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OVERVIEW.TXT
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1997-03-29
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OVERVIEW
Easy Software's Commentator allows you to associate text
comments with any file and to search for text in your comments.
When Commentator finds the text you have searched for it also
finds the associated file. You can then launch any application
with that file name on the command line. Commentator is
suitable for any application which accepts a workfile on the
command line such as Word Processors, CAD, Desktop Publishers,
Midi Editors Etc.
SETTING UP YOUR APPLICATIONS
When you first start Commentator, click the "Setup Applications"
button. The setup window has the following fields:-
Application Name
This is the name that will be shown on the application launch
button. Eg. Autocad, MS Publisher, Cubasis Etc.
Application Executable
This is the full path and filename of the application to launch.
There is a browse button.
File Filter
This is the filter to use with the application. For example:-
*.MID for Midi applications, *.PUB for Desktop publishing. You
can have multiple filters by separating them with a semi-colon.
For Example, a word processor might have the filter:-
*.txt;*.bat;*.ini
Working Directory
This is the directory which Commentator will make current when
it launches your application. This defaults to the application's
directory. You can select "Work File Directory" in which case
Commentator will make the directory of the work file you choose
current. If you want another directory to be current, choose
"Custom" and type in the directory name.
DOS Applications
If your application is DOS you can choose to have Commentator
call direct to the application name or to create a PIF file
either for full screen or a DOS box. The PIF files which
Commentator creates have default values for everything except
the full screen/DOS box options. If your application requires a
PIF with non default values then set the DOS option to "Call
Direct" and use your PIF name in the Application Executable
field.
Additional Parameter
If you need to call your application with command line switches
other than the filename to edit, you can enter them here and
Commentator will append them to the command line after the
chosen work file.
First Directory to Search
This is the directory in which Commentator will start when this
application is selected. Set it to the directory which contains
your current work files for the application. There is a browse
button to select with.
Launch App Maximized
By default, Commentator will launch your application in a normal
window. Check this option to launch maximized. ( Some
applications override this option)
Minimize on Use
Most editing applications use the full screen so you can
normally leave this unchecked and Commentator will be ready for
use when you close the application. If the application is not
full screen you can check this and Commentator will minimize
after launching the application.
Unload on Use
If the application requires all available memory, check this
option and Commentator will unload after launching it. (This
option may not work with some 32 bit applications)
Save Modify Exit
When you have filled all the fields, click the Save button. You
can set up more applications now or you can click the Exit
button to return to the main screen. To edit the settings for an
application, click the Modify button, select the application and
edit the fields. You can delete an application by clicking the
Delete button which appears to the right of the application name
after selecting "Modify".
Password
If you administer several PCs you may not wish users to alter
your setup. You can password protect the setup and purge buttons
by clicking the password button.
When you return to the main window, you will notice that the
launch button has turned red and contains the name of the last
application you setup and that the directory/file boxes are set
to the directory you chose as the first directory to search.
If you have setup more than one application you can switch
between them by clicking the Change Application Button.
COMMENTING YOUR FILES
There are two comment entry fields. One for directory comments
and one for file comments. They accepts a maximum of 176
characters. Type in the comment you wish to associate with the
highlighted file or directory and click the Save Comment button
or press F2 ( All main buttons have function key alternatives
if you prefer not to reach for the mouse) Your comment will now
appear in the comment box whenever this file is highlighted.
You can edit your comments at any time and re-save them with F2.
You can paste text from the clipboard into comment fields by
pressing Shift+Ins and you can cut or copy text from the comment
fields by selecting the text and right clicking for the Edit Menu.
SEARCHING YOUR COMMENTS
To search your comments, enter search text in the search field
immediately below the Comment boxes and press return, F4 or click
the Search button. If no match is found, Commentator will beep.
If a match is found but it is not associated with the file you
want, press return again without changing the search text and
Commentator will find the next match.
When you have found the file you want, click the red launch
button to start the application with the selected file.
