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1992-07-18
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WINDOW ON DOS
CONFIGURATION
USER MANUAL
*
* *
* *
* * The
* *
* * Binary
* *
* * Toolshed
* *
* *
* ****** *
* * *
* * * Version 1.21
* * * July 2, 1992
* * *
* * *
******** *
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION.....................................................1
2.0 Program Environment..............................................3
2.1 System Requirements..............................................3
2.2 Installation.....................................................3
2.3 Startup..........................................................3
3.0 OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW.............................................6
4.0 Configuration Files and the Main Menu............................8
5.0 Configure Option : Command Line Arguments.......................10
6.0 Configure Option : Select Color.................................11
6.1 Main Color Menu.................................................11
6.2 Change Color Settings...........................................12
7.0 Configure Option : Sort Order Formats...........................14
8.0 Configure Option : Display Formats..............................16
9.0 Configure Option : Key-Bindings.................................18
9.1 Key Binding Edit/Insertion/Deletion.............................18
9.2 Key Binding Fields..............................................19
9.2.1 Key Binding Edit Menu.........................................19
9.2.2 Key-Binding Field - Label.....................................19
9.2.3 Key-Binding Field - Match List String.........................19
9.2.4 Key-Binding Field - Keystroke.................................20
9.2.5 Key-Binding Field - Command Set...............................21
9.2.6 Key-Binding Field - Help Text.................................21
9.2.7 Key-Binding Field - Flags.....................................21
9.3 Command Line Contents : DOS and Intrinsic Commands..............27
9.3.1 Basics........................................................27
9.3.2 File Variables................................................27
9.3.3 Edit Control Instructions.....................................28
9.3.4 Command Processing............................................29
9.3.5 Intrinsic tbx Command.........................................29
9.3.6 Intrinsic t*x Command.........................................30
10.0 Configure Option : Command Overrides...........................32
10.1 Basics.........................................................32
10.2 Override Flags.................................................33
10.3 Factory Default Command Overrides..............................34
11.0 Configure Option : Quick Lines.................................36
12.0 Configure Option : Default-DOS-Command.........................38
13.0 Configure Option : ToolBOX Banner..............................39
APPENDIX A : TBOXCFG COMMAND LINE ARGUMENTS.........................40
APPENDIX B : INTRINSIC COMMAND SUMMARY..............................41
APPENDIX C : SORT FORMAT SPECIFICATION..............................44
APPENDIX D : DISPLAY FORMAT SPECIFICATION...........................45
APPENDIX E : COMMAND LINE VARIABLES.................................46
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 1
____________________________________________________________________________
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Almost every aspect of ToolBOX is capable of being changed to suit your
personal needs. ToolBOX is primarily a platform that can be configured
to suit whatever is required. If you refer to a ToolBOX help screen
you'll notice the first section describes Basic Operations - essentially
the cursor keys and <SPACE> for selection. These are the only commands
that are unchangeable. The balance contains commands that were
configured using lower level ToolBOX capabilities, in the same way as
can be accomplished through this TBOXCFG program. The configuration
capability extends beyond just the commands. You can change the colors,
alter the directory display formats or sort rules, initialize ToolBOX's
startup settings, enter text for the banner line, and so on.
This manual documents not only the procedures necessary to perform the
configuration process itself, but also the intrinsic commands that can
be used within ToolBOX.
The configuration process generates a data file containing the
configured data - among other things the color selections, formatting
and sorting rules, and the command sets bound to various keystrokes.
This data file can then be used by ToolBOX to initialize itself to
something other than the factory default settings.
Command definition and configuration can occur at a number of different
levels within ToolBOX. For example:
QUICK COMMANDS. These can be defined directly within ToolBOX or
within the TBOXCFG program. If defined within ToolBOX, they are
effectively deleted when exiting to DOS. Those defined through
the TBOXCFG program are permanent. The commands themselves are
equivalent in either case.
KEYSTROKE ASSIGNMENTS. Command sets can only be assigned to
keystroke keys in the TBOXCFG program.
INFERRED BATCH FILES. This facility is "configured" external to
both programs, by the creation and editing of the composed-
/referenced batch files. However, the facility itself is
created through the TBOXCFG program. The inferred batch
facility is much more general than that implied by the ToolBOX
program implementation. The filenames used, the keystrokes, and
the parameters passed are all established by the TBOXCFG
program.
Which technique is most applicable is left to the individual user and
their environment.
This manual describes how the various features are configured. Refer to
the ToolBOX User Manual for a description of how these affect the
operation of the ToolBOX program. TBOXCFG shares many features and
conventions with the ToolBOX program. Refer to the General Product
Overview and ToolBOX User Manuals for documentation conventions, basic
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 2
____________________________________________________________________________
operation with cursor keys, popup menus, and so on.
While the primary purpose of TBOXCFG is to create configuration files
for ToolBOX, these files can also be used by VIEW and TREE. These
programs simply extract the portions of the configuration file that they
can use; typically the colors, default command line arguments, and the
banner line.
Refer to the General Product Overview Manual for examples of practical
applications of these capabilities.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 3
____________________________________________________________________________
2.0 Program Environment
2.1 System Requirements
The requirements are the same as for ToolBOX. The program will run with
any Version of DOS and any type of monitor and card.
2.2 Installation
Just ensure TBOXCFG is in the current directory or on the PATH.
Unless directed elsewhere, all configuration files are accessed from the
current directory.
2.3 Startup
Like ToolBOX, TBOXCFG's operational aspects can be adjusted at the time
the program is started by entering arguments in any of three ways:
o on the DOS command line following the program name.
o by a DOS SET command for the "BTS" environment variable.
o saved in the TBOXCFG.EXE executable file by the BTSPATCH
program.
These are listed in order of decreasing precedence.
All of the arguments are optional, and assume appropriate values if not
provided. The video (-V) and color (-C) arguments are identical to
those used for ToolBOX.
SELECT VIDEO OUTPUT FORM:
-V[b m s c e v] [25 43 50]
Set video mode and/or number of screen lines.
b use BIOS output routines.
m assume monochrome text (MDA) video card.
c, e, or v
assume color graphics (CGA, EGA, or VGA) video card.
All 3 settings have the same effect.
s assume CGA graphics video card and do processing to
remove snow on screen.
25 assume 25 visible lines of text.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 4
____________________________________________________________________________
43 assume EGA/VGA card and use the 43 line by 80 column
mode.
50 assume VGA card and use the 50 line by 80 column mode.
DEFAULT COLOR SELECTION:
-C[m c g]
Selects one of the predefined color tables.
m monochrome text displays.
c color displays.
g gray scale displays, for LCD or monochrome monitors
using color video cards.
SELECT EXECUTION ASPECTS:
-X [a#] [fF]
The eXecution subarguments are:
a# select permitted audible tones. Add the numbers for the
particular sounds you wish to hear.
1 border violations. Short beeps for attempts to
cursor beyond screen borders.
2 syntax. Brief chirp made when ToolBOX is unable
to understand a keyboard request. Typically an
unexpected character was entered.
4 error. Longer warble made when a requested
operation could not be carried out.
The default is a7 - all sounds are enabled (1+2+4).
f / F
allows Flashing colors in the color selection options
when enabled (F). See Section 6.
