Informática Multimedia 1995 April/Informatica Multimedia CD - Epimundo.iso/DOS/CAT_DISK/PC_CAT.ZIP/PCAT32.DOC

Text File | 1991-01-02 | 93.1 KB | 1,783 lines

              Documentation for the PC-Catalog disk cataloging system
                    (C) Copyright 1989 - 1991 by Dale R. Andrews
                                All rights reserved

|                                   Version 3.2






                   YOU MUST REGISTER TO USE THIS PROGRAM LEGALLY





|            PCAT32 is being distributed freely but that does not mean it
        is free.  You are welcome to make as many copies as you please as
        long as you follow the rules given below.  Just remember, you have
        to register (pay for) each copy that you continue to use.  The
|       lowest cost single copy registration fee is $19.95 and the highest
        is $39.95.  As an added incentive, besides not having your
        conscience continually reminding you that you are a criminal,
        additional programs and features are available to registered users.
|       These will make PC-Catalog even more productive.  Those who have
|       registered also get the next version mailed to them free as soon as
|       it is available.  A registration form is included at the end of
        this documentation.


|       Making copies of PCAT32:

|            You are encouraged to make and distribute copies of PCAT32 to
        others so that they may try it.  The only constraints are:

        1. The program must not be changed in any way.

        2. This documentation file must be included and unchanged.

        3. You must tell the person you give the copy to that federal law
           requires that they MUST register their copy if they expect to
           use it.






|       Note: A "|" at the far left indicates a change since PCAT21.DOC.

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2      Page 2

        Brief description:

             The PC-Catalog disk cataloging system is a group of programs
        that allows you to keep track of all of your files in an easy to
        learn, simple to use manner.  The main program is menu driven,
        mouse aware, and reads any type of disk.  It lists the members of
        libraries by automatically extracting information from inside files
        with extensions of "ARC", "LBR", "LZH", "PAK", "ZIP", "ZOO", and
|       self extracting files.  It even extracts descriptions from inside
        PAK, ZIP, and ZOO files.  The number of disks and files that it can
|       maintain is effectively limited only by the amount of RAM and disk
        space that you provide.  It has provisions for effectively
        unlimited keywords and descriptions for each disk, subdirectory,
        file, and file member.  You can search for names, keywords,
        descriptions, times, sizes, and duplicates.  You can customize your
        report printouts and write to a printer directly or to a disk file.
        While using the program, you can view the contents of a file with a
        single keystroke shell to your favorite "TYPE" replacement program.
        You can automatically add descriptions that have been extracted
        from bulletin board catalogs (or any other ASCII file).  Registered
        users get additional programs to create and maintain the master
        file of automatic descriptions.  A sample file is included in the
        shareware version.

|            PC-Catalog now will use a EMS memory (LIM 4.0) or disk for
        overflow records when RAM memory has been exhausted.  The original
        version of the program was limited to less than 10,000 files per
        catalog.  I have personally tested this version using an EMS
        RAMDISK for temporary storage with more than 75,000 files.  There
        were no problems except the expected slow down due to disk access
|       rather than direct memory reading.  Using EMS memory directly
|       rather than as a RAMDISK is much faster and is almost imperceptibly
|       different from having the entire catalog in RAM memory.  There are
|       still limits to how much you can get in one catalog and how much
        you can display on the screen at one time (16,000 files, 8000
        subdirectories, 8000 volumes, etc...) but 1000 floppy disks in one
        catalog should normally work.  The types of disks being cataloged,
        the amount of RAM, and the size of the temporary storage disk or
|       EMS memory available, will all affect the practical limits.  Anyone
        who runs out of capacity after cataloging say 8000 disks can always
        just create a second catalog and get another 8000.

        The system consists of the following files:

|            PCAT32.EXE   The main program.

|            PCAT32.OVR   Overlay file for the main program

|            PCAT32.DOC   This documentation.

|            PCAT30.DSC   Sample file for automatic descriptions.

|            PCAT30.NDX   Index for above descriptions.

|            PCATXLT1.EXE Translate to and from other database formats.

|            PCATXLT1.DOC Documentation for the translate program


                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2      Page 3

             The following files are created by PCAT.EXE and should NOT be
        included in any distribution:

             PCAT.OPT     Option file.  If you have this file, just delete
                          it and PC-Catalog will create a new one with
                          defaults that are appropriate for your machine
                          (CGA/EGA etc.).

             PCAT.CAT     This is the default name for a catalog.


             The following additional programs are NOT included in the
        shareware distribution but are in the package received by level 2
        and 3 registered users:

             CLNDSC11.EXE A program to take bulletin board session capture
                          files or any ASCII file and extract descriptions.
                          PC-Catalog can automatically add these
                          descriptions to the files that you have
                          cataloged.

|            MRGDSC12.EXE A program to merge automatic description files.

             NDXDSC11.EXE A program to create an index file that PC-Catalog
                          will use to speed up its search through the
                          automatic description file.

             FIXDSC10.EXE A program to check an automatic description file
                          for usability and remove any lines that are not
                          acceptable to PC-Catalog.

|            CONVOPT2.EXE Converts option files of registered users of
                          previous versions to current version.


        Detailed description:

             Like many others, I am a collector of software.  During the
        past 5 years, I have reviewed several methods of maintaining a list
        of the files I had, where I was keeping them, and what they were
        for.  Every program I tried had at least one major flaw that
        prevented me from using it on a regular basis.  Probably the most
        frustrating thing about some of these programs was that you would
        have to spend literally weeks entering descriptions manually and
        when you went to update the catalog, they would throw all that work
        away and make you reenter the descriptions for files that had not
        changed.

             I discovered that other people had also had similar problems
        maintaining a list of files and had given up.  They would print a
        directory of their "backup" diskettes with either a shareware
        product or simply DIR A: > PRN.  This worked if they knew the name
        of the file that they were looking for, didn't have hundreds of
        disks to look through, and weren't worried about damaging the
        floppy by inserting a piece of paper in the jacket with it.  Then 3
        1/2" diskettes came along and they had a problem.  Now they were
        forced to identify disks and keep the paper separately.  Hard disks

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2      Page 4

        were impossible to maintain.  Every change required a new directory
        and the paper had to be inserted in a folder or book.  Short of
        hand copying, there was never a description included so that if
        they didn't remember the file name (or even that they had it), a
        file could get lost in the system.

             So here we are in the third decade of the personal computer
        and at last I have a solution that I feel works; I wrote my own
        system.  It doesn't forget everything it knows just because a disk
        has changed.  It allows you to create a keyword system for fast
        location of related files.  It not only reads the names, sizes, and
        creation dates of the files that are on your disks, it can read the
        contents of those files.  This includes the contents of "ARC",
|       "LBR", "LZH", "PAK", "ZIP", "ZOO", and self extracting files and
        even comment fields in PAK, ZIP, and ZOO files.  You can choose the
        format of the printed outputs and you can search for things in
        almost any way that you want.  It can automatically add
        descriptions by matching the names of your files to those in a
        master file of descriptions.  This means that I can supply you with
        pretyped descriptions for tens of thousands of public domain and
        shareware files so you don't have to type them.  It also knows how
        to use a mouse.

             It has too many other features to list here conveniently and
        it is so user friendly that you might even want to stop reading and
|       try it right now if you haven't already.  PC-Catalog now uses
|       overlays.  This means that you will need to make sure that both the
|       ".EXE" and then ".OVR" file are in the same directory, preferably
|       the default.  After making sure that you are on the same disk and
|       directory as the PCAT programs, just type PCAT32 at the DOS prompt.
        The only other warning you need is that the program will want to
        create an option file when it can't find one.  This will go to your
        default disk if you don't add a drive designation when you are
        asked for the name.  Be sure to come back and read all of this
        documentation later since, although most people can use the program
        effectively without the documentation, I don't know of anyone who
        has managed to find all of the programs features without it.

