home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
User's Choice Windows CD
/
User's Choice Windows CD (CMS Software)(1993).iso
/
win_i_l
/
incx101b.zip
/
INC-PROG.LZH
/
HELP.LZH
/
MCM.HLP
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1991-02-28
|
55KB
|
928 lines
mcm
Help information about: "More" Commands
^Create ^Options ^SwitchUser
E╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
E║ CMore CommandsE ║
E╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Several less-commonly-used commands are available to you from the F MDore B
(additional commands) menu. When you select F MDore B from the command
bar, the list of additional commands will appear, as shown below.
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A E────────────────────────────────────────────────────────G More A E█
E█A G Select desired command A E█
E█A E│ CCYBreate -- Creates a new object or subdirectory E │A E█
E█A E│ CDBOS -- Starts command.com subshell (type "exit" to return)E │A E█
E█A E│ CEBxecute -- Execute a single DOS command (no subshell) E │A E█
E█A E│ CLBines -- Toggle 50-line display ON E │A E█
E█A E│ CMBode -- Changes main display mode E │A E█
E█A E│ CNBote -- Edit notes associated with currently active task E │A E█
E█A E│ COBptions -- Allows you to change configuration options E │A E█
E█A E│ CRBelog -- Update file/directory list E │A E█
E█A E│ CSBcreen -- Screen refresh E │A E█
E█A E│ CUBser -- Change users E │A E█
E█A E└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
These commands work as follows:
ZmcmcB CCreateB See CJ Creating Objects and Directories CB.
CDOSB This command invokes your MS-DOS command interpreter as
a separate process under InContext. There, you can execute
MS-DOS commands. When you're finished, type "exit", and you
will return to InContext.
CExecuteB This command allows you to type a single DOS command at
a time, and executes it, returning to InContext immediately
when the command has finished executing. Upon return, you
may type another DOS command, or just press ENTER to return
to the regular command mode.
This command is also available directly from the main
display, by just pressing the "E" key.
CLinesB If you have an EGA or VGA display adapter, this command
toggles back and forth between the high-density and
low-density hardware fonts. On an EGA, for example,
repeated uses of this command will cause your display to
alternate between a 43-line display and a 25-line display.
NOTE: if you enter InContext using a soft display font, use
of this command will substitute the hardware fonts, and
InContext cannot restore the soft fonts. You will have to
reload them with your soft-font-loader. This can be done
either from within InContext, or after exiting.
This command is also available directly from the main
display, by just pressing the "L" key.
CModeB This command allows you to cycle through the display
formats available for the main display. For more
ZmcmofB information, see CJ Changing the Main Display Format CB.
This command is also available directly from the main
display, by just pressing the function key F8.
CNoteB This command allows you to edit the task notes associated
with the currently selected task, if there is one. Although
it is not shown on the main display command bar, this
function is also available there, by just pressing 'N'
or function key F3.
COptionsB You may change colors, disk drive logging, and various
ZmcmoB other options. See CJ The Options Command CB.
CRelogB This command causes InContext to update its log of either
the current directory or the entire current drive. If you
perform MS-DOS commands outside of InContext, the log may
become outdated and not show you all the directories or
files. Use this to bring it up to date.
From the main display, you can relog the current directory
by just pressing the "R" key.
CScreenB This command refreshes the InContext display. Use it if
the display is somehow overwritten, the cursor disappears,
etc. If a procedure that you use regularly causes the
ZmcaelB cursor to disappear, add the CJ !resetMouse command CB
to the procedure definition.
CUserB InContext allows a PC to have multiple, one-at-a-time users
whose task lists, and configuration preferences differ.
ZmcmsB See CJ The User Command CB.
mcmc
Help information about: Creating Objects and Directories
^CreatingNewClasses
E╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
E║ CCreating Objects and DirectoriesE ║
E╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
It's easy to create new objects or directories. Select the F MDore B menu,
and you'll see a list of commands. Choose the "Create" command. You'll
be asked whether you want to create an object or a directory.
