World of Shareware - Software Farm 2/wosw_2.zip/wosw_2/QBAS/MANAGE2.ZIP/MANAGER.DOC

Text File | 1990-02-21 | 38KB | 729 lines

                           NOTES ON MANAGER.COM 2.68

                                 Matt Roberts
                               5 Cedar St., # 8
                           Montpelier, Vt 05602-3006
                                 [phone]

                                   5-11-92

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
                               GENERAL OVERVIEW

The idea of The Manager is to provide a program which can access the
computer's capabilities in a menu-oriented, user-friendly environment.  Where
possible, I've tried to use plain English for both the options and the error
messages.  This is a life-long project, and I hope to add options which access
such things as expanded memory, graphics capabilities, peripherals, and what-
not.  For right now, though, I'm just trying to get the silly thing so it can
do everything COMMAND.COM can do, from a menu interface.

                                     BUGS

This section is reserved for bugs in the program.  One thing that's nagging me
at the moment is in the File-listing utility; subdirectories aren't labelled
as such.  As a result, any file you see in the list could theoretically be
either a user file or a directory.  I've tried everything I could think of, to
no avail.  Looking at the document, I've reached to the conclusion that I'll
be able to solve the problem when and if I learn how to access machine code
from ASIC.  Unfortunately, this isn't likely to happen for quite a while.
Since I need to fix this to use other parts of the program more effectively,
however, I'll be puzzling over it and I'll try to solve that problem as soon
as I can.

Another problem seems to be in the "Run Other Programs" routine.  Please see
that section for a full descriptions but, in short, some programs won't run
properly with that feature.  I'm going to try to fix it, but I'm not certain
it's something I can do anything about.  We'll find out soon enough, though.

I'm currently trying to figure out a way to copy/move executable, overlay, and
other files besides those that are purely text.  Since I can't seem to figure
out how to do that with ASIC, I'll be looking at other languages soon; if I
can figure out how to do it with one of the languages I have, I'll make it a
module I can call from ASIC.  Until I get something worked out, you can only
copy text files from The Manager.

Because of the way I "organize" my work, some of the capabilities of this
version may not yet be documented.  I try to write them in so they're not too
difficult to understand, so you should be able to use them even if they're not
in here.  If that's not so, give me a call and I'll help you through as best I
can.

Finally, not all the error-handling routines may have been written.  As a
result, you may be informed that the action has been carried out, even if it
hasn't.  If you ask The Manager to remove a directory, and that directory is
not empty (for instance), The Manager will return an error to the program.  If
there's nothing to deal with that error, it will go on to the next step, which
is to tell you that the directory has been removed, even though a directory
can't be removed if it has anything in it.  This will be corrected in the
future, but for now you're temporarily on your own as to checking for
correctly spelled pathnames, etc.  You might want to try creating errors in
2
certain options that don't always work quite right, to see if the error
routines have been plugged in yet.  In general, the error routines are there
and functioning; some options may not have had that part completed yet,
though.  I apologize for the hassle, and thank you for your patience.


                         SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS AND NOTES

The Manager was written using ASIC 3.01 by David Visti.  I find it excellent
for most purposes, and recommend it highly.  The author can be reached at P.O.
Box 2952, Raleigh, NC 27602-2952.  Registration is only $10.00, and I sent in
mine before the guy comes to his senses and starts charging what it's worth.

The computer used was an Amstrad PC1512 SD.  This system has an 8086
processor, running at 8MHz (non-switchable).  It has 640K RAM, and 2Mb EMS.
The monitor/display card is a black and white composite monochrome/CGA.  It
has two 5.25", 360K floppy drives, and a 49Mb hard drive card.  1Mb of EMS has
been used to create an EMS disk (same as a RAM disk, but uses EMS).  The
Amstrad PC1512 has been discontinued.

