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1994-06-25
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M a s t e r B r o w s e 4 . 5
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Copyright 1993, 1994, Michel Forget
Electric Storm Software
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
" The *BEST* ST/STe/TT/Falcon Text File Viewer "
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
" MultiTOS, Geneva, & Mag!X Compatible "
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
*----------------------------------------------------------------*
| For information about the distribution of MasterBrowse, please |
| read the section of this manual entitled "DISTRIBUTION". |
*----------------------------------------------------------------*
- CONTENTS -
I. INTRODUCTION
II. DONATION-WARE
III. UPGRADING
IV. INSTALLING MASTERBROWSE
A. The Installation Program
B. NeoDesk 3.x
C. TeraDesktop
1. Application Method
2. Edit Method
D. Gemini/Mupfel
E. GEM Desktop
V. USING MASTERBROWSE
A. Starting MasterBrowse
B. Movement
1. Arrow Keypad
2. Application Keypad
3. GEM Desktop Keys
C. The MasterBrowse Menu System
1. MasterBrowse
a. "MasterBrowse..."
2. File
a. "Open Document..."
b. "Open Document Batch..."
c. "Quick Access..."
d. "Close Document"
e. "Close All Documents"
f. "Print Document..."
g. "Save Document..."
h. "Save Document Batch..."
i. "Quit"
3. Edit
a. "Select All"
b. "Remove Block Markers"
c. "Copy"
d. "Paste"
e. "Delete"
3. Window
a. "Rotate Windows"
b. "Window Title..."
c. "Iconify MasterBrowse"
d. "General Options..."
e. "Output Options..."
f. "Display Options..."
g. "Shortcuts..."
h. "Save Options"
i. "Save Options As..."
j. "Load Options..."
k. "Select Display Font..."
l. "Help..."
m. "Context Help..."
n. "Window Information..."
4. Markers
a. "Load Bookmark List..."
b. "Save Bookmark List..."
c. "Clear Bookmark..."
d. "Clear All Bookmarks"
e. "Print Block..."
f. "Save Block..."
g. "Expand Block"
h. "Block Information..."
5. Position
a. "Top Of Document"
b. "Bottom Of Document"
c. "Find..."
d. "Find Next"
e. "Find Previous"
f. "Push/Pop Position"
g. "Jump -> Search Pos."
h. "Jump -> Bookmark..."
i. "Jump -> Block Start"
j. "Jump -> Block End"
k. "Jump -> Line..."
l. "Jump -> Page..."
6. Markers (Window Menu #1)
a. "Set Block Start"
b. "Set Block End"
c. "Set Bookmark"
d. "Cancel"
D. The MasterBrowse Dialog System
VI. DISCLAIMER
VII. DISTRIBUTION
VIII. CONTACTING THE AUTHOR
IX. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
X. SUZY B'S SOFTWARE INFORMATION
XI. CLOSING
I. INTRODUCTION
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Everyone who owns a computer has, at one time or another, needed
to view the contents of a text file. The text file viewer supplied
with Atari computers will allow you to do this, but it is lacking in
many respects.
MasterBrowse is a replacement text file viewer for any Atari computer,
in any resolution except low (though this restriction is not enforced). It
offers many features that the Atari text file viewer does not:
o MasterBrowse has a friendly, easy-to-use, 100% GEM automated
installation program.
o MasterBrowse has an extremely fast GEM user interface, which makes
use of raster copy screen updates, GDOS/SpeedoGDOS fonts, pull-down
menus, windows, windowed dialog boxes, colour, round radio buttons,
checkboxes, keyboard shortcuts in dialog boxes, and more.
o MasterBrowse works with MultiTOS, MultiGEM, Mag!X, and Geneva. With
MultiTOS or Geneva, MasterBrowse can ensure that only one copy of
MasterBrowse is in memory at a time. If another copy of MasterBrowse
is launched, the copy of MasterBrowse already in memory will be
instructed to display the files. The utility that makes this
possible (the "client-program") can be configured to call an
alternate viewer for special types of files, such as pictures or
sound files.
MasterBrowse also understands the MultiTOS Drag & Drop Protocol.
With Mag!X, MasterBrowse can communicate with the desktop to ensure
that only one copy of MasterBrowse is in memory at a time, as with
Geneva and MultiTOS.
o MasterBrowse can use the command line to open documents (or to open a
document batch). The ARGV, xArg, and standard command line formats
are supported.
o MasterBrowse supports the View Protocol, by Peter Seitz, which allows
other programs to instruct MasterBrowse to display a file instead of
using their own default viewers. Currently, the following programs
support (or soon will support) the View Protocol: STZip, Lharc Shell,
ShowImage, GemView, and DiskList.
o MasterBrowse allows you to have a virtually unlimited number of
documents open at the same time, restricted only by the number
of available windows and the amount of free memory.
o MasterBrowse provides keyboard shortcuts for every menu entry. If
you do not like the default keyboard shortcuts for menu entries,
you can change them to suit your needs!
o MasterBrowse provides you with a Quick Document Access feature found
in no other program. With this feature, you can instantly load any
of the last seven files that have been opened (in case you need a
document again after closing it).
o MasterBrowse allows you to (optionally) save your configuration
automatically when you exit the program, or even save a document
batch that will automatically be loaded the next time you use
MasterBrowse.
o MasterBrowse allows you to use all of your familiar movement keys.
You can use the arrow keys, the application keypad, or even the space
bar and the return key.
o MasterBrowse allows you to move in any direction inside a
document, as you would expect. What you might not expect is that
you can tell MasterBrowse how far it should move when the movement
keys are pressed. How about moving two lines down instead of one?
