Informática Multimedia 1995 April

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TXTRUN.EXE (turning text into softwares.) version 0.8 (c) copy right 1990-91 All Rights Reserved Did you want to make your own software without knowing the ABC (Assembler, Basic or C)? (or Pascal etc) A program which turns your ascii text into .COM software (not .EXE) with pop up page (or open like a vertical/ horizontal/both-way door and which then moves to where it should) and selections to go to other pages or softwares? Something which can behave like a pull-down menu software, or a simple dungeons and dragons game with rooms/floors or a DOS shell to run other softwares/batch-files/DOS-commands? (and moving the cursor to each selection also displays a detailed line of text explaining what it will do) Due to the numerous features here, this accompanying document is large, so it was divided into several segments starting with TXTRUN.DOC TXTRUN.DC1 TXTRUN.DC2 Some features are explained several times among these documents so that you do not have to memorize everything as a whole in order to understand how to use this program, but skim through these documents so that you have an idea as to what features exist. Do not modify the generated software (filename.COM type) yourself. It's easy for us to (for example) add overlays so that you can access even bigger texts, but your tampering may damage your computer. Alt### here means press down on the alt key and while keeping it pressed down, type one to three numbers on the numeric keypad and then release the alt key. They do not refer to the numbers above the letters "QWERTYUIOP". Before you go further, try running this program with TXTRUNDC.TXT as in TXTRUN ETXTRUNDC.TXT<ntr> ^--don't forget this "E" for Edit. This provides interactive help. Then you can see the TXTRUNDC.TXT document text file with your editor or word processor to see how it looked like. The set up of this document is as follows: TXTRUN.DOC Explanations of various in-line command parameters. EDIT A FILE CHANGING THE LETTER "T" IN .EDT CHANGING THE SCREEN CODE CHR(19) CHANGING THE FORM FEED CODE CHR(12) TURNING OFF THE BEEPING MAKING YOUR OWN BOX CHARACTERS THE <NTR> CODE AS MUSIC SIGN WHILE EDITING POPPING DOWN FROM ANOTHER LEVEL ON ANY PAGE ONE WAY PASSAGE THROUGH PAGES CLEARING THE SCREEN (NUMBER OF ROWS) CLEARING THE SCREEN (NUMBER OF COLUMNS) CLEARING THE SCREEN TO ANOTHER ATTRIBUTE ALLOW SNOW ON CGA SUBROUTINE SIGNIFIER CHANGE BACK PATCHING THE PROGRAM TXTRUN.DC1 FORMAT REQUIRED FOR YOUR TEXT FILE CALLING OTHER PAGES AS SUBROUTINES RUNNING OTHER SOFTWARES FROM YOUR PAGES COMMENTING EACH SELECTION ON YOUR SCREEN HOW TXTRUN.EXE WORKS EDITING REGULAR TEXT FILE EDITING EITHER .EDT OR REGULAR TEXT FILE MOVING THE PAGES AROUND AND CHANGING ITS SIZE DEFINING THE PAGE ORDERS CALLING SUBROUTINES OR RUNNING SOFTWARES THE .COM SOFTWARE CHAT in a HAT TXTRUN.DC2 Prompts and messages generated by TXTRUN.EXE. Disclaimer, contribution $/address, info for sysops and shareware distributors. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= IN-LINE COMMAND PARAMETERS TXTRUN parameters<ntr> explanations =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= HELP If you simply type TXTRUN<ntr> then you get the help page built into this program for quick reference so that you can avoid reading documents such as this. But this file contains more detailed information. The "<ntr>" is our way of saying <CR>, ^M, ^13, <ENTER>, carriage return, <ENTER> etc which all mean the same thing. We also use <bks> for backspace, <esc> for the escape key, and "any key" to mean any function key, cursor key, letters, etc etc. There is no one key with the word "any", but if we say "space bar", we mean the big long key. If you type incorrect values or no required values with most options, very detailed error messages will display to act as a context sensitive help. Once you have read this document and know the types of options available, you can use this feature as a context sensitive help without referring back too often to this document. Normally, you can run TXTRUN within a batch file so that you don't have to remember or to type the optional parameters which control TXTRUN. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= RUNNING WITH DEFAULTS ONLY This program has no memory resident option. Do not use the RUN option, because it does not exist. However, when this program (TXTRUN.EXE with ".EXE" file extension) changes your text file into a .COM software with DOS shell to run your softwares/batch-files/DOS-commands, the .COM software will be memory resident while running your software etc. The .COM software is not given the ability to detect the presence of itself in memory because as soon as your software etc exits, the .COM software regains control automatically. Normally, something which can change an editable file into a .COM software is called a "compiler" and is said to "compile" a "source file" into an "executable program", but is here called a "program" (the TXTRUN.EXE) which can "change" your "text file" into a ".COM software". The reason is due to technicalities and in order to avoid flooding you with unnecessary terminologies. This program is