Hall of Fame

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Hall of Fame / HallofFameCDROM.cdr / util1 / qscr12.lzh / QSCR.DOC next >

Wrap

Text File | 1989-12-25 | 38KB | 1,051 lines

QScr QuickScreen text conversion utility Version 1.2 Released 12-15-89 Herron Software P.O. Box 1288 Battle Ground, Washington 98604 COPYRIGHT 1988, 1989 Phil Herron. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY __________________________________________ THIS PRODUCT IS PROVIDED FOR EVALUATION, AS IS AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. THE AUTHOR MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR LOSS OF PROFIT OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGE ARISING FROM EITHER THE USE OF OR THE INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT. This product should be thoroughly evaluated using backed up or noncritical data and files. ______________________________________________________________ Evaluation Preface Section ______________________________________________________________ Shareware............................................... 0.1.0 What it is............................................ 0.1.1 License Terms......................................... 0.1.2 Registration.......................................... 0.1.3 Benefits, Forms, Registration fees, Quantity discounts, Combined orders Evaluation.............................................. 0.2.0 Evaluation Version.................................... 0.2.1 Evaluation Menu....................................... 0.2.2 Virus Prevention...................................... 0.2.3 _____________________________ 0.1.0 Shareware _____________________________ 0.1.1 The SHAREWARE Concept _____________________________ "Shareware" is a software distribution method which enables the potential user to obtain software at very low initial cost, for evaluation on a trial basis. You can evaluate the software in your own environment, on your own machine, with the programs and data that you normally use. You're not required to become a registered user unless the software meets your needs. Another benefit of Shareware is lower pricing. By minimizing the marketing and advertising expenses associated with more traditional software distribution methods, Shareware products can be priced lower. You don't pay for what you don't need or use. You are encouraged to share the evaluation version of this software with others, so long as you follow the limitations set forth in the LICENSE TERMS section below. 0.1.2 LICENSE TERMS _____________________ This product and its documentation are copyrighted and owned solely by the author, who reserves all rights to any benefits derived from it. It is distinctly separate from, and should not be confused with, those categories of software known as "public domain" or "freeware." You are granted the right to use the evaluation version of this software on a trial basis for a limited amount of time, to decide whether to continue using (and therefore whether to register) the product. You can transmit this evaluation version to associates by copying on diskette or uploading to electronic bulletin board services, so long as the following CONDITIONS are met: (a) The program and its documentation file must be distributed together. (b) The program and its documentation must not be altered in any way. If you wish to include notes for other evaluators, please add them in a separate file and include that file along with the program and documentation files. 0.1.3 REGISTRATION ____________________ When you send in the registration form and fee, you'll receive by return mail a diskette containing the latest REGISTERED version of the program and documentation. BENEFITS OF REGISTRATION The registered version WILL NOT include the Evaluation Menu front-end, startup time-delay or forms-printing sections of this version. Thus it will be more convenient to use, from either the DOS prompt or from batch files. It will also be 12k-15K bytes smaller, for more efficient disk storage and faster loading. The registered version WILL include any new functions or enhancements made to date. You will receive notification of future updates and new products. You will be able to upgrade to newer versions at a reduced cost. REGISTRATION FORM The registration form and a pre-addressed mailing cover can be printed from the "Forms Printing" selection of the Evaluation menu, discussed in section 0.2.2 below. FEES The single-quantity registration fee is displayed on the initial Evaluation Menu screen. Higher quantities are discussed below. QUANTITY DISCOUNTS Each registered copy of this software will be licensed for operation at a single location (on a single terminal or computer) at any one time. If you need to run the software on more than one terminal or computer at the same time, the appropriate number of registrations must be made. Multiple-quantity registration fees are displayed in the "QUANTITY DISCOUNT" section of the Evaluation menu. You can take advantage of quantity discounts by ordering multiple registrations of one program or single registrations of several different programs at the same time. You also save on shipping and handling charges by registering several products together. COMBINED