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1992-02-29
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1,994 lines
ArcMaster 7.1
Copyright 1988..1992
All Rights Reserved
New-Ware Shareware Products
8050 Camino Kiosco
San Diego, CA 92122
(619) 455-6225
Contents
1 Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 What is ArcMaster? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3 Programs Needed to Operate AM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
4 About Shareware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5 How To Register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6 The New-Ware BBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
7 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
8 Version History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
9 Distribution Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
10 The User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
10.1 On-line Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
10.2 File Line Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
10.3 Tagging Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
10.4 Dialog Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
10.5 Buttons and Check Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
10.6 File/Directory Name Search . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
10.7 The Mouse Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
11 Starting ArcMaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
12 ArcMaster Command Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
12.1 Function Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
12.2 Alt+Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
12.3 Ctrl+Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
12.4 Other Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
13 Configuring ArcMaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
13.1 Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
13.2 Start-up Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
13.3 The Temporary Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
13.4 The Log Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
13.5 Password Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
13.6 Editor, Browser, and Scan Names . . . . . . . . . . 19
13.7 Numerical Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
14 Operating ArcMaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
14.1 The eXit Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
14.2 The Arc Cmds Menu (Alt+A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
14.2.1 The Archive Command (F9) . . . . . . . . . . . 20
14.2.2 The Unarchive Command (F10) . . . . . . . . . 20
14.2.3 The Convert Command (Alt+F10) . . . . . . . . 21
14.2.4 The Default Sys Command (F2) . . . . . . . . . 21
14.2.5 The Convert To Command (Alt+F9) . . . . . . . 22
i
14.2.6 The View Archive Directory Command (Enter) . . 22
14.2.7 VirusSCAN (Alt+V) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
14.2.8 The Single Arc Command (Ctrl+S) . . . . . . . 22
14.2.9 The Auto Update Command (Ctrl+A) . . . . . . . 22
14.2.10 The Multi Update Command (Ctrl+F1) . . . . . 22
14.2.11 Update = Latest (Ctrl+D) . . . . . . . . . . 23
14.2.12 The LZEXE Command (Ctrl+L) . . . . . . . . . 23
14.2.13 The PKLITE Command (Alt+P) . . . . . . . . . 23
14.2.14 The DIET Command (Ctrl+F4) . . . . . . . . . 23
14.2.15 Call ZIP CommentMaster . . . . . . . . . . . 23
14.2.16 The Extract SFX Command (Alt+E) . . . . . . . 23
14.3 The File Cmds Menu (Alt+F) . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
14.3.1 Tag and Untag Commands (Ctrl+T & Ctrl+U) . . . 23
14.3.2 Show Tags Command (Alt+T) . . . . . . . . . . 24
14.3.3 Copy, Move, and Delete Commands (Alt+C, Alt+M,
Del) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
14.3.4 File Mask Commands (Alt+K) . . . . . . . . . . 24
14.3.5 Edit File Description (Alt+4) . . . . . . . . 24
14.3.6 VirusSCAN Command (Ctrl+V) . . . . . . . . . . 24
14.3.7 Zoom Active Window (F4) . . . . . . . . . . . 25
14.3.8 Tag By Date (Alt+D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
14.3.9 Reset Archive Bits (Ctrl+B) . . . . . . . . . 25
14.3.10 Set Windows Equal (Ctrl+W) . . . . . . . . . 25
14.3.11 Set File Attribute (Ctrl+F3) . . . . . . . . 25
14.3.12 Swap Left/Right Windows (Alt+W) . . . . . . . 25
14.3.13 Find And Tag Duplicate Files (Alt+Z) . . . . 25
14.4 The Navigate Menu (Alt+N) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
14.4.1 Change Drive (F3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
14.4.2 Check Disk (Alt+F3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
14.4.3 Edit DESCRIPT.ION File (Alt+F4) . . . . . . . 26
14.4.4 Directory Tree (F5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
14.4.5 Re-scan Drive (Ctrl+R) . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
14.4.6 Exit To Directory (Equal Key) . . . . . . . . 27
14.5 Sort Order Menu (Alt+O) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
14.6 Search Menu (Alt+S) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
14.7 Miscellaneous Menu (Alt+I) . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
14.7.1 Print List (Ctrl+P) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
14.7.2 Program Menu (Ctrl+X) . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
14.7.3 Execute Program (Ctrl+Enter) . . . . . . . . . 28
14.7.4 Go To DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
14.7.5 PKZIPFIX (Ctrl+Z) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
14.7.6 Edit File (Ctrl+E) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
14.7.7 Configure AM (Ctrl+C) . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
14.7.8 Save/Read Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . 29
14.7.9 Register AM (Alt+R) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
14.7.10 Run FormatMaster (Ctrl+F) . . . . . . . . . . 29
14.7.11 DOS Path Information (Ctrl+F2) . . . . . . . 29
14.8 On-line AM Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
ii
15 Viewing Archive File Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
15.1 Browsing A Compressed File . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
15.2 Viewing Comments and Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
15.3 Printing The Directory List . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
15.4 Executing Files From an Archive . . . . . . . . . . 31
16 Running AM with NDOS or 4DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
17 AM Use of Expanded/Extended Memory . . . . . . . . . . . 32
iii
1 Disclaimer
New-Ware hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this product,
whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. New-Ware
cannot and will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential,
indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason, even if
New-Ware or an authorized New-Ware agent has been advised of the possibility
of such damages. In no event shall the liability for any damages ever
exceed the price paid for the license to use software, regardless of the
form and/or extent of the claim. The user of this program bears all risk as
to the quality and performance of the software.
2 What is ArcMaster?
The name ArcMaster is short for the term Archive Master where the word
archive means a place where documents and/or records are kept. In the
modern world of personal computing, these documents and records are
maintained in computer files. These files are frequently compressed and
grouped together in archive files by special computer programs such as
PKZIP, ARCA, PAK, LHA, and ARJ. All of these special programs are operated
from the DOS command line and require the entry of numerous and varied
command line switches in order to maximize their utility.
ArcMaster, hereafter known as AM for short, is an archive program
interface control system. It provides a clean interface that removes the
burden of remembering all the various command line switches and options that
may be used with archiving programs. In addition, AM is a powerful and
flexible DOS shell that provides numerous ways in which the user can
maintain and manipulate his/her DOS directory and file structures.
AM may be used as a stand-alone program in its useful role as a DOS
shell, but in order to manipulate compressed archive files the user must
have present in his/her system at least one of the supported archive
programs. A list of supported compression/decompression archive programs
appears in the next chapter.
3 Programs Needed to Operate AM
You will need at least one of the following archive programs in order
to utilize the full capabilities of AM.
ARCA/ARCE from Vern Buerg - ARCA129.XXX
- 2 -
Vernon D. Buerg
139 White Oak Circle
Petaluma, CA 94952
ARJ from Robert K. Jung - ARJ220.XXX
Robert Jung
2606 Village Road West
Norwood, Massachusetts 02062
LHA from Haruyasu Yoshizaki - LHA213.XXX
This program is free.
PAK from NoGate Consulting - PAK251.XXX
NoGate Consulting
P.O. Box 88115
Grand Rapids, MI 49518-0115
ZIP from PKWARE - PKZ20.XXX
PKWARE Inc.
7545 North Port Washington Road
Suite 205
Glendale, WI 53217-3422
The file names following the program identifiers reflect the current
versions. Please note the .XXX file extension is given because these will
vary from location to location. Many are distributed in compressed
executable (.EXE) format and some are distributed in the PkWare .ZIP format.
You can find these marvelous programs on just about any computer bulletin
board system (BBS) or commercial on-line access system such as Compuserve
Information Service (CIS) or Genie. All of these programs may be accessed
from the New-Ware BBS. Please see the chapter on the New-Ware BBS in this
document.
