home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Cream of the Crop 1
/
Cream of the Crop 1.iso
/
UTILITY
/
BF202A.ARJ
/
HISTORY.B&F
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1992-03-19
|
29KB
|
739 lines
This file contains a summary of changes made to Back & Forth Professional.
They are listed in reverse order, the most recent additions and
modifications listed first.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cassandra Mia was born on Friday November 1,1991 !!!!!!!!!!!!!
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version 2.01/2.02 March 19, 1992
A) Bug fixes:
* Tagging records in the ROLOBACK sometimes caused the records to index
illogically (word?). If this happened to you, run the PACK option under
the File menu to correct it.
* Macro disable hotkey (Ctrl-6 by default) disabled the macro menus but
NOT the actual playback of macros.
* Graphic mouse cursor wasn't restored correctly in Norton Utilities.
* Editor backpack sometimes reported that the B&F Pro variable file had
been corrupted and the editor would not load.
* Adding a future appointment in OverTime always reported it was an
appointment in the past!
* Fixed a wild ptr bug that occurred sometimes when cut/paste and
keyboard macro modules were brought up.
* B&F Pro would terminate in an OS/2 compatibility box and report that
80 file handles needed to be set.
* Shorthand expansion hot key was disabled!
* B&F Pro did not consistently check for snow checking on CGA monitors if
the snow checking option was turned on. This could cause a lot of
unnecessary screen snow in application programs if SHORTHAND macros were
being used or the B&F Pro screen clock was ON.
* Usage tracking didn't keep the elapsed time correctly.
B) Changes/enhancments:
* Better memory use for users using MS-DOS 5's EMM386.EXE (this has already
been the case for people using QEMM and 386^MAX). B&F PRO will now load
up to 2.3k of the kernel into high memory if DOS is managing UMBs.
* OverTime will now display the daily appointments closest matching to the
current time (this is only when the appointment window is NOT the active
window).
* Macros can now be stored in XMS memory! This is accomplished by changing
the following environment variable in the B&FHIPRO.BAT (or B&FPRO.BAT)
file:
Change from: SET BNF_MACRO_BUFFER=EMS
to : SET BNF_MACRO_BUFFER=XMS
The macro buffer size will then be 16k for each partition that macro
support is enabled.
* The DOS 5 task switcher API support is now optional rather than ON by
default. Several people like to run utilities like Norton, PC-TOOLS,
etc within B&F Pro partitions and they do NOT allow it if a task
switcher is detected via the DOS 5 task switcher API.
If you desire B&F Pro to support the DOS 5 task switcher API, you must
include the following environment variable BEFORE B&F Pro:
SET BNF_DOS_5_API=ON
* Screen blanker hot key is now user selectable! This option has been
added to the Screen Blanker setup menu under Options menu off the main
B&F Pro screen.
* Shorthand macros are now case significant. For example, if you have
an abbreviation defined as follows:
Abbreviation = asap
Expansion = As soon as possible
If you type "asap" B&F Pro will replace "asap" with "as soon as possible".
If you type "Asap" B&F Pro will replace "Asap" with "As soon as possible".
* Changes/Additions to ROLOBACK:
1) Added COMPANY/NAME index. When an old ROLOBACK file is opened, the new
index will automatically be generated.
2) File/Packing menu item - if you do a lot of updating/deleting of
records in a rolodex file, the file may grow a little. This option will
rewrite the rolodex to a temporary file and then delete/rename the old
version.
3) File/Append menu item -- it is now possible to append other rolodex
databases to the active roloback database.
4) File/Transfer -- records can now be transferred from the active rolodex
to a new/different roloback file.
5) File/Export to dBASE III file -- records can now be exported to a
dBASE III compatible file format.
C) New features:
* Added a new environment variable for network users to place data in
a separate directory.
set BNF_DATA_PATH=path
* Added BackSight! BackSight is a DOS level scroll back function. It
will work very well work most DOS commands (DIR, TREE, CHKDSK, DEBUG,
EDLIN, LINK, MEM, etc) and other command line utilities that use DOS
to write to the screen; it will NOT, however, work with programs that
use the BIOS or write directly to the screen.
BackSight has been tested with ANARKEY, DOSKEY, CED, PCED, and B&F
Pro's own command line editor. It almost works correctly with 4DOS's
command like editor (we are currently working with J&P software on
some needed hooks).