Or perhaps three lines suits you better?
Do you still want more power? Keep reading.
-You can jump to a specific line, a specific page, the start of
a block, the end of a block, or any of ten personal "bookmarks"
that MasterBrowse supplies for each text window.
o MasterBrowse allows you to move through a document (by lines or pages)
using a special Quick Scroll Mode. It uses the shift, control, and
alternate keys so that the scrolling speed is not limited by the key
repeat rate.
o MasterBrowse offers unparalled power when it comes to searching!
In addition to the ability to search for up to three strings at
the same time, starting at the top of the document or at the
current position within the document, MasterBrowse allows the
use of Unix (TM) regular expression matching (wildcards).
A search may be conducted in reverse mode or forward mode. If you
desire, you can specify which of the three search strings will be
case sensitive and which will not.
o MasterBrowse also has powerful block operations. You can mark a
block and then save it to disk, print it, or write it to the
clipboard. You can control how the block is marked on the
screen. MasterBrowse can also be configured to remove the block
markers after a block operation is completed or to leave the
markers unchanged. Blocks are marked using the -MOUSE-, exactly
as they are marked with text editors. More? A block can even be
extracted from a larger document and placed inside a MasterBrowse
window with a single keypress! In addition, MasterBrowse can append
blocks (or entire documents) to already existing files.
o MasterBrowse is a master printer. It can print a document (or a
block) with page headings, page numbers, line numbers, a description
of the file or block, a synopsis, or any combination of the five.
MasterBrowse can even print an identification string for those
people who share a printer between more than one computer. You can
also save a block or an entire document to disk (or the clipboard),
with all of the same options available. MasterBrowse can even be
configured to use the special features of your printer, such as
bolding, italics, underlining, colour, and specialized fonts.
You want even more power? MasterBrowse can print on both sides of
the printer page, and indent your text.
o MasterBrowse gives you complete control over your windows. You
can cycle through them, change their titles, shrink them, close
one, close them all, or get information about them all using the
keyboard (or the mouse). MasterBrowse also allows you to remove the
vertical window scroll bar, the horizontal window scroll bar, or both
scroll bars (since a window that has no scroll bars can scroll more
than twice as fast as a window that does have scroll bars). In
addition, each MasterBrowse window can have different scroll bar
settings. The size of a window can be changed by clicking in the
bottom right-hand corner of the window, even if the window does not
have a "sizer" gadget.
o MasterBrowse supports batch files! If you use a certain group of
documents often, just load them up and tell MasterBrowse to create
a batch file. One double-click on the batch file, and they will
all be loaded again.
o MasterBrowse saves the positions of the first seven windows (if
you want it to), so you have complete control over where your
documents appear and how your screen looks.
o MasterBrowse allows you to load and save bookmark lists.
o Every window has a set of block markers and a set of ten bookmarks
to itself.
o MasterBrowse also has support for the clipboard! A block can be
written to the clipboard (with or without formatting) or the
clipboard can be read into a MasterBrowse window.
The features listed above -barely- scratch the surface of MasterBrowse!
II. DONATION-WARE
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
OR: Why should I send this person money if I have the program already?
MasterBrowse is Donation-Ware. If you use it regularly, and would like
to receive an OPTIMIZED and PERSONALIZED version of MasterBrowse, as well
as the other interesting applications and utilities described below, you
are encouraged to send $15 (Canadian/US) to:
Michel Forget
12209 Dovercourt Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
CANADA
T5L 4E1
If you do not live in North America (and you are writing to this
address instead of the address for users in the United Kingdom), please
send an international money order or the equivalent of $15 in your own
currency. Please do not send a personal cheque unless you live in
North America.
If you live in the United Kingdom, you can send 14 UKPounds (cheque
or money order) to Denesh Bhabuta:
ESS (c/o Denesh Bhabuta)
203 Parr Lane
Unsworth
Bury
Lancashire
BL9 8JW
Users who send in the donation also receive the following utilities and
applications:
AutoDate II -- A program that keeps track of the time and date
with virtually no effort on the part of the user.
AccPad -- A notepad desk accessory.
ESS-Code -- A powerful utility which every Internet/Usenet/BitNet
user should have.
MasterPrint -- A printing utility with all of the printing features of
MasterBrowse.
ShadowTerm II -- A full-featured terminal program by Electric Storm
Software.
By special arrangement, users who register MasterBrowse will also
receive a coupon for a FREE catalog from Suzy B's Software and a $3
credit toward the purchase of a disk from the Suzy B's Software
collection (which has over 8,000 files). For more information about
Suzy B's Software, please read section VIII of this manual.
III. UPGRADING
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
There are several ways to upgrade MasterBrowse once you have
registered it. If you have an Internet electronic mail address,
upgrades can be sent to you at no charge. If you do not have such an
electronic mail address, send $5 (Canadian/US) with your name, address,
and serial number. A disk with the new version of MasterBrowse (and
new versions of the bonus programs) will be sent to you promptly. When
you upgrade your version of MasterBrowse, you will also receive a $3
credit toward the purchase of a disk from the Suzy B's Software
collection.
The address to send the money to is:
Michel Forget
12209 Dovercourt Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
CANADA
T5L 4E1
If you live in the United Kingdom, you can send 3 UKPounds (cheque
or money order) to Denesh Bhabuta:
ESS (c\o Denesh Bhabuta)
203 Parr Lane
Unsworth
Bury
Lancashire
BL9 8JW
IV. INSTALLING MASTERBROWSE
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
It is very easy to install MasterBrowse on your system. Users of
alternate desktops should read the instructions pertaining to their
specific desktop, if it is listed.
