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1990-01-02
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SCOUT
A Memory Resident File Manager
Version 4.1
(tm) ┌─────────┐
┌─────┴───┐ │
MEMBER ───│ │ │────────────────
│ ┌──────┴──┐ │ Association
│ │ ├──┘ Shareware
└──┤ ■ │ Professionals
──────│ ║ │───────────────────
└────╨────┘
by New-Ware
Copyright 1986,87,88,89
All Rights Reserved
Contents
1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3. PROGRAM FILES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4. CONFIGURING AND INSTALLING SCOUT . . . . . . . . 7
A. CONFIGURING FOR OVERLAY FILE LOCATION . . . . 8
B. HOT KEY SELECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
C. FILE MASK DEFINITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
D. FUNCTION KEY MACROS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
E. ASSIGN PRINTER CODES . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
F. SET PRINTER MARGINS . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
G. DEFINE PROGRAM MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
H. DEFAULT SORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
I. SET FLOPPY DRIVE PARAMETERS . . . . . . . . 11
J. FILE COPY TIME/DATE SETTING . . . . . . . . 12
K. SET PRIME KEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
L. SET CGA SNOW AVOIDANCE . . . . . . . . . . . 12
M. DEFINE CTRL-X PROGRAM MENU . . . . . . . . . 13
N. SAVING CONFIGURATION TO .BIN FILE . . . . . 13
O. RETRIEVING CONFIGURATION .BIN FILE . . . . 13
P. SAVING CONFIGURATION TO DISK . . . . . . . . 13
5. LOADING SCOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
A. RAM USAGE ADJUSTMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
B. OTHER COMMAND LINE OPTIONS . . . . . . . . . 15
6. LOADING SCOUT-EM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7. OPERATING SCOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
A. CALLING SCOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
B. MAIN COMMAND MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
C. MAIN SCOUT DISPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
D. DIRECTORY CATALOG . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
7. SCOUT MAIN COMMAND MENU . . . . . . . . . . . 19
A. COPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
B. MOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
C. ERAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
D. BACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
E. RENA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
F. SRCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
G. FMT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
H. DRIV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
I. ORDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
i
J. PRNT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
K. INFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
L. XTRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
9. VIEWING FILE CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
A. BROWSING A TEXT FILE . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
B. VIEWING ARCHIVE FILE DIRECTORIES . . . . . . 26
10. EXECUTING PROGRAMS FROM SCOUT . . . . . . . . 26
A. EXECUTE A PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
B. EXECUTE PROGRAM MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
C. CTRL-X PROGRAM MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
11. QEDIT, LIST, & NORTON . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
12. COMMAND KEY SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
A. MAIN DISPLAY CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
B. ALTERNATE COMMAND KEYS . . . . . . . . . . . 28
C. DIRECTORY DISPLAY COMMANDS . . . . . . . . . 29
D. TEXT FILE BROWSE COMMANDS . . . . . . . . . 29
13. SPECIAL VIDEO SUPPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
14. MOUSE SUPPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
15. TANDY OWNERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Index 31
ii
1. INTRODUCTION
This program is produced by a member of the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP). The ASP wants to make sure that the
shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a
shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member
directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you
resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide
technical support for member products. Please write to the ASP
Ombudsman at P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006 or send a Compuserve
message via easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
The information in this manual is provided to support SCOUT and
SCOUT-EM. Except where noted herein, the two programs are
functionally identical. The two differ considerably, however, in
where they reside in system memory and how they are initially loaded
and run.
SCOUT is a Shareware product. A Shareware product is one that is
distributed through public access channels in order that prospective
buyers may evaluate the product before making a decision to buy.
Shareware software is not public domain software and is not free. It
is fully protected by State and Federal copyright laws, is offered for
sale, and is fully supported by its author. Unlike any other
commercial distribution method, Shareware permits the user to try out
the product on his/her machine so that he/she can better decide
whether the product meets his/her needs and expectations.
If you try SCOUT and decide that it does not meet your needs and
that you will not use it, then you don't have to face the
inconvenience of calling or writing for a refund. Don't use it, don't
buy it. But if you do like SCOUT and you use it, then you are
obligated to pay for it. How much do you pay?
SCOUT - NORMAL RAM version $30.00
SCOUT - EMS version $30.00
These are the registration fees for SCOUT that entitle you to
legally use the program. All registered users receive a diskette
containing the latest version and full technical support via
telephone, BBS, or mail.
How do you register? You may register in one of three ways. By
mail, by phone, or by Bulletin Board System (BBS). New-Ware accepts
VISA or MASTER CARD registrations. To register using your Visa/Master
Card, please fill out the following form and have it ready when you
call (voice or BBS) or include it by mail.
- 2 -
NOTE: YOU MAY FILL OUT AND PRINT A REGISTRATION FORM
DIRECTLY FROM SCOUT'S MAIN SCREEN. SIMPLY POP
UP THE MAIN SCOUT DISPLAY AND PRESS Alt-R.
SCOUT 4.1 REGISTRATION FORM
Product (circle one): SCOUT SCOUT-EM
Name:_____________________________________________
Street address:___________________________________
City:_____________________________________________
State:____________________________________________
Zip code:_________________________________________
Telephone number:_________________________________
Card number:______________________________________
Expiration date:__________________________________
Signature:________________________________________
The telephone number and signature are REQUIRED for Visa/MC
orders. To register by voice phone, have the above form filled out
and call (619) 455-6225. To register on-line on the Shareware
Products BBS, have the form ready and call (619) 455-5226 (1200/2400
baud). If you register SCOUT, wait for a day for your card to be
validated (usually within one working day) and call the bulletin board
again. You will be given access to download the registered version of
SCOUT or SCOUT-EM for immediate use. A disk containing the latest
program version, supporting files, and documentation is mailed to ALL
registrants, regardless of the registration method.
To register by mail, send check, money order, or Visa/MC number and
the form to:
New-Ware
8050 Camino Kiosco
San Diego, CA 92122
California residents must include 7.25% state sales tax. For
technical support and/or questions, you can reach the author, John
Newlin, via Compuserve (EASYPLEX/IBMSW forum - 71535,665), or by phone
at:
- 3 -
(619) 455-6225 [Voice]
(619) 455-5226 [BBS] 1200/2400 baud
You are free to copy and distribute the Shareware version of
SCOUT for noncommercial use IF:
No fee greater than $10.00 per diskette is charged.
(Disk vendors please see VENDOR.DOC)
It is not modified in any way.
Bona fide computer user groups or clubs may make copies of SCOUT
for distribution to members for a fee that covers copying and other
administrative costs. Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) that operate
through subscription fees may post SCOUT for download by its
subscribers.
Volume discounts, site licenses, commercial licenses are available.
This program is provided AS IS without any warranty, expressed or
implied, including but not limited to fitness for a particular
purpose.