You'll need approximately 195K of RAM to run The Manager.  The file-listing
utility (SEEFILES.COM) is in a separate file because it was the only way I
could fix a bug.  When it was part of the main program, shelling to DOS would
result in the file-listing utility being somehow corrupted.  I tried
everything I could think of, and finally decided that maybe if it was called
from DOS itself, the DOS shell wouldn't bother it.  Worked out fine, though I
don't know why (I make a lot of lucky guesses).  Here's a rundown of the files
(as of this writing), what they do, and how important they are:

CRAPPYED.ASI- The ASIC source code for CRAPPYED.COM.  Not necessary, but
useful to programmers.

CRAPPYED.COM- "CRAPPY text EDitor".  Doesn't work right, so it isn't called
from The Manager yet.  Not necessary.

INSTALL.CFG - Installs an automatic DOS parameter.  Necessary because ASIC
opens it first thing, even if nothing has been installed.  It isn't necessary
for anything to have been installed, just that the file exists.

MANAGER.ASI- The ASIC source code for MANAGER.COM.  Not necessary, but useful
if you want to see how The Manager was put together.

MANAGER.COM - The main program.  Necessary because all the other files are
controlled from this one.

MANAGER.DOC- The documentation for The Manager.  The file you're reading right
now.

MANAGR40.ASI- The ASIC source code for MANAGR40.COM.  Not necessary, but
useful to programmers.

MANAGR40.COM - Runs in 40-column width; probably most helpful to the visually
impaired.  This is necessary if you want to run The Manager in large print,
otherwise not.

NUMLOCKF.BAS- The ApBASIC source code for NUMLOCKF.EXE.  Not necessary, but
useful to programmers.

NUMLOCKF.EXE- Utility to turn the Num Lock key off.  If you want to turn the
Num Lock key off yourself when you're using the Crapulator (explained further
3
in this documentation), you won't need this.  If you want it turned off
automatically, you'll need it.

NUMLOCKN.BAS- The ApBASIC source code for NUMLOCKN.EXE.  Not necessary, but
useful to programmers.

NUMLOCKN.EXE- Utility to turn the Num Lock key on.  If you want to turn the
Num Lock key on yourself when you're using the Crapulator (explained further
in this documentation), you won't need this.  If you want it turned on
automatically, you'll need it.

PRINTERU.ASI- The ASIC source code for PRINTERU.COM.  Not necessary, but may
be of some interest to programmers.

PRINTERU.COM- An unfinished PRINTER Utility.  All it has right now is menus,
which just go to other menus.  It isn't called by The Manager, and is not
necessary.

SEEFILES.COM - The file finding option.

UTIL1-40.ASI- The ASIC source code for UTIL1-40.COM.  Not necessary, but
useful to programmers.

UTIL1-40.COM- Utilities called by MANAGR40.COM.  Necessary if you want to use
40-column mode, otherwise not.

UTIL1-80.ASI- The ASIC source code for UTIL1-80.COM.  Not necessary, but
useful to programmers.

UTIL1-80.COM - Utilities called by MANAGER.COM.  Necessary, since a lot of
options are contained in this file.


Anything in the above list that's not necessary can be deleted to make more
room on your disk if you like.  However, I'd appreciate it if you'd distribute
all the files when you pass it around.  If you want to send it ZIPped, I'd
prefer that it be called MANAGR.ZIP or MANAG263.ZIP.  Thanks.


The Manager is primarily a mental exercise, although my ultimate goal is to
offer a program that can do just about everything you can do from DOS.  At the
moment, there are serious limitations, but there are also a few options that
are awfully handy to have, some of which aren't available from the DOS prompt
(as far as I know), and some which do the job in a friendlier or (once in a
great while) better way.  So, there's some solid value here, in my opinion.
If you agree, you're invited to send a $5.00 donation.  If you disagree,
you're still invited, although I suppose you won't be much inclined to accept
(sigh).

