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1994-05-14
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GRABBER/TXT(tm)
The Text Screen Capture Program
for MS-DOS and IBM-PC Compatibles
Version 2.00 Shareware Issue
----------------------------------
DOCUMENTATION
May 14, 1994
Copyright 1987-1994 by
Gerald A. Monroe
All rights reserved.
+-------------------------------------------------+
| Although they are shareware, GRTXT and this |
| documentation file are copyrighted. They are |
| not in the public domain and they are not |
| "freeware." Please consult page 6 of the |
| REGISTER.DOC file for important copyright |
| information and license provisions. |
+-------------------------------------------------+
Thank you for your interest in the GRABBER(tm) screen
capture system!
The GRABBER package is being marketed in this special
form as shareware. This means you have the opportunity
to use and evaluate it for 30 days before you decide
whether to buy. If you continue to use GRABBER.EXE,
any of its "offspring" programs, or any of the other
programs in the GRABBER package beyond such 30-day
period, then you are required to send your registration
fee to the publisher according to the instructions in
the REGISTER.DOC file. When you register, you will
receive a copy of the latest release of the registered
GRABBER package that you order. You may not continue
using GRABBER beyond such 30-day period without regis-
tering. For registration instructions and a complete
statement of your license to use this software, please
consult the REGISTER.DOC file.
Gerald A. Monroe
P.O. Box 770906
Cleveland, Ohio 44107, U.S.A.
CompuServe Mail: 72321,1257
Fax: (216) 521-6060
IBM, PC and PC/XT are trademarks of International Business
Machines Corporation.
Table of Contents
Shareware Registration and License Information ..... 1
Overview of GRABBER/TXT ............................ 3
Using GRABBER and GRTXT simultaneously ............. 3
GRTXT doesn't work with graphics screens ........... 4
Modifying the GRTXT hotkey ......................... 4
GRTXT installation options, including the following:
* DEFAULTDRIVE
* MOUSE and NOMOUSE
* UNLOAD
* SOUND and NOSOUND
* PROMPT and NOPROMPT
* NOSWAP
* NOEMS
* NOUMB
* INT=nn
* INT=OFF
* BATCHCAPTURE
* BATCHCAPTURE:filename ......................... 4
Additional GRTXT configuration options ............. 5
* CROP and NOCROP ............................... 5
* 1FORM, 2FORM, 3FORM, 4FORM, 5FORM, NOFORM ..... 5
* PERMANENT=filename
NOPERMANENT ................................... 6
* APPEND and NOAPPEND ........................... 7
How GRTXT names files .............................. 7
GRTXT and filename prompts ......................... 8
How to control GRTXT's "crop box" .................. 9
Calling GRTXT from your own programs ............... 10
GRTXT(tm) Documentation Page 3 of 10
OVERVIEW OF GRABBER/TXT
------------------------
GRABBER/TXT ("GRTXT") is an alternative version of the GRABBER
screen capture program. It is an especially valuable tool for
users who need to capture character-based text images from the
video screen directly to plain ASCII text files on disk.
While GRABBER can be used to capture both character-based text
screens as well as pixel-based graphic images to your disk in the
form of executable image files, GRTXT is designed to capture
character-based text screens exclusively. GRTXT also differs
from GRABBER in that GRTXT captures your screens directly to
plain-ASCII text files, instead of to GRABBER's .exe file format.
If your screen capture needs are mostly text-based, and you
require the ASCII format rather than the .exe format, then GRTXT
can be more convenient to use than GRABBER. GRTXT creates ASCII
text files that are ready to use immediately, without having to
be processed first by the GR2ASCII conversion utility which
accompanies GRABBER.
GRTXT is installed and operated in much the same way as GRABBER,
and the two programs have a very similar look and feel. For the
most part, this documentation for GRTXT covers only the aspects
of GRTXT which differ from GRABBER. It is assumed here that you
have read the GRABBER documentation file (GRABBER.DOC) and become
familiar with that program's operation.
USING GRABBER and GRTXT SIMULTANEOUSLY
---------------------------------------
GRTXT is designed to be compatible with GRABBER. Both programs
can be installed in memory and used at the same time, but only if
you specify the "INT=OFF" command-line switch when you initial
install GRTXT in memory.