The author is a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP). Product support is available directly from the
author via telephone, mail, or BBS and is not limited to registered
users. The New-Ware Shareware products BBS is available 24 hours a
day, seven days. Users are encouraged to access the board to download
the latest product versions, submit questions and bug reports, and
browse an excellent collection of Shareware and public domain
software. Information about the board follows:
Host system - AST Premium/286
- AST Bravo 286
Disk space - 230 Mb
Network - Artisoft LANtastic
Lines - 2
Modems - USR Courier HST
- USR Courier 2400
Baud rates - 12/24/48/96/14.4 (HST)
12/24 (USR 2400)
Numbers - (619) 450-3257 (Registered users)
- (619) 455-5226 (General use)
SCOUT is available in two distinct versions. One loads into and
executes from normal system RAM. The other is unique in that it loads
into and executes from expanded memory (EMS). The normal RAM version
utilizes approximately 64K of RAM. The EMS versions requires 4.5K of
- 4 -
normal RAM and 9 pages of expanded memory. The Lotus, Intel,
Microsoft (LIM) EMS specification 3.2 and above is required.
2. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
SCOUT is a memory resident disk/directory/file manager and DOS
shell that may be invoked from the DOS level or from within an active
applications program. Memory resident means that when SCOUT is
executed, a portion remains active in memory waiting to be called via
the keyboard. The rest of SCOUT (the majority of its code, in fact)
resides in a file called an overlay file. This file is named SCOUT.000
(or SCOUT-EM.000) and contains approximately two-thirds of SCOUT's
code and data. When SCOUT needs a function embedded in the overlay
file, it needs to know its location so that it can access that file
and load the required code.
SCOUT has been designed to with two primary goals in mind. The
first design goal is that it must be accessible from any applications
program as well as from the DOS level. That is why it is a memory
resident program. The second design goal is to provide an friendly,
intuitive user interface. Version 4.1 of SCOUT departs drastically
from previous versions in that the main screen display and user
interface has been completely redesigned. The achievement of these two
goals means that a user can be busy at work in an applications program
and quickly call SCOUT into action to perform some disk housekeeping
chore and return to productive work with a minimal interruption.
Housekeeping includes copying, moving, renaming, and deleting files
and a whole host of other functions.
A third design goal was to make SCOUT as compatible as possible
with the tremendous range of applications programs available for the
IBM PC/XT/AT/PS2 (and clones) as well as a number of other memory
resident programs. While it cannot be guaranteed that SCOUT will
operate perfectly with every program, it is safe to say that it works
with the vast majority of applications and memory resident utilities
available today.
The following is a summary of SCOUT's major features:
+ Execute programs
+ Graphic directory tree operations
+ Move, copy, delete individual files
+ Move, copy, delete tagged files
+ Rename files, directories, volume labels
+ Create, remove directories, volume labels
+ Change file attributes
+ Sort files in five different ways
+ Specify ascending or descending sorts
- 5 -
+ User defined activation ("hot") keys
+ Operability with networks
+ Format 3.5 and 5.25 inch diskettes
+ Search entire disk for files
+ Print directory listing of files
+ Print graphic directory tree
+ Send printer control codes to printer
+ Print a text file (formatted or unformatted)
+ Browse (line by line) through a text file
+ Search a text file for a specified string
+ Go directly to a line number in a text file
+ Change drive:\directory with single keystroke
+ Change drives
+ Move files across drives
+ List unused space on all drives
+ View monthly calendar
+ View ASCII table
+ Automatically tag files for move, copy, delete
+ Print Graphics screen image (CGA only)
+ Save captured screen image to text file
+ View system memory allocation
+ Reset file archive bits
+ Copy (backup) updated files
+ Set system date/time
+ Set file date/time
+ CRC checking during file copying
+ Built in mouse support
+ Remove from memory
All of the above features except for the first (execute program)
and the last (remove from RAM) are available by calling SCOUT while
running an applications program. Program execution and removal from
RAM require that SCOUT be called from the DOS level.
SCOUT has been tested in a network environment. It operates with
no known problems on a LANtastic (NetBios) system with multiple direct
and redirected drives.
3. PROGRAM FILES
The normal RAM version of SCOUT is distributed with the following
files:
SCOUT.COM Main executable file
SCOUT.000 Overlay file
RUNFILE.COM Program execution support file
CONFIG.COM Configuration program
SCOUT.DOC This file
- 6 -
The EMS version of SCOUT is distributed with the following files:
SCOUT-EM.COM Main executable file
SCOUT-EM.000 Overlay file
RUNSCOUT.COM Memory resident control kernel
RUNFILE.COM Program execution support file
CONFIG.COM Configuration program
REMOVE.COM Utility to remove from EMS/RAM
SCOUT.DOC This file
Shareware distribution packages will contain a file named
VENDOR.DOC that sets forth SCOUT and SCOUT-EM distribution
restrictions.
SCOUT.DOC (this file) is a formatted ASCII text file. It is
formatted so that all that need be done to print it is to send it
directly to the printer.
4. CONFIGURING AND INSTALLING SCOUT
Installing and customizing SCOUT for a particular PC system is
accomplished by executing the CONFIG.COM program. First, copy the
SCOUT files to one of the permanent drives in your system. It is
recommended, but not required, that this be the drive you boot up
from. You may wish to create a subdirectory named SCOUT and place all
SCOUT files in that directory or you can place them in any directory
you desire. IMPORTANT!! It is mandatory that the program named
RUNFILE.EXE be placed in the ROOT directory of the drive from which
you intend to initially load SCOUT. You will not be able to run
programs from SCOUT if this is not accomplished!
Execute the configuration program by entering the following from
the DOS command line:
CONFIG SCOUT (or CONFIG SCOUT-EM)
Laptop or composite monitor users may enter an "M" on command line to
force CONFIG to use a two-color monochrome scheme that is much more
readable on these systems.
CONFIG SCOUT m
The configuration program will load and display the following main
menu:
SCOUT Configuration Options
Assign Overlay File Path
- 7 -
Assign SCOUT Activation Key
Assign Default File Mask Keys
Assign Directories to Function Keys
Assign Printer Codes
Set Printer Margins
Define Program Menu
Assign Default Sort
Set Floppy Drive Parameters
File Copy Date/Time Setting
Set Prime Key
Set CGA snow avoidance
Define Ctrl-X Program Menu
Save Configuration to .BIN file
Retrieve Configuration .BIN file
Quit With Option to Save
The main CONFIG menu and all supporting submenus are operated via
a sliding bar cursor that is controlled by the mouse or the up arrow,
down arrow, home, and end keys. Moving the cursor bar to the desired
item and pressing ENTER will activate that item. In some cases a
prompt line will be presented on the screen just below the active menu
and in other cases the selected item will be a toggle that will change
each time ENTER is pressed.
A. CONFIGURING FOR OVERLAY FILE LOCATION
The most important item on the main menu is the first item.
