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@CB EDiskCat Disk Cataloging SystemF EV1.0F (c) Copyright 1988. J. M. Nerwinski. DiskCat is distributed under the Shareware concept. Feel free to make copies and pass them on to friends and associates. If you find Diskcat to be of use, please support it. Your registration fee of $30.00 will earn you an honored place in my database, a registered copy of the latest version of DiskCat, 50 free labels,a source for additional labels and insure future support of the program. Please use the registration and label order form included on this disk. You will be notified of all major upgrades and be given the opportunity to purchase upgrades at a nominal charge. Send all registrations, bug reports, comments, suggestions, etc. to: J. M. Nerwinski 112 Leon Street Durham, NC 27704 DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 2 ETABLE OF CONTENTSF System Requirements .................... 3 Installation ........................... 4 General Information .................... 5-6 Printed Disk Labels ............ 5 Help System .................... 5 Data Entry ..................... 5 Menu Option Selection .......... 5 Escape Key ..................... 6 Disk and File Deletion ......... 6 Cataloging Disks ....................... 7-8 Disk Number .................... 7 Volume Label ................... 7 File Cataloging Process ........ 8 Disk Labels .................... 8 Delete Disks from Catalog .............. 9 Review Files on Disk ................... 10-12 Catalog Search ......................... 13 Reports ................................ 14 Utilities .............................. 15-16 Reindex Databases .............. 15 Start New Catalog .............. 15 Set System Defaults ............ 15 Remove Deleted Disks and Files . 16 Print Labels ................... 16 Edit Category Listing .......... 16 Label Order Form ....................... 17 Registration Form ...................... 18 DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 3 ESYSTEM REQUIREMENTSF The minimum requirements for DiskCat are: * 512K Random Access Memory * A hard disk system with one floppy drive * An 80 column printer (Epson or compatible) * a monochrome or color monitor DiskCat was designed to be used on a hard drive system. Since all catalog items will be stored on the default drive, it is impractical to run DiskCat from a single floppy drive. The database files will fill up quite quickly and you will run out of disk space. Future versions of DiskCat will include the option to operate the program on a floppy drive system. It is also necessary to have a CONFIG.SYS file in your root directory. If you already have a CONFIG.SYS file, make sure that it contains these statements: FILES = 20 BUFFERS = 22 If there is no CONFIG.SYS file, consult your DOS manual for the information on how to create it. DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 4 EINSTALLATIONF Installation of Diskcat is quite simple. Copy all files on the distribution diskette onto your hard disk. It is recommended that you create a unique directory for DiskCat. Consult your DOS manual for instructions on how to create a new directory. Change to that directory, insert the distribution diskette into drive A, and issue the DOS command: Copy a:*.* To start DiskCat simply type DISKCAT. The program will load and the introductory screen will appear. Diskcat automatically detects a color monitor and will display accordingly. After carefully reading the introductory screen press any key. The first time you run DiskCat, the system screen will appear. You need to supply Diskcat with two pieces of information. 1. The disk drive you will be using for your cataloging. (This is NOT your hard disk! it must be either drive A or B. If you specify drive C, DiskCat will catalog your hard drive which may take a day or two.) 2. Your name or Company Name. This is the name that will be printed on your diskette labels. DISK CATALOG OF ------------------ After you have entered the above information, DiskCat will display the Main Menu. This information will not be requested again. You may, however, change it any any time through the Utilities Menu. DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 5 EGENERAL INFORMATIONF EPRINTED DISK LABELSF DiskCat requires one-up labels, 1 7/16" x 5". I know from experience that these labels are not only difficult to find, but are usually only sold in boxes of 5,000 labels. Now, unless you have 5,000 disks to catalog, this may pose a problem. REGISTER YOUR COPY OF DISKCAT! I will automatically send you 50 labels with your registration. You will also be able to purchase more labels, either with your registration or at a later time. The order form can be found in ORDER.TXT. Labels will only be available to REGISTERED USERS! EHELPF Help is available at every turn. There are context sensitive help screens for every menu option and data entry item. Simply press F1 key when needed. EDATA ENTRY - CAUTION!F Please be careful when entering file name, extensions, etc. manually. DiskCat will automatically go to the next data item when the previous item has been filled. Press the <Enter> key only if your entry does not fill the entire field. This especially holds true for single digit or character entries. If you press <Enter> after making your entry, you may find that you have automatically skipped the next item in the list. EMENU OPTION SELECTIONF There are two ways of making a selection from a menu. 1. You can move the light bar to the desired selection. This method is recommended for first time users since it gives you access to on-line HELP. Once you become familiar with the menu options you can use the direct method. DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 6 2. Press the letter of your desired selection. Diskcat will go directly to the procedure selected. EREMEMBER! DON'T PRESS <Enter>!F EESCAPEF Pressing the <Esc> key will usually get you out of whatever you are doing. If you escape out of a data entry routine, any changes or additions that you have made will be ignored. During the cataloging process, you can escape at any time except when entering a new volume label, and while DiskCat is processing and reading the diskette. There is only one SAFE way out of the system - through the Exit to DOS option from the Main Menu. If you reboot your system or turn it off without properly exiting DiskCat, you run the risk of damaging your databases. You must also be very careful with DOS errors. If at all possible, NEVER 'Abort'. DOS has a bad habit of leaving the database files open when you abort. Try to rectify the situation and 'Retry'. BE FOREWARNED!! EDISK AND FILE DELETIONF When you request to delete a file or disk from the catalog, Diskcat will mark the deletion with an asterisk. Whatever you mark for deletion can always be unmarked until you physically remove it through the Utilities Menu. DiskCat will advise you if a disk or file is marked for deletion in one of two ways. If the entire disk is to be deleted, a message will appear at the top of the screen. If a file is marked for deletion, an asterisk will appear to the left of the item number. When you delete a disk all of its associated files are also marked. DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 7 ECATALOGING DISKSF From the Main Menu, Select Option A. EDISK NUMBER:F DiskCat will catalog up to 9,999 disks. DiskCat keeps track of the next Disk number available. That number will be shown in the Disk Number box. Press Enter to accept this number. If you know that you have deleted a disk from the catalog, and want to reuse that number you can enter the number at this time. If the number you enter is already in use, and the disk has not been deleted from the catalog, you will receive an error message and be given the opportunity to select a new number. To return to the Main Menu without continuing with the cataloging process, simply press <Esc>. Once you have entered the disk number, you will be instructed to insert the disk to be cataloged into the drive you have specified (usually A:). Diskcat will then look for a volume label. EVOLUME LABEL:F If the disk has a label, it will de displayed in the Label Box. You will then be asked if you want to change that label. If you wish to change the label, answer Y and enter the new label (maximum 11 characters). The new label will be displayed in the Label Box and the volume label of the disk will also be changed. NOTE: I am using a public domain utility (Volser.com) to change the disk label. There are a few cases when this utility can not change the volume name. Should this happen, your only recourse is to escape out of the cataloging process for that disk and change the disk label through DOS. You can then catalog the disk normally. DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 8 No duplicate volume labels are permitted by the system. If the label you enter already exists in the catalog, you will be given the opportunity to change your entry. You can cancel the cataloging process by pressing the <Esc> key. The system will return to the Main Menu. ETHE FILE CATALOGING PROCESS:F Once the volume label has been entered, DiskCat will proceed to read all of the files on the diskette. DiskCat is able to catalog all files on the disk, including files in sub directories. The location of each file on the disk is stored along with the file name. After DiskCat has read all files on the disk, the screen will clear and you will be able to catalog a new disk. If there are no more disks to catalog, press <Esc>. EDISK LABELS:F E F** See the information regarding labels used by DiskCat in the General Information Section. After each cataloging session, you will be given the opportunity to print disk labels for all NEWLY cataloged disks. This is optional. You can also print labels through the Print Label Option in the Utilities area. If you decide to print labels at this time, DiskCat will first ask if you want a sample label to check your printer alignment. Once you have determined that the labels are properly aligned, answer N to "Print Sample?" and labels will be printed. DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 9 EDELETING DISKS FROM CATALOGF Select Option B from the Main Menu. DiskCat will ask for the disk number to delete. Once you have entered a valid number, one page of files on that disk will be displayed. This gives you the opportunity to verify that the disk you have entered is the correct one. If the disk has not already been marked for deletion, DiskCat will verify that you really want to delete the disk. If, however, the disk has already been marked for deletion, DiskCat will ask you if you want to recall it (unmark it). Remember that deleting a disk also deletes all of its files from the catalog. When finished, press <Esc> to return to the Main Menu. If you want to physically remove deleted disks from the catalog at this time, you can do so through the Utilities Menu. DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 10 EREVIEW FILES ON DISKF Select Option C from the Main Menu. Enter the number of the disk you want to review. If the disk is not in the catalog, DiskCat will display an error message and you will be given the opportunity to request another disk. You can return to the Main Menu from this point by entering 0 or pressing <Esc>. If the disk is in the catalog, DiskCat will display the first page of files. All further activity will depend on the use of the function keys as displayed at the bottom of the screen. You can page up and down through the file list and add, delete and edit files. The directory location of the files will be displayed directly below the disk number always starting with the root directory. The file listing displays the