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PFM INFORMATION MANUAL version 2.31 Copyright Paul R. Culley & Henk de Heer 1983-1992 All Rights Reserved Release date: 06 JUN 1992 PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 1 C O N T E N T S ------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IS PFM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 REQUIREMENTS FOR USE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 OPERATION OF PFM (MAIN MENU) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 MAIN MENU COMMANDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 MAIN MEMU SPECIAL KEYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 MULTIFILE OPERATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 MULTIFILE COMMANDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 MORE MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 SORTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 SHOW FILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 SHOW FILE SPECIAL KEYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 CONFIGURING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 YOUR COMMANDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 DOS/YOUR COMMAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 DESTINATION PATH INPUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 LINE EDITING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 ERRORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 2 WHAT IS PFM ------------------------------------------------------------------------- PFM is a personal file managment system to help you to deal with DOS. It is used to make common file maintenance chores easier and faster. PFM is a "Front End" for the DOS command processor. It is a visual directory maintenance tool with pointer and single character menu driven interface. It is many good things which users have requested. To find out more, read the rest of this manual, or, (If you are like me) just start running it and see what it does. REQUIREMENTS FOR USE ------------------------------------------------------------------------- * MSDOS or PCDOS versions 2.0 or greater. * IBM pc's or compatible machines. * The IBM monochrome adapter, EGA, or color adapter in the 80 column text mode, or an adapter that is compatible with one of the above. (Note that PFM.COM produces flicker with the IBM color adapter, Compaq and other compatible's color adapters work pro- perly.) * 50 kbytes of free memory (more is better!) PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 3 OPERATION OF PFM (MAIN MENU) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- PFM can be started by typing "PFM" on the DOS command line. Note that if you start PFM with a drive/path on the command line that PFM will begin by displaying the indicated path. Example: c:\pfm c:\util Starts PFM and display's the contents of the path c:\util on the menu screen. The main menu displayed by PFM consists of several sections. The main section of the screen in the middle to the left is a listing of the directory at the current drive/path. This listing contains the file names, sizes of the files, date and time of last write, and the attributes of the files. This listing is sorted in some order (the initial order is alphabetic with exten- sions given priority over names). You can move the cursor to point to any entry on this screen with the cursor keys. If you get too close to the beginning or the end, the display will scroll to show you more files in the directory (as long as there are some more). On the top line of the screen is a list of commands which are available at the moment. These commands are activated by hitting the highlighted letter from each command (usually the first letter) on the keyboard. If that command works in the current situation, then it will do it's thing. If not, or if the command key is not legal, then nothing will happen, good or bad (No, bells, buzzes or error messages here!). Many of the commands act on the file that the cursor is next to (pointing to) allowing you to do these commands on these files with only a few keystrokes. On the left side of the second line of the screen is the pathname of the current drive and directory. On the right side is the volume label of the current disk. If the disk has no label it is displayed as [No Label ..]. On the left side of the last line of the screen is a set of commands which are activated by hitting the function keys (more on this later). On the right side of the last line of the screen you see the most commonly used direction key's, which will do the expected things. On the right side of the screen is some other miscellaneous information about the disk drive, directory, DOS memory and the date and time. PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 4 MAIN MENU COMMANDS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Following are the commands which are activated from the main menu. In general they will involve the file name that the cursor is pointing to when the command is hit. At this point I should note that if you start something that you do not want