In order for SCOUT to function properly, it must know the
location of the supporting overlay file. The overlay file for
SCOUT is SCOUT.000 and the overlay file for SCOUT-EM is SCOUT-
EM.000. It will not load into memory unless it can locate the
overlay file. Selecting the first item will result in a prompt
to enter the DOS full path name where the overlay file will
reside. Be sure to enter the FULL path name (including the drive
designator) as in the following examples:
C:\UTILITIES
D:\
F:\UTILS\SCOUT
When you have finished configuring SCOUT, be sure to place
SCOUT.000 or SCOUT-EM.000 in the specified directory.
B. HOT KEY SELECTION
The second item on the main menu allows user selection of
the "hot" key combination that is used to activate SCOUT. The
- 8 -
default is Alt-F10, but that can be permanently changed to any
one of the following key combinations:
Alt F1 through F10
Alt Q,W,A,S,Z, or X
Ctrl F1 through F10
Shift F1 through F10
None
The key combination that most appeals to you may be the same
key combination that is used in one of your application programs.
Don't worry about it, SCOUT provides the ability to disable the
hot key as long as the prime key is not disabled. If use of the
prime key is toggled on, the "None" setting will limit SCOUT to
being called with just the prime key alone.
C. FILE MASK DEFINITION
The third item on the main menu permits assigning DOS file
mask strings to the ten numbered keys at the top of the PC
keyboard. DOS file masks may include wild card characters such
as "?" and "*". For example, assigning the string "*.BAS" to the
Alt-2 key will provide you with a means of viewing all the files
in the current directory with an extension of ".BAS" by just
pressing Alt-2. Or assigning the string "AB??.*" to Alt-7 will
result in SCOUT showing just those files starting with "AB" with
names 4 characters long and having any extension, when Alt-7 is
pressed.
D. FUNCTION KEY MACROS
Item number 4 on the main menu brings up another menu that
permits assigning macros to the ten function keys on the PC
keyboard. The macros are strings that will be entered for you in
response to various SCOUT prompts for drive/directory path names.
For example, suppose the string "C:\WORDSTAR" is assigned to the
F5 key. Then any time SCOUT prompts for a destination directory
(such as in copying or moving files), simply pressing the F5 key
saves the effort of typing in the entire path string and hitting
the enter key. Note that the drive specifier may or may not be
included in the macro strings. If it is, SCOUT will
automatically change to the drive specifier for you. Thus,
assigning "A:" to F10 provides a single keystroke method of
logging on to drive A any time the F10 key is pressed.
The function key macros also make it quick and easy to
change to a frequently used drive:\directory. Pressing any one
- 9 -
of the ten function keys will cause SCOUT to attempt to change to
the drive:\directory specified in the assigned macro string.
E. ASSIGN PRINTER CODES
Menu item 5 permits assignment of printer codes to be sent
to the printer from a menu in SCOUT. It is highly recommended
that unless you have and Epson FX-80/85 and are satisfied with
the default settings, that you have your printer user's manual
handy when you enter the desire codes. Up to eight codes can be
assigned. These will appear on a sliding bar menu available when
SCOUT is called from DOS or an application program. Codes are
entered in DECIMAL. Suppose you wish to assign the code that
places your printer in the letter quality mode. Your printer
manual tells you that sending the DECIMAL sequence 27, 120, and 1
will place the printer in the letter quality mode. Select the
function key you wish to assign this code to and press it. You
will be first be prompted to enter a descriptive name (10
characters maximum) for the code sequence. In this case you
might enter "LTR QUAL". Next, you are prompted for the code
sequence. Enter the decimal numbers (five maximum) as follows:
27/120/01
In this manner you can set up SCOUT to configure your
printer directly from an application program.
F. SET PRINTER MARGINS
Item 6 on the menu provides the facility for setting up
print margins and other parameters for printing text files. The
following default parameters can be set from this menu:
Left margin
Top margin
Bottom margin
Lines per page
Page numbering
Today's date
The lines per page needs some explaining. Normally, this
would be set to 66 but if it is desired to set the printer to
print 88 lines per page, then this parameter must be set in
synchronization in order for SCOUT to page probably. These are
default settings and are quickly reset on the fly from SCOUT, so
66 would be the most appropriate setting. Page numbering is a
toggle that sets the default to on or off as desired. If set to
on, SCOUT will place a page number at the bottom of each printed
- 10 -
page when printing a file using the SCOUT format settings.
Today's date is also a toggle that if turned on will place a one
line header containing the current date at the top of the first
printed page.
G. DEFINE PROGRAM MENU
Favorite or commonly executed programs can be assigned to a
10 item program menu. Pressing Enter with the cursor over a
desired item results in three prompts for information. The first
prompt requests the program name. It is not necessary to use the
.BAT, .COM, or .EXE extension. The second prompt requests the
home directory for the program. The full DOS directory path of
where the program resides in your system should be entered here.
The third prompt allows you to designate whether or not you wish
SCOUT to prompt you for command line parameter entry prior to
loading and running the program. This menu differs from the
Ctrl-X menu in that this menu requires knowledge of where the
program resides whereas the Ctrl-X menu depends on the specified
programs being located in a directory that is in the DOS path.
H. DEFAULT SORT
SCOUT provides five different ways to sort the file data
that appears in the main window display. This configuration
option permits setting the default that SCOUT will use when
initially loaded. The sort can be changed within SCOUT
dynamically as well. The sorts that can be selected are:
File name only
File extension
File date
File size
File extension/name (nested)
No sort
Ascending
The "Ascending" item is a toggle that can be switched between
"Ascending" and "Descending". This controls whether the sort is
ordered from lowest to highest or the reverse.
I. SET FLOPPY DRIVE PARAMETERS
Item number 9 will bring up the floppy drive parameter table
that SCOUT utilizes for formatting floppy disks. Up to four
system floppy drives may be configured for formatting. It is
important here to note that the DOS drive designators, which are
alphabetic characters, may not necessarily be in a sequence
- 11 -
corresponding to the BIOS drive designators, which fall between 0
and 3. BIOS drive 0 is always DOS drive A, BIOS drive 1 may not
be drive B, especially if the second floppy drive is an add-on.
In that case, your driver might call the drive D or E.
SCOUT Floppy Drive Table Setting
A - 5 1/2" DUAL density
B - 5 1/2" DUAL density
C - 5 1/2" SINGLE density
D - 5 1/2" SINGLE density
Press drive number to change or ESC to quit:
You will be prompted to specify disk size and density. Dual
density means that the drive supports both high and low density
as in the case of 1.2m and 1.44m drives. It is important to set
the BIOS drive number with the corresponding DOS drive
designator. Also note that dual density actually means high
Capacity, i.e., a 1.2M or a 1.4M drive. If the drive does not
support two formats, then select Single Density. For example, if
your drive A is a 1.2M drive then select dual, otherwise it is a
standard 360K drive and you should select single.