AM supports several utilities designed for the specific purpose of
compressing executable (EXE) files. These utilities serve to compress an
EXE file but allow the compressed file to be executed normally from DOS.
Their trick is that they insert code into the start of the target EXE file
that decompresses it as it loads into memory for execution. AM supports the
following utilities of that type:
LZEXE from Fabrice Bellard
This program is free
PKLITE from PkWare
PKWARE Inc.
7545 N. Port Washington Rd.
Suite 205
Glendale, WI 53217-3422
- 3 -
DIET from Teddy Matsumoto
This program is free
While not absolutely essential, the user should also have available a
file browse utility which AM can use to view/browse the contents of a
compressed file existing inside an archive. The recommended program is a
state-of-the-art browser from Vernon Buerg named LIST.COM. AM can be
configured to use any file browser that accepts a file path name on its
command line. New-Ware feels that LIST is the fastest, most compact, and
most powerful of the available browsers. LIST can be found on almost all
BBSs in the form of LISTxxx.ZIP (or EXE). Note that the xxx denotes the
version and version modifier, as in 7.6B.
It is important to note the version numbers given above. AM currently
supports all version numbers listed above. Features in earlier versions are
likely not to be supported and new features in later versions may not be
supported.
It is necessary that any and all supported program files reside in a
directory that is identified in the current DOS PATH statement. If you do
not understand the DOS PATH, please read PATHINFO.TXT.
4 About Shareware
AM is Shareware. ARJ, PAK, ZIP, and LIST are also Shareware.
Shareware is NOT free. It is computer software offered for sale at a set
price and the only real difference between Shareware and other commercial
software products is the method of distribution and the important "try
before you buy" feature. With Shareware you are normally licensed by the
owner/author of the program to operate the Shareware distribution copy on a
trial basis. Then if you like it and make regular use of it, you are bound
to pay for it.
ArcMaster is a Shareware product. As such, it is made available to the
general computing public for evaluation. Users are licensed to operate
ArcMaster on their personal computers for the purpose of test and evaluation
on a trial basis for a limited trial period. It is not possible to
reasonably define any definitive limits of a fair and equitable time period
for evaluation, therefore it is left to the user's judgment and sense of
fair play as to the time required to make a decision as to its usefulness.
If the user decides the program is not of sufficient merit to warrant
purchase through registration with New-Ware, the program should be removed
from his or her personal computer. Otherwise, if the program is deemed
useful and is in regular use on the user's personal computer system,
registration with New-Ware is required.
- 4 -
Registered users are those users that elect to pay for AM and register
that payment with New-Ware. By virtue of registration and payment for the
program, registered users are granted a license to continue to utilize the
program on their personal computer for as long as they choose. This license
authorizes the user to use the program on any personal computer system he or
she may own so long as the program is operated on only one computer system
at a time.
Site licenses for use of ArcMaster on multiple computers are available
upon request at a reduced fee that is based on the number of single machines
licensed for use.
5 How To Register
There is no functional difference between the Shareware distribution
version of AM and the registered version save the absence of the opening and
closing Shareware screens in the registered version.
The price of AM is $35.00. you may register AM in one of three ways:
1) By mail with check or money order to:
New-Ware
8050 Camino Kiosco
San Diego, CA 92122-1820
2) By telephone with Visa/Mastercard to:
New-Ware
(619) 455-6225
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST
Monday - Friday
3) Electronically through the New-Ware BBS:
New-Ware Shareware Products BBS
(619) 450-3257 - Node #1 1200/2400/9600 (HST)
455-5226 - Node #2 1200/2400
Special site license rates for licensing multiple copies of ArcMaster
are available. Please call for rate schedule information.
Foreign (non-US/Canada) orders must include a $2.00 special handling
fee in addition to the $35.00 registration fee. Also, no checks on banks
located outside the United States will be accepted.
- 5 -
California residents MUST include state sales tax with their order.
This Shareware version of ArcMaster may be freely copied and passed on
to other individual users for their evaluation. Disk vendors and/or
distributors that desire to distribute ArcMaster must adhere to the
guidelines presented in VENDOR.DOC.
Press Alt+R from the main AM display or from the closing Shareware
screen to display the registration window. Prompts will be issued for the
pertinent information and you will have the option of printing the
registration form when the form is completed.
Upgrades to later versions are available to registered users on the
New-Ware BBS at no cost. Access to the BBS is a privelege granted by New-
Ware that may be revoked at any time for any reason. Those who request
upgrades via telephone or mail must remit a $5.00 charge for an upgrade.
6 The New-Ware BBS
New-Ware Shareware Products BBS
Running Wildcat! version 2.55p
(619) 450-3257 - Node #1 1200/2400/9600 (USR HST)
455-5226 - Node #2 1200/2400
The New-Ware Shareware Products BSS operates 24 hours per day, 7 days
per week. Node #1 is dedicated to registered users only. Nodes #2 is open
to all callers. Users registering via the BBS receive access to the latest
registered version within 1 day after leaving their credit card data. Users
who register by mail or phone may also access the registered version by BBS,
but you MUST log on and leave a comment to the sysop to the effect that you
are a registered user and desire access. The author can also be contacted
on CIS via PPN 71535,665 (please use EASYPLEX).
The latest versions of all programs that are supported or used by AM
may be obtained via the BBS. The BBS also serves as an avenue for product
support. You may report problems or ask questions about the operation of AM
via the message facility of the BBS.
7 System Requirements
AM may be operated on any IBM PC/XT/AT/PS2 or compatible running under
DOS 2.0 and above. With the distributed default settings of 500 files per
directory window, 350 directories per drive, and 500 files per archive, it
- 6 -
uses approximately 181K of RAM. AM may be operated in the DESKQView and
Windows 3.0 environments.
The amount of DOS RAM required to operate AM will vary according the
the limits established via the active configuration. It is important to
understand that when AM calls one of the archive programs to perform its
functions, a certain amount of free memory must be available for that
program to operate in. PKZIP, for example, is quite efficient and only
needs about 100K of RAM to operate in. ARJ and PAK require approximately
180K. As you increase the number of files handled per window and/or the
number of files per archive, the amount of free memory will decrease. For
this reason, the lower right hand corner of the main AM display shows the
current amount of free memory. The more DOS system RAM you have (not
extended or expanded memory) when you operate AM, the more free memory you
will have. If you are running AM from another shell such as X-TREE or Qdos,
then there will be less RAM available.
All monitor and graphics cards are supported, including "composite" (2
color) monitors and backlit laptop screens. If the monitor is in a 43/50
EGA/VGA line mode when AM is executed, AM will automatically increase the
size of the various windows. You may also configure AM to switch to the
43/50 line mode at start-up and then switch back to the normal 25 line mode
upon exit. Mouse support is automatically provided if a mouse driver is
present in the system. Any dot matrix or laser printer may be used for
printing file directory listings. The printer must be capable of printing
IBM line draw characters if the directory tree is to be legibly printed.
AM is designed primarily for use with one or more hard drives.
Starting and operating AM from a 5 1/4" 360K drive is not recommended
because of the lack of disk space for temporary files, etc. A multiple 3
1/2" 720K/1.4M or 5 1/4" 1.2M system will probably be okay, but a hard drive
is the best way to go.
8 Version History
Version 6.0 of AM has been entirely rewritten using a new set of design
tools. As newer versions are generated to include new features or to fix
reported bugs, the version history list here will grow.
6.0 - Initial 6.x release (06/18/91)
6.1 - Added start-up directories to the configuration.
- Added [V]iew and [D]irs mouse click regions.
- Added click of left/right mouse buttons to effect a Enter
key press.
- Added Update = Latest command
- 7 -
- Added ability to view files from the zoom window.
- Various bug fixes.