The Manager doesn't have a very comprehensive selection of features at
present.  Since ASIC 2.00 and above has the ability to access machine
interrupts, more features can probably be developed, but I don't know how to
write machine code.  As a result, you may find this program a bit
disappointing.  However, it does have some uses, and certainly serves as a
demonstration of how to program with ASIC, since the source code is included.

For some reason, I've become addicted to file managers.  I've already written
one for Locomotive BASIC 2 version 1.16, and I'm currently working on one for
GW-BASIC 3.22.  I'll also be writing a file manager for ApBASIC 1.7 at some
point in the near future, and possibly one using Powerbatch, a standard batch
4
file, and a compiled batch file.  Maybe one of the reasons I like writing file
managers is the amount I learn about the language, its capabilities and its
limitations.  Anyway, I may be offering others soon.

If you're having trouble using any of the programs on the disk, and the
documentation doesn't seem to help, you can call me between 9AM and 9PM EST,
and I'll do what I can to help.  I'm in and out during the day, so keep
trying.

In the program menu, you'll see selections that might look something like
this:

Alt-Fn- Selection.

To get that selection, you'll hold down the Alt key and, while still holding
the Alt key down, press the function key (or other key) indicated by Fn.  So,
if you see

Alt-F1- Do Your Laundry.

hold down the Alt key, and press the F1 key without letting go of Alt, and the
computer will do your laundry.  You may see another menu, from which you would
choose from such options as bleach, fabric softener, and the like.  Maybe my
friends are right; maybe I should get that brain scan after all.


                               USING THE PROGRAM

You start by putting your disk in the drive and typing MANAGER at the DOS
prompt.  After a bit of foolishness, you get to the main options menu, which
invites you to delete files, make a directory, rename files, read today's date
and/or time, shell to DOS, blank your screen, quit, and a bunch of other neat
stuff you can't possibly live without.  You press the function key
corresponding to your choice, or the Esc key to return to DOS, and you're on
your way.  Isn't this exciting?  OK, so I'm easily amused.

The bit of foolishness I mentioned is the opening screen, which blabbers a bit
about me and begs for money.  Very soon now, I'll be adding an option to
bypass the screen and go directly to the options menu.  The only reason I
didn't include it when I was writing the other install options is because I
forgot.  I found out how annoying that silly thing is when I was testing the
code; sometimes I'm just not in the mood.  Versions 2.65 and above should give
you the chance to avoid that particular bit of annoyance.


                              LISTING DISK FILES

Operation is fairly simple; you just type in the directory in which you want
to view the files, giving the full DOS path.  The concept of a path is fairly
simple, and will be in your DOS manual.  If you don't get it the first time,
don't think you're a dummy; DOS manuals are written by Martians because the
labor is cheap.  Unfortunately, the little green guys haven't quite mastered
the art of English yet, and tend to make simple explanations a bit
complicated.  If you just can't figure out what a path is, give me a call and
I'll see what I can do to help.  Please have your DOS manual ready, and have
your telephone as near to the computer as possible, since it'll help if I can
run you through some simple exercises which involve making directories and
changing to them.  I'd appreciate it, though, if you'd give the DOS manual a
try first, and maybe your computer's technical support line second.  Thanks.

5
Anyway, once you've typed in the path and directory, you'll be treated to a
list of files.  This list will include directories, but I haven't figured out
a way to label them as such when they're printed on the screen.  I'm working
on it, though.  At the end of the list, you'll be invited to list some more
files; if you respond positively, you'll get to type in your path/directory
again.  Otherwise, you'll go back to the menu.

One important note: if you want to view the root directory of a drive, don't
type the backslash (\).  For instance, to view the files in the root directory
of drive A, you would type A: as your directory.  The backslash will be
supplied by The Manager.


                                READING A FILE

This feature allows you to read a file on your screen.  It's very primitive,
and is essentially an extension of the DOS command TYPE and the DOS command
MORE.  The text file scrolls past your screen.  It'll stop at each screenful,
and invite you to press a key to continue.  You can also stop the scrolling by
pressing the space bar.

