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CATGEN.DOC
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1996-07-08
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CatGen v2.0
(C) 1996 Inventive Software
Mark Glenn, President
-------------------------
INTRODUCTION
------------
CatGen v2.0 is a program to allow programmers of QB or QBASIC to have a
useful file to BAS converter.
Only compiling is required to create these catalogs.
REQUIREMENTS
------------
1) Color Monitor
2) QB or QBasic
3) Hard drive
4) QB for compilation
5) Keyboard
FEATURES included
-----------------
1) Color capability
2) Speed (YEAH SPEEEEEED)
3) 5000 line maximum
4) Scrolling feature
5) Convert TEXT to BAS to be compiled
6) Search Feature (New in release 1.2)
7) Multi colored lines
8) Background colors
9) No flickering
10) One file only (Doc inside BAS file)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
1) What is CatGen v2.0
2) What is included
3) Command line perimeters
4) What is it doing while running.
5) How does it do all this
6) I've run it, now what?
7) Color
8) Modifying
9) How do I use the actual compiled work.
10) Final touches
APPENDIXES
----------
A) Trouble Shooting
B) Upcoming Features
C) Features of each version.
D) Information about our company
E) Other programs
1) What is CatGen v2.0?
---------------------
CatGen v2.0 is a program that takes your TEXT files and converts them
into self running file viewers. Not only that, but it is in color.
Believe it or not, this file was created with CatGen v1.4. It's
capabilities are outrages. It has absolutely no flicker and has incredible
speed. It is based on 25x80 screen size and will look quite weird in 50x80.
It has scrolling features that will be used by using the up, down, PGUP, PGDN
keys. The best feature though is that you can distribute your file.
Okay, from v1.4 and on, there is a new feature.(WOW) It makes Online
help files. Cool.
2) What is included?
-----------------
CatGen comes with 9 files
1: CATGEN.EXE - The catalog generator
2: CATDOC.BAS - This file source code
3: CATDOC.EXE - This file
4: CATGEN.DOC - This file in TEXT format
5: ORDER.FRM - Order and Registration file for other programs
6: FILE_ID.DIZ - File Info
7: CATALOG.EXE - Catalog for Inventive Software
3) Command line perimeters
-----------------------
There really is only one command line perimeter.
: CatGen Infile.ext (Outfile.ext)
The Infile.exe must be include. Outfile.ext is something that is
optional. If you decide not to use this, it will output to CAT1.OUT.
4) What is it doing while running?
-------------------------------
It does multiple things. It first creates a temp file called TEMP1.TMP
that holds your DOC with the DATA statements in front of it. Then it goes
in and loads all the BASIC statements to run it. A file is created called
(filename) and you have a finished product ready to compile.
5) How does it do all this?
------------------------
It takes your file and process it and creates BASIC text. Take a look at
the file sometime and see how it is really done.
6) I've run it, now what?
----------------------
Okay, you have created your file and now it is time to modify. Look at
Chapter 8 for that. Chapter 7 shows how to change the color of each line.
After that, you want to compile it. Load the program into QB by typing this:
QB filename
Now go to run and compile. Make it Stand Alone EXE and click on Make EXE
and Exit.
7) Color
-----
Wow, I can change color? Yep, you can. If you look at the end, you will
see that is says the DATA statement and then the numbers '03'. This is the
color that it changes it all to. You can change this number to anything.
It must be two digits long like: 03 or C5. In 2.0, the numbers were
changed to hex so you can now do backgrounds. The colors are as following:
00) BLACK 08) GREY 10) BLACK ON BLUE
01) BLUE 09) LIGHT BLUE FF) BRIGHT WHITE ON WHITE
02) GREEN 0A) LIGHT GREEN
03) CYAN 0B) LIGHT CYAN
04) RED 0C) LIGHT RED
05) MAGENTA 0D) LIGHT MAGENTA
06) BROWN 0E) YELLOW
07) WHITE 0F) BRIGHT WHITE
8) Modifying
---------
For people who want to make a big logo on the doc, I included a ANSI to
CATGEN converter. All you do is add it to your doc and it will look exactly
like the ansi file. (Sorry, no animations and only 25 lines long).
9) How do I use the actual compiled work?
--------------------------------------
Well, you first run the program. You see the file and information at the
bottom. You use the arrow keys or the PGUP or PGDN key. These move the DOC
up or down. The new feature is the "S" feature. It searches the file for
whatever you want.
10) Final Touches
-------------
Since I don't really know any final touches, but all great DOCs have this
area. You can modify the generated file all you want. The generated viewer
is freeware and maybe modified and distributed without permission. Think of
it as your program you and only you made.
A) Trouble Shooting
----------------
1) While compiling, it says an out of memory error
A:Try freeing more memory. If you don't want to do this, if you look
at the begining of the file, it shows DIM statements. Change this
to the length of your file. If you don't know the length, look at
the first DATA statement. It will say something like this:
DATA 253
Change the DIM statements to:
DIM text$(255) 'add 2 just in case
DIM ColorVal(255) 'add 2 just in case
You shouln't have to do this because it is automatic now.
2) While compiling, it says an error
A:Try trouble shooting it. If that doesn't work, re-generate the file.
if that still doesn't work, contact me about it.
3) Doesn't generate
A:You have a corrupted CatGen v2.0. Please reinstall. You may also
have a bad output file. DOS only allows certain characters in
filenames. Try a filename with only letters:
CATGEN MY.DOC MYDOC.BAS
4) Bombs
A:You have a corrupted CatGen v2.0. Please reinstall.
5) Subscript out of range
A:Your file is more than your memory can handle. Cut it down.
6) Unexpected error, please recompile
A:For some odd reason, your DOC got edited so it can not be used. You
might have edited it and messed it up. If you know what you are
doing, take out the ON ERROR statement and try to debug it. If not,
re compile it. If the same error occurs, contact me.
7) I lost my cursor.
A:When the Help is invoked, it turns off the cursor. It doesn't just
disappear. Just turn it back on:
LOCATE , , 1, 7, 8
8)
B) Upcoming Features
-----------------
Use EMS or XMS
ANSI file support -+___ Coming in
Ending screen -+ v2.1
C) Features of Each Version
------------------------
v1.0b - The first official version. Never distributed.
v1.0 - Added color feature. PGUP and PGDN keys added. Fixed
Arrow key bug. Finally distributed
v1.1 - Search feature added. Also added the ON ERROR function so
(Just in case) if it has an error it won't show that ugly error
screen. Added the registration file(oops, sorry to everyone
with version 1.0).
v1.2 - Added 'S' at the bottom. Fixed the scrolling up one line on
search bug. Fixed bottom text on no search bug. Man