called "TXTRUN" and refers to the TXTRUN.EXE program itself. It is not called "TXTRUN.EXE" because this (version, at least) does not have an accompanying action modifier file TXTRUN (no file extension such as .TXT, .DOC) to necessitate differentiating between the two forms. Not being English majors, you may not appreciate the wording as easy to understand, but most regional expressions are eliminated for the benefit of people whose native tongue is not North American English. (But a British spell checker was used, so that there's a chance that a word which is incorrect in the U.S. may exist.) The difference between a program or software with file name extension .EXE and .COM lies in their sizes. .EXE type may be any size you want, while .COM type is limited to 64 KB (about 65,536 bytes minus 256 for beginning and 256 - 1024 bytes at the end for stack etc depending on DOS version). It is not necessary for you to understand the significance of these naming standards in order to use TXTRUN. If you're interested in using standard computer programming languages, refer to the appropriate compilers and accompanying manuals. TXTRUN assumes that you have some minimal amount of understanding about computers, but otherwise guides you step by step on its way. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= EDIT A FILE This is normally the first option to use. I hope you already ran the sample TXTRUNDC.TXT file as recommended? Given any text file, it is changed into a .COM software by using this option as follows TXTRUN Eyourfile<ntr> Note that there is no space between the "E" option and the name of your file. Any subdirectory path which exists is allowed. DOS 3 and above will allow your file name to include extended ascii above chr(127). If you have a space between the E option and your file name, then a message tells you what happened. Your text file may have any file extension (the .EXE, .COM, .TXT, .DOC etc part) except ".EDT" which this program uses. If any of your softwares must use this file extension, then the T option as explained next must be used. If you have any other option after the E option, since the E option is followed by the file name, the other option must be separated from the file name by a space or a tab as in TXTRUN EYOURFILE.DOC other-options<ntr> TXTRUN EYOURFILE<tab>other-options<ntr> All options which will affect the file which you are editing should be placed BEFORE the E option, since the Edit option will start running as soon as TXTRUN sees it, rather than waiting for the other options which follows like this: TXTRUN AOFF BOFF Eyourfile<ntr> This strange feature is designed so that future versions can edit multiple text files like this TXTRUN Eonefile.txt Enextfile.doc Emorefile<ntr> up to the 128 characters limit allowed by DOS, if such a feature is desired. (it's useful in a batch file) Your text file may have any file extension, but if there is a file extension, do type it. TXTRUN does not assume that your text file has any file extension so that if you type TXTRUN Eyourfile<ntr> it will look for a file called "yourfile", not "yourfile.txt" or "yourfile.doc" or "yourfile.fil" etc. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CHANGING THE LETTER "T" IN .EDT Normally, TXTRUN will make an intermediary file with the name of your file and the file extension .EDT which will hold all changes you've done to your text file before making the .COM software. If your other softwares uses files with the same file extension, then you can change or avoid the letter "T" in ".EDT". Let's say that you want TXTRUN to edit YOURFILE.TXT and make the intermediary file YOURFILE.EDD, rather than YOURFILE.EDT: TXTRUN TD EYOURFILE.TXT<ntr> will edit your file, but when you type "S" at the menu page 0 to save the intermediary file, it will save a file called YOURFILE.EDD, rather than YOURFILE.EDT as expected. Note that the "TD" comes before the EYOURFILE.TXT. If you had TXTRUN EYOURFILE.TXT TD<ntr> then it will save YOURFILE.EDT because the edit option starts running as soon as TXTRUN sees the E option. If all combinations of .ED"A" through .ED"Z" and numbers such as .ED"0" through .ED"9" are used or you don't want to type three letters because it's bothersome, then what? TXTRUN T EYOURFILE.TXT<ntr> ^ | Note the space here. Now, the intermediary file written to disk will be "YOURFILE.ED". Be sure to use the same "T " option when you edit this file as follows TXTRUN T EYOURFILE.ED<ntr> If you do TXTRUN EYOURFILE.ED<ntr> TXTRUN will be confused because it thinks that you wanted to edit a regular ascii text file with the file extension .ED, but it finds the content of the text file looks like an .EDT intermediary file. If you want on-line context sensitive help or if you accidentally type either of TXTRUN T<ntr> TXTRUN T<tab> EYOURFILE.TXT<ntr> you will get the message explaining about the letter "T" option. After the T option, the only characters allowed are " " (also known as chr(32), space or <spc>) to avoid any letter, or chr(33) - chr(255). Depending on your DOS version, some characters in this range are not allowed but allowed on others. Characters such as the less than sign "<", bar character "|" and the greater than sign ">" are never allowed because they are used by every DOS versions and all small letters and capital letters are treated identically. If you can afford the blank diskettes, it is highly recommended that you make the intermediary yourfile.EDT file before you make any .COM software from it. The .EDT file has all the page sizes, locations, attributes and others included so that you can make another .COM software from it, rather than starting from the beginning with your text file. Default is TXTRUN TT .......