Copyright: Copyright ®1992,1993 Oakley Data Services


Index
  SmartCat Plus Release 1.6

 Welcome to SmartCat. SmartCat is a sophisticated disk cataloging system for Microsoft Windows. For information on its many and varied functions choose one of the options below:-

 General Information

 Upgrading from a previous release.

 Keyboard Usage

 Commands

 Procedures

 Processing Files

 Customization

 Problem Determination

 Enhancing SmartCat Plus

 Registration Details

 This product is Shareware. Shareware is a form of software distribution, not free software. If you have not already registered this product, you have the right to evaluate it for a period of 30 days from the date you initially install it. If you find that it suits your needs and you wish to continue to use it after the 30 day period you are required to register it with the copyright owners, Oakley Data Services. Registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of this program, and will be advised of any major updates. Major updates are usually made available at a reduced upgrade cost to registered users.

 You also have the right, and in fact you are actively encouraged, to distribute copies of this product. It must, however remain in its original, unmodified state, and all its constituent files must be included. No-one may charge for the program itself, although a reasonable fee for the media used and copying costs is allowable.

 This software is supplied as is without warranty or representation either express or implied with respect to the program or its documentation including their quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose.

 In no event will Oakley Data Services be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of or inability to use the program.

 All trademarks are acknowledged.


 Keyboard Usage

 The following keyboard shortcuts are supported:-

 File - Open Catalog(s) - Alt+O

Edit - Copy to Clipboard - SHIFT + INS

Edit - Find Next - F3

Maintain - Add Disk - CTRL+A

Maintain - Delete Disk - CTRL+D

Maintain - Update Disk - CTRL+U

Maintain - Renumber Disk - CTRL+R

Maintain - Relabel Disk - CTRL+L

Maintain - Modify Comment - CTRL+C

Maintain - Process File - Enter

View - Volume Contents - CTRL+V

View - Internals Files - CTRL+I

View - Statistics - CTRL+S

View - Merged Catalog Listing - CTRL+M

Search - Simple Search - ALT+S

Search - Complex Search - ALT+C

Search - File Comment Search - ALT+F

Search - Find Duplicates - ALT+D

Help - Contents - F1


 Commands

 Select one of the following Menu Items, or use the browse icons on the help button bar to move sequentially through the menu commands:-

 File

 Edit

 Maintain

 View

 Search

 Options

 Labels

 Window


File Menu
 File Menu Commands

 New Catalog

 Selecting New Catalog clears the current Catalog. If there are any unsaved changes a prompt is issued to allow the catalog to be saved if required.

 Open Catalog(s)

 Selecting Open Catalog(s) presents a dialog box from which one or more catalogs stored on disk can be loaded. If a catalog is currently open and  there are any unsaved changes a prompt is issued to allow the current catalog to be saved if required. If only one catalog is selected in the dialog box then it is simply loaded. If two or more catalogs are selected then the first is loaded and the rest are merged with it.

 Save Catalog

 Selecting Save Catalog saves the current catalog to disk. The catalog remains open and you can continue to work on it. SmartCat uses an intelligent saving technique and will not delete the old copy of a catalog until it is sure it has correctly written the new one.

 Save Catalog As

 Selecting Save Catalog As presents a dialog box in which specifications of where the current catalog should be saved can be entered. Note that you cannot save a merged catalog.

 Merge Catalog

 Selecting Merge Catalog presents a dialog box in which one or more catalogs stored on disk can be specified. Those catalog(s) are then merged with the current catalog. There are certain restrictions when the current catalog is the result of one or more merge operations. For a more detailed description of these restrictions refer to the section Merged Catalogs . Note that there is a limit of 255 on the number of consecutive merge operations

 Printer Font

 Selecting Printer Font presents the usual Font Selection dialog box, from where any displayed font and size can be selected. That font is then used when printing SmartCat reports, and when using the "print" option in the "Process File" dialog box.

 Printer Setup

 Selecting Printer Setup presents the usual Printer Setup dialog box for the currently selected printer. To change the currently selected printer use the Printers option of the Windows Control Panel.

 Print

 Selecting Print will cause the details in the currently active window to be sent to the printer. If for example a Disk Window, containing details of the contents of a cataloged disk, was currently the front window then those details would be sent to the printer. The print will be in the same sort order that the data displayed in the window is in. For details of how to modify the sorting order refer to the options menu command. The font used will be that specified by the "Printer Font" menu option.