file name, extension, size, and date as read from the disk. There are two fields for you to fill in if desired: Description and Category. The file Description is strictly informational. No processing or reports are affected by it. The Category field, however, is rather important. After you have categorized your files, you will be able to search for all files in a particular category and print listings by category. More about categories a little later. EUSING THE FUNCTION KEYSF F1 - Always used for HELP. F2 - Page Up. Pressing F2 will give you the previous page of files. If you are already on the first page DiskCat will 'beep' to alert you. F3 - Page Down. Pressing F3 will give you the next page of files. If you are on the last page of files when you press F3, DiskCat will 'beep' to alert your. F4 - Chr Dir. Pressing F4 will allow you to change to a directory displayed on the file screen. A directory can be identified by <DIR> in the size column. When you press F4 the cursor will be positioned at the bottom right corner of the screen requesting Item #. Enter the item number DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 11 to the left of the directory listing. If your entry is a valid sub directory, the screen will change to show only the files in that subdirectory. You can always return to the root directory by pressing F4 and entering 0. F5 - Add. You can add a file to a disk listing by pressing F5. The current listing will clear and you will be presented with a line of blanks to be filled in. Enter the description, category, filename, extension, size and date of the new file. Remember the caution about using the <Enter> key. You can cancel your entry by pressing <Esc>. Now for that word about CATEGORIES. When the cursor is positioned in the category box, press F1. A normal HELP screen will appear. Press F1 again, and a list of all established categories will appear. You can page through these existing categories by using the up and down arrows and the PgUp and PgDn keys. When you have found the category you want to use, press <Enter>. The screen will clear, and your category selection will be entered automatically. If you can not find the category you want, press <Esc>. If you wish to use a category which is not in the list simply type it in. DiskCat will look at the existing list and add any new category as necessary. The Category list can also be modified through the Utilities Menu. F6 - Edit. You can edit any file or directory listing in the catalog by pressing F6. The cursor will be positioned at the lower right corner awaiting the item number to edit. Enter the number located to the left of the file you wish to edit. That file information will now be highlighted and you can make the necessary changes. To keep the existing information, simply press enter and the cursor will move to the next field. You can cancel the editing process by pressing <Esc>. You will probably use edit primarily to enter file descriptions and categories. See the notes about the category lists under F5. Once you have added the description and/or category and, if there are DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 12 no more changes to make, you can press PgDn. DiskCat will accept your changes and skip all of the remaining fields. F7 - Del/Rec. Press F7 to Delete or Recall a file in the file list. As with Add and Edit, DiskCat will request the Item Number to Delete or Recall. If the item has not been previously deleted, it will be marked for deletion and an asterisk will appear to the left of the item number. If the item was already marked for deletion, it will be recalled (unmarked) and the asterisk will disappear. Remember, that items marked for deletion are not physically removed until you request DiskCat to do so through the Utilities Menu. F10 - Exit. F10 will clear the existing screen and request a new disk number. Enter another disk number or press <Enter> or <Esc> to return to the Main Menu. DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 13 ECATALOG SEARCH UTILITYF Select option C from the Main Menu. A new Search Options Menu will appear. You can search DiskCat for files several ways: A. By File Name and/or Extension B. By Disk Label Name C. By Category The search procedure is basically the same for all searches. A display screen will appear requesting the search criteria. If DiskCat is able to match your request, it will display only those files which match the request. If there is no match, you will be advised. So, if you want a list of all GAMES in your catalog, request option C. Search by Category, and enter the category GAMES. Don't forget the Category list is available by pressing F1. DiskCat will display all files that have been categorized as games, showing the file name, extensions, descriptions, locations, sizes, dates and, most importantly, the disk number. One item to note is that when searching by filename and/or extension, you CAN NOT USE DOS WILDCARD CHARACTERS. If you want all files beginning with the letter C, simply enter C and leave the extension blank. If you fill in both the filename and extension, DiskCat will search for an exact match. Therefore, in the above example, if you enter C in the filename and COM in the extension, DiskCat will search for C.COM. Again, don't forget the HELP screens. They give examples for all searches. Once you have received a screen of files, you can use the F2 and F3 keys to page up and down through the listing. You can not add or edit any file from the search area. When you are finished with the current listing, press F10 and you will be able to either request another search or return to the Search Menu by pressing <Esc>. DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 14 EREPORTSF Select Option E from the Main Menu. A new Reports Menu will be displayed. There are 5 basic reports available: A. Individual Disk Listing: This report