             Now that you have tried the program, lets see what happened
        when you started.  The first thing you should have seen was that
        the program could not find an option file.  You were then asked if
        you wanted to create it.  If you didn't see these messages, delete
|       the PCAT.OPT file and run PC-Catalog again.  If you now get a
|       "Program too big for memory" message, you have a corrupted copy of
|       the program.  PC-Catalog (as well as all other products from Acorn
|       Engineering in the past two years) has contained self checking code
|       to protect itself from viruses.  The "too big" message is just our
|       way of saying we will refuse to execute a copy of the program which
|       is different from what we shipped.

             The reason I ask everyone to create the option file from
        scratch is to get the benefit of the automatic reading of the type
        of monitor and to set the default filenames, print formats, colors
        (highlighting for mono users), etc.  Setting up the defaults is
        only done if a ".OPT" file can't be found.  If one is found (which
        should happen from now on), it will be used.


                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2      Page 5

             Some of you were asked if you saw "snow".  This seems to occur
        only on true IBM CGA boards.  You will know it when you see it.  If
        everything looked normal you should have pressed [N].  If you
        pressed [Y] then the snow will not bother you but the program
        displays will be much slower.

             You can change many of the program parameters and defaults
        with the Main menu > Options selection.  If you want to create
        multiple option files, you can.  Just create them with the Options
        selection and use a different name when asked for the name to use
        to save them.  When you run PC-Catalog, add the option file name on
|       the command line after PCAT32.  For example; PCAT32 PCATMONO.OPT
        will run PC-Catalog with the options stored in PCATMONO.OPT instead
        of the usual PCAT.OPT.  If you want to change option files between
        catalogs without leaving PC-Catalog, you can use Options > Read
        Option File.

             After loading the configuration file, you were presented with
        a copyright page.  Next you were possibly asked to verify the name
        of the catalog to load.  I say possibly since this is an option
        that can be enabled or disabled.  If you have not found this option
        yet, you were not asked.  See Main menu > Options > File names for
        a description of how to turn it on.  If you were asked, you can
        either accept the name given by pressing [ENTER], change it, or
        stop the loading by pressing [ESC].  Choosing to load a catalog at
        this point is similar to selecting Read a catalog from the Main
        menu (see below).  Once the loading is complete, or you choose not
        to load a catalog, you will be presented with the Main menu.


        General notes:

             One of the cardinal rules of good documentation is that the
        author makes sure the reader is never left in doubt about what the
        author means.  Well, I've broken that rule already by using a
        couple of symbols you might not be familiar with.  The first is
        that anything enclosed in []'s represents a single key stroke.
        [ESC] is the escape key, [CTL] is the control key, and [ENTER] is
        the enter key.  [CTL] does nothing by itself.  You press it first
        and hold it down while typing the key that follows.

             I have also used the symbol ">" to signify a relationship
        between menu selections.  Main menu > Options > Colors is intended
        to imply that Colors is one of the selections available on the
        Options menu which is in turn one of the selections available on
        the Main menu.

             I have and will continue to use the term volume to imply a
        disk.  Its name is the volume label.  I will totally ignore the
        fact that DOS 4.x and OS/2 create a serial number for each disk.
        You are free to use this number as your volume label if you wish
        but I won't force you.

             There are also a few items that apply throughout the program
        and this is as good a time as any to discuss them.  First, menu
        items are selected by moving the highlighted bar with the arrow
        keys, [HOME], and [END] and then [ENTER] or you can just press the

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2      Page 6

        first letter of the entry.  [ESC] will take you back toward the
        previous menu or start the process of quitting the program if you
        are on the main menu.

             If you have a mouse, it will be detected automatically and a
        cursor will appear on most displays.  The left button is [ENTER] or
        [Y] and the right is [ESC] or [N].  In keeping with the theory of
        programming for the least common denominator, the middle button
        does nothing.  On displays that have multiple pages, clicking the
        left button anywhere on either the far left or far right side of
        the display will move to the next page in that direction.  Many
        displays require you to double click your selections.  The first
        selects an item (moving the highlighting bar also) and the second
        confirms that you want to use that item.

             The [ESC] key is equivalent to [N] when you are asked for a
        yes or no response.  It is also a general escape from whatever you
        may be doing at the time.  It doesn't always get you completely out
        but it goes in that direction.  For example, while modifying an
        entry, [ESC] will cause the program to stop stepping through the
        fields and ask you "Is this correct".  If you press [N] or [ESC]
        you will be out.  If you press [Y], all of the changes that you may
        have made will be accept.  When in doubt, press [ESC].  You can not
        lose any data without verifying that this is what you want to do.

             Anytime you are asked for a filename to read or write, you can
|       add a drive and path.  You can also press [F9] to see a directory
|       of all files currently available.  I have "reinvented the wheel"
        when it comes to editing inputs.  I feel that it isn't expecting
        too much to demand a program know what [END], [HOME], etc. means
        when typing information.  [RIGHT], [LEFT], [UP], [DOWN],
        [CTL][RIGHT], [CTL][LEFT], [INSERT], [DELETE], [TAB], [BACK TAB],
        [ESC], etc. generally work the way you think they should.  Editing
        always starts in "overwrite mode" and [INS] toggles to "insert
        mode".  You can change this to always start in "insert mode" with
        Options > Keyboard.

             One key that is occasionally confusing is [TAB].  It will take
        you to the next field if you haven't already started to change the
        default and a number of characters to the right if you have.  The
        number of characters is user definable with Options > Keyboard.
        [ENTER] is used to accept an entry and move to the next.  When
        modifying the catalog, you get between keywords by using [TAB] to
        get to the next field.  You move to descriptions with [ENTER] of
        the keyword entries.  A well hidden feature (since most people hate
        reading documentation so much that they never get this far) is that
        you can use [CTL][ENTER] to recover the last entry that you typed.
        This allows you to enter the same keyword or description multiple
        times without having to type it all every time.  See, it isn't such
        a waste of time to read the directions!

             There are many places where you will see the option of
        selecting [F5] to print.  This initiates printing of everything
        that matches the find criteria if you are in Find things or it will
|       initiate printing the all or part of the catalog in other sections.
        Pressing [F5] will cause a menu to appear which asks if you want to
        print to a file or printer.  If you choose to print to a file, you

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2      Page 7

        will be asked to supply a name which can include a drive and path.
|       If you choose a filename that already exists, you will be given the
|       option to append the new information to the end of that file or to
|       write over the existing file.  See Main menu > List/Print Catalog
|       for more information on printing.

             [F9] allows you to see the complete record of an entry or view
        the contents of a file as described in Modify entries > File.  This
        is called a detail display.  While viewing a detail display, you
        sometimes see [F8] modify as an option.  This will allow you to
        modify that record.  Modifying a record with [F8] is similar to
        selecting it through the Modify entries menu.  See that section for
        a complete description.


        Main menu > Update entries:

             This is the selection that you use to start creating or
        updating a catalog.  After selecting this item, you will be asked
        which disk.  The only allowable entries are the letters "a" through
        the highest disk drive reported by DOS as available on your system
        or [ENTER] will select the default which is displayed in the
        prompt.  If you have a drive that PC-Catalog won't let you access,
        then you need to consult your DOS manual to find out how to tell
        DOS that it exists.  Many people who only have drives A: and B: and
        possibly C: will see the ability to select D: and E:.  DOS thinks
        you have these drives by its default.  Don't worry about it.  If
        you try to select these, you will just get an error message.

             After selecting a drive letter, PC-Catalog attempts to read
        the volume label from that disk.  If none is found, you will be
        asked to supply one.  PC-Catalog will accept 1 to 11 characters.
        It does not check to see that these characters would also be
        acceptable to DOS.  This can be useful if you want to be a little
        more descriptive than DOS will allow.  Any letters that you type
        will be converted to upper case and leading spaces will be ignored.
        If PC-Catalog does find a volume label on the disk, you will be
        asked if you want to change it.  If you press [Y] the program will
        produce a cursor so you can edit the label that was found.

|            By popular demand (some vehement), PC-Catalog will now ask if
|       you want to permanently modify the volume label on your disk any
|       time that PC-Catalog didn't find one or you chose to modify the one
|       that was found.  I have included this feature against my better
|       judgement since DOS has always been buggy (and still is as of
|       version 4.01) when it comes to Volume labels.  For example, I have
|       been able to add a new label to a disk with characters that were
|       supposed to be illegal.  DOS never complained.  Then I tried to
|       correct it and DOS suddenly decides that the old label is illegal
|       and won't allow it to be changed! This is one of the reasons that I
|       have resisted changing labels in previous versions of PC-Catalog.
|       Anyway, just be careful.  PC-Catalog only checks to see if DOS
|       thinks the label is legal.  It doesn't inspect the entire root
|       directory and character set to see if it really is legal.  If you
|       do create a label that DOS later doesn't like (or multiple labels),
|       they can be changed by other utilities designed specifically for
|       this purpose.  You should make sure that you use a labeling program

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2      Page 8

|       that supports your version of DOS since the only way to reliably
|       change volume labels varies in each version of DOS.