J. FILE COPY TIME/DATE SETTING
Menu item number 10 provides a rather unique capability.
When a file is copied by DOS, the new file is given the same
date/time stamp as the copied file. If desired, SCOUT will
update the date/time of a new copy of a file to the current date
and time. This feature can be toggled on or off as desired.
K. SET PRIME KEY
Item 11 on the main menu permits enabling or disabling the
prime key (~ on the keyboard) as a means of calling SCOUT. This
key is so rarely used that it is an ideal one-key alternative to
the dual keystroke combination. The prime key must be enabled if
you plan to disable the main dual keystroke combination on the
fly from within SCOUT.
L. SET CGA SNOW AVOIDANCE
This configuration item toggles a flag in SCOUT that
determines whether or not SCOUT will pause during the video
retrace cycle to avoid "snow" on older CGA monitors. Monochrome,
EGA, and VGA monitors do not require snow avoidance checking.
- 12 -
M. DEFINE CTRL-X PROGRAM MENU
Main Menu item number 13 offers the capability to set up an
additional program menu. This menu is activated by the Ctrl-X
key combination and may contain up to 10 executable program
names. These programs placed in this menu must reside in
directories identified in the DOS path.
N. SAVING CONFIGURATION TO .BIN FILE
This item offers the ability to save multiple SCOUT
configurations to disk files. This is handy for rapidly
reconfiguring SCOUT on the fly, especially when re-configuring a
new version. Select this to save the current configuration to a
.BIN file. You will be prompted for the file name (no extension)
and SCOUT will save the current configuration to disk in the
current directory. For example, if you enter MYCONFIG, SCOUT
will save the configuration to MYCONFIG.BIN. No check is made to
see if the file currently exists and if it does, it will be
overwritten.
O. RETRIEVING CONFIGURATION .BIN FILE
This menu item permits the retrieval of configurations saved
with to .BIN files. Enter just the file name, since the default
extension is .BIN.
P. SAVING CONFIGURATION TO DISK
Upon completion of establishing your SCOUT configuration,
select "Quit and Save" from the main menu. If SCOUT is currently
loaded, you will be given the option of dynamically updating it.
You will then be asked if you wish to make all changes permanent.
If the answer is affirmative, SCOUT.COM (or SCOUT-EM.COM) will be
modified accordingly and all the changes made during this session
will be active the next time SCOUT is loaded.
5. LOADING SCOUT
If you are using SCOUT-EM, please skip this section and go to the
next section for loading information.
Like any other executable program, SCOUT.COM can be loaded
directly from the DOS command line or from a batch file. Many PC
users have several other memory resident utilities that are loaded
each time the system is booted. SCOUT is well-behaved and should work
in conjunction with most Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) software.
- 13 -
A. RAM USAGE ADJUSTMENT
SCOUT provides a way to adjust the amount of Random Access
Memory (RAM) it occupies. As delivered, SCOUT is set to support
up to 250 files per directory up to 50 directories per drive.
Naturally, there must be enough RAM available to contain the data
associated with each file and each directory. But if your system
is such that you don't require support for 250 files/directory
and 50 directories, these parameters can be adjusted downward to
conserve RAM. For example, suppose you decide that 200
files/directory and 25 directories are sufficient for your
system. Just place the number for the maximum number of files
and the number for the maximum number of directories on the
command line when loading scout as follows:
SCOUT f200 d25
Be sure to place an "f" immediately in front of the desired
value for maximum files and a "d" (upper or lower case) in front
of the directories value. Since SCOUT uses 22 bytes for each
file and 21 bytes for each directory, a memory savings of (50 *
22) + (25 * 21) = 1625 bytes will be realized. Just remember
that SCOUT will retrieve and display up the the number of files
and/or directories configured for. This means that if you
configure for 250 files and view a directory containing more than
250 files, SCOUT will only retrieve and display 250 files.
If you require that SCOUT support more than 250 files or
more than 50 directories, you can increase the number in the same
way as described above. For example, suppose you need to view up
to 750 files per directory and that you have 125 directories on a
single drive. Load SCOUT as follows:
SCOUT f750 d125
Just remember that SCOUT will use 22 bytes of RAM per file
and 21 bytes per directory.
Another means of saving memory is afforded to owners of
Hercules (and compatible) Graphics Cards (HGC). Entering a
single "h" anywhere on the command line will cause SCOUT to use
some of the abundant HGC memory for storage of file and saved
screen data. This will result in saving a not so trivial 15k of
RAM. Two caveats are in order here. The first is that this will
not work with Hercules Plus cards while a Hercules ramfont is
loaded. The second is that some so-called Hercules compatible
boards are not really so compatible and may cause SCOUT to behave
strangely.
- 14 -
Color users also may be able to significantly reduce SCOUT's
image in RAM if they own an advance technology CGA that doesn't
show flicker or snow. Entering a single "U" on the command line
will also save 15.6 k of RAM. Color users get a bonus in RAM
saved because SCOUT is able to use some of the available board
memory for storage of screens saved.
B. OTHER COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
Various functional aspects of SCOUT can be controlled
through the use of command line parameters. The F, D and H
parameters were explained in the preceding paragraph. Other
available command line parameters are:
C - Force CRC checking to ON
*G - CGA graphics operation
M - Force monochrome mode
T - Use Tandy keyboard
*U - Use video board RAM
-P - Disable printer ready checks
Items above marked with an asterisk are not applicable to
SCOUT-EM. The C parameter permits starting SCOUT with CRC
checking on for all file copying operations. The G parameter
permits SCOUT to operate properly in the CGA (NOT EGA or VGA!)
graphics environment. This option will use 12K more memory in
order to save and restore a CGA graphics screen. The H option
will inform SCOUT that there is a Hercules graphics adaptor in
the system and to use some of that board's video RAM for internal
storage. This will reduce the amount of RAM occupied by SCOUT
but may not operate properly with some cheap Hercules imitations.
The M option is for those users operating SCOUT on lap top
portables or on machines equipped with a composite two-color
monitor. Lap tops and composite monitor equipped machines report
themselves as having a CGA on board and the SCOUT colors will
look quite poor in this environment. Using the M command line
option forces SCOUT into a two-color monochrome mode. The T
option is for Tandy users. The Tandy 1000, for example, maps the
keyboard slightly differently than does an IBM clone. Using the
T options corrects keyboard problems that might occur with Tandy
machines. The U option should only be used on advanced CGA, EGA,
or VGA monitors. It directs SCOUT to utilize some of the video
adaptor RAM for internal storage and significantly reduces the
amount of RAM required for SCOUT.
The command line switch -P disables the check that SCOUT
uses to check if the printer is ready. This switch is included
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primarily for network operations where a direct check of the
printer through the BIOS is not feasible.
6. LOADING SCOUT-EM
SCOUT-EM must be loaded differently than the normal RAM version
of SCOUT. Also, there are no command line options applicable to
SCOUT-EM.