ORDERS You can also take advantage of quantity discounts by combining orders with associates: (1) Complete a separate registration form for each person. Each person's name, address and programs to be registered are needed for support and update notification purposes. (2) Include only one standard shipping and handling charge. Cross out the "Shipping & handling" amounts on all but ONE registration form; the combined order will be sent to the name and address on that form. (3) Mail all the forms together, with a single check/money order for the total, in one envelope/mailing cover. _____________________________ 0.2.0 Evaluation _____________________________ 0.2.1 EVALUATION VERSION __________________________ This software contains the complete and fully functional version of the program, the latest available at the time of this release. The program itself is identical to the REGISTERED version. An Evaluation Menu and forms-printing section were added to ensure that: (a) Registration information and forms will not become separated from the program file. (b) Users who might be unfamiliar with the process of displaying a file's contents on the screen or printer will have no difficulty learning about, evaluating or registering this product. 0.2.2 EVALUATION MENU _______________________ The program is invoked from the DOS prompt by typing its name and pressing the RETURN or ENTER key. The initial screen displays the warranty section and some information about the program: Program name, Version number, Release date, Single-quantity registration fee. It next displays the Shareware Product EVALUATION MENU. A single key press will select the following functions from the menu: ESC - EXIT to DOS without evaluating this program R - READ the documentation (THIS file) x - EVALUATE this program Q - QUANTITY Discount information F - FORMS printing menu - registration & mailer When you press "R" to READ the documentation, this file will be shown one screen at a time. The display pauses whenever the screen becomes full, and prompts... <downArrow> or Esc The <downArrow> character is similar to the "MORE" prompt in other DOS utilities. It indicates that more is available. Press ESCape to exit back to the Evaluation Menu, or any normal typing key to continue (space bar is a convenient key to use). 0.2.3 VIRUS PREVENTION ________________________ If you'd like to evaluate this software but you're not sure where it's been, you can order a copy straight from the source. See the SHAREWARE PRODUCT CATALOG section at the end of this file. _________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents Section _________________________________________________________________ QScr....................................................... 1.0 Introduction............................................ 1.1 Explanation............................................. 1.2 System Requirements..................................... 1.3 Installing........................................... 1.3.1 Help.................................................... 1.4 Syntax.................................................. 1.5 Examples................................................ 1.6 Operating Screen..................................... 1.6.1 Applications............................................ 1.7 Menu system.......................................... 1.7.1 Tutorial system...................................... 1.7.2 Error Messages.......................................... 1.8 DOS ErrorLevel.......................................... 1.9 Version History......................................... 2.0 Support.................................................... 9.0 Problem Resolution...................................... 9.1 Before Reporting........................................ 9.2 Reporting a problem..................................... 9.3 Custom Modifications.................................... 9.4 Correspondence.......................................... 9.5 Shareware Product Catalog................................. 10.0 ****************************************** NEW in this version ****************************************** * DOS ErrorLevel is now returned upon termination. * Text and background colors are now selectable. ______________________________________________________________ QScr 1.0 QuickScreen text conversion utility ______________________________________________________________ 1.1 INTRODUCTION __________________ You probably know several ways to display small amounts of text on screen from the DOS prompt: You can "echo" each individual text line from a batch file, or you can use the DOS "type" command to display the contents of a text file. However, neither method is fast enough to make the text appear "instantaneously." QScr, on the other hand, processes any amount of text from a few lines up to a full screen, into a form that can be displayed much more rapidly. 