MasterBrowse may load faster if you compress the executable. I would
suggest using Pack-Ice, since it gives the best compression. For a faster
decompression, PFX-Pack is excellent. You will save not only space by
compressing MasterBrowse, but you will also very likely save time.
A. The Installation Program
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To make the installation of MasterBrowse easier, an installation
program was created. The installation program will perform all of the
neccessary steps to install MasterBrowse under SingleTOS, MultiTOS, or
Geneva, or Mag!X.
The installation program does not, however, perform the "final"
step. Since there are so many replacement desktops available, there
is no way for MasterBrowse to automatically support all of the various
desktop configuration file formats available. Thus, the actual act of
installing MasterBrowse as an application, with the various file
extensions text files commonly have, is left to the user. This is a
simple matter, though, and the process is described below for a variety
of replacement desktops:
B. NeoDesk 3.x
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
If you have NeoDesk 3.x, all you need to do is put
MasterBrowse somewhere safe and install MBROWSE.PRG as your
alternate text file viewer. Consult your NeoDesk manual for
instructions on how to do this. Be sure to save your
configuration when you are done.
You should also install MBROWSE.PRG as an application that
utilizes files with the *.MB extender so that you can use
MasterBrowse Batch files.
C. TeraDesktop
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
If you have the TeraDesktop, you are lucky. There are
two ways for you to install MasterBrowse.
1. Application Method
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Put MasterBrowse in a safe place, and install MBROWSE.PRG as an
application with the following suggested extensions:
*.TXT, *.DOC, *.ASC, *.NOW, *.1ST, *.2ND, *.NEW,
*.INF, *.LST, *.HLP, *.DAT, *.OLD, *.ST, *.MB
Be sure to save your configuration when you are done.
2. Edit Method
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
TeraDesk has a feature that no other Desktop has; if you
double-click on a non-executable file, TeraDesk will allow you
to either Show, Edit, or Print the file.
If you rarely (or never) use the Edit option, you can install
MasterBrowse in its place.
Put MasterBrowse in a safe place. Then, select Editor under
the Options menu of TeraDesk. After locating MasterBrowse with the
file selector, save your TeraDesk configuration. The next time
you double-click on a non-executable file, selecting Edit will
bring up MasterBrowse and load the file.
This gives you two advantages; every file type is covered,
and you still have access to the TeraDesk file viewer.
D. Gemini
-=-=-=-=-
If you have Gemini, all you need to do is put MasterBrowse
somewhere safe and install MBROWSE.MUP as an application. You must
edit MBROWSE.MUP so that it knows where MBROWSE.PRG resides on your
system. You must also set two Gemini application options; "it is a GEM
application" and "close all windows on startup". Gemini allows you to
install many extensions for a single application. On the extension
line, you should enter:
*.TXT,*.DOC,*.ASC,*.1ST,*.NEW,*.MB
If you want to install more extenders for MasterBrowse, you can
create another copy of MBROWSE.MUP (with a different name) and add the
extra extenders. When you are done, remember to save the desktop.
E. GEM Desktop
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The GEM Desktop (< TOS 2.06) does not handle installed applications
correctly. By not changing the current directory to the directory in
which the application resides, it prevents the application from
locating the resource files or configuration files that it needs.
MasterBrowse solves this problem by allowing you to specify (in the
environment) where each of these files is located. To create an
environment, simply follow these steps.
1. Put MBROWSE.PRG, MBROWSE.RSC, and MBROWSE.INF somewhere safe.
2. Copy GEMENV.PRG to your AUTO folder. Despite the size of this
program, it only uses 2K of memory when installed.
3. Copy ROOT.ENV to the root directory of the drive on which your
AUTO folder resides.
4. Install MBROWSE.PRG as an application, with *.TXT as the
extender.
5. Save your DESKTOP.INF/NEWDESK.INF file, and then load it
into an ASCII text editor.
6. Look for the following line (with a different path, of
course):
#G 03 04 C:\MBROWSE.PRG@ *.TXT@
7. Make a copy of this line, changing *.TXT to *.DOC. You
can make as many copies of this line as you want, with as
many extenders as you want. I suggest that you use the
following extenders:
*.TXT, *.DOC, *.ASC, *.NOW, *.1ST, *.2ND, *.NEW,
*.INF, *.LST, *.HLP, *.DAT, *.OLD, *.ST, *.MB
8. Load the ROOT.ENV file, and change the MB_RESOURCE and
MB_CONFIG environment variables so that they contain the
full pathname and filename of the resource file and the
configuration file respectively.
When you have MasterBrowse installed, you should save the
DESKTOP.INF file (from the editor, *not* the Desktop) and reboot your
computer. MasterBrowse will now be called each time you double
click on a text file.
V. USING MASTERBROWSE
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Using MasterBrowse is very easy, but there are some features and
ideas that bear discussion. Each menu will be listed with the
options it contains, and each function will be discussed.
A. Starting MasterBrowse
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
MasterBrowse can be started in two ways:
1. Application Mode - This means that MasterBrowse is called by
the Desktop when you double click on a text file. This is the
way MasterBrowse will be started most often. After loading,
MasterBrowse will present you with the file selector (though
this option can be turned on or off).
2. Stand-Alone Mode - This means that MasterBrowse is executed
as a program with no command line. MasterBrowse will bring up
a file selector, at which time the file you want to see
should be selected.
