home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Crawly Crypt Collection 1
/
crawlyvol1.bin
/
utility
/
disk
/
dm3
/
dm3.man
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1987-04-21
|
19KB
|
489 lines
DISKMASTER 3
Instruction Manual
Written by Tom Gordon
(C) 1993 Armchair Grafix
INDEX
Section Name
1 Disclaimer
1.1 Shareware Notice
2 Introduction
3 History
4 The Program
4.1 Getting Started
4.2 Moving Around
4.3 Selecting Files
4.4 Moving through the list
4.5 Removing a drive
5. Some Functions
5.1 Identify
5.2 DirSize
5.3 Move
5.4 Sort
5.5 Play
5.6 Colour
5.7 Safe Mode
6 Overview
6.1 About
6.2 Identify
6.3 MKDIR
6.4 RMDIR
6.5 DirSize
6.6 Free
6.7 Copy
6.8 Rename
6.9 Delete
6.10 Move
6.11 Sort
6.12 Format
6.13 View
6.14 Play
6.15 Print
6.16 Open
6.17 All
6.18 None
6.19 Saver
6.20 Colour
6.21 Log Drive
6.22 Unlog
6.23 Safe Mode
7 Lastly
8 Under Consideration
9 Thanks
10 Author's Address
Disclaimer
This software is released 'as is'. No warranty is given for
any misuse of this software. No warranty is given for any damage
caused by use of this program.
1.2 Shareware notice
This program is NOT public domain. Copyright remains with the
author and Armchair Grafix (R).
This program is SHAREWARE. If you have not registered, please
fill in the registration form and send it to the address at the
end of this file.
This program may be distributed as long as the accompanying
files are left intact. These files may be archived for upload to
any bulletin board.
The following file should be kept together AT ALL TIMES:
DM3.PRG the program (or DM3_U.PRG - unregistered)
DM3.MAN this manual
DM3.REG the registration form
2. Introduction
DiskMaster 3 is a disk-based utility program. It came about
because of the annoyance of having to go hunting through hundred
of disks for the right utilities to look at files on disks. And
so, DiskMaster 3 was born.
3. History
DiskMaster 1 was the first version, written in 1991 by myself
as an aid to using the Atari. This version was never completed to
my satisfaction, and so was never released into the public domain.
In June, 1993, after learning assembly language, I started
work on an isometric adventure game. Part of this program was a
text-writer routine to print a small font on a low-res graphic
screen. Out of the versatility I built into the routine came the
impetus to start work on a new version of diskmaster. Since I had
already started on version 2, using a slow text routine, I decided
to revamp the front-end and replace the existing text routine with
the new, faster one. Out of this came version 3.
4. The Program
4.1 Getting started
To get started with DiskMaster, after loading the program,
replace the DiskMaster disk with another disk, click on the 'LOG
DISK' icon, select a side and then select a drive. Once this has
been done, the program will read the disk and display a list of
files in the selected file list window. The letter of the drive
will be displayed above the file list window.
4.2 Moving around
Files marked 'DIR' are directories. To enter a directory,
place the mouse pointer anywhere on the NAME of the directory, and
click the left mouse button once. The filename will now appear
highlighted. If at this point you decide NOT to enter the
selected directory, click on the filename again with the RIGHT
mouse button. To enter the highlight directory, click on the
highlighted name again with the LEFT mouse button.
The program will now enter the directory, and read any files
in that directory. The current path will be displayed just above
the file list window.
The first file listed in directories is always a single dot.
This is unused. The second file is always two dots. Clicking ONCE
on this file with the left mouse button will return you back
ONE directory level.
If, at any time, the current path name is more than 24
chartacters long, only the last 24 characters will be displayed.
(i.e. it will always show the current directory at the extreme
right hand side of the pathname bar.)
4.3 Selecting files
To select a single file, click ONCE on the filename with the
LEFT mouse button. The name will be highlighted.
To deselect a highlighted file, click on it again with the
LEFT mouse button.
Once a file or files have been highlighted, the functions of
DiskMaster will work on those files. DiskMaster will perform no
functions on un-highlighted files.
4.4 Moving through the list.
If the number of files in a directory is more than 18, the
red bar to the right of the file list (between the arrows) will be
shorter. This bar gives an indication of how many files there are
on the disk, and approximately where in the list you are currently
looking.