to finish, just hit the [ESC] key. This will get you back to the main menu. Many of the commands require some kind of typed in response. To make this easier, PFM supplies an initial input or saves your last input to the response to save typing. To edit these respon- ses see the section on 'LINE EDITING'. * Attrib - Change the file attributes of the file. The attributes of a file are displayed in the main part of the screen as fol- lows: "B" not backed up, "W" write protected, "S" system type, "H" hidden. PFM prompts you with a line as follows: B= W= S= H= To add an attribute, change the "=" to a "+". To remove an attri- bute change the "=" to a "-", or use the "=" to leave it as it is. * Time - Change date and time of the file. The date and time are both displayed on top of the screen. After modifying just hit enter to put on a file. Remember, seconds will added as a multip- le of two. If the file did not have the Backup attribute set, it will be done by PFM. * Copy - Copy the pointed file to somewhere. PFM will prompt you for a "destination". See the 'DESTINATION PATH INPUT' section for the pathname and filename syntax. Note: Since copying a file to itself would erase most of the file, PFM considers this an error and does it's best to prevent this occurrence. * Delete - Delete a pointed file or directory. You must answer the "Are you sure" prompt with a "Y" to actually delete the file. If a file is write protected (a "W" in the attributes column) then an error will occur. In this case use the Attribute command to first unprotect the file. Note that DOS will not let you delete a directory which contains files. PFM doesn't either. * Edit - Edit the pointed file with your editor. PFM starts up your editor on this file name. When you are done editing quit the edit and PFM will restart right where it left off (Neat Huh?) Note that Write-protected or Hidden/System files may not be editable by your editor. PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 5 * Print - Print the pointed file on system printer. The "lines per page" prompt allows you to specify a page length for files which do not have form feeds imbedded. If your file is already paged, specify "0". If the file has some form feeds, then setting the lines per page will insure that no page is longer than the speci- fied amount. If you want more than one copy of the item being printed, set the number of copies parameter to the appropriate number. If you want an eight space left margin added to the printout, answer 'Y' to the margin question. PFM will show a "PRINTING" status in the upper left corner of the screen until printing is complete unless you hit another key on the keyboard. If you do, printing halts and you are given a chance to abort or continue the printout. (Hitting the space key is the best way to stop printing a file). * Rename - Change the name of the file or move file to a different directory on the same drive. See the 'DESTINATION PATH INPUT' section for the pathname and filename syntax. If applied to a directory, you can ONLY rename the directory, you cannot move it to a different place on the disk. * Show - Displays the contents of the current file or directory on the screen. If you are showing a directory, then you are also changing to that directory as the current directory. See the section on SHOW for more details on showing a file. * cOmmand - Allows the execution of DOS commands. PFM prompts for the text of the DOS command. A blank entry will activate DOS until the DOS "EXIT" command is entered so that you can tempora- rily use DOS as you used to. See the 'DOS/YOUR COMMAND' section for commandline syntax and execution considerations. * Your command - Like "O" command above, except uses your preconfi- gured commands. See the More Config command section for details on how to configure your own commands. * Quit - Exit PFM and return to DOS. You will be prompted with "Are you Sure". * More - Allows operations not related to the displayed directory. Use to config PFM, edit a new file, make a new directory, or show a pathname. See the 'MORE MENU' section for details. PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 6 MAIN MENU SPECIAL KEYS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- * F1 - help. This key doesn't need comment. Just hit it from almost everywhere in PFM to get detailed information about the current operation or screen. Includes some error help. * F5 - reread dir. This key causes the current directory to be reread to update the screen. This is done automatically after each PFM command unless files are marked (see 'MULTIFILE OPERA- TIONS'). This can be used when a disk has been changed or you are finished with any marks on the screen. If files are marked, you will be prompted "Are You Sure". * F6 - sort. This key allows you to re-sort the directory listing. See the section on 'SORTING' for more details. * F7 - swap display. PFM has the ability to keep all the informati- on about the directory that you are currently viewing (the primary display) while showing an entirely different drive or directory (the secondary display). I call the