SCOUT-EM may be loaded from the DOS command line or via a batch
file. You should execute RUNSCOUT.COM immediately after
executing SCOUT-EM. SCOUT-EM sets itself up in expanded memory.
RUNSCOUT loads as a TSR into normal system RAM, retrieves
important data from SCOUT-EM, and then waits to handle requests
to call SCOUT-EM.
Both SCOUT and SCOUT-EM can removed from memory. Call SCOUT from
the DOS level and press Alt-Z to remove it. It is strongly
advised that you not remove SCOUT unless it was the last memory
resident program loaded. SCOUT-EM is removed by executing the
supplied utility REMOVE.COM. REMOVE will remove SCOUT-EM from
expanded memory, release all assigned EMS pages back to the
system, and remove RUNSCOUT from normal RAM. RUNSCOUT should be
the last memory resident program loaded.
7. OPERATING SCOUT
A. CALLING SCOUT
Once loaded, SCOUT can be called from anywhere. Just press
the defined hot key combination or the prime key (if not
disabled) and SCOUT will pop up, saving the screen that was
present when it was activated. If the graphics mode was selected
via the command line parameter, you can even pop up SCOUT on top
of a CGA (not EGA or VGA) graphics screen. To return to normal
operations just press the ESC key and the SCOUT main display will
be replaced by the screen that was present when SCOUT was called.
A paged help display may be activated from the main SCOUT display
by pressing the Alt-F10 key. This display contains a list of all
available SCOUT command keys and short descriptions of what each
key accomplishes. The pages of the help display may be viewed by
continually pressing the PgDn or PgUp keys.
B. MAIN COMMAND MENU
Pressing the TAB key at the main display will pop up the
SCOUT Main Command Menu. This is a horizontal sliding cursor bar
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menu that provides access to nearly all of the SCOUT disk
management functions. The items on this menu are:
Copy Move Eras Back Rena Srch Fmat Driv Ordr Prnt Info Xtra
Each of these functions will be explained later in this document.
Note that an explanatory help line appears on the bottom line of
the display when the commend menu is up.
C. MAIN SCOUT DISPLAY
The main SCOUT display occupies most of the screen and
consists of a window centered on the screen that contains 15 or
more lines of file data for the files in the currently active
directory. The current drive label appears directly above the
window and the current directory path and active file mask
appears on the top left line of the window. The page number is
displayed on the top right line and the file sequence number
appears on the bottom right line. Up and Down arrows will appear
on the right window border to indicate position within the file
list.
Three lines of status information appear immediately below
the main display window. It should be noted that the bytes used
value applies just to the files found in the current directory.
The total bytes and bytes free values pertain to the active
drive.
The current system date/time is displayed below the status
information along with a reminder that the TAB key is used to
bring up the Command Menu.
Individual file information is presented on each line of the
main display window. Each line shows file name, extension, date,
time, and size. In addition, file attribute information (hidden,
system, etc.) will be displayed in an abbreviated form between
the file time and size.
Directory names and disk volume labels appear in different
colors (highlight on mono systems) than normal files. A cursor
bar indicates position in the file list and is movable with the
cursor pad keys or mouse. Mouse support is provided for version
6.0 (or later) of the Microsoft mouse driver or compatible
drivers.
Many SCOUT operations on files can be performed on groups of
files. A file group can be tagged for move, copy, or delete
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operations. To tag a file, press the space bar or plus key with
the cursor bar over the file name. Pressing the space bar or
minus key with the cursor over a tagged file untags it. Tagged
files are visually indicated by a diamond to the left of the file
name. Status of number of files and total bytes tagged appears
just below the file display window. All files in the current
directory can be tagged by pressing Ctrl-T. Pressing Ctrl-U will
untag all files.
Pressing the Enter key will do one of two things. If the
file under the cursor is a .ZIP, .ARC, .LZH, or LHARC .COM/.EXE
compressed file, SCOUT will bring up a window that displays the
directory listing of the files contained therein. Self-
extracting ZIP EXE files may be viewed by pressing Ctrl-Z with
the cursor over the target file. If the file under the cursor is
a "normal" file, the SCOUT file browser will appear. This is
intended primarily for use on ASCII text files, however.
Pressing Ctrl-Enter with the cursor bar over an executable
file (.BAT/.COM/.EXE) will execute that file IF SCOUT has been
called from the DOS level.
Pressing Ctrl-Home will cause SCOUT to change to the current
drive root directory and display the files found there.
Pressing Ctrl-End will change to directory that was active
when SCOUT was called. This directory is known as the base
directory.
D. DIRECTORY CATALOG
SCOUT maintains a directory catalog for each disk on which
it is used. The catalog is kept in a file name NEW-WARE.LOG
located in the root directory of each drive except floppy drives
A and B (these are dynamically stored in memory). When SCOUT
initially logs onto a drive it will check to see if the catalog
file exists in the root directory of that drive. If so, it reads
the catalog. If not, it scans the drive, locates all
directories, creates NEW-WARE.LOG, and stores the directory names
in this file. Any time a new directory is created or a directory
is deleted through SCOUT commands, the catalog file is updated.
But if the user deletes or creates a directory outside of SCOUT,
the catalog will not be accurate. For this reason there is a
SCOUT command that will scan the current disk and update the
catalog. Press Ctrl-S with the main SCOUT display up and SCOUT
will scan the current drive.
Pressing the prime (~) key (or Alt-T) will display a graphic
tree that depicts the logical directory tree structure of the
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current drive. A movable cursor will be positioned over the
current active directory. The cursor can be moved through the
tree via the arrow and page keys on the cursor pad. The down
arrow key will move the cursor down through though the tree at
the same directory level. The right arrow key will move down
through the tree directory-by-directory, regardless of level.
The up arrow key will move up through the tree at the same level
and the left arrow key will move the cursor up through the tree
regardless of level. Other important commands available while
viewing the directory tree are:
Ins key Add a new directory
Del key Remove a directory
Enter key Change to indicated directory
Ctrl-Home Change to ROOT directory
Ctrl-End Change to base directory
F6 key Rename a directory
When using the INS key to add a new directory, you will be
prompted for the directory name. If you desire to add the new
directory directly to the ROOT directory, preceded the entered
name with a backslash character (\). Otherwise, if you wish to
append the new directory as a subdirectory of the directory
highlighted by the cursor bar, just enter the new directory name.
Using a catalog file strategy greatly speeds up searches for
files and permits very rapid verification of a user entered
directory name.
7. SCOUT MAIN COMMAND MENU
SCOUT provides a number of commands that facilitate management of
the system. Each is invoked from the main SCOUT Command Menu display
and is described in the following subparagraphs. Additionally, and of
the commands available from the Command Menu or its submenus is
supported by an alternate command key combination as described later
in this document.
A. COPY
The COPY function permits copying of single or multiple
files to a designated destination. If no files are tagged, then
the single file copy mode is invoked. You will be prompted for
the DOS name of the destination for the source file. A single
file name may be entered for copy to the same directory or a full
DOS path name may be entered.