 Exit

 Selecting Exit will terminate the program. If there is any unsaved data a warning will be presented and the option to save the data given.


Edit Menu
 Edit Menu Commands

 Copy

 Selecting the Copy command will copy the contents of the current front window to the Windows Clipboard . If for example a Disk Window, containing details of the contents of a cataloged disk, was currently the front window then those details would be sent to the Clipboard. The data will be placed on the Clipboard in the same sort order that the data displayed in the window is in. For details of how to modify the sorting order refer to the options menu command.

 Find

 Selecting the Find command will cause a dialog box to appear, in which you can enter some text that you wish to find in the comments of the disks or files listed in the current front window. The search is not case sensitive, begins at the top of the list and stops when it finds the first match. Note that the find command will locate text in the comments even if you cannot currently see them because you have the display set to 'DATA' or 'SHORT DATA' mode.

 Find Next

 Selecting the Find Next command repeats the last search you undertook, but starts from a position one beyond the currently selected record. Note that each window maintains its own 'last used search text', so performing a search in one window, then switching to a second window and issuing a 'Find Next' will probably cause a search for a different text string. The shortcut key is F3.


Maintain Menu
 Maintain Menu Commands

 Add Disk

 Selecting the Add Disk command causes the Add Disk Dialog Box to appear. The dialog box has options for specifying :-

 The Drive to use to catalog a disk. Only those drives present on your system are displayed. You can choose whichever you wish.

 Whether to analyse the internal contents of ZIP,ARC,ARJ,LZH and PAK format archive files. Each archive type is presented as an on-off toggle option, and clicking on it with the mouse will switch its state. We would expect you would usually want to select these options, but there may be times when a corrupt archive may cause problems and it will be necessary to prevent SmartCat from attempting to read it (although if it is defective it may be more sensible to delete it or fix it!).

 Whether to permit or query unlabelled disks. If you select query then an attempt to catalog a disk which is unlabelled produces a further dialog box, from which you can select to label the disk, allow it to be cataloged without a label, or cancel the cataloging operation. Choosing to permit unlabelled disks causes the disk to be cataloged as [unlabelled]. Allowing the cataloging of multiple unlabelled disks slightly increases the risk of processing an incorrect file.

 The Reporting Mode required. If set to "verbose" each file encountered is reported in the message area at the bottom of the dialog box. If set to quiet no files are reported. If set to auto files are reported when cataloging disks on drives "a" and "b", but not otherwise. Updating the message area for each file can slow down cataloging a hard drive or CD-ROM quite considerably, but can be very useful for problem determination purposes.

 If a preliminary Virus Scan is required. If set to "yes" a Virus Scanning program will be called before the disk is cataloged. The choice of virus scanning program is user configurable, and further details can be found in the customization options section.

 Whether to "stack" a label for the disk about to be cataloged, so that  a label can be printed later. Having this option checked does not commit you to actually print a label - if you terminate SmartCat while there are still labels "stacked" then they are simply lost. Similarly you can always stack a label for an already cataloged disk at a later time from an option in the "Label" menu.

 Whether to try to extract comments automatically from .ZIP, and .ARJ archives, and whether to attempt to detect Norton/4DOS comments (If you don't know what they are you needn't worry about them).

 The comment text you want associated with the disk.

 Clicking on "ADD" then causes SmartCat to read the volume label of the disk. If an unlabelled disk is found and the Unlabelled disk query option was selected the option to continue, label the disk, or cancel the process is given. The current catalog is then searched for a disk with a duplicate label, and if one is found the options to continue or cancel are presented. Assuming continue, or no duplicates, the directories on the disk are read and each file found is cataloged. If requested, the contents of Archive files are also cataloged, and comments are automatically extracted from .ZIP, .ARJ and Norton/4DOS files.

 When the disk is cataloged the dialog box remains on screen, ready for another disk to be inserted and cataloged. When all disks have been cataloged the "DONE" button should be selected to end the process.

 Delete Disk

 Selecting the Delete Disk command removes from the catalog the disk which is currently selected in the  catalog window . A confirmation box is presented giving you a final chance to confirm the action.

 Update Disk

 Selecting the Update Disk command displays the same dialog box as in the "Add Disk" command. Having chosen the required options and pressed the "OK" button, the volume label of the disk in the drive is compared to the catalog record for the disk which is currently selected in the catalog window . Assuming the labels match the disk is then processed as for the "Add Disk" command, and the records for the disk replace those originally in the catalog.