To move through the list, click on either the up or down
arrows. Clicking with the LEFT mouse button will scroll through 1
file at a time. Clicking with the RIGHT mouse button will scroll
through 18 files at a time.
4.5 Removing a drive
To remove a drive from one of the file lists, select 'UNLOG',
and then select a side. The drive will be removed automatically.
(This is not a physical removal, just a removal as far as the
program is concerned. Selecting 'LOG DISK' again on the same drive
will let the program access the files on that disk again.)
5. Some Functions
5.1 Identify
Selecting 'IDENTIFY' will scan through any logged drives and
try an identify the file type of any files that have been
'tagged'. It will pause after each identify. Pressing a mouse
button will move to the next file in the list.
5.2 DirSize
'DIRSIZE' scans through any logged drives for tagged
directories. If it finds one, DIRSIZE performs processing on the
directory to determine how many bytes are used in the directory
tree, how many subdirectories there are in the tree, and how many
files there are in the tree. DIRSIZE displays a status window
while the processing is going on, giving a running commentary on
which directories and files are being processed. After DIRSIZE has
completed, it returns the above information and then waits for a
mouse button to be pressed.
5.3 Move
Move performs the same function as copy, however, after
copying the file, it deletes the source copy. See 'COPY' for more
information.
5.4 Sort
Sort is used to change the way the files are listed in the
file windows. The default, UNS, means 'display the files as they
appear on the disk', with no sorting. ABC means 'sort the files in
alphabetical order', and EXT means 'sort the files in alphabetical
order, by extension'. In other words, sort the extensions in
alphabetical order.
SORT works on all file lists at the same time.
5.5 Play
Play can play either Amiga *.MOD soundtracker files or
digital sound samples. PLEASE NOTE: DiskMaster 3 will only play
Amiga soundtracker modules of the NEW type. Old versions of Amiga
Soundtracker are not supported. STE stereo output is NOT supported
in version 3.
Samples can only be played at the default 10.24Khz rate in
version 3.
If you aren't sure which version of MOD the file is, use
IDENTIFY. IDENTIFY will only recognise NEW MOD types (i.e. ones
that can be played)
5.6 Colour
Selecting 'COLOUR' will display a colour selector window, in
which the user can change the colours of the program. Selecting
any one of the six colours with the left mouse button will allow
that colour to be changed. The small window just above the main
window shows how the colour changes will affect the final display.
Colour values are changed by moving one of the three colour
intensity sliders. The current value of the colour is displayed
just below the colour boxes.
Once the colours have been set, clicking on OK will apply the
selected colours to the whole screen. Clicking on on 'C' will
cancel the operation, and clicking on 'D' will restore the default
colour palette.
5.7 Safe Mode
Safe Mode is a simple ON/OFF switch. If Safe Mode is turned
'ON', any operation that writes to the disk will be interupted
with a confirmation message. Selecting 'YES' will allow the
operation to go ahead, whereas selecting 'NO' will cancel the
operation. This is designed to be a last check before changing a
disk, but it can be disabled if necessary.
6. Overview
6.1 About
Displays an about box.
6.2 Identify
Attempts to identify the type of any tagged files.
6.3 MKDIR
Attempts to create a directory on the selected drive. The
directory name is entered from the keyboard into the window
titled 'Please Enter Name'. Filenames cannot exceed 8 characters
with a three character extension.
6.4 RMDIR
Attempts to remove a tagged directory from the selected disk.
If the selected directory is NOT empty, an error will be generated.
6.5 DirSize
Returns the size, in bytes, number of directories and the
number of files within the selected directory tree.
6.6 Free
If 'RAM' is selected from the submenu on the right hand side
of the screen, the amount of currently available ram is returned.
If 'DISK' is selected from the submenu, the amount of free
bytes on any of the logged drives is returned. If, for some reason
this cannot be determined, an error is generated.
6.7 Copy
This copies all tagged files from one disk to another. If
files are tagged on both disks, the program will copy all files
from the left hand selected drive to the right hand selected drive
first, and then perform the operation from the right hand side
selected drive to the left hand selected drive.
6.8 Rename
Attempts to rename any tagged file with a new name entered
from the keyboard. Pressing 'ESC' during the name entry will abort
the operation on that fle.
6.9 Delete
Attempts to delete all tagged files from the selected drives.
