HyperView is a file viewer with special capabilities for isolating and extracting information from word processing and text files. It reads popular word processing formats, as well as ASCII text files. HyperView's most powerful feature lets you quickly focus on pertinent information, by creating a form of reverse hypertext. Although endowed with unique, advanced features, HyperView is as simple to use as a traditional file viewer.
Note: An easy way to view this documentation is with HyperView. From the OS/2 command line, change to the directory containing HV.EXE and HV.DOC. Then type HV HV.DOC. Alternatively, open the folder containing HV.EXE and HV.DOC from the drives object on the OS/2 desktop. Now drag the icon for HV.DOC and drop it on the icon for HV.EXE.
To get a quick feel for HyperView's capabilities, try this one paragraph tutorial. (If you have not already done so, load this file into HyperView.) Press "F" (or "f") to start a search in the forward direction. In the text box type "word process". Now press Ctrl-Enter (or F9). Scroll through the text using the Up, Down, Home, End, PgUp and PgDn keys. Notice that each line containing the search phrase "word process" is highlighted. Press Enter to switch to condensed view. HyperView will isolate only those lines containing the search phrase. From condensed view you may (among other things) press (1) Escape to return here (or wherever else you were when you left full screen mode), (2) Enter to jump to the highlighted line, or (3) Ctrl-Enter (or F9) to switch to split screen mode. From full screen view, you may search for and mark additional lines, or mark lines manually with the space bar. You may also unmark lines from condensed or split screen views by pressing the space bar. Press "C" to unmark all lines.
You now have a good idea the reverse hypertext capability that distinguishes HyperView. These are some of HyperView's other features:
■ Loads files almost instantaneously.
■ Blazingly fast searches.
■ Automatically recognizes and reads popular word processing formats, including: Amì Pro, DeScribe (versions 2 through 4.1), Microsoft Word for Windows (versions 1.x, 2.0, and 6.0) and WordPerfect (versions 5.x and 6.0).
■ Takes full advantage of the 32-bit OS/2 operating system.
■ Adjustable right margin for stripped ASCII and word processing files.
■ Searches may cross line boundaries when working with word processing and stripped ASCII files.
■ Marked lines may be saved to a file for later reference.
■ All or part of a file may be gathered and saved.
■ May be started from the OS/2 DOS command line or a DOS program running in an OS/2 DOS session (VDM).
■ Supports long file names on HPFS drives.
■ Case insensitive searches may be performed in any language.
■ Commands may be invoked without the use of shifted keystrokes.
Note: The term "stripped ASCII" is used in this documentation to refer to ASCII files in which a paragraph consists of a single long line. Stripped ASCII is comparable to the way a word processor treats a paragraph--with a hard return to denote the end of the paragraph. The stripped ASCII format is to be distinguished from text files with a hard return at the end of each line.
For your convenience, an asterisk precedes each of the major headings in this document. To create a quick table of contents, (1) press "F" to perform a forward search, (2) type "*" in the text box, (3) set the "Start from:" radio button to "Top of document" by either (a) pressing "Alt-T" or (b) tabbing out of the text box and pressing "T", and (4) press Ctrl-Enter. (As with so many things, this is much easier to do than to describe.) By the way, you will note one extraneous line from this paragraph in condensed view. Simply move the cursor bar to the offending line and press the space bar to remove it from condensed view.
Because you are probably eager to learn how to use HyperView, I shall have only a few words to say about registration at the beginning of this document. HyperView is user supported software. It is not public domain. In brief, there is a $35 fee to register HyperView. For business use, each person using HyperView at a site must be registered. Volume discounts and site licenses are available. More information concerning registration and licensing may be found toward the end of this document in the section entitled "REGISTRATION".
*INTRODUCTION*
Besides serving as a fast and flexible file viewer, HyperView offers powerful tools for isolating and extracting information from text and word processing files.
To understand the power of HyperView, add the property of the "marked line" to the features associated with traditional file viewers. A line may be marked in one of two ways. You can have HyperView search through a text file and mark all lines matching your search criteria. For example, if you took the one-paragraph tutorial, you marked all lines containing the phrase "word process". Alternatively, a line may be marked manually by pressing the space bar. As you read through a document, you may manually mark relevant lines to create a customized outline of pertinent information.