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A G What do you want to create? A E█
E█A E│ BObject -- A new object will be created in the current directoryE │A E█
E█A E│ BDireYBctory -- A new subdirectory will be created under current dir E │A E█
E█A E└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
CCreating a New Directory
If you select "Directory", you will be asked to provide an ordinary MS-DOS
name for the new directory.
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A G Enter filename of new directory A E█
E█A E│ │A E█
E█A E│ BEnter the DOS filename for the new directory to be created.E │A E█
E█A E│ BOrdinarily, it will not include a filename extension, butE │A E█
E█A E│ Byou may include one if you like. Thus, typical responsesE │A E█
E█A E│ Bwould be "mystuff" or "pubstuff.vpp".E │A E█
E█A E│ │A E█
E█A E│ YD E │A E█
E█A E│ │A E█
E█A E└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
If you provide a directory name that does not conflict with a file or
directory name already in use, a new subdirectory will be created under
the current directory. You will find yourself moved into the new
subdirectory automatically.
CCreating a New Object
The procedure you use for creating a new object is similar. After you
select "Object" in response to the "What do you want to create?" query,
you will be asked to specify first the CclassB of the new object, and then
its filename prefix. Thus, to create "mynew.wk1", you would respond "wk1"
to the class question, and "mynew" to the filename prefix question.
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A G Enter class of new object A E█
E█A E│ │A E█
E█A E│ YD E │A E█
E█A E│ │A E█
E█A E└───────────────────────────┘A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A G Enter filename prefix of new object A E█
E█A E│ │A E█
E█A E│ YD E │A E█
E█A E│ │A E█
E█A E└─────────────────────────────────────┘A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
You can also create a new object (but not a directory) from the main
display, by pressing function key F5.
CCreating Objects From Class Templates
When you create a new object, InContext first looks to see whether or not
you have specified a CtemplateB for the class. A template is a file which
contains the exact information you would like in any newly created object
of a particular class. For example, if your initials are "hrr", you might
wish to create an "hrr" class to use for your business letters. The
template for this class would be a file named "hrr.tpl". You would create
the template using your word processor, and you would set it up to contain
an "empty" letter, including your letterhead and closing, with space
indicated for the recipient's name and address, salutation, and text.
If InContext finds such a template for the requested class, a new object
will be created in the current directory by simply copying the template.
You will then be able to perform, on the new object, the actions defined
for its class. Among these would usually be an "edit" operation, which
in the case of the "hrr" letterhead would invoke your word processor,
allowing you to complete the letter.
If InContext does not find a template for the requested class, it offers
to create an empty file.
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A G No template exists; create empty file? A E█
E█A E│ BNo E │A E█
E█A E│ BYYBesE │A E█
E█A E└────────────────────────────────────────┘A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
For information about creating new object classes, including the creation
ZmcmccB of templates for those classes, see CJ Creating New Object Classes CB.
mcmcc
Help information about: Creating New Object Classes
E╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
E║ CCreating New Object ClassesE ║
E╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
CCreating New Object Classes
Creating a new class is not difficult, but doing it correctly may require
knowledge of several aspects of InContext.
Even if you do nothing special, there are certain basic actions you can
take with every object. These are the actions defined in the CcommonB
action list, and they typically include "copy", "rename", "delete", and
perhaps "view", using a general-purpose viewer. These are probably
sufficient for handling most of the miscellaneous object types that
inhabit your disk.
There are at least two reasons for formally defining an object class:
CB You want to be able to create new objects of this class, and have
them automatically initialized to appropriate starting content.
CB You want to be able to perform actions on them that are defined
differently than, or are in addition to, the actions available
for miscellaneous objects.
These two different aspects of "object-hood" are controlled by two
different aspects of InContext:
CB Each time a new object is created, InContext first checks for the
existence of a CtemplateB defining the starting content of new
objects of the requested class. When you define a new class, you
may need to define such a template.