                                PRINTING A FILE

This one is like the file-reading routine, except you're printing (surprise).
You press the space bar to pause printing.  There will still be data in the
printer's buffer, and I don't know a way to flush that without losing the
place in the file, so you'll have to take the system off-line if you need to
stop in a hurry.  If you're not in a rush, though, it'll stop printing when
the data in its buffer is printed.  Press any key to continue printing.  When
you press the space bar to pause, there will probably be a few seconds delay
before it can process the keypress.  That's because it processes the text file
one line at a time, and it can't get to processing your keypress until it's
finished with the line it's working on.  It won't increase the amount printed,
except by that one line.  Don't press the space bar again, because The Manager
will process both keypresses, in order, and will assume you want to continue
printing.

You can quit printing by pressing the Esc key.  Again, it will probably take a
second or two for The Manager to finish with the line it was working at the
time, and get to your keypress.  The amount printed will only be increased by
that one line, and you'll be sent back to the menu shortly.  If you press Esc
twice, The Manager will process both Esc key presses, first sending you back
to the menu, and then sending you back to DOS.


                              COPYING TEXT FILES


At this point, you can't copy any type of file except a text (ASCII) file.
I'm working on an option to copy any type of file but, for now, only a text
file will copy properly.  Anything else won't work.

You type in the path and filename of the file you want to copy, and then the
path and filename for the destination.  The copy procedure is slower than with
DOS, but it doesn't take too long.  The date and time of the copy is changed
to match that of your system clock.


                               MOVING TEXT FILES

6
Again, you can't move non-text files with this option.  It's dangerous,
because the original is deleted after the copy is made.  Until you are certain
a specific type of file will copy the way you want it to, please use test
files and backups.  Otherwise, you could lose important data.


                                RENAMING FILES

Have I mentioned that it's a good idea to make backups of all your files?
Here's another good reason.  Certain file extensions cannot be changed without
rendering them useless for their original purposes.  Files with an extension
of .BAT, .COM, .EXE, and other files shouldn't be messed with, unless you know
what you're doing.  Also, some programs use overlay files, and will not run if
they can't find what they're looking for.  Others read and write files with
specific extensions, and won't load them if they've been changed.

On the other hand, you can do almost anything you want (assuming it's legal,
moral, and physically possible) with a backup file.  The original is safe and
sound, and can replace the object of your experiments if things don't work out
as planned.  In fact, you might want some extra security by making a copy of
the copy, and keeping each "version" in a different location.  That way,
whatever befalls one won't be as likely to befall the others.

But I digress (constantly).  You'll first tell The Manager the name of the
file you want to change, including drive and path.  When prompted, you type in
the new name for the old file (if you write down both the old and new
filenames at this point, you can change them back if needful).  The Manager
does the dirty deed, and offers more of the same kind of fun.

You can't change a name across drives.  For instance, you can't change
A:\TEST.DOC to B:\TEST.DOC.  Also, you'll need to use a full path for both the
original file and its new name.  As an example, if you want to change
A:\TEST.DOC to A:\TEST2.DOC, you'll need to specify A:\TEST2.DOC as the new
name.  You can't leave out the drive specifier, and you need to specify any
subdirectories A:\TEST.DOC might be in as well.


                                DELETING FILES

This is fairly simple, and rather dangerous.  You're warned about the
possibility of losing files, and the impossibility of restoring them, and then
given the opportunity to quit.  If you decline this invitation, you're asked
which file you want obliterated.  You'll input the file you want decimated,
including the drive and path.  You are then warned again  (annoying, ain't
I?), and once again given the opportunity to get out of harm's way.  Pressing
any key except Esc will destroy the irreplaceable data in your chosen file.
You are next informed that the foregoing has occurred, and invited to make the
same mistake with a different file.  You really should make backups, you know.

