Cream of the Crop 1

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Text File | 1992-08-10 | 15KB | 318 lines

════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ The 'HandyDOS' Utilities - (C) 1992 All Rights Reserved. ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Abri Technologies, Inc., HCR62 Box 100K, Cacapon, WV 25422 USA ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ ┌───────┐ ┌────┴──┐ │ (Tm) ──┤ │o ├─────────────────── │ ┌────┴──┐ │ Association of │ │ ├─┘ Shareware └──┤ o │ Professionals ─────┤ ╥ ├────────────────────- └───╨───┘ MEMBER SHAREWARE INFORMATION: This is Shareware and not Public Domain Software. Examine this free for 30 days and if you find it useful please send $25 registration fee to the above address. When you register you will receive all updates, additions and latest corrections and software support for a minimum of three months. We strive to continually improve the current utilities and to add handy new ones, so it will be worth your while to register. Suggestions for "HandyDOS" additions are welcome. ** Please read the shareware agreement near end of this file and the Registration/Ordering form in file REGISTER which also contains information on other software available from ATI. INTRODUCTION: (Version 1.4) HandyDOS resulted from a need for several handy utilities which are absent in DOS. The purpose was to improve users' time efficiency and disk use without nonessential frills frequenting multipurpose menu programs - which often require several steps for a simple task. The objects in mind when designing the software were in order of importance: effectiveness, minimum keystrokes for the job, ease-of-use/intuitiveness and small program size. Most software should not try to be impressive but just do the job efficiently and get out of the way. Version 1.4 adds ATTRB.EXE a very intuitive and easy-to-use full screen file attribute utility. COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS: The software uses little memory and should run on any DOS 2.1 and up. FILES INCLUDED: INSTALL.BAT README.DOC (this file) REGISTER BAK.EXE 0.EXE MV.EXE DELTREE.EXE D.EXE VMODE.EXE ATTRB.EXE INPUT.EXE ECH.EXE INSTALLATION: The software should be installed in a DOS path - usually C:\DOS. You can use the INSTALL.BAT which creates a directory on a hard disc and copies the software to the directory. Alternatively, at any time you can copy the software files from diskette to a directory: Example: COPY A:*.* C:\DOS DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAMS: NOTE: All programs will give USAGE summary information with the /? switch, as is common for DOS 5.0. a. BAK.EXE and 0.EXE These programs can delete all .BAK extension and zero length files in a directory and all subdirectories. They are about as fast as the DOS5 "DIR *.BAK /S" is in finding the files. BAK USAGE: bak [directory] [/S] 0 USAGE: 0 [directory] [/S] If /S is used, all subdirectories are searched. [directory] can be omitted for current directory. NOTE: BAK and 0 do not delete files with system or hidden attributes. b. MV.EXE This program can rename or move any file or directory to anywhere else on the disc. USAGE: MV OldPath NewPath [/O] OldPath can have wild card '*' chars for file transfer only. Switch /O will overwrite existing NewPath files/directories. NOTES: (I) A directory cannot be moved into its subdirectory. (II) MV does not transfer directories from one drive to another - for that use XCOPY /S and DELTREE (included here). c. DELTREE.EXE This program deletes any directory with its subdirectories and all files. USAGE: DELTREE directory Any valid directory can be specified. If the current directory is specified it will be deleted and the next upper directory will become the current directory. NOTE: Before deleting directories on floppies, it will save time if the DOS verify is OFF, since each deletion has to be read verified if verify is ON. On hard drives the delay is less noticeable. Some uses of Deltree: * handy for cleaning up the drive of stale software or moving it to another drive in conjunction with the XCOPY /S command. * an alternative to formatting a floppy to erase all the files/directories. * deleting old backup files on floppies. * defragmenting a hard drive without reformatting. After backing up all your disk files use deltree (example: deltree c:\) to delete all files and then RESTORE the files back on the drive. d. D.EXE You will find this utility a real time saver. With a simple number reference (0-99) you can find your way around DOS drives/directories and execute programs without complicated menu software. USAGE: ACTION: D +# [program] Sets jump point # to current drive and directory with optional [program] execution. D # [program] Jumps to directory # and optionally executes [program] D -# Deletes jump point # from list D Lists jump points D /? Lists this info # is any number 0 to 99 EXAMPLES: d +9 adds the current directory as #9 on the jump list. D +12 GWBASIC MENU (adds current directory as #12 to jump list with GWBASIC to execute MENU.BAS program.) D 12 (will jump to directory associated with #12 on list and execute GWBASIC MENU combination) d 9 (will jump to directory associated with #9 on list) D -12 (will remove directory/program reference from list) Some Uses of D: * It can be used by different users to "logon" their directories and/or start programs. * Frequently, PC users will add the command "CD directory" to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file to go to a particular directory at bootup. This can be now changed to "D #", the # representing