CB Whenever an object is selected, InContext finds the Caction list
of the class, if any, and uses it to determine what actions can be
performed on the object. When you define a new class, you will
need to define such an action list.
CCreating a Class Template
To create a template for a class, you must perform several steps:
CB Use the appropriate tool to create a file with the content that
you would like new objects of the class to have. Thus, if you're
defining a spreadsheet class, you might use Lotus 1-2-3 to create
a spreadsheet containing your favorite option settings and macros.
CB Rename this file, so that its filename extension is "tpl", and
its filename prefix is the name of the new class. For example, the
template for the "wk1" Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet class is "wk1.tpl".
CB Move the file to the InContext artifacts directory, so it will
be found by InContext whenever you attempt to create new objects of
this class. You can use the "take/put" method of moving. The
InContext artifacts directory is usually "c:\incontxt", but you may
have made some other choice during your installation of InContext.
In addition to these steps, you may choose to move the file into an
archive ("template.lzh") by selecting the object and then selecting the
action "archive". If you keep your class templates in the form of an
archive, they will require much less disk space, but more time will be
required each time you create a new object.
CCreating an Action List for the Class
ZmcaeB This subject is thoroughly discussed in CJ Editing the Action Definitions CB.
mcmo
Help information about: The Options Command
^Colors ^Disk ^Exec ^Formats ^Misc ^Video
E╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
E║ CThe Options CommandE ║
E╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Quite a few aspects of InContext behavior are subject to your control.
Many of these are controlled by how you set the program's CoptionsB.
This is done by selecting F MDore B from the main display, and then
selecting "COptionsB". The resulting menu should be self-explanatory.
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A E────────────────────────────────────G More A E█
E█A G Select option to change A E█
E█A E│ CCBolors YB E │A E█
E█A E│ CDBisk Drive Configuration E │A E█
E█A E│ CEBxecution of MS-DOS Commands in ProceduresE │A E█
E█A E│ CFBormats and User Information E │A E█
E█A E│ CMBiscellaneous Options E │A E█
E█A E│ CVBideo and Display Options E │A E█
E█A E└────────────────────────────────────────────┘A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
It's a good idea to run through all of these options categories as you're
initially setting up InContext. This will help you avoid settings that
might produce problems on your system, and it will acquaint you with the
choices you have available.
mcmoc
Help information about: Changing the Display Colors
E╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
E║ CChanging the Display ColorsE ║
E╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
To change display colors, select the F MDore B menu, followed by "COptionsB"
and "CColorsB". The display that results looks like this:
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A D FCDommands FLDook FLDike FTDhis: FODrdinary G Selected D A E█
E█A E│B E│A E█
E█A E│B ETo change foreground, press:B ETo change background:B E│A E█
E█A E│B F1 = Ordinary text YB 1 = Ordinary background E│A E█
E█A E│B CF2 = Bold textB E(background not separately changeable)B E│A E█
E█A E│B E│A E█
E█A E│B IF3 = Editable textB 3 = Editable background E│A E█
E█A E│B E│A E█
E█A E│B F4 = Available commands 4 = Command background E│A E█
E█A E│B F5 = Command letters E(background not separately changeable)│A E█
E█A E│B E│A E█
E█A E│B F6 = Selected command 6 = Selected background E│A E█
E█A E│B E│A E█
E█A E│B F8 = Error messages 8 = Error background E│A E█
E█A E│B E│A E█
E█A E│B F9 = Cursor color F10 = Restore original colors E│A E█
E█A E│B E│A E█
E█A E└J Error messages look like this E┘A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
You can change any background or foreground color used by InContext
(except the black that's used to create a "shadow" effect for some of the
windows). To do so, just Cpress the indicated keyB or place the cursor on
the description of the color you want to change and press CENTERB or the
Cleft mouse buttonB. The selected information will be displayed in the
next available color. The effect will be immediately visible in the
color-change window. By repeating the operation, you can cycle through
all the colors, eventually return you to the one you started with. On
most color displays, 16 color choices are available.