Note:  There are public domain and commercial "undelete" utilities that I'm
aware of.  If you have one of these, or MS-DOS 5.0, you can probably undelete
any file you've killed from The Manager.  However, you'll need to use the
undelete utility immediately; if The Manager (or any other program) writes to
the section of the disk where your deleted file is, you won't be able to
recover it.


                            RUNNING OTHER PROGRAMS

With this feature, you first type in the name of the program you want to run,
7
including the drive and path.  For instance, if you want to run LIST.COM,
which is on drive C: in the UTILITY directory, you would type

                              C:\UTILITY\LIST.COM

at the prompt.  You'll then be prompted for a parameter, which in this case
will be the name of a file you want to view.  When finished, you'll be asked
to press a key.  This is so you can still see the last screen of whatever the
program was doing.  Once you press a key, the screen will clear, and you'll be
offered the chance to run another program.  If you accept, you'll get to do
the same thing over again; otherwise, you'll be sent back to the main menu.

Apparently, three of my command-line parameters (/l, /L, and /40) get sent
along with the CALL command.  I can't for the life of me figure out why but,
as a result, programs like CHKDSK just won't run.  I've got some ideas for an
error routine that might fix that, but it might not either and it'll be a
little while before I get to it.  Until then, we'll all have to be frustrated.
I send copies of this disk to Mr. Visti each time I upgrade my registration
for ASIC, so when version 4.0 comes out he'll have an opportunity to find out
about this.  From the replies I've gotten, he does check the disk out for the
purpose of finding potential bugs in the compiler or unclear areas in his
documentation.  So, if it's a problem with the compiler, it'll likely be fixed
in the future.

The "Run Other Programs" option has been put together with the "Shell to DOS"
option.  As a result, when you call the "Run Other Programs" routine, you'll
see your COMMAND.COM (along with the path as set by DOS if any) on the line.
If you just want to go to DOS temporarily, press Enter.  If not, just type the
name of the program (along with the drive and path, of course).  The line that
was there will disappear, and be replaced by what you're typing.


                            WORKING WITH CONFIG.SYS

This guy allows you to view, change, and add lines to your CONFIG.SYS file.
Because you can specify any drive (from A: through E:) for your CONFIG.SYS,
you can use test files to make sure you've got it the way you want it before
you commit yourself.  However, if you do decide to make a real file the first
time out, your original CONFIG.SYS will be saved as CONFIG.BAK, so you can get
it back by deleting the new CONFIG.SYS and renaming CONFIG.BAK to CONFIG.SYS
again.  That only works if you're making a brand-new file, though; if you're
adding lines, they'll be appended directly to the file you specify, in the
root directory and no backup will be made.  As a result, you might want to
consider using a test file to make sure everything runs OK before you commit
your system.

First, you'll be asked what drive your CONFIG.SYS is on.  This is where,
if you're not sure you want to mess with your real file, you can specify a
different drive.

Next, you'll see a small menu, which allows you to just view your CONFIG.SYS,
add lines to the end of the file, create a whole new file, or return to the
Main Options Menu.  You'll press the key corresponding to your choice, and be
sent to the appropriate option.

If you elect to just view your file, it'll be displayed on the screen.  You
can look at it as long as you want.  When you're ready to go back to the menu,
press a key.

If you want to add lines to the end of your CONFIG.SYS, the screen will clear
8
and you'll be asked to type the line you want to add.  When you're done, or if
you change your mind before typing anything, press Q and then press Enter.
Upper or lower case makes no difference.  Eventually, I'll be standardizing
the CONFIG.SYS section so you can press Esc at any point in order to quit, but
I haven't quite gotten to it yet.  So, if it says to press Esc to quit, do
that.  It should be designed so you can press Esc at any point in the process
to quit, but I can't guarantee that yet, since I haven't started working on it
at this point.  ANYway, once you've quit, you'll see your new CONFIG.SYS
(unless you quit without adding lines, in which case you'll see your old
CONFIG.SYS).  You'll press a key to go back to the CONFIG.SYS menu.