             I suggest that you give every disk a permanent, unique volume
        label.  I have found that the best labeling system for me is
        sequential numbering.  It's terrible for knowing what is on the
        disk (that's what PC-Catalog is for) but it is simple, you don't
        have to remember what cryptic abbreviations mean, and you don't
        have to change the label every time you change the contents of the
|       disk.  To make this easier, if PC-Catalog finds that there is no
|       label on a disk, it will search any entries in the current catalog
|       and create a new volume name from the numerically highest label
|       found plus one.  This is the label that is given as the default
|       when you are asked to supply the label.

             After a name has been read and verified or entered manually,
        the program checks to see if there is any record of this disk
        having been read before.  If it finds a previous entry, it will ask
        if you want to update or replace it.  Replacing is quicker since
        PC-Catalog just erases the previous entry and adds the new one as
        if the previous entry had never existed.  Updating is slightly
        slower but it can display a complete record of the differences
        between the disks if you have selected this option with Option >
        Display Options.

             The root subdirectory is read and displayed first.  Sometimes
        there is a slight delay reading the root subdirectory.  DOS is
        getting the disk size etc..  This delay should not occur on
        subsequent subdirectories of the same volume.  It also takes much
        longer to read a new disk than to update one if you are reading the
        contents of files.  Lastly, reading descriptions from inside
        library files (not to be confused with automatic descriptions)
        takes some time.  See Options > LBR/ARC/ZIP files.

             Depending on how you have chosen to display the subdirectories
        (see Main menu > Options > Display Options), you will be shown all
        of the files that were added in one color, all those that were
        modified in another, and all those that were deleted in yet a
        third.  The subdirectory name at the top of the display (in this
        case "\") takes the color of "Modified" unless everything is new in
        which case it is shown as "Added".  All of the "Deleted"
        subdirectories will be displayed after PC-Catalog has finished
        reading the disk.  While viewing a modified subdirectory, you can
        select a file to see the details, view it, or even start adding
        keywords and descriptions.  You do this with [F9] to get a detail
        display and [F8] to modify it.  These are described in the Modify
        entries and General notes sections of this documentation.
        [PAGEUP], [PAGEDOWN], [HOME], [END], [CTL][HOME], [CTL][END] and
        the [UP] and [DOWN] arrow keys should all be fairly easy to learn
        how to use.

             After the root subdirectory is read and displayed, the name of
        the next subdirectory, if there is one, will be displayed and you
        are asked if you want to read it.  If you press [N] it will be
        considered not to exist and PC-Catalog will go on to the next
        subdirectory.  Note that if a subdirectory is "considered not to
        exist", there can't be any subdirectories inside it so PC-Catalog

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2      Page 9

        won't try to read any.  If you respond with [Y] then you are asked
        if there will be any more subdirectories that you don't want to
        include.  If you respond [Y] then the program will continue to ask
        these questions for each subdirectory that it encounters.  If you
        press [N] you will not be asked about including subdirectories
        again until you update another disk.  All of the remaining
        subdirectories found will be included.

             You were not asked, and you can not eliminate the root
        subdirectory (every disk has one!).  If you really don't want the
        files in it included, you can use hidden files (see Options >
        Hidden Files/dirs) which is sometimes messy or you can use Delete
        files in the Main menu to delete them after they have been entered.
        You will have to repeat this deletion process every time that you
        update the disk.  It might be easier to move the files in question
        to a separate subdirectory and either tell PC-Catalog not to
        include this subdirectory when it asks or hide that subdirectory
        and tell PC-Catalog not to read hidden subdirectories.

             If you want to quit reading a disk before all subdirectories
        have been read, the easiest way is to reply [N] or [ESC] repeatedly
        when asked about subdirectories.  You will rapidly be back in the
        root subdirectory and, if you don't have a lot of subdirectories
        off the root, continuing to press [N] or [ESC] should get you out
        in a second or two.  After the last subdirectory has been read, you
        will be back at the prompt requesting which disk to read.  You can
        either type a letter to start this process over with another disk
        or escape back to the main menu.


        Main menu > Modify entries:

             After selecting this item, you are first asked what you want
        to modify:


        Main menu > Modify entries > Volume:

             Having chosen this item, you are presented with a list of all
        the volumes (disks) in the current catalog with the last entry
        being to add a new volume.  You select one by using a mouse or the
        arrow keys, [UP], [DOWN], [PAGEUP], [PAGEDOWN], [HOME], [END],
        [CTL][HOME], and [CTL][END] to highlight the one that you want to
|       modify and finally [ENTER] to select it.  You can also just type
|       the first letter of the entry to move the highlight bar.

             Once you have selected a volume to modify or add you will be
        given a "detail" display and the cursor will be positioned at the
        start of the name field.  You can either modify the name and press
        [ENTER] or just press [ENTER] or [TAB].  You will then step down to
        the space free field.  If you choose to modify a field, the editing
        functions work as described in the General notes section.  You can
        continue entering data or you can just press [ENTER] or [TAB] to go
        down through the display until you get to keywords.  Keywords are
        slightly special in that whenever you press [ENTER], you will step
        down to the description.  To enter or modify several keywords, use
        [TAB] and [BACK TAB] to step between them.


                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 10

             At any point you can press [ESC] to quit modifying fields but
        don't do this if you have started to modify a field and want to
        keep those changes.  In that case, press [ENTER] first.  When you
        press [ESC] you will be asked "Is this correct".  If you answer [N]
        everything that you may have changed on this display will be
        forgotten and you will be back to the state that you were before
        you started to modify this volume.  If you answer [Y], everything
        will be kept.

             If you don't know what [CTL][ENTER] does, you need to read ALL
|       of this documentation.  [CTL][W] has been added to adjust
|       descriptions to the line ends (Word Wrap).

|            After completing the modification of a Volume, you are
|       returned to the display of all volumes ready to select another.
|       You should notice that the cursor has moved down to the volume
|       below the one last selected.  This should make it easier to modify
|       a number of volumes all at once.

        Main menu > Modify entries > Subdirectory:

             This starts off similar to modifying a volume in that you will
        be asked which volume you want to modify.  After you have selected
        one, the subdirectories on that volume will be presented and you
        are asked to select either an existing subdirectory or add a new
        one.  Selecting one of these will cause the detail display of that
        subdirectory to appear and the name will be ready to modify.
        Modifying all of the entries is similar to modifying a volume.  You
        might want to notice the use of "\" in subdirectory names.  If you
        add a subdirectory and forget the leading or trailing "\", it will
        affect the sort order of the new entry.

|            After completing the modification of a subdirectory, you are
|       returned to the display where you selected the volume.  The cursor
|       should still be on the volume that you last selected.  If you press
|       [ENTER] you will see the subdirectory display as before except the
|       cursor should now be on the entry below the one last selected.
|       Again, this makes it easier to do repetitive changes.

        Main menu > Modify entries > File:

             You start modifying a file by first selecting a volume and
        then a subdirectory.  After you have done this, all of the files in
        that subdirectory will be displayed for your selection.  If you
        select ADD A FILE, you will be asked if you want to add it as a
        member of another file rather than as a separate file.  This allows
        you to create the structure of an library file.  If you press [Y],
        all of the files will be displayed again and you are asked to
        select the file that you want to add a member to.  You can not, at
        this time, add a member file to a file that is already a member of
        another file.

