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                                     QL.COM                                   

             Size (recs) CRC   Version    Author/Latest Issue      Disk
               9k (70)   BFE5  4.1        Ross Presser 1/89        Z3COM7

  1- Syntax  2- Usage  3-  Notes                                              
   
   QL is  a 'Quick Look' typer for reasonably sized libraried  or unlibraried,
crunched,  squeezed and normal text and binary files, for Z80 cpu's only under
CP/M 2.0 or later.  

   Features include:  fast random access paging  of libraried  or stand-alone,
crunched,  squeezed  or normal text files;  DDT-like display of binary  files, 
crunched,  squeezed or normal;  easy access to  lbr members;  page  numbering;
immediate jump to any page;  core dumping;  fast simple  string searching  for 
text and hex bytes within files and core for reasonably sized files or as much
as can be entirely RAM resident.
:1

   Syntax:  QL <afn>   //where <afn> should not match more than 255 files//

1. Type QL.   A vertically oriented,  alphabetized display of all filenames in 
   the current du: will be displayed, with a number next to each one.
   
2. Pick a number of  a  file to view.   If it's squeezed/crunched,  it will be 
   taken care of.   If it's a library file,  you'll  be presented with   a new 
   screen with all the members listed. 

3. Now view the file, one screen at a time.   Go forward/backward  a page at a 
   time, forward line by line,  or directly to a  specific page by typing  the 
   'page' number, or by using the 'find' command to scan for specific text.
   
4. Typing '?' will display a help screen  which also gives current settings of 
   the 'toggles' and a summary of the file,  where it is,  its size  in kbytes 
   and number of words and lines if appropriate.
   
5. Type ^X (or ESC or Q)  to escape  to the previous level.  ^C  (or ^K)  will
   instantly exit to CP/M from any point. 
:2

Usage:  Invocation

   The  original  invocation  of  QL  may  contain  a  filename specification,
ambiguous or otherwise.   Thus 'QL *.DOC' will limit the 'on screen' selection
display to only those files with  the '.DOC' extension.   If the file is fully 
specified, or if only  one file matches, the select-by-number process  will be 
skipped.   Note that, like a filesweep utility,  just plain 'QL' is equivalent
to 'QL *.*'.


Usage:  File Extraction (LBR files only) 

   At the 'View a member' prompt  you may enter 'E',  as indicated, which will
put  you into  extract mode.   The new prompt  is 'Extract a member:' and  any
members selected  will automatically  be extracted from  the library to a disk
file.   The files will be unsqueezed/uncrunched along the way, if appropriate.
Files are written to  the originally  logged  drive (indicated in the prompt),
even if  the library  resides  on  a different  drive.   The ZCPR version will 
accept a user number in the command line,  and files will be  written  to  the
originally logged  driver and user.   QL will  NOT over-write  a  pre-existing
file without a prompt.

   If a library file is  to be specified  on the  command line, you should not
type the .LBR extension.  In this manner,  QL will add the extension and treat
the file as  a library.   If you DO fully specify the  filename (no wildcards,
AND the  extension typed out),  the file will be treated like  a miscellaneous
[binary] file.   The hex dump which  will ensue will  allow you to examine the
'guts' of  the library's directory.   All other combinations (including selec-
ting a file by number) will result in the file being opened as a library.


Usage:  Multi-File Use

   Version 4.1 adds  the  ability to  view several files,  or LBR members,  in
succession; it can also  be used  to extract some or all of a LBR's members to
disk.  'Multi' mode is activated from the file selection menu:

   a. To select  all the files (or members) in  the list,  simply press *.  QL
      will  open each  one in turn.   Once the  file is open,  everything acts 
      normally; you can page forward or backward,  extract members, etc.  When
      finished with a file,  hit ESC (or ^X); QL will pick the next one in the
      list.  ^C aborts at any time.   When all files have been processed,  you
      will be returned to the file selection menu.

   b. To select just some of the files in the list,  type  a left parenthesis.
      Then type file numbers from the list.  If you type an invalid number, it
      won't be accepted; you'll hear a beep and it'll be erased.  Type a comma
      between each file number,  and when you have listed all you want, type a
      right parenthesis or just hit return.  QL will open each in in sequence.


Usage:  Sorting the File List 

   You may resort the file list to another order, if you so wish.  At the file
selection  menu,  type S.   The prompt  comes  back 'Sort file beginning at:'.  
This is asking  for the  character position,  in the filename, of the start of
the key.   (The dot between the filename and extension is not included.)   The
most useful numbers to respond with are probably 8,  to sort by extension, and
0,  if you change your mind and want  to sort by  the entire  name again after
having sorted by extension.   However,  any  number between 0 and 10 inclusive
will work here, and may be useful with specialized filenames.   You may repeat
the sorting process  as many times  as you want,  intermixed with file-viewing 
in any order.  

   A word of caution:  the list  of LBR members is  read from disk AGAIN after
each member is  viewed or extracted.   Therefore,  before using the multi-file
options, sort beginning at 0!  Otherwise the file numbers will not be the same
after the first member is processed, and you will miss members from your list,
or possibly miss the first member if using *.


Usage:  Memory Dump

   The memory dump option can be initiated by invoking 'QL CORE'.   (Note that
you must not have any file  on the current DU: called 'CORE' or 'CORE.LBR' for
this to work.)   This will display  the current system memory.   In  core dump
mode, the addresses shown are the actual addresses.   When a file is displayed
in HEX mode,  the  addresses  are  correct  for  a file loaded at 100h,  as is 
normally  the case.   Most commands  are available during core dump,  although
some, notably switching to ASCII, make little sense and would produce strange
displays, and are therefore disabled.


Usage:  Help Screen

QL v4.1 /Z3 26 January 1989
      
  --- While viewing ---              --- Toggle Commands ---

<cr>   Forward one page            A   Display ASCII / HEX:  ASCII
<sp>   Forward one line            T   Truncate long lines*    YES
<##>   Go to any page ##           C   Case sensitive find:     NO
 B     Backward one page
 F     Find text or hex byte
 R     Repeat find
 X     Exit viewing  //also ESC, ^X, Q//

  File: B10:QL     .DOC
  Size: 2419 bytes (3k)
Approx: 53 lines, 396 words.

Command, or <ret> to resume Viewing:


Usage:  Toggle Commands

'Truncation'       When ON, lines longer than 80 chars are chopped off (a char 
                   in  the last column  identifies these lines).   This is the 
                   recommended mode,  as QL  does not  now support  left-right
                   scrolling.   If lines  are allowed to wrap,  the pagination
                   will not work correctly - lines may scroll off your screen.

'Case Sensitive'   This  only involves the  'Find' function.  When  'OFF',  no 
                   distinction is made between upper and lower case; otherwise
                   the match must be exact.

'Display Mode'     'ASCII' is the normal mode  for viewing  a text file.   The 
                   'HEX' mode display  emulates a typical debugger type memory
                   dump,  with 16 hex bytes/line and their ASCII  equivalents,
                   if any, on the right part of the screen.  QL will initially
                   guess  at the proper setting  based on  the content  of the 
                   first few  bytes,  but it  may be 'faked out.'   If  a file 
                   comes up wrong, type 'A' to alternate the display mode.
:3


QL Notes:

   a. QL will handle 50k for normal text files,  50k for squeezed  files after
      unsqueezing, or 28k for crunched files after uncrunching.
    
   b. To search for hex bytes  in HEX mode,  precede them with '$'.  '$1176AC' 
      thus searches for the series of bytes 11h, 76h, 0ACh.