If you have NewDesk or an alternate Desktop, like NeoDesk or
Gemini, MasterBrowse can be started in a third way. If you
drag a file to MBROWSE.PRG and release the mouse button,
MasterBrowse will act as if it had been called in
Application Mode.
B. Movement
-=-=-=-=-=-
Like the GEM Desktop, each MasterBrowse window has two movement
bars (vertical and horizontal) that can be used to move around a
document. They function exactly like the movement bars found in the
GEM Desktop.
The Control + Z keypress can be used to "full" (minimize/maximize) a
window. The F10 function key can be used as an alternative keypress to
close all windows and exit MasterBrowse.
The F8 function key can be used to open a new document. The F9
function key can be used to close the document in the current top
window.
The following keys can be used to move around inside a document:
Left Shift + \ = Quick Scroll Mode (Page Increments)
-Control = Up Line
-Alternate = Down Line
Right Shift + \ = Quick Scroll Mode (Line Increments)
-Control = Up Page
-Alternate = Down Page
You must always hold down the shift key you pressed to enter Quick
Scroll Mode. If you let go of the shift key, you will no longer
be in quick scroll mode. This is a little tricky at first, but quickly
becomes familiar.
1. Arrow Keypad
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Up Arrow = Up Line
Down Arrow = Down Line
Left Arrow = Left Character
Right Arrow = Right Character
Shift + Up Arrow = Up Page
Shift + Down Arrow = Down Page
Shift + Left Arrow = Left Page
Shift + Right Arrow = Right Page
Control + Up Arrow = Top Of Document
Control + Down Arrow = Bottom Of Document
Control + Left Arrow = Extreme Left Window Page
Control + Right Arrow = Extreme Right Window Page
ClrHome = Top Of Document
Shift + ClrHome = Bottom Of Document
2. Application Keypad
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
7 = Top Of Document
1 = Bottom Of Document
9 = Page Up
3 = Page Down
8 = Movement Base Line(s) Up
2 = Movement Base Line(s) Down
4 = Movement Base Character(s) Left
6 = Movement Base Character(s) Right
5 = Jump -> Bookmark
0 = Jump -> Line
. = Jump -> Page
The Movement Base can be set in the "General Options" dialog box. It
controls how far MasterBrowse will move when one of the application
keypad directional keys is pressed. It is useful for moving short
distances quickly. The Movement Base can be used with the arrow keypad or
the application keypad, depending on your preferences. The diagrams above
show the default configuration.
3. GEM Desktop Keys
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The space bar can be used to move down one page, and the
return key can be used to move down one line.
C. The MasterBrowse Menu System
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The keyboard representations of functions are not shown in the ASCII
drawings below. The <Alternate> character is NOT an ASCII character.
1. MasterBrowse
MasterBrowse__File__Edit__Window__Markers__Position_______________________
| MasterBrowse... |
|-------------------|
| Desk Accessory #1 |
| Desk Accessory #2 |
| Desk Accessory #3 |
| Desk Accessory #4 |
| Desk Accessory #5 |
| Desk Accessory #6 |
|-------------------|
| Program #1 | }
| Program #2 | }\
| Program #3 | } - MultiTOS Only!
| Program #4 | }/
| [...] | }
---------------------
a. MasterBrowse
---------------
Selecting this option brings up an information dialog box. It has
your name and address in it (if you donate) and a message telling
you the how big the largest block of free memory is.
2. File
MasterBrowse__File__Edit__Window__Markers__Position_______________________
| Open Document... |
| Open Document Batch... |
|------------------------|
| Quick Access... |
|------------------------|
| Close Document |
| Close All Documents |
|------------------------|
| Print Document... |
| Save Document... |
| Save Document Batch... |
|------------------------|
| Quit |
--------------------------
a. Open Document [Control + O]
-------------------------------
If you select this option, you are presented with a file selector.
Choose the document you would like to view. This option will fail if
you do not have enough memory available, or there are no more windows
available.
b. Open Document Batch
----------------------
This option allows MasterBrowse to load in a number of documents
at one time. This is extremely useful if you use a certain set of
documents frequently.
The batch file is a standard ASCII file containing a list of
filenames (full paths required, of course).
c. Quick Access
---------------
This option allows you to peruse a list of the last seven documents
opened. Click on any document in the list to load it into memory.
d. Close Document [Control + U]
--------------------------------
This option closes the document in the top window, and gives the
memory that the document was using back to the system.
e. Close All Documents [Shift + Control + U]
---------------------------------------------
This options closes all MasterBrowse windows, which returns all
window handles and memory being used by MasterBrowse to the system.
f. Print Document [Control + P]
--------------------------------
This option prints the document in the top window.
The first thing that must be decided is which options will be used.
The following choices are available:
Synopsis
--------
The synopsis is a four line summary of what the document being
printed contains. If nothing is entered in this field, it is not
used.
Description
-----------
If any text is entered in this field, MasterBrowse will print that
text just above the page number/page header. It can be used to show
the title of the document being printed, the author, or any other
text that you deem appropriate.
Page Numbers
------------
If this option is selected, MasterBrowse will divide the document
being printed into pages. The current page number is printed at the
top right corner of each page.
Line Numbers
------------
If this option is selected, MasterBrowse will number the lines of
the document as they are being printed. The current line number
appears just to the left of the current line.
Page Headings
-------------
If this option is selected, MasterBrowse will print the name of
the file being printed on the same line that the page number is
printed on.