If one or more files are tagged, the batch file copy mode
will be invoked. You will be prompted for a DOS directory name
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in which to place the copies of the tagged files. After entering
the name of the destination directory, you will be shown the
names of all tagged files and asked for confirmation to go ahead
with the copy. The display of tagged files is dynamically
updated as the copy proceeds. Ctrl-C is the alternative command
for this function.
B. MOVE
The MOVE function behaves almost exactly as the COPY
function except that the files are moved from the current
directory to the designated destination directory. If the
destination directory is on a different drive, the files will
actually be copied first and then deleted from the source
directory. If the destination directory is located on the same
drive, the files will be moved very rapidly from the source to
the destination directory. Ctrl-M is the alternate command for
this function.
C. ERAS
The ERAS command is similar to the COPY and MOVE commands
except that it deletes the files from disk. Be certain to check
the presented file list before confirming the deletion operation.
Ctrl-E is the alternate command for this function.
D. BACK
The BACK command is intended to assist the user in backing
up files that have changed since the last backup. Invoking this
command brings up the file COPY display which lists all files
that have their DOS archive bits set. The DOS archive bit is set
each time a file is changed or updated. The listed files are
copied to a user specified destination directory and then the
archive bits of files in the source directory are reset. This
provides a semi-automated backup facility for any directory of
files. Ctrl-B is the alternate command for this function.
E. RENA
The RENA item allows renaming a file. The file highlight by
the main display cursor bar may be renamed. The rename will fail
if another file in the directory has the same name or if the
entered name is invalid. Volume labels and directory names may
also be changed with this function. Ctrl-R is the alternate
command for this function.
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F. SRCH
SCOUT offers a powerful system file search facility. You
will be prompted to enter the target name for the search and this
name may contain the DOS wildcard characters (*,?). If a drive
specifier precedes the target name, then that drive will be
searched, otherwise the current drive will be searched. Here are
two examples:
D:S??.* Search for matching files on drive D
*.PAS Search current drive for all matching
When the target name is entered, a large window will appear that
will contain up to sixteen names of the files matching the
target. SCOUT will pause after finding 16 names before
continuing the search. Ctrl-Y is the alternate command for this
function.
G. FMT
SCOUT will format both 5 1/4" and 3 1/2" floppy drives.
Selecting this item will bring up the format window. You will be
prompted to enter the drive letter of the target floppy drive.
If the drive is already formatted, you will be warned. Be
certain that the SCOUT drive table is properly defined by using
the CONFIG program. Alt-F is the alternate command for this
function.
H. DRIV
The DRIV item on the Command Menu provides the means for
changing active drives. You will be prompted to enter the letter
corresponding to the DOS drive you wish to change to. Entry of
an invalid drive letter or selecting a drive that is not ready
will bring up an error box. When changing drives, files from the
default directory of the target drive will appear in the main
display window. Ctrl-D is the alternate command for this
function.
I. ORDR
SCOUT offers five different sort orders of file data.
Selecting this item will bring up a sliding bar menu that offers
the following selections:
Sort on File Name Only
Sort on File Extension
Sort on File Date
- 21 -
Sort on File Size
Sort on Extension/Name
No Sort
Ascending Sort
The first four items are self-explanatory. The fifth item, sort
on extension/name, sorts first on the file extension and then
orders the groups of file extensions by file name. The no sort
option simply presents the file data as received from DOS. Sorts
may be ordered from lowest to highest (ascending) or from highest
to lowest (descending). This item is a toggle and affects all
but the no sort option. Ctrl-O is alternate command for this
function.
J. PRNT
Four different print options are available via the Print
Menu:
Control Codes
Directory Files
File Print
Graphics Print
The first item on this sliding bar menu permits sending
predefined printer codes (defined in CONFIG.COM) to the printer.
The second item offers the ability to print a two column listing
of all files in the current directory. Item number 3 is used to
print the text file highlighted by the main display cursor bar.
The last item on this menu will print the saved CGA graphics
screen on a dot-matrix printer. Alt-P is the alternate command
for calling the Print Menu.
K. INFO
SCOUT provides a wealth of information about the host
computer system. Alt-I is the alternate means of accessing this
menu. Selection of this item will bring up a sliding bar menu
with the following items:
Sys Drive Space
This Drive Info
Calendar
Version Info
ASCII Table
Memory Allocation
- 22 -
The Sys Drive Space item will present a summary of the free space
on all fixed disks in the system. Alt-D is the alternate
command.
This Drive Info provides information about the currently active
drive. Ctrl-I is the alternate command.
The SCOUT Calendar presents a monthly calendar. When initially
displayed, the calendar will show the current month and the the
current day will be blinking. Left and right cursor arrow
operation will decrease and increase the calendar year,
respectively. Up and down arrow operation will increase and
decrease the displayed month, respectively. Alt-C is the
alternate command.
The Version Info window shows more system information and data
pertaining to the current SCOUT program version. Ctrl-N is the
alternate command.
A pageable display of the PC ASCII character set is brought up by
selection of the ASCII Table item. Ctrl-A is the alternate
command.
A summary of system RAM allocation is displayed by selecting the
Memory Allocation item. Ctrl-Q is the alternate command.
L. XTRA
The last item on the Command Menu is titled XTRA. This
provides access to a number of "extra" functions via another
sliding bar menu. Alt-X is the alternate means of access to this
menu. This menu contains the following items:
Attribute Change
CRC Check Toggle
File Date/Time
Hot Key Toggle
Key Change
Mask Change
Reset Archive Bits
System Time/Date
Label This Volume
Verify Floppy Disk
Write Vid to Disk
The Attribute Change item permits changing the attribute of the
file under the main display cursor. Attributes may changed to
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any allowable DOS attribute (normal, read-only, hidden, system,
and combinations).
File copying and moving is supported by an optional CRC check.
CRC stands for Cyclic Redundancy Check. Using CRC checking
during file copying (and moving across drives) virtually assures
that a good copy of the source file is made. When CRC checking
is in effect, SCOUT will use a 16 bit CRC algorithm to check each
copied file. If even 1 bit of the copied file differs from that
of the original, a CRC error will be detected and displayed.
The File Date/Time item permits setting the date and/or the time
of the file under the main display cursor bar. The date and/or
time may be entered or set to the current system date/time as
desired.
SCOUT can be called via the designated Hot Key combination or the
prime key. If the the prime key is active, the hot combination
may be temporarily disabled. This permits the use of SCOUT with
programs like Word Perfect that use just about every key
combination on the keyboard.
Function keys may be assigned drive:\directory string macros in
the CONFIG program. These may be temporarily altered via the
Function Key Macros menu.
DOS file masks may also be temporarily set dynamically by
invoking the File Mask Settings menu.