6.11 - Fixed problem with Ctrl+Enter in the launch program
(Ctrl+X) menu.
- Fixed problem with writing directory catalog files.
6.2 - Various bug fixes/enhancements.
- Added option to force 43/50 line EGA/VGA mode.
- Added ARJ multiple volume switch.
- Add "/m" switch to force mono mode.
6.3 - Various fixes/enhancements.
- Added a No Sort option for the file lists.
- Fixed problem with using the "/r" switch with ARJ.
- Fixed problem with the mouse during 43/50 line mode
operations.
6.4 - Fixed problem with adding a directory to the tree if
more than 200 directories existed on the tree.
- Fixed bug that caused the wrong drive label to be
stored when using the PKZIP -$ option.
- Added an "Ok" pushbutton to all dialog boxes.
6.5 - Fixed the country code detection feature so that the
proper country date formats are now automatically used.
- Removed the passing of the LIST.COM mouse switch ("M/") to
LIST.COM.
- The compressed file viewer size and length fields will now
handle file sizes up to 99,999,999.
- Added capability to browse archive system DOC files from
compression and decompression dialog boxes.
- Optimized the shell-out strategy to maximize the amount of DOS
memory available to programs executed via Ctrl+Enter or the
Program Execution menu.
6.6 - Added "-x" switch to the ARJ decompression dialog.
- Fixed problem with LHA during full-path/recursion operations.
- Fixed problem with saving mono configuration after running AM
with the "/m" switch.
6.7 - Fixed problem with reading variants of ARJ SFX files.
- All Ctrl/Alt commands that previously opened a menu now
directly execute the appropriate command rather than stopping
in the menu.
- Fixed weird bug that prevented viewing LHA file contents more
than 10 times.
- Changed the Single Archive command to Ctrl+S so that Alt+S can
- 8 -
be used to call the Search Menun.
- Added Ctrl+F command to call FormatMaster. File must be named
FM.EXE and must resided in the DOS path.
- Added Alt+A, Alt+I, Alt+F, Alt+N, Alt+O, and Alt+S commands to
the help file.
6.8 - Made change to accomdate reading ARJ 2.22 SFX files.
- You may now use the F8, F9, and F10 keys while in a
compression dialog box to enter macros for compression file
name (ZIP, ARC, etc.).
- Alt+P was calling DIET instead of PKLITE. Fixed.
- Changed mono color scheme.
6.9 - Changed back to side-by-side window configuration.
- Added use of either EMS or XMS memory for swapping.
- Added command (Ctrl+F3) to change file attributes.
- Added command ("=") to exit to active or highlighted directory.
- Added command to check for duplicate files (Alt+Z).
- Added command to swap the left and right windows (Alt+W)
- Changed "Erase After Convert" switch function to not erase
converted files automatically.
- Added ability to update the active window file list as
directory tree cursor is moved up or down with F9/F10 keys
or Ctrl+PgUp/Ctrl+PgDn keys.
- Added support for PKWare version 2.0 (when available).
- Added viewing of archive comments.
7.0 - Activated command switches applicable to ZIP 2.0.
- Added a CHKDSK type function (Alt+F3).
- Added support for 4DOS/NDOS DESCRIPT.ION files.
- Various enhancements and bug fixes.
- Renamed AM.CFG to AMCONFIG.CFG.
7.1 - Numerous enhancements.
- Various bug fixes.
- New password strategy (see password operations).
- The AM.HLP file in AM 7.0 package was an outdated help file
that did not contain the context sensitive help information.
- Added configurable capability to select a menu item on the
first mouse click in lieu of moving the cursor to that item.
- Created a new define file mask menu that eliminates five menu
items in the Files menu and adds some common masks.
- Changed the archive password strategy so that passwords can be
entered while in the compression/decompression dialog rather
than in the AM Configuration dialog. This facilitates changing
the password "on the fly" each time a different batch of files
are compress/decompressed.
- Added additional mouse click labels to the main display
- 9 -
- Made the split file name option applicable when viewing an
archive file directory.
- Added configuration switch to use a nested sort when viewing an
archive file directory.
- Added call to ZIP CommentMaster (CE.EXE) via Ctr+F5. See
COMMENTS.DOC for details.
9 Distribution Files
The following files are included in AM distribution package:
AM.EXE - Main program
AM.OVR - Overlay file
AM.HLP - Help file
AM.DOC - Operating manual
PATHINFO.TXT - DOS PATH information
PROGMENU.DOC - User defined menu info
VENDOR.DOC - Disk vendor info
WHAT'S.NEW - Latest product info (if needed)
New-Ware prohibits the modification of any of these files in any way,
shape, or form except by the individual evaluator or purchaser.
10 The User Interface
The AM user interface has been carefully designed to provide a set of
commands and controls that maximize the program's utility for both straight
keyboard and mouse users. The interface employs a "point and shoot" file
manipulation function via file name lists with scrolling cursor bars. All
AM functions are available through a pull-down menu system that may be
activated with the mouse or by pressing either keyboard slash (/ or \) key.
The program can be exited back to DOS via the menu, by pressing Esc key, or
by pressing Alt+X. Alt+X exits immediately while the Esc key opens the Exit
menu.
10.1 On-line Help
Brief descriptions of all AM functions are available from the main AM
display and most other pop-up windows and dialogs by pressing the F1 key or
clicking the left mouse button on the "Help" string in the upper right hand
corner. A window will open that either presents a list of commands and
abbreviated command names or context sensitive help. Selecting an item from
the help list will open another window that contains a textual description
of the selected command.
- 10 -
AM provides the capability to use the designated file browser (usually
LIST.COM) to browse the associated archive system documentation (DOC) file
from the compression and decompression dialog boxes via the F1 key. The
associated DOC file(s) must be named as specified below and must reside in a
directory that is identified in the DOS path string (see PATHINFO.TXT):
MANUAL.DOC - PKZip
ARJ.DOC - ARJ
LHA.DOC - LHA
PAK.DOC - PAK
ARCA.DOC - ARCA
ARCE.DOC - ARCE
With one exception, LHA, these files are distributed as named above. The
LHA package usually contains LHAxxx.DOC, where xxx denotes a 3 digit version
number. Simply renaming this file to LHA.DOC will suffice.
10.2 File Line Information
Each line of the file window displays contains information pertaining
to that file. If you have elected to configure AM so as to show hidden
files, file names that are hidden, read-only, and/or system will appear in
in a different color. File lines that have an asterisk at the end of the
line indicate that the DOS archive bit is set for that file. Examples:
FILE NAM 43,125 05/15/91*
or
FILE.NAM 43,125 05/15/91*
10.3 Tagging Files
Groups of files appearing in the active file list may be marked for
certain archiving operations by "tagging" them. To tag a file, move the
cursor bar to the file and press the space bar or one of the plus (+) keys.
A diamond shape character will in front of the file name to denote its
tagged status. The tag is a toggle operation and therefore files are
untagged the same way they are tagged. All files in an active window may be
tagged at once by pressing Ctrl+T and all tagged files may untagged at once
by pressing Ctrl+U. The status of tagged files in both windows is
constantly displayed and updated on the main AM display.
10.4 Dialog Boxes
Dialog boxes are used extensively to provide the user with a means to
set specific commands and options prior to performing a particular
operation. They usually include boxed clusters of controls called radio
- 11 -
buttons and check boxes. The user may move from cluster to cluster with the
Tab/Shift-Tab command, Alt+Box number, or mouse. The home key will move to
the first box and the End key will move to the file name entry field. If a
dialog box contains an editable field for the entry of a file name or other
text, the box should be exited for continuation of the operation by pressing
the Enter key while the cursor is in the text field. If the text field is
empty when the Enter key is pressed, the operation will be aborted.