The default "hotkey" sequence for GRTXT is [Alt =]. That is, you
hold down the [Alt] key, press the equal sign key [=], then
release the [Alt] key.
As in GRABBER, the MOUSE command-line option in GRTXT allows you
to capture the screen by holding down the left and right mouse
buttons simultaneously for one or two seconds. If you have
installed both GRABBER.EXE and GRTXT.EXE in memory simultaneous-
ly, you should not use the MOUSE switch to enable the mouse
hotkey with both programs. Strange results are almost guaranteed
to occur, and it may even lock up your computer when you use the
mouse hotkey. It is acceptable to use the MOUSE switch with
either GRTXT or GRABBER, but not both.
GRTXT(tm) Documentation Page 4 of 10
GRTXT DOES NOT WORK WITH GRAPHICS SCREENS
------------------------------------------
GRTXT is designed to capture character-based text images exclu-
sively. If you press GRTXT's hotkey and hear a single low-
pitched tone on the computer speaker, this means that GRTXT
thinks the video screen is running in a pixel-based graphics
mode, and it is unable to capture the screen. Even if a pixel-
based graphic image contains text characters, GRTXT will not
attempt to "recognize" the outlines of the characters.
MODIFYING THE GRTXT HOTKEY
---------------------------
GRTXT allows you to modify your hotkey sequence from the default
[Alt =] to practically any other key sequence you choose. In
this respect, GRTXT is exactly like GRABBER. There is no sepa-
rate documentation here which covers the procedure for changing
your GRTXT hotkey. GRTXT uses the exact same hotkey procedures
as GRABBER. You can read about these in the GRABBER.DOC manual,
at page 33 and at Appendices A and B. (To view a list of valid
KEY= codes for GRTXT, use the command GRTXT KEY=?. To view a
list of valid SHIFT= codes, enter GRTXT SHIFT=?.)
GRTXT COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS
---------------------------
GRTXT accepts the following command-line configuration options.
Each of these optional switches can be added to the GRTXT command
line to alter GRTXT's default mode of operation. All of these
switches are also available in the GRABBER.EXE program, and none
is separately described here. For complete details concerning
the purpose of these options and how they work, consult the
section "Grabber Installation Options" beginning on page 14 in
the GRABBER program documentation.
* DEFAULTDRIVE (specifies capture destination)
* MOUSE and NOMOUSE (enables/disables mouse hotkey)
* UNLOAD (removes GRTXT from memory)
* SOUND and NOSOUND (enables/disables sounds)
* PROMPT and NOPROMPT (enables/disables screen prompts)
* NOSWAP (disables swapping of DOS kernel)
* NOEMS (disables GRTXT's EMS memory usage)
* NOUMB (disables GRTXT'S UMB memory usage)
* INT=nn (specifies block of interrupt
vectors for redirecting IRQ0-IRQ7)
* INT=OFF (disables redirection of IRQ0-IRQ7)
* BATCHCAPTURE (causes immediate screen capture)
* BATCHCAPTURE:filename (causes immediate screen capture to
file specified as "filename")
GRTXT(tm) Documentation Page 5 of 10
ADDITIONAL GRTXT CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
---------------------------------------
In addition to the command-line configuration options above
(which GRTXT.EXE shares with GRABBER.EXE), GRTXT also recognizes
the following command-line options. Note that you may specify
any of the following options on the GRTXT command line when you
initially install GRTXT in memory, *or* after GRTXT is already
resident in memory.
Option: CROP or NOCROP
Purpose: To enable or disable GRTXT's "crop box" feature, which
allows you to capture only the part of the screen which
you select. When the CROP setting is active and you
request a screen capture, GRTXT does not capture the
screen right away. Instead, it first prompts you to
indicate which portion of the screen you wish to cap-
ture to a .TXT file by drawing a box on top of the
current screen image, which you can move and reshape to
your preference. Instructions for moving and reshaping
this "crop box" are given below on page 9.
When the NOCROP setting is active, GRTXT captures the
entire screen image to a .TXT file, and does not prompt
you to indicate which portion you wish to capture.
The default setting for this feature is NOCROP.
Option: 1FORM, 2FORM, 3FORM, 4FORM, 5FORM, or NOFORM
Purpose: To enable or disable GRTXT's ability to insert a "form
feed" character after a specified number of screens has
been captured to a .TXT file. This option only has an
effect in the following situations:
1) The NOPROMPT setting and the APPEND setting
are both active, or
2) The PROMPT setting is active and you are
appending subsequent screen captures to the
same .TXT file.
