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EDICOM-12 User's Guide (C) Copyright 1987 by EDICOM SYSTEMS 19827 W. 12 Mile Rd. Southfield, MI 48076 (313) 559-1691 TABLE OF CONTENTS i. ABSTRACT ii. COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND LICENSE AGREEMENT iii.LIMITED LIABILITIES iv. BENEFITS OF REGISTRATION AND REGISTRATION FORM 1. INTRODUCTION 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 3. SPECIAL FEATURES AND ADD-ON UTILITIES 4. SYSTEM FILES 5. SYSTEM INSTALLATION AND RUNNING THE PROGRAM 6. DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN MENU 7. DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDED COMAMAND MENU 8. TUTORIAL SESSION 9. SOFTWARE MODIFICATION SERVICES i. ABSTRACT EDICOM-12: DOS Command Processor/Manager. Features: recalls last 12 commands,includ- ing parameters; enables you to edit and reissue previous commands; enhanced line editor; no need to prepare menus; employs single keys to invoke commands; provides utilities to find files, to page through text files, and to prevent accidently overwriting existing files; provides on line help and tutorials; maximum res- ponse time: 0.3 second. Two modes of ope- rations: one for new users and one for ex- perienced users. ii COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND LICENSE AGREEMENT THIS SOFTWARE AND USER'S GUIDE ARE BOTH PROTECTED BY U.S. COPYRIGHT LAW (TITLE 17 UNITED STATES CODE). CO- PYRIGHT INFRINGERS MAY RESULT IN CRIMIANL PENALTIES (17 USC 506) AND/OR SUBJECT TO CIVIL LIABILITIES ( 17 USC 504). EDICOM-12 is released to the shareware distribution system under the following conditions: a. The EDICOM-12 shall be distributed as a completed set .All the files that come with the program shall not be modified or deleted. b. The users may get a copy of EDICOM-12 directly from EDICOM SYSTEMS by sending us a check of $6, or from any of the shareware distributors. c. The distributors shall not mislead the users by advertising this program as "free". d. The users may evluate this program for a reason- able time,say 30 days. The satisfied users are ob- liged to pay a registration fee of $26 and be- come authorized users. ( An authorized user will get a copy of EDICOM-36 instead of EDICOM-12 !!) iii. LIMITED LIABILITIES THIS SOFTWARE AND MANUAL ARE SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY AS TO PERFORMANCE. BECAUSE OF THE DIVER- SITY OF ENVIRONMENTS UNDER WHICH THIS PROGRAM MAY BE USED, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPO- SE IS OFFERED. THE USER IS ADVISED TO TEST THE SYSTEM THOROUGHLY BEFORE RELYING ON IT. THE USER MUST ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING THE SYSTEM. ANY LIABILITY OF SELLER AND MANUFACTURE WILL BE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRODUCT REPLCEMENT OR REFUND OF THE PURCHASE PRICE. iv. BENEFITS OF REGISTRATION AND REGISTRATION FORM If you are satisfied with this program and register with us, you will: a. receive a copy of EDICOM-36, which has a memory for 36 last entered command and has an add-on uti- lity to move files from one diretory to another. b. receive infomation and tips on advanced applica- tions of the system. c. be provided with technical support. d. be informed about future updates and new products. e. receive special discounts on updated versions. REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT FORM To order EDICOM-36, please fill out the form below: Date: ____/__/1988 Name: ___________________________ (Title:) _______________ (Company:) _______________________________________________ Address: ______________________________ City_______________ State/Country: ________________________ Zip: ______________ Phone Work: (___) ___ - ____ Home: (___) ___ - ____ Method of payment: Please complete the worksheet below and choose one of the payment options indicated. Michigan State residents must add sales tax. ALL CHECKS AND MONEY ORDERS MUST BE DRAWN ON U.S. ACCOUNTS ONLY. Cost Total Description Per Unit Quantity Cost ============================================================== EDICOM-36 System Package | $26.00 | | | -------------------------------------------------------------- Michigan residents add sales tax: 4% -- | | -------------------------------------------------------------- COD orders only, add $ 3.00 -- | | -------------------------------------------------------------- Shipping Cost if Overseas, add $12.00 -- | | -------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL | | ========= [ ] Check with order [ ] Money Order [ ] COD Send all items to: EDICOM SYSTEMS 19827 W. 12 Mile Rd. Southfield, MI 48076 (313) 559-1691 Volume users, please inquire about quantity discounts. Comments and Suggestions: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 1. INTRODUCTION EDICOM-12 is designed to convert the DOS of the PC to a 'Menu Driven' system, to increase the value of your PC to you, and to improve your productivity. The system will work with IBM PC and compatibles, under DOS 2.0 and later, with 2 floppy disk drives or one floppy disk and one hard disk drives. This guide will demonstrate why EDICOM-12 is bene- ficial to you and shows you how to install and use the system. 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION DOS (PC-DOS AND MS-DOS) has become a very popular and useful operating system for microcomputers. However, it has several evere deficiencies: (1) The command line editor is not user-friendly, espe- cially when you have long command lines to enter and/or typo errors to correct. (2) The DOS does not have a mechanism to store the pre- viously entered commands (it stores only the last command). Our experiences indicate that an average user uses only about 16 commands in a typical week. Because there is no memory system, he/she has to retype these commands all the time. With the deve- lopment of the hardware/software technology in the past few years, it is reasonable for a PC user to expect a system that can store the previously ent- ered commands the way a telephone dialer stores the telephone numbers, so he/she can re-enter the com- mand to DOS at the touch of a single key! (3) The DOS does not provide a menu system for the user to conveniently select and enter a command. It re- qures the user to remember all the commands at all times. The new multi-user system is coming to the market soon. There will be more commands to be re- membered. Isn't it time for us to get a menu system and forget about remembering the commands? (4) The DOS 'TYPE' is not easy to use. Some improvement shall be done in this area. (5) The DOS 'COPY' command can erase your existing file without any warning,if the target file name happens to be one of your existing files. Don't you think something should be done about it? EDICOM-12 is designed to solve these problems in an integrated manner. Furthermore, it demostrates how fast your PC can 'TYPE'; please also notice that the average response time of EDCOM-12 is 0.3 second. It can increase your productivity because it facilitates the process of command entry, a major part of your effort in using your computer. 3. SPECIAL FEATURES AND ADD-ON UTILITIES A. EDICOM-12 FEATURES: 1. MENU DRIVEN: The EDICOM-12 uses single keys to in- voke major functions. Most DOS commands can be initiated at the touch of a single key. 2. ENHANCED LINE EDITOR: The EDICOM-12 has an advan- ced command line editor. You can easily edit, can- cel, or reenter one of the 12 last commands, inc- luding parameters. 3. DYNAMIC COMMAND MANAGING SYSTEM: The EDICOM-12 has a memory for 12 last entered commands, which can be accessed randomly. It automatically adjusts the sequence so that the commands will be placed in a reversed chronical order -- the last command entered will appear at the first place. 4. EVENT TIMER: The EDICOM-12 provides an event timer that can measure the duration of a DOS command or user's program in minutes, seconds, and hundredths of a second. You don't need a stopwatch any more. 5. ON LINE TUTORIAL ASSISTANCE: Once the user selects a DOS command, the EDICOM-12 will display a brief description of the command and examples. It will prompt the user to enter the necessary parameters, then send the completed command to DOS for execu- tion. It always returns to the menu once DOS com- pletes the command/program. 6. MEMORY REQUIREMENT: The program size is 40 KB; it occupies 95 KB of RAM when loaded. B. EDICOM-12 HAS ADD-ON UTILITIES FOR THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS: 1. PAGING TEXT FILES: The EDICOM-12 has an enhanced 'TYPE' utility that enables you to page back and forth through the text files. It is 20 times fast- er than the DOS TYPE command. 