 Renumber Disk

 Selecting the Renumber Disk allows you to change the catalog number of the disk which is currently selected in the catalog window . A dialog is presented which allows you to enter a new number. Providing the number you select does not already exist it will replace the current volume number. The volume number must lie in the range 1 - 9999.

 Relabel Disk

 Selecting the Relabel Disk option allows you to change the internal label of the disk which is currently selected in the catalog window . A dialog is presented which allows you to enter a new label. Take care to ensure that the disk is not write protected. Also note that it is often not a good idea to re-label some games disks or others which are copy protected, as the programs on them sometimes have algorithms which notice that the disk has been changed by re-labelling. These programs then sometimes refuse to run.

 Modify Comment

 Selecting Modify Comment allows you to add, delete or change the disk comment associated with the disk which is currently selected in the catalog window , or the file comment associated with the file which is currently selected in the Disk window or Search window . A dialog is presented which allows you to enter a new comment. If you wish to delete an already existing comment simply delete all the characters by pressing the backspace key when the dialog first appears and then select "OK".

 Process File

 Selecting the Process File option displays a dialog box which allows you to specify actions to take against the file which is currently selected in a search window or a disk window . For further information see the section processing files . Note that selecting this menu command is equivalent to double-clicking on an file in a search or disk window.

 Default Action

 Selecting the Default Action option calls a user specifiable DLL to process the file which is currently selected in a search window or a disk window . The action to be taken is specified by editing the [Actions] section of the SMARTCAT.INI file. At least two suitable DLL's have been supplied, and are documented in .WRI files shipped with the product. Registered users will be notified on a regular basis of the availability of new DLLs. As supplied the default action for a .BMP file for example is to use the SCPSTHRU DLL which simply performs the same action as double-clicking in File-Manager would, in a .BMP's case this probably means starting the Paintbrush program. You can use this SCPSTHRU DLL with any file type to cause the Windows Asssociated action to occur.

 For a .WAV file the default is to call the SCWAVPLA DLL supplied with SmartCat which simply plays the .WAV file using the sndPlaySound API call. Note that you need a driver capable of playing .WAV files for this to work. You can get the Microsoft Speaker Driver from most good shareware sources and it will enable you to play .WAV files through your PC Speaker.

 Note that in the Shareware version of SmartCat only one default action can be installed at any one time and if more are coded only the first in the .INI file has any effect. You will need to edit the .INI file to experiment. The registered version allows as many default actions as required. Also note that the default action does not execute against files inside archives.

 Note also that the Keyboard shortcut for this command is Ctrl+Enter (i.e. hold down the Control key while you press the Enter key). This combined with the down arrow key can be ideal for running through a list of .WAV files in a search window and listening to each in turn from perhaps the vast quantity of files on your latest Shareware CD_ROM!


View Menu
 View Menu Commands

 Volume Contents

 Selecting the Volume Contents command will create a new disk window which will display the contents of the currently selected volume in the catlog window.

 Internal Files

 Selecting the Internal Files command will create a new search window which will display the contents of the currently selected archive or custom-DLL processed file in the disk window or search window which currently has the focus . If the currently selected file is not an archive and has not been processed by a Custom DLL then the menu option will not be available.

 Statistics

 Selecting the Statistics command will display a dialog box which will give statistical details of the catalog window or disk window or  search window which is currently has the focus.

 Merged File Listing

 Selecting the Merged File Listing command will display a dialog box which will give a cross-reference of the the catalog names in the catalog window to the full path names of the catalog files they are associated with. This option is only available after a catlog merge has been undertaken.


Search Menu
 Search Menu Commands

 Selecting the Simple Search command will display a Dialog Box in which you can enter one or more filename patterns to search the catalog for. The search argument you enter can include the standard DOS wildcards * and ?. Multiple search arguments should be separated by a space. The results of the search will appear in a search window , from where you can process any of the resulting files. See the example for further explanation

 Complex Search

 Selecting the Complex Search command will display a Dialog Box in which you can enter a combination of arguments (one or more) on which to base the search of the catalog. The search arguments are combined on an AND basis, i.e. a file must meet all the specified arguments to be included. Possible arguments include:-

 The filename pattern(s) to search the catalog for. The filename argument(s) you enter can include the standard DOS wildcards * and ?. Multiple search arguments should be separated by a space.

 The minimum filesize (in bytes).

