ConCat/Split V3.1 ----------------- ConCat/Split is a Windows 95/NT4 Explorer context menu extension that provides 2 complementary facilities: 1. A split facility that lets you easily convert a single large file into several smaller ones. You can copy these smaller files onto floppy disks, or send them through email facilities that will not cope with large files. 2. A file concatenation facility that performs the same operation as the command line "copy /b SrcFile1+SrcFile2 [+SrcFileN] DestnFile" operation. With ConCat you can append any number of files and store the result as a new file, or overwrite one of the original files. --------------------------------------------------------------- ConCat - Copyright (c) 1996-1997 JD Design, All Rights Reserved Installation ------------ Note: Before installing this version it's important that you uninstall any prior version you might have. See "Removal" below for details on how to remove an existing version. ConCat is supplied as a compressed file archive. Copy the compressed file to an empty floppy disk or new sub-directory on your hard disk & extract the files. Note: If you extract the files to a sub-directory you must use a short path name that conforms to the MS-DOS 8.3 file naming convention - for example, use C:\JDUtils. If you use a long file name the installation may not work. See the FAQ on our web site for more details. When you have uncompressed the supplied file, you should have the following files in addition to the original: ConCat.dll The ConCat Context Menu DLL ConCat.txt This file ConCat.inf The Setup Information File Select the ConCat.inf Setup Information File in an Explorer window and choose File, Install, or right click on the file and choose the Install menu item. Installation copies the files to the target location on your machine and modifies relevant registry information. ConCat is now ready to use. How Do You Use ConCat? ---------------------- 1. Split -------- Select the file that you want to split in an Explorer window. Display the context menu by clicking with the secondary mouse button, or use the Explorer window's File menu. Choose the "Split File..." menu item to display the Split dialog box. Operation of this dialog box is straight forward. The "size" radio buttons provide you with pre-set file sizes for common floppy disk sizes, and the option of a custom size setting. The destination name shows the range of file names that you will get as a result of the split operation. You can change the file name (and path) for the destination files if you use the Change button. To perform the split operation, press the "Split File" button. Note: the split operation is non-destructive, it will not delete your original file. Operation is fast (depending only on the size of file you are splitting). 2. Concatenate -------------- Select the files that you want to concatenate in an Explorer window. Display the context menu by clicking with the secondary mouse button, or use the Explorer window's File menu. Choose the "Concatenate Files..." menu item to display the Concatenate dialog box. Important: The selected order of the files in the Explorer window determines the order that the files are copied. The first file is always the one with the focus (dotted rectangle). Here's how you can ensure that you get the files copied in the correct order: i. Select the first file. ii. Hold down the shift key and click the last file that you want. iii. Release the shift key and right click on the first selected item to bring up the context menu. iv. Choose the "Concatenate Files..." item to display the Concatenate Files dialog box. v. The order that the files appear in the "Copy" list box, is the order that they will be concatenated. Ensure that this is the order that you want. In an unregistered version, the default destination file name is the same as the first selected file. If you want to alter this, change the "To" file name before you press the OK button. Problems? --------- See the FAQ on our web site for answers to common problems. Registering ----------- For information on registering your copy see our web pages. When you receive your registration information, enter your registered name and number into the application's About dialog box. You must enter the information exactly as it appears. If you purchase the set of utilities, be sure to use the correct registration number for each product. Any updates to the current version are free to registered users by downloading the latest version from our web site. Your current registration number will continue to work with updates. Additional Features for Registered Users ----------------------------------------- 1. The ConCat dialog box has the ability to re-order the files you want to join, making it unimportant to select the files in the correct order in the first place. Select the file in the Copy list box and use the up and down buttons as required. The buttons respond to the keyboard accelerators Alt+U & Alt+D. 2. Automatically selects the correct destination filename for files that are split and retain their Split/ConCat naming convention. 3. The ability to automatically create a batch file that will rejoin the files easily on any MS-DOS compatible system that doesn't have Split/ConCat installed. Removal ------- Note: Because the Windows INF de-installer cannot currently delete files that are loaded in memory, we recommend that you first reboot your machine. Then, remove the component without first using it. This will ensure that the files are correctly deleted. Use the Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs item. Select the ConCat item (listed as "Concatenate Context Menu Extension (Remove Only)") and click the Add/Remove button. Revision History ---------------- V3.1 October 1997 New registration system. Improved presentation of long items in the ConCat dialog list box - uses the familiar ellipses notation for long paths. Support ------- We maintain a list of frequently asked questions on our web site. If you have a technical question, please check the list there to see if you can find an answer before contacting us via email. We will post the latest versions of our utilities on the web site as soon as they are available, so please take a look to keep up to date and to see what other utilities we offer. Web Site: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jdd Email: jdd@compuserve.com If you have any suggestions for improvements to any of our utilities, please contact us via email. It's always good to hear from people using our products, and we appreciate your taking the time to tell us. Thanks JD Design