BackSight support is activated by the following environment variable
(it must be set BEFORE B&F Pro is started):
SET BNF_BACKSIGHT=memory type,buffer size
where memory type is the type of memory to allocate the buffer in and
buffer size is the size of the buffer. Currently only EMS and XMS
are supported. Buffer size may be 1k to 64k.
BackSight is partition setable. It is only available in partitions
where BackSight support is turned on (like keyboard macros). The
BackSight option is available in the Extended Program form of the
program editor.
BackSight is activated when the BackSight hotkey is pressed (the
default is <Ctrl><`> -- may be changed under the Hotkey setup). If you
are at a DOS prompt and you are using Back & Forth Pro's command stack,
you may also press <PgUp>. The advantage of the hotkey method is you may
bring up BackSight within a program.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version 2.00 January 31,1992
A) Bug fixes:
* Fixed a lockup problem on PS/2 Model 25/30/50/55/60s and some compatibles.
The cursor would just hover in the upper lefthand corner of the screen
and would need a reboot to get out of it.
* Fixed a compatibility problem between Back & Forth and some programs
that switched into 43/50 line while UltraVision was active.
* Program editor wouldn't take a -1 for EMS memory amount.
* Usage tracking sort module was disabled.
* Running the mouse driver in a local partition did not restore the
mouse state.
* Running programs that were in a directory path that had a '.' in the
path name would not run (normally would get a "bad command or file name"
from DOS).
* B&F Pro's EMS memory tracker did not catch the EMS reallocate function
correctly.. thus some programs would use over their specified limit.
* Shorthand macros did not expand if video text page was not 0.
* Wt mean in RPN calculator did not compute/display the correct values.
B) Changes/enhancements:
* B&F Pro will now load about 2.5k of its task overhead into UMBs if
the memory is available. This will increase the amount of available
memory within each task!
* You will to DELETE all files of the form KEY*.000 in your B&F Pro
directory... these files are your clipboard files! We have made a couple
of changes that people have requested that have caused these files to
become out of format.
B&F Pro now stores clipboard files in straight ASCII! This means you
can use any text editor to edit the clipboard files.
We have included an option "eXternal editor" setup option under the
Miscellaneous menu off the Option menu. You can specify any editor with
the following limitations:
1) Editor must be able to run in 256k of memory,
2) Editor must be able to take a filename from the command line!
The B&F Pro text editor is set as the default.
* Made some internal changes to be more compatible with Novell IPX and a
few other programs.
* SWITCH now will switch to tasks that have not been opened via the
program ids.. this feature was available in B&F but removed early in B&F Pro.
* All com/exe/ovl/acc files have been linked compressed! This will cut
down on disk space considerably and will allow more users to use the
BNF_OVERLAY environment variable.
* Disk monitor now works with network drives!
* Overlays NO longer need to be set to Read-Only on networks.
* Back & Forth will now disable itself if Windows is run in standard or
enhanced modes; this also goes for any program that uses the Microsoft
dos-extender (examples currently include CodeView).
* Improved VGA support for Trident 8900 chipset and TSENG 4000 chipset.
* Added support for Oak & Technology VGA chipset.
* Changed main B&F Pro menu's interface extensively!
* Broke the program editor into STANDARD and ADVANCED screens to make it
easier for beginners.
C) New features:
* Added some desktop utilities to Back & Forth Pro. They are located
under the BackPacks menu on the main B&F Pro menu. Currently the
following modules are included:
1) Text editor similar to the B&F Pro clipboard editor,
2) RoloBack module (rolodex). It is fully functional with the
exception of the following limitations:
a) Notes are limited to 16k per record,
b) Each file may contain as many records as the disk will allow!
3) OverTime has been completely rewritten into a full scheduler system!
Overtime has the following functional design limitations:
a) Each scheduler file can only hold 250 appointments, 80 todos, and
50 alarms.
b) OverTime's alarm feature is NOT supported in the lite version of
the B&F Pro kernels.
c) OverTime alarms will only be active while the OverTime module is
loaded (it doesn't have to be active),
d) The launching of programs is now done in much better fashion. To
launch a program with keystroke feeding, you will need to do the
following:
1) Define the program in the B&F Pro program editor with macro
support,
2) Run the program,
3) Record a macro with all the desired keystokes,
4) Bring up the KeyBack module and save the macro(s) to a file,
5) Go back to the B&F Pro program editor and specify a macro file
and startup macro.
After you have done the above, it is just a simple matter of
telling OverTime to launch a program event at a specified time
(a new partition will be opened)!
4) Calculator introduced in v1.20 is now fully supported/documented.