If you are using a monochrome display, the "color" choices available to
you are limited to black, white, and bright white. Not all combinations
are allowable, either. As a result, you may see some unexpected changes
when you alter the colors. If you change a background color, for example,
the corresponding foreground color may also change in order to produce a
"legal" combination.
Feel free to experiment. You can always return to the original set of
colors by pressing function key CF10B.
mcmod
Help information about: Disk Drive and Logging Options
E╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
E║ CDisk Drive and Logging OptionsE ║
E╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
You can exert considerable control over InContext's start-time performance
and memory utilization by selecting the right disk-drive options. The
disk drive options display appears when you select F MDore B, followed
by "COptionsB" and "CDiskB".
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A G Change Disk Drive and Logging Options A E█
E█A B│ A E█
E█A B│ EType Logging DisplayB A E█
E█A B│ Drive A: CDiskette Current Current B A E█
E█A B│ Drive B: CDiskette Current Current B A E█
E█A B│ Drive C: CHardDisk On Disk Current B A E█
E█A B│ Drive D: CHardDisk As Need Current B A E█
E█A B│ Drive E: CInaYCctive B A E█
E█A B│ Drive F: CInactive B A E█
E█A B│ Drive G: CInactive B A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
This display has an entry for each of the 26 possible disk drive letters.
You should set up the values in this display to correspond to the drives
you actually have on your system. The display above is for a system with
two separate diskette drives, a hard drive, and a RAMdisk "drive".
The display below shows all the possible values that may be associated
with disk drives. You can cycle among them by placing the cursor on the
appropriate line and pressing ENTER or the left mouse button.
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A B EType Logging DisplayB A E█
E█A B Drive N: CInactive A E█
E█A B Drive O: CDiskette Current Current A E█
E█A B Drive P: CHardDisk On Disk Current A E█
E█A B Drive Q: CHardDisk On Disk Always A E█
E█A B Drive R: CHardDisk At Start Current A E█
E█A B Drive S: CHardDisk At Start Always A E█
E█A B Drive T: CHardDisk As Need Current A E█
E█A B Drive U: CHardDisk As Need Always A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
You should make sure that any unavailable drive letters are marked
CInactiveB. Also, if you have only one diskette drive (A), you should
probably mark drive A as CDisketteB and drive B as CInactiveB, even though
you can address the drive by both letters.
On a hard drive, you have some choices to make about disk logging. The
possible values are:
COn DiskB The full drive is logged, and the log is stored on disk
when you exit InContext, so that it can be read in as you
start your next session. This speeds up the program
startup, but will keep a current log only if you do all
your work from within InContext. Even if you don't, you
may prefer to use this option and do occasional manual
ZmcmB relogging CJ How? CB. For most users, this is probably the
preferred setting, at least for your main hard drive.
CAt StartB The full drive is logged at the start of each session,
and the log is not saved from session to session. This
guarantees you a full, current log when you start up
InContext, but it takes extra time at program startup.
Because InContext does its drive logging mostly in the
background, this may not bother you. However, if you
attempt an operation that relies on the full drive log
before the logging process is complete, you will then have
to wait.
CAs NeedB Only selected portions of the drive are logged, and the
log is extended only as needed. This gives you the fastest
performance, and may be the best setting for some users.
With this option selected, initial logging is done for the
root directory and for any directories to which you have
assigned names (the "Go" list), since those are the places
you're most likely to need information about. (A few other
directories are also logged, to optimize performance.)
This works well, except that the Space Display will contain
only a partial directory tree. You can extend it to a
complete tree at any time by manually relogging the whole
drive.
You can also cause a drive's full directory tree to be displayed in the
Space Display even if it is not the current drive, by selecting CAlways
rather than CCurrentB as the value for the EDisplayB field.