Using these options, you can tell GRTXT to insert a
form feed character (12 decimal, 0C hexadecimal) after
'n' screens have been captured to the same .TXT file,
where 'n' can be any single digit from 1 to 5. For
example, when the 1FORM setting is active, GRTXT in-
serts a form feed character after each screen is writ-
ten to the .TXT file. When the 2FORM setting is ac-
GRTXT(tm) Documentation Page 6 of 10
tive, GRTXT inserts a form feed character after every
second screen written to the .TXT file, and so forth.
To prevent GRTXT from inserting any form feed charac-
ters into the .TXT file, specify the NOFORM setting.
Inserting form feed characters can be useful for print-
ing the data in the captured .TXT file later, because
the form feed character causes most standard (non-
Postscript) printers to automatically eject the current
page and start a new page at the point where the char-
acter appears.
The default setting for this feature is NOFORM.
Options: PERMANENT=filename
NOPERMANENT
Purpose: To tell GRTXT whether to capture all screens to the
file represented by "filename".
This option allows you to force GRTXT to capture all
screen data to a certain filename that you specify.
For example, to capture all screens to a file in the
current directory called TEXTDATA.TXT, you would in-
clude this option on the GRTXT command line:
GRTXT [other options] PERMANENT=TEXTDATA.TXT
Your "filename" can also include a drive and path
specification, for example:
GRTXT [other options] PERMANENT=C:\PICTURES\TEST.TXT
If you have told GRTXT to capture all data to a certain
filename using the "PERMANENT=" option, you can tell it
to stop forcing data into that file by including the
NOPERMANENT option on the command line.
Note that when you use the "PERMANENT=" option, it
automatically has two side effects. First, PERMANENT=
automatically sets the NOPROMPT option, which means you
will not be prompted on the screen to enter a filename
each time you request a screen capture. Second, PERMA-
NENT= automatically sets the APPEND option (see below),
which means that all screen data will be appended to
the same .TXT file while the PERMANENT= setting is
active.
The default setting for this feature is NOPERMANENT.
GRTXT(tm) Documentation Page 7 of 10
Option: APPEND or NOAPPEND
Purpose: To enable or disable the "Append Mode" when you have
told GRTXT not to use on-screen filename prompts by
using the NOPROMPT command switch. This option has no
effect when the filename prompts are enabled.
When filename prompts are disabled and you specify
APPEND, then GRTXT will create only one .TXT file, and
will append the contents of each subsequent screen to
that file until you enable the filename prompts again.
When filename prompts are disabled and you specify
NOAPPEND, then GRTXT works in its "Overwrite" mode,
which means that it will create a separate .TXT file
for each screen capture you request.
The default setting for this feature is NOAPPEND.
HOW GRTXT NAMES FILES
----------------------
When the PROMPT setting is active, GRTXT prompts you on the
screen to enter a name for the captured .TXT file. However, when
the NOPROMPT setting is active, GRTXT does not prompt you to
enter a filename. Instead, it makes its own filename as follows.
GRTXT tries to automatically detect the name of the program that
is running when you tell it to capture the screen. If GRTXT is
able to detect the program's name, it takes the first six charac-
ters of that name and adds (1) a two-digit number from "00"
through "99", and (2) a file name extension of ".TXT". This is
the name that will be assigned to the captured screen file.
GRTXT always picks the lowest available two-digit number in the
destination path. For example, if you are running a program
called "WORDPROC.EXE" and there are already four files in the
destination path named "WORDPR00.TXT" through "WORDPR03.TXT",
then your next screen capture from that program will be called
"WORDPR04.TXT". If there are already 100 files in the destina-
tion path named "WORDPR00.TXT" through "WORDPR99.TXT", then your
next screen capture from that program will be called
"WORDPR00.TXT", and the contents of the original WORDPR00.TXT
file will be overwritten and lost forever.
If GRTXT detects that you are sitting at the DOS prompt when you
request a screen capture, it will name the captured files
MSDOS00.TXT, MSDOS01.TXT, and so forth.
If GRTXT is unable to detect the name of the currently running
program, it will assign the names SCREEN00.TXT, SCREEN01.TXT, and
so forth.