process of saving the current display and switching to the new "swapping displays". When you hit [F7] the first time, PFM prompts you for a new drive/path to display. When this is done, the third line of the screen changes to reverse vidio to indicate that you are using the secondary display. You can do anything while the secondary display is shown that you can do normally. To return to the primary display, hit [F7] again. When switching back, the origi- nal contents are displayed unchanged. The last several directo- ries that you referred to can be accessed by the cursor up and down arrows. * F8 - in/exclude. This key toggles the include flag on an indivi- dual file. See the 'MULTIFILE' section for more information. * F10 - multi. This key is used to switch between single-file and multi-file mode. See the 'MULTIFILE' section for more informati- on. * Space - in/exclude. This key toggles the include flag on an individual file. Note that the last file from the directory listing can only done once, if you want to correct a mistake on the last file you need to use [F8] or to hit any other key before trying again with the space. * ESC - backup directory tree. This shows the "parent" directory of the current directory (the one closer to the "root"). If you at the "root", this just rereads the current directory. * Home - Moves to the top of the directory listing. * End - Moves to the end of the directory listing. * Up arrow - Moves up by one line. * Down arrow - Moves down by one line. * Pg Up - Moves upward by 20 lines. * Pg Dn - Moves downward by 20 lines. * '+' - Moves downward by 10 lines. * '-' - Moves upward by 10 lines. PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 7 MULTIFILE OPERATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- PFM has the ability to do operations on more than one file at one time. This I call "multifile" operation. Multifile operation is useful for many operations. An example of this would be to copy a group of files to another place. In DOS, you would use the DOS "copy" command once with a wildcard filename or several times with different file names. If the files you want to copy are not easily related by a wildcard, then typeing the individual names soon gets tiresome. In PFM, to copy these files, you can simply mark the files you want in one of several ways and then switch to multifile mode and hit "C" for the copy command. One way of marking files is with the [F8] and space key's. You just move the cursor (pointer) to the file you want and hit [F8] or space. This will put an asterisk "*" next to the file. If the file is already marked, then [F8] will remove the mark. This can be used if you have only a few files or they are very different in name. Another way to mark files is with the "Include command". This command marks groups of files according your specification. There is a corresponding command to unmark files called the "eXclude command". The excluding of files is especially useful if you want to copy everything except ".BAK" files, for example. When you hit "I" or "X" for the include or exclude commands you will be promp- ted for your choice of the method to mark (unmark) the files. Following is a list of the choices to be had with the include or exclude commands; * Every - This choice allows you to select files very fast without any wildcard filename prompt. * Before - This choice allows you to select files before a speci- fied date/time. If you select this choice, you will be prompted for the date and time. After entering the time, you will be prompted for a wildcard ("?" or "*") filename to match against (see below). * After - This choice allows you to select files after a specified date/time in the same manner as "Before". * Ignore - This choice allows you to select files regardless of the date/time or attribute. You will be prompted for a wildcard ("?" or "*") filename to match against (see below). * aTtribute - This choice allows you to select files depending on attributes. You will be prompted with: B= W= S= H= A "=" indicates that the particular attribute does not matter. A "+" requires that a file have an attribute to be selected. A "-" requires that a file NOT have an attribute to be selected. After entering the attribute selection, you will be prompted for a wildcard ("?" or "*") filename to match against (see below). PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 8 * Oldmarks - This choice reselects any files which were selected before the last multifile operation. (The files marked with a ".") Use this to do multifile operations on a group of files more than once. For example if you want to copy a group of files to another place and then delete them from the original place, use "I", "O" for include oldmarks to remark the files for the delete operation. When you are prompted for the wildcard filename, you should follow the standard MSDOS wildcard name conventions. If you want all files with the previously specified attribute, for example, use "*.