill"
operation, but is much faster at manipulation once loaded. The selection
pick screens build a list file of the filenames to be processed - which,
fortunately, ARJ supports.
The command line adjustment function is unique to ARJMENU. Because of the
way ARJMENU uses full pathnames on all files and the supporting ARJ_SW
environment variable offered by ARJ, it is possible to test the command
line length, strip the default directory if mentioned and shunt the user
selected switches to the ARJ_SW variable. This results in approximately 80%
of 128+ character command lines tested being adjustable to within DOS
limitations.
ARJMENU is written in 100% 'C', except for 5 small assembly functions used
to check mouse movement. As a result of the number of 'C' switch statements
used to handle ARJ's phenomenal number of options, the program is over
120K in size. I have use Fabrice BELLARD's LZEXE to compress it to save
on the users disk space. If uncompressed, it will load faster, but occupy
that much more space.
Changing directories with the pick-screens is NOT just appearance. Once a
new directory is chosen, the program remains there until you change it again
or select "Original" upon exit. From experience, one frequently wishes to
work in one directory for a period and then exit to DOS to do other functions
like copy, edit, move, etc.
ARJMENU 21
THE FUTURE OF ARJMENU
While ARJMENU is a complete and fully functional program as it stands, if
adequate user support is present, I already have plans for its future.
Here are some of them, not in any particular order:
Directory sorting by a method selected by the user
Greater user configurability - especially the screen background
User defined macros for frequently used combinations and/or files
User defined virus scanner instead of SCAN.EXE only
More user defined external programs - a hex editor, a file manipulator,
etc.
Built in file reader so LIST is not needed (though still available)
EGA, VGA and Hercules support
File finding utility that will search every ARJ archive on disk for the
file you want.
Support for EMS and XMS memory swapping
Loading and executing a program from within an archive
Support for any disk configuration
Such additions/modifications are totally dependent on user support. As you
send in your support, feel free to send suggestions with it. User supported
software IS user designed software!
CONTACTING THE AUTHOR
I am not currently running my own BBS, but I can be reached at:
Internet/ARPANet: mccombs@sumax.seattleu.edu
USPS: 517 Ninth Ave. #310, Seattle, WA. 98104
My account at Seattle University is used daily except when on vacation, and
is the fastest way to contact me.
Your comments are welcome, even if negative. I will do my best to respond
to everyone who writes.
ARJMENU 22
CREDITS
I would like to start with thanks to Robert Jung, not just for writing ARJ
and the rest of those fine programs, but for his active interest and
support in the writing of ARJMENU. He patiently sat through some incredibly
"buggy" versions and offered only helpful advice and commentary. Robert is
a fine man in general, as well as a superb software developer.
I would like to thank Mike Lawler and ALL the other ARJ beta testers.
Without the input and support they have given to Robert, none of this would
be possible or even dreamed of. Also, Zbig Tyrlik, for numerous, well-
thought-out suggestions.
A great "THANK YOU" to my wife, Melina, for whom this project was started
in the first place. She has exhibited patience and understanding above and
beyond the call of duty for these last few months as I've remained locked
steadfastly in front of my computer, oblivious to the world. I think only
programmers and their spouses can truly appreciate what this means. Thank
you, my love.
And my greatest thanks I give to the Good Lord for His inspiration and
salvific grace - without which EVERYTHING would be utterly meaningless.
End ARJMENU.DOC