There are options to search the highlighted directory or all
directories. The All directories option is sensible if you have
a limited number of commented files which are scattered
throughout several directories. However, indexing the comments
for a directory can take time. (Indexing a directory with 1000
comments on a pentium 120 takes 4-5 seconds) If you know which
directory the file you are looking for is in you can speed the
search by pre-selecting that directory and using the "This
Directory" search option. If you have many commented directories
You can search the directory comments by clicking the Directories
only button.
COMMENT STORAGE
The comments you save are not attached in any way to the files
to which they relate. They are stored in files named COMMENT.DAT
There is one COMMENT.DAT file in each directory which contains
commented files. You should backup these files along with the
files to which they relate. If you erase COMMENT.DAT you have
lost your comments ! The Multi User version also creates two
small files, COMMENT.LOC and COMMENT.UPD in each commented
directory. These files are only required while workstations
are using Commentator.
A list of the directories with COMMENT.DAT files is stored in
COMMENT.DRS in the Commentator directory. COMMENT.DRS is plain
ASCII so you can view it with any text editor. COMMENT.DRS is
used when you search with the "All Directories" option so do not
delete it.
When you delete files for which you have saved comments, the
comments themselves are not deleted. Commentator will remove
comments for files which no longer exist when you click the
Purge Deleted Comments button. If you have a large number of
comments, purging can take a considerable time. There is no need
to diligently purge whenever you delete a file but as the number
of redundant comments grows, so the indexing and search routines
will slow down. Occasional purging will rectify this as well as
free up disk space.
LIMITATIONS
There is no limitation on the total number of comments. The
number of comments which can be indexed for one directory is
limited by memory. Commentator has been tested to 1000 commented
files per directory under Windows 3.1 and 95.
NETWORK INSTALLATIONS
The recommended configuration for network use is a separate
copy of Commentator Multi User on the local drive of each
work station which will be using it. This produces the minimum
network traffic and allows each work station to have it's own
application setup file. You can install a single copy of
Commentator on the server for use by all work stations but this
is not recommended. If you do this, all workstations will share
the same setup and default screen colors. If the server is also
used as a work station, there is a further complication in the
fact that any application on the server will have to be set up
twice as the server will reference it by its local drive letter
and all other workstations will reference it by the network drive
letter.
If you purchase the Multi User version of Commentator, Your
license allows you to install copies on any number of work
stations on a single LAN. You only need multiple licenses to
use it on multiple local area networks.
If you purchase the single user version of Commentator, your
licence is for a single CPU. There are no locking facilities
in the single user. If you run two copies of the single user
on a local area network, you will get all sorts of problems.
The evaluation (Shareware) version is Multi User.
PROBLEMS
Searching all directories no longer finds comments in a directory.
If, when searching all directories, Commentator cannot find one
of the directories in COMMENT.DRS, it assumes that the directory
has been erased and removes its entry from COMMENT.DRS. If the
reason for not finding that directory was that it was on a
removable drive or was on a network drive which was temporarily
disconnected you will get this problem the next time the drive
is connected. To rectify it, just log to that directory and
re-save any one of your comments.
EVALUATION LICENSE
If this is an evaluation copy, you are licensed to use it for
thirty days only. If you wish to continue using Commentator
beyond the evaluation period, you must purchase a registered
copy. If you continue to use the evaluation copy beyond the
evaluation period, it will remind you of this obligation. At
no time, however, will it cease to function or erase any of
your comment data.
Full copies of Commentator cost:- $40 Single User
$150 Multi User
Site Licenses are also available.
A site licence consists of a single copy of the software
together with a licence to duplicate and use that software on
multiple machines. Copies made under a site licenses are for
in-house use by the licensee and may not be resold. To calculate
a site licence price, multiply the price for a single copy by the
number of copies required and apply the following discounts:
2 40%
3-7 60%
10-16 70%
25-56 80%
75-133 85%
200-500 90%
1000+ 95%
Note:
If you install a copy of Commentator on a workstation with
access to directories on a network drive which have already
been commented, the all directories search will not work
until you have saved a comment in each directory from the
workstation.