*" for the wildcard. PFM saves the last several wildcard filenames that you have used. To reuse them, hit the up or down arrow keys to find the one you want, and hit return. MULTIFILE COMMANDS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following commands operate on files which have been marked with the "include" flag (an "*" in the 1st column next to the file entry). All of the files are done in the same operation. If you wish to abort the operation, hit any key on the keboard. * Copy - Copy a group of marked files to a new destination. The destination filename MUST be an incompletely specified or wild- card type name for reasonable operation. If not, then you would end up copying several files to the same place, writeing over each other. * Delete - Delete a group of marked files. You must answer "Y" to the "Are You Sure" prompt. * Attribute - Change the file attributes of the marked files. The Backup, Write-protect, System and Hidden attributes may be chan- ged. To add an attribute, use a "+", to remove an attribute use "-", use an "=" to leave it alone. * Time - Change date and time of the marked files. If one of the marked files doesn't have the Backup attribute set, it will be done by PFM. * cOmmand - Allows execution of DOS commands on the marked files. Use the F1 and F2 keys to indicate insertion of the filename into your command. Do not change the current directory or default disk within your command without restoring it or PFM will get very confused. * Print - Print the marked files. The "lines per page" prompt allows you to specify a page size for files which do not have form feeds imbedded. If your file is already paged, specify "0". * Rename - Change the name on the marked files to that specified. The new filename MUST be a wildcard type name or a new directory on the same disk. * Your command - Like "cOmmand" above, except uses your preconfigu- red commands. PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 9 MORE MENU ------------------------------------------------------------------------- These commands are accessed by hitting "M" on the main menu. They are generally not related to the directory being shown. * Show - This command allows selection of a new directory path and/or drive to display. You will be prompted for the new path which does not require a trailing "\". The last several directo- ries that you have used are available with the cursor up and down keys. * Config PFM - This command allows you to setup PFM with your own system configuration. The editor PFM uses can be changed and you can also configure some of your own commands through here. See the section on 'YOUR COMMANDS' for more information on their configuration. PFM also saves many of the "text" entries which you type while using PFM (such as old commands, copy destinati- ons, show file search strings, etc.) You may want to check and clean up some of these before answering 'Y' to the "OK" question at the end of the config process. The final configuration can be saved on disk (in the PFM.COM file itself). * Edit - This command allows you to edit a file that you specify. Enter the file name in response to the `Pathname:' prompt. This is useful for creating new text files with your editor. If you specify a file on another drive or path, PFM changes to that directory before starting the editor. This means the editor does not require an understanding of pathnames. * MKDIR - This command allows the creation of a new subdirectory. The path should not be terminated by a "\". The new directory will be displayed. SORTING ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sort command [F6] is used to sort the directory listing in some useful order. Unless the directory is left unsorted, any subdirectories present in a directory are placed at the top of the display and any files that are marked to be included in a multi-file operation are placed next. Beyond that, the following orders are provided: * Name - The directory listing is sorted in alpha-numeric order with the filename given first priority. That is, all files with the same first name will be together. * Extension - The directory list is sorted in alpha-numeric order with the file extension given first priority. That is, all of the files with the same extension will be together. * Size - The directory list is sorted in reverse order of file size. The largest files will appear closest to the top of the listing. * Time - The directory list is sorted in reverse order of the file date and time. The newest files will appear closest to the top of the listing. * Don't sort - Files are left in their unsorted order (the order that they are on the disk.) Since PFM default is to sort files, you must use [F5] to reread the directory in order to see the files in the original order after you first select this sort method. * '+' and '-' - You can put a '-' in front of an other key to reverse the order. To get back to normal hit the '+' key. PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 10 SHOW FILE ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The show file portion of PFM is one of it's best features (I think) in that you can show any file, regardless of size or content. Many files, particularly binary or executable ones, will