a directory (and optional program execution) on the jump list. Subsequent changes can be simply done using D +# [program] without editing the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. * The program execution feature can be a substitute for DOS menu programs. When the optional program is specified for execution, the D program releases all DOS memory to that program (except about 3k for batch programs). Notes: The first time D is executed it establishes an ascii jump list file "D.DDD" in the same directory as D.EXE". Some packed programs (Example: QBASIC) may not execute when called directly by D.EXE. If you find this to be true you can get around this by prefixing the program name with the command.com pathname and the /C switch. Example: "D +23 C:\COMMAND /C QBASIC" instead of "D +23 QBASIC". e. VMODE.EXE This program can set or find the current video mode and graphics capabilities of the video card. It also indicates the corresponding GW/QBASIC SCREEN numbers used by BASIC programmers. The program is handy for laptop users to get the large █ block cursor and find the best video text mode for greatest contrast. For example, The Leading Edge DLT/386SX default is 3, but the best contrast is with video mode number 7. Thus an AUTOEXEC.BAT command "VMODE 107" will set the block cursor and best contrast at bootup. USAGE: COMMENTS: VMODE to display current video mode VMODE # [add 100] to set video mode # [and get █ cursor] VMODE /A to display all video mode #'s VMODE /I to invert video text mode Notes: The █ is available only for text modes. Some software will change to default "_" DOS cursor when exiting. VMODE returns DOS errorlevel 1 with an error message and 0 otherwise. f. ATTRB.EXE This program is meant to replace the awkward dos ATTRIB utility. It is an easy-to-use WYSIWYG full-screen utility for changing file attributes - to/from ReadOnly, Hidden, System and Archive modes (RHSA). USAGE: ATTRB [FileSpec] FileSpec can be general like *.* or a specific filename. If not given the default FileSpec is *.*. To change FileSpec on screen press the key when appears beside "Files spec:" and then type in new file spec. The R, H, S or A attributes for a highlighted file are changed simply by pressing one of the RHSA keys. Pressing the Alt key and one of the RHSA at same time changes attributes for all files specified - except directories, which can only be changed individually. g. INPUT.EXE & ECH.EXE These are simple programs but can be very useful in writing batch files. Even DOS5 still does not facilitate direct batch menu selection. This program pair fixes this need. INPUT USAGE: INPUT [/F] string1 string2 string3 ..... The program gets keyboard input and returns to DOS the number (#) of the character string matching the input (i.e. returns 1 if string1 is same as the keyboard input, 2 if string2, etc.). A zero is returned if no match is found. The number returned is called the errorlevel - but is really not an error here. Upper/lower case character differences are ignored. If switch /F is used, only one character is accepted from the keyboard which is then compared to only the first character of each string. INPUT /F is a good substitute for the dos PAUSE command since it doesn't interrupt with 'Press any key to continue ...' or add an extra <CR><LF>. ECH USAGE: ECH string This command is similar to the DOS echo but does not add a <CR><LF> pair - i.e. it does not move the cursor to next line. This is useful in batch menu programs when you want the cursor to stay beside the "question". If the string has spaces ECH will reduce all spaces to a single space. If you wish an exact string echo use quotation marks around the whole string. Example: ECH "Do you wish to make a selection? (y/n) " A sample batch file program is listed below. Note the sequence of the errorlevel tests. Make sure you understand how DOS responds to errorlevels of programs - see DOS manual. ---------------------------------------- @echo off echo . ech Do you wish to select programs? . input yes y oui if errorlevel 1 goto programs goto end :programs cls echo A Word Processing echo B Invoicing echo C Modem echo . ech " " Press a selection letter (A/B/C) input /f a b c if errorlevel 3 C:\USR\COM\MODEM if errorlevel 2 C:\BUS\INVCX5 if errorlevel 1 C:\WS5\WS :end ---------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER and SHAREWARE - AGREEMENT: Users of HandyDOS must accept this disclaimer of warranty: HandyDOS 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 HandyDOS." HandyDOS is a "shareware software" and is provided at no charge to the user for 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. If you find this program useful and find that you are using HandyDOS and continue to use HandyDOS after a reasonable trial period, you must make a registration payment of $25 to Abri Technologies. The $25 registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another. Just as a book is not read by two different persons at the same time. Commercial users of HandyDOS must register and pay for their copies of HandyDOS within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting Abri Technologies. You are encouraged to pass a copy of HandyDOS 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 HandyDOS and software support for a minimum of three months after registration. For registration and software ordering view the 'REGISTER' file. "This program is produced by 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, 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 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536."