FILE SPECIFICATION FOR CONFIGURATION FILE :
[d:][path]filename[.cfg]
Identifies the initial configuration file. If no path is
specified the current directory is assumed. If no extension is
provided, ".CFG" is assumed. If this argument is omitted the
initial settings are those of the ToolBOX factory defaults.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 5
____________________________________________________________________________
The default argument list for TBOXCFG is:
-xa7f
The video and color options default to suit the current environment, and
there is no default configuration filename.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 6
____________________________________________________________________________
3.0 OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW
TBOXCFG is structured to enable you to modify each of the nine groups of
configurable data for the ToolBOX program:
o default command line arguments
o color attributes
o directory sort order rules
o directory display format
o keybindings with command sets
o command overrides
o quick lines
o default execution line
o screen banner field
On startup, a copyright screen is displayed. Entering any key will
cancel this screen before the normal 20 second duration expires.
From here on the configuration program operates through a series of
cascading menus. Figure 3/1 illustrates one such set of menus.
┌───────────────────────── ToolBOX Configuration ──────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ╔════════════════╗ │
│ ┌────────────────────────┐ ║ Tue Jly 14/92 ║ │
│ │Load configuration file │ ║ 11:43:38 ║ │
│ │Configure │ ║ ---------- ║ │
│ │Save┌────────────────────────┐ ╚════════════════╝ │
│ │eXit│command line Parameters │ │
│ └────│select Colors │ │
│ │Sort order formats │ │
│ │display Formats │ │
│ │Keybindings │ │
│ │command Overrides │ │
│ │Quick lines │ │
│ │Default DOS command │ │
│ │tbox┌─────────────┐ │ │
│ └────│Flags │─────┘ │
│ │Command line │ │
│ └─────────────┘ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────── F1 for HELP ──────────┘
Figure 3/1 Example ToolBOX Screen Showing Default DOS Command
Configuration
The two upper boxes are always on the screen. The box in the upper
right hand corner shows the time and the currently open configuration
file - if there is one. The upper left box is effectively the main menu
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 7
____________________________________________________________________________
from which all others are generated. In the example "Configure" was
selected from the main menu which in turn produces the next box showing
the possible configurable options. From this menu the "Default DOS
Command" was selected which in turn shows the options within this topic.
Most of the basic operational functions resemble those in ToolBOX.
Within menus, use the cursor keys to move to the desired option and then
select it with <RETURN>. Alternatively, one can select an option by
entering the letter that is highlighted on the desired option line.
Use <ESC> to back-out of the current menu. In some cases <ESC> can also
be used to cancel data that has been changed. For example for windows
where text is being entered, entering <ESC> will essentially cancel the
new text and leave the original text intact.
Again <F1> can always be used to obtain Help information. Within
TBOXCFG this help text is context sensitive (i.e.: relates to your
current activity).
Many operations generate text-entry windows through which text line(s)
can be entered. For these the cursor keys as well as <DEL>, <INS>, and
<BACKSPACE> behave as one would expect. Note that single line text-
entry windows typically can accept wider lines than that shown on the
screen. Continue to enter text and the window will scroll horizontally
in jumps of 10 characters. When a text line is full an audio tone will
sound, since excess text does not wrap down. Entering <RETURN> in the
middle causes lines to be split while <DEL>eleting the return at the end
of a line will cause the consecutive lines to be concatenated providing
there is room for both lines. To save the entered text enter <F10> or
use <RETURN> on the last physical line.
For other situations which require special keys, the keys are specific-
ally identified on the screen. For example <F10> is used to close text
entry windows while <RIGHT> and <CTRL RIGHT> are used to scroll through
the color selections.
It should be noted that most of the data entered, is not, or cannot be,
validated when entered into the TBOXCFG program. This checking must be
deferred until the configuration file is actually used by the ToolBOX
program.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 8
____________________________________________________________________________
4.0 Configuration Files and the Main Menu
Obviously the intent of TBOXCFG is to modify and create configuration
data and place this information into a configuration file. Ultimately
this file will be used by ToolBOX to modify its behavior.
Unless specified as a command line argument, TBOXCFG starts up without a
default configuration file. At this point the effective configuration
data (i.e. the settings available for modification) is equivalent to the
factory settings used by ToolBOX if no configuration file is used. That
is, the natural settings as described throughout the ToolBOX User
Manual.
The currently active configuration file is shown in the box in the upper
right below the time. If none is currently active the name field is
filled with "--------" to indicate the default is being used.
Configuration files by default have an extension of "CFG" although
anything can be used.
The main menu allows the user to read, start modifications, or write
configuration files.
The four options with the main menu are:
Load configuration file
This requests that a new configuration file be read. This is
equivalent to specifying the configuration file as an
argument on the startup command line.
When the option is selected a text entry window appears for
entering the desired pathname. If an existing configuration
file is already open, its name appears as the starting
default in the text window. Enter the new name as desired.
If no path is provided, the current directory is assumed. If
no extension is given, "CFG" is assumed. To specify that no
extension be used, terminate the pathname with a ".".
If the specified file cannot be found, the existing
configuration data is left unchanged, and an error window is
generated. If the file is found, the new data is read in and
completely replaces the existing settings. Nothing from the
previous configuration is preserved when reading in a new
file.
Configure
This selection brings up a sub-menu containing the nine
configurable areas. The options, and Sections in which they
are documented in this manual are:
command line Arguments Section 5
select Color Section 6
Sort order formats Section 7
display Formats Section 8
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 9
____________________________________________________________________________
Keybindings Section 9
command Overrides Section 10
Quick lines Section 11
Default DOS command Section 12
ToolBOX Banner Section 13
Each option in turn brings up further sub-menus as needed for
its function. The documentation within each referenced
section assumes each of the options have been selected from
the Configure menu.
All of the configuration options operate on the in-memory
representation of the settings. If you decide that you do
not want to retain the changes that have been made, then
simply don't save the configuration file at the end of the
session. Many of the individual configuration options have
explicit facilities to cancel changes. Again, these are
changes to the in-memory version. The disk file version is
never modified until the Save configuration file menu.
Save configuration file
This requests that the current configuration data be saved to
a disk file. Like the equivalent read option, this brings up
a text entry window for the pathname for the new config-
uration data; pre-initialized to the currently open config-
uration pathname if there is one. Again if a path is not
explicitly stated then the current directory is assumed. A
"CFG" extension is assumed if none is specified.
As a precaution, if the configuration file existed
previously, then the old file is renamed with a "BAK"
extension. To recover the old contents just refer to the
"BAK" version directly or copy the "BAK" file over the newer
undesired file.
eXit
Requests that the TBOXCFG program be terminated. Entering
<ESC> within this menu is equivalent to the eXit option.
If changes have been made to the configuration data since the
last save, the user will be given one last opportunity to
either return to the program so the changes can be saved or
to exit the program and abandon the changes.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 10
____________________________________________________________________________
5.0 Configure Option : Command Line Arguments
Use this option to enter text that is equivalent to what would be
entered on the ToolBOX program startup command line. Up to 72
characters can be entered into the text-entry window. The initial
default is no text. Enter <ESC> to cancel any changes and revert to the
prior setting. Enter <F10> to save the changes.
The only difference between arguments entered here and those entered on
the ToolBOX command line, established by the BTS set variable, or
created in the TBOX program by BTSPATCH, relates to the precedence in
which they are evaluated when multiple conflicting settings are
specified. Which of the methods is used depends on the desired
permanence, whether the ToolBOX program or configuration file are to be
shared among multiple users or purposes, and so on.