appear as so much garbage with this utility, but even then, you can still see some interesting things. Following are a list of the commands available from the Show file menu: * Quit - This command ends Show File and returns to the PFM main menu. * +n / -n lines - This command allows you to move forward / back- ward through the file by the number of lines that you specify. Simply press the + or - key and enter the number that you want followed by a return. * Variable lines - This command displays the file in text mode, that is, CR, LF, and TAB are interpreted in the usual manner. If you select this mode, PFM will show all subsequent files in this mode. Variable lines is the default mode. * Fixed lines - This command displays the file 80 chars per line ignoring the meaning of the characters. Use this mode to display binary data files or files without any carriage returns. If you select this mode, PFM will show all subsequent files in this mode. * Color - This command allows you to change the color in which files are displayed. Once you select a color, PFM will show all subse quent files in that color. The three available colors are: full color whit highlight on eight bit set, only text is colored, no color's. * Showmode - This command allows you to change the way files are displayed. Once you select a mode, PFM will show all subsequent files in the mode. Toggles between 7 bit ASCII and 8 bit IBM-PC codes. SHOW FILE SPECIAL KEYS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- * ESC - Ends Show File and returns to the PFM main menu. * Home - Shows the file starting at the beginning. * End - Shows the end of the file. * Down arrow - Moves the cursor down one line. * Up arrow - Moves the cursor up one line. * Right arrow - Moves to the right by 8 columns to see long lines. * Left arrow - Moves to the left by 8 columns. * Ctrl-Right arrow - Moves to the right by 40 columns. * Ctrl-Left arrow - Moves to the left by 40 columns. * Pg Dn - Moves forward through the file by 20 lines. * Pg Up - Moves backward through the file by 20 lines. * F1 - Help * F2 - Search for a string in the file. You will be prompted for the search string (a space matches tab or space). The cursor will stop on the line containing the string or the end of the file if not found. * F4 - Search for the last entered search string again. This can even be used to find a string in more than one file. PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 11 CONFIGURING ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note that the cursor, [Ins], and [Del] keys work for changing the response. You can change the some default's from PFM in the Configuration menu from PFM. PFM will then ask you if you require help, if you enter "Y" a help screen will appear which will remind you how to answer the following installation questions. After the HELP question is complete, PFM asks the name of the a text editor that you generally use. The requirements for the editor are that it be started as a ".COM" or ".EXE" file, it must accept the file to be edited as a command line input, and it must be able to locate it's own over- lays and help files (if any) when they are not on the current disk or in the current directory. The DOS editor EDLIN.COM can be used but there are many better ones available (such as PE). (Sadly WORDSTAR and PALANTIR versions that the author is familiar with will not work.) Enter the name and location of your editor as the example shows. Remember to type the entire pathname including drive. Example: Editor pathname: C:\DOS\EDLIN.COM This entry specifies the editor used by PFM when you want to edit a file. The next question PFM asks is whether you want to keep the origi- nal cursor provided by DOS when you return to DOS later on. Since I happen to like a large blinking cursor (the better to find it on the screen) I made this option available. Enter a "Y" to this question to make the cursor that way when leaving PFM. Example: Keep original cursor on exit [Y/N]? Y Now PFM asks you whether you want to keep the PFM main menu remaining when exit PFM. This kan by useful if you want to see disksize, or filespec's. Example: Clear screen on exit [Y/N]? N The next question PFM asks refers to the setup of your own speci- al commands. This is described in detail in the section 'YOUR COMMANDS'. For now, just hit the "ESC" key. Example: ESC or Your command Char? [ESC] The next question PFM asks is if you want to save the new confi- guration. The answers to all these questions and other settings will be saved with PFM if you answer "Y". If you don't answer "Y", then the answers will only last until you quit. (You can come back and change your mind later before you quit). Example: Save new config [Y/N]? Y After all PFM will display the advertisement screen. Hit [ESC] to return to the PFM menu screen. PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 12 YOUR COMMANDS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- PFM allows the user to configure a set of commonly used one line commands as part of itself so that lazy typists (like me) can use a two character sequence