OS/2 Shareware BBS: 11 Util/11-Util.zip/clip2.zip/CLIP.HLP

OS/2 Help File | 1995-07-13 | 15KB | 367 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. About CLIP ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 CLIP is a Command Line Interface Program that will organize your command line
programs. It allows you to create a 'library' of entries which list the command
line program, arguments for that program, and any required switches that are
needed. It also allows you to create entries for normal programs. You may then
select an entry and run it with the touch of a button.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the choices on the Menu to:

Help Index
     Display the Help Index.

General Help
     Display the 'About' help panel.

Options
     Display the Options dialog box.

Product Info
     Display the Product Information dialog box.

Shareware Info
     Display the Shareware Information dialog box.

Quit
     Exits the program.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Options ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 The options available in clip are explained below.

Start Minimized

     This option causes CLIP to minimize itself when first run. This is handy
     if you wish to place CLIP in your 'Startup' folder when you use the
     'Auto-Entries' option.

Error Checking

     This option causes CLIP to wait for the selected entry to complete before
     you may select another entry to run. If the entry generates an error, CLIP
     will notify you of the error with this option enabled. You should turn
     this off to run normal programs (i.e. wordprocessor, etc.) and leave it on
     for command line programs which run and then quit when they are finished.

Save Position

     This option causes CLIP to save the screen position it is at when you tell
     it to quit. When you run CLIP again, it will open in the position that was
     saved.

Auto-Entries

     This option causes CLIP to automatically run all entries in the data file
     with the 'Auto' checkmark when CLIP is started. This would be used if you
     wished to run certain entries (i.e. backup, screen saver, etc.) if CLIP is
     added to your startup folder.

     Note:  Error checking is turned off for all auto entries.

SAVE

     Push this button to close the dialog box and save the selected options.

CANCEL

     Push this button to close the dialog box without saving the selected
     options.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Shareware Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 CLIP was started in June of 95' and took around a month to write in my spare
time. It was created to streamline the use of frequently run command line
programs and normal programs without creating templates or extra *.cmd files.

 This is a fully operational version of CLIP and is not 'disabled' while I wait
on your check. I always found that annoying in the shareware that I was
currently trying. The shareware concept is pretty easy to understand. If you
like the program, contribute to the author. If you don't like it, don't use it.
This way you get the satisfaction of knowing what a program is going to do
without hearing 'you opened the box, you can't return it even if it doesn't do
what it advertised'.

 Anyway, I hope that you find this program as useful as I do and if you have
any questions, comments, or contributions, feel free to contact me through the
information in the shareware dialog box.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Product Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 This is version 1.0 of CLIP. If you would like to contribute to future
releases, feel free to contact me through the information in the shareware
dialog box.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Requirements and Limitations ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 Before you run this application, you should read the following notes
concerning the execution of CLIP.

Files

     The following files comprise the entire CLIP application and should be
     installed into their own folder.

   CLIP.EXE (Main program)

   CLIP.INI (INI file for options. Created by CLIP)

   CLIP.HLP (Help file)

   CLIP.ICO (Icon file)

   CLIP.DAT (Data file for entries. Created by CLIP)

Limits on Data Field Size

     The maximum COMBINED length of the file, argument, and switch fields is
     1024 characters.

Program Types

     CLIP only supports OS/2 command line programs and OS/2 presentation
     manager programs.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Definitions ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This is an alphabetical list of all the unique definitions and terms used in
this application.

Arguments (Arg)

     This is normally a file which is passed to the program you wish to run.
     This field is optional for each entry.

Auto Entry

     This is an entry which will be automatically run when CLIP is started if
     the 'Run Auto-Entries' option is selected.

File

     This is the file that you wish to run. This will normally be a *.exe,
     *.cmd, or any type of executable file. This field is mandatory for each
     entry.

Name

     This is a unique description which you assign to an entry. This field is
     mandatory for each entry.

Switches (Sw)

     These are specific commands that are passed to the executable program to
     tell it to perform a certain action. This field is optional for each
     entry.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Author's Comments ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 CLIP is a basic program which I put together to make my computing life easier.
It combines the raw power of simple command line programs with the convenience
of point and click. It allows you to store the hard to remember formatting
parameters for your CLPs and just browse through a list of names when you wish
to perform an operation.

 CLIP also enables you to run your normal programs such as a wordprocessor or
spreadsheet with the required data file passed as an argument. This part of
CLIP is essentially the same as creating a 'template' for the program but does
not clutter up a folder or your desktop.

 Thank you for trying CLIP and if you have any questions, comments, or
contributions, please feel free to contact me through the information in the
shareware dialog box.

Note:  Be sure to check out my Free Advertising help panel.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Free Advertising ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Here is a list of all the shareware programs that I have written as of when
this program was released.

 IMP is a Install Management Program that will create a list of the files that
were installed on your system by an application. This gives you the ability to
know exactly what files the application installed and where they are. IMP will
also delete these files from your system if you wish to remove the application.