             When adding keywords and descriptions, it is sometimes handy
        to be able to see what is in the file to refresh your memory.
        Therefore, when you get to the detail display and are ready to
        start entering changes, you will see that you can press [F9] to
        view the file.  Doing this will cause PC-Catalog to shell to any

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 11

        program that you wish to use to replace DOS TYPE.  You can also
        just use TYPE if you have nothing better.  See Options > File names
        for a description of how to specify which program will be used.
        You are then asked what drive the file is on.  PC-Catalog then
        takes the program specified by Options, adds the drive,
        subdirectory and filename currently being modified as parameters,
        and executes it just as if you had typed all of this information at
|       the DOS prompt.  If the catalog that you are working on takes too
|       much RAM memory, you will may be asked for a disk to use for the
|       overflow.  You will only be asked once and the disk that you supply
|       will be used from then on whenever overflow space is needed.  Also
|       see the comments about EMS memory under Main menu > Options >
|       Overflow Disk below.


        Main menu > Delete entries:

             The selection process for deleting entries is similar to the
        selection process for modifying entries.  You are presented with a
        menu asking whether you want to delete a volume, subdirectory or
        file.  Selecting one of these will step through the selection
        processes just like Modify entries.  After selecting an item to
        delete, you will be asked to verify that you really want to delete
        this item.  You can not delete the last subdirectory on a volume
        since every disk has to have some type of directory in which to put
        files.  If you really want to delete all of the subdirectories,
        just delete the volume instead.


        Main menu > Add descriptions:

             This is where you can automatically add descriptions and not
        have to type all of them yourself.  After selecting this item, you
        will be asked for the name of the description file to use.  You can
        maintain several different automatic description files if you wish.
        The next thing to happen is the ".NDX" file with the same name is
        compared to the ".DSC" description file you specified to ensure
        that they match.

             You are asked if you want to select from close filenames when
        an exact match can't be found.  If you know that what you are
        looking for will definitely be found, then you can answer [N] and
        the process of looking for descriptions will go slightly quicker.
        Since there have been so many different library formats and
        extensions, I usually answer [Y].  If the first part of a filename
        matches one or more of those in the automatic description file but
        the extension doesn't then you will be presented with a list of
        descriptions to chose from.  You can either select one or [ESC] to
        continue with the next file.  For registered users who can create
        their own automatic description files, you can have several
        different standard descriptions for any filename by assigning each
        description to a different extension.

             After answering the previous question, the catalog is read and
        all files which do not have a descriptions are flagged.  Lastly,
        the automatic description file is consulted to determine what the
        description should be for each of the flagged files.  If you decide

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 12

        that this is taking more time than you have available (or you got
        here by accident) you can get out by pressing [ESC].  It may take a
        few seconds to clean up the mess so be patient.  It will let you
        out eventually.  At the conclusion, you are told how many
        descriptions were added.


        Main menu > List/Print catalog:

             When you select this item you will be given a menu which
        allows you to select the screen, printer, or a file for the listing
|       of the entire catalog.
|
|       Main menu > List/Print catalog > Screen:
|
             If you select the screen, you will next see a list of all of
        the volumes in the catalog.  You can select one the same way as was
        described under modifying entries including the options to [F5]
        print and [F9] see the details.  If you select a volume, you will
        then be presented with the subdirectories in that volume if there
        are more than one.  Selecting a subdirectory gets you down to the
        file list.  You can use [F9] at any point to see the detail of any
        item.  Finally you can view the contents of a file by using [F9] to
        see the detail of that file, [F8] to start the modify process, and
        [F9] to view it.  If you really don't want to modify the detail
        page, just press [ESC] after viewing the file and answer [N] when
        asked if this is correct.

             In case you haven't already figured out what all the things
        are on the various displays, here is a summary:

          Volume displays:

             The first seven keywords and the first 80 characters of the
        description of the highlighted volume are on the second and third
        lines.  To the left of each volume name is the space used on that
        volume.  The numbers in the lower right corner represent the
        highlighted volume number/total number of volumes and current
        page/total pages.


          Subdirectory displays:

             The current volume name is centered on the first line.  The
        first seven keywords and the first 80 characters of the description
        of the highlighted subdirectory are on the second and third lines.
        Subdirectory names are truncated to 40 characters but they are in
        alphabetical order and the complete name can be found by
        highlighting the item in question and pressing [F9] to see its
        details.  The numbers in the lower right corner represent the
        highlighted subdirectory number/total number of subdirectories in
        this display and current page/total pages.



                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 13

          File displays:

             The current volume name and subdirectory name are centered on
        the first line.  The first seven keywords and the first 80
        characters of the description of the highlighted file are on the
        second and third lines.  The size of each file follows the file
        name.  Members of library files are offset to the right and each
        library format has a different graphic connector to the library
        file itself.  The date and time that the highlighted file was last
        modified is displayed in the lower left corner.  The numbers in the
        lower right corner represent the highlighted file number/total
        number of files in this display current page/total pages.

|
|       Main menu > List/Print catalog > File:
|
|            If you select to send the output to a file, you are first
|       asked to supply the file name for the output.  You can get a
|       directory of existing files with [F9].  If you supply the name of
|       an existing file, you are asked if you want to append the catalog
|       to the end of the existing file.  This allows you to create a
|       single report from several different catalogs.  If you don't want
|       you append to the end of the existing file, you are asked to verify
|       that you want to overwrite the existing file.
|
|            After determining the name of the file to use, you are then
        asked if you want to list volumes, subdirectories and files
        separately.  Separately means that all of the volumes will be
        printed first, followed by all of the subdirectories followed by
        all of the files.  Pressing [N] means that the first volume will be
        printed, followed by the root subdirectory of that volume, followed
        by any files in that subdirectory.  It will then print the next
        subdirectory and its files if one exists.  When all of the
        subdirectories of the first volume have been printed, it will start
        printing the second volume, etc..


|            The last question before starting to write the file is "Do you
|       want to exclude library members?".  Some people would like to see
|       all members in their catalog but only want their reports to contain
|       the filenames that actually show up on their disks.  Eliminating
|       library members does this.
|
|            The format of the report generated is described under Main
|       menu > Options > Printer Formats below.
|
|
|       Main menu > List/Print catalog > Printer:
|
|            Sending a catalog to the printer is very similar to sending to
|       a file.  Instead of being asked for a file name, you are asked for
|       the printer.  PRN is the default printer and the one you should use
|       unless you know that you have a second or third printer attached to
|       your computer.



                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 14

        Main menu > Find things:

             This used to be called Find Files but many people failed to
        read the documentation and, reading Find "Files", assumed that the
        program would only find files.  Having tired of repeatedly
        explaining that the program looks for more than just files, it has
        been changed to Find things.  (Not a pretty phrase but maybe it
        will sink in.) The program can and usually does look for more than
        just files.

|            When viewing the results of a Find Things search, you can
|       press [F5] to generate a report.  This is very similar to
|       List/Print except the report generated will contain only those
|       items that match the find criteria.  The standard report will
|       contain all volumes, subdirectories and files that match the
|       selection criteria.  One difference between printing here and under
|       List/Print is that, you are not asked if you want to print volumes,
|       subdirectories, and files separately.  They are always printed
|       separately.  Also, after selecting whether or not to eliminate
|       library members, you are given the option of sorting the files.
        Volume names are always sorted.  (For how, see Options > Display
        Options).  Subdirectory names are always sorted in alphabetical
        order by Volume.  Files are normally sorted alphabetically by
        volume, subdirectory, library and filename.  Responding that you
        want to sort by filename here causes only the filename order to
        change.  Files will be sorted alphabetically by filename.

             There are several things you can search for with Find Things.
        The first is:


        Main menu > Find things > Name:

             When you select this item, you will be presented with an input
        field large enough to specify the longest path name that DOS will
        accept.  If you are looking for a filename or volume name, this is
        obviously too long but you don't have to fill it.  Just use what
        you need.

