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ArcMaster 4.44
Copyright 1989 by New-Ware
All Rights Reserved
(tm) ┌─────────┐
┌─────┴───┐ │ MEMBER
───│ │ │────────────────
│ ┌──────┴──┐ │ Association of
│ │ ├──┘ Shareware
└──┤ ■ │ Professionals
──────│ ║ │───────────────────
└────╨────┘
Contents
1 - PROLOG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2 - REGISTRATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3 - VERSION HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4 - GENERAL & TECHNICAL INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . 4
5 - PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND REQUIREMENTS . . . . . . . 6
6 - EXECUTING ARCMASTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
7 - ON-LINE HELP DISPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8 - TROUBLE SHOOTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
9 - CREDITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Index 11
i
1 - PROLOG
The program author, John J. Newlin, is an active member of the
Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). The 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 P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006 or send a Compuserve
message via EASYPLEX to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
DISCLAIMER
New-Ware hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this product,
whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. New-
Ware cannot and will not be liable for any special, incidental,
consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any
other reason, even if New-Ware or an authorized New-Ware agent has been
advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall the
liability for any damages ever exceed the price paid for the license to
use software, regardless of the form and/or extent of the claim. The
user of this program bears all risk as to the quality and performance of
the software.
LICENSE
ArcMaster is a Shareware product. As such, it is made available to
the general computing public for evaluation. Users are licensed to
operate ArcMaster on their personal computers for the purpose of test
and evaluation on a trial basis for a limited trial period. It is not
possible to reasonably define any definitive limits of a fair and
equitable time period for evaluation, therefore it is left to the user's
judgement and sense of fair play as to the time required to make a
decision as to its usefulness. If the user decides the program is not
of sufficient merit to warrant purchase through registration with New-
Ware, the program should be removed from their personal computer.
Otherwise, if the program is deemed useful and is in regular use on the
user's personal computer system, registration with New-Ware is required.
Registered users are those users that elect to pay for ArcMaster
and register that payment with New-Ware. By virtue of registration and
payment for the program, registered users are granted a license to
continue to utilize the program on their personal computer for as long
as they choose. This license authorizes the user to use the program on
any personal computer system he or she may own so long as the program is
operated on only one computer system at a time.
2 - REGISTRATION
ArcMaster is sole property of New-Ware Shareware products. The
Shareware version may be freely copied and transferred to individual
parties for evaluation purposes. It may be posted on Bulletin Board
systems (BBS) for electronic access as long as NO FEE is charged for its
distribution except for private BBS operations that charge a regular
user subscription fee. Computer information services such as SUMMIT,
Compuserve (CIS), Genie, etc., are authorized to post this product for
subscriber access. ArcMaster may NOT be distributed on diskette by any
disk distributor/vendor that charges more than $12.00 for the diskette
upon which the program and attendant files are recorded without written
consent from New-Ware.
ArcMaster is a fully functional Shareware product. Shareware is a
computer program distribution/marketing method that permits potential
buyers to thoroughly try the program prior to purchase. It is NOT free
and it is not in the Public Domain. If, after evaluating the program,
you find it to be useful enough to use it on a regular basis, you are
expected to pay for it by registering with New-Ware. The registration
fee is $35.00 and the registered version, which is NOT distributed as
Shareware, will not contain the opening Shareware screen nor the closing
messages.
Those who have registered a previous version (prior to version 4.0)
of ArcMaster may purchase ArcMaster version 4.xx as an upgrade for
$5.00. Please be advised that I cannot accept credit card orders for
the upgrade. Checks/cash only, please!
