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Shareware Overload Trio 2
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1993-12-03
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11KB
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211 lines
███████┐ ████████┐
██┌────┘ └██┌──██│
██│ ██│ ██│
██│ ██│ ██│
███████┐ ████████│
└──────┘ └───────┘
███████┐ ███████┐ ███████┐ ████┐████████┐ ███████┐ ██████┐ ██┐ ████████┐
██┌──██│ ██┌────┘ ██┌────┘ └██┌┘└██┌──██│ ██┌────┘ ██┌─██│ ██│ └──██┌──┘
███████│ █████┐ ███████┐ ██│ ██│ ██│ █████┐ ██│ ██│ ██│ ██│
██┌─██┌┘ ██┌──┘ └────██│ ██│ ██│ ██│ ██┌──┘ ██│ ██│ ██│ ██│
██│ ███┐ ███████┐ ███████│ ████┐████████│ ███████┐ ██│ ██████│ ██│
└─┘ └──┘ └──────┘ └──────┘ └───┘└───────┘ └──────┘ └─┘ └─────┘ └─┘ v 3.1
╓╖ ╓─ ╓╖ ╥ ╥╖ ╓─ ╓╖ ╓╥╖ ╓╖ ╖╓ ╥╖ ╥ ╓╖ ╓╖ ╥╖ ╓╖ ╥ ╓╖ ╖╖ ╓─ ╓╖
╟╜ ╟ ╙╖ ║ ║║ ╟ ║║ ║ ╟╢ ║║ ║║ ║ ║║ ║ ║║ ╟╜ ║ ╟╢ ╙╢ ╟ ╟╜
╜╙ ╙─ ╙╜ ╨ ╨╜ ╙─ ╜╙ ╨ ╜╙ ╙╜ ╨╜ ╨ ╙╜ ╙╜ ╨╜ ╜ ╙─ ╜╙ ╜ ╙─ ╜╙
╤═╕ ╤ ╤ ╒═╕ ╤ ═╤═ ╒═══ ╤══╕ ╤═ ╒═══ ╤══╕ ╒══╕ ╒═╕ ╤ ╒═══ ╤══╕
╞═╧╕ ╘══╡ │ │ │ │ │ ╒╕ ╞═ │ │ ╒╕ ╞═╤╛ ╞══╡ │ │ │ │ ╒╕ ╞═
╧══╛ ╘══╛ ╧ ╘═╛ ═╧═ ╘══╛ ╧══╛ ╧══╛ ╘══╛ ╧ ╧═ ╧ ╧ ╧ ╘═╛ ╘══╛ ╧══╛
Introduction
============
CD RESIDENT is a simple to use audio CD player that stays in memory once
installed, allowing you to run any other program but still control your
CD player. CD RESIDENT also incorporates a number of other useful
features such as a peak level meter.
CD RESIDENT is a freeware program, and may be distributed at will. The
usage of the program is at the users risk, and the author will not be held
responsible for any damage that may or may not occur as a result of the
correct or incorrect usage of this program.
Installing CD RESIDENT
======================
Installing is easy. Simply change to the directory containing CD
RESIDENT and type 'CDR'. CD RESIDENT will then start up in its default
mode, display some numbers on the top line of the screen, and return you
to DOS. CD RESIDENT will stay in memory until you remove it, and will
take up 12928 bytes of conventional memory.
De-Installing CD RESIDENT
=========================
De-installing CD RESIDENT is even easier. Simply go back to the
directory containing CD RESIDENT and type 'CDR'. CD RESIDENT will
automatically remove itself from memory, giving you back all of the
memory it previously occupied.
What do those numbers mean?
===========================
The numbers at the top of the screen show four things: the current track
being played, the total number of tracks on the CD, the amount of time
that the current track has been playing for, and the total length of the
current track. These numbers will be displayed on the screen at all
times. When CD RESIDENT first starts up, it will show that it is on
track 0, meaning that the CD has not been started yet. The total length
of the CD will be displayed in the rightmost column. When the CD has
been stopped, the current time will display 00:00, meaning that no time
has elapsed since the start of the current track.
Controlling the CD Player
=========================
Only three controls are needed to control the CD player:
CTRL * (on keypad) - Start/Stop CD Player
CTRL + (on keypad) - Move to next track
CTRL - (on keypad) - Move to previous track
Controls are kept to a minimum so that interference with any currently
running program is kept to a minimum.
Before starting the CD player, using CTRL + and CTRL - to switch tracks
will show the lengths of each of the tracks.
When you press CTRL * to start the selected track, you will notice a
large green bar at the top of the screen, moving backwards and forwards.
This is a peak level meter, designed to give an approximation to the
volume of the CD. This uses the speaker output from a Sound Blaster or
compatible soundcard, so the output from the CD must be directed into
the Line In socket of your sound card for this to take effect. If any
program tries to output any digital sound through the soundcard,
problems may occur, and so this feature may be disabled if
incompatibilities occur.