The TBOXCFG program does not check the validity of any of the text that
is entered. This is deferred until the associated configuration file is
actually referenced by the ToolBOX program.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 11
____________________________________________________________________________
6.0 Configure Option : Select Color
6.1 Main Color Menu
This option allows changes to the foreground and background color
attributes for each of the three color tables: for color, monochrome,
and grayscale monitors. Each table consists of fourteen separate pairs
of values corresponding to the foreground/background colors for various
regions of the ToolBOX screens.
In this section the term color is used as if we were always using the
color table. Obviously for the grayscale table this actually
corresponds to an intensity level of a given "color" while for
monochrome screens these same attributes control bold and underline.
The main color menu is used to manipulate the color tables as a whole.
The four selectable options are:
Change colors
Moves to the menu where the individual color changes can be
made to the current color table. Refer to Section 6.2 for
details.
Restore Defaults
Restores the factory default settings for the current color
table. If you wish to restore the original settings for the
current configuration, exit this menu and re-read the
configuration file.
Pick color table
Invokes a menu to select one of the three color tables
(color, monochrome, or grayscale) as the current table. A
diamond appears beside the currently selected table. This
current table is referenced by the Change color and Restore
defaults options.
The initial table setting corresponds to the color table
requested for the TBOXCFG program itself. Configuring any
table other than the one corresponding to the current monitor
type is questionable since the attributes cannot be properly
displayed.
caNcel changes
Ignore all changes made to any table since this menu was last
entered.
No mechanism exists for changing the colors for the TBOXCFG program
itself.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 12
____________________________________________________________________________
6.2 Change Color Settings
There are fourteen color fields used within ToolBOX. As shown in Figure
6/1, the color change screen has two separate windows. The box on the
left is a help screen showing the expected keys and the topic associated
with each of the 14 fields - labeled A through N. The box on the right
shows a simulated series of menu boxes to illustrate how these color
changes actually appear.
┌───────────────────────── ToolBOX Configuration ──────────────────────┐
│ ┌──── Sample Color Table ────┐ │
│ │ │ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────┐ │ ┌─[A] Directory Box────────┐ │ │
│ │<> for foreground color│ │ │┌─[B] Dir Box - Selected─┐│ │ │
│ │<CTRL > for background color│ │ ││[C] normal .fil ││ │ │
│ │──────────────────────────────│ │ ││[D] cursor .fil ││ │ │
│ │[A] Dir Normal Box │ │ ││[] selected.fil ││ │ │
│ │[B] Dir Selected Box │ │ ││[F] curs-sel.fil ││ │ │
│ │[C] Dir: normal text │ │ │└────────────────────────┘│ │ │
│ │[D] Dir: cursor text │ │ │[G] Cmd> [H] Entered text │ │ │
│ │[E] Dir: selected text │ │ └──────────────────────────┘ │ │
│ │[F] Dir: selected & cursor │ │ │ │
│ │[G] Kbd cmd prefix │ │ ┌─[I] Menu Box─────────────┐ │ │
│ │[H] Kbd entered text │ │ │[J] Normal entry │ │ │
│ │[I] Menu Box │ │ │[K] Selected entry │ │ │
│ │[J] Menu: normal │ │ │[L] Select Char │ │ │
│ │[K] Menu: selected │ │ └──────────────────────────┘ │ │
│ │[L] Menu: select char │ │ │ │
│ │[M] Help Box │ │ ┌─[M] Help Box─────────────┐ │ │
│ │[N] Help: text │ │ │[N] Help text │ │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────┘ │ └──────────────────────────┘ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────── F1 for HELP ──────────┘
Figure 6/1 Example Screen for Changing Colors
For example, the upper box in the right window simulates the main
ToolBOX screen. The labeled fields represent the color for:
[A] the outer box when ToolBOX is in DIRECTORY mode.
[B] the outer box when ToolBOX is in SELECT mode (the normal case)
[C] normal files in the directory display.
[D] the file in the display that coincides with the cursor.
[E] a selected file in the display.
[F] a selected file in the display that coincides with the cursor.
[G] the "CMD>" prefix for the keyboard command line at the bottom
of the ToolBOX screen.
[H] the text portion of the keyboard command line.
The simulated boxes will give a feeling for how the screen will
ultimately appear.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 13
____________________________________________________________________________
To change a color:
1) select one of the 14 color fields by using the <UP> and <DOWN>
cursor keys. The current field is identified by the flashing
diamond in the simulated screen on the right.
2) change the foreground color by using the <LEFT> and <RIGHT>
cursor keys to cycle through the 16 possibilities. Each change
is reflected in the simulated screen. All video modes have 16
settings, although for monochrome mode many of these are
duplicates.
3) change the background color by using the <CTRL LEFT> and <CTRL
RIGHT> keys to cycle through the 8 possibilities. An
additional 8 flashing background settings can be made available
through the -xF command line argument described in Section 2.3.
Normally these are disabled as they aren't typically used and
increase the effort required to cycle through the settings.
4) when the foreground and background colors for the field are set
correctly, either return to step 1 for other fields or enter
<ESC> to return to the parent Main Color menu.
If you wish to cancel the color changes that have been made, then use
the Cancel option in the parent Main Color Menu.
Color selection is a matter of personal choice. Our extensive Graphics
Art department here at The Binary Toolshed won't feel slighted in the
least that you have chosen to ignore the default colors that they spent
countless hours selecting.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 14
____________________________________________________________________________
7.0 Configure Option : Sort Order Formats
Through this option you can identify 8 separate sets of sort rules.
Each can then be referenced from within ToolBOX by the -s# command line
argument, the sort option sub-menu of the ToolBOX popup menu, or the /s#
parameter on the intrinsic dir command line.
┌──────────────────────── ToolBOX Configuration ──────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ╔════════════════╗ │
│ ┌────────────────────────┐ ║ Tue Jly 14/92 ║ │
│ │Load configuration file │ ║ 09:52:58 ║ │
│ │Configure │ ║ ---------- ║ │
│ │Save┌────────────────────────┐ ╚════════════════╝ │
│ │eXit│command line Parameters │ │
│ └────│select Colors │ │
│ │Sort order formats │ │
│ │disp┌──────────────────┐│ │
│ │Key │eXtension-name ││ │
│ │comm│Date┌──Sort Description and Format─┐ │
│ │Quic│Size│eXtension-name │ │
│ │Defa│dOs │xn │ │
│ │tbox│Name└────────────── F10 To Save ───┘ │
│ └────│extension-daTe │┘ │
│ │extension-siZe │ │
│ │Reverse-date-name │ │
│ └──────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────── F1 for HELP ─────────┘
Figure 7/1 Example TBOXCFG Screen Illustrating Sort Option
As shown in Figure 7/1, the first window presented is a list of the 8
existing sort settings. Enter the highlighted letter (or cursor to the
option and enter <RETURN>) to select the one you wish to edit or
replace. This brings up a text-entry window with two lines. The first
line is to be used as the sort description or label field, while the
second is for the sort specification.