Form Feeds
----------
Form feeds should usually be turned on. They cause the printer
to advance to the start of the next page when the current page is
done. In some situations (such as writing a file to disk or the
clipboard) they are not desirable and should be turned off.
All / Odd / Even
----------------
MasterBrowse can print all pages, odd pages, or even pages. This
allows the user to conserve printer paper and have more professional
looking output by printing on both sides of the paper.
Those who are not experienced with this method of printing need not
worry (it is very easy to do with MasterBrowse). Simply set your
options as you desire, then select "Odd". After printing, remove
the paper from your printer and insert it again upside down. After
positioning the paper so that the even pages will start being
printed on the back of the first page, select "Even". The options
for "Even" and "Odd" must be identical (though you should only
enter spaces for the synopsis when printing even pages) or the
output on one side of the page will not match the output on the
other side of the page (duplicate lines, skipped lines, incorrect
line numbers).
Printer Control Codes
---------------------
You can make your documents (or blocks) look better on paper by
defining some printer control codes. With these codes, you can make
use of any special effect (uderlining, bold, italics, colour, fonts)
that your printer can create.
You can define printer control codes for the page heading, the page
number, the line number, the description of the document (or block)
being printed, and the current line of text being printed. You will
need your printer manual to do this, since MasterBrowse can not
know what features your printer has.
When defining printer control codes, there are four details to keep
in mind:
1. You do not need to include the ESC (decimal 27) character in
your printer control codes. MasterBrowse will send this character
to the printer before every printer control code.
2. Every printer control code must be a decimal number (no
alphabetical characters or hexadecimal numbers are allowed).
3. If the printer control code you are defining consists of
two or more separate decimal numbers (EX: ESC + 99 + 39), than
each code must be separated by a space when typed.
4. A printer control code may consist of no more than four
separate decimal numbers (not including the ESC character,
which is sent automatically).
Change Options
--------------
If you want to exit without printing, but want to keep the options
you selected, select "Change Options". If you want to exit without
printing, and not keep the options you selected, select "Cancel".
You may choose any combination of the options, with one exception;
you cannot have page headings if you do not have page numbers. You can
have page headings without page numbers, though.
g. Save Document [Control + S]
------------------------------
This option writes the document in the top window to the disk. All
of the options presented to you by this option are identical to the
options presented to you in the "Print Document" dialog box discussed
above. Form feeds should normally be turned off for this option (but
do not have to be).
Click on "Write", and the select the name of the file to write using
the file selector.
h. Save Document Batch
----------------------
This option will create a file containing a list of all of the
documents currently in memory. If MasterBrowse has been properly
installed as an application, with the *.MB extender, then
double-clicking on a MasterBrowse Batch file will activate MasterBrowse
and load all of the documents in the batch.
This is very useful if you use a certain set of documents often,
especially since the title bars of the windows are also saved in the
batch file.
i. Quit [Control + Q]
----------------------
This option closes all MasterBrowse windows and exits MasterBrowse.
It does not ask for confirmation of any kind, so be careful.
3. Edit
MasterBrowse__File__Edit__Window__Markers__Position_______________________
| Select All |
|-------------------------|
| Remove Block Markers |
|-------------------------|
| Copy |
| Paste |
| Delete |
---------------------------
a. Select All [Control + A]
----------------------------
This options marks the entire document in the top window as a block.
b. Remove Block Markers [Shift + Control + H]
----------------------------------------------
This option resets the block markers for the top window.
c. Copy [Control + C]
----------------------
This option works exactly like "Print Document", "Print Block", and
"Save Block", but it writes the output to the clipboard.
d. Paste [Control + V]
-----------------------
If you select this option, MasterBrowse will load the clipboard
into memory and display it in a window (just like any other document).
To use this feature, you need to have a clipboard installed. I would
suggest using the Atari Clipboard CPX Module, but there are other
programs which will install clipboards just as effectively.
e. Delete
---------
Selecting this option will cause the SCRAP.TXT file in the
clipboard directory to be deleted.
4. Window
MasterBrowse__File__Edit__Window__Markers__Position_______________________
| Rotate Windows |
| Window Title... |
| Iconify MasterBrowse... |
|-------------------------|
| General Options... |
| Output Options... |
| Display Options... |
| Shortcuts... |
|-------------------------|
| Save Options |
| Save Options As... |
| Load Options... |
|-------------------------|
| Select Display Font... |
|-------------------------|
| Help... |
| Context Help... |
|-------------------------|
| Window Information... |
---------------------------
a. Rotate Windows [Control + W]
-------------------------------
When windows are hidden behind each other, or take up the entire
screen, it can often be hard to get to them. With this option, you can
cycle through the chain of MasterBrowse windows with ease. You no longer
need to move windows around to get at other windows.
b. Window Title
---------------
This option changes the title bar of the top window. This can be
extremely useful if you are using a document as a reference, or have
multiple documents in memory with similar filenames.
