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                                  SALIAS.COM                                  

             Size (recs) CRC   Version    Author/Latest Issue      Disk
               8k (58)   0EB4  1.2        Rob Friefeld 11/88       Z3COM8

  1- Syntax  2- File Mode  3- Edit Mode  4- Notes  5- Err Msgs  6- Examples   



   SALIAS creates and modifies alias files with the convenience of full screen 
editing.  It requires  TCAP support for CLS, EREOL, and an addressable cursor.
The user's CRT must have  at least  80 columns by 6 lines.  Standout mode must 
not use space on the screen.  WHEEL status is required.
:1

   Syntax:  SALIAS [ [du: or dir:]aliasname[.COM] ]
	
   Everything  in [] is  optional.  SALIAS  always assumes  all files are type 
COM.  The specified alias will be loaded  for editing,  or created if  it does
not exist.  If no alias name is given on the command line,  it may be supplied 
on exit.   If you try to edit a file which is not an alias, SALIAS will refuse
to cooperate, rather than just give a warning.

   SALIAS uses  an internal alias template of the VALIAS1 type.  These aliases 
may  be  optionally  Normal  or Recursive.   A  recursive  alias  flushes  the 
remainder  of the command line when invoked,  giving a clean start each  time.
(Note  that nothing can follow the alias name on the command line.)  Use these 
to  loop through a sequence,  such as an edit-assemble cycle,  until  an  exit 
condition is satisfied.
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File Mode:

    A   ADD    <-- Add the script of another alias to the current script.
    C	CLEAR  <-- Clear editor.  The alias is not changed.  (UNDO recovers)
    E	EDIT   <-- Enter edit mode.
    F	FORMAT <-- Redisplay edit buffer as it would be written to an alias.
    I	INDENT <-- Format and redisplay with indentation of IF levels.
    L	LOAD   <-- Load a file for editing.  The user is prompted for an
		   unambiguous file name (.COM type is assumed).
    M	MODE   <-- Select Normal or Recursive mode (toggle).
    N	NAME   <-- Select a new name (or just DU:) for the current edit.
    P	PRINT  <-- Send the alias script to the list device.
    S	SAVE   <-- Format and WRITE the alias to disk.
    U	UNDO   <-- Reload edit buffer from memory image of alias.
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Edit Mode:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 CURSOR:                                |   INSERTION:
              ^R - top of screen        |      ^V - toggle insert/overwrite
              ^E - line up              |    <CR> - insert line (insert mode)
                                        |      ^N - insert line
 ^S - char       ^       ^D - char      |   DELETION:
 ^H - char    <  $  >                   |      ^G - delete char under cursor
 ^A - word       v       ^F - word      |     DEL - delete char left
                                        |      ^T - delete word right
              ^X - line down            |      ^Y - delete line
              ^C - first blank line     |     ^QY - delete to EOLN
                                        |   FIND/REPLACE:
 ^QS, ^QD - cursor to SOLN/ EOLN        |     ^QF - find string
 ^J - EOLN, SOLN toggle (see below)     |     ^QA - find and replace string
 TAB - insert a block of high bit marked|      ^L - repeat last find/replace
    blanks.  Ignored on formatting.     |   CONTROL CHAR ENTRY:
<ESC> - Exit to FILE mode               |    ^P^n - ^n is ctl char or letter
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ^KN - Change Name   ^KR - Read (append) file.  ^KP - Print  ^KZ - Zap (clear) 
 ^KD - Save & Clear  ^KS - Save & Resume  ^KX - Save & Quit  ^KQ - Quit
 ^KF - Format        ^KI - Format & Indent IF's  ^KU - Undo  ^KM - Toggle Mode
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sample Screen:

SALIAS 1.0       Mode: Normal        Free: 148         Alias Name: A15:START
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROOT:
LDR SYS.ENV,SYS.RCP,SYS.FCP,SYS.NDR
PATH TOP ROOT




------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<ESC> - FILE MENU                 -- EDITING --                      INSERT ON