The Reset Archive Bit function is designed to work in conjunction
with the SCOUT backup function. Invoking this function will
cause all files in the current directory to have their archive
bits reset. This is useful when initially working with a new
directory. First reset the file archive bits with this function
and then later use the backup function to dynamically backup the
changed files.
SCOUT will change the DOS system time/date as desired with the
System Time/Date item. Ctrl-F is the alternate command.
Any disk that does not already contain a label may be labeled
using the Label This Volume function.
The SCOUT floppy disk formatter does not use verification during
format in order to speed up the format operation. If good
quality diskettes are used, verification is normally not needed.
The Verify Floppy Disk function will verify a floppy diskette.
- 24 -
This function does NOT update the File Allocation Table (FAT) and
will stop with an error message at the first bad sector detected.
When SCOUT is popped up, it saves the current video screen to a
buffer. This screen data may be saved to a disk file named
SCREEN.DAT by invoking the Write Vid to Disk function.
9. VIEWING FILE CONTENTS
A. BROWSING A TEXT FILE
A text file may be browsed by placing the cursor over
the desired file name and pressing the Enter key. Scout will
display 23 lines of the file at a time. You can page back and
forth through the file using the PgUp and PgDn keys. The Home
key will show the first page of the file. The End key will take
you to the end of the file. Note that if the file is a long one,
there will be some delay while SCOUT moves physically to the end
of the file. The file may also be browsed one line at a time via
the up/down arrow keys. The file browse function supports text
lines up to 100 characters in length. Lines over 100 characters
will be truncated. To view lines that are over 80 characters
long, use the right arrow key to scroll right or press Ctrl-
RightArrow to show the longest line present. Ctrl-LeftArrow
scrolls the display back to the left edge. Note that if a mouse
driver is present, the mouse can be used to browse vertically and
horizontally. Any text file with 35,767 lines or less may be
browsed in this fashion. Press the F1 key to get a window
showing a summary of file browsing commands.
SCOUT will search the text file being viewed for a specified
string. Press the F key while a text file is being browsed. A
box will pop up prompting for a search string. The search is NOT
case sensitive. Typing in a string and pressing return will
start a search (forward only) through the file for the specified
string. If the string is found, the line containing it will be
placed on the first line of the display and it will be
highlighted. Pressing the L key continues the search.
It is also possible to go directly to a specific location in
the file by entering a line number. Press the N key and then
enter the desired line number. If the entered line number is
within file limits, the target line will be placed at the top of
the display and will be highlighted.
Pressing the S key while browsing a file will turn on a
filter that strips the high bit from each file character. Many
word processing programs (like WordStar) store text with numerous
- 25 -
imbedded print and format control codes. Displaying these codes
in a "raw" mode sometimes makes for a messy display. The display
can be cleaned up significantly by filtering out the control
codes. When the stripper is toggled to on, two blinking
asterisks appear at both ends of the bottom status line.
B. VIEWING ARCHIVE FILE DIRECTORIES
Archive files are files that have been compressed by
commonly available utilities such as PKZIP, ARC, and LHARC.
SCOUT can view the contents of any valid .ARC, .PAK, .LZH, or
.ZIP file. Just place the cursor over a valid compressed file
and press the Enter key. If SCOUT finds that it is indeed a
valid compressed file, a window will appear that shows the
directory listing in pages of pages of 18 entries each. Each
entry displayed has the compressed file name, the date, the time,
the uncompressed file size, the compressed file size, and the
method used in compression. To get a printed listing of the
compressed file directory, press Ctrl-P at any time while
displaying the file names.
10. EXECUTING PROGRAMS FROM SCOUT
In spite of being a memory resident program, SCOUT has the
capability to execute programs.
A. EXECUTE A PROGRAM
First, remember that you MUST have placed RUNFILE.COM in the
root directory of the disk drive from which SCOUT is to be
initially loaded into memory in order for you to successfully run
a program from SCOUT. Second, SCOUT can execute a program only
when it has been called (popped up) from the DOS level.
The easiest and most direct method of running a program from
SCOUT is to move the cursor to a .COM, .EXE, or .BAT file and
press Ctrl-Return. SCOUT will execute the program. YOU CANNOT
RUN A PROGRAM FROM SCOUT UNLESS YOU CALLED SCOUT FROM THE DOS
LEVEL! But you may activate SCOUT from the program you executed
from SCOUT. Just be sure to terminate the program before
attempting to run another program.
In many cases it may be desirable to pass the program you
desire to run parameters via the command line. Just press the /
key with the cursor over the name of the program you desire to
run. A window will appear prompting you for the command line
string. Enter it and press return. SCOUT will pass the entered
- 26 -
string to the executed program just as if you had invoked the
program from the DOS command line.
B. EXECUTE PROGRAM MENU
The configuration program permitted you to enter up to 10
program names, parent directories, and flags indicating whether
or not to pause for command line parameters. This menu may be
invoked by pressing the back slash \ key. A window will appear
that displays the program names you defined, the directory names
they are located in, and stars ("*") for any you marked to pause
for command line parameters. Each program is indexed by a
function key. Press the function key associated with program
that you desire to execute. If that program is flagged with a
star, the command line parameter window will appear and request
entry of the parameter string before the program is executed.
The power of using the menu is that you can define programs
that reside on disks other than the default drive and SCOUT will
effect both appropriate drive and directory change so that the
program can be executed from its parent directory. Just be sure
to enter the full proper path specification in the configuration
program.
C. CTRL-X PROGRAM MENU
SCOUT incorporates a second configurable program execution
menu that differs functionally from the menu invoked by the \
key. This menu is invoked by pressing Ctrl-X and is
preconfigured by the CONFIG program. This utility allows you to
define up to 10 executable program names, which will appear on
the Ctrl-X menu.
There is an important and fundamental difference between the
main (\ key) program execution menu and the Ctrl-X program
execution menu. In the first case, the program to be executed
has been assigned a resident directory name and, optionally, a
command line parameter. When invoked, SCOUT will change to that
directory and run the program. In the case of the Ctrl-X menu,
SCOUT is depending upon the assigned program to reside in a
directory that is identified in the DOS PATH string. Thus SCOUT
does NOT change to the directory the target program resides in,
but instead calls the program from the currently active directory
via the DOS PATH search function. Remember, the target program
MUST be locatable through the DOS PATH.