 The maximum filesize (in bytes).

 The earliest filedate. The format of date required depends on the setting in the International section of the Windows Control Panel . If you are having trouble entering dates an incorrect setting in Windows is probably the reason.

 The latest filedate.

 The results of the search will appear in a search window , from where you can process any of the resulting files.

 File Comment Search

 Selecting the File Comment Search option presents a dialog box in which you can enter up to 3 text strings to search the recorded file comments for. The text strings are not case sensitive. They can be combined on an and or an or basis by use of the radio buttons in the bottom left corner of the dialog box. The dialog box "remembers" the last few search arguments entered during a SmartCat session, and they can be recalled by use of the drop down arrows at the right.

 The results of the search will appear in a search window, from where you can process any of the resulting files.


Options Menu
 Options Menu Commands

 Catalog Sort Order

 Selecting the Catalog Sort Order command presents a further sub-menu which allows the specification of the sort order required for the catalog window . If the catalog window currently has the focus then the new sort order will take effect immediately. If another window has the focus, then the new sort order will take effect when the catalog window gains the focus.

 The specified sort order also affects the order in which entries will be printed or copied to the Windows Clipboard .

 Sorting is possible by volume number, volume name, volume freespace, date the volumes were cataloged or the comment text.

 Disk Sort Order

 Selecting the Disk Sort Order command presents a further sub-menu which allows the specification of the sort order required for the disk window(s) . If a disk window currently has the focus then the new sort order will take effect immediately. If another window has the focus, then the new sort order will take effect as disk window(s) gain the focus.

 The specified sort order also affects the order in which entries will be printed or copied to the Windows Clipboard .

 Sorting is possible by file name, file extension, file size, file date, directory name or file comment text.

 Search Sort Order

 Selecting the Search Sort Order command presents a further sub-menu which allows the specification of the sort order required for the search window(s) . If a search window currently has the focus then the new sort order will take effect immediately. If another window has the focus, then the new sort order will take effect as search window(s) gain the focus.

 The specified sort order also affects the order in which entries will be printed or copied to the Windows Clipboard .

 Sorting is possible by file name, file extension, file size, file date, disk name, disk number, directory name or file comment text.

 Show/Hide Internal Files (Disk Windows)

 Selecting the Hide Internal Files (Disk Windows) or Show Internal Files (Disk Windows) commands changes the display style of Disk Windows, by either displaying or not displaying those files which are internal components of another file (i.e. the internals of Archives such as .ZIPs or .ARJs, or any internal filenames provided by custom extension DLLs such as the internal files in a DOS6 backup, or the internal content of BookManager<TM> bookshelves).

 Separators

 Selecting the Separators command allows the specification of the type of lines to use to separate each entry in Catalog, Disk and Search Windows in each of the different display modes. The choices presented are for no lines, dotted lines, dashed lines or solid lines.

 Switch Display Mode

 Selecting the Switch Display Mode option allows you to change the mode of display for the dates and times etc.), to short data (just name, path and drive), to comment (just name and comment text (if any)), to data and comments (all data and comment text (if any)) spread over two lines. Note that you can also cycle through the display modes of the window that has the focus by ensuring the mouse pointer is over the window and clicking the right mouse button.

 Play Sounds

 Selecting the Play Sounds option enables or disables SmartCat's use of sounds for various events such as "Search Complete", "Disk Update Complete" etc.. If the use of sounds is enabled then there will be a tick by this menu item.

 Note that you need a device driver capable of playing .WAV files to make use of this option. If you enable SmartCat sounds and do not have a suitable driver installed you will get a dialog box detailing the failure the first time SmartCat attempts to play a .WAV file, and the option will be automatically disabled.

 If you do not have a suitable sound card you might like to consider obtaining the Microsoft Windows Speaker Driver which will play .WAV files through your PC's internal speaker. The Speaker Driver is available from most BBS's and good shareware sources.

 You can select which .WAV files accompany which SmartCat events by use of the "Sounds" Control Panel Applet.


Label Menu
 Label Menu Commands

 SmartCat's labelling functions depend on the concept of a "Label Stack". As you catalog disks with the "Stack Label" option checked, or when you select one of the "Add to Label Stack" options described below, SmartCat will add to the "Label Stack" the details required to subsequently print the labels.

 Clear Label Stack

 Selecting the Clear Label Stack command clears the records for any previously stacked disk labels. The label stack is also cleared when a catalog is closed, or the program is terminated.