                        CREATING A NEW CONFIG.SYS FILE

This part is a bit more complicated, so it's got its own section.  The first
thing that'll happen is that your CONFIG.SYS will be renamed CONFIG.BAK to
save it, and you'll be notified that the foregoing has occurred.

Next, you'll be asked how many files you want.  If you don't know what that
means, this is an excellent time to quit, since your original CONFIG.SYS will
immediately be restored and you'll be returned to the CONFIG menu.  Otherwise,
type in the number of the files you want.

Now you get to type in how many buffers you want.  Type in a number; you can't
quit at this particular point.  You'll still be able to abort later on if you
want, so don't worry too much about it.

After you've typed in your buffers, you'll be asked if you want to include a
device driver.  You'll get to see a list of the drivers available, but only if
they're in the root directory of the disk you specified.  Later along, I plan
to include an option that lets you specify where your drivers are, but I
haven't gotten to it yet.  If you don't want to include any drivers, type N
(either upper or lower case, makes no difference) and Enter.  Otherwise, type
in the name of the device.  If the device isn't in the root directory, you
should include the full path.  You'll be asked if you want to include more
devices, and be sent back to the area where you type in the device name, until
you type N in response to that question.

When you're finished with that, you'll be asked if you want BREAK on or off.
If you turn it on, it'll be easier to quit a utility or DOS function, because
DOS will check to see if Ctrl-C has been pressed more often.  It'll take a bit
more memory, though, and slow things down a trifle.  Nothing's free.

Finally, you'll see your finished product and get a chance to redo the whole
thing, give it up and restore your original CONFIG.SYS, or accept it.


                           WORKING WITH AUTOEXEC.BAT

This is essentially identical to the option for working with the CONFIG.SYS
file, and is self-explanatory in my opinion.  If you have a different opinion,
let me know and I'll try to help if I can.  If it looks like some portion of
the option is unclear, I'll try to clarify in this section of the
documentation.


                              MAKING A DIRECTORY

Again, fairly simple.  This time, completely harmless.  The only limitation is
that each directory used takes up some disk space.  It is theoretically
possible to create so many directories you don't have room for any files.

9
You'll tell The Manager the directory you want created, including drive and
path.  You'll then be informed that the directory you wanted has been
delivered, and be given the opportunity to make another.


                             REMOVING A DIRECTORY

This section isn't very good right now.  To use it, you need to know whether
or not the directory you want to remove contains subdirectories, and whether
or not there are files in the directory or subdirectories.  In my opinion,
there's simply too much work involved from The Manager, but I'm working on
improving things.  For now, unless you enjoy a challenge, I recommend using
DOS for this job.


                        CHANGING THE DEFAULT DIRECTORY

If you're not running The Manager from a hard drive, you shouldn't have any
need for this option.  If you use it, you'll run into another problem; the
files The Manager looks for won't be in the directory you changed to, most
likely.  This means that, once you've changed the directory, you won't be able
to use any options that aren't loaded into memory, which includes the Change
Directory option.  I'll be working on a routine to temporarily change the PATH
to include the directory The Manager's files are on in the future.  For now,
if you get stuck you'll need to shell to DOS using the "Run Other Programs"
option, and change the directory back to the one The Manager and its files are
on; then EXIT and run the options you want.  Sorry about that, but it should
be fixed in a future version.


                         CHECKING FOR A GRAPHICS CARD

Does exactly what it says.  Checks for a graphics card, and tells you one way
or the other.  I don't know if it will recognize MGA (A.K.A. Hercules), but I
kind of doubt it.  If I get a chance to test it, I'll let you know.


                             BLANKING YOUR SCREEN

If you press the key for this feature, your screen will go dark.  This will
help save your screen from burning "holes" (places where nothing can be
printed) on your monitor.  To return to the Options Menu, press any key.