             The input can contain the wildcards "*" and "?".  These work
        slightly differently than they do in DOS commands.  In PC-Catalog,
        a "*" means zero or more characters will match.  A "?" means one
        and only one character will match.  DOS requires "*" to be the last
        item in a section; PC-Catalog does not.  DOS allows "?" to match a
        space; PC-Catalog does not.  In DOS commands, both "*" and "?" vary
        in the filenames that they match depending on the command issued.
        For example, DIR * will display all files but COPY * only copies
        those with no extension.  PC-Catalog usually works the same in all
        functions (see below for the one exception).  The easiest way to
        explain this is with examples.

             "*"  is the default and will match everything.

             "*." would only match items that ended in "." (filenames
                  with no extension are the only thing that should
                  match).


                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 15

             "*.*" would match everything that had a "." somewhere in the
                  name whether it was followed (or preceded) by any other
                  characters or not (filenames are the only thing which
                  should match).

             "A*B*C" would match anything that started with "A", had at
                  least one "B" somewhere in the middle, and ended with
                  "C".

             "*A*B*.C" would match any file that had at least one "A"
                  followed at some point by at least one "B" in the first
                  part of a filename and ending with an extension of "C".

             "?*B?*" would match anything that had at least one character
                  preceding and at least one character following a "B".

             "???" would match anything that had three and only three
                  characters in it's name.

             This may seem strange at first if you are used to the way DOS
        works, but in a short time, you may wonder why DOS is so
        complicated and inflexible.

             I have had to make a concession to the way PC-Catalog finds
        file names.  It seems many more people than I would have ever
        expected use DIR XXXX to find all filenames that have XXXX as the
        first part of the name and any extension.  DOS only allows this
        type of matching with DIR.  DOS doesn't allow this with COPY or
        DELETE or RENAME, etc.; just DIR.  DOS doesn't even work the way
        they expect if there is a subdirectory by that name.  I never used
        that feature since I many times prefer to edit previous commands
        (DIR XXXX.* followed by DEL XXXX.*).  This wouldn't work if I
        didn't use ".*" consistently.  Evidently, others have never been
        bothered by this inconsistency in the way DOS works.  They must be
        retyping the whole line after they find what they want.  They
        insist (some vehemently), if PC-Catalog won't find a file without
        specifying either an extension or "*", then PC-Catalog is wrong
        (one person used the term worthless!).  Since I'm the one trying to
        sell the program and they are the ones who ultimately will have to
        decide whether or not to buy it, PC-Catalog is slightly larger,
        minutely slower, and a lot less consistent than it used to be but
        it will now sometimes ignore extensions on file names just like
        DOS.

             Once PC-Catalog has located the matching names, it will start
        with a display of the files.  This is changed from the initial
        release which displayed volumes first since lots of people didn't
        know what the first display was but they knew it wasn't their
        files.  At this point you can press [ESC] to revise the pattern to
        match, [F5] to print everything that matches or [F9] to get detail
        displays of particular items.  Escape will take you back to find
        another name.  [F5] and [F9] work the same as always and are
        described in the general notes section including modifying and
        viewing files.  To see the subdirectories and volumes that were
        found, press [CTL][S] or [CTL][V] and to get back to files,
        [CTL][F].  If no matches were found, you will see a message stating
        this and you will have to acknowledge it by pressing [ENTER] as

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 16

        instructed.  When you do, you will automatically step to the next
        group in order (i.e. Files to Sub.s to Vol.s to Files...).


        Main menu > Find things > Keyword:

             This searches for matching keywords or things that don't have
        keywords.  It is handy to be able to find things that don't have
        keywords if you are using a keyword system and want to add them to
        any new entries.  You are asked for a keyword pattern to match.  If
        you press [SPACE] [ENTER], everything that has no keywords will be
        found and presented just as it was under Find things > Name above.

             You can obviously also enter a keyword pattern to match.  The
        wildcards "*" and "?" work the same way as they did above under
        Find things > Name but it is suggested that you only use them if
        you have to.  The reason for this is that they slow down the
        search.  Specifying the exact keyword you are looking for results
        in a much faster response.  Again, the displays will be the same as
        described above.


        Main menu > Find things > Description:

             This is similar to keywords in that you are asked for the
        pattern to look for.  Wildcards are allowed and, in this case, do
        not reduce the search efficiency as much.  The reason here is that
        searching descriptions isn't all that efficient to begin with.
        This is because descriptions have variable lengths compared to the
        fixed lengths of keywords.  They are also usually long so there is
        more data to look through.  If you are going to be doing a lot of
        structured searches, then you should consider a fixed set of
        keywords for describing entries.  If you want flexibility, just
        type descriptions that really describe what it is and pay the
        penalty in time to find things in the long descriptions.
        Personally, I tend to favor the latter.  You don't have to be exact
        with your choice of descriptors and it isn't that slow.  You might
        want to try both before choosing to spend a lot of time entering
        data in one method or the other.

             Again, leaving the pattern blank will cause only those entries
        that don't have descriptions to be found.  Remember, you should
        usually precede and follow your selection criteria with "*".  You
        can also use "*" as many times as you wish.  Leading and trailing
        spaces are ignored but spaces between other characters are
        considered.  For example " * * " = "* *" and matches anything with
        an at least one imbedded space.  To save some time, I have decided
        to ignore upper and lower case distinctions.  "Description" will
        match the pattern "*dEsC*".  If you think this is wrong, please let
        me know.


        Main menu > Find things > Size:

             You are asked to supply the smallest size to match and then
        the largest size.  Only Volumes and files are searched since the
        size of a subdirectory is rather nebulous.  It depending on whether

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 17

        you use the total of the files or the total clusters used.  For
        that matter, the size of a volume could be just as ambiguous but
        everyone seems to agree that the space used and space free is in
        clusters.  Not knowing what you might want to find, I have chosen
        to say that a volume matches if either the space used or the space
        free value is within the size limits that you specify.  You can use
        0 for the smallest and 999999999 for the largest size to ignore
        that limit.  Subdirectories are totally ignored in the displays.


        Main menu > Find things > Time:

             Similar to Size in that you are asked for the earliest and
        latest dates to select.  Again, subdirectories are ignored.  Volume
        dates are the latest modification date; that is, the most recent
        date that it was read by PC-Catalog or an entry inside it was
        modified by PC-Catalog.  The earliest legal time is 1/1/80 and the
        latest is 12/31/41 (2041).  These aren't my choices but rather they
        were defined by Microsoft when they released PC-DOS 1.0.  Anyone
        think they will still be using DOS in 50 years?


        Main menu > Find things > Multiple copies:

             This is useful when you have a lot of files and a lot of
        places to put them like I do.  It will find all of the duplicates
        that seem to appear from time to time.  Since PC-Catalog reads
        library files and determines their contents, duplicates can
        multiply but they can't hide.  Multiple copies are defined as
        identical names of the same type.  For example, volume names match
        volume names but not subdirectory or file names.  Sizes and dates
        are ignored.  One annoying feature in this section is that all of
        the root subdirectories are shown as multiple copies.  I considered
        deleting these since every disk has to have at least one
        subdirectory and it usually has the name "\".  I didn't because I
        thought that not seeing subdirectories that really exist might end
        up being more confusing in the long run.  Let me know if you agree
        or disagree.


        Main menu > Options:

             There are options for changing the number of lines to display
        on each screen, colors (or highlighting, underlining, etc.) to use,
        sounds, whether to consider hidden objects, whether to read the
        various types of library files, when to display files, File names
        to use as the defaults, formats to use when printing to a file or
        printer, printer initialization string, tab length, insert mode
        default, memory allocation, and several more.  These are each
        described in the following pages.


        Main Menu > Memory Allocation:

             If you are just trying the program, you will see all of the
        functions of this option but will not be allowed to change the
        memory allocations since the sole purpose of the unregistered

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 18

        version is to demonstrate the program well enough that you can
        decide if it is worth the purchase price asked.  It is not intended
        to be public domain.  As an unregistered user, you can see
        everything that would happen here.  You just can't change the
        fields.  We hope you understand why we feel that this is necessary.
        If you like the rest of the program, we hope that you will feel it
        is well worth the registration price asked.