2. PREVENTION OF LOSING DATA FILES: The EDICOM-12 has built-in enhanced 'COPY' utility that checks for existing target file. If it does exist, the EDICOM-12 will prompt you to correct the problem. On the other hand, the DOS COPY command could over write your existing file without any warning. 3. FINDING FILES: The EDICOM-12 provides a stand a- lone utility 'QFILE' to locate the directory of a specified file. USAGE: QFILE string (e. g., QFILE tes ) QFILE fl_name (e. g., QFILE test.doc) You can provide either the text fragment of the file name or the complete file name (wild card characters are supported.) 4. SYSTEM FILES EDICOM-12 comes with the following files: edc.exe (the program file) load_c.bat (a batch file to load the system files from a: to c: ) demo (text file for demonstration) qfile.exe (the utility to find files) cmmds.dat (data file for recorded commands) edc.doc (this user's guide ) Notes: 1. cmmds.dat must be in \edicom or the working directory when edc.exe is loaded. 2. qfile.exe shall be in the same directory as the DOS commands. Please make sure this file can be accessed at all time. 5. SYSTEM INSTALLATION AND RUNNING THE PROGRAM A. Floppy disk system 0. Format a blank disk with /s option (FORMAT A: /s). 1. Copy the above files to the disk that contains the DOS system files(command.com must be on the disk whenever you enter a command.) 2. Enter the command: edc (edc.exe is the program) (Please do not write-protect your disk that con- tains the EDICOM system files, since it needs to update the data file while running the program.) B. Hard disk system 0. Format a blank disk with /s option (FORMAT A: /s). 1. Copy the above files to the disk that contains the DOS system files. 2. To load the program from a: to c: Insert the original disk in drive a: Enter the command: a:load_c [Notes: load_c.bat is a batch file that makes a new directoy \edicom in c: and copys all EDICOM- files from a: to this directory. It also changes the dir. to c:\edicom. ] 3. To run the program: Enter the command: edc (edc.exe is the program) [ The program edc.exe is in the dir. c:\edicom ] 6. DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN MENU You run the program by entering the command: edc . The first screen is the program logo. At the bottom,you can see the intruction asking you to press the 'Enter' key. Please do so and you will find the 'Main Menu' dis- played. EDICOM-12 provides menu sytem to minimize the typ- ing effort required in entering commands. As shown in the Main Menu of the sytem, each command is preceded by its associated key. Most keys are chosen to be the first letters of the DOS commands. The main menu prompts you to make a selection. The valid selection is one of the keys in the directory or Funtion Keys (F1 and F9) listed at the bottom of the menu. The options are briefly des- cribed as the followings: Option 'x' eXits to DOS. (to get back to EDICOM- 12, enter the command: edc ) Option 'u' (Universal command) allows you to en- ter any command not listed in the directory of the menu. Option 'w' (Write commands to memory) allows you to record a command into the memory without sending the command to DOS for execution. Option 'b', 'e', 'g', and 'o' are reserved for user's programs. Renaming the programs are expected. The user can, then, enter one of the most frequently used programs at the touch of a single key. Option 'F1' provides help to the user. Option 'F9' leads you to the recorded command menu which allows you to enter a command at the touch of a single key. It also allows you to delete or update the recorded commands and to add new commands to the list. The rest of the options in the directory are the DOS commands. Once you enter one of the keys, the sys- tem will pop up another screen that displays a brief description about the command and examples. It will also print the command and prompt you to enter the required parameters, such as path names or file specifications. It expects you to depress the 'Enter' key to complete the command, which will be sent to DOS for execution and be recorded in the memory for future re-entry. When the DOS completes the execution of the command, EDICOM-12 will prompt you to press the 'Enter' key