<ntr> Typing this is the same as if you did not type it. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CHANGING THE SCREEN CODE CHR(19) The enclosed TXTRUNDC.TXT file is pure ascii, and you should be able to make something like it with any editor or ascii word processor (including EDLIN.COM which comes with DOS), but it includes two control codes which must be present. One is the form feed code (chr(12) which appear as the venus mirror sign, which is often called the "female symbol"). The other is the screen code, which is written here as "^S". This is the control-S key combination which is entered by pressing down on the control key and while keeping this key pressed down, also pressing down on the letter ess "S", not typing the caret character "^", releasing it, then typing the capital letter ess "S". The control-S can also be entered by pressing down on the alt key and while keeping it pressed down, typing "19" on the numeric keypad, not the "1" above the letter "Q" and the "9" above the letters "IO". On lower cost laptops (and palmtops), there is no dedicated numeric keypad, but your manual(s) will explain the special key which will let you enter such key combinations. Regardless of the actual keyboard layout, there should be no incompatibility software wise, as long as it is IBM PC compatible. This is compatible with all standard IBM CGA, monochrome, EGA and VGA. Some support is provided for non-standard video cards. For compatibility with low cost PCs, this works in text modes only and will change graphic mode screen to text mode before running. If your editor to make text files cannot include the ^S code in your text file, then you can replace the screen code required with some character which you would not normally use in your text file. To make reverse character high-lighted line which will run another software, you need "^SS" in your text file. If your editor cannot place this in your text, but you will not use the reverse single quote sign "`", which is chr(96), in your text file, you can try TXTRUN S96 Eyourfile.txt<ntr> With this, everytime your text file has the two characters "`S" (or "`s", since you can use capital or small letters), TXTRUN will accept this as a place where you want to have a selection to run another software (or batch file or DOS commands such as DIR, COPY, RENAME etc). The allowed values are S0 - S255, but you cannot use the followings TXTRUN S13 Eyourfile.txt<ntr> (1) TXTRUN S10 Eyourfile.txt<ntr> (2) TXTRUN S12 Eyourfile.txt<ntr> (3) TXTRUN S9 Eyourfile.txt<ntr> (4) TXTRUN S8 Eyourfile.txt<ntr> (5) The (1) cannot be used because you are trying to say that the screen code is the same as the <ntr> code which doesn't make sense if you're using an ascii editor. (2) doesn't make sense either because it's the <lf> "line feed" code. (3) is the form feed code. S9 is similarly not allowed because TXTRUN will remove all tabs (which are chr(9)) from your text. S8 is not allowed because TXTRUN uses this code to mark each page. Normally, you would not be able to use chr(8) in your text anyway, since chr(8) is "backspace" to delete the last character which you typed. The recommended values are S33 - S127 if you cannot enter extended ascii codes and S33 - 255 if you can enter extended ascii codes. There is no provision to prevent you from using S1 - S7 but is not recommended. (if you can enter control codes, there should be no need to redefine the screen code with another control codes.) Extended ascii codes chr(128) - chr(255) is something IBM made for its PC line back in 1981. If you use the JIS coding which allows multi-European and Japanese kana/kanji, it's a frustratingly tiny set, but its better than IBM EBCDIC or DEC RAD50 (may they rest in piece, whoops, I meant peace) Default is TXTRUN S19 .......<ntr> Typing this is the same as if you did not type it. Wherever an option requires you to type letters and related characters, those letters must be stuck to the option without any space like this: TXTRUN AOFF Eyourfile<ntr> ^ ^ | | these are connected to its suboption or values without any space or tab separating them. Wherever an option requires you to type numbers, those numbers need not be stuck to the option and may be separated by spaces and tabs like this TXTRUN S 19 Eyourfile<ntr> The reason for this discrepancy between the two forms is because numbers cannot contain spaces, but <spc> (also illustrated as " " or chr(32)) is considered one of the non-number characters. That's the reason why the BOX option can include spaces like this which are valid for the BOX option. Or they TXTRUN BOX1 Eyourfile<ntr> could be <tab> or ^^^^^^^^ some other non- |||||||| conventional 12345678 characters