C:\ANSIREF.TXT can become:
The "C" Programming Library, Second Revision (ANSI)
If you later decide you want the original title back, you can
click on the "Restore Default Title" button.
c. Iconify MasterBrowse [Control + D]
--------------------------------------
This option will iconify MasterBrowse, which means that all MasterBrowse
text windows will be closed without removing the documents in the windows
from memory. An "icon window" (which can be moved) will appear in the
center of the screen. To uniconify MasterBrowse, simply click (or
double-click) inside the icon window. This option is usually only
useful for people using MultiTOS, Geneva, or Mag!X. You do not need
any operating system or AES replacement to use this feature of
MasterBrowse, though.
d. General Options
------------------
In this dialog box, you can set the movement base (which determines
how far MasterBrowse will move within a document if the movement base
keypad is used). You can set the movement base keypad to be either the
cursor keypad or the application keypad, depending on what your
preferences are. Using this dialog box, you may also tell MasterBrowse
whether or not to save your options when you exit the program, whether
or not to save a document batch when you exit the program (which will be
automatically reloaded the next time you execute MasterBrowse), and
whether or not MasterBrowse should ask for confirmation when you exit
the program. You also decide whether or not MasterBrowse should
terminate when the last open document is closed, or if it should wait
until you quit.
e. Output Options
------------------
This dialog box allows you set the page length, the tab width, and
whether or not MasterBrowse should remove the block markers after a
successful output operation. In addition, you can determine how a
marked block should look; hatch is better for monochrome screens and
inverse is better for colour screens. The "Bold" setting can be used
if you want your marked block to stand out even more.
f. Display Options
------------------
This dialog box allows you to determine how MasterBrowse displays
information on the screen and interacts with the user. The many
display options can be divided into three groups:
Dialog Boxes
-=-=-=-=-=-=
You may toggle exploding (grow/shrink) boxes, and non-modal
dialog boxes (which allow you to use your accessories even
while inside a dialog box).
Windows
-=-=-=-
You may toggle the extended title bar format (which displays
a wide range of information about the file in the text window, as
opposed to simply displaying the full pathname). You can control
whether or not text windows have vertical or horizontal scroll
bars (each window can have a different setting). A window that does
not have scroll bars can scroll more than twice as fast as a window
that does have scroll bars. In addition, you can also decide if
MasterBrowse should save the positions of the currently opened text
windows with the configuration file (which also determines whether or
not MasterBrowse will use the saved positions when opening new
windows).
MasterBrowse has a special window updating mode that makes
extensive use of raster copies. This mode eliminates bothersome
screen flicker, and vastly increases the speed of screen updates.
If you have a strange system configuration that prevents this mode
from working properly on your system, you can turn it off.
Colours
-=-=-=-
If the default colours that MasterBrowse uses (black text on a
white background) do not appeal to you, you can change them by
clicking on the "Select Colours" button. You will be presented with
two dialog boxes, in which you are asked to select a colour for
text and a colour for window backgrounds.
MasterBrowse uses the first sixteen colours in the system
pallette.
g. Shortcuts
------------
MasterBrowse does not place any limitations on you; if you do not
like the keypress associated with an action, you can change it easily.
When this option is selected, a dialog box is displayed on the
screen. The name of the current action being configured is shown, as
well as the current status of that action and the keypress currently
assigned to it.
To assign a keypress to an action, locate the desired action in
the list using the arrow keys and then press the key that you want
assigned to the action. To remove the keypress associated with an
action, press the ESCAPE key instead.
It should be noted that the list of actions may contain
several actions with the same name; these are not duplicate actions,
but rather actions that have two (or more) shortcuts in the default
keyboard configuration.
h. Save Options
---------------
This option allows you to save your current options.
i. Save Options As...
---------------------
This option allows you to save your current options to a file of
your choice, using the file selector.
j. Load Options...
------------------
This option allows you to load a new set of options, using the
file selector.
k. Select Display Font [Control + Z]
-------------------------------------
If you have GDOS or SpeedoGDOS, you can configure MasterBrowse to use
a font other than the system font in text windows.
Simply click on the "Select Display Font" menu entry. The dialog box
that will appear on the screen allows you to set the font and the point
size. If there are more than eight fonts or more than eight preset point
sizes, you can scroll through the list using the arrows/slider/scroll bar
located immediately to the right of the list.
SpeedoGDOS fonts can be drawn in any point size, but GDOS fonts
can only be displayed in certain pre-defined point sizes.
l. Help [HELP]
---------------
Selecting this option shows you a dialog box that lists most of the
commands that can be used to move around inside a document.
Those commands are listed above in the "Movement" section of this
manual.
This display does not show the "alternate" movement keys.
m. Context Help [Shift + HELP]
-------------------------------
If you have the ST-Guide accessory (written by Holger Weets) then the
entire MasterBrowse manual is available to you in a context sensitive
online help mode. ST-Guide is available on many bulletin board systems,
commercial network services, and Internet FTP sites.
n. Window Information [Control + I]
------------------------------------
This option shows information about the document in the top
window.
5. Markers
MasterBrowse__File__Edit__Window__Markers__Position_______________________
| Load Bookmark List... |
| Save Bookmark List... |
|------------------------|
| Clear Bookmark... |
| Clear All Bookmarks |
|------------------------|
| Print Block... |
| Save Block... |
|------------------------|
| Expand Block |
|------------------------|
| Block Information... |
--------------------------
a. Load Bookmark List
---------------------
This option will load a new bookmark list. When you select it,
choose the bookmark list to load.
b. Save Bookmark List
---------------------
This option will save the bookmark list to a file. Select the name
and path of the file you want to create using the file selector.
c. Clear Bookmark
-----------------
This option will reset one of the ten bookmarks in the current
document. Simply select the bookmark you want to clear from the dialog.
d. Clear All Bookmarks
----------------------
This option clears all ten bookmarks in the current document.
e. Print Block
--------------
This option works exactly like "Print Document" (in the File menu)
but it operates on a block instead of the entire document.
f. Save Block
-------------
This option works exactly like "Print Document" and "Print Block",
but it sends the output to a file.
g. Expand Block
---------------
This options takes the marked block, and places it in a new window.
