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1990-01-04
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▒ BEN - the Batch ENhancer ▒
▒ ──────────────────────── ▒
▒ ▒
▒ Version 2.50 (c) Simvis Soft 1990 ▒
▒ Author Simon Lee ▒
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This program is distributed under the Shareware scheme. You
are encouraged to give copies of this program to other
computer users. If you decide to use the program, support
the Shareware marketing concept by becoming a registered
user. Read the appendix for more details. Please read the
entire manual for your understandings of BEN. If you are
unable to do that, at least read section 2.1.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1.1 What is BEN?
BEN stands for the Batch ENhancer:
*BATCH*
Batch is a very simple yet powerful language DOS adapted.
However, it is very weak in some fields, such as the
inabilities to display color or input strings from user.
*ENHANCER*
This program enhances the Batch language (as you know, batch
files end with the extension of .BAT)
The objective of this utility is to overcome the BATCH
weaknesses. Here is a rough list of what BEN can do:
- Sound: Music, beeps, etc.
- Boxes: growing, filled, shadowed, invisible, etc.
- Display strings: centered, vertical, etc.
- Displaying: EGA/VGA 43/50 lines mode, colors, etc.
- Sidekick Plus style directory.
- Input from user: key, line, upper cased line.
- Pause the computer for a certain period of time.
- Scrolling.
To see these features, go back to the DOS prompt and run
BENDEMO.BAT, and keep in mind that what you will see is only
a batch file.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1.2 Requirements:
IBM PC/Compatible with PC/MS-DOS 2.1 or higher.
(3.3 or higher recommended. If you are using a version lower
than 3.3, whenever in this document the command "CALL" is
used, change it to "COMMAND /C".)
Optional: ANSI.SYS or equivalent.
(Note: ANSI is a computer standard that every user should
have. If you did not install it yet, BENDEMO.BAT will not
run properly; and the option COLORNOW is diminished.
Therefore ANSI is highly recommended. ANSI.SYS is included
with all PC/MS-DOS. If you require aid in installing, please
refer to the appendix.)
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
2.1 Command Parameters
Command: [d:][path]BEN.EXE [options][options...]
The first [d:][path] specifies the pathname for BEN.
You can stack as many options on one line as the environment
can hold. For example, "BEN DELAY 3000 ATTRIB 7 0" is a
command line with 2 options. Just enter options one after
another. Each option has several parameters which you will
need to pass to it. In this case, they are 3000, 7 and 0.
The above line is exactly the same as:
BEN DELAY 3000 } 3000 are the
BEN ATTRIB 7 0 } 7, 0 parameters.
Note: Never stack several options that uses BENBAT on a
single line of command. They are identified with an
asterisk (*) following on.
Anything after the ECHO option is thought to be
parameters, therefore never use any option after using
ECHO on one command line.
Options: (briefly discussed:)
Upper case = mandatory words.
Lower case = parameters which need substitution.
[in bracket] = optional parameters.
(No option entered)
Just by typing BEN will provide you with few help screens.
Also, the UNREGISTERED message will only appear in this
section of BEN.
1> ASK options <────── (Such as this. "options" is a parameter.)
This command wait for the user to press a key, and return an
errorlevel according to the key.
2> ATTRIB fground bground
Clears the screen with the specified colors.
3> BEEP
Creates a "beep" sound.
4> BOX x1 y1 x2 y2 fground bground bordertype boxtype
Creates a box on the screen.
5> COLORNOW fground bground
* Changes the current writing color.
6> CURSOR [ON][OFF]
Shows or hides the text cursor.
7> DIRDISP directory return
* Displays a SideKick Plus style directory and allows the user
to select a file or change directories.
8> DELAY milliseconds
Delays the computer for a certain period of time.
(Note: 1 second = 1000 milliseconds.)
9> ECHO fground bground word1 [word2...]
Writes a string onto the screen. Identical to the DOS ECHO.
10> EGAVGA [ON][OFF]
Turns the EGA/VGA 43/50 lines mode on or off.
The presence of EGA/VGA is passed into the DOS errorlevel:
0 = No, 1 = Yes.
11> GOTOXY x y or
GOTOXY T textfile
Goes to the certain part of the screen as specified in x and y.
12> INLINE
* Inputs a line of string from user.
13> INLINEU
* Inputs a line of string from user, and convert it to
upper case.
14> INKEY
* Inputs a character from the user.
15> MENU title totalchoices choice1 [choice2...]
* Displays a manual on the screen, and allow the user to select
a choice.
16> SOUND frequency duration [frequency duration...] or
SOUND T textfile
This option is used to play music.
17> SCROLL x1 y1 x2 y2 direction or
SCROLL T textfile
Scrolls text on the screen in any of the four directions.
18> T textfile
Uses a data file to perform BEN jobs OPTIMIZED!
19> WRITE fground bground wordcount word1 [word2...]
Displays a string onto the screen.
20> WRITEC fground bground wordcount word1 [word2...]
Displays a centered string onto the screen.
21> WRITEV x y fground bground wordcount word1 [word2...]
Displays a vertical column of string onto the screen.
* - returns from BEN is passed into BENBAT.BAT. When it is
called, the value is then passed into the environment
variable "BEN", in which the batch file can access. For
more details abou