in here. eight spaces =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CHANGING THE FORM FEED CODE CHR(12) Normally, the presence of the form feed code determines how long (number of rows) the page displayed will be. The recommended length is after 23 rows when the .COM software will be running on any monitor, 41 on 43 rows EGA monitors only or 48 on 50 rows VGA monitors only. This discrepancy allows for the box itself, which occupies two columns and two rows of your screen. If your editor cannot place a form feed code in your text, then you can use a character which you normally do not include in your text file. The same restrictions and freedoms as for the above screen code applies here. The TXTRUNDC.TXT shows how the form feed or its equivalent should be used. If your text file normally does not contain the at sign "@" (chr(64)) and you cannot insert the form feed sign (chr(12)), then you can substitute the at sign wherever a form feed is required in your text and do TXTRUN F64 Eyourfile<ntr> This lets TXTRUN interpret every at sign "@" as a form feed code. Note that the F option is before the E option, since the Edit option will run as soon as it is found and will not wait for other options which follows it. If you use WordStar as your editor, use it in the non-word wrapping non-document mode. If you use the new WordStar which allow extended ascii, do not use extended ascii, since WordStar includes special codes before and after each extended ascii. The restrictions and exceptions of various word processors and editors are not documented here because that requires an entire book on its own. When in doubt, just use the regular printable characters which you can see on your keyboard directly, such as the symbols above the numbers "!@#$%^&*()_+". Default is TXTRUN F12 .....<ntr> Typing this is the same as if you did not type it. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= TURNING OFF THE BEEPING While Editing your text file, TXTRUN makes a loud Beeping sound accompanying some error messages. If you're annoyed by such sounds, you can turn it OFF by using the B option TXTRUN BOF Eyourfile<ntr> TXTRUN BOFF Eyourfile<ntr> Either form is allowed to turn OFF the Beeping. The letter "B" must be connected with the letters "OF" or "OFF" in order for this to work. There is another option which begins with the letters "BO" so typing "BO" alone does not work. The default is TXTRUN BON .....<ntr> but no such option exists and will be marked as an error if you do try to type it. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= MAKING YOUR OWN BOX CHARACTERS Once you begin Editing your text file, control-left and control-right lets you change the box types. There are symmetric and asymmetric shapes which can be used to signify that you're on the main section, sub-section, left corner, right corner and other choices. If you don't like any of the nine types provided, you can replace the box types with your own. Box type 1 is the double line box type. If you want to replace it with numbers "02345678" (this is a ridiculous choice, but it illustrates what characters are required in what order) just do TXTRUN BOX102345678 Eyourfile<ntr> All type 1 boxes will now look like this. The blank on the right bottom will be filled with the 0222222222222223 page number which you are using now. 4 5 4 5 The first number "1" after "BOX" as 4 5 in "BOX1" indicates that you want to 4 5 change the box type 1 of 1 - 9 choices. 6 777777777778 Allowed types are TXTRUN BOX1......<ntr> through TXTRUN BOX9......<ntr> for the nine box types. Anything outside this range is not allowed. Except for the <ntr> code itself, any and all character which DOS doesn't intercept (such as "<", "|" and ">") is acceptable as the eight codes making up the box, including other control codes. (chr(1) - chr(31)). TXTRUN BOX2[] Eyourfile<ntr> will try to replace the box type 2 (single line box) with the characters "[] Eyour" and will see "file" as the Form feed code substitution. The form feed code is not followed by a number, so it will tell you that the form feed code is incorrect. TXTRUN BOX3<ntr> will try to replace the box type 3 (double line on top and bottom, single line on left and right), but since you did not have eight characters following it, it reports this as an error. If you type TXTRUN B3<ntr> This is seen as a Beep OFF feature, but since you did not follow the B option with OF or OFF, it will not run. If you don't want any visible box around your text, the box type 9 is filled with blank spaces, but the .COM software made by TXTRUN will still act as if there is a box and will still restrict text to 78 columns wide on an 80 columns wide screen. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE <NTR> CODE AS MUSIC SIGN WHILE EDITING While you're Editing your text file, the end-of-line on each line is indicated by the presence of a music sign. This same sign will appear once the .COM software is made also. If you don't want anything to appear to indicate the end of each line, replace the E13 default to E32 like this. TXTRUN N32 Eyourfile<ntr> Now the end-of-line indicator is chr(32), which is <spc>, or also shown as " ". Since this cannot be seen, this will not show. If you used the alt-T option to make the Top line on each page into a Title for that page, that line will never have an end-of-line indicator, since that's inappropriate for a title anyway. Any codes chr(1) through chr(255) are allowed for this since this only affects how the screen will display on screen. It does not affect how the text is handled internally. If you use the <tab> code as in TXTRUN N9 Eyourfile<ntr> then the end-of-line indicator will be a rectangular box with a round hole in the middle, not a <tab> on screen. No other memory resident utility can intercept this because characters are written directly to screen. (multi-tasking operating systems, especially on those running on 80386 or 80486 based PCs are exceptions). As stressed several times, there are many cases of exceptions and exceptions to exceptions, but documenting all such cases requires a thick book which takes a long time to write, but will be boring and you will not see added value to such a text, so it is not included. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= POPPING DOWN FROM ANOTHER LEVEL ON ANY PAGE By default, you can go down from any higher level down to lower level at any page. (TXTRUNDC.TXT explains what this is all about graphically). To restrict this so that you can only go down one level at the page you went up at, TXTRUN AOFF Eyourfile<ntr> This Any-page-can-be-popped-off-with-an-<ntr> OFF forces the user to go back to the page which allowed going up to the higher level before going down to the former level. Note that alphabetically, this should have come in the beginning, but is mentioned this late because this is not expected to be used by as many people as the other options mentioned so far. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ONE WAY PASSAGE THROUGH PAGES Normally, when you define a connection between two pages via the left/right cursor or PgUp/PgDn, the passage is a two way road, so that if you enter one page using the left cursor, you can go back to it with the right cursor. When making a dungeons and dragon game, it is often useful to restrict this passage to allow entry in one direction only. In this case, use TXTRUN ONE Eyourfile<ntr> and the passage way which you define is one-way only. The TXTRUNDC.TXT explains this as well, and you can change to or back to two-way passage while editing by using the alt-end key combination. On many laptops and all palmtops, you cannot find anything called alt-end, but pressing down on the alt key and typing "1" on your equivalent of a numeric keypad has the same effect. If you have a choice between typing "1" on your equivalent of a numeric keypad or an alternate <end> key, type "1". There is no option which begins with just the letter oh "O", but this forces you to type all three letters because accidentally typing "O" by itself or with other options may accidentally activate this feature without your realizing that it was used. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CLEARING THE SCREEN (NUMBER OF ROWS) Normally, TXTRUN and the .COM software made by TXTRUN will clear 50 rows on screen. When you're running the .COM software only on 25 rows screen, this doesn't matter to you, but if you're running the .COM software on the top 25 rows and want to keep whatever you have on the bottom half of your EGA/VGA monitor's 43/50 rows, this gets erased as well. To prevent this, try TXTRUN CLR25 Eyourfile<ntr> This will only clear the top 25 rows on screen. The range is between CLR10 through CLR60 to clear only the first 10 rows up to 60 rows. Clearing less than 25 rows is only useful when none of the pop up pages will occupy all 25 rows: For example, if all pop ups will be 12 rows high and will not go beyond row 12, then CLR12 will clear only the top 12 rows and the rest of your screen can contain whatever else you wish to display at the same time. (if you write a software to do so, use the "^SS" codes in your text to call your software from the .COM software made by TXTRUN. TXTRUN is only designed to handle multiple-level pages when the screen is 80 by 50 rows equivalent (80 * 50 * 2 = 8,000 bytes). As long as multiple-level pages are not required, this will support any width screen up to 60 rows high by clearing the background accordingly. CLEARING THE SCREEN (NUMBER OF COLUMNS) Normally, TXTRUN (and the .COM software made by TXTRUN) will clear whatever width the screen happens to be. (usually 80 columns wide). To clear only 40 columns wide, try TXTRUN CLC40 Eyourfile<ntr> This clears only the left most 40 columns on screen. The range is between CLC10 through CLC100 to clear the left most 10 columns up to 100 columns. Unless you specify CLR25 also,, this will automatically clear 50 columns. If you want these pages to occupy only the left half of the screen and you want something else on the right half, this can be used. What you use this for is left up to you. CLEARING THE SCREEN TO ANOTHER ATTRIBUTE If the .COM software will only be run on color monitors, you can make the back ground into another color (attribute) other than black by using the CLRA option. To make the background blue (the pages themselves will not be affected), try CLRA20 as in TXTRUN CLRA20 Eyourfile<ntr> "CLRA 40" will make the background green and "CLRA 50" will make it cyan. Any text which will appear here will vary in color and other attributes. For an exact match of the background color to foreground color for any text which will appear here, try the alt-A to pop up the attribute screen while Editing the TXTRUNDC.TXT: The background color and character colors are as follows 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .... 