VISION SYSTEM ================= (v 2.7 01-Dec-1990) by Maurizio Ammannato Copyright (c) 1990 Maurizio's House Welcome to VISION System ======================== Vision System has two main features; the first one is to allow you to see easily Textual Data Base (newspaper articles, documents, books, dictionaries, glossaries, etc.) just done in VISION format. An example are the Press Releases Data Bases, the Business*Talk info Data Base, and why not the wholy New and Old Testament Data Base. The second feature is to build your own Textual Data Base in a very very simple TMP way (TMP = Top Manager Proof). Licence Fee =========== The package is completely free of charge for personal use. Do as many copies you like for you and your friends. However you don't have to sell it or make any kind of profit. Any commercial use of VISION must be agreed with the Author. Enjoy VISION System ! Maurizio Ammannato Decompressing Archives ====================== Create a directory called VISION (DOS command MD) and copy there VISION.ZIP file and eventually all related Textual Data Base with the extension .ZIP (which means compressed via PKZIP.EXE utility). Using the companion PKUNZIP.EXE utility (which you can find in many BBS) decompress them as following : C:\VISION\pkunzip *.zip In this way all .ZIP archives will be 'unzipped'. The VISION package must have the following files : - VISION.EXE the engine - VIS_CRE.EXE create your own Textual Data Base (TDB) - VIS_ADD.EXE add new records to existing TDB - VIS_SORT.EXE sort utility - VISION.CFG configuration file - VISION.COL configuration file for color monitor - VISION.BW configuration file for mono monitor - VISION.MSG comment/help file (multilingual) - VISION.ENG above comment file in English - VISION.ITA above comment file in Italian - VISION.DOC VISION documentation - #_VISION.NDX documentation in VISION format (index) - #_VISION.DB Documentation in VISION format (DB) Decompress all .ZIP Textual Data Bases (TDB) you have in the directory using the same procedure as before; after that copy all .ZIP files in a back-up device and REMOVE all .ZIP (i.e. "ERASE *.ZIP") to save precious disk space. Before Starting =============== Check through your favorite Text Editor or WP the configuration file VISION.CFG and change what you need or wish to change. Foreground color numbers can range from 1 to 31 (after number 15 the color is blinking). Background from 1 to 7. The following is the complete list of options you can set : '---------------------------------- VISION.CFG config file RAM=NO RAMDISK device (i.e. D:) NO for no ramdisk SOUND=YES window sound yes/no SCROLL_SPEED=7 number of secs for automatic scrolling F_DBW=15 foreground Data Base Window (DBW) color B_DBW=7 background Data Base Window (DBW) color F_BOT=0 foreground Help Desk color B_BOT=2 F_COM=0 foreground DBW comment line F_HIG=14 foreground DBW data base name F_DBR=10 foreground DBW highlighted DB name B_DBR=1 background DBW highlighted DB name F_IDX=15 foreground Index Window (IW) color B_IDX=1 F_TDX=7 foreground IW text color B_TDX=1 F_DOC=0 foreground Document Text color B_DOC=7 F_REV=0 foreground reverse Index title B_REV=6 F_ASK=15 input window B_ASK=4 F_FND=14 founded string color Color or monochrome screen -------------------------- You can easily change color attributes modifying .CFG file color parameters. To make your life easier, if you have a monochrome screen, copy directly VISION.BW to VISION.CFG file using DOS COPY program: C:\VISION\COPY vision.bw vision.cfg Comment external file --------------------- Check also VISION.MSG file to look at VISION comment/helps and change what you need (i.e. from my Italian English to Queen's English, etc.) To change language file use COPY DOS command : C:\VISION\COPY vision.ita vision.msg to have the Italian comments/help. You can obviously create a new comment/help file with your own language; i.e. for Spanish : - copy VISION.ENG into a new file VISION.ESP (DOS "COPY VISION.ENG VISION.ESP") - modify the new file with Spanish translation using a TE or WP (Text Editor or Word Processor) - copy new VISION.ESP into VISION.MSG (COPY VISION.ESP VISION.MSG) N.B. New comment strings MUST MUST MUST have the same LENGTH of the old ones. Executing VISION ================ Before VISION execution you must have at least one TDB (Textual Data Base). You can create a new one by yourself (see below) or download some from a BBS. Remember to decompress them if in .ZIP format as explained previously. You have two different ways to execute VISION. 