From HyperView's full screen view, a marked line is simply a line with a different color. The full power of HyperView can be exploited with its condensed and split screen views. The condensed view is restricted to marked lines. In split screen view, marked lines are displayed in the upper screen. The lower screen shows in context the line highlighted in the upper screen.
Marked lines are persistent. This means that a line remains marked until it is unmarked. For example, you may have instructed HyperView to mark all lines containing the phrase "word process". You may now go back and mark all line lines containing the word "extract". In condensed view, all lines containing either "word process" or "extract" will be displayed. (This is essentially a boolean OR search, except that (i) you do not need to remember any special syntax, (ii) there is no limitation on the number of searches that can be ORed, and (iii) you can mix case sensitive with case insensitive searches.).
In addition, lines that do not easily lend themselves to easy detection by a search may be marked manually. Inevitably, the results of any search will be over inclusive. Therefore, a line may be unmarked by pressing the space bar. The result is a form of reverse hypertext, allowing you to quickly isolate information from a document.
Who might benefit from HyperView's unique capabilities? Writers, scientists, programmers, lawyers--in fact anyone who works with text. Here are a few examples.
Example 1. You have a propensity for overusing the adverbs "however" and "therefore". You know these words appear too frequently in a lengthy letter you are writing. To decide where additional editing would be most appropriate, you would like to see where each word is used. Just tell HyperView to search and mark each line containing the word "however". Then search again for all lines containing "therefore". Now switch to HyperView's condensed mode to see all lines containing either "however" or "therefore". Switch to split screen mode to see each line in context. Please note that you can you can open a HyperView window to review the letter while it is still active in your word processor.
Example 2. You are reviewing a collection of mail messages. You search and mark all lines containing the subject heading ("Subj:", "Topic:", etc.). This gives you a quick list of topics from which you can easily extract messages of interest.
Example 3. You are a scientist specializing in research on sickle cell anemia. A colleague asks you to review a paper she is writing about genetic disorders. You do not have to worry that her paper is formatted as a WordPerfect document and you shun DOS based word processors--HyperView reads WordPerfect. Moreover, you do not need to read the whole paper. Instead, you use HyperView's search and mark feature to perform three successive searches for (1) "sickle", (2) "hemoglobin", and (3) "HgB". Press Ctrl-Enter (or F9) to switch to HyperView's split screen view. In the top screen are all lines containing one of the three words you searched for. As you move the cursor through the upper screen, the line is shown in context in the lower screen. Extraneous lines may be unmarked by positioning the cursor over the offending line and pressing the space bar. When you need to read a section more thoroughly, you press Enter to return to the full screen view and jump automatically to the section that interests you. You use Gather to save one or more sections of text to another file, or List Marks to save all marked lines to a file.
*INSTALLATION*
There are no special requirements for installing HyperView. Simply copy HV.EXE and HV.ICO to a convenient directory. You will probably find it most practical to place HyperView in a directory on your path.
You may also wish to create a HyperView object on your desktop. A HyperView program object may be created using the following method.
1. From the desktop, open the Templates folder.
2. Drag the Program template to the intended destination for the HyperView object--either a folder or your desktop.
3. The Settings notebook will open when you release the mouse button. Under "Path and file name:", type the full path name of HV.EXE. Use the "Find..." button, if you do not remember in which directory HV.EXE is located.
4. Optional parameters are described below in the section entitled "Command Line Options".
5. A "Working directory" is not required if you intend to drag file objects and drop them on the HyperView program object.
6. Click on the "General" notebook tab, and type "HyperView" in the "Title" box.
7. Provided that HV.ICO is in the same directory as HV.EXE, OS/2 should select it as the "Current icon". If not, press "Find..." and enter the full path name for HV.ICO.
*STARTING HYPERVIEW*
The easiest way to start HyperView is from the Workplace Shell. Drag the icon of a file you wish to view and drop it on the HyperView icon. Before starting HyperView, you may add any command option to the parameters field of the HyperView object. (See the section entitled "Command Line Options" below.)
You may also start HyperView from any OS/2 command prompt. The full syntax for starting HyperView is:
HV [options] [filename]
where "filename" is the name of the file to view.
HyperView recognizes HPFS long file names. There is no need to place quotes around long file names with embedded spaces. If you do use quotes (through force of habit) place them around the entire file specification--not just the file name. Please note that only the first twelve characters of the file's name will appear on HyperView's status line.
