ProfitPress Mega CDROM2 …eeware (MSDOS)(1992)(Eng)/ProfitPress-MegaCDROM2.B6I/MAGAZINE/PCMAG/VOL9N20.ZIP/PCSORT.DOC

Internet Message Format | 1990-10-19 | 5.1 KB

Date:  19-Oct-90 12:19 EDT
From:  Chris Barr [PC MagNet] [72241,13]
Subj:  PCSORT.DOC

PCSORT, by Michael J. Mefford, is a multi-line, multi-field text file
sorter, that does everything SORT.EXE can do--and plenty more.

USING PCSORT
The syntax for PCSORT is:

     PCSORT [filename] [options]

PCSORT COMMAND-LINE SUMMARY
/Sn            n=size of record in lines (1-9)
            Default=1
/Pn            n=sort priority (1-9)
            Default=1
/R            Sort current priority in reverse order
            Default = ascending
/N            Numeric sort current priority
            Default = Alphanumeric
/L[n]            Line sort:
            n=record sort line (1-9)
            default=1
            default sort is a line sort
/[B][+] nn [xx [y]]    Block or column sort:
                nn=start column
            xx=width
            y=sort line (1-9)
            defaults: nn=1; xx=start column to end of line; y=1
/W [+|-] n        Word sort:
            n=word count
            default = plus 1
            minus = count from end of record
/C              Case sensitive sort
            Default = Case insensitive

Shown above are the many switches you can use, either at the command
line or within batch files, to configure PCSORT for your own needs.
The options listed need be used only if you're using PCSORT as a
filter--in combination with the DOS redirection characters |, <, and >.
A common example is piping DOS directory's output to a filter and
redirecting the filter's output to a file.

PCSORT MENU COMMAND SUMMARY

PgUp/PgDn       Next page
Arrow keys      Cursor
Home(1)            Beginning of column
Home(2)            Top of page
Home(3)            Top of text (the third time you press Home)
End(1)            End of column
End(2)            End of page
End(3)            End of text (the third time you press End)
Ctrl Home       Beginning of text
Ctrl End        End of text
Enter            Beginning of next line
F1            Displays all sort fields at a glance
Alt-F1            Resets all the sort variables to their defaults
F2            Save file
F3            New file
F4            Sort text
F5            Increase lines per record (1-9)
Shift F5        Decrease lines per record
/F6            Select next key priority (1-9)
Shift F6        Select previous key priority}
F7            Sort order (de/ascending)
F8            Alphanumeric or Numeric sort
F9            Select next Field type: Line, block, word or none
Shift F9        Select previous Field type
F10            Mark the record line for line sort
            or mark block sort field
            or select sort word count
Shift F10       Reverse selection of word count
Esc            Exit PCSORT

This listing of PCSORT's navigation keys demonstrates the program's
versatility in sorting in up to 9 priority orders. Each priority can
be set independently of the others. Key commands, in general, operate
as you might expect. Note, however, the varied uses of the Home and
End keys for traveling throughout the file; each key's role, here,
depends on the number of times you press it.

CUSTOMIZING PCSORT
            by Michael J. Mefford

Some systems, especially laptops, do not display color contrasts very
well. If you find PCSORT hard to read, you can force PCSORT to use
black-and-white attributes by entering the command MODE BW80 before
running PCSORT. The best way to do that is from a batch file, as shown:
    MODE BW80
    PCSORT %1 %2
If you have a color system and PCSORT is using black and white attributes,
chances are some other application has changed the video mode. To encourage
PCSORT to use color, issue the DOS command
     MODE CO80
before running PCSORT.
    The following instructions will enable you to customize the colors
used by PCSORT. Start by making a backup copy of PCSORT.COM and then enter
     DEBUG PCSORT.COM
You are now ready to modify PCSORT.COM. If at any time you make a mistake,
you can abort the editing process by entering Q. The last two commands that
you enter after entering any modifications are
     W
     Q
for Write to disk and Quit DEBUG.

COLOR SCHEME
Enter the following Debug instructions, replacing the xx with a hexadecimal
color value. The default color values for the menu color, the text, and the
block marker, and their respective descriptions, are shown as comments to the
right of the semicolons. Do not type in the comments.
     E 106 xx  ; 71  Blue on light gray
     E 107 xx  ; 17  Light gray on blue
     E 108 xx  ; 31  Blue on cyan
Alternate colors may be selected from the following list. The background color
number is entered for the first x and the foreground color for the second x.
Do not use a light color for the background, or the display will blink.
     Dark        Light
     0 Black     8 Dk. gray
     1 Blue      9 Lt. blue
     2 Green     A Lt. green
     3 Cyan      B Lt. cyan
     4 Red       C Orange
     5 Magenta   D Violet
     6 Brown     E Yellow
     7 Lt. gray  F White
For example, to change the Block marker color from blue on cyan (31) to
blue on light gray (17), you would enter
     E 108 17
PCSORT turns on the border, and some monitors can not handle that. To
disable the border, enter
     E 10C 1
Replace the 1 with a 0 to re-enable the border.
    Finish the DEBUG session with
     W
     Q