1) MENU MODE. Typing VISION at DOS prompt, you enter into Main Menu Window with the list of available Data Bases (see below): C:\VISION\vision 2) COMMAND LINE MODE. Typing VISION followed by data base name at DOS line prompt, you enter directly into Index Menu from which, using ESCape command, you come back directly to DOS : C:\VISION\vision b_newt If you have a VGA monitor you can execute vision typing VGA instead of VISION. This allows VISION to load into PC ROM a new text font (modern-d) resulting in a more readable text: C:\VISION\vga Also in this case you can enter directly into the Index Menu writing VGA followed by data base name: C:\VISION\vga #_vision to have on line VISION documentation. Data Base Main Menu =================== Using first procedure you are in the Main Data Base Menu. VISION has three levels of window : 1) Data Base Window (Main Menu) 2) Index Window (Index Menu) 3) Document Window (Record level) In the Main menu, you can see at the same time up to 14 available Data Bases with related comments, last update data and sizes. The limit of available TDB is 100 Data Base. Use arrows to navigate, Alt-H for on-line help. Once on the row of chosen DB (highlighted color) the ENTER key allow you to open the Index Menu. TDB are indexed as they are (first record found, first record in DB). You have two possibilities to change the indexing method by pressing ATL-S or ALT-T keys. These commands tell VISION to sort highlighted index by alphabetical ascending (ALT-S) or descending (ALT-T) order. Any way Alt-R option restores the original indexing method. Index Menu ========== You can use the same keys as before (except for indexing) to navigate this menu. If you have a long index list you can use F1 functional key to quickly search for string and F2 to search again. F9 instead allows you to search a string in the entire Data Base (Global Search) and F10 searchs it again. Any way press Alt-H keys for help. The difference between two above searching methods is that F1/F2 keys search the string within the index comment line (Index level), while F9/F10 keys search the string in the entire Data Base, thus at document level. Document Window =============== Once in the document, you have two possibilities. A) the document is less then 19 rows, B) the document is longer than 19 rows A) you can only use Alt-P/Alt-F keys to print the document and F1 for help. B) in this case you can use different keys : . using arrows and PgDn/PgUp Home/End keys you can navigate the document in any direction . Alt-P print current document . Alt-F print current document to external file . Alt-M mark current position in current document . Alt-J jump to above mark (set before) . Alt-A on/off for automatic scrolling . -/+ keys to increase or decrease the speed of automatic scrolling. . Alt-H Help . F1 Search string through document . F2 Search again Reading Long Document ===================== Reading long document you need some functions to emulate the real book reading. The first one is marking the position for latter retrieve. Use Alt-M when you want stop reading at a certain position (a delicate sound advises you of work done). Once you are later back to same document use Alt-J to jump to mark. With no mark, Alt-J jumps to first document line. If you want to read document without using arrows for navigation, you can use the Alt-A automatic scroll option. VISION has a default value of 7 seconds delay time between scrolling (see in VISION.CFG the SCROLL_SPEED option) so that you can read it relaxed and quite. Use plus key (+) to slow down scrolling speed or minus (-) key to increase such a speed. Searching Words (INDEX WINDOW) ============================== When in Index window you can look for words in two different ways : Using F1/F2 keys you can search for words within the index line comments. You can search also for a piece of word, i.e. "etw". In this case all words having "etw" will be displayed. F2 search again using same search string. Using F9/F10 you search instead for words line per line within documents. An example. Let imagine you want to search the word disciple in the New Testament. 