OS/2 Shareware BBS: 6 File/06-File.zip/fsb2.zip/FSB.HLP

Text File | 1988-05-30 | 9KB | 175 lines

FSB.HLP       Help File for OS/2 File System Browser  FSB V1.0

    Key Summary

Esc        Quit FSB, current task, or abort command line input.
Up Arrow    Move Cursor Bar up, window list scrolls if window edge bumped.
Dn Arrow    Move Cursor Bar down, window list scrolls if window edge bumped.
Lf Arrow    Move Cursor Bar left into Directories Listing window.
Rt Arrow    Move Cursor Bar right into Files Listing window.
<RETURN>    Select item upon which cursor highlight bar is resting.
Pg Up        Display screen page above current page in current window.
Pg Dn        Display screen page below current page in current window.
Home        Display current window list from beginning.
End        Display end of current window list.
F1        Help.  The file FSB.HLP must be in the "root" directory.
F2        Change file search pattern match word.
F3        Update the directory and files lists to current system state.
F4 - F10    No functions assigned in V1.0.


The keys not shown above fall into two groups.    One group is the keys that have
actions such as NUMLOCK, CAPSLOCK, etc.  These keys retain their conventional
effects.  The other group is any of the printable characters.  These enter cmds.
See below for FSB principles of operation.


There are three Types of Operation;

    1.    Browse the file system.
    2.    Peruse a file.
    3.    Execute an OS/2 command.


To browse the file system:

    .  Put the highlight bar (cursor) in the Directories listing window (left)
       using the left arrow key.  This is the default window on startup.
    .  Use the home/end/pgup/pgdn keys for traversing directories list.
       Examine the list of directories and choose one for inspection by using
       the home/end/pgup/pgdn and up/dn arrow keys to move highlight bar cursor.
       Highlight a directory for inspection.
    .  As you use the cursor control keys the filename contents of the current
       directory is shown on the right in the files list window.
    .  The F2 key prompts you for a word that is used while searching the
       selected directory.  File names are matched to this word.  Most useful
       when file system "wild cards" are used.


To peruse a file:

    .  Press the right arrow key to move the cursor to the Files List window.
    .  Examine the list of files by traversing it in the same manner as the
       directories.  Choose a file for inspection by pressing <RETURN>.
    .  The FSB program will load a File Peruser and the selected file.
    .  Examine the file using the home/end/pgup/pgdn/up/dn arrow keys.    The
       Peruser is a program called SEE.EXE V1.0, written by the author of FSB.
       Note that SEE V1.0 does not support sideways scrolling or other common
       functions such as "search" or "hex mode".  Maybe a later revision will.
    .  Press the ESC key to exit the File Peruser and return to Browse Mode.


To execute a command:

    .  While in Browse Mode, pressing the key of any printable character will:
       -  Turn off the highlite bar cursor.
       -  Show a prompt on the bottom line of the screen that indicates your
      current directory.
       -  Turn on a text cursor and place it on the bottom line.
    .  FSB is in Command Mode and waiting for your input.
    .  The only line editing function supported is BACKSPACE.
    .  You may abort command input anytime by cancelling the command with ESC.
    .  Enter any OS/2 command and FSB will:
       -  Blank the screen.
       -  Pass your command line to the system.
    .  When the OS/2 task you initiated completes, FSB displays a message and
       waits for you to press any key.    This allows you to see the results of
       your task before returning to FSB Browse Mode.
    .  Note that since cmds are exec'd by loading a secondary command processor,
       some commands such as SET and change drive ("c:") seem to "undo" when you
       "exit" and return to FSB.  This is a characteristic of "child" environ-
       ments in OS/2. When the secondary command processor terminates, its
       environment is lost, and you return to FSB's original environment.


General Comments

The left window shows the file system directories for the current disk.  Parent/
child sub-directory relationship is indicated by indenting.  Directories
indented at the same level are siblings.

General browsing becomes very easy with a visual browser such as FSB.  You can
quickly see what your hierarchical file structure is and "SEE V1.0" the contents
of a file with a few more keystrokes.

Doing a quick single operation such as deleting, renaming, or editing a file
or creating or deleting a directory, for example, requires only entering the
OS/2 command and pressing return.  If you add or delete directories or files,
be sure to press F3 to refresh the directory and file lists.

If you wish not to return to FSB after every command because it may interfere
with your interactive flow, start a secondary command processor by entering
"CMD".    When you are finished with that session, enter "EXIT" and you will
return to FSB.    Just remember that the environment you were in is lost when
you "EXIT" it.    Again, it's important you not forget; any changes made to the
file system will NOT show on the directories list or files list until you F3.

It is not possible to "change disk ('a:', for example)" without exiting FSB.
This may be possible on future versions.

FSB V1.0 by itself is benign to the file system.  It does NOT do ANY writing
to the disk.  The same is true of the companion program SEE V1.0.

This file (FSB.HLP) must be in the ROOT directory of the current drive for
"online" help.

SEE.EXE must be in a directory in your drive search path for file perusing and
for "online" help.


A note from the author:

    I will refrain from discussing my complete opinion of the advantages and
disadvantages of command line interfaces, but I feel that one of the worst
aspects of using the command line prompt is the burden of having to remember
(and type, error free) the names of all the subdirectories when doing, as one
example, system management chores.
    Typical shells solve this problem by showing the file system in some
graphical manner, and this is fine.  But that is all I find useful about them
(with the exception of allowing you to "tag" files and allow group operations
on them).
    As a rule, I do not like shell programs because they are too cumbersome for
an expert user.  Most provide a convienient visual presentation of the file
system's directories, which is useful to expert and novice alike.  But, shells
tend to be menu driven or use goofy control or "Fn" key sequences to provide
system commands and program execution.
    Since I usually know the command and syntax of a command I want to use I
feel what I need is NOT an interface to the system commands but an unintrusive
representation of the file directory structure, along with an easy way to use
this representation to navigate the file system.  I don't want the shell
"in the way" when I'm ready to do the things I do most often, such as rename,
delete, copy, create, or run an arbitrary program such as edit, compile, link,
backup, etc.
    FSB was written with these ideas in mind.  It is really just a screen that
shows your file system every time you finish a command or program.  Use the
system exactly as you would the usual command line prompt.
    This utility, like most, evolved.  I used it as it was being developed and
added some things that I discovered made it more useful for the way I use the
system.  The only penalty for adding these features was that I used the
"Fn" keys, which prohibits you from using them for their traditional command
line editing functions.  Such is life.
    There are features that would be useful such as mouse support, tagging files
for group operations, allowing you to change to another logical unit, or
providing a history of commands, similar to the MSDOS program CED or the UNIX
"history".  These features could be had.  I'm easy, but I'm not cheap.

    There are no known bugs, just known idiosynchrasies.


This is a supplement document to the program:

    FSB V1.0 -    OS/2 File System Browser
    (C)opyright 1987, 1988, All rights reserved.
    Charles Ken Thomaston
    Mountain View, CA
    Voice :  415 964 7734
    CIS   :  73605,633


Privilege of the use of this program is granted on the following terms:

    .  Author is not liable for any damages resulting from program use or abuse.
    .  Any copy of this program, either partial or complete, modified or not, in
       any form, remains the property of the author, Charles Ken Thomaston.
    .  Unauthorized sale of the programs mentioned herein is forbidden.