You may register ArcMaster in one of three ways:
1) By mail with check or money order to:
New-Ware
8050 Camino Kiosco
San Diego, CA 92122-1820
2) By telephone with Visa/Mastercard to:
New-Ware
(619) 455-6225
- 2 -
3) Electronically through the New-Ware BBS:
New-Ware Shareware Products BBS
Running Wildcat! version 2.10p
(619) 450-3257 - Node #1 1200/2400/9600 (HST)
455-5226 - Node #2 1200/2400
The New-Ware Shareware Products BBS operates 24 hours per day, 7 days
per week. Node #1 is dedicated to registered users only. Nodes #2 is
open to all callers. Users registering via the BBS receive access to
the latest registered version within 1 day after leaving their credit
card data. Users who register by mail or phone may also access the
registered version by BBS, but you MUST log on and leave a comment to
the sysop to the effect that you are a registered user and desire
access. The author can also be contacted on SUMMIT as JNEWLIN or on CIS
via PPN 71535,665 (please use EASYPLEX).
This Shareware version of ArcMaster may be freely copied and passed on
to other individual users for their evaluation. Disk vendors and/or
distributors that desire to distribute ArcMaster must adhere to the
guidelines presented in VENDOR.DOC.
Press Alt-R from the main ArcMaster Display to display the registration
window. Prompts will be issued for the pertinent information and you
will have the option of printing the registration form when the form is
completed.
CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS MUST INCLUDE 7% STATE SALES TAX!
I support my software. One of the great strengths of the Shareware
concept is the interaction between the program author and the users.
Many of the features contained in ArcMaster are the result of user
input. If you have a problem evaluating this program or desire to make
a suggestion or comment (or even a complaint), please do not hesitate to
contact me. Even if you register ArcMaster, if you later determine that
it is unsuitable for your use, you may contact me for a refund. It is
not necessary that you be a registered user to contact me for technical
support. Technical support will be available through the U.S mail,
telephone, or the New-Ware BBS.
3 - VERSION HISTORY
4.40 - 10/10/89
- Added Ctrl-F3 for recalling the directory previously
displayed in a window.
- Added ARC, LHARC, PAK, and ZIP self-extracting
(.COM/.EXE) files to the in-archive search routine.
- Fixed the Ctrl-P (print directory listing) function.
- Added display of executable support file DOS path
information (Ctrl-F2).
- Fixed display glitches.
- Placed indexed command summary in the initial HELP
(F1) screen.
- 3 -
4.41 - 10/16/89
- Added support for EGA/VGA 43 line mode.
- Added capability to specify the name (or path) of the
SCAN program in use.
4.42 - 10/24/89
- Added 35 line EGA/VGA mode.
- Added on-line dynamic screen color configuration.
- Added execution of DOS .COM/.EXE files.
4.43 - 10/26/89
- Fixed nasty bug caused by uninitialized pointer.
4.44 - 10/12/89
- Add graphic directory tree control display.
- Eliminated use of EMS for file/directory data storage.
New versions are created and released for two main reasons. First, and
foremost, is to correct bugs and design flaws discovered by users. The
second is to incorporate new and better ideas received from users.
4 - GENERAL & TECHNICAL INFORMATION
CAUTION!!! - ArcMaster uses a temporary subdirectory (child of the
current active directory) named "$!$" for conversion from
one archive system files to another. Do NOT use a subdirectory of this
name anywhere in your system or the files contained therein might be
lost!!
The term ARC is widely used throughout this documentation as well
as in various textual messages in the executable program. ARC, as it is
used here and in the program, is an abbreviation for the generic word
"archive". Archive is defined as a "place where records or documents
are kept." In the case of personal computers, the term has come to
connote files that contain other files that have been reduced in size
through the employment of various compression techniques. Thus an
archive file is a library of files compressed for archival or storage
efficiency purposes. Some compression/decompression systems
automatically append a DOS file extension of .ARC, some use .PAK, some
use .LZH, and some use .ZIP. When the term archive appears here or in
the main program, it refers to the process of creating, modifying, or
unpacking compressed archive files or it refers to a file in which
compressed files have been stored in library fashion. There will be
references in this document to various operating system file extensions
such as .ARC, .PAK, and .ZIP. These file extensions are given (usually
by default) in the creation of archives of compressed files by archive
systems to distinguish these from other files. References to these
extensions are necessary for technical and explanatory reasons.