In addition to the above controls, you may change the CD in the drive
without having to restart CD RESIDENT. Simply stop the current disk playing,
change the CD, and press CTRL ALT * (on the keypad). This will cause
CD RESIDENT to stop all current processes, and read in the track information
for the new CD.
When any of the above functions are activated, CD RESIDENT will stop ALL
current processes of the computer. For reasons of safety, it may be
inadvisable to activate CD RESIDENT during a critical process such as while
the computer is using the hard disk.
Please note: The above is just a word of warning. I have never had any
reports of any problems with CD RESIDENT, and have never had any crashes
or other such unexpected behaviour while using this program myself. But just
in case something does happen (such as a clash with another installed program)
don't say I didn't warn you!
Installation Options
====================
When you install CD RESIDENT, you may also specify an operation mode for
the program. There are four operation modes, as follows:
Mode 0: Complete display (default)
Mode 1: Remove peak level meter
Mode 2: Remove track/time display
Mode 3: No display at all
Mode 3 is useful if you do not wish the display to interfere with the
currently running program, but still want complete control over the CD
player.
There is also another mode, mode 5. When this is initiated, the cdrom drive
will be reset when the track information is read, such as when CD RESIDENT
is first loaded, and when the CD is changed. On some cdrom drives, this is
unneccesary, and may even crash the computer under some circumstances.
Mode 5 may be set on top of any other modes by adding the mode numbers
together. For example, to set mode 5 with mode 1 (no peak level meter),
load CD RESIDENT in mode 6.
You may specify wish mode to start in by typing the number after the
filename 'CDR'. For example, to start in mode 1, type 'CDR 1'.
CD RESIDENT Enhancement
=======================
The current version of CD RESIDENT only supports a limited number of
functions, namely Forward, Back and Stop/Start. An enhanced version of the
program exists that allows fuller control of the CD-ROM drive, such as
allowing Random Play facilities, Pause controls, Fast Foward and Rewind.
It also contains a volume controller. (You may also get a title database,
showing the name of the current track, but I think that'll have to wait until
the next version. It'll only expand the memory requirement anyhow. If any
of you want this feature, please tell me... You'll get a free upgrade!)
This enhanced version is available direct from myself from the address
below for a fee of only £5, or $10. A disk containing the enhanced version
will then be on it's way to you. Alternatively, for a fee of only £3, or $6,
I'll e-mail you the enhanced version immediately. For more details of this,
or to ask any questions, feel free to contact me via post or e-mail.
Possible Problems
=================
You may experience problems with some programs which re-route some of
the interrupts. CD RESIDENT re-routes the keyboard handler (9) and timer
(28) interrupts. This should not cause any problems, unless a program
that is run after CD RESIDENT is installed re-directs these interrupts
and does not chain any previous interrupts. Most games programs do this,
and you may be locked out from the keyboard controls while the game is
being run. Unless the game is badly programmed, you should be able to
control the CD player once more when you return to DOS.
Similar problems may occur with the timer if any program modifies the
timer interrupt. This may result in a time display that is out of sync
with what the CD player is doing once you return to DOS. CD RESIDENT
does not keep in touch with what the CD player is doing, and so may
easily become out of sync if a program modifies the timer interrupt. (If
CD RESIDENT kept monitoring the CD player, it would take up too much
time, and it would not be worth running any other programs, thus
defeating the object of a resident CD player).
You will notice similar problems occurring if you run any other CD
player program. Any changes in what the CD player is doing will not be
passed to CD RESIDENT, and the timer will become out of sync. The cure
for this is simply to change tracks, or to stop and then restart the CD
player. In both cases, the time will be re-adjusted.
CD RESIDENT also takes control of interrupts 60H, 61H and 62H. This is
for some internal stuff that does not need to be worried about unless
some other program uses these interrupts. No problems should be visible
until you decide to de-install CD RESIDENT. If CD RESIDENT crashes
whenever you de-install it, this is the most probable reason. Either
stop using the offending program, or don't de-install CD RESIDENT.
You may notice that upon de-installation, CD-RESIDENT does not give its
memory back to DOS. The problem lies in the loading of another resident
program after CD RESIDENT. DOS only shows free memory as the amount of
free memory in one large section. If the memory is segmented, DOS will
only show the size of the largest free section. When you remove any
resident programs loaded after CD RESIDENT, you should see the return of
all of the memory taken by all of the resident programs. (If not, it is
another resident program that is leaving some of itself behind. The
problem does not lie with CD RESIDENT. Try loading the resident programs
in a different order to see if this solves the problem).
That's about it for now. Bye.
CD RESIDENT.
Copyright Nigel Grange 1993.
(grannr@essex.ac.uk)
Postal Address: Nigel Grange
22 Osmond Gardens,
Wallington,
Surrey.
SM6 8SU.
ENGLAND.