instead of a longer command line entry. To use one of these sequences, hit "Y" from the main menu. The available commands will be displayed along the right side of the screen preceded by their command characters. To select one, just hit the appropriate command character. To set up or change your own "Y" commands, use the "M", "C" (More Configure) commands from the main menu to get to the configurati- on screen. Skip through the question on your editor with the return key, and answer the question on the cursor. When the following line prompts, enter a command character which will go with the "Y": ESC or Your command Char? If you do not want to enter or change your own commands, hit [ESC]. Otherwise you will then be prompted for the text of your command. Enter as you would on the usual command line, including the [F1] to [F4] keys. Delete everything on the line if you want to remove an old command. When you are finished entering the command hit return. If you have more commands to enter, repeat the process. When you are done, you will be prompted with an "OK (Y/N)?". Your configured commands and other changable settings will be saved with PFM if you answer "Y" to the OK? at the end of the configuration. If you don't answer "Y", then the new settings will only last until you quit. DOS/YOUR COMMAND ------------------------------------------------------------------------- When entering a command string, you can specify portions of the current (pointed to) pathname by entering on of the keys F1 to F4. Use the F1 key for the first part of a filename, and the F2 key for the entire file name. If you want to include the current path or drive in the command string, use the F3 and/or F4 keys. The F5 key is used to refer to the "SWAP" directory path (the last directory you looked at with the F7 key). Entering the F6 key at the end of the command string will cause no message: "Hit a key to continue" before returning to PFM. When you do this, strange characters will be entered on the command line which will later be replaced by their corresponding pathname parts. PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 13 When you complete the command, PFM will execute it just as DOS would. When the command is finished running, a message "Hit any key to continue" will appear. When you strike a key, the system will return to PFM. In the following examples the current dri- ve/directory is "C:\EXAM", the file name is "TEST.ASM", and the swap directory is "a:\xxx\"; Input Result ----------- --------------------------------- type [F4][F3][F2] "type C:\EXAM\TEST.ASM" masm [F1],[F1]; "masm TEST,TEST;" comp [F5][F2] [F2] "comp A:\XXX\TEST.ASM TEST.ASM" del DEMO\[F2] "del C:\EXAM\DEMO\TEST.ASM" [F1] executing the command "TEST" xtalk executing the command "xtalk" The command line also has the ability to remember the last sever- al commands that you have used. To look at and use them, use the cursor down arrow and/or up arrow to find the one you want. DESTINATION PATH INPUT ------------------------------------------------------------------------- When PFM prompts you for a "destination", several special options are available. The prompt may be answered with a complete pathname (drive, path, file, ext) or just some of these. If an element is missing, then PFM will assume the current pathname component for the missing element. You can also use wildcards ("?" or "*") as DOS does in the file or extension portion of the pathname. PFM behaves much like DOS in all these examples. Also, PFM allows you to use the full pathname of the last referred to "SWAP" directory (see [F7] key). This option is used by hitting the [F5] key in place of a drive and path. PFM will then automa- tically replace the funny character (Club) with the pathname of the swap directory. In the following examples the cursor is in front of the file "test.123" in the single-file main menu. The current drive/direc- tory is "C:\EXAM". Input Destination ----------- ----------------------------------------- a: A:\DATA\test.123 if last dir accessed on A: was "DATA" a:\ A:\test.123) \ouch C:\ouch if C: does not contain a dir called "OUCH") \ouch C:\OUCH\test.123 if C: does contain a dir called "OUCH") \ouch\ C:\OUCH\test.123 a:\*. A:\test a:\*.xyz A:\test.xyz a:\* A:\test.123 ?z*.?4? C:\EXAM\tzst.143 *.* C:\EXAM\test.123 (an error) [F5] A:\test.123 if the last accessed swap directory was a:\ PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 14 Note: Since copying a file to itself would erase most of the file, PFM considers this an error and does it's best to prevent this occurrence. When the destination has been fully specified, a return will cause the operation to be performed. The destination file name will be displayed on the second line of the screen the first letter of the command will appear where the cursor was in the main part of the screen. If an error occurs it will be displayed at the top of the screen. PFM saves the last several destinations for you. To use them, hit the up-arrow and/or down-arrow keys to find the one you want. LINE EDITING ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whenever