ArcMaster 4.44 supports 6 popular and widely used archive systems.
An archive system is a program or group of programs that employ file
compression techniques to create a compressed archive file and
decompression techniques to access and extract files stored in an
- 4 -
archive file. The following systems are currently supported by
ArcMaster:
ARC by Systems Enhancement Associates (SEA)
ARCA/ARCE by Vernon Buerg
PKPAK/PKUNPAK by PKWare (no longer distributed)
PAK by NoGate Consulting
PKZIP/PKUNZIP by PKWare (Phil Katz)
LHARC by Haruyasu Yoshizaki
LIST by Vernon Buerg
All of these are outstanding systems and each have their own specific
merits. New-Ware has no vested interest in the commercial success of
any of these systems and does not recommend one over the other. It is
recommended that archive file users evaluate each of these systems,
select the one(s) closest to meeting archival needs, and registering
that product(s). All, except ARCA and LHARC, are Shareware products and
available from various sources, including Bulletin Board Systems around
the country. LHARC (.LZH files) and ARCA are freely distributed
programs. ArcMaster 4.44 supports all of these systems in an effort to
provide an effective archive control system interface for the broadest
range of users.
It is the responsibility of the user to thoroughly read and
understand the documentation included with whichever archive systems are
in use. For example, the ZIP system provides a means for specifying a
drive as the default for creating temporary files. This feature is
important when archiving/unarchiving from/to floppy disks.
ArcMaster 4.44 is written in Borland International's Turbo Pascal,
version 5.0 and makes heavy use of TurboPower Software's Turbo 5.0
Professional library. Some portions of this software are taken from
Turbo Pascal Express, Copyright by Robert Jourdain. ArcMaster was
developed and compiled on an AST Premium/386C (20 Mhz) equipped with an
ATI VGA Wonder 512K and NEC Multisync II monitor. It has been tested on
the following machines:
AST Premium/386C (as described above) - MSDOS 3.3/PCDOS 4.01
AST Premium/286 - MSDOS 3.3 - Hercules Plus - Mono
AST BRAVO 286 - MSDOS 3.3 - Hercules Clone - Mono
ACER 710 XT Clone - MSDOS 3.2 - Hercules Clone - Mono
Zenith 386 with VGA and VGA monitor - MSDOS 3.3
Compaq 386/20 with VGA monitor - MSDOS 3.3
The author is a retired Naval Aviator who holds degrees in
Mathematics and Computer Science. Developing and marketing Shareware
products became his full-time business after resigning from Hughes
Aircraft Company in 1988. Other Shareware products offered by New-Ware
are:
SCOUT - TSR disk/file manager
CopyMaster - File/disk copy utility
FormatMaster - Floppy disk formatter
SECTION V. GENERAL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND REQUIREMENTS
- 5 -
5 - PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND REQUIREMENTS
ArcMaster is a full-featured visual interface program designed
facilitate the operation of archive systems in the PCDOS/MSDOS
environment. By itself, ArcMaster WILL NOT perform any file compression
or decompression. At least one of the support systems must be present
before ArcMaster becomes useful. With one or more of the five supported
archive systems present, ArcMaster will make the creation, modification,
and unarchiving of archive files much easier and faster. It is menu-
driven and employs a "point and shoot" style method of controlling major
archiving operations.
At least one of the six supported archive systems must be available
before ArcMaster can be successfully operated. ArcMaster also includes
the capability to convert archive files from/to the popular .ARC format
(developed by SEA) and the newer .PAK format (developed by NoGate
Consulting). A system that operates with each format must be present in
order to successfully convert from one format to another. Here are the
file names of the executable files for each system:
ARC (ver. 6.02) - *ARC.EXE
PAK (ver. 2.10) - *PAK.EXE
PKPAK (ver. 3.6) - PKPAK.EXE
PKUNPAK.EXE
ARCA (ver. 1.29) - *ARCA.COM
*ARCE.COM
ZIP (ver. 1.01/02) - PKZIP.EXE
PKUNZIP.EXE
LHARC (ver 1.13C) - *LHARC.EXE
The files marked with an asterisk (*) are files that may distributed
with the version number as part of the file name. For example, the
current version of Vern Buerg's ARCA is distributed as ARCA129.COM. Be
sure that the archive system files that you use are named exactly as
above.