 View Label Stack

 Selecting the View Label Stack command presents a Dialog which displays the current contents of the label stack. From this Dialog you can delete individual disk labels that you no longer wish to print.

 Stack Selected Disk

 Selecting the Stack Selected Disk command adds to the label stack details of the disk which is currently selected in the Catalog window .

 Stack All Disks in Catalog

 Selecting the Stack All Disks in Catalog command adds to the label stack details of the all the disks which are currently in the Catalog window .

 Stack Manual Label

 Selecting the Stack Manual Label command present a dialog from which you can manually enter details of a label you want added to the label stack, and signify how many copies of the label you want printed.

 Print Stacked Disk Labels

 This option presents a dialog which allows you to detail the dimensions of the label stock you intend to use, how many label positions on the page to skip before beginning to print the labels, and what fonts to use for the various parts of the labels. The dimensions used in the dialog are determined from the International Settings specified to the Windows Control Panel.


Window Menu
 Window Menu Commands

 The Window menu subcommands implement the normal window management commands for MDI windows , with some extensions particularly relevant to SmartCat. For further information about general window management refer to your Windows documentation.

 Cascade

 Selecting Cascade re-arranges all non-minimized windows in an overlapping fashion.

 Tile

 Selecting Tile re-arranges all non-minimized windows in a tiled fashion, where all the space in the client window is used, but no windows overlap each other.

 Tile on Top

 Selecting Tile on Top re-arranges all non-minimized windows in a tiled fashion, where all the space in the client window is used, but no windows overlap each other. The windows are arranged with priority given to a horizontal arrangement.

 Arrange Icons

 Selecting Arrange Icons causes any minimized (iconised) windows to re-arrange themselves neatly at the bottom of the client window.

 Minimize all Windows

 Selecting Minimize all Windows causes all open windows to assume the minimized (iconised) state.

 Restore all Windows

 Selecting Restore all Windows causes all minimized windows to assume the normal state.

 Close all Search Windows

 Selecting Close all Search Windows causes all  search windows (minimized, maximized or normal) to close.

 Close all Disk Windows

 Selecting Close all Disk Windows causes all  disk windows (minimized, maximized or normal) to close.

 Close all Windows except Catalog

 Selecting Close all Windows except Catalog causes all open windows (except the  catalog window ) to close. You cannot close the catalog window.


 Upgrading to SmartCat Plus

 The format of the catalog file is different to that used by the original SmartCat program. This was necessary to allow some of the advanced features SmartCat Plus has. You can upgrade your catalogs from the SmartCat to the SmartCat Plus format by using the SMCAT15U.EXE upgrade utility, which is provided in the registered version.


 Procedures

 Select the procedure you require:-

 Loading a catalog file

 Saving a catalog file

 Merging Catalogs

 Cataloging Disks

 Updating Cataloged Disks

 Deleting Disks from the catalog

 Renumbering Disks

 Displaying Disk Contents

 Investigating archive files

 Viewing statistical information

 Searching the catalog

 Processing files

 Printing

 Printing Labels

 Copying information to the clipboard

 Sorting file information

 Managing the windows


 General Information

 If you are like most users its probably a forlorn hope to suggest that you read the help file from start to finish before you dive in, but can we suggest that before you proceed to catalog all your floppy disks or CD-ROMs that you at least read the next section about the best way to organize your disks, and the section on customizing SmartCat to work with various archive extraction programs.

 Categorising your disks and CD-ROMS

 Getting the best from SmartCat needs some thought about the best way to  organize your collection of disks/CDs. Even if you only have a few floppy disks or CDs now, it won't be long before your collection grows substantially.

 Whilst SmartCat doesn't have any particular limit to the number of disks it will catalog in a single catalog (apart from the amount of memory you have, and the amount of disk space available to store the catalog) it probably isn't sensible to keep all your disks cataloged in one catalog. We would suggest you catalog your disks based on their "category". Some of your disks will have come from Software Manufacturers, such as your DOS and Windows distribution disks, and you are never likely to write new or amended files to them. Others will be disks that have come from Shareware libraries, and again writing to them would be unlikely. Others may have come from magazine cover disks, and would form a logical third category. Then there will be those that you use as working disks, and perhaps others you keep customer data/work on.

 We would suggest that you divide your catalogs based on the categories you consider most sensible for your particular way of working. SmartCat supports the merging of catalogs for searching and reporting purposes, so you can always simulate a single catalog if you need to.