* Added some new macro commands:
1) <ASCII Table>
will popup an ASCII table and allow you to return chararacters to
the program running underneath.
2) <Editor:filename>
Will invoke either the B&F Pro editor or the eXternal editor defined
under the Miscellaneos options with the specified filename.
3) <Editor:Select file>
Will allow a file to be selected and then B&F Pro will invoke either
the B&F Pro editor or the eXternal editor defined under the
Miscellaneos options with the specified filename.
4) <Paste:filename>
Will paste a specific ASCII filename through the keyboard. The file
may be as large as the disk size. The CR/LFs will be translated
based on the current End-Of-Line definition in the cut module.
5) <Paste:Select file>
Will allow an ASCII file to be chosen for pasting through the
keyboard. The file may be as large as the disk size. The CR/LFs
will be translated based on the current End-Of-Line definition
in the cut module.
6) <Return date:template>
where template can be made up of the following character sequences:
dd = day , 1 to 31
mm = month, 1 to 12
yy = year, just year without century
yyyy = year, entire year
ddd = abbreviated day name (Sun,Mon,...,Sat)
mmm = abbreviated month name (Jan,Feb,...,Dec)
dddd = full day name (Sunday,...,Saturday)
mmmm = full month name (January,....,December)
any other characters will be passed through as part of the macro!
7) <Return time:template>
where template can be made up of the following character sequences:
hh = hours, 12 hour based
mm = minutes
ss = seconds
tt = hours, 24 hour based
xx = am,pm
XX = AM,PM
any other charaters will be passed through as part of the macro!
8) <CapsLock:On | Off>
Turns CAPS LOCK on or off.
9) <NumLockOn> and <NumLockOff>
Turns NUM LOCK on or off.
10) <ScrollLock:On | Off>
Turns SCROLL LOCK on or off.
* Added a new front-end menu display: "Icon menu view"
This may be chosen off the Setup menu, Icon option. The ICON displayed
for each task/program is the ICON description in the program editor or
the first 8 characters of the program description if an ICON description
is not set.
* I have rewritten the screen blanker! The screen blanker now works properly
for all B&F Pro modules as well as tasks. It has been enhanced with the
additional capability of displaying a PCX graphics image to the screen!
The screen blanker setup panel is available off the Setup menu.
Please read the following notes on how B&F Pro will operate the
screen blanker:
1) A graphics image will NOT be displayed in a partition if the
partition does not support OVERTIME... B&F Pro assumes that
programs that cannot be interrupted for Overtime also cannot
be interrupted for a graphics screen blanker.
If you have the screen blanker mode to graphics display and
the above condition happens, B&F Pro will default to just
turning the video off for that partition.
2) To disable the screen blanker in B&F Pro's modules, set the
screen blanker interval to 0 minutes.
* Added DOS 5 Task Switcher API! This will extend B&F Pro's compatibility
with the Norton Utilities, PC-TOOLS 7, network communication programs,
and any other program that uses the DOS 5 task switcher API for
stability.
!! NOTE !! B&F Pro must be the first task switcher run if you plan on
running multiple task switchers!
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version 1.20 September 7, 1991
A) Bug fixes:
* Fixed a bug that caused 4DOS (and some other programs) to have their files
closed indirectly (this happened only on a few systems).
* Help colors were not used for help module.
* B&F Pro would rebuild the UV selection list wrong in the program editor
if you went into it after popping back from a partition with UV turned
OFF.
* Usage Delete function didn't work if a valid date wasn't specified!
* Running FOXPRO 2 with a partition type of "PROGRAM via COMSPEC" didn't
return the correct startup path.
* Macro record (Alt=) did not pop-up correctly if video page was not 0
(this was introduced in 1.10 or so).
* We somehow disabled going directly to a program via hot key off the
main B&F Pro menu (this was introduced in version 1.08 or so).
B) Changes/Additions:
* Added XMS memory stats to the the <F5> Info command off the main B&F Pro
menu screen.
* Added 3 new versions of the kernel (low and high). You should rerun
BFPSETUP for the new batch files to be created. The benefit of the new
kernels comes in a reduction of 3.2k of memory if you have CED, PCED,
DOSKEY, or ANARKEY loaded globally before B&F Pro.
* Rewrote BFPLOAD to work correctly with 386^MAX version 5.1x.. 386^MAX
doesn't work with DOS 5 memory logic correctly if it manages the UMBS.