Pressing Esc anytime while in a dialog box will close the box and abort the
operation. Almost all dialog boxes have a pushbutton, which is a small box
with an "Ok" inside. Mouse users may move the mouse to the "Ok" and press
the left mouse button to signify proceeding with the indicated operation.
10.5 Buttons and Check Boxes
Many of the selectable options for controlling archiving program
functions are presented to the user in the form of radio buttons and check
boxes. The main difference between the two is that only one of a cluster of
radio buttons may be selected at one time while any number of check boxes
may be toggled to "on" at the same time.
The Up/Down arrows move from button to button or check box to check box
within a cluster. In the case of buttons, the button selected when the
cluster is exited becomes the active choice. Check boxes are toggled on/off
by pressing the space bar or plus key.
10.6 File/Directory Name Search
AM offers a convenient means of searching for a specific file or
directory name in the active file or directory tree list. Suppose you need
to find a file named MYMEMO.TXT. Press the "m" key (case is not
significant). If there are any files in the active directory that begin
with the letter "M", the cursor bar will move the first file found. Then
press "y". If any files start with "MY", the cursor bar will move again to
the first file found. As you build the search string, AM will display it in
the lower left hand corner of the active window. Here is where the name
search feature in the file list differs from that implemented in the
directory name search. In the file list, if you press a letter and nothing
happens, it means that there are no file names in the directory that match
the current search string. Using the same example, if you press "Z" and no
file name starts with "MYZ", nothing happens. If you are in the directory
tree however, if no directory name begins with "MYZ", the search string will
be reset to start with "Z" and the cursor will be moved to first directory
name found that begins with "Z".
You may use the backspace key to edit the search string and pressing
any of the keypad keys to move the cursor will clear the search string.
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10.7 The Mouse Interface
Mouse users will find the AM mouse interface quite easy and intuitive
to use. Like most mouse interfaces, the mouse cursor may be moved to a
control location on the main display or within a dialog box and the left
mouse button clicked to activate that command or control. For example,
moving the mouse cursor to the pull-down menu line at the top of the main
display and pressing the left mouse button will activate the menu system.
Similarly, moving the mouse cursor to a file name and clicking with the left
button will move the file list cursor bar to that file name. If the cursor
bar is under the name when the mouse is clicked, the file will be tagged and
if it already tagged, it will be untagged. The right mouse button acts as
an Esc key for aborting operations or closing windows.
Four mouse "hot" regions defined by the labels VIEW, TREE, ZOOM and
CHKDK appear centered below the two file windows. Thirteen similar labels
appear on the line just above the main window frame. These labels appear
as:
VIEW TREE ZOOM CHKDK
ZIP LHA PAK ARC ARJ COPY MOVE DEL UNARC CONV EXEC EDIT SCAN
Clicking the left mouse button with the mouse cursor over one of these
labels will invoke the function that the label emulates. For example,
clicking over VIEW is the same as pressing the Enter key and which will call
the default file browser to view the file under the active window cursor.
Clicking on TREE emulates the F5 key (directory tree) and clicking on ZOOM
emulates the F4 key. The ZIP LHA PAK ARC and ARJ regions allow you to go
directly to the appropriate system compression dialog without having to
reset the active system. Click on the COPY, MOVE, and DEL regions to
emulate the Alt+C, Alt+M, and Del keys respectively. Clicking on the UNARC
label is the same as pressing the F10 key and clicking on CONV is the same
as clicking on the Alt+F10 key. Clicking on EXEC emulates Ctrl+Enter and
clicking on EDIT emulates Ctrl+E. Which SCAN dialog (normal or compressed)
appears when you click on SCAN depends upon the type of file under the
active cursor at the time the mouse button is pressed.
Two hot regions that work similarly are "XXX is Active" and "Convert to
XXX", where XXX is ARC, ZIP, ARJ, etc. Clicking on the first emulates the
F2 key for setting the active archive system and clicking on the second
emulates the Alt+F9 key for setting the convert to default system.
You may also click the left mouse button with the mouse cursor inside
either disk drive information box to invoke the change drive function (F3).
The mouse can be used with scroll bars that appear down the right edge
of any window that contains a file list. You may "drag" the scroll marker
down the bar by moving the cursor to the marker, holding down the left
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button, and moving the mouse up or down. Alternatively, you may place the
cursor at a specific location on the vertical bar and click the mouse. This
will move the file list cursor bar to the relative location of the scroll
bar marker. Clicking on either arrow at the top and bottom of the scroll
bar scrolls the file list up and down, respectively.
LIST users please note that AM no longer passes the mouse command line
switch ("/M") to LIST. If you desire to have the mouse active when entering
LIST from AM, you must use the LIST clone feature to create a version of
list that will use the mouse. Please see LIST.DOC for further information.
This accomodates those users who wish to use a file browser other than LIST.
Note that the Help label on the top line of the display may be clicked
on with the mouse at just about any time. If you are in a dialog box or a
special menu, AM will display a context sensitive help box that contains
information relative to the program area you are in.
11 Starting ArcMaster
AM can be started from the DOS command line by typing AM and pressing
the Enter key. Up to three command line parameters are accepted. There may
be one or two valid DOS path names and there may be one valid DOS file name.
For example, to start AM with the directory D:\FOO\BAR active in the lower
AM window, enter AM D:\FOO\BAR. To start AM with C:\ARCHIVE in the upper
window and D:\FOO\BAR in the lower window, enter AM C:\ARCHIVE D:\FOO\BAR.
If you desire to start AM with the cursor bar of the upper window positioned
over a specific file, enter AM FILENAME.EXT.
Some laptop portables may require that you force AM into the monochrome
mode. Placing the "/m" switch on the command line by itself or at the end
of the directory parameter line will force AM into the monochrome (two-
color) mode. This condition may be saved with with the configuration so
that each time AM is run thereafter, the "/m" switch will not be required.
AM may be run from a DOS batch file or from another DOS shell, but if
it is run from another shell you may have to adjust the configuration so
that AM has sufficient memory to operate.
12 ArcMaster Command Structure
In addition to comprehensive mouse support, AM employs the use of Ctrl,
Alt, and function key inputs. Even so, all AM command functions are
available via the pull-down menu system and in fact, many of the Ctrl+Key
and Alt+Key commands result in opening the appropriate menu and placing the
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cursor bar over the command so that a single press of the Enter key will
start the command function.