1.2 EXPLANATION _________________ QScr (QuickScreen converter) generates an executable COM file from a text file, allowing much faster display of single-screen text files such as menu screens. It will incorporate up to 24 lines of 80 characters from a text file into a COM file; the processed text can then be displayed rapidly by issuing the executable file name, either directly from DOS or from within a batch routine. When the executable COM file name is invoked, it writes directly to video memory instead of using the slower system BIOS display routines. It also writes to the correct video memory address for the video adapter installed (color or monochrome). Color selection QScr displays a color selection box which allows experimentation with foreground and background colors to be used by the finished COM file. Colors can be set for best visual effect on systems with color adapters and displays. Video SNOW Prevention The output file employs direct screen writing to rapidly send text to the display; this direct writing to video RAM can produce video noise or 'snow' in certain systems equipped with Color Graphics display Adapters. QScr's default mode ignores the possibility of video snow. If the output file does cause snow, run QScr again with the "/S" command line option to suppress it. Output files generated in the "/S" mode have a slightly slower screen- writing speed. 1.3 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ___________________________ PC, XT, AT or compatible. DOS version 2.1 or later. 64K free memory. 1.3.1 INSTALLING __________________ The program can be run from diskette or from hard disk. No installation is necessary, other than copying the files to a drive and directory of your choosing. 1.4 HELP __________ Can't remember the command line syntax? Issue the program's name without any parameters; it will display a help screen, then return to the DOS prompt. 1.5 SYNTAX ____________ Snow suppression / QScr [inFileSpec] [outFileSpec] [/S] Where FileSpec is the string needed to reference a file; can also be shown as [d:][path][filename.ext]. The minimum FileSpec needed is filename.ext. If the file is in another directory and/or on another drive, the drive name and/or path name must also be given. The complete FileSpec for a file named ThisFile.Doc residing in drive A: in a subdirectory named ThisSub is A:\ThisSub\ThisFile.Doc For further information on filespecs, see your DOS manual. [inFileSpec] - The input file must contain displayable text and cannot have an extension of COM, EXE, OBJ, BIN. [outFileSpec] - The output file incorporates up to 24 lines of 80 characters from the top of the input file into an executable (COM) file. If not specified on the command line, the output file will have the same name and path as the input file, but with a COM extension. It may be prefaced with drive and path specifications. Any identically-named COM file on the default or specified disk/subdirectory will be overwritten. To retain it, specify a different filename and/or path for the output file on the command line. 1.6 EXAMPLES ______________ QScr test.txt Zip.Com /S creates Zip.COM with video snow suppression enabled. The output file could be specified as "Zip.Com", "Zip.Zip", or just "Zip", since its extension is ALWAYS forced to .COM. QScr test.txt creates Test.COM with no snow suppression, for higher speed. 1.6.1 OPERATING SCREEN ________________________ The operating screen appears whenever "QScr" is issued from the DOS prompt (or from a batch file) with at least an input file specification; in this example, the complete command line is: QScr test.txt and the screen displays: __QScr________________________ |______________________________| Select text (foreground) & screen (background) colors: __________________________________ | | | ForeGround White 7 | | BackGround Black 0 | |__________________________________| The color selection box above initially displays the default colors (the text and background colors in use when Qscr is invoked); if your system uses other default colors, they will be used first in the box. You can change foreground colors with the Up- and Down-arrow keys, and background colors with the Left- and Right-arrow keys. You can also use the "D" key to return to the default colors, and the "S" key to swap foreground and background colors. Straight color swaps are hampered by the fact that the background is limited to colors 0 through 7; if the foreground color is greater than 7, swapping it to the background will remap it to its low-intensity equivalent. The complete list of colors is: Low intensity High intensity ═════════════ ═══════════════ 0 - Black 8 - Gray 1 - Blue 9 - Lt. Blue 2 - Green 10 - Lt. Green 3 - Cyan 11 - Lt. Cyan 4 - Red 12 - Lt. Red 5 - Magenta 13 - Lt. Magenta 6 - Brown 14 - Yellow (Lt. Brown) 7 - White 15 - Intense White NOTE for MONOCHROME display adapters: If the output COM file is to be used on a system employing a monochrome display adapter, you should not use either shade of blue for the foreground; blue (1) or light blue (9) cause all text in that color to be underlined. Most other color combinations display white text on a black background when used with a mono adapter, except for several that produce "invisible" text, and several that produce "reverse video" (dark text on a white background): Foreground Background Effect ---------- ---------- ---------- Black on Black not visible Gray on Black not visible Black on White reverse video Gray on White reverse video When colors are set, press the <return> key to accept them. Next, the screen displays Creating