6.10 Move
Copies all tagged files, and then deletes the original file
from disk.
6.11 Sort
Left mouse button:
Sort file lists according to the selected option.
Right Mouse button:
Display submenu of sort types on the right hand side of
the screen. Selecting one of these options with the LEFT mouse
button will set the sort type to that selected. The option
selected is NOT performed when selected.
6.12 Format
Displays a format window with a list of options. Clicking on
the options with the LEFT mouse button will changes them. Once the
selected options have been set, clicking on GO will format the
selected disk.
Clicking on EXIT will abort the operation.
During formatting, holding down either mouse button will stop
the formatting.
This function WILL NOT format hard drives.
The formatted disk is NOT automatically logged.
6.13 View
Left Mouse Button:
View any tagged files of the selected type.
Right Mouse Button:
Displays a type submenu on the right hand side of the
screen. Selecting one of the types with the LEFT mouse
button changes the default view type to that selected.
Valid types: NEO - NeoChrome picture files
PI? - Degas Low or Medium resolution
uncompressed picture files.
PC? - Degas Low or Medium resolution
compressed picture files.
SPU - Spectrum 512 uncompressed picture
files.
6.14 Play
Left mouse button
Plays any of the tagged files of the selected type.
Right Mouse Button:
Displays a type submenu on the right hand side of the
screen. Selecting a type with the LEFT mousebutton
changes the default type.
Valid types : MOD - Amiga soundtracker modules.
SPL - *.SPL or *.SAM digital sound
samples.
ABK - AMOS/STOS tracker modules.
6.15 Print
Left mouse button
Print all tagged files of the selected type to the
printer.
Right mouse button
Displays a type submenu on the right hand side of the
screen.
Valid types: PIC - prints NEO or Degas picture files.
TXT - prints all file types as text
DIR - prints the selected directory list
6.16 Open
Opens all tagged files as text files. Press HELP in the
display window for help with the text viewer.
6.17 All
Tags ALL the files on the selected drive list
6.18 None
Untags ALL the files on the selected drive list
6.19 Saver
Left mouse button
Select the time delay for inactivitty before the screen
saver starts.
Right Mouse button
Displays a submenu of screen saver types on the right
hand side of the screen. Select the type with the LEFT
mouse button.
6.20 Colour
Displays the colour selction window. The program colours may
be changed from this window.
6.21 Log
After selecting which side to log the drive list to, select
the drive from the submenu on the right hand side on the screen.
If any of the listed drives is not connected to the system, it
cannot be selected.
WARNING! Systems with only ONE drive will be able to access
both drives A and B. This is caused by a quirk in the Atari
operating system.
RAM drives are recognised.
6.22 Unlog
Removes the selected drive list from view.
6.23 Safe Mode
Displays a submenu on the right hand side of the screen.
Selecting an option with the LEFT mouse button turns safe mode on
or off.
7. Lastly
Clicking with the RIGHT mouse button within either of the
file windows, but NOT on a directory name will force the program
to re-read the file list from disk
Both of the icons marked QUIT will exit the program when they
are selected with EITHER mouse button.
8. Under Consideration
The following options are under consideration for future
versions of this program, subject to demand from registered users.
1. Archive Lister - list files in archives:
(ZOO,ZIP,ARJ,ARC,LZH)
2. Archive file extraction
(ZOO,ZIP,ARJ,ARC,LZH)
3. Saveable configuration file
(save default types + colours)
4. Monochrome monitor support
(not supported because I don't have
one)
5. Variable speed sample replay (coming in V3.1)
6. Quartet 4V support
7. TCB Tracker module support
8. Sector Editing Tools
9. Thanks
Thanks go to the following people:
Gabriella for moral and physical support
Norm P for the library
Peter K for testing it
Danny S also for testing it
Patrice L for comments, tips, hints and suggestions
(and also for testing it a bit...)
Evan C for his ideas on the DIRSIZE routine
10. Author's Address
Please direct any comments and/or criticisms to one of the
following address:
Normal Mail - Tom Gordon
24 Auricht Rd,
Hahndorf,
South Australia,
Australia,
5245
Electronic Mail -
9210142z@levels.unisa.edu.au
or 9210142z@lux.levels.unisa.edu.au
or 9210142z@ntx.city.unisa.edu.au