12.1 Function Keys
Each of the ten keyboard function keys are assigned a command and
pressing one of these keys bypasses the menu system and immediately executes
the assigned command. Function key command assignments are:
F1 - Help
F2 - Change active archive system
F3 - Change system drive
F4 - Zoom active window
F5 - Open directory tree display
F6 - Rename file
F7 - Copy file(s)
F8 - Show tagged files only
F9 - Compress file(s)
F10 - Decompress file(s)
12.2 Alt+Keys
Eight Alt+key commands are dedicated to activating one of the pull-down
menus. The are:
Alt+X - Exit
Alt+A - Archive commands
Alt+F - File commands
Alt+N - Navigation commands
Alt+O - Sort order commands
Alt+S - File search commands
Alt+I - Miscellaneous commands
Alt+H - Help
The following Alt+key commands are assigned to the indicated AM
functions:
Alt+C - Copy file(s)
Alt+D - Tag By Date
Alt+E - Extract SFX EXE file
Alt+K - Set file mask
Alt+M - Move file(s)
Alt+P - Compress EXE with PKLITE
Alt+R - Register AM
Alt+T - Show tagged files
Alt+V - VirusSCAN compressed file(s)
Alt+W - Swap left/right windows
Alt+Z - Check for duplicate files
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Alt+F9 - Set default conversion
Alt+F0 - Convert compressed file(s)
Alt+4 - Display/Edit 4DOS/NDOS file description
Alt+F4 - Call default Editor to Edit DESCRIPT.ION file
12.3 Ctrl+Keys
The following Ctrl+key commands are assigned to the indicated AM
functions:
Ctrl+A - Auto-update function
Ctrl+B - Reset file archive bits
Ctrl+D - Update To Latest
Ctrl+C - Configure AM
Ctrl+E - Edit file
Ctrl+F - Call FormatMaster (FM.EXE)
Ctrl+K - Not Used
Ctrl+L - Call LZEXE
Ctrl+O - Sort order
Ctrl+P - Print directory listing
Ctrl+R - Re-scan active drive
Ctrl+S - Single Archive function
Ctrl+T - Tag all files
Ctrl+U - Untag all files
Ctrl+V - VirusSCAN DOS files
Ctrl+W - Make windows same
Ctrl+X - Program Exec Menu
Ctrl+Z - Call PKZIPFIX
Ctrl+F1 - Multi-update function
Ctrl+F2 - DOS Path Information
Ctrl+F3 - Change File Attribute
Ctrl+F4 - Call DIET.EXE
Ctrl+F5 - Call ZIP CommentMaster (CE.EXE)
12.4 Other Commands
The PgUp, PgDn, Up/Down Arrow, Home, and End keys are all operative for
moving through any of the file list displays. Other miscellaneous commands
are:
Ctrl+Enter - Execute .COM/.BAT/.EXE file
Asterisk - Reset the file mask to *.*
Slash - Access menu system
Ins Key - Set Archive "Hot Name"
Equal Key - Exit to active directory
The archive "Hot Name" command will set the hot name to the file name
under the cursor bar. Any time thereafter that you elect to compress files,
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AM will insert that name automatically into the archive name field in the
appropriate dialog box.
13 Configuring ArcMaster
AM provides the capability to configure various options and to save
those options to a disk file if desired. Selection of the Configure AM item
on the mIsc pull-down menu (Alt+I) or pressing Ctrl+C opens a dialog box in
which the configuration may be set. Keep in mind that the current sort
order, active archive system, active convert option, and all archive system
command options will also be saved in their current states.
If you exit the configuration dialog via the "Ok" button, you will be
prompted to save the configuration. Instructions on saving and retrieving
AM configuration files will be found later in this document.
13.1 Options
There is a check box cluster which can be used to toggle various AM
options as listed below:
Options
[ ] Show Hidden Files - Display hidden/sys/r-only files
[ ] Keep Tags - Retain tags after ops
[ ] Beeps On - Turn sound on/off
[ ] Use Password - Use password for compression ops
[ ] Erase After Convert - Erase after converting archive files
[ ] Split File Names - FILE EXT vs. FILE.EXT
More Options
[ ] Prompt For Overwrite - During file move/copy ops
[ ] Pause After Ops - After comp/decomp/etc.
[ ] Sort Dir Tree - Directory tree sorted?
[ ] EGA/VGA 43/50 Lines - Force extra line mode
[ ] Mouse 1st Click - Select on 1st click?
Most of these options are self-explanatory. The "Mouse 1st Click"
option affects how the left mouse button works in the AM menu system. If
turned OFF (unchecked is the default), then AM will move the curor bar to an
item on the first click and then will select the item on the second click.
This provides a bit of protection against selecting the wrong item. If
"Mouse 1st Click" is ON then AM will immediately select the menu item under
the mouse cursor when the left button is clicked.
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13.2 Start-up Directories
A directory path name may be entered for each of the two file windows
for AM to use upon start-up. Each time AM is started, these directory paths
will be used unless overridden by a command line entry. Do not enter a file
mask here. AM will save the file mask active for each window when the
configuration is saved and will used the saved file masks automatically at
start-up.
13.3 The Temporary Directory
This is an important configuration item, especially if you plan to do
much archiving work between hard and floppy disk drives. The entry here
should be the full, valid DOS path name of an existing directory in your
system. It is important that this directory be EMPTY and ONLY used by AM.
AM will use this directory for numerous purposes. For example, if a
temporary directory is specified, AM will pass that path name to PKZIP with
the -b switch so that ZIP can place its temporary file there. AM also uses
the temporary directory for temporary file storage during archive system
conversion and VirusSCAN operations.
13.4 The Log Directory
AM provides a graphical directory tree for navigation and directory
manipulation. If no Log directory is specified, AM will always scan the
current drive whenever the tree needs to be displayed. This can be a
lengthy process, especially on slow hard drives with lots of directories.
AM uses a directory log file strategy to avoid this problem. What this
means is that if a valid Log directory is specified, the first time the tree
is scanned on a given drive AM will store the tree information in a file and
place it in the specified log directory. Then all following calls to access
the tree result in AM reading that file instead of re-scanning the drive,
which is very fast. The file names that AM will place in the Log directory
are NEW-WARE.X, where X is the drive designator.
One important item must be kept in mind when using this strategy. AM
will have no knowledge of any directories that are created, renamed, or
removed outside of AM. You can accomplish each of these operations while in
the tree. If you add a new directory and then bring up AM and call up the
tree, the new directory will not appear on the tree. In this case you will
need to manually re-scan the disk via the Ctrl+S command or the main menu.
Just remember that if you have not entered a valid DOS drive:\directory
path in the log directory field of the configuration dialog, AM will scan
the disk to collect the directory names each time the tree is opened.
13.5 Password Operations
ARJ, PAK, and ZIP each have a provision for password protecting
compressed files. To enable password use, first invoke the AM configuration
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dialog (Ctrl+C) and then check the box that is labeled "Use Password". If
this box is checked, a password entry field will appear in the compression
dialog when compressing files. If this field is left blank, AM will not
pass the password switch to the active archive system program. If it is not
blank, whatever appears in this field will be passed as the password.
You may save your password to the AMCONFIG.CFG file by invoking any
archive system compression dialog, entering a password in the password field
and then saving the configuration. If you have AM configured to use a
password and have a password saved in the .CFG file, you can still compress
a batch of files not using the password by simply clearing the password
field and leaving it that way throughout the session.
13.6 Editor, Browser, and Scan Names
The default editor is the world-renowned QEDIT from Sem-Ware and the
default file browser is the outstanding LIST from Vernon Buerg. The default
name for the virus scanner is SCAN. These programs are called by whatever
names are entered here. Do NOT include a file extension when entering the
desired name(s).
13.7 Numerical Limits
Be careful when setting file, directory, and in-archive limits. As
explained earlier, these settings directly affect AM memory use. The higher
the limits, the more memory AM consumes and the less memory is available for
calling archive system programs through DOS. If you access a directory that
contains more files than the current limit, AM will issue a warning that not
all the files in the directory will appear in the window listing.
14 Operating ArcMaster
The major elements of the main AM display are the pull down menu bar at
the top of the screen, two vertically oriented file list windows, and two
window information boxes. Only one of the two windows can be active at any
one time and operations that result in the creation or modification of files
will affect the inactive window. In other words, if you tag files for
compression in window #2, the resultant archive file will be placed in the
directory viewed by window #1.
Compression and decompression commands and options will be provided
through the opening of a dialog box. If there are any commands or options
that are not understood, it is recommended that you consult the operating
manual for the specific archive program involved.
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14.1 The eXit Menu
The eXit menu has just two items; eXit and Resume. This menu can be
activated from the main menu bar or by pressing the Esc key with either
window active. The Alt+X command will exit AM immediately without going
through this menu.
14.2 The Arc Cmds Menu (Alt+A)
This menu provides access to almost all of the commands that manipulate
archive files.