The sort description is used for the label on the parent menu as well as
the popup sort selection menu within the ToolBOX program. The name may
contain up to 30 characters. The first capital letter (if any) will be
used as the highlight letter for the fast menu selection. The second
and subsequent capitals have no special effect. If multiple labels
share the same first capital letter, only the first will be used for the
fast selection.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 15
____________________________________________________________________________
The second line containing the sort specification is composed of a
series of code letters identifying the sort rules:
x extension - alphabetical order
n name - alphabetical order
d date - oldest first
s size - smallest first
r reverse order
Case is not significant. If no letter is specified, the directory
entries are left unsorted in the natural DOS order. If more than one
code letter is specified, the second and subsequent are used to resolve
ties that remain from the previous sorts. The reverse order request is
done at the end after all other sort procedures have been performed.
For example, the specification:
nxr
requests that the primary sort be an alphabetical sort based on the 8
character filename. For multiples entries with the same 8 character
name (i.e. ties), resolve the tie by sorting alphabetically on the 3
character extension. On completion of all this, reverse the order of
the entire directory.
Within a ToolBOX directory display the current directory, ".", always
remains as the first entry.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 16
____________________________________________________________________________
8.0 Configure Option : Display Formats
This option is similar to the sort option except that it establishes 8
separate display format specifications for the ToolBOX directory file
entries. As shown in Figure 8/1 the item selection and the two line
text entry window for inputting the label and format specification are
also the same.
┌───────────────────────── ToolBOX Configuration ──────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ╔════════════════╗ │
│ ┌────────────────────────┐ ║ Tue Jly 14/92 ║ │
│ │Load configuration file │ ║ 01:58:10 ║ │
│ │Configure │ ║ ---------- ║ │
│ │Save┌────────────────────────┐ ╚════════════════╝ │
│ │eXit│command line Parameters │ │
│ └────│select Colors │ │
│ │Sort order formats │ │
│ │display Formats │ │
│ │Key ┌──────────────────┐│ │
│ │comm│Master ││ │
│ │Quic│filename-Size ││ │
│ │Defa│filename-Date ││ │
│ │tbox│File┌───Dir Description and Format─┐ │
│ └────│Name│filename-Date │ │
│ │mAst│/n.x D │ │
│ │siZe└────────────── F10 To Save ───┘ │
│ │filename-sizE (B) │ │
│ └──────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────── F1 for HELP ──────────┘
Figure 8/1 Example TBOXCFG Screen Illustrating Display Format Option
The display format specification is composed of a number of single
character codes:
D ddMmmyy date string
d 2 char day
m 2 char month
y 2 char year
M 3 char Month
t hh:mm time field
n 8 character name
x 3 character extension
C 8 character file size byte count,
or " <DIR> " if a directory
c 8 character file size byte count,
or " " if a directory
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 17
____________________________________________________________________________
s if file is selected, otherwise " "
\ file status: displays as "\" if a directory, otherwise " "
/ file status: displays file attribute status character,
in decreasing priority:
"s" system
"h" hidden
"r" read-only
"\" subdirectory
" " none
"literal string" any text
These characters can be combined in any order to create the desired
display format. Characters that do not correspond to any of the format
characters are treated literally; for example spaces or periods can be
used to separate fields. Alternatively, literal text can be entered
directly by enclosing it in quotation marks.
The format characters are essentially self explanatory. Various
date/time combinations are identified through D d m y M and T. Filename
components are specified through n and x. The s field is an alternative
mechanism to using color highlight to identify selected display entries.
The \ and / produce single character file status characters, where \
just identifies the entry as a directory, while / also shows applicable
system, hidden and read-only file attributes.
ToolBOX will adjust the number of file columns within the directory
display according to the effective width of the formatted specification.
A minimum of two spaces is inserted between each pair of columns. There
is no indication within the TBOXCFG program of how the formatted text
will appear or of the number of columns.
As an example, the default master display label and format specification
are (quotes are added for presentation purposes):
"Master"
"\n.xC D t"
which displays as two columns, each of which appears as:
" FILENAME.EXT 2,345 14Jly92 09:29"
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 18
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9.0 Configure Option : Key-Bindings
9.1 Key Binding Edit/Insertion/Deletion
Keybindings are used to associate a set of operations with a keyboard
key. These associated items include:
o text label - used to recognize the keybinding within the
TBOXCFG program.
o optional file matchlist specification needed for activation.
o keystroke character needed for activation.
o command set containing command lines to be processed - both DOS
and ToolBOX intrinsic commands.
o help text.
o flags - for updating directory display on completion, or
pausing, and so on.
Selecting the Key Binding option from the Configure menu, produces a
window with a list of the labels for the existing keybindings. The
menus within this option allow you to add, delete, or edit items in the
list. To perform one of these update operations, cursor to the desired
keybinding label and enter <RETURN>. The next menu options are:
Edit
Initiates changes to the existing settings for the
keybinding. Refer to section 9.2 for the options available.
Insert before
Adds a new entry before the current keybinding. Refer to
Section 9.2 for the options available.
Append after
Adds a new entry after the current keybinding. Refer to
Section 9.2 for the options available.
Cut
Deletes the current keybinding. The deleted entry is
temporarily retained and can be used in subsequent paste
operations. These Cut and Paste combinations can be used to
duplicate or move entries.
Paste after
Inserts a copy of the most recent Cut operation after the
current keybinding.
The order of the entries in the list is significant. ToolBOX will stop
at the first entry that satisfies the keystroke and file match
requirements. For example, if you wish to associate a keybinding with
an alphabetic key, it must be placed before the keyboard command line
binding that matches all ASCII keystroke characters.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 19
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9.2 Key Binding Fields
9.2.1 Key Binding Edit Menu
The keybinding edit menu allows individual access to each of the 6
fields plus an edit cancel option:
Label
Matchlist
Keystroke
Command text
Help text
Flags
Cancel changes
During the edit operations, changes are made to a copy of the actual
keybinding. No changes are saved until <ESC> is used to exit from the
edit menu. To exit from the menu and ignore whatever changes were made
to the fields, use the Cancel changes option.
If the edit menu was reached from the Insert or Append options, then
each field is initialized with the default settings.
9.2.2 Key-Binding Field - Label
The label field is used in the menu list of defined keybindings. This
is the only keybinding field that is used for the TBOXCFG program rather
than ToolBOX itself.
Up to 32 characters can be entered to describe the keybinding.
9.2.3 Key-Binding Field - Match List String
The matchlist is the optional file match specification(s) that must
correspond to the selected file(s) before ToolBOX will invoke the
keybinding. If not supplied, the binding will be selected solely on the
keystroke specification.
As per the standard matchlist definition, the list can contain one or
more filematch specifications. Each filematch specification can contain
the * or ? wildcards, and be preceded with !. The ! designates that
files matching this specification should be removed from the list of
files selected by prior specifications.
The default setting is the absence of a specification. This designates
that keybinding is to be selected solely on the keystroke value and is
independent of whether or not files are selected.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 20
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9.2.4 Key-Binding Field - Keystroke
The keystroke is the keyboard character that must be matched for ToolBOX
to invoke the keybinding.
When the option is selected, a list of all possible keystrokes is shown.
Select the desired entry, either by cursoring to it or by directly
entering the keystroke. Most of the keystrokes are straight forward,
simply representing the valid combinations of the normal keys along with
the <SHIFT>, <CTRL>, and <ALT> keys. However, a few special conditions
should be noted:
o characters that are not available include:
. the alphabetic keys (without CTRL or ALT)
. the ToolBOX basic operation keys: cursor keys, <PG UP>,
<PG DN>, <HOME>, <END>, <ESC>, and <SPACE>
o as <RETURN> is used in the menu selection process, you must
cursor to it to select its entry.
o the only special allowance made for the 101 key AT keyboards are
that the <+> and <-> keys are distinguished from the equivalent
keys on the main part of the keyboard. The <F11> and <F12> keys
are not supported.
o for keys that may not be available on all keyboards, the key
label in the menu is enclosed in [brackets]. Use the direct
menu select mechanism to test if they have the desired effect.