 Considerations for CD-ROMs

 Even more thought might be required when it comes to CD-ROMs, because of the vast amounts of data they can contain. The best course of action really depends on the sort of CD-ROMs you are dealing with. If a CD-ROM contains a vast number of "smallish" files, like a collection of Clip-Art, then the best approach might be to put it in a catalog of its own. Similarly large collections of shareware can simply overwhelm and individual catalogs might be the approach to avoid extended processing times. You can of course always merge multiple CD-ROM catalogs if you need to for searching purposes.

 Also consider the time it might take to catalog a CD-ROM, depending on what you are asking SmartCat Plus to do. If every file on the CD-ROM is zipped then SmartCat Plus is going to have to read pretty much ALL the data on the CD-ROM to catalog it if you want it to analyze .ZIPs, and that can take many minutes because CD-ROMs are not the fastest of devices.

 If the Rom contains 650Mb of data, and it has a data transfer rate of 150K/Sec (most say they do, but they don't), then it will take at least 72 minutes just to read the data. At least you can relegate SmartCat to the background while you get on with something else, and you usually only do it once, because the data on CDs doesn't change.

 Likewise if you install a lot of extension DLLs then the catalog time may extend if they have significant processing to do.

 Labeling your Disks

 SmartCat can print disk labels for you, using any label stock you have to hand. For further information see the Label Menu instructions. However, for a large number of your disks you probably want to be able to see the original label, and wouldn't want to stick another label on top. In these cases we suggest you simply write the volume number that SmartCat allocates the disk when you catalog it onto the original label with a felt tip pen or similar. If you then store your floppies in numerical order within category it will be a simple task to find any one of them. Alternatively, most stationers sell small, nicely printed stick-on labels in ascending numerical sequence which you can stick discretely over a corner of the original label.

 Getting Support

 You can get support for SmartCat Plus from us by phone, fax, mail or E-Mail. Refer to the order form for contact numbers. We also offer support in the UK via the Shareware Support BBS on 0442 891109 or 0442 890807, which we try to visit at least once a week. We are also happy to provide support to unregistered users at least sufficient to get you going. After all, we can't expect you to buy our product if you can't make it work!


 Customisation Details

 SmartCat can be customised to suit your needs, and the way you like your system to work. There are several areas where you can customise SmartCat, including the way it performs pre-catalog virus scanning, the way it performs extraction from archives, and what effect pressing any of the "User" buttons in the Process File dialog box has. All customisation is undertaken by modifying the SMARTCAT.INI file which is distributed with the product. The SMARTCAT.INI file can be found in your WINDOWS directory.

 Pre-Catalog Virus Scanning

 In your SMARTCAT.INI file you will find the following line:-

_ ExSCAN=SMCATDOS.BAT SCAN %d /NOMEM

 The detail after the = sign is the command SmartCat will issue to cause a virus scan of the disk. The %d parameter will be replaced with the drive designation (i.e. a:) for the drive to be used for cataloging. As delivered SmartCat will call the supplied SMCATDOS.BAT file which in turn will call the McAFee Scan program with the memory checking option disabled. Note that the SCAN program is not supplied as part of SmartCat, but is available from all good shareware sources. If required you can modify this command to suit your needs, perhaps by calling an alternative virus scanner.

 Archive Processing

 In your SMARTCAT.INI file you will find the following 5 lines:-

_ ExZIP=SMCATDOS.BAT PKUNZIP -O

ExLZH=SMCATDOS.BAT LHA E /C

ExARC=SMCATDOS.BAT ARC-E

ExPAK=SMCATDOS.BAT PAK E

ExARJ=SMCATDOS.BAT ARJ E

 Each of these lines represents the beginning of the command that SmartCat will issue to invoke the relevant archive extraction program. SmartCat appends the archive file name and target path name as required. If you wish you can modify these commands to more suit your way of working. For example you may wish to use the ARC program to extract "ARC" files rather than the "ARC-E" program which is the default. If so modify the ExARC line to read "ExARC=SMCATDOS.BAT ARC E". Similarly, the commands above assume the extraction programs can be found somewhere in a directory in your PATH . If this is not the case you may wish to add drive/directory information to these commands. Note that the archive extraction programs are not supplied as part of SmartCat, but all are freely available as shareware from good shareware sources.