14.2.1 The Archive Command (F9)
The Archive command will invoke the active archive system for the
purpose of adding, updating, or refreshing a target archive with the tagged
files in the active window. A compression dialog box will open that allows
setting up the command line to be passed to the active archive system
program. The primary item in the dialog box is the entry field for the
archive name. Do NOT include a file extension, since it will be handled
automatically.
Three keys are available to automatically enter a file name as follows:
F8 - File name highlighted when F9 pressed
F9 - Current date in MM-DD-YY format
F10 - Name of directory in current window
In the case of the F10 key, if the current directory is named
C:\ONE\TWO\THREE\FOUR, the name entered would be FOUR.
For example, to create a new compressed file named MYNEWZIP, tag
several files in one of the windows and press F9 or select the Archive
command. If ZIP is active, a dialog for PKZIP operations will open. Select
from the various options and then type MYNEWZIP into the name field and
press Enter. AM will then call PKZIP to create MYNEWZIP.ZIP in the
directory viewed by the inactive window and MYNEWZIP.ZIP will contain all
the tagged files. Adding to, updating, and refreshing operations work in
the same manner.
14.2.2 The Unarchive Command (F10)
AM will automatically attempt to treat the files with extensions as
files compressed by the system indicated as follows:
.ARC = ARCA
.ARJ = ARJ
.EXE = ARJ, LHA, PAK, OR ZIP Self-Extracting
.LZH = LHA
.PAK, .SDN = PAK
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.QWK = ZIP
.REP = ZIP
.SDA = ZIP
.WNT = ZIP
.ZIP = ZIP
When encountering one of these extensions, AM will attempt to process them
according to the categorization of file extension list above. If this
fails, they will be treated as uncompressed files.
The Unarchive command operates in a manner similar to the Archive
command. One difference is that the active archive setting is not operative
here. All tagged files must have the same file extension and that extension
must be .ARC, .ARJ, .LZH., .PAK, .ZIP or one of the interpreted exextions.
AM will automatically detect the extension and call the appropriate
decompression program. For example, if you tag five .PAK files in the
active window and press F10 or select Unarchive via the menu system, a
decompression dialog box for PAK will open. Select from the various options
and press the Enter key. AM will call PAK.EXE to decompress each tagged PAK
file and the extracted files will be placed in the directory of the inactive
window.
14.2.3 The Convert Command (Alt+F10)
Files of any supported archive system may be converted to files of any
supported archive system. For example, if convert to ZIP is active, all
archive files tagged in the active window will be converted to ZIP files
that will be placed in the directory of the inactive window. Unlike batch
decompression (described above), you may tag any type of archive file
including SFX EXE files. For example, suppose you tag three ARC files and
two ARJ files in the active window. This command will convert all of the of
the tagged files to ZIP files, which will then appear in the directory of
the inactive window.
AM uses a temporary directory for the conversion process. If a valid
temporary directory has been designated in the current configuration, AM
will use this directory. If not, AM will create a temporary directory, use
it, and then remove it upon completion of the conversion operation.
If the "Erase After Convert" switch in the AM configuration is set and
source and destination directories are different, AM will retain the tags
on the converted files and automatically enter the file delete mode after
conversion.
14.2.4 The Default Sys Command (F2)
This command opens a small dialog box in which you may select the
default archive system. Pressing F2 or clicking with the mouse on the "ZIP
is Active" line will also open this box. The setting made here governs
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which archive system dialog box opens when commencing a compression
operation.
14.2.5 The Convert To Command (Alt+F9)
This command opens a small dialog box in which you select the target
archive type for conversion operations. Pressing Alt+F9 or clicking with
the mouse on the line "Convert to ZIP" will also open this box.
14.2.6 The View Archive Directory Command (Enter)
This command is the same as pressing the Enter key with the file list
cursor bar over an archive file. Detailed information on viewing the
contents of compressed files can be found elsewhere in this document.
14.2.7 VirusSCAN (Alt+V)
AM will process each tagged archive file by causing it to be
decompressed to the temporary directory and then invoking McAfee's SCAN to
scan the files. Prior to this, a dialog box will open in which you may set
the various VirusSCAN options prior to processing the tagged archive files.
14.2.8 The Single Arc Command (Ctrl+S)
This command is used to compress each file tagged in the active window
into a single archive file. For example, if LHA is active and you tag three
files, AM will call LHA to create three separate .LZH files and each .LZH
file will have the name of the tagged file.
14.2.9 The Auto Update Command (Ctrl+A)
The Auto Update command acts upon a single archive file. Place the
file list cursor bar over an archive type file and then execute this
command. AM will open the target file and compare all of the DOS files in
the directory of the inactive window with each compressed file in the
archive. If any files in the inactive window are found with the same name
that are later in date, AM will automatically tag those files. Then you can
switch to the window with the tagged files and perform any desire
refresh/update operations.
14.2.10 The Multi Update Command (Ctrl+F1)
This command provides the capability to add groups of files to each and
every archive type file in the inactive window. For example, suppose that
PAK is the active archive system, there are three PAK files in the inactive
window, and five files are tagged in the active window when this command is
executed. AM will use the update command of the active archive system to
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add or update each of the file tagged files to each of the three PAK files.
Please note that ARCA does not have an update command.
14.2.11 Update = Latest (Ctrl+D)
This command will examine each tagged compressed file of any supported
type and reset the file time/date stamp to that of the latest dated file
contained therein.
14.2.12 The LZEXE Command (Ctrl+L)
Use this command to compress EXE files using the popular LZEXE program.
AM will call LZEXE to operate on the EXE file that is under the file list
cursor bar in the active window. Note that if AM finds both LZEXE and
LZESHELL in the DOS path, it will invoke LZESHELL which in turn invokes
LZEXE.
14.2.13 The PKLITE Command (Alt+P)
This command operates exactly like the LZEXE command except that PKLITE
is invoked to compress the target EXE file.
14.2.14 The DIET Command (Ctrl+F4)
As above, except that DIET is invoked to compress the target EXE file.
14.2.15 Call ZIP CommentMaster
Use this command to load and run CE.EXE from New-Ware.
14.2.16 The Extract SFX Command (Alt+E)
This command will execute the SFX EXE file under the file list cursor
bar in a way that causes the self-extraction to place the extracted files in
the directory of the inactive window.
14.3 The File Cmds Menu (Alt+F)
The File Cmds menu provides access to a number of AM functions that
manipulate normal DOS files in the active window.
14.3.1 Tag and Untag Commands (Ctrl+T & Ctrl+U)
All files in the active window can be tagged in one operation with the
Tag All command. Similarly, all tagged files can be untagged with the Untag
All command.
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14.3.2 Show Tags Command (Alt+T)
The Show Tags command opens a window that displays the file names of
all the currently tagged files.
14.3.3 Copy, Move, and Delete Commands (Alt+C, Alt+M, Del)
Tagged files in the active window can be copied or moved to the
drive:\directory of the inactive window. In the case of moving files, if
the inactive window drive is different than that of the active window, AM
will first copy the files to the inactive drive:\directory and then delete
them from the active directory.
If AM is configured to confirm before overwriting files, you will be
prompted to confirm any time a file is about to be overwritten via the copy
or move commands. The same is true if a file marked as hidden, read-only,
and/or system is tagged for deletion.
Each of these commands opens a window that displays the names of the
tagged files. Press Esc to abort the operation or Enter to continue. The
cursor bar will move from file name to file name as an indication of the
progress of the operation.
If 4DOS or NDOS is running, AM will update the appropriate DESCRIPT.ION
files according to the operation being performed.
14.3.4 File Mask Commands (Alt+K)
A pop-up menu will appear that offers a number of "pre-set" file masks
such as "*.ZIP" and "*.EXE" to choose from. You may also choose the "Define
Mask" item which will open a file mask entry window in which you can type in
the file mask of your choice.