This applies to such characters as <CTRL RETURN> which may not
be supported by your BIOS or the mid <keypad 5> which may not
physically exist on your keyboard. Refer to the General Product
Overview Manual for alternate keystrokes for these keys.
o with three exceptions, all the keys correspond to single
keystrokes (with one of more shift states). The three
exceptions provide a mechanism to group common keys together.
The keystroke for these can be assumed to be matched if any of
the keys within the group are entered. The labels for the three
groups are:
ASCII Group contains the standard 95 printable charact-
ters available through the main portion of the
keyboard. Includes the upper and lower case
alphabetics, numeric, and punctuation characters.
ALT LETTER The 26 alphabetic keys when used in conjunction
with the ALT key.
CTRL LETTER The 26 alphabetic keys when used in conjunction
with the CTRL key.
There is no default keystroke selection.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 21
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9.2.5 Key-Binding Field - Command Set
The Command Set field represents the individual instructions that are to
be processed when the keybinding is invoked. The command lines can be
either DOS commands or ToolBOX intrinsics. Rules for the available
commands and their contents are provided in Section 9.3.
Each command set may contain up to 40 lines of up to 68 characters each.
The lines can contain any valid CTRL character variable. TBOXCFG does
not check the validity of the entered command lines. The command set
lines can be viewed from within the ToolBOX program through the extended
help facility, <ALT F1>.
9.2.6 Key-Binding Field - Help Text
The help text entered here is displayed when the <F1> help key is used
within ToolBOX. This help text for the configured keybindings is
displayed after the explanations for the basic ToolBOX operations.
As for the command lines, you may enter up to 40 lines of up to 68
characters each. The convention employed for the factory default
commands is a single line for each consisting of:
o 8 characters for the match string or " --- " if not
applicable.
o 12 characters for the keystroke match.
o up to 48 characters of explanation.
Note this is only a convention used to ensure the presentation is
consistent. The help text can span any number of lines, even zero, and
employ any formatting that may be desirable.
9.2.7 Key-Binding Field - Flags
The Flags menu sets the state for seven different aspects of executing a
keybinding. These are primarily used to optimize the screen transitions
from the ToolBOX directory display to the program (or DOS) screen and
then back. Each keybinding will have different requirements in terms of
video modes that must be initialized, file updates that must be
integrated into the display, pause and error processing requirements,
and so on. The flag settings can be used to ensure that the transitions
are done as quickly and as smoothly as possible.
As each of the seven flag settings is selected, a submenu appears
showing the available options. The current setting is prefixed with a
character. To change the setting, cursor to the desired option and enter
<RETURN> or <SPACE>. Figure 9/1 illustrates one of these menus - for
setting error condition options.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 22
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┌───────────────────────── ToolBOX Configuration ──────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ╔════════════════╗ │
│ ┌────────────────────────┐ ║ Tue Jly 14/92 ║ │
│ │Load configuration file │ ║ 11:47:51 ║ │
│ │Configure┌───────────────────────────────┐ ║ ---------- ║ │
│ │Save┌────│Select all ent┌───────────────────────┐╚════════════════╝ │
│ │eXit│comm│Select current│Switch to DOS window │ │
│ └────│sele│Sele┌─────────│Tell DOS of Video Lines│ │
│ │Sort│Exec│Edit │Display data │ │
│ │disp│Star│Inse┌────│sUbdirectory │ │
│ │Key │Star│Appe│Labe│Pause on completion │ │
│ │comm│KBD>│Cut │Matc│On error │ │
│ │Quic│DELE│Past│Keys│Embe┌───────┐ │ │
│ │Defa│KBD>└────│Comm│sKip│ Abort │ │ │
│ │tbox│KILLDIR │Help└────│Ignore│──────────┘ │
│ └────│PRINT │Flags └───────┘ │ │
│ │QUICK EXI│Cancel ch │ │ │
│ │KBD> RENA└───────────────┘ │ │
│ │Shell to DOS │ │
│ │TREE directory │ │
│ │VIEW File │ │
│ └───────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────── F1 for HELP ─────────┘
Figure 9/1 Example Menu Showing Possible Change To The On-Error Flags
Each of the eight flag settings covers a particular aspect of processing
a keybinding. These settings along with their sub-menu options are
(defaults shown prefixed with ):
Switch to DOS window
Controls whether, before the command is executed, ToolBOX
should retain it's own directory display or switch to the
screen for DOS command lines. The setting has no effect in
split screen mode.
Inhibit switch Stay with the ToolBOX directory
display. This should only be used
for commands which generate no
output to the screen or produce full
screen output (that is where
switching to the DOS screen would be
immediately replaced anyway).
Switch and save Restore the DOS screen before
executing the command, and upon
completion record the updated screen
state so that it can be used for the
next opportunity. Switching to DOS
not only restores the screen
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 23
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characters but also the number of
video lines. This may be
significant to some programs.
switch, Don't save As above except that the updated DOS
screen is essentially ignored on
completion. This is useful for full
screen programs which require the
initial DOS screen line settings.
Tell DOS of video lines
Determines whether DOS should be specifically told there are
only 25 lines available in the split screen area. As
explained in the ToolBOX manual for the TBOX -xT command line
argument, under some combinations and versions of the
ANSI.SYS driver and DOS, it may be possible to have DOS
restricted to the 25 line split screen area, yet have
applications use the full 43 or 50 line screen. This flag
and the command line argument setting are combined before the
command is carried out - i.e. as long as either is set to YES
DOS is told of the 25 line restriction. This setting has no
effect if not in split screen mode.
No Do not tell DOS. Assumes DOS
(usually V3.x or 4 with ANSI.SYS) is
self limited to the 25 line split
screen area.
Yes Tell DOS (and therefore all other
programs that default to the current
screen settings) that only 25 lines
are available in the split screen
area.
Display data
This setting is used to optimize, where possible, the
processing required to update the directory display after a
keybinding is processed. A complete update requires that all
the files in the directory be re-examined to detect possible
changes. This file data must then be sorted and reformatted
for presentation purposes. Elimination of any of these steps
(and especially the re-reading of the directory) helps
eliminate unnecessary delays.
New data File or directory changes occurred.
Re-read the directory and update the
display accordingly.
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Re-sort File data didn't change. Just re-
sort it.
re-Sort and format File data didn't change, but sort
criteria or format rules did.
Therefore use the existing file data
but reformat and re-sort it before
displaying.
New data if change ToolBOX can make a SIMPLISTIC test
for file changes by checking for
changes in the disk space
utilization before and after
execution of the keybinding.
Depending on whether changes were
detected, this option completes as
per the "New data" or "No changes"
options.
It must be emphasized that while the
test is much faster than re-reading
the entire directory, it is far from
foolproof. Do not use this option
if you cannot afford to have the
display be slightly out-of-date
occasionally.
Assume BTS errorlevel
Most Binary Toolshed programs return
an error level indicator which
identifies whether changes have
occurred (refer to the General
Product Overview Manual for
specifics). This option tells
ToolBOX to examine this error level
indicator to determine whatever
display updates are warranted.