             For registered users, this option allows you to customize the
        memory space that is dedicated to certain fixed arrays.  You can
        change the maximum number of volumes per catalog.  You can also
        change the maximum number of files and subdirectories that can be
        sorted or displayed at one time.  This does NOT necessarily limit
        the total number that can be kept in one catalog.  I have created
        test catalogs with over 35,000 files when the maximum files number
        was set to 500.  On the other hand, there are some functions that
        will fail if the numbers are set too low.  For example, if you ask
        for Find things > Multiple copies, the program will attempt to
        match every file in the catalog to every other file.  This requires
        sorting everything at once so if you have set the maximum files to
        a number less than the total number in the catalog, it will fail
        and you will see a display of a large number of files that may or
        may not be duplicates.

             To help set reasonable numbers, each volume, subdirectory and
        file specified here will take the space of about 1 tenth of a
        record.  During Find operations, an addition 1 tenth will be used
        for each volume and 2 tenths for each subdirectory.  You obviously
        can not have fewer subdirectories than volumes.

             Since memory space will be rearranged during execution of this
        option, any existing catalog in memory will have to be deleted.
        You are not allowed to select this item if you have modified a
        catalog and not saved it yet.  If you have an unmodified catalog,
        you will be warned that it will be erased and given the opportunity
        to abort.


        Main menu > Options > VGA/EGA/CGA etc.:


             When you select this item, you are first asked if you have a
        color display.  Answering [Y] when you don't can result in an
        unviewable screen.  If you press [N] then you are asked if you have
        a color card and a monocolor CRT.  The answer to this question will
        definitely result in a blank screen if you answer incorrectly.  If
        this happens, just reboot and start over.

             If you answered that you had a color display or card, then you
        are asked how many lines you want to display on each page.  There
        is nothing magic about this program that will allow it to produce
        50 lines on a CGA that normally only displays 25 lines but if you
        have an EGA you can have 43 lines and a VGA allows 50.  Anyone
        wishing to run PC-Catalog in a multitasking, windowing environment
        might want to try various other numbers of lines to produce smaller
        windows.  I can't guarantee that it will always work but it may.


                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 19

        Main menu > Options > Colors:

             The color option presents a menu of the various types of text,
        backgrounds and highlighting that the program can do.  Selecting
        one of these gives a sample line of text in the currently chosen
        colors and an array of all of the possible colors.  As you move the
        cursor around this array, the sample line will continually show the
        selection.  When you are satisfied with a choice, press [ENTER].
        If you are using a mouse, the first time you select a color with
        the left button you will see the sample line change.  If you press
        the left button again on the same color, it will be selected as if
        you had pressed [ENTER].  Pressing [ESC] at any point will return
        you to the menu with no change having been made.  The following are
        the various types of text:

        Normal Text   - "Page" that everything else is written on.

        Warnings      - Messages that tell why the program won't do what
                        you asked.

        Errors        - Messages that tell you why the program is so
                        unhappy that it is quitting.

        Menu Text     - Unhighlighted items in all menus.

        Selection bar - Highlighting for selected menu items.

        Borders       - Copyright lines and menu outlines.

        Highlights    - Bottom line prompts.

        Files > UNCHANGED -  Files that are identical to the last update.

        Files > ADDED     -  File name is new to this update.

        Files > DELETED   -  File name was found during this update.

        Files > MODIFIED  -  File date, time or size is different or, in
                             the case of files with members, at least one
                             of the members is added, deleted or modified.


        Main menu > Options > Colors > Default colors:

             This will set the colors to those that I would choose for your
        type of monitor.  I considered only three basic types: Mono, CGA
        and EGA/VGA.  You can try the default colors and change them later
        if you don't like my choices.


        Main menu > Options > Sounds:

             Selecting this item will cause two types of sounds to be
        defined.  Pressing [HOME] will cause the default sound to be
        selected for each and [END] will cause that sound to be silenced.
        Otherwise you can first select the sound that you want to hear for
        key stroke prompts.  This sound is produced whenever the program is

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 20

        waiting for a key to be pressed.  Since the response to each
        keystroke is usually very quick, it may seem like a key click
        sound.  Using [UP], [DOWN], [LEFT], and [RIGHT] will each affect
        the sound.  Pressing most keys will demonstrate the sound.

             When you are satisfied with the prompt sound press [ENTER] and
        you will be asked about the sound to make for errors.  This sound
        will be made for both warnings and errors.  You can change it the
        same way that you changed the key prompt sound.


|       Main menu > Options > Overflow Disk:
|
|            You can define the default type of memory to use when there
|       are too many entries to keep in normal RAM memory all at the same
|       time.  When PC-Catalog finally runs out of memory it will try to
|       put the overflow to either EMS memory or Disk.  Since EMS memory is
|       the most desirable in terms of speed, it will try there
|       automatically first.  If, however, it runs out of EMS space (or
|       disk space), the program will have to terminate.  This option lets
|       you better control where the overflow will be kept.
|
|            First you are asked if you want to use EMS memory when regular
|       memory is full?  This requires memory above 1 Meg. which has a
|       driver installed that supports the LIM Expanded Memory
|       Specification version 4.0 or later.  It you answer no, you will be
|       asked if you want to use the same disk for overflow every time.
|       Answering yes will mean that you won't have to answer every time
|       you run the program when you run out.


        Main menu > Options > LBR/ARC/ZIP files:

             When you select this item, you will be asked if you want to
        include the contents of files with each of the various types of
        library formats.  In the present version these include "ARC",
|       "LBR", "LZH", "PAK", "ZIP", "ZOO" and self extracting files created
        by PKZIP and LHARC.  If anyone wants any others included, please
        let me know.  I would suggest that you include all of them EXCEPT
|       the self extracting files unless you are having a space problem.
        It doesn't take any longer to update a disk if none of that type
|       are found.  I don't recommend doing self extracting files since
|       they will slow down the updating function significantly but you
|       have the capability if you want it.  If you do chose to read self
|       extracting files, you should definitely update volumes rather than
|       replace them.  This will eliminate the delay for all EXE and COM
|       files which are really programs rather than self extracting files.

             After you have answered [Y] or [N] for each type, you are
        asked if you want to update the contents whenever a file is
        updated.  If you press [Y] then the contents of every file with an
        acceptable extension will be read each time the disk is updated.
        This can take a long time.  If you answer [N], then the contents of
        these files will be read only when they are added or either the
        date, time or size has changed.  I find it rare to change the
        contents of a library file that I don't also change either the size
        or the date.  If you have a lot of library files, only reading them

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 21

        when they change makes a large difference in the amount of time it
        takes to update a disk.

             Lastly, you will be asked if you want to include descriptions
        from library files.  Some library formats (PAK, ZIP, and ZOO)
        include the provision to insert a description of the library and
        descriptions for the individual files inside the library.  If all
        your have for descriptions are advertisements for bulletin boards
        (boo, hiss again), then you probably want to press [N].  If, on the
        other hand, people have inserted meaningful descriptions, you won't
        have to type them again if you press [Y].


        Main menu > Options > Display Options:

             This item will ask if you want to view the files found in each
        subdirectory as they are read.  Responding [Y] will provide the
        most information since you can then see each file with color
        highlighting to indicate if it is unchanged, added, deleted or
        modified.  On the other hand, it obviously takes time to display
        and view these.  If you respond [N] then the disks will be read and
        updated as fast as possible without displaying or keeping any
        information about the status of each file.  Regardless of how you
        answer this question, the file status information will not be kept
        after your opportunity to view the subdirectories during updating.

             Next you are asked if you want to use left justification and
        are told that it has something to do with sorting volume names.
        Earlier I told you that I use sequential numbers for volume labels
        and I recommended that you do also.  Well, in the first version of
        PC-Catalog, several people did this and reported that PC-Catalog
        would then sort disk 11 before disk 2.  Unfortunately, they were
        right!  I failed to tell you that I add zeros at the left of each
        number so that they are all the same size.  I use a three digit
        number on each disk starting with 001.  These people had started
        with 1.  PC-Catalog was left justifying everything and produced:
             1                         1                         1
             10                        2      Now if you         2
             100                       A      select right       10
             11                        B      justification      11
             :       If it had used   10      (answer [N])       :
             19      right            11      you will get ----> 19
             2       justification,    :                         20
             20      it would have    19      which is what      21
             21      produced ----->  20      "humans" think     :
             :                        21      of as correct      100
             A                         :      sorting.           A
             AA                       AA                         AA
             AAA                      AB                         AAA
             AB                      100                         AB
             B                       AAA                         B


|            Next you are asked if you want to include hidden and system
        files.  Some people want to see these; others don't.  Take your
        pick.  Lastly you are asked if you want to include hidden
        subdirectories.  Again this is your choice.  If you have copy

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 22

        protected software (boo, hiss) on a hard disk, you probably have
        several hidden files or subdirectories that could be confusing to
        see in the catalog.