InContext supports SUBST drives, but including them as active drives
on the list above CcanB cause a problem. Let's suppose you have hard
drive C, and you use SUBST to assign drive letter E to the directory
"c:\goodstuff". Any time you do work in the directory, InContext will
update its list of the objects and subdirectories there, but it will do
so Conly for one of the two drive lettersB. If you make a change there
when working on the C drive, and then go to the E drive, the change will
not necessarily be reflected. If you make use of SUBST drives, you may
want to manually relog the directory as you enter.
mcmoe
Help information about: Options for MS-DOS Command Execution
E╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
E║ COptions for MS-DOS Command ExecutionE ║
E╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
CControl Over Memory Swapping
InContext swaps most of itself out of memory whenever it executes an
MS-DOS command. You can control how much is swapped out, and where the
information is placed. You do this from the Execution Options display,
which you can reach by selecting F MDore B, followed by "COptionsB" and
"CExecB".
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A G Change DOS Procedure Execution Options A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Control over InContext Memory Swapping A E█
E█A E│ BAllow Swap to EMS Memory?E CYYCesE A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ BSwap Path for Swapping to DiskE A E█
E█A E│ Id:;c:\tmp;c:\; A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ BDefault Sub-Process Memory RequestE I 0E A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Other Procedure-Execution Options A E█
E█A E│ BTemporary Batch File Path or NameE A E█
E█A E│ Ic:\temp.bat A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ BDirectory for Storage of Temporary FilesE A E█
E█A E│ Ic:\ A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ BPause after single DOS commands?E CYesE A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E└──────────────────────────────────────────────────A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
Using this display, you may enable or disable Cswapping to EMSB. Unless
you take some action here, InContext will automatically make use of
expanded memory for its swapping, if you have it. You can disable it,
though, if you would prefer that swapping be to disk. InContext is
compatible with EMS systems based on the LIM 3.2 standard or any later
standard.
Whether you're using EMS or not, you should set up a valid Cswap pathB.
This string is interpreted in much the same fashion as a DOS path.
Because it is under your control, you can set up a priority scheme for
selecting the directory in which the swapped information will be written,
if EMS is unavailable or turned off. The path shown, "Id:;c:\tmp;c:\;B",
is from a system in which the d: drive is RAMdisk. Thus, with this path,
and EMS enabled, InContext will first try to write most of itself out to
EMS memory (the fastest possibility). If there is insufficient EMS
memory available, it will write to RAMdisk ("d:"). If there isn't enough
space there, it will try to write to the directory "c:\tmp", then to the
"c:\" root directory, and finally to the current directory. This may
seem like overkill, but this path would still work if EMS and RAMdisk
memory were full and the "c:\tmp" directory had been deleted.
If you're not using EMS memory for the swapping, you may occasionally
find that swap files are left behind. This would occur, for example,
if you were executing another program under InContext and you turned your
computer off, or rebooted. These files have funny names, like "0e3c101e".
If you're not using EMS memory, such a swap file will appear each time
you execute a subprogram, and will disappear each time you return to
InContext from that subprogram. CDo not deleteB these swap files from
within the subprogram, as it will then be impossible for InContext to
reload its swapped-out information. It is, however, COK to delete themB
using the InContext delete operation itself, since any swap file you can
see in the InContext Main Display is a left-over from some previous
aborted operation. You should probably check for these files once in
awhile, since they can be fairly large, and would add up if left there.
You may also specify how much memory you would like free for MS-DOS
command executions. Most users will want to leave this value set to
zero, which causes InContext to free as much memory as possible. If you
use only programs that take relatively little memory, though, you can
speed up their execution by setting this to an appropriate value. For
example, to attempt to leave 420K bytes of memory for all subprocesses
executed under InContext, simply place the number "420" in the Memory
Request field.
CLocation of MS-DOS Batch File for Subprocess
Whenever InContext needs to execute two or more MS-DOS commands in
sequence, it creates a batch file and then executes that file. You can
control where the batch file is written. If you have a RAMdisk, that
is probably the preferred location. The batch file will only be there
briefly, and it's small, but writing it to RAMdisk will speed things up
considerably. The value shown above, "Id:\temp.batB", would cause the
generated batch file to have the name "temp.bat", and be located in the
root directory of drive "d:".