- 27 -
11. QEDIT, LIST, & NORTON
Three extra "hooks" are provided for the execution of the
outstanding Semware editor QEDIT, Vernon Buerg's excellent LIST, and
Peter Norton's NU. These programs must reside in a directory that is
identified in the DOS path. QEDIT must be named EDIT and is called
from SCOUT when SCOUT has been popped up from the DOS level. The
follow commands are relevant:
Alt-L Call LIST with file under cursor
Alt-N Call NORTON with file under cursor
Alt-Q Call QEDIT with file under cursor
12. COMMAND KEY SUMMARY
A. MAIN DISPLAY CONTROL
The cursor pad keys control the position of the cursor bar
in the file list. The following command/control keys are also
available from the main display:
Tab Call Main Command Menu
Enter View file under cursor
Change to directory under cursor
^Enter Execute .BAT/.COM/.EXE file under cursor
^Home Move to ROOT directory of current drive
^End Return to base directory
Del Delete file under cursor
Ins Rename file under cursor
Alt-F10 Show alternate command key summary
Shft-Tab Purge directory of ALL files
B. ALTERNATE COMMAND KEYS
The following is a list of alternate command keys available
from the main display with a brief summary statement of the
function of each:
Ctrl-A View ASCII character table
Ctrl-B Backup (copy) files with archive bits set
Ctrl-C Single/Multiple file copy
Ctrl-D Change disk drive
Ctrl-E Erase (delete) single/multiple files
Ctrl-F Format floppy disk
Ctrl-G Single/Multiple file copy
Ctrl-I Single drive information summary
Ctrl-J View/change file masks
Ctrl-K View/change function key macros
- 28 -
Ctrl-L Create disk volume label
Ctrl-M Single/multiple file move
Ctrl-N Version information window
Ctrl-O Change file sort
Ctrl-P Print directory file listing
Ctrl-Q View system RAM allocation map
Ctrl-R Rename file, directory, or volume label
Ctrl-S Scan current drive and update directory tree
Ctrl-T Tag all files in current directory
Ctrl-U Untag all tagged files
Ctrl-V Write saved screen image to disk file
Ctrl-W Wildcard tag
Ctrl-X Call secondary program execution menu
Ctrl-Z View contents of a ZIPped EXE file
Ctrl-Y Search drive for file(s)
Ctrl-Z Remove SCOUT from memory
Alt-D View system drive space
Alt-F Change system or file date/time
Alt-I Call Information Menu
Alt-L Call LIST with file under cursor
Alt-N Call Norton (NU) with file under cursor
Alt-P Call Print Menu
Alt-Q Call QEDIT with file under cursor
Alt-R Registration window (Shareware version)
Alt-T Display directory tree
Alt-X Call secondary program execution menu
C. DIRECTORY DISPLAY COMMANDS
The following commands are operative while viewing the
graphic directory tree:
Enter Change to directory under cursor
^Home Change to ROOT directory
^End Change to base directory
F6 Rename directory under cursor
Ins Add directory to the tree
Del Remove a directory from the tree
Ctrl-P Print directory tree
D. TEXT FILE BROWSE COMMANDS
The following commands are operative while viewing a text
file with the browse function:
Use the cursor pad keys or mouse to move up and down in the
file.
- 29 -
F key Search for text string
L key Continue search
N key Go to specified line number
Ctrl-P Print current file page
13. SPECIAL VIDEO SUPPORT
SCOUT and SCOUT-EM offer special video support for EGA/VGA
systems capable of operating in modes that show more than 25 lines per
screen. SCOUT will automatically detect and adjust to these modes.
Normally, the main display window will contain 15 lines of file data
and the directory tree window will contain 20 lines of directory
names. If SCOUT is popped-up while in an extended display mode, the
main display and the directory tree windows will expand to fill the
available screen height.
14. MOUSE SUPPORT
SCOUT has a built in support for mouse drivers conforming to
version 6.xx or later of the Microsoft mouse standard. Main display
window mouse operations are:
Mouse up/down Cursor bar up/down
Left Button Return key
Right Button Esc key
Mouse right Directory tree
Mouse left Tab key
15. TANDY OWNERS
Tandy, for reasons God only knows, maps their keyboard
differently than the standard IBM PC/AT method. The prime (~) key on
the Tandy is mapped to the down-arrow key and thus if the prime key is
enabled, SCOUT will be called each time the down arrow key is pressed.
There are two ways to avoid this. One way is to use the CONFIG
program to disable use of the prime key. The other is to enter a "t"
on the command line when loading SCOUT or SCOUT-EM. Placing a "t" on
the command line causes the SCOUT keyboard interrupt handler to
reverse the mapping of the prime and down arrow keys.
Thank you very much for trying SCOUT!
Copyright 1985,86,87,88,89
New-Ware
San Diego, CA
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Index
5 COPY function 19
/ key 26 CRC check 24
\ key 27 Ctrl-B 20
Ctrl-C 20
A Ctrl-D 21
Alt-C 23 Ctrl-E 20
Alt-D 23 Ctrl-End 19
Alt-F 21 Ctrl-Home 19
Alt-F10 9 Ctrl-I 23
Alt-F10 key 16 Ctrl-LeftArrow 25
Alt-I 22 Ctrl-M 20
Alt-P 22 Ctrl-N 23
Alt-T 18 Ctrl-O 22
Alt-X 23 Ctrl-P 26
alternate command keys 28 Ctrl-Q 23
Archive Bit function 24 Ctrl-R 20
ASCII Table 23 Ctrl-Return 26
ASP 2 Ctrl-RightArrow 25
ASP Ombudsman 2 Ctrl-S 18
Attribute Change 23 Ctrl-T 18
Ctrl-U 18
B Ctrl-X 13, 27
base directory 18 Ctrl-Y 21
batch file 13 Ctrl-Z 18
BIOS drive number 12
bulletin board 3 D
Del key 19
C directory catalog 18
Calendar 23 DOS PATH 27
catalog 18 dual density 12
CGA 15
CGA monitor 12 E
command line 15 EMS 4
Command Menu 19 Enter key 19, 26
compressed file 26 ESC key 16
CONFIG.COM 7
CONFIG menu 8 F
configuration program 7 F6 key 19
CONFIGURING SCOUT 7 F key 25
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file browsing commands 25 print margins 10
File Date/Time 24 Print Menu 22
file mask 9 printer codes 10
File Mask Settings 24 program menu 11
floppy drive parameter 11 program names 27
format 21
Function Key Macros 24 Q
function keys 9 QEDIT 28
Quit and Save 13
H
Hercules 14 R
HGC 14 RAM 14
Hot Key 24 registration 2
hot key 9 RUNFILE.COM 26
RUNFILE.EXE 7
I
Ins key 19 S
SCOUT.000 5, 8
L SCOUT Configuration
Label This Volume 24 Options 7
LANtastic 6 SCOUT-EM.000 5, 8
LIM 5 search 21
lines per page 10 Shareware 2
LIST 28 Shareware Products BBS 3
snow avoidance 12
M sort 11
Main Command Menu 16 Sys Drive Space 23
major features 5 System Time/Date 24
Memory Allocation 23
memory resident 5 T
mouse 8 TAB key 16
MOVE function 20 tag a file 18
Tandy 15, 30
N This Drive Info 23
network 6, 16
NEW-WARE.LOG 18 V
NU 28 Verify Floppy Disk 24
Version Info 23
O
overlay file 5, 8 W
Write Vid to Disk 25
P
page number 10 X
prime key 9, 12 XTRA 23
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