Editing the alias START.COM with commands displayed one per line.  This is a
normal rather than recursive alias.  There is room for another 148 characters
in the command line buffer.  (The character count includes the ";" command
separators although they are not shown.)  The editor is in "insert" rather
than "overwrite" mode.  Pressing <ESC> key will show the single letter
command options described for "File Mode".  (Another <ESC> returns to "Edit
Mode" and repaints the screen.)
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SALIAS Notes:

   a. Alias script  can be entered in upper or lower case.  Formatting upcases 
      it.

   b. TAB  is intended for visual formatting, e.g. to indent IF levels.  There
      are no tab stops.  Note that tabs are not counted in the "Free" display.
      FORMAT strips tabs out.  Commands may start with real blanks.

   c. Control character entry  uses  the ^P trigger.  Lower case  letters  can 
      also  be  deliberately  entered  this  way.  The  character  entered  is 
      displayed in standout video mode.

      Example:  To enter ^P, use ^P^P (or ^PP).  To enter "a", ^Pa.
      ^P@ (null) is not accepted because it is used as a string terminator.

   d. Find/Replace can be used to replicate a string.

      Example: < ^Q^A, <cr>, IF ~NU > sequence will put string "IF ~NU" at the
      cursor.  Every ^L will produce another copy.

SALIAS Notes (continued):

   e. ^J gets a help screen if running the help version of SALIAS.  Otherwise,
      it is used as a convenient toggle to end-of-line/start-of-line.

   f. ^P+ at  the start  of  a line appends it  to the previous line without a 
      command separator (";").  Use this to  build long single commands.  When 
      SALIAS reads  a file  with long commands, it  automatically formats them 
      this way.

      Example:  MCOPY WORK:=FILE1,FILE2,FILE3,FILE4
                +,FILE5,FILE6  

                would load as:
	        
                MCOPY WORK:=FILE1,FILE2,FILE3,FILE4,FILE5,FILE6

   g. The display format  is  one command  per line.  When there  are  no more 
      lines, the last line is filled.  If there are  still more commands, they 
      will be lost.

SALIAS Notes (continued):

   h. Commands longer than  the screen  width are indicated with  a ">" at the
      apparent  end of the line.   The line  will scroll horizontally when the
      cursor reaches the screen boundary.

   i. The "PRINT" function will send  the alias script to the printer or to  a
      disk file (with type .TXT).   The latter can use separate lines for each
      command (as in the screen display), or create a single command line.

   j. The following sequence  will "clone" SALIAS with new default modes.  (It
      is distributed in insert mode, normal alias.)

      >SALIAS		        ; call it up
      ^V		        ; toggle insert
      ESC		        ; exit edit mode
      M		                ; toggle mode
      X		                ; exit SALIAS
      >SAVE 28 SALIAS10.COM	; keep the change ... OR
      >SAVE 32 SA10-HLP.COM	; help screen version
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Error Messages:

   Messages which require no response will remain until any key is pressed.

CL OVERFLOW n CHARS	<-- The command line is too long by n characters.  
                            SAVE aborted.

NOT AN ALIAS            <-- The specified file is not an alias at all.  
                            If the file is the one being edited, a SAVE 
                            will destory the original file.

ALIAS CHOPPED     	<-- The alias file has too many commands to fit on the
                            screen.  Could happen when using a smaller screen 
                            or with an alias created with another program.

DESTINATION DISK FULL/ DIRECTORY FULL   <-- Unable to SAVE alias on full disk.
                                            QUIT or RENAME to a new disk.

... xxxx? (Y/n):  or ... xxxx? (y/N) 	<-- The letter in caps is the default 
                                            choice.  Any response other than
                                            the alternate choice will do xxxx.
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Examples of Use:

   a. SALIAS            <-- Program comes up with blank alias.  On SAVE, a 
                            filename is demanded.

   b. SALIAS ROOT:START <-- Edit the START.COM alias in the ROOT: directory.

   c. SALIAS A*         <-- On command line only, can load ambiguous file with 
                            leading letter.