CDirectory for Storage of Temporary Files
Under some circumstances, InContext generates temporary files (for
example, when printing information using an external print program you
specify in the incPrint macro). Since these files may be large, you might
choose to have them written on a different drive than the smaller batch
file above. You might find it appropriate to have a "tmp" directory on
your main drive for such purposes.
CPause After Single DOS Commands
When you execute single DOS commands, by selecting F MDore B and "CExecuteB",
you may wish to have an automatic pause so you can view the results before
returning to the main InContext display. This option allows you a choice
regarding the pause.
mcmof
Help information about: Changing Display Formats and User Information
E╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
E║ CChanging Display Formats and User InformationE ║
E╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
To change user name, registration number, date/time formats, or the format
of the main display, select F MDore B, followed by "COptionsB" and "CFormatsB".
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A GChange Display Formats and User Information A E█
E█A E A E█
E█A EUser Name: YIH. Rudy Ramsey E Registration Number: I A E█
E█A E A E█
E█A EDate format: Cmm/dd/yyE Time format: Chh:mm E A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
CEntering User Name and Registration Number
Only a small portion of the resulting display is shown above. You may
enter your name and registration number by typing in the appropriate
fields. Changing the User Name field "unlocks" the Registration Number
field so you can enter a registration number. Typing in a valid
registration number causes InContext to cease its startup and ending
"shareware" displays, and eliminates the "Unregistered" comment from the
main display. The registration number is displayed only at the time you
enter it.
CChanging the Preferred Display Format for Dates and Times
You may cycle through the supported formats for date and time by just
placing the cursor on the relevant field and pressing ENTER or the left
mouse button.
CChanging the Main Display Format(s)
The most important use of this option-setting display, though, is the
control it gives you over the contents of the main display. The format,
spacing, and contents of that display is entirely under user control, and
you can even define multiple formats with separate purposes, if you like.
The format of the main display is controlled by a character string, which
you can alter by editing it. For example, the string
Ittttttttt hhhhhhh | vvvvvvvv ccc ooooooooooooB
causes the main display to contain
B ETodayB EHoursB E│B EViewsB EClassB EObjectsB
E*Jalscomm B E 6 ....B E│B CALL B ALL m.hlp
E*JambunewsB E 7 ....B E│B archive act mb.hlp
Notice how the "Today" portion of the display corresponds to the columns
containing the letter 't', "Hours" to 'h', "Views" to 'v', and so on.
Even the vertical line results from a vertical bar character in the format
control string.
In most cases, you can provide for multiple columns of information, simply
by devoting enough columns to a single information type. For example, in
a directory with lots of objects, the format control string
I vvvvvvvv ccc ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooB
results in the display
B EViewsB EClassB EObjectsB
B CALL B CALLB catalogs.arc mssys.cat log8-89.cis
B archive arc catsca.arc pcm_prog.cat log9-89.cis
B chess cat messages.arc pcm_util.cat params.cis
CHow to Change the Formats
For each main display format that you want to enter or change, you should
simply enter a name for the format, and a format control string, both in
the appropriate fields.
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A E 1 2 A E█
E█A E Main display format names: IWork E IObjects E A E█
E█A E A E█
E█A E Main display format 1: A E█
E█A Ittttttttt hhhhhhh wwwwwwwww| vvvvvvvv ccc oooooooooA E█
E█A E A E█
E█A E Main display format 2: A E█
E█A I vvvvvvvv ccc oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooA E█
E█A E A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
In the display above, the name of the first format (also called a "Cdisplay
CmodeB" elsewhere) is "Work". The format control string provides for
left-to-right presentation of the "Today", "Hours", "WiP", "View",
"Class", and "Objects" in that portion of the string that's visible
above.
Once you've defined them, you will be able to cycle among these display
ZmcmB modes from the main display. (CJ How? CB) The name of the selected mode
will be displayed at the bottom. Any display formats whose format control
strings are left blank are regarded as undefined.