1) be in New Testament index window (book title level) 2) press F9 and give search string "disciple" 3) VISION finds search string in a book title 4) enter in the book (ENTER key) 5) press F2 to search same string inside the document 6) press ESC to come back to Index window 7) press F10 to search again at book title level (index) Searching Words (DOCUMENT LEVEL) ================================ When you are into a document, if the document is longer than 19 lines, you can use F1 key to search for a word and F2 to search again same string. ON LINE Help ============ In all of three windows (Main Menu, Index Menu, Document) you can activate the Help window in two different ways; or pressing Alt-H keys or pressing a not permitted key. Help - MAIN Window Available Commands ===================================== Arrow Up Line Up Arrow Dn Line Down PgUp Page Up PgDn Page Down Home Top of List End Bottom of List Alt-C Change Data Base Comment Line Alt-D Shell to DOS Alt-H On line Help Alt-R Restore Original Index Alt-S Sort Current Index Ascending Alt-T Sort Current Index Descending ENTER Open Data Base ESC Quit to DOS Help - INDEX Window Available Commands ====================================== Arrow Up Line Up Arrow Dn Line Down PgUp Page Up PgDn Page Down Home Top of List End Bottom of List Alt-D Shell to DOS Alt-H On line Help F1 Search String F2 Search Again F9 Global Search F10 Global Search Again ENTER Open Document ESC Quit. Back to Main Menu Help - DOCUMENT Window Available Commands ========================================= Arrow Up Line Up Arrow Dn Line Down PgUp Page Up PgDn Page Down Home Top of List End Bottom of List - Increase Scroll Speed + Decrease Scroll Speed Alt-A Automatic Scroll on/off Alt-D Shell to DOS Alt-F Print Document to File Alt-H On line Help Alt-M Mark Document Position Alt-J Jump to Mark Alt-P Print Current Document F1 Search String F2 Search Again ESC Quit. Back to Index Menu N.B. Using Alt-D command to go temporarily to DOS command level, remember to write EXIT to come back to VISION System Creating New Data Base ====================== VISION System works using two different files, the index file with .NDX extension and data base file with .DB extension. The index file is useful to look at the real data base records addresses. The following is for technicians its structure : 1) Index record title (78 characters for 78 bytes) 2) Physical DB address (integer for two bytes) 3) Length of document (long integer for 4 bytes) 4) Position of the Mark (integer for 2 bytes) 5) Reserved for later use (integer for 2 bytes) The Data Base structure is very simple : 1) Comment line (78 characters for 78 bytes) But you have to don't care at all of this technical info, you have only to follow these very simple instructions to create your new data base. Take your favorite Text Editor and edit a new source file called i.e. PIPPO.UPD (the .UPD extension is a MUST) and write your info in the following order : 1) First row will become the FIRST index record 2)from second line up to the special break-characters line write document lines with a maximum of 78 characters (pay attention to don't write the following special combination of characters '@#$' at the line beginning). 3) special break-character combination to finish the document; that is a '@#$' at the beginning of the line. EXAMPLE ------- ----beg of file------ (don't insert this line in your file) NETWORK ======== The network is.... .................. .................. [@#$] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) SUPER-CENTER ============ The supercenter are..................................... ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................ [@#$] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) PROTOCOLS ========= You need protocols when you have to exchange information with other people/computers. The language is one of above protocols. -----end of file------ (don't insert this line in your file) N.B. DON'T insert the break-characters at the BEGINNING of the file neither at the END. ONLY between two documents. After editing your new data base source, execute VIS_CRE program giving the name (without any extension) of the source file (in this case PIPPO), thus : C:\VISION\vis_cre pippo This program creates PIPPO.NDX with three master records (NETWORK,SUPER-CENTER,PROTOCOL) and the PIPPO.DB data base with comment lines. New Data Base from existing ASCII File ====================================== Take ASCII file you want to convert and rename it with the .UPD extension (i.e. PLUTO.QC in PLUTO.UPD); remove all extraneous lines (top of form character, page break, etc.) and do exactly as before. Example of ASCII file to convert -------------------------------- ============================================================ - pag 1 - Italian QC addresses -------------------- AMMA = Maurizio Ammannato,Southern Europe Area Marketing Mgr MANU = Emanuela Sferco, Southern Europe Area Sales Promotion ........................................................ S.Marino QC addresses ------------------- VALGO = .................................................... POCO = .................................................... SESO = .................................................... POCO = .................................................... ============================================================ - pag 2 - After erasing extra lines, this file must looks like : --beg of PLUTO file--- (don't insert this line in your file) Italian QC addresses -------------------- AMMA = Maurizio Ammannato,Southern Europe Area Marketing Mgr MANU = Emanuela Sferco, Southern Europe Area Sales Promotion .... = ..................................................... S.Marino QC addresses ------------------- VALGO = .................................................... POCO = .................................................... SESO = .................................................... POCO = .................................................... --end of PLUTO file---(don't insert this line in your file) Now insert the special break-characters combination BETWEEN the documents (in this case one only) and the final source file (remember to rename the existing file with the .UPD extension) must be the following : ---beg of file------ (don't insert this line in your file) Italian QC addresses -------------------- AMMA = Maurizio Ammannato,Southern Europe Area Marketing Mgr MANU = Emanuela Sferco, Southern Europe Area Sales Promotion .... = ..................................................... [@#$] (Don't write these squared brackets in real file) S.Marino QC addresses ------------------- VALGO = .................................................... POCO = .................................................... SESO = .................................................... POCO = .................................................... ---end of file---- (don't insert this line in your file) N.B. Don't insert the break-characters at the BEGINNING of the file neither at the END; ONLY between two documents. Same procedure to create the new data base; that is : C:\VISION\vis_cre pluto This program creates PLUTO.NDX with two master records and PLUTO.DB data base with respective comment lines. Updating an existing Data Base ============================== Take the ASCII file with the info to add, rename it with .UPD extension and follow exactly the same procedure as before. The only difference is that you have to execute VIS_ADD program (instead of VIS_CRE) which adds the record at the end of existing data base and index files. An example. ----------- Let imagine we want to update the existing P_PCMB.DB and related P_PCMB.NDX file. We have to prepare or rename the updating file exactly with the same .DB and .NDX name, but with .UPD extension. In this case the name is P_PCMB.UPD. ----------- Built this file with the same procedure as before, copy it into the VISION directory and execute VIS_ADD program as following : C:\VISION\vis_add p_pcmb without any extension. Now VIS_ADD adds the new item or items to existing .DB and .NDX. Save .UPD file in a back-up disk. Removing Data Base ================== Simply use DOS erase command to cancel the .NDX and .DB files. Changing the Main Menu List =========================== Renaming BOTH files (.NDX and .DB file) with a your choice name, VISION sorts automatically them by new alphabetical order putting them in the position you prefer. In my classification : N_ = network related data bases P_ = product related data bases S_ = services V_ = various and generic data base $_ = pricing data bases .. = ............................... Simply changing the name of your DB (and related .NDX file), you have a different classification. For Expert Users ================ You can execute VISION also from another program or a DOS SHELL utility. To do that you have only to execute VISION in command line mode, thus VISION.EXE followed by data base name. If you have a VGA monitor, you can change the ROM standard PC font. You have simply to execute VGA bat file instead of VISION program. This bat file load a modern-d font (the used option is VIS_FONT /D) into PC ROM. You can change the font using instead of /d the /s "scrawled" hand made font, or /l or no option for modern-s font. PC Configuration ================ You need any MS-DOS compatible Personal Computer with : - at least 256 k Bytes of main memory - hard disk - video better if : - 640 K bytes of main memory - 2 Mega bytes of fast device (RAM, VIRTUAL DISK ,etc.) - VGA color video (the reading is easier) Security ======== I've checked all my files via ShareWare SCAN utility (version 67). You can easily find it on many BBS. After file decompression, execute this utility again to verify that all .EXE programs are not infected. If you find some virus, use CLEAN companion utility to remove infection. If you are not successful in removing virus DON'T USE AT ALL VISION programs to avoid your PC general infection.
