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Text File | 1992-12-16 | 13.9 KB | 326 lines

╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ║ MegaSearch for DOS (C) 1991-1992 SB Development │ ╙───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Table of Contents ───────────────── Section 1 Installation 2 Configuration 3 Configuration of External Programs 4 Setting up the gif viewer 5 Using the Interface 6 Using the Browse Window 7 Using the gif viewer with catalog gifs 8 Search Operations 9 Technical Support Section 1: Installation Installation of MegaSearch for DOS is fairly simple. Most of our recent CD-ROM discs include a utility in the root directory of the CD-ROM called INSTALL.EXE. When executed, this utility will unzip a copy of MegaSearch and it's support files into the directory of your choice. You may also install MegaSearch manually with a utility such as PKunzip. The primary file that needs to be unzipped will be in the form of MEGAxxxS.ZIP where "xxx" is a version number. For example, MEGA310S.ZIP is version 3.10 of MegaSearch for DOS. This file will normally be located in the directory \CDROM on the disc. For early Profit Press Label discs such as the original MegaROM-1 and FAO discs, your support software will probably arrive on a separate support floppy. On these discs, you will also need to unzip an additional support archive. These are listed below: MEGAROM-1: MEGAROM1.ZIP (Note: Original MegaROM-1 only) FAO-1: FAO1.ZIP (Note: Original FAO-1 only) FAO-2: FAO2.ZIP (Note: Original FAO-1 only) FAO-3: FAO3.ZIP (Note: Original FAO-1 only) The install program will handle unzipping these files for you automatically. Section 2: Configuration MegaSearch will configure itself the first time it is loaded. Unless you are loading MegaSearch from the CD-ROM disc itself (with GO.EXE), MegaSearch will prompt you for the drive letter of your CD-ROM. Once you have properly selected your CD-ROM disc letter, MegaSearch will open its data files and prompt you for the directory you wish to begin viewing. Section 3: Configuration of External Programs MegaSearch includes the capability to launch external programs to view .GIF images, play .VOC music files, etc. These viewers may be set up by using the Options:External Progs option on the pull-down menu. To link an external program to a desired file type, enter the file name (including path) of the program into one of the fields on the screen. For example, if you were using the popular VPIC viewer and it was located in your C:\UTIL directory, then you would enter "C:\UTIL\VPIC" in the space marked PCX/MAC viewer. You may also include command line parameters when you specify the filename. For example, "C:\UTIL\VPIC /A" would cause VPIC to load in it's automatic mode. After testing a variety of ShareWare and Public Domain viewer utilities, we recommend for you to try the following: .GIF/.PCX: Vpic .FLI : QuickFli (requires VGA) .DL : DL-View .MOD : TrakBlaster (SoundBlaster), ModPlay (PC-Speaker) .CMF : PlayCMF (Soundblaster) .ROL : PlayROL (SB/Adlib) .EPS/.PS : GhostScript .VOC : Vplay (Soundblaster), Sputter (PC-Speaker) Section 4: Setting up the GIF viewer With MegaSearch versions 3.50 and greater, a GIF image viewer has been incorporated directly into MegaSearch, making it unnecessary to use an external program such as VPIC. The Options: Gif Viewer configuration screen will allow you to select what video adapter the GIF viewer should use and what modes will be active. The internal gif viewer adds a few special capabilities when viewing catalog GIFs (files named _CATxxxx.GIF, primarily include with the new MegaA/V disc). If you view a catalog gif, then MegaSearch will display the catalog gif and enter a "visual menu" system. You may move a hilited box with either the mouse or arrow keys and select a gif with the enter key or by double-clicking with the mouse. The best way to understand this feature is to try it out. (Note: These special feautures are only available with MegaSearch's internal gif viewer, not an external program such as VPIC) To setup the internal viewer: 1) Press the AUTO button at the bottom of the dialog box. This will instruct MegaSearch to make a "best guess" at which video adapter you have. 2) If MegaSearch was unable to detect your graphics adapter, then you can either select it yourself from the listed choices, or you will need to set up an external viewer. (See below) 3) If you were successful in selecting the proper video adapter, then you should select the {MODES:OGModes} button at the bottom of the screen and verify that all of the listed modes are available. To setup an external viewer: 1) In the video adapter selection box, select "External Program". 2) Enter the path and name of your external viewer program into the selection line entitled "External .GIF viewer". Note: With an external viewer, MegaSearch's special catalog gif viewing feature will be disabled. Section 5: Using the Interface This section will describe how to interact with MegaSearch using the keyboard. If a mouse is available, then it can be used to perform all same tasks by pointing and clicking. The GUI interface used in MegaSearch makes extensive use of the TAB and shift-TAB keys to move between buttons and other fields in dialog boxes. The arrow keys are used extensively as well. The F1 key can be used in most places to display context sensitive help pertaining to the current operation that you are performing. The MegaSearch help system includes hypertext links that allow you to jump to a related topic if desired. The TAB key is used to move between multiple hypertext links and the enter key will select the linked topic. Section 6: Using the Browse Window MegaSearch has been designed to be as intuitive and user friendly as possible. Most of your time will be spent in the file browse window. This window will appear after you have selected which directory you wish to enter. Below is a rough diagram of the Browse Window: ┌──────────────┤Browse: [BBS:Doors]├───────────────┐ <── Title Bar │┌────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│ ││LOD351A ZIP 40920 08-10-92 Lod documentation ││ \ ││LOD351B ZIP 204351 08-10-92 Lod executables ││ \ File ││LOD351C ZIP 128960 