This is extremely useful when dealing with large reference documents. You
can cut out the part you need, and then close the reference.
h. Block Information
--------------------
This option provides you with information about the selected
block in the top window. The span of the block is shown (starting
line - ending line) and the amount of the document that the block
spans (percentage).
6. Position
MasterBrowse__File__Edit__Window__Markers__Position_______________________
| Top Of Document |
| Bottom Of Document |
|------------------------|
| Find... |
| Find Next |
| Find Previous |
|------------------------|
| Push/Pop Position |
|------------------------|
| Jump -> Search Pos. |
| Jump -> Bookmark... |
| Jump -> Block Start |
| Jump -> Block End |
| Jump -> Line... |
| Jump -> Page... |
--------------------------
a. Top Of Document [ClrHome]
-----------------------------
This option moves the window to the top of the document in the top
window.
b. Bottom Of Document [Shift + ClrHome]
----------------------------------------
This option moves the window to the bottom of the document in the
top window.
c. Find [Control + F]
----------------------
The "Find" option allows you to search a document for a string (or
several strings) within a document. A search may be case sensitive,
which means that the string you enter must exactly match the string
being searched for, or case insensitive.
MasterBrowse allows search strings to contain wildcards. The
available wildcard characters are:
? - This is the standard single-character wildcard. Entering "f?x"
as the string to be searched for would cause MasterBrowse to
stop searching on the words "fax", "fix", and "fox".
* - This is the standard multi-character wildcard. Entering "c*sh"
as the string to be searched for would cause MasterBrowse to
stop searching on the words "cash", "crash", "crush", "cosh",
"clash", and many others.
[] - Entering "b[ai]rd" as the string to be searched for would cause
MasterBrowse to stop searching on the words "bard" and "bird",
but not on the word "byrd".
Entering "[a-h]og" as the string to be searched for would cause
MasterBrowse to stop searching on the words "bog", "dog", "fog",
and "hog". The word "log", however, would not be considered a
match because the first letter does not match the wildcard.
! - This is the refusal wildcard! Entering "[!a-k]og" as the string
to be searched for would cause MasterBrowse to stop searching on
the word "log", but ignore the words "bog", "dog", "fog", and
"hog".
NOTE: If you do not want to use wildcards, you can configure
MasterBrowse to ignore them by de-selecting the "Use Wildcards"
option.
MasterBrowse allows you to start searching from the top of a document,
or the current position within the document. Starting a search from the
current position can mean one of two things; if the search is a "reverse"
search, the current position is the last line on the screen. If the
search is not being conducted in "reverse" mode, the current position is
the first line on the screen.
If one of the strings being searched for is found, the line containing
the string will be shown in the center of the screen, and highlighted with
inverse video.
The options selected when performing a search are saved in the options
file. If you want to exit this dialog box without searching, but want to
keep any changes you may have made to your options, select the "Change
Options" button. If you want to exit this dialog without searching, but
want to ignore any changes you may have made to your options, select
"Cancel".
d. Find Next [Control + G]
---------------------------
This option searches for the next occurrence of the search strings
in the top window. If reverse searching is being used, this option will
function exactly like Find Previous "X" (below).
If there are no more occurrences of a given string, the position
within the document will not change, and the highlighting will be removed
to avoid confusion.
e. Find Previous [Shift + Control + G]
---------------------------------------
This option searches for a previous occurrence of the search strings
in the top window. If reverse searching is being used, this option will
function exactly like Find Next "X" (above).
If there are no more occurrences of a given string, the position
within the document will not change, and the highlighting will be removed
to avoid confusion.
f. Push/Pop Position
--------------------
This option can be thought of as a temporary bookmark; you "Push"
(set) the position, then "Pop" (unset and jump to) the position at some
point in the future. Only one position can be stored in the push/pop
buffer.
g. Jump -> Search Pos.
----------------------
This option moves to the last position at which a search string
was found.
h. Jump -> Bookmark
-------------------
This option brings up a dialog box showing the bookmarks and their
current values. When you click on one of the bookmarks, MasterBrowse
will move to the appropriate line of the document.
i. Jump -> Block Start [Shift + Control + B]
---------------------------------------------
This option moves to the start of the current block.
j. Jump -> Block End [Shift + Control + E]
-------------------------------------------
This option moves to the end of the current block.
k. Jump -> Line [Control + L]
------------------------------
This option allows you to jump to a specific line within a
document. It presents you with a dialog asking for the line to jump
to (and showing the total number of lines). The edit field is preset
to the current line.
l. Jump -> Page
---------------
This option works exactly like "Jump -> Line", except that it
works with window pages (the total number of line in the window). It
shows you the total number of window pages, and presets the edit field to
the current page.
6. Markers (Window Menu #1)
This dialog box allows you to set markers, and provides quick access
to the "Find", "Find Next", "Find Previous", "Clear Bookmark", "Clear All
Bookmarks", and "Remove Block Markers" functions. To access it, simply
double-click on any line within a MasterBrowse window. There are three
options in this menu not found in any other MasterBrowse menu (because
they operate on a specific line in a document, rather than the document
as a whole).
a. Set Block Start
------------------
If you select this option, the line that you single-clicked on (to
bring up the window menu) will become the start of the block.
b. Set Block End
----------------
If you select this option, the line that you single-clicked on (to
bring up the window menu) will become the end of the block.
c. Set Bookmark
----------------
If you select this option, the line that you double-clicked on will
become a bookmark. Select the bookmark you would like to set from the
bookmark menu that appears on the screen.
d. Cancel
----------
As you would expect, selecting "Cancel" will exit the Window Menu
without making any changes.