* Expanded KEYLOAD utility to allow executing a macro after a macro file
has been successfully loaded. The new syntax is as follows:
KEYLOAD <macro filename> <shorthand macro>
* Main menu now accepts all printable characters for program IDS rather
than just alphanumeric.
* The speaker is now turned OFF if it is ON! In the past if a task
switch occurred while the speaker was on, the system would continue
the noise indefinitely!
* Added direct support for 4DOS/NDOS BTM files. In the past B&F Pro would
have to be informed that the specified program was a DOS command.
* KeyBack & Cut/paste now support Hercules graphics modes better.
* Improved compatibility with Hercules monographics cards.
* Macro editor has been improved! It can now handle macro lines longer than
the window without word wrapping. The user determined end of lines will
be held. You may need to reformat some of your macros to your own
liking.
* Added a Return to Program function key on main B&F Pro screen (F9 RetPgm).
The current active program is indicated by a checkmark.
* Macro menu now pops up when user presses macro record key (this occurs
during a macro record session).
C) New features:
* Added new KeyBack support utility called KEYPLAY; KEYPLAY will allow
the execution of a macro from the command line or batch file. The
syntax is as follows:
KEYPLAY <Shorthand macro string>
The <'s are not used (Example: keyplay asap).
* Added a command line utility to control the clock within a partition.
The syntax is as follows:
BNFCLOCK [OFF | ON]
* DOS 5's DOSKEY and the public domain version of CED command line
utilities are now supported! If B&F Pro detects DOSKEY or CED loaded in
memory (can be high or low), B&F Pro will use it in place of B&F Pro's
internal command line editor.
* Added MathBack!
MathBack is B&F Pro's new calculator module. It includes a multifunction
RPN calculator and a simple tape calculator. The RPN calculator also
performs scientific, business, statistical, and computer science
functions.
If you are a current B&F Pro user, you will have to go to the Hotkey
setup off the Setup menu to set a default MathBack hot key.
* Added following new macros:
1) <Return current path>
Will return the full path name for the current directory.
2) <Cut>
Will call up cut module. All keystrokes will be recorded and saved
during a macro record. Keystrokes will be fed to the cut module from
the macro buffer during a played macro.
** Note ** In order to make the cut operation useful in a recorded
macro, the cut operation will begin at the top corner of
the screen!
3) <Paste>
Will paste the contents of the current active cut file.
4) <Cls>
Will clear the screen (non 80x25 screens are also supported)!
* Added a toggle for the swapping indicator. It is located on the
Miscellaneous menu off the SETUP menu. If you are swapping to RAM
and don't like to see it, set it to OFF (this will be the default
for people who have already been using B&F Pro).
* Added a new hot key to allow KeyBack to be turned off/on. The default
hot key is <CTRL-6>. The hot key may be changed either in the HOTKEY
menu off the setup menu or in the KeyBack module.
If KeyBack has been turned off, you will not be able to:
1) Get to the KeyBack module,
2) Playback/record a new macro,
3) Playback a shorthand macro.
* Added a new command line argument to activate saving of ANSI.SYS state.
If specified, an additional 16k of swap space will be allocated for
each task!
Format:
B&FPRO ANSI
or
B&FHIPRO ANSI
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Versions 1.13-1.19 were beta and not released to general public.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version 1.12 July 22, 1991
A) Bug fixes:
* Fixed color bleeding if UV was loaded globally and the colors were
changed.. this bug was introduced in version 1.08 with the new swapping
method.
B) Changes/Additions:
* Added code for B&F PRO test drive program.
* Remove option MCII interface... took up to much code/disk space and we
were getting to many requests for things that could not be done without
taking up more valuable memory. We will be adding more menu functionality
to the default B&F Pro menu system as we go along.
The MCII interface will be released as a separate module that can be
downloaded from our BBS or CIS (there will be no charge).
* Restored global support for PCED/VSTACK.
* Reduced B&F Pro system swap memory needs from 384k to 256k.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version 1.11 July 16, 1991
A) Changes/Additions:
* The ALL parameter added in 1.08 has been removed... positive changes in
the swapping routines as well as better overlay utilization makes this
feature a "waste of disk space".
* Reduced # of overlays from 13 to 10.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version 1.10 July 14, 1991
A) Bug fixes:
* Monochrome video was NOT saved/restored correctly (this was introduced
in version 1.08).
* Setup module was left out of MCII interface if the ALL command line
parameter was used.
* Fixed a problem that occurred on some 286s/386s when swapping to XMS
memory.. It caused several symptoms.
* Fixed a compatibility with 4ZIP (utility program for 4DOS).