No change There are no changes to the files
involved in the current ToolBOX
directory display, therefore no
update is required.
subDirectory
This setting identifies whether the matchlist specification
in the keybinding pertains to files and/or subdirectories.
No Match files only.
Yes Match subdirectories only.
Optional Match files and subdirectories.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 25
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Pause on completion
Identifies whether, on completion of processing the
keybinding command set, ToolBOX should pause and display the
resultant DOS screen or revert immediately to the ToolBOX
directory display. This setting has no effect in split
screen mode or if the PAUSE flag within ToolBOX itself is set
to YES (see ToolBOX popup menu options or <ALT F2> in the
ToolBOX User Manual).
If what is desired is to actually pause after each command
(and not just preserve DOS screens that would have otherwise
been replaced), then specifically insert the DOS PAUSE
command within the command set.
after Each command If a single keystroke involves
keybindings for a number of selected
files, then ToolBOX will pause after
the execution phase has completed
for each command set for each
selected file. Any-key will cause
the process to resume, however,
<CTRL c> can be used to abort the
remaining operations.
after All selected As above, except ToolBOX pauses once
and once only at the completion of
all keybindings for the current
keystroke. The PAUSE flag set
through the TBOX -xP command line
argument or the ToolBOX popup menu
sets this setting for all
keybindings.
Never Revert immediately to the ToolBOX
directory display - do not pause.
On-error
Specifies what should be done when external programs return a
non-zero errorlevel value. The error setting is generally
not applicable. The errorlevel value is only available from
programs that are invoked directly; with explicit .exe or
.com extensions (for other programs, ToolBOX runs them
indirectly through COMMAND.COM which discards the program
errorlevel value). Also the convention for errorlevel values
is not consistently followed by all programs. Judicious
caution is warranted.
Abort Stop processing immediately. The
audible alarm for execution errors
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 26
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is also issued.
Ignore No attention is paid to the
errorlevel value returned from
executed programs.
Embeddable
Indicates to ToolBOX if this keybinding should be allowed to
be processed if the associated keystroke is entered when
ToolBOX is in the keyboard command line mode. As explained
for "External Command Access" in Section 9.3.2 of the ToolBOX
User Manual, as a simple guideline, any command can be used
as long as it does not change the current directory,
reference the currently selected files, or conflict with
characters used for editing the command lines or with those
used for command line variables. The commands that can be
used include those that alter the number of screen lines,
change the split screen status, change the display sort and
format settings, toggle ToolBOX/DOS views etc.
No Do not process if the keystroke is
entered in the middle of a keyboard
command line.
Yes Process the keybinding. Use caution
here.
sKip to cursor
Specifies a special command which is intended to be processed
once and once only, and on the file at the current cursor
position. The normal procedure is to execute the keybinding
once for each selected file.
No Process with normal sequencing
through selected files.
Yes Process as if the file at the cursor
were the only selected file. That
is, perform the processing and then
stop. This is primarily used for
the file selection commands
themselves (e.g. <ALT space> ) where
the already selected files should
not be processed.
While these settings may require several repetitions before the optimum
states can be found, there is almost always a way to eliminate unneces-
sary screen updates or transitions.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 27
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9.3 Command Line Contents : DOS and Intrinsic Commands
9.3.1 Basics
This section describes the commands that can be used within the command
line portion of a keybinding (see Section 9.2.5).
The lines can be either DOS commands or ToolBOX intrinsics. Intrinsics
are the commands that are processed directly by ToolBOX. DOS and
intrinsic command lines can be combined in any order to comprise a
command set.
The same rules apply here as for entering keyboard command lines within
ToolBOX.
For DOS commands avoid using SET and its derivatives - PROMPT and PATH.
DOS commands/functions that are specific to batch files such as GOTO and
labels are also not available. Avoid commands which install a resident
TSR segment.
The basic intrinsic commands (cd, dir, del, killdir, and sel) are
described in the ToolBOX User Manual. This manual describes two
additional intrinsics: tbx, and t*x. While they can be entered through
the keyboard command line, they are intended for use within the
keybinding command sets. These are oriented toward system setup and
configuration operations.
9.3.2 File Variables
Command lines, whether DOS or intrinsics, can contain variables which
relate to files selected within the directory display. The effective
text is substituted for the variable when the command line is executed.
Each variable is created by a <CTRL letter> sequence, and is displayed
as letter. For example <CTRL f> is shown as f.
The available variables are:
<CTRL d> display drive letter.
<CTRL p> display path.
<CTRL n> 1 to 8 character file name.
<CTRL x> 0 to 3 character extension.
<CTRL f> minimized pathname, i.e. sufficient information to
uniquely reference the selected file from the current
directory.
<CTRL D> current drive letter.
<CTRL P> current path.
<CTRL c> last character from keyboard.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 28
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The display drive letter can also be entered as a relative drive:
[+-!]d for the drive that is next, previous, or adjacent in
the direction of the direction flag. The resultant
value will always wrap around within the valid range.
For example, the command line:
+d:
can be used to cycle through all the valid drives on
your system.
To create this sequence, enter <CTRL d>, then cursor
back and insert the direction character before the d.
9.3.3 Edit Control Instructions
Text for the keyboard command lines (see "t*x p" in Section 9.3.6) can
contain embedded instructions which control the edit operation during
the initial presentation of the keyboard command. These instructions
are coded as a single letter enclosed in angle brackets. The four
supported instructions, which can be inserted anywhere in the command
text, are:
<c> set the cursor position to the current location
<i> start the edit operation in insert-mode
<o> start the edit operation in overstrike-mode
<m> mark the start (or end) of a DefaultText field. The
text will be displayed in reverse video. If the
initially entered character is non-printable (such as
<RETURN>), then the DefaultText will be converted to
normal text. If, however, the initial character is
printable, the marked text will be deleted and
replaced with the newly entered character. The cursor
will be positioned following this character in insert-
mode. Only one such field may exist in a command
line. The field continues to the end-of-line if the
end mark is not supplied.
As an example, the following is a possible version of the rename command
which suggests the new filename have the same name but a "NEW"
extension. Entering any text will overwrite this extension.
t*x p rename f n.<m>new<m>
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9.3.4 Command Processing
Section 9.3.6 describes the "t*x p command-line" command which preloads
the command-line text into the keyboard command line. The parameters/-
variables for this command are evaluated twice. Once when the command
is initially processed and brought into the keyboard command line, and a
second time when <RETURN> is ultimately entered.
When the variables are processed by ToolBOX, the sequence is
translated to a single . This facility can be used to ensure that the
variables are expanded at the proper time.
If the variable is to be replaced with the selected file name at the
time the command line is brought into the keyboard buffer, then use one
. If multiple files are selected, only the first will be processed.
It is the keyboard command line that would be reprocessed for each
selected file, but since this command line is now static and unchanging,
there is no need to repeat after the first pass.
If the variable is to be replaced at the time the <RETURN> is entered
(and repeated for each additional selected file), then use two prefix
characters when placing the variable in the command set for the key
binding. This displays as one in the keyboard command line.
To produce consecutive diamonds ( ), either enter two consecutive
valid CTRL characters such as <CTRL f> and then manually delete the
first letter, or enter <ALT 0><ALT 0><ALT 4> twice using the numeric
keypad. When using the keypad technique, ensure that NUMLOCK is off and
that you release the ALT key after <ALT 4>.