D. The MasterBrowse Dialog System
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
With MasterBrowse, you can use your accessories even while a
dialog box is being displayed on the screen. There are also some
keyboard shortcuts available to make using MasterBrowse non-modal
dialog boxes easier:
TAB = Next Editable Field
Control + TAB = Previous Editable Field
Shift + Left Arrow = Start Of Editable Field
Shift + Right Arrow = End Of Editable Field
Shift + Up Arrow = First Editable Field
Shift + Down Arrow = Last Editable Field
Shift + Delete = Delete To End Of Line
Shift + Backspace = Delete From Start Of Line
Control + Left Arrow = Start Of Previous Word
Control + Right Arrow = Start Of Next Word
UNDO = Exit (Cancel)
Return = Exit (Done)
Alternate + [UNDERLINED LETTER] = This will exit the dialog box
as if you had clicked on the
button containing the
underlined letter.
With the MasterBrowse dialog system, you can position the cursor
within an editable text field simply by clicking at the position you
want the cursor to move to.
VI. DISCLAIMER
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
MasterBrowse does not come with any warranty, express or implied.
If you use MasterBrowse, you do so at your own risk. Neither the author
of MasterBrowse (Michel Forget) nor any other party is responsible for
any equipment damage, data loss, or other unforeseen consequence of
the use or misuse of MasterBrowse.
VII. DISTRIBUTION
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
MasterBrowse is not public domain; it cannot be modified, reverse
engineered, or otherwise tampered with. There are two limitations placed
on the distribution of MasterBrowse:
1) When distributed, MasterBrowse must contain all files found in the
original archive.
2) MasterBrowse may not be distributed on the cover disk of any
magazine except ST Review.
VIII. CONTACTING THE AUTHOR
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
If you would like to contact me with bug reports, suggestions, or
comments, you can do so through the following addresses:
Internet/Usenet: mforget@elfhaven.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca
ess@tibalt.supernet.ab.ca
Mail: Michel Forget
12209 Dovercourt Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
CANADA
T5L 4E1
IX. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
There are many people who have helped me out over the development of
this program. I would like to thank Ian Lepore, who wrote the base code
for this program, and the Heat & Serve C Compiler. I would also like to
thank the people who gave me ideas and tested the program while it was
being written; Bob Erkamp, Greg Granger, William Fisher, Jon Lovstad,
Egbert Jan van den Bussche, Bob Schulze, Jon Brenda, John Duckworth,
Thomas Binder, Thomas Kuenneth, David Winick, Leslie Hartmier, Michael
Parrot, Kendall Gelner, Ofir Gal, Karl Meyland, and Michael Baffoni.
I would also like to thank the people who gave me advice on programming
problems; Annius Groenink, Wolfgang Wander, Chris Herborth, William Fisher,
Scott Bigham, Peter Seitz, Eric R. Smith, Denis Casanova, Erlend Nagel,
Warwick Allison, Waldi Ravens, Hendrik Jan Veenstra, Dan Wilga, Rick
Flashman, Stuart Coates, Gerhard Hoelscher, and Carsten Friehe. As well,
the folks of comp.sys.atari.st were extremely helpful. Thanks for being
patient, everyone!
Andrew West, J. Shortess, Michael R. Burkley, Susan Burkley, John
Duckworth, and Hiram Lester, Jr. also deserve recognition for their help
in distributing this software. It is much appreciated!
At this time, I would also like to thank Jerry Geiger and Holger
Weets for writing and releasing the Sozobon 2.00 Extended compiler,
and Fred Fish for writing the regular expression wildcard code. These
three people have made MasterBrowse a much better program than it would
have been without their contributions.
I would also like to thank Denesh Bhabuta, who is now handling
registration in the UK. Thanks!
X. SUZY B'S SOFTWARE INFORMATION
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Suzy B's Software: "A Honey of a Deal"
Suzy B's Software
3712 Military Road
Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14305
U.S.A.
Phone: 716-298-1986
716-297-8514
Suzy B's Software is buzzing onto the scene of the Public Domain and
Shareware supply services with a difference. Supplying single-sided or
double-sided disks as requested, we will fill the disks with compressed
self-extracting files (compatible with all TOS versions).
That in itself gives you a good deal, but Suzy B's Software goes on to
give you what the owner, Susan Burkley, calls "a honey of a deal." She
asks, "How many times have you wanted a utility and a game from a P.D.
service but had to buy two disks to get them both? At Suzy B's we put
your individual selections on a single disk so you can pick and choose and
get more of what you want. Do you want a game, a children's program, a
picture file or two, the most recent version of ST Writer, and a NASA
press release? You can have them all on one disk! All our files are
compressed in a self-extracting format to give you even more of what you
want. Right now we have about 8,000 files from which to choose -- our
catalog is about 950 pages long -- 2.75 Megabytes of ASCII text, and it
keeps growing! It's a lot more work for us, but you get a honey of a
deal!"
XI. CLOSING
-=-=-=-=-=-
I hope that you are pleased with MasterBrowse, and decide to
continue using it after you have experimented with it.
I have invested more than a year of my life in the creation of this
program, though, so I _also_ hope that you will seriously consider sending
in the requested donation.
If the Atari is going to remain a viable system in the future, it needs
more Shareware, Donation-Ware, Freeware, and Public Domain applications to
compensate for the lack of commercial products available. In order to make
programming for the Atari viable, though, the Atari community needs to show
support for the programmers of these applications.
-Michel Forget
Electric Storm Software
June 29, 1994