TEST.COM and an activity indicator during processing. When finished, the DOS prompt reappears. Now you can try out the new executable form of your text by simply entering Test <return> The original Test.Txt file has not been disturbed, so you can run QScr on it any number of times to experiment with other colors or to try it with and without video snow suppression. A convenient way to compare colors or snow conditions is to create a different COM file for each new combination: QScr test.txt 1 /S (creates 1.Com with suppression) QScr test.txt 2 (creates 2.Com with NO suppression) Then you can rapidly compare the results by issuing "1" and "2" from the DOS prompt. Source File Retention After the COM file is generated, the source text file can be deleted if disk space is at a premium (a backup copy is still a good idea, however). For future editing, run the COM file to display the text, then use a text utility with "cut and paste" capabilities to import the screen back into a temporary text file. Edit, then QScr again. 1.7 APPLICATIONS __________________ Text files converted to executable form by QScr can be used alone to display help information, or they can be called from batch files as in the following examples. 1.7.1 MENU SYSTEM ___________________ This application can be expanded from the simple menus shown here to any number of sub-menus, programs and utility batch files. M.Txt: Contains text for Main Menu Issue "QScr M.txt" to convert to executable file ╔══════════════════════╦══════════════════════════════╗ ║ ║▓▓▓▓ Main Directory ▓▓▓▓║ ║ ╚══════════════════════════════╣ ║ ║ ║ A - Accounting Menu ║ ║ ║ ║ W - Word Processor ║ ║ ║ ║ FA - Format diskette in drive A ║ ║ FB - Format diskette in drive B ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ M - Display this Menu ║ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Functions callable from the Main Menu above: A is an executable file A.Com, produced from A.Txt below, that displays the Accounting Menu. W is an executable program name or a batch file that sets up and runs a word processor/text editor. FA and FB are batch files that format diskettes. A.Txt: Contains text for Accounting Menu Issue "QScr A.txt" to convert to executable file ╔══════════════════════╦══════════════════════════════╗ ║ ║▓▓▓▓ Accounting Directory ▓▓▓▓║ ║ ╚══════════════════════════════╣ ║ ║ ║ PR - PayRoll ║ ║ ║ ║ AP - Accounts Payable ║ ║ ║ ║ AR - Accounts Receivable ║ ║ ║ ║ GL - General Ledger ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ M - Main Menu ║ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ PR, AP, AR, GL are executable program names or batch files that run the appropriate programs. 1.7.2 TUTORIAL SYSTEM _______________________ This application can be used to present tutorials or demonstrations of any size. After setup, no special knowledge or utilities are needed by users of such a system; they need only press a key to advance through the sequence. Executable text files: To build a tutorial consisting of three screens of text, separate each screen into a separate text file, then run QScr on each one to generate three separate .COM files. In this example, the files are named 1.COM, 2.COM and 3.COM. Control file: In this example, a batch file named TUTOR.BAT will control the display sequence and wait for user- interaction before displaying the next screen. The batch command "pause" is used after each .COM file invocation, to display the prompt "Strike a key when ready . . ." at the bottom of each screen. TUTOR.BAT can be easily modified to change the display sequence, or expanded to control any number of executable text files. For more interactive tutorials, several utilities are available to allow branching depending on what key a user presses. Other utilities can be used to make a tutorial or demo advance automatically after a time delay. If you have need for such capabilities, contact us with the details. Listing of TUTOR.BAT: :::: Tutorial Control batch program echo off 1 pause 2 pause 3 pause Notes: 1 - There are several ways to convert the above listing into batch file form. One is to copy this entire file to another named "Tutor.Bat", delete everything except the listing, then delete the leading spaces on the left side so each line begins in column one. Another is to display the listing on screen and use a memory-resident notepad to "cut and paste" it into a batch file. 2 - Multiple colons in the listing are used for comment lines. 1.8 ERROR MESSAGES ____________________ Too many parameters on command line The command line cannot contain more than three parameters. <srcFile> - illegal extension - text file required The input file cannot have an extension of COM, EXE, OBJ, or BIN. <inFile> not found Cannot create <outFile> Cannot read input file <inFile> Cannot write code to <outFile> Problem writing executable code section. Cannot write text to <outFile> Problem writing text section. 1.9 DOS ERRORLEVEL ____________________ Upon termination, the program returns a DOS ErrorLevel value which indicates how the program ended, and which can be used for subsequent operations in a batch file. For further information, see the "IF ERRORLEVEL" batch command in your DOS manual. ErrorLevel list: 0 - Successful completion. 