CWhat Types of Information Are Available for Display?
The information types are described in the following table:
ELetter Meaning Columns Description
E------ ------- ------- -------------------------------
CtB Today 9* Today's tasks
ChB Hours 7* Today's schedule
CwB WiP 14 Work-in-Progress (10 cols useful)
CWB WiP 43 Work-in-Progress, with descriptions
CvB Views 8 Names of defined views
CcB Classes 3 Classes present in current view
CoB Objects 12 Objects visible in current directory
CaB Actions 8 Actions performable on current object(s)
CgB Go 8 List of named directories
CdB Do 8 List of location-independent procedures
CDB Do 42 Do procedures, with descriptions
CsB Subdirs 12 Subdirectories of current directory
In each case, the minimal number of columns is shown. Those with an
asterisk by this number do not allow multiple-column display.
mcmom
Help information about: Miscellaneous Options
E╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
E║ CMiscellaneous OptionsE ║
E╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Several miscellaneous configuration options can be changed by selecting
the F MDore B menu, followed by "COptionsB" and "CMiscellaneousB". The display
that results looks like this:
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A G Change Miscellaneous Options A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Editor: BLimit editor to files under (Kbytes)E I 64E A E█
E█A E│ BDefault tab setting for editor/viewerE C 8E A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Keyboard: BAllow key selection of commands and choices?E CYYCesE A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Objects: BDefault display order for Objects DisplayE CClassE A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Safety: BRequire second verification before delete?E CYesE A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Sound: BSuppress sound when user action not allowed?E CNo E A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Printer: BCan print PC graphics characters?E CYesE A E█
E█A E│ BPause after printing each page?E CNo E A E█
E█A E│ BPerform page eject after printing?E CNo E A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Time: BShow how many months in "Months" display?E C 1E A E█
E█A E│ BShow how many weeks in "Weeks" display?E C 1E A E█
E█A E│ BStart "Weeks" display on what day?E CMon A E█
E█A E└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
To change most of these options, just place the cursor on the line you want
to change and press CENTERB or the Cleft mouse buttonB. Repeating this
action will allow you to cycle through the available values of the
property in question. The "Limit editor to files under (Kbytes)" field is
directly editable.
These options are discussed in more detail below.
CEditorB The InContext internal editor is intended mainly to
allow rapid editing of small files (especially task
notes). The "Limit editor to files under (Kbytes)" field
sets an upper file-size limit on the use of the internal
editor. Whenever InContext tries to invoke the internal
editor on a file larger than this limit (64 Kilobytes, by
default), an error occurs (unless you've defined an
ZmcaemB alternative editor; see CJ The "incEdit" Macro CB).
"Default tab setting for editor/viewer" determines the
size of the indentations produced by the Tab key. This
default value can be over-ridden for particular classes.
CKeyboardB For those few users who prefer to use a mouse only,
and wish to disable command inputs from the keyboard,
this option allows you to do so.
CObjectsB This option allows you to alter the default order in
which objects are displayed in the Objects display. The
alternatives are the same ones selectable from that
display: "Class", "Name", "Date", and "Size". This option
has no effect on the main display.
CSafetyB Novice users will probably prefer to leave this option
in its default setting, so that an extra verification is
required before deleting anything. More experienced users
may wish to turn this feature off.
CSoundB If you don't like "beeps" when you press the wrong key,
use this option to disable them.
CPrinterB If your printer is capable of printing the special PC
graphics characters (things like these: ╝╔), set the
"Can print PC graphics characters" option to "Yes".
Otherwise, leave it set to "No", and InContext will
automatically substitute printable characters when it
prints things.
If you use a printer in which you have to feed paper
by hand, you'll want to set the "Pause after printing each
page" option to "Yes".
If you find that the last page of each printout has to
be manually ejected, set the "Perform page eject after
printing" option to "Yes".
CTimeB Most users will want to leave these options alone.