ArcMaster may be operated on any IBM PC/XT/AT/PS2 or compatible
running under DOS 2.0 and above. With the distributed default settings
of 300 files per directory (RIGHT & LEFT) and 50 files per archive. It
uses approximately 162K RAM. ArcMaster supports the DESKQView
environment and the Hercules InColor Card. Approximately 350K total
available RAM is required to run ArcMaster and although not absolutely
necessary, a hard disk is strongly recommended. All monitor and
graphics cards are supported, including "composite" (2 color) monitors
and backlit laptop screens. Mouse support is automatically provided if
a mouse driver is present in the system. Any dot matrix or laser
printer may be used for printing file directory listings.
The type of monitor, color or monochrome, will be detected at
runtime and the display colors will be adjusted accordingly. Users with
older composite (2 color) monitors and laptops with backlit screens
should place an "M" on the command line when starting Arcmaster. If the
configuration settings are then saved to the disk file, the "M" will no
longer be required when executing Arcmaster.
- 6 -
Although not absolutely required to operate ArcMaster, it is
strongly recommended that a current version of Vern Buerg's outstanding
LIST.COM be present also. LIST is a very sophisticated and powerful
file viewing program that permits a user to browse just about any kind
of file imaginable. The importance of LIST to ArcMaster is that LIST is
employed to browse compressed files that reside within an archive file.
LIST version 6.2 and above is supported but if you use a Mouse with
ArcMaster, you MUST use version 7.0 or later of LIST.
It is IMPORTANT that the archive system files, LIST.COM, and AM.HLP
reside in a directory that is identified in the DOS PATH string. The DOS
PATH string is a string containing valid DOS directory path names that
DOS will use to search for an executable file. It is user defined and
is normally initialized at boot-up with the PATH command. Here is an
example of a DOS PATH command as it might appear in an AUTOEXEC.BAT
file:
path=c:\util;d:\arc\dat;c:\turbo;e:\dbms\pc-file
It is IMPORTANT that the drive designator and colon precede each
individual path identified in the string. In this example, suppose that
the current directory is C:\GAMES and it is desired to execute Norton's
famous utilities, which is located in C:\UTIL. Simply enter the command
NU and DOS will find NU.EXE in C:\UTIL and execute it. If the requested
program is not in the current active directory, DOS will then search
each directory listed in the PATH string for the executable file. If
the path name C:\UTIL were omitted from the path string in this example,
DOS would respond to an attempt to load NU.EXE with a "Bad command or
filename" message, unless NU.EXE were in the current directory. The
PATH string can be checked at any time by entering either PATH or SET
from the DOS level. Also, do NOT place more than one PATH command in
the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Only the last PATH command that is executed is
valid.
Placing the directory path names in the PATH string is required
EVEN IF ALL ARCMASTER FILES ARE LOCATED IN THE SAME DIRECTORY!. This is
true due to the nature of the way that ArcMaster issues a call for
executable files to DOS.
6 - EXECUTING ARCMASTER
ArcMaster's executable file is named AM44.EXE. It MUST reside in a
directory that is identified in the DOS PATH string. The supporting
overlay file is no longer required or included. ArcMaster may be
executed by entering the file name at the DOS command level or called
from a .BAT file or DOS shell. Up to three command line parameters are
supported. A command line parameter is a string of characters that
follows the program name. Here is an example:
AM44 G:\DATA\UNARC
The command string is not case sensitive. In this example, DOS will
load and execute ArcMaster and ArcMaster will make the directory path
- 7 -
G:\DATA\UNARC it's destination directory (more about source and
destination directories later). Another example is:
AM44 c:\pascal d:\archive
In this case ArcMaster will assign c:\pascal as the source directory and
d:\archive as the destination directory. Of course, it is not necessary
to enter any parameters at all on the command line, in which case
ArcMaster will use the default source and directory path names that have
been saved to the .EXE file. If either path name is invalid, ArcMaster
will use the default setting. If the drive designator is omitted (i.e.,
\pascal vice c:\pascal), then the current active drive designator will
be appended.