GRTXT(tm) Documentation Page 8 of 10
GRTXT AND FILENAME PROMPTS
---------------------------
Probably the most significant difference you will notice between
GRTXT's interface and GRABBER's is in the area of the on-screen
filename prompts. The following discussion only applies when the
PROMPT setting is active.
The first time you call up GRTXT after installing it, there is no
default filename shown on the screen. You must supply your own
file name.
After your first .TXT screen capture, however, subsequent file-
name prompts will offer you a default filename which is identical
to the previous one you specified. You may accept this default
filename by pressing <Return>, or you can enter another name.
After you press <Return>, you will then see this additional
prompt, which is not present in GRABBER:
FILENAME exists -- (A)ppend, (O)verwrite, (C)ancel ?
If you wish to retain the contents of FILENAME.TXT and simply
append the current screen to the bottom of it, just press <A> or
<Return>. If you wish to overwrite (i.e., erase and replace) the
contents of the original FILENAME.TXT file, then press <O>. If
you decide not to work with this name and wish to enter a differ-
ent name instead, press <C> (for "Cancel").
GRTXT(tm) Documentation Page 9 of 10
HOW TO CONTROL GRTXT's CROP BOX
--------------------------------
When the CROP option is enabled (see page 5 above), you can
move and reshape GRTXT's crop box on your screen by using the
following keys:
<Esc> . . . . . . . . . . Abort the screen capture and exit
back to the foreground program.
<Return> . . . . . . . . Accept the area covered by the crop
box, and begin capturing.
<Left Arrow>,
<Right Arrow>,
<Up Arrow> or
<Down Arrow> . . . . . . Move the crop box in the direction
indicated, without changing the
shape of the box.
<Shift><Left Arrow> . . . Shrink the box horizontally.
<Shift><Right Arrow> . . Expand the box horizontally.
<Shift><Up Arrow> . . . . Shrink the box vertically.
<Shift><Down Arrow> . . . Expand the box vertically.
<Home> . . . . . . . . . Move the box to the upper left-hand
corner of the screen.
<End> . . . . . . . . . . Move the box to the lower left-hand
corner of the screen.
<Ctrl><PgUp> . . . . . . Move the box to the upper right-
hand corner of the screen.
<Ctrl><PgDn> . . . . . . Move the box to the lower right-
hand corner of the screen.
<PgUp> . . . . . . . . . Move box to top edge of the screen.
<PgDn> . . . . . . . . . Move box to bottom edge of the
screen.
<Ctrl><Left Arrow> . . . Move box to left edge of the
screen.
<Ctrl><Right Arrow> . . . Move box to right edge of the
screen.
GRTXT(tm) Documentation Page 10 of 10
PROGRAMMERS NOTE:
CALLING GRTXT FROM YOUR OWN PROGRAMS
-------------------------------------
If you are a programmer developing your own software, you can
invoke GRTXT to capture the screen from within your own program,
assuming that GRTXT is already resident in memory.
This is accomplished by using GRTXT's external programming hook,
which is really a customized call to Interrupt 16h, described
below. You can write a routine to implement this hook in 80x86
assembly language or in any high-level programming language which
supports BIOS-level interrupt calls.
CUSTOMIZED INTERRUPT 16H TO INVOKE GRTXT, SERVICE 4754H
--------------------------------------------------------
On entry: AX = 4754h
DL = 0 (to check only if GRTXT is resident)
DL = 1 (to capture the current screen)
On return: AX = 5447h (if GRTXT is installed in memory)
For DL=0
or DL=1: BL contains the logical drive to which
the capture would be attempted (DL=0)
or was attempted (DL=1). 0=default drive,
1=drive A, 2=drive B, and so forth.
For DL=1:
No --> Capture successful. ES:DX points to
Carry an ASCIIZ string which contains the
Flag [drive:][\path\]filename of the newly
created offspring (drive also coded in BL).
Carry --> If DX = FFFFh, then a capture attempt
Flag failed due to a critical disk error or
Set disk-full error on the logical drive
encoded in BL. (Speaker beeped in either
case.)
If DX does not equal FFFFh, capture was
not attempted. GRTXT was busy servicing
a prior capture request, or some other disk
I/O was occurring, or DOS was not in a re-
enterable state. Try again momentarily.
* * * End of GRTXT.DOC * * *