 Defining "User Buttons"

 In your SMARTCAT.INI file you will find 8 pairs of the following type of lines:-

 User1Btn=&View

User1Cmd=Notepad.exe %f

 The UsernBtn= line defines, for each user button, what will appear on the button face. The & immediately preceeds the character which will become the button's "hot-key" (although there aren't many left to choose from, and if you duplicate one that already exists in the dialog box the original will take precedence). If the file is actually in an archive, SmartCat will automatically add the character X to the start of the button text (and will extract the file first if you push the button!)

 The UsernCmd line defines what command will be issued when the button is pressed. In the command the following characters can be used which will be replaced by SmartCat before the command is issued:-

 %f SmartCat will insert the name of the file, including its full pathname.

 %t SmartCat will insert the target pathname selected in the process file dialog box.

 %n SmartCat will insert the filename, excluding its path.

 %p SmartCat will insert just the path to the file, excluding the filename.

 For example, assuming you had a super-wizzo editor called WIZZO, and you wanted to modify user button 4 to call it, you would need something along these lines:-

 User4Btn=&Wizzo

 User4Cmd=WIZZO %f

 Note that as delivered the first user button has been set up as &View, and it calls the NOTEPAD program. The second user button has been set to call the McAFee virus scanning program SCAN via the SMCATDOS.BAT interface batch file. All the other user buttons are set up to call the WRITE program.


 Registration Details

 SmartCat Plus is shareware If you have not registered your use of this product you have a right to use the software for a period of 30 days for evaluation purposes, after which you must register it or delete it from your system.

 Details of how to register your copy are available by selecting the 'Order Form' menu item in the 'Help Menu', or by pressing the 'Order Form' button on the introductory screen. There is also a list of agents below, any of whom would be pleased to answer any queries.. SmartCat is available in some foreign languages, and where known at publication time this is also detailed below. The list may have extended by the time you read this. If you have any difficulty or queries please contact us for advice:-

 Oakley Data Services,

 3, Oakley Close,

 Sandbach,

 Cheshire CW11 9RQ

 England.

 Telephone (+44) (0)270 759739.

 Fax (+44) (0)270 765272.

 CIS E-Mail 100024,1763.

 Please indicate the version of the program you currently have (shown on the "about" screen from the Help menu, as "release 1.5" or similar).

 Agents

 North America

 Shareable Software International,

 P.O. Box 240357, Apple Valley, MN 55124, U.S.A.

Tel: (612) 322 5868

Fax: (612) 322 5871

Compuserve: 76226,2652

EXEC-PC: Bill Dickson

Or call the Orderline on 800-622-2793

 Japan (In the Japanese Kanjii Language)

 Personal Data Factory,

 Shimoueki-cho 451-3,

  Isesaki-shi, Gunma-ken 372 Japan.

 Telephone/Fax 0270 21 1423

 CompuServe 101153,21

 Germany (In the German Language)

 Men At Work Show Service GmbH

 Adam-Kraft-Str. 54

 8500 Nurnberg 90

 Germany

 Tel: 0911-390601

 Fax: 0911-390607

 France

 WindowShare SARL

 B.P.2078,57051-METZ cedex 2, France.

 Vox:- (+33) 87 30 85 57

 Fax:- (+33) 87 32 37 75

 Compuserve 100031,3257

 The Netherlands & Belgium

 BroCo Software

 P.O.Box 446, 3760 AK  SOEST

 The Netherlands

 Tel: 31-(0)2155 26650

 Fax: 31-(0)2155 14012


UK Registration Form
You can print this order form by using the "Print Topic" option from the "File" menu.

To:-

Oakley Data Services, 3 Oakley Close, Sandbach,

Cheshire CW11 9RQ, England.

Please send me __ registered copy(s) of SmartCat Plus,

together with the registration bonuses of :-

A professionally printed, perfect bound 80 page manual

A SmartCat Catalog Splitter.

A Find Duplicate facility.

A Catalog Export facility.

Multiple Extension Capability.

Multiple Default Process Capability.

Extensions to analyze .PCX .BMP & .GIF files and self-extracting archives.

Additional User Process buttons.

Support.

and my 30 day money back guarantee!

(Unless otherwise requested we ship a 3.5" disk).

Price - UK and EEC

£34.95 Sterling including P&P, plus VAT (17.5%) = £41.07 Sterling per copy

Price - Rest of world

£34.95 Sterling + £2.00 Sterling P&P = £36.95 Sterling per copy.