9.3.5 Intrinsic tbx Command
The intrinsic command tbx is used to implement a number of housekeeping
operations. While intended to be executed transparently through
bindings to specific keys, they may be entered manually through the
keyboard command line.
All commands contain a single letter descriptor followed by additional
parameters as required. These commands are:
tbx d o switch the screen to the DOS window.
tbx h # o initiate ToolBOX help, where # is 1 or 2. 1
selects basic command descriptions, 2 adds the
actual command set text for each key binding.
The key binding can be used to change the help
descriptions for the configurable commands
contained in the middle section of the help text.
The factory default configuration uses single
line descriptions for each keybinding, but this
need not be the case.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 30
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tbx p o toggle the current PAUSE status. When ON,
ToolBOX will pause at the DOS screen just before
returning to the ToolBOX directory display. The
default is OFF, although this can be changed
through the TBOX -xP command line argument. The
setting can also be examined and changed through
the ToolBOX popup menu. This setting has no
effect in split screen mode.
tbx r ## o change screen rows to ##, where ## must be one of
25, 43, or 50. The original DOS setting will be
used for any other values. No check is made for
consistency with the current video card.
tbx t o toggle the current DIRECTION status. The
direction state is used by <TAB>, and <SHIFT
SPACE>. This state can be examined and changed
through the ToolBOX popup menu.
tbx w o toggle between ToolBOX SELECT and DIRECTORY
state.
tbx N o change directories to the next entry in the
directory stack; i.e. move to the next oldest.
The directory stack is a list (to a 500 character
limit) of the previous directories entered and
the file at the cursor on exit from each.
tbx P o change directories to the previous entry in the
directory stack; i.e. move to the next newest.
tbx x o conditional exit, prompt first to ensure user
wants to exit.
tbx X o unconditional exit. Exit immediately.
9.3.6 Intrinsic t*x Command
The t*x command is similar to the tbx intrinsic command described in the
previous section. The notable difference being these are only to be
initiated from command sets bound to specific keys. Manually entering
these commands through the keyboard command line could cause unpredict-
able results. Refer to the default command configurations for practical
examples of how these commands are employed.
t*x p [command-line-text]
o start the keyboard command, initializing with all
trailing text on the t*x p command line.
t*x l o start the keyboard command, initializing with
text from the most recent command stack entry.
The command stack is used to retain the latest
keyboard command lines, up to a 500 character
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 31
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limit.
t*x C o assign current directory to quick-command x (x is
assumed to be the next character received through
the keyboard). Quick-commands are limited to a
total of 500 characters. They can be viewed and
invoked through the popup menu.
t*x D o delete quick-command x (again x is assumed to be
the next character received through the
keyboard).
t*x K o add the current keyboard command line as quick-
command x (x is assumed to be the next character
received through the keyboard). The keyboard
command line is cleared on receipt of the x
label.
t*x X o execute quick-command x (x is assumed to be the
next character received through the keyboard).
The quick-command text is treated in the same
manner as if it were entered through the keyboard
command line.
t*x f progname.ext [param1] [param2] . . .
o if it can be found in the current directory or on
the PATH, then invoke the progname.ext program
and pass it the parameters param1, param2, etc.
If the progname.ext file cannot be located, a
default command line is performed, see Section
12. The extension must be explicitly stated.
t*x x progname.ext [param2] [param3] . . .
o equivalent to the above t*x f command, except
that if progname.ext is not found, ToolBOX simply
beeps.
t*x s o toggle DOS split screen. Beeps if EGA or VGA
video card not available. If in 25 line mode,
also automatically shifts to 43 (EGA) or 50 (VGA)
line mode.
t*x w o initiate the popup menu window. This permits
viewing or changes for quick commands, sort
procedures, display formats, and pause and target
direction states.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 32
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10.0 Configure Option : Command Overrides
10.1 Basics
The command override facility makes it possible to identify and then
make appropriate adjustments for specific commands entered on the
ToolBOX keyboard command line. These adjustments are essentially
equivalent to the flag settings available for the keybindings - for
switching to the DOS screen, pausing, refreshing the directory display,
and so on.
Configuration for the command is similar to the keybinding facility.
When selected from the Configure Menu, a list of the existing command
override names is presented. Cursor to the desired entry and enter
<RETURN>.
This brings up a menu to select an update option:
Edit
Initiate changes to the existing settings for the command
override.
Insert
Add a new entry before the current override command. Flags
are initialized to the default settings. There is no
significance to the order of the entries.
Paste before
Insert a copy of the most recent Cut operation before the
current command override.
Cut
Delete the current override command. The deleted entry is
temporarily retained and can be used in subsequent paste
operations. These Cut and Paste combinations can be used to
duplicate or move entries.
The order of the override entries is not significant. With the Edit and
Insert options, a secondary menu is generated for the update itself.
Its options are:
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 33
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Program Name
Enter the filename for which the override is to apply. Case
is significant, path is not allowed, and the extension is
optional. As for intrinsic commands, the match will only
occur if the name is entered in the ToolBOX in all upper or
all lower case. The match is performed with the name portion
only. The extension is provided to optimize the execution
phase, such that if it didn't exist already, it is appended
when a match occurs. As for any program invocation, if the
.exe or .com extension is known, then ToolBOX is capable of
executing it directly without the inefficiency of using the
intermediate COMMAND.COM. The filename entered is also used
for display purposes in the original selection list.
Flags
There are 6 separate flag settings. Five are similar to
those for the keybinding flags and one is unique. These are
described in Section 10.2.
Cancel Changes
All changes are made to a copy of the data which is not
incorporated until <ESC> is entered to exit from this menu.
If the Cancel Changes option is used, any changes made to the
override command are ignored.
If you wish to bypass the override function within ToolBOX when entering
keyboard commands, then enter the name in mixed case.
10.2 Override Flags
The flags are similar to those used for the keybindings. In fact five
settings are identical. Refer to Section 9.2 for a detailed description
of the settings for:
Switch to DOS window
Controls transitions between DOS and ToolBOX screens; both
before and after executing the overridden command.
Tell DOS of lines
Inform DOS of whether it must restrict itself to 25 lines for
split screen usage.
Display data
Optimizes data updates for ToolBOX directory display follow-
ing the over-ridden command.
TBOXCFG User Manual Page 34
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Pause on completion
Indicates whether a pause should occur following the command
before reverting to the ToolBOX directory display.
On-error
Specifies what should be done when the override command
returns a non-zero errorlevel value.
The keybinding flags for Subdirectory, Embeddable, and Skip-to-cursor
are not applicable for command overrides.
The one new flag setting for command overrides relates to the handling
of memory for the over-ridden program. This is not necessary for the
keybindings as the "@" prefix to request the swap can be placed on the
individual command lines in the command set. The swap setting controls
whether or not the swap is made, but not where. The TBOX -M command
line argument determines if swap operations use disk or EMS for storage,
and the default setting that determines if all external programs are
swapped or not.
sWap out ToolBOX
Use swap default
Essentially indicates that no action be taken. The
default established by the -M command line argument
should apply for this command as for any command,
whether from a keyboard command or a keybinding command
set.
Never swap
Overrides the -M command line argument to inhibit the
swap operation when the override command is executed.
Always swap
Essentially inserts the "@" prefix in front of the
over-ridden command to ensure that it is swapped.