1 - No parameters specified on command line. 2 - Input file not found. 3 - Too many parameters on command line. 4 - Illegal input file extension - text file required. 5 - Cannot read input file. 6 - Cannot create output file. 7 - Cannot write code to output file. 8 - Cannot write text to output file. 2.0 VERSION HISTORY _____________________ 1.00 Initial release. 1.04 Added trapping of illegal input file extensions. 1.1 Added expansion of tab characters. 1.13 Added selectable text and background colors. 1.18 Added Default and Swap selections for colors. 1.2 Added DOS ErrorLevels _________________________________________________________________ 9.0 Support _________________________________________________________________ 9.1 PROBLEM RESOLUTION ________________________ Please document and report any anomaly in program operation, whether it's a genuine "bug" or just some feature of the program that particularly "bugs" you. If you're the first person to document and report a problem that we agree needs attention, you'll receive a free upgrade with the correction when it's been made. If you're a registered user, you'll get the upgraded registered version; if you haven't yet registered, you'll get the upgraded evaluation version. 9.2 BEFORE REPORTING ______________________ Things to try prior to reporting a problem: 1 - Reread the documentation to make sure you understand what we thought we understood when we wrote it. 2 - If the system reports "Bad command or file name" when you attempt to run the program, its executable file (or at least the file name you specified) was not found. First, make sure no typos or misspellings have crept into your command line; next, try changing your PATH setting, or make the drive & directory where the program resides the "current" drive & directory. 3 - If the program is being run from a batch file, try deleting lines previous to the line that actually invokes the program, to see if some prior activity is causing the problem. 4 - If you have any memory-resident or "TSR" utilities installed (pop-up calculators/note pads, keyboard enhancements, etc.), try removing them from memory and running the program again to see if the problem reoccurs. 9.3 REPORTING A PROBLEM _________________________ If the problem persists, please document it as completely and accurately as possible; we have to be able to duplicate it before we can begin to resolve it. Include at least the following: 1 - Version of DOS you are using. 2 - Machine type, drives, memory, etc. 3 - Programs executed prior to the problem. 4 - Problem program's name and version number. 5 - Where and how you obtained the problem program. 6 - Address and/or phone number where you can be contacted. 7 - Anything you can think of that might relate to the problem; for example, listings of your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files, or any batch files used to run the program. 8 - Any relevant printouts. NOTE: If you're a registered user, you'll find the utility UserResp.Exe on the distribution diskette; it can be used to print a pre-addressed mailer and a problem report. If you have not yet registered, send problem reports to the address below (or print the pre-addressed mailer from the Evaluation Menu). 9.4 CUSTOM MODIFICATIONS __________________________ If you need custom modifications to this software for your particular application, please write to the below address with complete details of your requirements. 9.5 CORRESPONDENCE ____________________ We welcome any comments or suggestions you might have concerning improvements and future enhancements to this product. Send all correspondence and orders to: Phil Herron P.O. Box 1288 Battle Ground, Washington USA 98604 _________________________________________________________________ 10.0 Shareware Product Catalog _________________________________________________________________ This section contains a list of our other Shareware products; it may be updated whenever products are added or changed. ____________________________________________ If you'd like to try any of the programs in this catalog, but can't find them locally, you can order evaluation copies straight from the source... Five programs and their associated documentation will fit on each 5.25 inch 362Kb diskette; the basic single-disk fee of $4.00 covers the cost of the first disk, shipping and handling. Add an additional dollar for each additional disk of programs you want to evaluate ($4.00 for 1 to 5 programs, $5.00 for 6-10, $6.00 for 11-15, etc.; all payments in U.S. funds). If your address is outside the U.S. and Canada, add an additional $3.00. Include your mailing address and the names of the programs. By return mail you'll receive the latest versions of those programs for evaluation. ____________________________________________ "Shareware" is a software distribution method which enables the potential user to obtain software at very low initial cost, for evaluation on a trial basis. You can evaluate the software in your own environment, on your own machine, with the programs and data that you normally use. You're not required to become a registered user unless the software meets your needs. ____________________________________________ PROGRAM SPECIFICATIONS