A valid file name may also be entered on the command line. If the
file name is a file that exists in the current directory, ArcMaster will
automatically position the LEFT window cursor bar over that file on
start-up. For example, the command
AM44 STORAGE.ARC
will result in the cursor bar highlighting the file STORAGE.ARC if
STORAGE.ARC exists in the start-up directory.
IMPORTANT - PREVIOUS ARCMASTER USERS PLEASE NOTE!!
Due to the incorporation of the new context sensitive HELP feature,
a number of function key changes were necessary. For example, F1 now
invokes HELP instead of compressing selected files and F2 now calls the
archive system selection menu instead of decompressing selected files.
The F9 key now compresses files and the F10 key now decompresses files.
Alt-F9 now selects the type of archive system conversion and Alt-F10
starts the conversion process. Please check the ArcMaster on-line HELP
for more information on command key changes.
When ArcMaster loads and executes, it first checks the DOS path for
the presence of one of the following files: ARC.EXE, ARCA.COM, PAK.EXE,
PKPAK.EXE, LHARC.EXE and PKZIP.EXE. If none of these files can be
located in directories contained in the DOS path, ArcMaster will issue a
warning message and pause before continuing. If one of these systems is
found, that system will become the default until manually changed by the
user.
7 - ON-LINE HELP DISPLAY
ArcMaster now includes a very extensive on-line HELP system. HELP
can be invoked from just about anywhere withing ArcMaster by pressing
the F1 key or the LEFT and RIGHT mouse buttons. The help system
incorporates nearly 85 percent of the information contained in the
original AM44.DOC file and for that reason AM44.DOC is now truncated.
The HELP system is context sensitive. That means that when called
by pressing F1, the pop-up HELP screen will contain textual information
that is directly related to which menu or submenu the user is in when
- 8 -
HELP is called. For example, pressing F1 when viewing the main screen
will display a general HELP screen that describes the HELP system and
its associated commands. The general introductory HELP screen also
contains a list of major ArcMaster commands. Pressing F1 while in a
menu or submenu will provide HELP for the specific menu item that is
currently selected by the movable cursor bar.
An extensive HELP index of available topics is available from
anywhere within the HELP system by just pressing F1. When this occurs,
you will be presented with an alphabetized list of available HELP topics
and a movable cursor bar. To obtain HELP for a particular ArcMaster
function, find the topic header in the list, move the cursor bar over
it, and press ENTER. The window will then display the textual HELP
information related to that topic. You may press Alt-F1 to return to
the HELP information related to the previous topic.
Mouse support is also available with the HELP system. Pressing the
LEFT & RIGHT mouse buttons together anywhere in ArcMaster acts the same
as pressing the F1 key. The mouse may be used to move the HELP index
cursor and pressing the LEFT mouse button is the same as pressing ENTER.
Pressing the RIGHT mouse button is the same as pressing the ESC key,
which is used to exit from the HELP system.
Support for the HELP system is contained in the file AM.HLP. This
file MUST reside either in the same directory from which AM44.EXE is
executed or in a directory that appears in the DOS PATH string. It is
strongly recommended that you place both AM44.EXE and AM.HLP in the same
directory and ensure that the selected directory is identified in the
DOS PATH string.
The help file, AM.HLP, is a compressed file containing textual
HELP information that is divided and indexed by topics. Since AM44.DOC
used to be about 91K in size and AM.HLP is now about 45K in size, the
entire AM44 package is smaller.