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 .... 127 128 etc The very left top location at which you can't see anything is attribute 0, the next one where the letter appears blue on black background is attribute 1. The second row, first column color where you see black letter on red background is attribute 64 etc. The bottom half may not be blinking if you use the 512 character set on EGA/VGA or may contain other fonts on Hercules Ramfont etc. What will actually display when you run the .COM will depend on the active drivers and color remapping in effect then. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ALLOW SNOW ON CGA This will automatically differentiate between CGA from the others and compensates for the snowing effect on CGA when text is written directly to screen. This, however, causes the screen to loose about half of the screen when you use the alt-V, alt-H or the alt-M to change or move the pages around on screen. If you don't mind the snowing effect, then there is an option to treat the CGA video card as EGA/VGA. TXTRUN CGA Eyourfile<ntr> This tells TXTRUN to treat all CGA video cards as EGA/VGA, allowing the snowing effect to occur. This slows down displaying the pages on screen, and there will be a lot of snowing (there is no snow flakes, this is a term used to indicate that there will be a lot of video noise appearing on screen), but you can see the pages changing in size or moving. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= SUBROUTINE SIGNIFIER No error is reported when you have the S parameter at the moment, but is meant to display the letter "s" when you are not at the base level. This is not operational. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CHANGE BACK Do not use the C option yet. It will be used to change the .EDT file (or may be the .COM software) back into a regular text file, should you loose the original file. This is not fully operational. Do not use it. If no demand for such a feature is requested, it may never be made. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= PATCHING THE PROGRAM Due to the many features here, and since making modifications on one feature may affects what happens to other features, there may be a bug here which didn't exist before. As long as the patch required is only minor, there is an option to correct the bug and patch things without using DEBUG.COM. Do not use it, since tampering without knowing what you're doing can harm your computer hardwares or softwares. This feature is mentioned so that you'll know what to do if required, not to encourage you to play with it. TXTRUN P###1 ###2 Eyourfile<ntr> The patch is in effect when you run only. It does not permanently change the TXTRUN.EXE program as when DEBUG.COM was used. The requirement to enter a pair of numbers ###1 is 1 - 65535 and is the location. ###2 is 1 - 65535 and is the value to place at the location. As long as a patch is very minor, this can run your copy of TXTRUN before a modified version corrects it. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= IN CASE OF TROUBLE If you make the .COM software on one computer, but there is trouble when that .COM software is used on another computer, try going to page 1 on the text before making the .COM, but please report this if it happens. The .COM software will not run unless there is 128 KB of free system memory. This is used internally, and if it runs softwares, batch files etc, there has to be such space available to run them. (Memory is released and used dynamically, so CHKDSK.COM will not report that 128 KB is used at any time.) +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ For permanency, contact c/o Sawada LCS P.O. Box 956 Outremont, Quebec Canada H2V 4R8 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ ----------------end-of-author's-documentation--------------- Software Library Information: This disk copy provided as a service of Public (software) Library We are not the authors of this program, nor are we associated with the author in any way other than as a distributor of the program in accordance with the author's terms of distribution. Please direct shareware payments and specific questions about this program to the author of the program, whose name appears elsewhere in this documentation. If you have trouble getting in touch with the author, we will do whatever we can to help you with your questions. All programs have been tested and do run. To report problems, please use the form that is in the file PROBLEM.DOC on many of our disks or in other written for- mat with screen printouts, if possible. PsL cannot debug pro- programs over the telephone, though we can answer questions. 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