*Command Line Options*
For your convenience, the following options are available when starting HyperView. Notice that each option consists of a slash ("/") followed by a letter. The letter may be upper- or lower-case. All options must precede the filename on the command line.
/F Start HyperView in a full screen OS/2 session
/W Start HyperView in a windowed OS/2 session
/M Force HyperView to use monochrome
/C Force HyperView to use color (when it mistakenly
thinks you have a monochrome monitor)
/A Use alternative color scheme
/R Raw (treat word processing files as ASCII text)
Use the Program page in the HyperView Settings notebook to type parameters that will affect the way the program starts from the workplace shell. From the Desktop, click on the HyperView icon with mouse button 2. Select "Open", then "Settings". Now, in the parameters field, type in whatever options you wish to have in effect when HyperView starts from the workplace shell. For example, you might type "/M" to have HyperView start in monochrome. You do not need to type the "/F" (full screen) or "/W" (window) options in the parameters field. Instead, click on the "Session" tab of the Settings notebook, then click on "OS/2 window" or "OS/2 full screen". The "/F" and "/W" options are primarily intended for starting HyperView from the command line or from another program.
HyperView will automatically adjust to the number of columns on your display. The number of rows may be any value from 25 to 60. The number of columns and rows may be set with the OS/2 MODE command before starting HyperView. See the OS/2 Command Reference for further information on using the MODE command.
HyperView may also be used with any program that allows the designation of an external file viewer. The popular FM2 program by Mark Kimes is an example. To use HyperView as an external file viewer with FM2, select "Config" from the main menu, then "External Program/Path Setup". Fill in the full path name for HV.EXE in the text entry field for "Viewer", followed by a space and the metastring "%a". Thus if HV.EXE resides in "C:\UTILITY", you would type "C:\UTILITY\HV.EXE %a". Note that FM2 will start HyperView in an OS/2 window. If you prefer to run HyperView in a full screen OS/2 session, use the "/F" option, i.e. "C:\UTILITY\HV.EXE /F %a". The procedure for using HyperView with other programs should be very similar. Please note that FM2 uses the metastring "%a" as a shorthand to signify the full path name of the file to be viewed. Other programs will use different abbreviations.
*Starting HyperView From a DOS Session*
HyperView may also be started from an OS/2 DOS session (i.e. from a VDM). The same syntax is used to start HyperView from a VDM as from the OS/2 command line. When started from a VDM, HyperView will default to OS/2 full screen display mode. If you prefer to start HyperView in an OS/2 window, add the "/W" option to the command line.
If you start HyperView from inside a DOS application, you may notice that the DOS program does not realize HyperView is active. Usually, when you start one DOS application from within another, the first application remains inaccessible until the second application ends. In contrast, when you start HyperView from a DOS session, HyperView begins its own OS/2 session. If you like, use the Window List (Ctrl-Escape) to switch between the DOS program and HyperView.
Note: Under DOS, drives and directories may be given aliases with the ASSIGN, JOIN, and SUBST commands. These aliases are not recognized by OS/2. Therefore, you must give the full path name of the file you wish to view, when the file resides on an aliased drive or directory.
*USING HYPERVIEW*
Although HyperView offers advanced features, it uses a conventional user interface, requiring little, if no, effort to learn. In deference to those who have difficulty managing shifted keystrokes, almost any HyperView command can be accessed without using shifted keystrokes. Sometimes a shifted keystroke (e.g. Ctrl-Enter) may be suggested as the primary means of effectuating a command because it is the most logical alternative. In each instance, however, there is an unshifted alternative. In the case of Ctrl-Enter, the alternative is always F9. Thus, wherever the program suggests Ctrl-Enter, pressing F9 is always an acceptable alternative. The only exceptions to this rule are Alt-F4 for "express exit" and the Alt-Numeric KeyPad sequence required to search for special characters.
HyperView displays in one of three views. In full screen view, all lines of text are displayed. Marked lines are differentiated with a distinctive color. Condensed view is restricted to lines that have been marked. In split screen view, marked lines are displayed in the upper screen. The lower screen shows in context the line that is highlighted in the upper screen. The latter two views (condensed and split screen) are only available when one or more lines have been marked.
Lines may be marked either (1) automatically with the search and mark feature of the Search Dialog, or (2) manually with the space bar. Once a line is marked, it remains marked until unmarked with the Clear Marks command or with the space bar. Available command options depend on the active view and are summarized below. HyperView commands that consist of a single letter may be either upper- or lower-case.