8 - TROUBLE SHOOTING
In the event that problems are encountered during the use of
ArcMaster, it would be appreciated if the user would take the time to
check the items mentioned in this paragraph prior to calling for
support. The most common problem that will be encountered is the
failure to place the archive (and LIST) executable files in a directory
that is identified in the PATH command. The current DOS PATH string may
be examined by entering the DOS command PATH or SET from the DOS level.
A more definitive method is to execute ArcMaster and then press Ctrl-F2
for a complete listing of the support files used by ArcMaster and their
respective DOS paths (if any) in the user's system.
Another common problem will undoubtedly be in neglecting to
configure ArcMaster for the archive system in use. If ArcMaster is set
for PKZIP (the distribution default) and the user attempts to operate
the program in the absence of PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE in the DOS PATH,
failure will result. It should be noted that although any type of
archive file directory may be viewed in either the LEFT or RIGHT window,
- 9 -
tagging is only allowed in the LEFT window and the archive system
present must match the ArcMaster configuration setting in order to
extract or browse (LIST) files inside an archive. It is especially
important to insure that the necessary archive system files are present
and in the DOS PATH for the conversion functions to operate properly.
One possible source of problems could be the failure to properly
configure the archive system(s) being used. Be sure to read the
documentation that accompanies each system that is being used and ensure
that the programs are configured properly.
It is not possible to produce a non-trivial computer program that is
completely fault-free and ArcMaster is no exception. There are
undoubtedly bugs lurking that I and my beta testers failed to identify
and correct. One of the great strengths of the Shareware concept is the
interaction available between the program author and the users. I
welcome contact with users and I try very hard to be responsive to bug
reports and constructive criticism. Much of the design of this version
is directly attributable to the input I have received from ArcMaster
users. If a design flaw or bug is detected, please contact me and I'll
fix it. I can't solve the problems that I don't know about.
9 - CREDITS
New-Ware would like to acknowledge the important efforts of Tom
Kellen (Atlanta, GA) and Sallie Austin (Rockford, IL) for their
outstanding support during the development and testing of ArcMaster. It
is also important to acknowledge the outstanding compiler and pascal
library technology from Borland International and TurboPower Software,
respectively. Credit is also due to System Enhancement Associates,
PKWare, Vernon Buerg, NoGate Consulting, and H. Yoshizaki for their
splendid efforts in developing fast and efficient archive programs.
Users of these programs are strongly urged support the authors through
registration where appropriate. Last, but never least, dealing with the
large and complex source files from which this program is compiled would
be frustratingly difficult without the use of Sammy Mitchel's (SemWare)
outstanding text editor, QEDIT.
Copyright 1987/88/89, all rights reserved.
November 1989
San Diego, California
- 10 -
Index
.ARC 4 monochrome 6
.LZH 5
.PAK 4 N
.ZIP 4 New-Ware 3
NoGate Consulting 5
A
Alt-R 3 O
archive systems 4 ON-LINE HELP DISPLAY 8
ASP 1
ASP Ombudsman 1 P
PATH 7
B PKWare 5
Borland 5 PROLOG 1
C R
color 6 RAM 6
Compuserve 2 register 2
convert 6 REGISTRATION 2
CREDITS 10 registration window 3
D S
destination directory 8 Sallie Austin 10
DOS PATH 7 Sammy Mitchel 10
SET 7
E Shareware 1
EXECUTING ARCMASTER 7 Shareware Products BBS 3
source directory 8
G SUMMIT 2
GENERAL & TECHNICAL Systems Enhancement
INFORMATION 4 Associates 5
GENERAL DESCRIPTION 6
Genie 2 T
temporary subdirectory 4
H Tom Kellen 10
Haruyasu Yoshizaki 5 TROUBLE SHOOTING 9
Turbo Pascal 5
L TurboPower 5
LHARC 5
LIST 7 V
LIST.COM 7 Vernon Buerg 5
VERSION HISTORY 3
M
monitor 6
- 11 -