14.3.5 Edit File Description (Alt+4)
This command is for 4DOS/NDOS users only. If a description exists for
the file under the cursor bar, AM will display it for editing/viewing. If
not, AM will allow you to create (up to 40 chars) a comment and insert it
into the DESCRIPT.ION file.
14.3.6 VirusSCAN Command (Ctrl+V)
McAfee's popular SCAN.EXE can be invoked via this command. This
function is designed for the scanning of normal DOS files. A dialog box
will open that contains the various options for running SCAN. Note that the
last option, "Scan Drives" will command SCAN to start scanning at the
currently active drive to the last valid drive in your system. For example,
if the active window is viewing drive E: and the last drive in your system
is L:, the last check box label will show E:..L:. Or if the active drive is
A and the last drive is F, it will show A:..F:. This permits some
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flexibility in drive selection and the ability to avoid floppy drives if
desired.
14.3.7 Zoom Active Window (F4)
This command will open a large window that displays up to 100 file
names at a time. Tags will be retained when opening this window and tagging
is allowed while in the zoom window. If you desire to exit the zoom window
with no changes to the tags, press the Esc key. Otherwise, pressing the F10
key will retain the tags and/or the current cursor position that are active
when the key is pressed. Pressing the Enter key will perform the same
functions as would occur in the normal file window.
14.3.8 Tag By Date (Alt+D)
The Tag By Date command will open a window that prompts for the entry
of a date. If a valid date is entred, AM will automatically tag all files
that have a date stamp later than the entered date.
14.3.9 Reset Archive Bits (Ctrl+B)
The archive bit is normally set by DOS whenever a file is altered.
This command will reset the archive bit for all files in the active window.
14.3.10 Set Windows Equal (Ctrl+W)
This command will set the inactive window to the same drive:/directory
as the active window.
14.3.11 Set File Attribute (Ctrl+F3)
This command will present a menu of file attributes (read-only, hidden,
etc). Selecting an attribute will bring up the batch file attribute mode
window. Press the Enter key to commence changing all tagged file attributes
to the selected attribute.
14.3.12 Swap Left/Right Windows (Alt+W)
Each of the two main windows views a directory. You can use the Alt+W
command to exchange the contents of the two windows. Note that any current
tags are removed by the swap.
14.3.13 Find And Tag Duplicate Files (Alt+Z)
Use this command to locate all files in the active window that have
duplicates in the inactive window. Duplicate files are defined as those
with the same DOS file name and an equal size. Dates are not checked. If
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any duplicate files are found in the inactive window they will be tagged and
the inactive window will automatically become active.
14.4 The Navigate Menu (Alt+N)
This menu provides three items that implement commands for changing
drives, directories, and re-scanning the disk.
14.4.1 Change Drive (F3)
This command will open a menu window that contains a list of the valid
drives in your system. You may select with the cursor bar or by pressing
the drive letter key. AM will change to the selected drive and
automatically open the Directory Tree window.
14.4.2 Check Disk (Alt+F3)
This function provides the capability to check any disk for disk size
stats, but it's primary function is to check a floppy disk to see if it is
capable of holding a compressed file made from the files that are tagged at
the time that it is invoked. A rough estimate will be presented that is
based upon the total bytes tagged and the following compression percentages:
PKZIP,ARJ,PAK : 55%
LHA : 50%
ARC : 40%
Please keep in mind that the information presented is only an estimate and
is not accurate due to the fact that different types of files compress to
different sizes. For example, if you tag a group of compressed files, which
will stored and not compressed, you will get a totally eroneous estimate.
14.4.3 Edit DESCRIPT.ION File (Alt+F4)
If 4DOS or NDOS is running and a DESCRIPT.ION file exists in the active
directory, this command will invoke the default editor with the DESCRIPT.ION
file name passed as a command line parameter.
14.4.4 Directory Tree (F5)
The Directory Tree window contains a graphical representation of the
directory tree structure for the current drive. While in this window, the
following commands are active:
Enter Key - Change to selected directory
Ins Key - Add a directory to the tree
Del Key - Remove a directory to the tree
F6 Key - Rename a directory
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Esc Key - Exit the tree with no action
Ctrl+P - Print graphical tree
F9/Ctrl+PgUp - Browse up one directory
F10/Ctrl+PgDn - Browse down one directory
In the cases of adding or renaming directories, you will be prompted to
enter a valid DOS directory name.
You may use the file list browse commands (F9/Ctrl+PgUp or F10/Ctrl+
PgDn) to update the file list in the active window from the directory under
the cursor bar after the command is issued.
14.4.5 Re-scan Drive (Ctrl+R)
AM stores directory tree information in files named NEW-WARE.X, where X
denotes the letter of the drive. This greatly speeds up directory tree
operations but imposes one minor penalty. If you create, rename, or remove
a directory outside of AM, you will have to re-scan the drive to update the
tree. If you desire that AM not use the directory log file strategy and
instead scan the drive each time the tree is accessed, configure AM with no
log directory.
14.4.6 Exit To Directory (Equal Key)
Pressing the Equal Key ("=") while in the directory tree will cause AM
to exit to the directory under the cursor. Pressing the Equal Key will in
one of the two main command windows will cause AM to exit to the currently
active directory.
14.5 Sort Order Menu (Alt+O)
AM supports five different sort orders. You may sort by file name,
extension, size, date, or by nested sort. Nested sort is by file extension
first and then by file name. This menu also has an item which will reverse
the direction of the current sort and an option to not sort the file list at
all.
14.6 Search Menu (Alt+S)
AM provides a fast search for DOS or compressed files on the drive in
the active window. If searching for a DOS file and the target file name is
found (wild cards are okay), AM will issue a notification prompt. You have
the choice of [H]alting the search, [C]ontinuing the search, or [V]iewing
the list of the directory in which the file was found. If you elect to
[V]iew, AM will change to that directory and position the cursor bar over
the target file name.
Searching for a file inside an archive file operates in the same way
except that AM will go through each directory on the current drive and open
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each archive file found and search it for the target file. If found and you
elect to [V]iew, AM will open the archive directory view window and position
the cursor bar over the target file name. You may elect to extract, erase,
etc. tagged files in this case but please note that when the operation is
complete that the active directory will have changed to the directory in
which the target archive file was found.
14.7 Miscellaneous Menu (Alt+I)
This menu contains various command functions as described below.
14.7.1 Print List (Ctrl+P)
This command will cause AM to send a listing of the file names from the
active window to your printer. You will be asked if your printer is ready
first and if you answer [Y]es, AM will print the listing.
14.7.2 Program Menu (Ctrl+X)
This command invokes the special AM user created program menu. Please
read the information in the file named PROGMENU.DOC.
14.7.3 Execute Program (Ctrl+Enter)
This item permits you to execute the .COM, .EXE, or .BAT file that is
currently highlighted by the cursor bar in the active window.
14.7.4 Go To DOS
You may temporarily exit AM and operate from the DOS level with this
command. One note of warning is in order here. It is unwise to use the DOS
CHKDSK command with the /F option while shelled out from any executing
program. Don't do it.
14.7.5 PKZIPFIX (Ctrl+Z)
Use this command to repair a damaged ZIP file. AM will call
PKZIPFIX.EXE to operate on the ZIP file under the cursor bar.
14.7.6 Edit File (Ctrl+E)
This command will load the editor specified in the AM configuration.
Remember, this file must be in the DOS path. The file name under the cursor
bar at the time this command is invoked will be passed as a command line
parameter to the editor when it is called. The distribution default is
QEDIT, Sem-Ware's outstanding text editor.
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14.7.7 Configure AM (Ctrl+C)
This command opens the AM configuration dialog box. Any changes to the
configuration will be active during the current AM session if you select the
Ok push button to exit.