PFM prompts you for a response which requires more than a single character, it allows you to use the keys on the cursor pad and some others to help you change the line you are entering. The entry fields are generally long enough for their normal use, but if you try to go beyond the end, the cursor will refuse to do it. Following are the keys and what they do: Right - move the cursor to the right nondestructively until the end of the current entry is reached. Ctrl Right- move the cursor to the next "word" to the right or the end of the line if this is the last word. Left - move the cursor to the left nondestructively until the beginning of the entry is reached. Ctrl Left - move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word or the beginning of the entry if appropriate. Backspace - delete the character to the left of the cursor. Del - delete the character under the cursor. Ins - go into insert mode until a special character is entered. Characters are inserted before the current cursor locati- on. Home - move the cursor to the beginning of the entry. End - move the cursor to the end of the entry. Shift Tab - move the cursor to the beginning of the entry. Tab - move the cursor to the end of the entry. Ctrl End - delete from the cursor to the end of the line. Ctrl Ret - delete from the cursor to the end of the line and return. Return - take the current entry as it is. (return does not need to be at the end of the line). Esc - Ignore the current entry and exit from command. Up - For those prompts which "remember" your last several entries, this goes through them in order of age. Down - Like the Up arrow above, except that your next newest entry is displayed. Ctrl Home - For those prompts which "remember" your last several entries, this will remove all of the remembered entries (usually used before configuring to "clean house"). The keys [F1] to [F6] will put special characters into the entry which will only be meaningful in "cOmmands". At other times, they may cause strange errors. Other special keys will be ignored. PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 15 ERRORS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- PFM tries to make error handling as easy as possible. If an error occurrs during normal operation which DOS would let you fix and retry, PFM also lets you fix and retry or abort. If the error is such that a retry is not reasonable, an error code is displayed and you are given a chance to look at the error help list or just to return to the menu. Following is a list of the error codes that you might get and what they might mean. If you get a code that is not in the list, then try looking up the code in your DOS manual (you may have a different DOS than I do). 1 - DOS function number invalid. This shouldn't happen, contact program support. 2 - File not found. The disk has been changed or perhaps the editor is not present where it was configured to be. 3 - Path not found. Possibly invalid syntax, remember, no trailing "\" on "More MKDIR" command. 4 - Too many files open, no handles available. See your DOS manual on system configuration. (CONFIG.SYS) 5 - Access denied or protection violation. This usually means you are trying to write or delete a "write-protected" file. Use the "Attribute" command to unprotect the file. 6 - Invalid file handle. This shouldn't happen, contact program support. 7 - Memory control block destroyed. Something has gone very wrong, you had better reboot. 8 - Insufficient memory for program. The program might work if you "Quit" PFM first to open up some more memory and then run in the old fashioned DOS way. 10 - Invalid environment, usually >32K in length. Something has gone very wrong, you had better reboot. 11 - DOS error, Invalid format. Who Knows??? 12 - DOS error, Invalid Access code. Who Knows??? 13 - DOS error, Invalid Data. Who Knows??? 15 - Invalid drive number specified. You probably specified a drive letter higher than you should have. 16 - Cannot remove the current directory. If you really want to, first delete all the files and other directories in it first. 17 - Cannot rename from one device to another. The only way to do this is to copy to the other device and then delete the original. 18 - No more files available in the directory. That just about says it all. 19 - No more room on the disk. That just about says it all. 21 - Incorrect syntax in operator entry. PFM doesn't like the syntax of the Date/time entry or maybe of an attribute spec. 22 - Cannot copy a file to itself. Since this would generally destroy the file, PFM will not let you do this. 23 - Cannot show an empty file. 24 - Cannot load a permanent memory resident task from PFM. Some programs (like PFM) leave parts of themselves in memory all the time after they are loaded. An example is the DOS PRINT utility. Since PFM uses memory in a simple minded way, programs such as these can not be run from PFM. Sometimes programs such as the PRINT utility can be loaded once before starting PFM (like in an AUTOEXEC.BAT) and will then run normally when called by PFM afterwords. PFM Information Manual Version 2.31 Page 16