        Main menu > Options > File names:

             You will be asked to supply the drive, path and filenames for
        several files that the program creates or uses.  The first is the
        catalog file.  The default extension is ".CAT".  This is the file
        that contains all of volumes, subdirectories, and files and all of
        the detail information for each.  The name that you supply here is
        only the default and can be overridden whenever you want to read or
        write a catalog.

             After supplying the catalog file name, you are asked if you
        want to read this file at startup each time.  This is handy if you
        have only one catalog or you always want to start with the primary
        one.  Even if you press [Y], you will still be given the chance to
        change the name or press [ESC] to abort the reading of this file
|       during startup.  Here is another feature buried so deeply in the
|       documentation that no one will find it.  You can skip the verify
|       step above if you precede the file name above with the letter "@".
|       In other words, PCAT.CAT will give you an opportunity to change the
|       name before reading and @PCAT.CAT will just immediately read
|       PCAT.CAT.  Note that the real name does not include the "@".

             The next file name requested is the automatic description
        file.  The usual extension is ".DSC".  A second file is also
        required with the same primary name but the extension of ".NDX".
        This is the index file and must match the description file.  If you
        haven't registers at level 2 or above, you don't have to worry
        about this since you won't have the programs to create and modify
        automatic description files.

             Lastly, you are asked to enter a filename of the program to
        view files.  If you don't have a good "lister" program, you can
        leave this entry blank and DOS will use TYPE which is only
        marginally better than trying to read the magnetic fields on the
        disk with a magnifying glass!  If you are in this position though,
        I can give you the tip that [CTL][S] will both start and stop the
        scrolling.  Microsoft didn't think that was important enough to
        document.  They tell you to use [CTL][NUMBER LOCK] which doesn't
        bother to scroll complete screens before stopping.  You frequently
        get duplicate lines displayed which can be very confusing.  You
        also have to use a different key to get it started again.  Another
        tip is that you can use [CTL][C] instead of [CTL][BREAK] to abandon
        viewing a file completely.  Although they both do about the same
        thing, [CTL][C] is much easier for me to reach quickly.



                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 23

        Main menu > Options > Printer format:

             First you are asked to specify the number of lines per page
        and the number of characters per line.

             Next you are asked for a printer initialization string.  These
        are control characters that will be sent to the printer before
        starting every report.  They will also be included at the beginning
        if you select "File" as the device to print to.  The printer
        initialization string can be used to tell a printer to print in
        compressed mode, letter quality, etc.  See your printer manual for
        the codes to use for the various modes.  PC-Catalog requires that
        each code be represented by a decimal number between 0 and 255.
        Each number is separated by a comma.  Extra spaces between numbers
        are ignored.

             You are next asked to specify a format for printing volume
        lines and headers.  The default in the editing field is also shown
        in an expanded form at the top of the screen.  Edit it as you would
        any other entry.  When you finish press [ENTER] and the expanded
        form will be updated and you are asked if it is correct.  After
        finishing the volume line format, you will do the subdirectory and
        file formats.

             Selecting formats for printouts is done by specifying a series
        of characters which represent the fields that you want printed.
        These characters are:

        " " = space           "V" = Volume name          "F" = File name
|       ":" = column divider  "f" = space free           "s" = file size
        "/" = line feed       "u" = space used           "d" = file date
        "P" = Page eject      "U" = date Updated         "t" = file time
        "K" = Keywords        "r" = time updated         "L" = Library name
        "D" = Description     "T" = Truncated sub. name  "S" = full Sub. name

             Some warnings are in order.  Keywords and descriptions apply
        to the record that is being printed.  If you are in the process of
        printing a line for a volume entry then K would print the keywords
        for that volume.  Many fields are undefined until the item they
        apply to is accessed.  For example, "F" (file name) is meaningless
        except when printing a file entry.  Including it in the volume of
        subdirectory formats will give unpredictable results.

             Since both keywords and descriptions have an indefinite
        length, you might want to consider putting a line feed after each
        of them if anything is to follow.  This will eliminate the
        rreeaallyy lloonngg lliinnee syndrome.  You don't need a line feed
        at the end of the format statement.  One is included automatically.

             A "S" full subdirectory name is 67 characters long.  If you
        rarely or never use long subdirectory names, you should use the "T"
        truncated name which is only 23 characters.

             Notice that "U" and "r" are not the same as "d" and "t".  The
        former are dates and times that the volume was updated.  The latter
        is when the file was last modified.  You probably want to use the
        former on the volume lines only and the latter on file lines only.
        Any other usage may occasionally produce unpredictable results.


                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 24

|            Using the column divider, ":" (colon), will allow more than
|       one entry on each line.  Some people only want filenames for
|       example and you can get about 6 across on an 80 character page.
|       Unfortunately for this version, the entries are printed
|       sequentially, horizontally across the line.  I know this is dumb
|       but it sure is easier for your computer.  OK, OK, I hope to have it
|       fixed by the next version.

             Lastly, any characters not listed will give a warning but are
        accepted anyway.  They will be printed on the heading line and in
        the appropriate place on each line.   A good candidate for this is
        "|" to draw vertical separator lines.


        Main menu > Options > Keyboard:

             First you are asked how many characters you want [TAB] to
        move.  This, obviously, is also the length of [BACK TAB].  Most
        people won't find this useful but one user wanted a way to know
        when he had exceeded a 45 character description.  He just wanted a
        marker that would tell him how to edit long descriptions provided
        by others to a size that would fit his existing reports.  This
        variable length tab is a solution.  He sets it to 45 and then while
        editing descriptions, pressing [TAB] of [BACK TAB] will move the
        cursor to the maximum position of his field.

             The next question is, do you want to start editing in
        overwrite or insert mode?  Overwrite causes each character that you
        type to replace the one at the current cursor position.  Insert
        moves everything to the right of the cursor to the right and
        inserts the new character.  You can always switch between modes
        with [INS].  This question just determines how the editing
        functions starts.


        Main menu > Options > Read Option File:

             If you have two or more different catalogs such as one for
        floppies and one for hard disks, you may want to have different
        options set for each.  This menu item allows you to read a
        different option file without leaving the program.  Since you can't
        change the memory allocation parameters with a catalog in memory,
        you may be asked if you want to delete the catalog. The alternative
        is that the memory allocation parameters will not be read.


        Main menu > Options > [ESC] to quit:

             When you press [ESC] from the main menu, you will be asked for
        a file name to use to save the options.  The default name is
        PCAT.OPT on the default drive.  If you respond [ESC] again, any
        changes that you have already accepted will only apply as long as
        the program is running.  Having different option files allows you
        to change many options quickly.  You can either use the Read Option
        File command described above or you can start with a different
        option file, as was explained near the beginning of this
        documentation.



                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 25

        Main menu > Read a catalog:

             This will read a catalog.  If you already have a catalog
        loaded you will be asked if you want to merge the existing one with
        a new one.   If you choose not to merge the new one in and the old
        one has been modified or you created it with Update, you will be
        prompted to save it before loading a new one.  If you choose to
        save it, the program reacts just as if you had selected Save a
        catalog.  Whether you choose to save the old catalog or not, you
        will then be prompted for the name of the new catalog to load.  You
        can include a drive and path in this name.  If you choose to escape
        at this point, the original catalog (if one existed) will still be
        available.  Otherwise, this is the point where the old one is
        deleted and the new one loaded.


        Main menu > Save this catalog:

             This will save the current catalog.  You will be prompted for
        a name which can include a drive and path.  You can also escape
        with the [ESC] key.