                          CHANGING TO 40-COLUMN MODE

I designed this feature to make it possible for the visually impaired to use
The Manager.  I assume the larger text makes it easier to read, but I don't
really know.  If you're visually impaired, and have suggestions on how to make
the screen writes more legible, I'd appreciate hearing from you.  I'm pretty
sure you need a graphics card to access this wider print mode.  I'll check
that out as soon as I can, but it may not be for a long time.

There are certain options you can use from the 80-column mode that you can't
use from 40-columns.  For instance, since you need a graphics adapter (I
think) in order to get 40-column width, I figured it was silly to offer the
option that checks for a graphics adapter.  The file-reading option won't work
properly, since the file won't print properly on the screen.  Vern Buerg's
LIST.COM can deal with 40-column mode, because it reads the file into memory
where you can use the arrow keys to scroll sideways.  Unfortunately, I don't
10
have the skill to write a program that can do the same.  It's a goal of mine
to be able to do precisely that, but I think it'll be quite a while before I
figure out how to do it.  As soon as I do, though, I'll include it.  Anyway,
if you don't see an option in 40-column mode, it's probably because I couldn't
figure out how to write it so it would run properly, or because it wouldn't
make sense to offer it in the first place.  I'm the only one who can do much
about the former, but the latter is always open to discussion.  I don't
guarantee you'll convert me, but it won't do me any harm to listen to your
opinions.  So, opine to your heart's content, at the address on the first
page.


                                  PARAMETERS

Using parameters from the DOS prompt can save you time, bypassing the intro
screens, taking you directly to the module where the work you want to do
resides and, for simple jobs, doing that bit of work automatically.  You can
see a list from the menu, which looks remarkably similar to the one listed
following.  Here's the list of the parameters you can currently use.

Typing MANAGER /? will let you view screens which contain this same
information.  The command for 40-column mode is MANAGER /40 ?

Typing MANAGER /S will supposedly let you see a list of disk files.  To list
files with the wide text option, type MANAGER /40 S.

Typing MANAGER /D lets you delete files.  Make backups.  The 40-column
version is MANAGER /40 D.

Typing MANAGER /M moves you to the directory-making module.  In 40-columns,
MANAGER /40 M.

Typing MANAGER /N moves you to the module for renaming files.  Make backups.
40-column users, type MANAGER /40 N.

Typing MANAGER /G lets you view the time and/or date.  MANAGER /40 G in 40-
column mode.

Typing MANAGER /B lets you blank your screen.  MANAGER /40 B in 40-column
width.

Typing MANAGER /P lets you check for a graphics adapter.

Typing MANAGER /V will let you use the file-reading feature.

Typing MANAGER /L calls the file-printing routine.  For 40-column users, the
command is MANAGER /40 L.

Typing MANAGER /40 will put you in 40-column mode, provided you have a
graphics adapter, and give you the 40-column menu.


In each case, either upper- or lower-case should be fine.  If it isn't, I
goofed, and I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know so I can ungoof.  Thanks.


                      THE CRAPULATOR (CRAPPY CALCULATOR)

Boy, does this one need work.  You can add or subtract two numbers at a time.
Once you've done that, the memory is cleared and you get to start again.  You
11
also get to turn NumLock on yourself, if you want to use the numeric keypad.
I have some ideas for improving this option, which I'll get to relatively
soon.


                             GETTING THE DATE/TIME

Here you get the option of choosing to get just the date, just the time, or
both.  First you choose to Get Time/Date from the Main Menu, and then choose
which combination from another menu.  As you may have noticed, I like menus.
If the time and/or date on your computer haven't been set properly, you won't
get an accurate reading.  Assuming, however, that everything's the way it
ought to be, you should get what you're looking for (or a reasonable facsimile
thereof).


                           SEE A LIST OF ASCII CODES

This one may be useful for programmers; it lets you know the ASCII code for
each symbol you can print on your screen.  You can also choose one symbol to
print, if you think you know the number and just want to check and make sure.
Everything's in decimal, so Hex programmers will have to convert.