The following commands are available in Full Screen view:
Key Function
S Search )
F Forward Search ) Search Dialog
B Back Search )
+ Repeat search forward
- Repeat search back
J Jump to line number
G Gather text
R Right margin setting
<Space> Mark/Unmark line
<Enter> Switch to Condensed view
<Ctrl-Enter> or <F9> Switch to Split Screen view
<Esc> Exit program (with confirmation)
The following commands are available in Condensed and Split Screen
<Space> Unmark Line
<Enter> or <Esc> Switch to Full Screen
The following commands are available in all views
<F1> Help
C Clear all marked lines
L List all marked lines to a file
N New file
T Tab expansion toggle
<F10> Switch to Condensed view
<Ctrl-Enter> or <F9> Switch to Split Screen view
<AltF4> Exit program (no confirmation)
Cursor Movement
Cursor Up <Up>
Cursor Down <Down>
Screen Up <PgUp>
Screen Down <PgDn>
Top of File <Home>
End of File <End>
Screen Left <Left>
Screen Right <Right>
*HYPERVIEW DIALOGS*
Where appropriate, HyperView uses dialogs to solicit user input. Although the dialogs operate in the conventional manner, it may be beneficial to summarize their operation.
Dialog Controls
HyperView dialogs use four different types of controls: (1) Text Boxes, (2) Check Boxes, (3) Radio Buttons, and (4) Command Buttons. These controls are described in detail below. To move within a dialog box simply press the highlighted letter of the control you want to select (from a Text Box, press Alt + the highlighted letter) or Tab to move forward, Shift-Tab to move in reverse.
Text Boxes
You type information in a Text Box. This information might be a search string, the name of a file, or a line number to which you wish to jump.
The following rules apply to Text Boxes:
(a) There may be text already in the box, either as a default, or the previous entry at that box.
(b) If you simply start typing, without doing any editing (cursor movement or deleting), then the default text will automatically be deleted.
(c) The following keys are available when editing text:
<Home> Move cursor to beginning of text
<End> Move cursor to end of text
<Right> Move cursor right
<Left> Move cursor left
<Ctrl-Left> or <PgUp> Move cursor word left
<Ctrl-Right> or <PgDn> Move cursor word right
<Del> Delete character under cursor
<Backspace> Delete character to left of cursor
<Ctrl-Backspace> or <F6> Delete word
<Ctrl-End> or <F7> Delete to end of line
<Ctrl-Y> or <F8> Delete all text
<Insert> Toggle insert and overstrike
Notice that each of the shifted keys (Ctrl-Left, Ctrl-End, etc.) has an unshifted alternative (PgUp, F7, etc.).
(d) Tab (or Shift-Tab) accepts input, and moves to the next (or previous) field. Alt + the highlighted letter of a control also accepts text input, then moves directly from a Text Box to the control. Pressing the key associated with a command button initiates the command button action.
Check Boxes
Check boxes allow you to turn options on and off. A check mark (√) indicates an option is on; otherwise, the option is off. To toggle a check box on and off: (a) press the highlighted letter of the control you want to select (from the Text Box, press Alt + the highlighted letter), or (b) Tab (or Shift-Tab) to the field, then press the space bar.
Radio Buttons
Radio buttons are used to select one of two or more mutually exclusive options. Only one radio button in an option group may be selected at one time. To select a radio button: (a) press the highlighted letter of the control you want to select (from the Text Box, press Alt + the highlighted letter), or (b) Tab (or Shift-Tab) to the field, then press the up/down keys to select an option in the group.
Command Buttons
Command buttons are used to initiate an action immediately. The button describes the action followed by a key name in angled brackets. For example Search<Enter> or Cancel<Esc>. This means that you press the Enter key to start a search or the Escape key to cancel a dialog. You may also Tab or Shift-Tab to a command button and press Enter, but that is less efficient than pressing the key directly. Command buttons are generally located at the bottom of the dialog box.
*SEARCHING FOR TEXT*
Searches are initiated with the Search Dialog. Follow-up searches may be performed most conveniently using the "+" and "-" keys. The gray "+" and "-" keys on the numeric keypad are particularly useful for this purpose.