will give a listing of all files on a particular disk. Disks will be separated into their own reports. That is, if you request a listing for your entire catalog, each disk will have it's own report, even if there are only one or two files on that disk. This report is best suited for a permanent record in a binder. B. Complete by Disk Number: This report will produce a continuous listing by order of disk number. You can limit the report to any number of consecutive disks, or print the entire catalog. C. Complete By File Extension and File Name: This report will produce a complete listing of files ordered first by extension and then file name. You can limit the report by entering an individual extension. D. Complete by File Name and Extension: This report will produce a continuous listing of all files in the catalog by order of File Name and then Extension. This report can only be printed as a complete catalog. E. Complete by Category: This report will produce a continuous listing by order of category. This report can be limited to a single category if desired. Please note that when requesting the complete catalog, only those files which have been categorized will be included in the listing. DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 15 EUTILITIES MENUF Select option F from the Main Menu. The Utilities Menu will be displayed. There are six options available through the Utilities Menu: A. Reindex Database Files. During normal operation of DiskCat, reindex of the databases should not be necessary. However, should you experience a power failure or other such horror, you may find that the system is not displaying or reporting the data properly. Should this occur, your first line of action should be to reindex the databases. If the problem is not solved, you will have to rely on your backups (You have been making regular backups, haven't you?). Be aware that a reindex on a large database could take some time. B. Start New Catalog. This option will delete and remove EVERYTHING from your catalog except your category listing. I have provided this option for two reasons. First of all, if you are like me, you will want to play with DiskCat a little before getting down to the serious business of cataloging all of your disks. Once you are satisfied that DiskCat really is wonderful, you can clean out everything you have done and begin to catalog in earnest. Secondly, there may be some who may want to just start from scratch after a period of time. Both options are possible. When you select this option, DiskCat will verify that you truly want to start a new catalog. If you answer Y, the catalog will be cleaned out. C. Set System Defaults. This option is provided in case you wish to change either the drive containing disks to be cataloged or the name to be printed on the disk labels. DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 16 D. Remove Deleted Disks. As explained previously, records marked for deletion will physically remain in the catalog until you run this option. They can, therefore, be recalled at any time prior to running this option. Once this option is run, however, the deleted records are gone and can not be recalled. E. Print Labels. This option allows you to print labels for any disk in the catalog. You can print labels for a single disk, a range of disks, or the entire catalog. Labels used are one-up, 1 7/16" x 5". See the General Information section of this documentation for more about labels. F. Edit Category Listing. This option allows you to add, edit, and delete predefined file categories. You can move up and down through the category list by using the up and down arrow keys, PgUp and PgDn. To add a category, press the <Ins> key. DiskCat will ask for the name of the new category. Once entered DiskCat will verify that the category does not already exist and will insert it into the list alphabetically. If the category does already exist you will be advised and your entry will be ignored. To delete a category, move the highlight to the category to be deleted and press the <Del> key. The category will be deleted and the list redisplayed. In this one case, once deleted, the category can not be recalled. To edit a category, move the highlight to the category to be edited and press the <Enter> key. The cursor will appear and you can edit the category. When finished press the <Enter> key again. The list will be redisplayed. To return to the Utilities Menu, press the <Esc> key. DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 17 EDISKCAT LABEL ORDER FORMF Name:__________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ City:_______________________________________________ State:_______ Zip: ______________ Registration Number: _____________________________ Labels are available in lots of 100 to registered users only. This includes postage. Quantity: ________ x $5.00 Total Enclosed:____________ Mail To: J. M. Nerwinski 112 Leon Street Durham, NC 27704 DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 18 EDISKCAT REGISTRATION AND LABEL ORDERF Registration includes: A Registered Copy of the Latest Version of DiskCat 50 Free Labels Prompt Notification of Upgrades and Special price on Upgrade Purchase. The Ability to Purchase Additional Disk Labels in Lots of 100. Name:__________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ City:_______________________________________________ State:_______ Zip: ______________ Where did you get this copy of DiskCat?: ______________________________________________________ Registration Fee: $30.00 Extra Labels (available to registered users only) Add $5.00 per 100 labels. Sold in lots of 100. Includes postage. Quantity: ________ X $5.00 ________ Total: ________ Please include any comments or observations on a separate sheet of paper or on reverse of registration form. Thank You. Mail to: J. M. Nerwinski 112 Leon Street Durham, NC 27704