ZmcaemB However, if you use a special printing method (CJ How? CB),
you may want to change the values of "Show how many months
in 'Months' display" and "Show how many weeks in 'Weeks'
display". For example, if you use the 4PRINT program, to
print two pages side-by-side, and print on both sides of
each page, convenient settings of these options are 4 and
2, respectively.
The "Start 'Weeks' display on what day" option allows
you to print weekly calendars starting on any desired day
of the week. These are very much like the commercial
organizer sheets available in hardcopy form.
mcmov
Help information about: Video and Display Options
E╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
E║ CVideo and Display OptionsE ║
E╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Several display-related configuration options can be changed by selecting
the F MDore B menu, followed by "COptionsB" and "CVideoB". The display
that results looks like this:
E▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
E█A A E█
E█A G Change Video and Display Options FªA E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Case: BUpperYB/lower case for directory names and pathsE CUPPER A E█
E█A E│ BUpper/lower case for object and class namesE Clower A E█
E█A E│ BUpper/lower case for other namesE CMixed A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Disk: BConstantly display available disk space?E CYesE A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Directories: BDisplay directory description rather than path?E CYesE A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Restore: BRestore previous screen image on exit?E CNoE A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A E│ Snow: BSuppress special anti-snow treatment for CGA?E CN/AE A E█
E█A E│ A E█
E█A A E█
E▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
To change any of these options, just place the cursor on the line you want
to change and press CENTERB or the Cleft mouse buttonB. Repeating this
action will allow you to cycle through the available values of the
property in question.
These options are discussed in more detail below.
CCaseB Users vary in their preferences for upper case, lower case,
or mixed case for various information. The default
arrangement seems to make it easier to discriminate
various kinds of information, especially in the main
display.
CDiskB You can turn off the automatic display of available
disk space, if you like.
CDirectoriesB With this option set to "Yes", whenever you're in a
directory to which you have assigned a Description, that
description will appear in the context area at the top of
the display. If the option is set to "No", or if you're
in a directory to which no Description has been given, the
full pathname of the directory will be displayed.
CRestoreB InContext is normally intended to be invoked and run for
long periods, with your operations executed from inside
InContext. Should you find a way of using InContext from
another program, however, you may want it to save the
screen from which it was invoked, and to restore that
screen on exit.
CSnowB Some older CGA display adapters produce a "snowy"
appearance if information is displayed without regard to
the state of the CGA. If you have this problem, setting
this option to "Yes" may eliminate the problem, though at
the cost of slowing InContext down.
mcms
Help information about: The User Command
E╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
E║ CThe User CommandE ║
E╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
InContext allows multiple users who share a single PC to set up separate
configuration options to match their preferences, and to change from one
user to another from CinsideB the program. Although this feature works
correctly in the current version, automated aids for its use are not yet
implemented. If you want to use this feature, do the following:
CB Go to the InContext directory (typically "c:\incontxt", but you may
have chosen some other directory at installation time.
CB Find all the files that start with the letters "xxx", and make
copies using the new user's CthreeB initials in place of the x's.
(If you wish to use fewer than three initials, add x's at the end
to make a total of three characters.) Make sure you copy these
files, rather than renaming them. As an example, if your initials
are "mar", you would copy the file "xxxconfg.dat" to "marconfg.dat".
Unless you create a configuration file for the primary user, he will be
known by the default initials, "xxx".
You may now make use of the User command, by selecting F MDore B, followed
by "CUserB". In response to the query, type your initials (in the example,
"mar") and press ENTER. Changes you make to the configuration will be
saved for use by "mar", and will not affect other users. You may also
invoke the program directly for a specified user with a command-line
argument:
incontxt -u mar
All users share the same set of object class templates and action
definitions. Only the configuration information, views, and tasks
(and hence, calendars) are stored separately on a user-by-user basis.
Task notes are not automatically shared, but they use a single naming
convention, and can be shared, if desired, by manually editing the task
definitions and inserting common note numbers.