Note: It may be helpful to read the section entitled "HyperView Dialogs" together with this section. To summarize, a dialog consists of some or all of the following parts. The Text Box is where you enter the text for which you are searching. For your convenience the Text Box offers an array of keys for editing the text (described in the section entitled "Text Boxes"). The Tab (and Shift-Tab) keys move you forward (or backward) to the next (or previous) control. Any control may be accessed by pressing the highlighted letter associated with the control. (To move from the Text Box directly to a control, press Alt + the highlighted letter). Each of the Command Buttons on the bottom of the dialog is associated with a key. Press the key to immediately initiate the action associated with the Command Button.
"S" is the principal command for calling the Search Dialog. The "S" command brings up the Search Dialog, leaving the settings unchanged from the last time the dialog was invoked. For your convenience the "F" and "B" commands are also available to call the Search Dialog. The "F" command sets the Search Dialog to perform a forward search starting from the current position. Similarly, the "B" command sets the Search Dialog to perform a backward search starting from the current position. The setting for Case Sensitive remains unchanged by any of these commands. Notice that you need remember only one command for calling the Search Dialog, since any setting may be changed within the dialog.
The Search Dialog offers the following options:
Search for:
Type a word or phrase (up to 76 characters long) in the Text Box.
Case Sensitive:
Check this box to make searches case sensitive. A case sensitive search for the word "Check" will ignore "CHECK" and "check".
Direction:
"Forward" searches search forward to the end of the file. "Backward" searches start at the current position and search backward to the beginning of the file.
Start from:
A forward search may be started from the current position or from the beginning of the file. This setting has no relevance to backward searches and is ignored when searching backward.
Mark:
Pressing Ctrl-Enter or F9 (or tabbing to the Mark Action Button and pressing Enter) will initiate a Search and Mark operation. HyperView will mark each line in the file that matches the search criteria in the dialog settings. Where found text occupies more than one line, only the first line will be marked.
Upon the successful completion of a Search and Mark operation, HyperView will display the message "To see condensed view, press ENTER (full screen) or Ctrl-ENTER (split screen)". This message is simply a reminder, you are free to perform another search or any other HyperView operation.
Marked lines are persistent. If you do another search, the lines marked by the first search will remain marked, until you unmark them all with the Clear Marks command or unmark them individually with the Space Bar.
Search:
Pressing Enter will initiate your search. HyperView will look for the next occurrence of your search text depending on the dialog settings.
Cancel:
Press Escape to cancel the Search Dialog.
Special Characters:
You may also search for special characters such as tabs, symbols, and characters in other languages that are not assigned to a key on your keyboard. Special characters may be entered into the search Text Box by (a) holding down the ALT key, (b) typing the ASCII code number of the character on the numeric keypad, then (c) releasing the ALT key. For example to search for a word containing the letter "Ç" (ASCII 128), hold down the ALT key, type the numbers "1", "2", and "8" on the numeric keypad, then release the ALT key. The ASCII codes for some common special characters are:
Tab 9
Line feed 10
Carriage return 13
Paragraph symbol 20
Section symbol 21
Repeating Searches:
You may repeat your last search without reopening the Search Dialog. To repeat a search in the forward directions, press "+". Press "-" to repeat a search in the backward direction. It does not matter whether the last search was a conventional search or a search and mark operation. When you use "+" or "-", HyperView searches for the text in the Text Box the last time a search was performed. The settings for Case Sensitive box will be honored, but the other settings are ignored. The gray "+" and "-" keys on the numeric keypad are most convenient for repeating searches.
*MARKING AND CLEARING LINES*
There will be occasions when HyperView marks too many lines or when it is more appropriate to mark a line manually.
To unmark a single line, position the cursor bar on the line, then press the space bar. In full screen view the color of the line will change back to the unmarked color. In condensed view the line will be removed from the condensed display.
Similarly, to mark a line in full screen view, position the cursor bar on the line and press the space bar. The line will be marked and text on the line will change color to reflect the change.
To clear all lines, press "C", then confirm that you wish to clear all marked lines.
*LISTING MARKS*
Use the "L" command to list all marked lines to a file. HyperView will prompt you for a filename to save the list of marked lines. The first time you use the "L" command HyperView suggests a file name with the same root name as the file you are viewing and the extension ".HVL" (i.e. HyperView list). Thus, if you wish to list marked lines in NEWSLET.TXT, HyperView will propose the filename NEWSLET.HVL. Either accept this suggestion or edit it as you please. To change the proposed filename to NEWSLET.SAV, use the editing keys in the Text Box of the List Dialog. Press End, then Ctrl-Backspace (or F6) to delete the last word (i.e. the extension "HVL"), then type "SAV". HyperView will remember the file name the next time you wish to list marked lines in the same session. If the file you designate already exists, HyperView will append the list of marked lines to the end. You may use a long file name when saving to an HPFS drive.