08-10-92 Lod EGA [1/2] ││ \ Listings ││LOD351D ZIP 151296 08-10-92 Lod EGA [2/2] ││ / ││LOD351E ZIP 102300 08-10-92 Lod sysop editor ││ / ││GTERM350 ZIP 229080 08-02-92 Remote term prog ││ / │└────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│ │ │ │ Chdir Info Date View Mark Copy │ <── Command │ │ Buttons └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ The Title bar will indicate what file directory you are viewing. For example, "Browse: [Applications:Business]" would indicate that you are in the main category of "applications" and the sub-category "business". The file listings will display the files that are located in the directory that you are viewing. The fields displayed are the files NAME, EXTENSION, SIZE, DATE, and description. Several command buttons are available at the bottom of the browse window. These will be discussed below: CHDIR: Changes the directory that is being displayed in the browse window. INFO: Displays all available data about the highlighted file. DATE: Toggles the date field on and off to provide more room to display the full description. MARK: Mark a file for copying or creating an export list. COPY: Copy the selected file (or marked files) to your hard drive. The pull-down menus at the top of the screen can also be used to perform more complex operations. The available menu options are described below: SEARCH: HyperSearch Please see the below section on Search Operations. SEARCH: File Find Please see the below section on Search Operations. SEARCH: File Description Search Please see the below section on Search Operations. TOOLS: Export This option will create a listing (on disk) of all of the files that you have marked. TOOLS: Sort MegaSearch supports three different sorting methods: name, size, and date. The Sort command will allow you to choose which of these methods will be displayed. TOOLS: MarkAll This command will mark all of the files in the current directory. Using MarkAll again will unmark all of the entries. TOOLS: Add Browse You may use this command to add another browse window to the screen for viewing another directory. TOOLS: Virus Scan Most of our recent CD-ROM discs include the virus scan reports of the files. This command will display the virus report for the current highlighted file if it is available. Section 7: Using the gif viewer with MegaA/V's catalog gifs MegaSearch's internal gif viewer adds some special capabilities when viewing catalog gifs on our recent CD-ROM discs such as MegaA/V. Please note, this section only applies when using the internal gif viewer; an external program (such as VPIC) does not have these features. For information on setting up the gif viewer, please see section 4 above. Catalog gifs are images that have a name of "_CATxxxx.GIF", the "x" standing for an optional catalog number. These catalog images contain a collection of shrunken versions of the other gifs in the directory. By viewing a catalog gif, you can see as many as 30 minimized images. This allows you to quickly determine which images you may wish to view. MegaSearch's internal gif viewer adds a visual menuing system to the catalog gifs. When you view a catalog gif, you can move a hilited box around the screen. Selecting the image under this box will display the full-sized version of that picture. Several keys and mouse commands are available while using this interface: [Arrows] Move hilited box around screen [Enter] Display curret hilited image [Esc] Exit current gif catalog [Q],[F1] Exit all catalogs (if nested) Mouse left single click: Select current image Mouse left double click: Display image under mouse pointer Mouse right single click: Exit current gif catalog Mouse both buttons: Exit all catalogs (if nested) We have compiled not only catalogs of all of the images on the disc, but a master "catalog of catalogs" as well. A top level catalog (described as "sample images by directory") is also present which references all of the catalogs. Below is an example of the filenames: _CAT.GIF Top level, "sample images by directory" _CAT01.GIF Medium level, "Master catalog: animals" _CAT0101.GIF Lowest level, "Gif catalog [Animals 01/09]" The best way to understand this is to simply select the top level catalog, "_CAT.GIF". On MegaA/V, this file exists in the directory "Gif Images: Catalog Images". Section 8: Search Operations MegaSearch supports several different methods of searching for files. The search commands are all available from the Search pull down menu at the top of the screen. The following Search options are available: HYPERSEARCH HyperSearch is MegaSearch's most powerful search method. In the process of creating most of our recent CD-ROM discs, each archive file was unzipped and the internal text files were scanned and the results were stored in a special data file on the disc. HyperSearch uses this feature and allows you to search the disc for any word (or words) contained in any text file - even those inside archives. The Search usually takes less than seven seconds. For example, searching for "ACCOUNTING AND PAYROLL" would locate every archive which had a text file containing those two words. FILE FIND The File Find feature will let you search the disc for a match to a wildcard strings. For example, "*.GIF" would locate all files with an extension of .GIF; "L*.ZIP" would locate all ZIP files starting with the letter L. FILE DESCRIPTION SEARCH Every file on the disc contains a short description which is displayed in the browse window. This search will let you search all of these descriptions for a desired word or phrase. Assuming your search operation was successful, the browse window will be updated to display the results of the search. Section 9: Technical Support If you have any problems with MegaDOOR or have a bug to report call us at (602)293-0770. We do ask that you review this entire document AND the online help in MSETUP before making the phone call. New features are being added to MegaDOOR constantly. Updates are free and only cost you a phone call. Please call if you feel a feature or support for a BBS package is missing. New versions of MegaDOOR will be made available to first time callers on the Not-Yet-Named BBS (602)577-3650 [v.32bis] (602)577-3419 [v.32bis,HST].