AND REGISTRATION FEES MAY CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. ____________________________________________ ChkD v1.1 Check_Disk_space reports disk drive space usage. It reports drive cluster size, then drive space TOTAL, FREE and USED by actual value and by percentage. It is faster and more convenient than the DOS "dir" or "chkdsk" utilities for displaying drive information. ChkM v1.1 Check_Memory_space reports standard system memory (RAM) space usage. It reports memory space TOTAL, FREE and USED by actual value and by percentage. It is faster and more convenient than the DOS "chkdsk" utility for displaying system memory information. CleanOut v1.3 CLEANOUT searches all directories of the default drive for file(s) specified on command line (wildcards * and ? are legal). Each time a matching file is found, the user is prompted for disposition: Delete or Save. File contents, either text or binary, can be VIEWED before deciding. A single press of the "S" key saves a file; a double press of the "D" key deletes it. An optional mode allows deletions without confirmation. Useful for cleaning out .BAK file leftovers, among others. CleanTxt v1.1 CleanTxt converts WordStar text files to straight ASCII. It strips out certain control characters, and will optionally expand tab characters to the appropriate number of spaces. CleanZ v1.2 Most text editors won't read files beyond the first control-Z end- of-file character. Control-Z's can become embedded in a text file when several files are combined using the DOS "type" command. CleanZ will strip out each control-Z, or it will optionally replace each with a seldom-used character, to ease the task of locating the former boundaries in combined files. FindF v1.1 FindFile searches the default drive for specified files, and writes the file information to screen or disk. Useful for locating misplaced files or for generating a listing of all files and subdirectories on the default drive. Gen v1.2 Gen replaces several trial-and-error methods of building specific- sized files for printer, storage or timing tests. It generates files of any size from zero to twenty million bytes, much faster than typing random characters into a text editor. Besides generating files on disk, it can send a specific number of characters directly to the console screen, printer or other DOS device. KeyCode v1.1 KeyCode responds to each press of a key or combination of keys by displaying the key or combination pressed, its associated Ascii character (if any), key type (normal or extended), Ascii code and Scan code. KeySet v1.1 KeySet's interactive mode displays the current settings of the CapsLock, NumLock, ScrollLock and PrtSc (Print Screen) keys, and allows them to be changed. The command line mode directly sets the keys to specified states, allowing use of a batch file for presetting at system bootup or between applications. PrinTest v1.2 PrinTest repetitively displays the status of ports assigned to parallel printer interfaces. It can be used to isolate problems to the printer interface card, the cable or the printer itself. It reports printer and port number, status byte and status condition. Qscr v1.2 QuickScreen converts a single text screen to an executable file for more rapid display. The resulting .COM file will write a screen of text much faster than batch file ECHO statements. Useful for setting up compact menu systems, demos and tutorials. ScanF v1.1 Scan_File speeds up the search for ASCII text strings within executable files. It filters out the unintelligible control and extended characters, allows user definition of minimum string length for display, and pauses after each screen of information. ScanM v1.1 Scan_Memory speeds up the search for ASCII text such as ROM copyright statements and machine identification, anywhere within standard system memory space. It filters out the unintelligible control and extended characters, displays each string longer than three characters, and pauses after each screen of information. Split v1.1 Split breaks huge text files down into smaller ones that will fit into your text editor or onto a diskette. Useful for working on large files with a limited-filesize memory-resident notepad utility. StoRm v1.1 STOrage_RooM reports the amount of disk space required for storage of a specified file or group of files on any disk, using any version of DOS. It takes into account all of the factors involved in determining file storage size. It locates files specified on the command line and determines their actual total size and the amount of room needed to store them. Useful for determining the number of files that will fit on a disk. PhLBL v0.75 (not yet released) Label printer using text stored in ASCII files. Each label/card/ tag can contain embedded commands for date, time, series (nn OF nn), consecutive serial numbering, left margin, and selectable printer attribute for each line; 5, 10, 12, 17 or 20 characters per inch pitch, normal/bold/underlined on Epson compatible dot-matrix printers. _______________________________________________________________ | | | COPYRIGHT 1989 Phil Herron. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | |_______________________________________________________________|