*GATHERING TEXT*
Any amount of text may be gathered and saved to a file. The process of gathering text is similar to blocking text in a word processor or editor. To gather text, first move the cursor line to the beginning of the text you wish to save and press "G". Now move the cursor to the end of the text. While gathering text you may use any of the functions available in full screen view, including cursor keys, jump to line, and search functions. HyperView will prompt you to press Enter to finish gathering text.
After you have finished gathering text, HyperView will prompt you for a filename to save the gathered text. The first time you use the "G" command HyperView suggests a file name with the same root name as the file you are viewing and the extension ".HVG" (i.e. HyperView gather). Thus, if you gather text in NEWSLET.TXT, HyperView will propose the filename NEWSLET.HVG to hold the gathered text. Either accept this suggestion or edit it as you please. To change the proposed filename to NEWSLET.SAV, use the editing keys in the Text Box of the Gather Dialog. Press End, then Ctrl-Backspace (or F6) to delete the last word (i.e. the extension "HVG"), then type "SAV". HyperView will remember the file name the next time you wish to save gathered text in the same session. If the file you designate already exists, HyperView will append the gathered text to the end. You may use a long file name when saving to an HPFS drive.
Gathered text from word processing files will be saved in stripped ASCII format, i.e. with a carriage return/line feed combination at the end of a paragraph. Gathered text from ASCII files will be saved in the same format as the original file.
*SETTING THE RIGHT MARGIN*
The screen column at which HyperView wraps text to the next line may be set with the "R" command. When working with standard ASCII files (those with a hard return at the end of each line), the right margin should generally be set to 80 or more, because many such files use all 80 columns of a standard screen. There is no penalty for setting the right margin to a value greater than the longest line of a standard ASCII file, but setting it to a smaller value will cause the text to appear distorted. The minimum right margin setting is 35--lower values will be ignored.
When working with stripped ASCII files or word processing documents, some users may find 80 columns per line gives the screen a cluttered look. A right margin setting between 70 and 75 may be more appealing.
Please note that a side-effect of altering the right margin is to cause any marked lines to be cleared, because the new margin will result in changes to line lengths and the number of lines.
At startup, HyperView sets the right margin to 75 if the first file loaded is a word processing file or to 80 if an ASCII file.
*JUMPING TO A SPECIFIC LINE*
The Jump command ("J") prompts you for a line number, then moves the cursor to that line. The number of lines in a file is given on the far right side of the status line at the bottom of the screen.
*TOGGLING TAB EXPANSION*
Pressing "T" toggles tab expansion on and off. When tab expansion is on, HyperView will align text following the tab on the next column that is a multiple of five. Thus, if a tab is the twelfth character on a line, the next text will print on column fifteen (the next column that is a multiple of five). When tab expansion is off, tabs appear in their native form--a character resembling a tiny "o".
*OPENING A NEW FILE*
To view a new file, press "N". HyperView will prompt you for the name of the new file. For your convenience, the name of the file you are currently viewing will be displayed in the Text Box. You may either edit the name of the current file or start typing a new name to clear the Text Box.
*GETTING HELP*
A Help summary listing of all commands is available by pressing F1. Pressing F1 again from the Help screen tells you "About" HyperView. An effective way to get more help is to open a second copy of HyperView to read this document.
*EXITING HYPERVIEW*
To exit immediately from HyperView, press Alt-F4. You may also exit HyperView by pressing Escape from the full screen view. The latter method requires confirmation that you really do wish to exit.
*READING WORD PROCESSING FILES*
HyperView automatically recognizes and reads the following word processing formats: Amì Pro, DeScribe (versions 2 through 4.1), Microsoft Word for Windows (versions 1.x, 2.0, and 6.0) and WordPerfect (versions 5.x and 6.0). Please let me know if you feel I have omitted a word processor with a substantial following among OS/2 users. Any file that HyperView does not recognize as a word processing document will be treated as if it were ASCII text.