                          INSTALLING A DOS PARAMETER

This option lets you install a parameter to be used every time you run The
Manager.  For instance, if you usually run The Manager to get a list of disk
files, you can specify that parameter in the INSTALL.CFG file, and you'll be
automatically sent to that option whenever you run the program without any
parameters.  If you include a DOS parameter on the command line, these will
have priority over the "installed" one.

Most of the available parameters are included, and are selectable from a
simple menu.


                               VIEWING YOUR PATH


If you choose this option, you'll just get to view your current DOS path.  You
can't change it yet, because I haven't figured out how to do that once The
Manager has started running.  I'm working on it, though.


                             WRITE-PROTECTED DISKS

If you try to delete files, make directories, or rename files on a disk that's
write-protected, DOS will interrupt The Manager with a Write-Protect Error.
You are given the usual opportunities to Abort, Retry, Ignore.  If you wish,
you can remove the write-protect tape or move the write-protect tab (depending
on your type of disk), or put an unprotected disk in that drive, and try
again.  If you choose Abort, you'll be returned to DOS.  As far as I know, I
have no control over that.  If I figure a way to get out of leaving the
program in case of an Abort, I'll write it into The Manager.

Please bear in mind, should you get that type of error, that a disk is usually
write-protected (whether by you or someone else) for good reason.  I would
advise you to think twice about unprotecting the disk.  Since there are no
restrictions on reading from a protected disk, you might want to consider
12
making a copy of that disk, and doing what you want on the copy.  That way you
get to manipulate the files to your heart's content, without damaging the
protected disk.


                                ERROR ROUTINES

There are a number of error routines in The Manager in case you should attempt
to do something either the program or DOS can't do.  I've designed these so
that, should you start typing in a correction and then decide to quit, you can
press Esc at any time.  It was a little on the tricky side for me to code; I
spent a long time testing, but I may not have caught all the bugs.  As always,
let me know if I missed anything.



                                 IN CONCLUSION

ASIC is still being modified, and I expect more features to be available to
such cement-headed programmers as myself.  When this occurs, MANAGER.COM will
undoubtedly flesh out a bit.  You shouldn't think of this program as
representative of ASIC's capabilities; I've written a number of utilities, for
instance, which saved me the price of the registration many times over.  In
addition, I'm still a novice programmer, though I expect to graduate to
beginner some time soon.  More experienced programmers will find the
facilities (BLOAD, PEEK, POKE, etc.) to really make your programs sit up and
take notice.  I don't know how to use any of the advanced commands, so don't
judge the compiler by the programs I've written.

Your comments, questions, and criticisms would be greatly appreciated,
including correcting my grammar, spelling, etc.  My goal is to write quality
software, and I need your help to do it.  Thanks.


                                     TESTS

Version numbers exist for the purpose of testing this disk's utilities on
other computers.  Version 1.00 has been tested on the following:

Amstrad PC1512 SD: This system has an 8086 CPU, a composite monochrome
monitor, and CGA which can access 16 shades of gray (or color with a color
monitor) with a resolution of up to 640 X 200.  The system originally came
with 512K RAM, which I've upgraded to 640K.  I've also added a 2 Mb EMS card.
It came with a single 5.25", 360K drive.  A second internal drive of the same
type was later added, and I've installed a 49Mb hard disk card.  Operating
system is MS-DOS 5.00.  This line has been discontinued.  The Manager had no
problems running on the Amstrad.


Packard Bell Pack-Mate: This system has an 80286 CPU and a color VGA monitor.
There's 640K RAM, and 384K Extended Memory.  Drives are one 40Mb internal hard
disk, one 5.25", 1.2Mb drive, and one 3.5", 1.44 Mb drive.  Operating system
is MS-DOS 3.30.  FILE-MAN 1.00 had no problems running on the Packard Bell.

Version 2.XX has not been tested on any systems other than the Amstrad, where
it showed no problems.