 Available as imp.zip

 STRIP is a command line program that will remove the formatting codes from
various types of ASCII data files such as *.ipf for help files and *.html for
World Wide Web home pages. This enables you to read the text without trying to
decipher the formatting codes and also enables you to use your wordprocessor to
spell check the file.

 Available as strip.zip


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. Buttons ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use the buttons in the main window to:

Edit
     Display the Edit CLIP Entries dialog box.

Run
     Run the currently selected entry.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. Edit Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 This help panel describes how to add a new entry, select an entry, and how to
remove an entry from the CLIP data file.

Add a New Entry

See the Examples section for some tips on how to format your entries.

 1. Run CLIP

 2. Push the Edit... button. The 'Edit CLIP Entries' dialog box will open.

    Note:  All further steps are referenced to the 'Add Entry' group box.

    Note:  The format which CLIP uses in building the command line is shown
    below:

       [file] [arg] [sw]

 3. Push the File... button. You will be presented with a file dialog box with
    which to select the command line program or other executable file. You may
    also type in the complete path and filename in the edit field.

 4. Push the Arg... button. You will be presented with a file dialog box with
    which to select a file to be passed to the executable file. You may also
    type in any required arguments in the edit field if a file name is not
    required.

    Note:  If the command line program does not require an argument then place
    the switches in the [arg] field and leave the [sw] field blank.

 5. Push the Sw... button. You will be presented with a file dialog box with
    which to select a file to be passed to the executable file. You may also
    type in any required switches in the edit field if a file name is not
    required.

    Note:  If the command line program does not require any switches then leave
    the [sw] field blank.

 6. Type a unique description into the 'Name' edit field.

    Note:  If you use the same name as a previous entry that entry will be
    overwritten with the new information.

 7. Push the Auto-Entry checkmark button to make the entry an auto entry.

 8. Push the ADD button to create the entry. After the entry is added the edit
    fields will be cleared for another entry.

    Note:  The combined length of file, arg, and sw fields may not exceed 1024
    characters.

Select an Entry

 1. Run CLIP

 2. Push the Edit... button. The 'Edit CLIP Entries' dialog box will open.

    Note:  All further steps are referenced to the 'Select/Remove Entry' group
    box.

 3. Use the 'Name' drop down list box to review your entries. When you have
    selected an entry in the 'Name' drop down list box the 'File', 'Arg', and
    'Sw' fields will be filled in with the stored parameters for that entry.

 4. Push the SELECT button to select the currently shown entry. The dialog box
    will close and the CLIP title bar will show the name of your selection.

Remove an Entry

 1. Run CLIP

 2. Push the Edit... button. The 'Edit CLIP Entries' dialog box will open.

    Note:  All further steps are referenced to the 'Select/Remove Entry' group
    box.

 3. Use the 'Name' drop down list box to review your entries. When you have
    selected an entry in the 'Name' drop down list box the 'File', 'Arg', and
    'Sw' fields will be filled in with the stored parameters for that entry.

 4. Push the REMOVE button to remove the entry in the 'Name' drop down list
    box. You will be presented with an 'Are you Sure?' message box. Select
    'Yes' or 'No'.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. Run Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 This help panel describes how to run your selected entry.

 1. Run CLIP

 2. You must select an entry from the Edit CLIP Entries dialog box before you
    may proceed.

 3. Push the Run button to run your selection. The 'Run' button will be
    disabled while the selected entry is run.

    Note:  If the 'Error Checking' option is enabled CLIP will beep if the
    entry executes without an error and will display an error message if the
    entry returns an error. You should disable the error checking option to run
    normal programs since CLIP will wait for the return code from the program.
    This will prevent you from running other entries until you quit the current
    entry.  It is a good idea to 'pre-test' your entry from the command line to
    ensure that your arguments and switches are all valid.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. Examples ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

 This help panel contains a few sample entries which show the format required
by CLIP for some of the command line and presentation manager programs included
with OS/2. The paths assume that your OS/2 directory is on drive C.

This entry will set the read only and archive attributes of all files on drive
C.

 [file] C:\OS2\ATTRIB.EXE
 [arg] +r +a
 [sw] C:\*.*
 [Name] Protect

This entry will run the OS/2 editor and automatically load your config.sys
file.

 [file] C:\OS2\E.EXE
 [arg] C:\CONFIG.SYS
 [sw]
 [Name] Edit Config.Sys

This entry copies all files and folders in a folder to a backup directory and
verifies the copy.

 [file] C:\OS2\XCOPY.EXE
 [arg] C:\FOLDER\*.* C:\BACKUP\*.*
 [sw] /V /S
 [Name] Backup

This entry uses my own command line program to remove the formatting code from
the 'ipf' file which was used to create this help file.

 [file] F:\STRIP\STRIP.EXE
 [arg] F:\CLIP\CLIP.ipf F:\CLIP\CLIP_IPF.txt
 [sw] : .
 [Name] CLIP ipf->txt

Notice that it is possible to specify multiple arguments and switches. This is
handy when creating archives of files or performing the same action on numerous
files.