HyperView's mission is to allow you to isolate and extract information from word processing and text documents. Accordingly, when converting word processing files, it generally ignores most formatting such as headers, footers, centering, etc. It also ignores footnotes, endnotes, and graphics boxes that may contain text.
When possible, HyperView will convert those characters that the word processor treats as special characters to their ASCII equivalents. If HyperView is unable to convert the character, it will substitute a space. Should you find that HyperView fails to convert a significant number of word processing characters, you may wish to have your word processor perform the conversion, then use HyperView to isolate information in the document. HyperView will perform best if the file is saved in stripped ASCII format--with a hard return at the end of a paragraph.
To disable HyperView's automatic recognition and conversion of word processing files, use the "/R" startup option, (i.e. HV /R). HyperView will then treat all files as ASCII files.
The following notes apply to the conversion process:
Text contained in tables in word processing documents are typically converted to a series of discrete paragraphs on a cell by cell basis.
Hidden text in WinWord documents is treated as ordinary text. In WordPerfect 6.0 documents, hidden text is enclosed in square brackets, i.e. [This is how WordPerfect hidden text is converted.].
Microsoft Word for Windows offers a fast save option in which only the changes to a document are saved. If a document has been "fast saved", HyperView will only read text from the last full save. For most users, it is advisable--for a variety of reasons--to disable Word's fast save option.
As of the current release of HyperView, Microsoft had only partially documented the Word for Windows 6.0 file structure. Consequently, there is a small possibility that HyperView will not recognize a WinWord6 document.
Encrypted WordPerfect and WinWord files are not readable. When HyperView encounters an encrypted document, it will offer you the opportunity to load another file.
DeScribe uses a sophisticated frame structure. HyperView converts DeScribe text frames in the order they are stored in the document. Headers and footers are contained in frames, and HyperView displays the first instance of a header and footer.
*NATIONAL LANGUAGE SUPPORT*
Using OS/2's built-in language support, HyperView will support case insensitive searches in any language, based on the currently selected code page. Please note, however, that special characters in word processing files may not be converted to their proper ASCII equivalents.
*TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS*
There may be occasions when you wish to edit a document in one window and view it with HyperView in another. Each time you save the file in your editor or word processor, you can refresh HyperView by pressing "N" (for new file), then pressing Enter when HyperView prompts you with the name of the current file.
To quickly convert a file to stripped ASCII from one of HyperView's supported word processing formats: (a) load the file into HyperView, (b) press "G" (for gather), (c) press End (move to the end of the file), then (d) press Enter (finish gathering).
When running HyperView in a window, it may be convenient to decrease the size of the right margin. (The minimum length is 35 characters.) The width of the window can then be resized, leaving more room on the desktop without obscuring any text. This is recommended only when working with word processing and stripped ASCII files.
The line length of programming source code files may exceed 80 columns. To prevent HyperView from wrapping the end of a long line to the next line, set the right margin to an arbitrarily large value that is greater than the longest line.
*PROGRAM NOTES*
HyperView is written entirely in assembly language. Charles Petzold's articles in PC Magazine provided an informative introduction to assembler programming for the OS/2 platform. These articles are still relevant and exciting many years after their original publication. In addition, the assembly language programs and articles published in PC Magazine frequently provided a starting point for attacking similar tasks in OS/2. Crescent Software's documentation and the assembly language source code for their BASIC language libraries were also useful.
Zen of Assembly Language by Michael Abrash is a continuing source of insight. Thankfully, Volume 2 of this illuminating work will finally appear. Programmer's Technical Reference: The Processor and Coprocessor by Robert L. Hummel was another valuable reference.
Pete Norloff's OS/2 Shareware BBS (703-385-4325) is an outstanding OS/2 resource--for developers and end users alike. Browsing through the list of files can be like rummaging through someone's attic, except that Pete's BBS has a much higher percentage of treasures.
For others desiring to write assembly language programs for OS/2, MASM version 6.11 will run in an OS/2 DOS session with DPMI_DOS_API set to ENABLED and DMPI_MEMORY_LIMIT set to 10. For $15, Microsoft will downgrade owners of MASM 6.1 or greater to MASM 6.0b (the last version to run as a native OS/2 application). Programs assembled with MASM may be debugged with IPMD (the IBM PM debugger), which is packaged with IBM CSet++ FirstStep for OS/2. Along with OS/2 itself and a year's subscription on the OS/2 Shareware BBS, FirstStep is one of the great bargains in the computer world. And I say that as one who does not even use the C compiler.