14.7.8 Save/Read Configuration
AM stores the configuration in a file named AMCONFIG.CFG. If you elect
to save the configuration, a window will open that prompts you for a
drive:/directory in which to store the configuration. It will default to
the active window but you can enter any valid DOS drive:\directory and AM
will store the file there.
You should know that in addtion to the items set in the configuration
dialog box, compression/decompression settings for all supported systems are
also saved. For example, if you invoke the PKZIP dialog and configure it
for a specific set of PKZIP command line options, these will be saved and
restored via the configuration file.
When reading a configuration, AM will first look in the drive:/dir of
the active window for AMCONFIG.CFG and if not found there, it will search
the DOS path. You will be notified if no configuration file is located by
AM, otherwise you will be notified exactly which AMCONFIG.CFG file was
loaded. If you have saved more than one and you wish to load a specific
file, change the active window to the drive:/directory in which the desired
configuration file is located and then invoke the Read Config command.
Remember, if more than one AMCONFIG.CFG exists in the DOS path, AM will load
the first one it encounters of it's search of the path.
14.7.9 Register AM (Alt+R)
The command will open a window that will prompt you for the vital
information needed to print the registration form. You can close the window
with no action at any time by pressing the Esc Key. When all the
information has been entered, you will have the opportunity to print the
form on your printer.
14.7.10 Run FormatMaster (Ctrl+F)
You may use the Ctrl+F command to temporarily call New-Ware's
FormatMaster utility. FormatMaster must be named FM.EXE and it must reside
in the DOS path.
14.7.11 DOS Path Information (Ctrl+F2)
This command is included to resolve those cases where DOS returns a
"Bad command or file name" message in response to an AM function that calls
another program. This always means that the called program is not in the
DOS path. Press Ctrl+F2 to display a window that shows a list of the
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primary archive system files and utilities normally used by AM. The current
DOS PATH string will be displayed below the list. You are urged to use this
command to resolve any path problems prior to contacting New-Ware for
technical support.
14.8 On-line AM Help
The on-line AM help system is supported by the AM.HLP file and is
accessed via the F1 key or this main menu item. A window will appear that
contains a vertical list of Help topics. You may move the cursor bar to the
desired topic and press the Enter key to open a secondary window which
contains the information pertinent to the selected topic.
15 Viewing Archive File Contents
The contents of any of the supported archive file types, including
self-extracting EXE files (SXF), may be viewed by moving the active window
cursor bar to the file and pressing the Enter Key. A window will open that
displays a sorted list of the files contained in the target file. This
window operates very much like the active window in that you move through
the file list with keypad cursor keys or with the mouse and scroll bar. The
top of the window will contain a header that shows the file name and the
compression system type.
Please note that when you press the Enter key with the cursor bar over
an EXE file, AM will first check to see if the target file is an SFX file
made by LHA, ZIP, ARJ, or PAK in that order. Making this determination
requires opening the file and searching it. This may happen several times,
especially if the file is not an SFX file and AM goes through the search
four times. This can take considerable time if the file is large and
especially if the file is located on a floppy disk.
15.1 Browsing A Compressed File
To browse the contents of a compressed file, move the cursor bar to the
desired file and press the Enter key. AM will cause the file to be
decompressed and invoke the active file browser (the default is LIST) to
browse the file. When you exit the file browser, you are returned to the
list.
If the cursor bar is over a file name that has an archive extension
(.ARC, .ARJ, .LZH, .PAK, .ZIP or interpreted extension), AM will have it
decompressed and then open a new listing window. You may view the contents
of any of the files in this list, but you cannot tag files for specific
archive system operations. This feature only functions one level deep. In
other words, you may not view the listing of a ZIP file within a ZIP file
within a ZIP file.
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Tagging files while in the archive file directory listing is the same
as while in the normal active file window. If you desire to perform an
archive system operation (such as extraction or deletion), press the F10
key. AM will open the decompression dialog box for that system and you may
then proceed with the operation.
15.2 Viewing Comments and Paths
ARJ, PAK, and ZIP have the capability to store a comment for the
compressed file and comments for the individual files stored therein. ARJ,
LHA, PAK, and ZIP can be commanded to store the full path name of each file
that is compressed.
ARJ and PAK support multi-line comments while ZIP supports a more
practical 60 character comment line. AM will truncate any individual file
comment that is greater than 60 characters in length and any ZIP comment
greater than 50 characters. To view any individual file comments, press the
F6 key and the display will change to show each file name and any comment on
the same line. To view the archive file comment, press the F7 key.
AM will always show just the file names in the archive directory
listing display. Files that have a path name stored with them will be
marked with an asterisk ("*"). To view the stored path of any file, move
the cursor to the file name and press F5. If no path name was stored for
the target file, AM will display just the file name.
15.3 Printing The Directory List
The Ctrl+P command will cause AM to send a listing of the archive file
directory contents to the printer.
15.4 Executing Files From an Archive
You can execute a compressed .BAT, .COM, or .EXE file from the browse
display by placing the cursor over the desired file name and pressing
Ctrl+Enter. AM will extract the target file to the active temporary
directory and run the file. When you terminate the program to return to AM,
AM will erase the file from the temporary directory and return to the browse
window.
16 Running AM with NDOS or 4DOS
AM has been tested while running under the Norton Utilities NDOS from
Symantec Corp. NDOS is quite similar to 4DOS and in fact both programs are
the work of Tom Rawson. When AM shells out out to view the contents of a
compressed file, the command passed to DOS is a call for LIST, which is
intended to call Vern Buerg's LIST.COM. LIST, however, is an internal
command of NDOS and 4DOS. The internal LIST command will work fine with AM
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version 6.5 and later, but if you desire to use the more powerful LIST.COM
there are three ways to do so.
The first way is to disable the internal LIST command by issuing the
command SETDOS /I-LIST from the AUTOEXEC.BAT (or NSTART.BAT) file. The
second way is to issue the command ALIAS LIST C:\UTIL\LIST.COM. This also
disables the internal LIST command, but you can use the alias command to use
the internal LIST function under a different name, as in the command ALIAS
SHOW *LIST. The third way is to rename LIST.COM and to configure AM to call
the renamed version of LIST.
AM also provides extensive support for the 4DOS/NDOS DESCRIPT.ION
files. The Alt+4 (or click on 4DOS/NDOS on bottom line) command invokes a
function that will allow you to add, edit, or remove a 40 character comment
for the file under the active cursor bar. The Alt+F4 command will execute
the default Editor and load DESCRIPT.ION as an editable file. AM will
update DESCRIPT.ION files in the source and destination directories during
any rename, copy, move, delete, and archive convert operations. This
includes using the move option with any of supported file compressers. If
4DOS or NDOS is loaded when AM is run, the product name and version number
will be displayed in the center of the main screen lower frame.
4DOS is Copyright by JP Software. NDOS is a version of 4DOS licensed
to the Symantic Corp.
17 AM Use of Expanded/Extended Memory
The AM overlay file, AM.OVR, automatically uses expanded memory (EMS)
if a memory manager loaded and sufficient EMS memory can be allocated.
Loading AM under Windows 3.0 might fail if the NOEMS switch is used with the
memory manager.
When AM "shells out" to DOS to perform some function like calling PKZIP
to ZIP a group of files, AM will check available memory and will swap the
entire DOS memory space out to EMS/XMS memory or a disk file if the amount
of free memory is less than 290K. If you have an EMS memory manager loaded
and sufficient memory can be allocated, AM will swap to expanded memory. If
you have no EMS but do have an extended (XMS) memory driver loaded, AM will
use XMS memory if sufficient memory is available. If no EMS or XMS memory
is available, AM will swap out to a disk file. Obiviously, the swap to
EMS/XMS is so fast as to be transparant whereas the swap to disk will cause
a noticable delay.
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