        Main menu > Information:

|            Selecting this menu item will display 3 pages of information
|       about the current status of the program.  The first page is the
|       same copyright screen you see when you first start the program.
        The next page contains statistics that are most useful if you are
        just trying to figure out where you are and possibly how you got
        there.  It is most useful in debugging the program and probably not
        too useful in normal operation.

             The last page contains a count of the current records.  I find
        the most significant number on this page to be the number of
        records available which is displayed on the first line.  Volumes,
        subdirectories and files take 1 record each.  Keywords and
        descriptions also take up record space.  If you delete records, you
        will not always get back all those that were used.  Any modify or
        update operation deletes some records.  If you run out of space,
        you might try saving you current catalog and immediately reading it
        back in.  You may get a few more records to work with but don't
        expect this to make a major difference.  If you are operating on a
        very large catalog with the majority on temporary disk storage, it
        may take a long time to read everything for the summations on this
        page.  The program only updates the complete display after each
        volume is completed (and then only partially) so there may be
        periods where nothing seems to be happening.  You will know it is
        finished counting when the prompt reappears on the bottom line of
        the screen.



                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 26

        Main menu > [ESC] to quit:

             This is how you terminate execution of PC-Catalog.  Since you
        may accidentally get to this point, you are first asked if you
        really want to quit.  To quit you will have to press [Y].  If you
        have a catalog that has been modified and not saved, you will be
        asked if you want to save it before leaving.  Whether you answer
        [Y] or [N], this will be your last chance.  Don't expect to press
        yes and then try to escape from the save step back into the
        program.  You will just drop out to DOS and lose the changes that
        you made to your catalog.  If you have been using temporary disk
        storage for a large catalog, it may take a few extra seconds to
        clean up the temporary storage area.

             The following files are available for level 2 and level 3
        registered users only:

             The easiest way to get brief descriptions for files entered
        into PC-Catalog is to let someone else do the typing.  Ideally, all
        you will have to do is run CLNDSC, MRGDSC, NDXDSC and PCAT. Sound
        interesting?  Here's how it works.

             Many bulletin boards have software available for downloading
        and keep a catalog containing the names of the files and a brief
        description of each.  CLNDSC reads these and extracts as much
        information as it can.  It removes exact duplicates but leaves
        duplicate filenames that have different descriptions.  The
        resulting file is sorted into alphabetical order and can be read
        and corrected with an ASCII type word processor.

             Since I believe that computers should work for you rather than
        vice versa, you don't have to specify the format of the file that
        you want to extract descriptions from.  CLNDSC should recognize any
        line that has a filename and extension separated by a "." or one or
        more spaces, a size consisting of at least one number with at least
        one space on either side, a date that consists of a total of 6
        numbers separated by a space on either end and spaces, "/"'s or "-
        "'s between pairs of numbers or pairs of numbers on either side of
        a three letter abbreviation for a month, and a description.  You
        can even have the size after the description rather than after the
        name.  Leading spaces will be ignored.  Also ignored is everything
        preceding a filename that has a '.' between the primary name and
        extension.

             It also creates a file called GARBAGE.CAN for everything that
        it decides isn't a filename and description.  If you run CLNDSC
        multiple times, it will add lines to the GARBAGE.CAN.  None of
        these programs ever "empties" the GARBAGE.CAN file so it just keeps
        growing until you delete it.  Before you delete it, you can look
        through it to see if anything valuable has been thrown away.  If,
        for some reason, CLNDSC has thrown away what you consider to be
        good descriptions, you can use your word processor to rearrange
        these entries just enough for CLNDSC to recognize them and run it
        again.


                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 27

             MRGDSC will merge two description files (or one with itself)
        and attempt to remove all duplications.  If two or more entries are
        found that are identical, they will be removed automatically.  If
        they are just similar, you will be asked to choose the one that you
        wish to keep.  You are also allowed to edit any of the fields
        except the file name.

             When you are satisfied with the description file that you have
        created, run NDXDSC to create the index file that PC-Catalog uses
        to speed up its searches for descriptions.

             Since the description files are in plain ASCII text, you can
        modify them external to the PC-Catalog system of programs with your
        own word processor.  The only restriction is that you maintain the
        plain ASCII format (no special formatting characters) and, while
        editing, maintain the alphabetical order.  Since modifying the
        description file outside of the programs that I have written could
        result in "human" error, I also provide FIXDSC to scan a supposedly
        correct description file and remove any lines that won't be
        acceptable to PC-Catalog including errors in order.


                                    DISCLAIMER

             These programs and documentation are provided "as is", without
        warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but
        not limited to any implied warranty of merchantability and/or
        fitness for a particular purpose.

             You, as the user, assume all risk when using these programs.
        In no event is the author liable to you for any damages resulting
        from the use of this software, even if he has been notified of the
        possibility of such damages.

             These programs and documentation are the property of:

                       Dale R. Andrews
                       44 Ridgelane Dr.
                       Decatur, Illinois 62521

             They are all copyrighted 1989 and 1991 and all rights are
        reserved.  You may copy and use them in any way that you see fit as
        long as you do not modify the program or documentation in any way
        not specifically granted you by the copyright law of the United
        States and you register each copy that is used.


        Trademarks:

             There are several trademarks mentioned in this document.  I
        assume that most people who are intellegent enough to be able to
        read it will have seen these before and will know which ones might
        belong to me and which don't.  If you see one of yours and want it
        highlighted so that no one is confused, just notify me and I will
        be glad to clearly state the obvious.



                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 28

|       Registering your copy of PCAT32 so that you can legally use it:

        There are three levels of registration:

             1.This allows you  to use  a single copy  of PCAT.   You  will
                 receive a copy of the  latest version.  This version  will
                 allow you to  specify the memory  allocation and  therefor
                 not get many of the "Too many.." messages.  You will  also
                 receive the next major update to PC-Catalog free of charge
                 as soon as it is available.  Registration at this level is
|                $19.95.

             2. In  addition  to a  level  1 registration,  you  will  also
                 receive a single copy of each of the support programs that
                 allow you to create and maintain your own description
|                files.  Registration at this level is $29.95.

             3.In addition  to  a  level  2  registration,  you  will  also
                 receive a  complete automatic  description file.   At  the
                 time I am writing this, the file contains descriptions for
                 almost 40,000  files.   The  file  that you  receive  will
                 contain even more.  Registration at this level is $39.95.

        Quantity discounts are also available.  Contact me with your needs.

        To register, simply fill out this order form and send it, along
        with your check or money order, to:

                               Acorn Engineering
                               44 Ridgelane Drive
                               Decatur, Il. 62521
             (Please print)
        Name:               ------------------------------------------

        Company:            ------------------------------------------

        Address:            ------------------------------------------

        City, State, Zip:   ------------------------------------------

        Level of registration requested:
|            1: Unlimited version of PCAT and free update...$19.95 ___
|            2: Level 1 plus support programs...............$29.95 ___
             3: Level 2 plus huge file of descriptions......$39.95 ___

        What type of disk do you use?     5 1/4"     3 1/2"

|       Where did you get your copy of PCAT32?

        --------------------------------------------------------------

|       Do you have any suggestions for improving PCAT32?

        --------------------------------------------------------------

        What other types of programs would you like to see written?

        --------------------------------------------------------------

                PC-Catalog Disk Cataloging system - version 3.2     Page 29

             Some people insist on having a pretty title page for their
        documentation but I find that it is annoying to have to page
        through it every time I want to read the documentation with a
        lister program in my "paperless" office.  I almost never have a
        hard copy of documentation.  (The place is enough of a fire hazard
        as it is with books everywhere.)

             Be that as it may, for those of you who prefer printed
        documentation, here is your title page.  It requires an IBM
        graphics printer or compatible.













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    ┴       ╘════          ╘════  ┴    ┴    ┴    ┴    ┴  ╘════ ╘════╛ ╘════╛












          Documentation for the PC-Catalog disk cataloging system

                               Version 3.2




















                (C) Copyright 1989 - 1991 by Dale R. Andrews
                            All rights reserved


         ----------------end-of-author's-documentation---------------

                         Software Library Information:

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