and, then, returns to the main menu. This compltes the whole pro- cess. Instead of 'DOS prompts',the user is dealing with the menus. It eliminates all the frustrations associat- ed with 'DOS', since EDICOM-12 serves as an interpreter between 'DOS' and the user. 7. DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDED COMAMAND MENU When you select option 'F9' in the Main Menu, the EDICOM-12 will display the first page of the recorded command menu. The valid option selections are 'A', 'B', 'C',....'L' and function keys 'F10','F9', 'F5' and 'F2'. Each letter key must be associated with a valid DOS command or user's program, including the necessary par- ameters. 'F9' works as a toggle switch, it advances one page at a time. At page 3, it switchs back to page 1. 'F10' takes you back to the Main Menu, where you can eXit to DOS by selecting option 'x'. 'F5' enables you to delete the recorded commnds, one at a time. 'F2' al- lows you to update the cmmmands, one at a time. You can also add a new command in the first blank line. The 'power users' will find this option very useful. One can stay in this menu and issue commands conveniently. Thus, the Main Menu is for new users, while the Recorded Com- mand Menu is for power users!!! (Notes: This demo version has memory for 12 cmmds only.) The system has a memory for 12 last entered com- mands. It aotomatically adjusts the sequence so that the commands will be placed in the reversed chronicle order- - the last command entered will appear at the first po- sition. This technique greatly simplifies the command management procedure. The system is a good debug tool since the menu keep the log of what you did. If some thing went wrong, you can easily find out which command was the source of the problem. 8. TUTORIAL SESSION There are two methods to enter comamnds: one is thro- ugh the main menu, the other is through the recorded com- mand menu. The best way to learn EDICOM-2 is to practice with some examples: Method 1: Entering commaands from the main menu. (Recommended for new PC users.) A. Example 1: DOS Command-- DIR Step 1: Select 'L' in the Main Menu. Step 2: Press 'Enter' key in the second screen. When you go back to the main menu, select 'F9' and you will find 'DIR' is recorded in the memory. B. Example 2: DOS Command-- TYPE demo Step 1: Select 't' in the Main Menu. Step 2: Enter 'demo' amd press 'Enter' key in the next screen. Now you can see how fast your PC can type. When you are back to the Main Menu, select 'F9', you will find that 'TYPE demo' is registered in the memory. C. Example 3: DOS Command-- COPY demo test1 Step 1: Select 'c' in the Main Menu. Step 2: Enter 'demo test2' in the second screen. When you go back to the main menu, select 'F9' and you will find a new command is recorded in the memory. D. Example 4: DOS Command-- COPY demo test1 Repeat the whole process of example 3. Now test1 is an existing file, EDCOM-12 will give you an warning and prompt you to enter a new target file name if you decide not to overwrite it. E. Examples 1-3, using the Recorded Command Menu Select the valid keys, one at a time, from the Record- ed Command Menu and see what happens. Method 2:Entering commands from the recorded command menu. (Recommended for power users.) A. Add a new command to the recorded command menu by se- lecting F2 in the Recored Command Menu, then enter the letter key representing the first blank line, e.g.,'A'. Now enter the desired command, e. g., DIR (Notes: To complete a command entry, you must press the 'Enter' key.) To invoke this command, you must select the letter key representing this command. B. You can update any recorded command by the same proce- dure; but instead of the first blank line, you select a key that has a recorded command. C. You can delete any recorded command by selecting 'F5', then seleting the key representing the command to be deleted. You can only delete one command at a time. 9. SOFTWARE MODIFICATION SERVICES EDICOM Systems will be glad to modify the sytem to suit your environment at a nominal charge ( some are free). Please call or write: Telephone Number: (313) 559-1691 or (313)541-8889 Address: EDICOM SYSTEMS 19827 W. 12 Mile Rd. Southfield, MI 48076 Thank you for considering EDICOM-12. ( Your suggestions and comments will be appreciated. )