10.3 Factory Default Command Overrides
The default configuration contains command overrides for two types of
common commands, for DOS and for Binary Toolshed Utilities.
The overrides for the DOS commands serve two functions. For commands
such as type, or chkdsk which generate output for the screen, the over-
ride is used to ensure a pause occurs after the command is executed and
before reverting to the directory display. For other commands such as
cls, the override tells DOS to not bother re-reading the directory. DOS
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commands such as copy and diskcopy command are not included in the
default override settings, although these can easily be added to ensure
ToolBOX pauses after the commands issue their results.
The overrides for the Binary Toolshed Utilities take advantage of the
known characteristics of these programs. For the utilities that
generate output (dirs, drives, onpath, and wi), the flags are set to
ensure a pause occurs. The full screen utilities (tree, and view) are
configured to take advantage of the ToolBOX screen settings. All
utilities are configured to use the BTS errorlevel value.
The override list can easily be extended to incorporate all of the
programs used within your environment. Pause settings, screen transit-
ions, directory updates, memory utilization, and so on can all be
optimized for your most commonly used programs.
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11.0 Configure Option : Quick Lines
Quicklines are an alternative method for executing command lines,
whether DOS or intrinsics. Unlike keybindings, quicklines:
o contain one and only one command line.
o have no associated flag settings or match strings.
o are executed once only and are independent of any selected
files.
o can be configured from the ToolBOX program as well as through
the TBOXCFG program.
o are executed within the ToolBOX program from the popup menu or
through a two character sequence consisting of the quick command
introducer character (nominally ') and a unique single character
label.
The configuration for quick commands is similar to the override command.
When selected from the Configure Menu, a list of the existing quick
commands is presented. Each entry consists of the alphabetic label and
the quickline itself. Cursor to the desired entry and enter <RETURN>.
This brings up a menu to select an update option:
Edit
Initiate changes to the existing settings for the quick
command.
Insert
Add a new entry before the current quickline. There is no
significance to the order of the entries. If two accident-
ally have the same label, only the first has any effect.
Delete
Deletes the current quickline command. There is no paste
option provided for quicklines.
With the Edit and Insert options, an additional two line text entry
window is generated for the update itself. The two lines are for the
quicklabel and the quickline respectively.
Anything after the first character of the label line is ignored. The
label can be any alphanumeric character. Case is significant.
The quickline can contain any DOS or intrinsic command that is valid for
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the keyboard command line or a key binding. The same rules apply for
command line variables except that the variables reference the file at
the cursor position rather than selected files. Quicklines will be
processed once and once only - not once for for each selected file as
would occur for keybindings. Quick commands defined through the TBOXCFG
program are identical and indistinguishable from those added dynamically
with the ToolBOX program.
There is a 500 character limit for all quick lines.
There are no factory default quick commands defined.
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12.0 Configure Option : Default-DOS-Command
The default-DOS-command is the command line invoked when the "t*x f"
(see Section 9.3.6) command is unable to locate an applicable file to
execute.
Within ToolBOX, "t*x f" is used for the deferred batch file facility.
The command line is used when the batch filename composed from the
extension of the selected file cannot be found. The factory default
default-DOS-command is to use view to display the selected file, that is
view f
This can be altered to use any other display program or viewer.
Selecting this option from the Configure menu produces a sub-menu with
choices for either the command line or flag settings.
Selecting the Command option produces a text entry window. Enter the
single line default command containing up to 68 characters.
The Flags option introduces the same five settings that are used for the
key bindings. Refer to Section 9.2 for a detailed description of the
flag setting options for:
Switch to DOS window
Tell DOS of video lines
Display data
Pause on completion
On-error
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13.0 Configure Option : ToolBOX Banner
Normally the text in the upper left corner of the ToolBOX display shows
the "The Binary Toolshed". This is the ToolBOX banner that can be
changed to any desired string.
Selecting this option from the Configure menu produces a text entry
window. Enter any string of up to 32 characters.
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APPENDIX A : TBOXCFG COMMAND LINE ARGUMENTS
TBOXCFG [d:][path]cfgname[.cfg]
-V [b m s c e v] [25 43 50] -C[m c g]
-X [a#] [fF]
where :
[d:][path]cfgname[.cfg]
configuration file to be edited
-Video[bIOS|mONOCHROME|sNOW|cGA|eGA|vGA] [25LINES|43LINES|50LINES]
-Color[mONOCHROME|cOLOR|gRAYSCALE]
-eXecute
a# permitted audio tones for different errors:
1 (border) + 2 (syntax) + 4 (execution)
f / F enable Flashing color
NOTE :
o all fields are optional
o default is
-v25 -Xa7f
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APPENDIX B : INTRINSIC COMMAND SUMMARY
INTRINSIC COMMANDS
──────────────────
Update directory display.
dir [d:][path][matchlist] [/s[ + - ! ]#] [/f[ + - ! ]#]
Change directory.
[cd] [d:][path]
Delete selected files.
del [d:][path]matchlist
Delete selected directories and contents.
killdir [d:]path
Select files.
sel [ @ + - ] matchlist
Switch to the DOS window.
tbx d
Initiate Help (1=basic help, 2=extended command set).
tbx h #
Toggle current PAUSE status.
tbx p
Set number of screen lines (25, 43, or 50 - otherwise the
DOS setting).
tbx r ##
Toggle current DIRECTION status.
tbx t
Toggle between ToolBOX SELECT and DIRECTORY state.
tbx w
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Change directories to the next entry in the directory
stack.
tbx N
Change directories to the previous entry in the
directory stack.
tbx P
Conditional exit (Use verification window).
tbx x
Unconditional exit.
tbx X
Invoke program if locatable, else use default command
line.
t*x f progname.ext [param1] [param2] . . .
Start the keyboard command with newest command stack
entry.
t*x l
Start keyboard command with text provided.
t*x p [command-line-text]
Toggle DOS split screen.
t*x s
Initiate the popup menu window.
t*x w
Invoke program if locatable, else sound(error).
t*x x progname.ext [param1] [param2] . . .
Assign current directory to quick command, get label x from
keyboard.
t*x C
Delete quick command, get x from keyboard.
t*x D
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Add the current keyboard command line as quick command,
get x from the keyboard.
t*x K
Execute quick command, get x from keyboard.
t*x X
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APPENDIX C : SORT FORMAT SPECIFICATION
d date
n name
x extension
s size
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APPENDIX D : DISPLAY FORMAT SPECIFICATION
D ddMmmyy date string
t hh:mm time string
d 2 char day xx
m 2 char month
y 2 char year
M 3 char Month
n 8 character name
C 8 character byte count " <DIR> " if a directory
c 8 character byte count " " if a directory
x 3 character extension
\\ status " " or "\" if a directory
/ status in decreasing priority "s", "h", "r", "\"
S "" if file selected, else " "
"literal strings" preserved as given
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APPENDIX E : COMMAND LINE VARIABLES
Basic file oriented variables:
<CTRL d> display drive
<CTRL p> display path
<CTRL n> 8 character file name
<CTRL x> 3 character extension
<CTRL D> current drive letter
<CTRL P> current path
<CTRL f> minimized filename
Additional variables (as displayed):
[ + - ! ]d biased display drive
c last character from keyboard
single literal character
Edit Control Instructions
<c> set cursor position
<i> set insert mode
<o> set overstrike mode
<m> mark start (or end) of default-text region