B) Changes/Additions:
* BFPLOAD now supports DOS 5's UMB style memory (this means BFPLOAD will
load B&F Pro high if EMM386 is used and the memory will be released
when B&F Pro is terminated).
* UltraVision's UL (underline) utility is now supported.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version 1.09 July 9, 1991
A) Bug fixes:
* Intensity/blinking bit was not restored correcly if UV was not used (this
only showed up in some programs like PC-TOOLS v 7).
* Fixed memory allocation problem introduced in version 1.08... this only
occurred if storage pool was exceeded in a video swap.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version 1.08 June 27, 1991
A) Bug fixes:
* Fixed a keyboard problem that caused lockup on all 8088s and sometimes
on all other processors (this has existed for quite sometime).
* KEYLOAD/KEYSAVE macro utilities did not work if EMS memory was used for
macro storage.
* Variable fields were not compiled correctly in macros if they were editted
or added through the macro editor.
* B&F Pro was not compatible with the HIMEM.SYS that came with DOS 5 (only
noticeable if swapping to XMS memory was performed).
B) Changes:
* All swapping now occurs to the specifed swap resources rather than
to separate files. Some users may need to increase the total amount
of swap memory to accomadate this change.
* Global support for PCED is disabled for now (ANARKEY is still supported).
* Compression of graphics screens has been removed. It has proven to be
to slow and conflicts with improvement in video swapping.
B) New features:
* Video screens and DOS variable files are now swapped into the main B&F
Pro storage pool rather than separate files. This will improve swap
times for most but may require some to increase your total swap
resources.
* Added "Macro save option" to program editor.
Current choices are:
1) Don't save macros
2) Automatic save - will save macros automatically to the file that was
autoloaded or loaded from KeyBack menu. If a file was not loaded,
then #3 below will take effect.
3) Prompt for filename - B&F Pro will display file dialog box and ask
you to select file.
* Added a search command to the command line editor.
CTRL-F - Searches the stack for a previously issued command. Enter
the first letters of the desired command and press
<CONTROL><F>. This then searches the stack from the last
entered command for a matching command line. If one is
found, it is shown at the DOS prompt. For example:
Command Stack Buffer:
--------------------
dir a:
chkdsk a:
format a:
If you type 'ch' and press <CTRL><F>, the 'ch' will be
replaced by "chkdsk a:".
If you have multiple commands in the command buffer that
begin with the specified characters, keep pressing
<Ctrl-F> until the desired command is found.
* Added a new macro command to allow selecting directories and returning
them to a running program. The command is inserted into the macro buffer
via the macro editor like the other macro commands.
The command is <Select directory>.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Versions 1.03 through 1.07 were beta and not released public. All changes
made in the individual versions have been consolidated in the next offical
public release.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version 1.02 June 2, 1991
A) Bug fixes:
* Fixed a problem in Back & Print that caused some systems to hang.
B) New features:
* Screen blanker support can now be set for each program via the Program
editor. You cannot change the state within an active task. If you run
an application with SCREEN BLANKER SUPPORT to OFF and wish to blank
the screen, press the SCREEN BLANKER HOT KEY (5 key on the numeric
key pad).
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version 1.01 (Not released public) May 31, 1991
A) Bug fixes:
* Fixed 50 line mode on Paradise video cards.
* Fixed a problem that caused a keyboard problem with running macros on
some systems.
B) New Features:
* Added Macro Menus to KeyBack. The macros allow you to define up to 26
defined hot key macros to a single macro.
To define a menu macro, you will need to goto the KeyBack Macro editor
in a partition and select the Edit option. Then press F2/Ins to create
a new macro. B&F Pro will prompt you if you want 1. Hot key/Shorthand
macro or 2. Macro menu. Press 2 for macro menu and you will then be
transferred into a menu editor.
* Notes... if you want a menu centered, enter -1 for both the top row
and left column for the macro window.
* Added a new support tsr NOBNFPRO. This TSR will disable the B&F PRO
API within a partition. This was added for people who purchased
products containing a limited version of B&F and then bought B&F Pro
to use with that product. Simply add NOBNFPRO to a batch file before
the program.
* Note ** Currently this should only be necessary with Higgins 2.4 and
later.
C) Changes:
* We made a change in the macro file definition that corrected a bug and
so you will have to redo any macro definition files. We now have build-in
converter program for any changes in the future as we did throught out
B&F program series...
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Version 1.00 May 17, 1991
-Official release of B&F Professional!!!!!!!!!!!!