The source code for HyperView was written with Multi-Edit, which also served as a model for parts of the user interface. Some details regarding the file structures of Amì Pro and Word for Windows were derived from Jay Munro's article in PC Magazine (June 29, 1993). WordPerfect's file structure is documented in the WordPerfect Developer's Toolkit. Microsoft provided partial documentation of the WinWord6 file structure. Allan Katzen, then President, and John Serences, Vice-President for Research & Development, were particularly generous in taking time out from the development of version 4.1 of DeScribe, to supply information on DeScribe's file structure.
Herb Tyson--author of many outstanding books including "Your OS/2 2.1 Consultant" and "Word for Windows 6 Super Book"--generously offered his advice on HyperView's features and assisted the author in procuring information on the file structures of DeScribe and WinWord. Incidentally, Herb's Super Book is an excellent choice for many reasons, but especially for its tips on running Word under OS/2.
*STANDARD DISCLAIMERS*
Most personal computer users realize that only the blandest warranties accompany software. This software is no different from any other in that respect. Accordingly, there are no warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, nor will the author be responsible for any damages (incidental, consequential, or otherwise) in excess of the purchase price.
*SUPPORT*
Let me know if you encounter any difficulties with HyperView. Please be as specific as possible and be sure to supply the HyperView version number. The version number may be obtained from within HyperView by pressing F1 twice ("Help", then "About") or by running HyperView with the /? option (i.e. HV /?). The best way to communicate with me is by E-mail over CompuServe. My ID number is 76170,1627. You may also reach me on the OS/2 Shareware BBS, where I log on as "Mike Shacter". I do not mind taking phone calls, but I am not in a position to return long distance calls.
You do not need to register before receiving assistance in resolving problems with HyperView. One of the great advantages of user supported software is the opportunity to verify that a program works before purchasing it. This imposes a reciprocal responsibility: to register when you know the program works for you.
*REGISTRATION*
HyperView is a user supported program. It is not public domain. To continue using HyperView, you must pay a $35 registration fee. If you feel the program is worth more than $35, you still pay the same amount, but you believe you got a better deal. For business use, each person using HyperView at a site must be registered. Volume discounts and site licenses are available--please write for details.
HyperView is not disabled in any respect. Nor are there any reminders to register the program. I hope to be able to continue that policy. My philosophy is that $5 worth of annoyance will not induce people to register a $35 program. Raising the level of annoyance will simply aggravate potential customers.
To register HyperView, please send your check or money order to:
Michael H. Shacter
10309 Parkwood Drive
Kensington, Maryland 20895-4041
In exchange, you will receive an acknowledgement and at least $35 worth of satisfaction. (Payment for orders outside the U.S.A. must by check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank or by international money order. I know this is a nuisance, and I am sorry.) Note that you will not be sent a disk, only a registration number. If you absolutely must have a copy of HyperView on disk, send an additional $5 ($10 for foreign orders). Please (a) specify 5¼ or 3½ disk size, (b) include 5% sales tax if you are a Maryland resident, and (c) be patient. For your convenience, a registration form is included with this package. Please see the file REGISTER.FRM.
As of the date of this release, HyperView may be found on the OS/2 Shareware BBS (703-385-4325) and on CompuServe in library 1 of the OS2BVEN forum. On CompuServe the most current version will always be known as HV.ZIP. If necessary, registered users may secure the most current version of my programs from me for a $5 shipping and handling fee. Remember to specify disk size.
*RESTRICTIONS*
All authorized users are granted a limited license to make copies of HyperView without charge, subject to the restrictions contained elsewhere in this document as well these:
(a) HyperView must be distributed in absolutely unmodified form, including the program and documentation.
(b) For-profit use of HyperView without a license is prohibited.
(c) HyperView may not be included or bundled with any other product for any reason.
Not-for-profit user's groups, such as the Capital PC User Group, are permitted to charge a small fee for materials, handling, postage, and general overhead. No other organization is permitted to charge for distribution of copies of HyperView.
Electronic bulletin board system operators are encouraged to post HyperView on their bulletin board systems for downloading by their users, if the above conditions are met, and if no special fee is necessary to access the HyperView files (a general fee to access the BBS is acceptable). Likewise, all authorized users are encouraged to upload to HyperView to BBS meeting these requirements.