Total Price :

I enclose a cheque / wish to pay by MasterCard / Visa

(delete as applicable)

Credit Card Details:-

Name as on card :-

Card Number :-

Expiry Date :-

(N.B. If paying by MasterCard/Visa the address below MUST be the cardholders registered address).

Please send the registered version to :-

Name :

Address:

Post Code:

Day Time Tel. No.

You can also contact us by

Phone: +44 (0)270 759739 or FAX: +44 (0)270 765272.

Or Compuserve: 100024,1763

It would also help us if you could tell us where you got

SmartCat Plus R1.6 from:-

And any suggestions you have for enhancements.


USA Registration Form
You can print this order form by using the "Print Topic" option from the "File" menu.

To:-

Shareable Software International, P.O. Box 240357, Apple Valley, MN 55124, U.S.A.

Please ship me __ full copy(s) of SmartCat Plus

Price:-

USA and Canada

$39.95 US Dollars, plus $4.00 Shipping and Handling

Add an additional $5.00 for overseas shipping

Total Price :     .....................

I enclose a check / wish to pay by MasterCard / Visa (delete as applicable)

Credit Card Details:-

Name as on card:-

Card Number:-

Expiry Date:-

Please send the registered version to :-

Name:

Address:

ZIP Code:                        Daytime Tel. No.

You can also contact us by

Phone:(612) 322 5868 or FAX:(612) 322 5871 or Compuserve: 76226,2652, or Internet: 76226,2652@compuserve.com, or call the Orderline on :- 800-622-2793

It would also help us if you could tell us where you got SmartCat Plus from:-

And any suggestions you have for enhancements.


Enregistrement Francophone
Vous pouvez imprimer ce bon de commande en cliquant sur "Fichier" "Imprimer"

Expédier à : WindowShare, B.P. 2078, 57051-METZ cedex 2, France.

Envoyez-moi __ exemplaires enregistré(s) de Smart Cat Plus

ainsi que les logiciels gratuits et avantages suivants :

Un manuel professionnel de 80 pages

Un 'saucissonneur' de catalogue SmartCat.

Un utilitaire de recherche de fichiers en double.

Un utilitaire d'export de catalogue.

Fonctionnalité d'extensions multiples.

Plusieurs traitements par défaut au choix.

Des extensions pour analyser des fichiers .PCX .BMP & .GIF et des archives autodécompactables.

Des boutons paramétrables supplémentaires.

Un support technique par WindowShare.

Et un remboursement intégral si non satisfait au bout de 30 jours.

(Disquette 3.5" seulement).

Prix : 425 FF

Prix Total :     .....................

Ci-joint un chèque / mon numéro de MasterCard ou VISA (rayez les mentions inutiles)

16 chiffres de la carte de crédit :

Nom du Porteur :

Date d'Expiration :

Nom :

Adresse :

Code Postal :                        Tél. :

Vous pouvez aussi nous contacter par : Vox: (+33) 87 30 85 57 --- Fax: (+33) 87 32 37 75

Compuserve : 100031,3257, InterNet : 100031.3257@compuserve.com

Minitel : 3615 WinShare, Boutique LICENSEWARE (carte de crédit seule)


Deutsches Bestell-Formular
Sie koennen diesen Bestellschein ausdrucken, indem Sie "Datei|Drucken" im Menue auswaehlen.

Sie können ebenfalls  über Fax 0911-390607 oder

Compuserve 100116,3136

bestellen.

AN:

Men at Work GmbH

Adam-Kraft-Str. 54

90419 Nürnberg

Bestellung:

Format   3,5"    5,25"

Hiermit bestelle ich _____ registrierte Kopie von SmartCat Plus 1.6D mit den Extras:

Ein ausgedrucktes Handbuch

Ein SmartCat Katalog-Splitter

Ein Suchoption für doppelte Dateien

Eine Katalog-Export Funktion

Weitere Anwender-definierbare Buttons

Eine Update-Utility für vorherige Versionen

Bitte senden Sie SmartCat Plus an folgende Adresse:

Firma:

Name:

Adresse:

Unterschrift:

Preis:

In Deutschland: 69.- DM  (inkl. 15% MwSt.)

zuzügl. Versandkosten von 7.- DM,

bei Nachnahme zuzügl. Nachnahme-Gebühren.

Ich zahle per  O Scheck O Eurocard

Eurocard-Daten:

Name auf der Karte:

Karten-Nr.:

Gültig bis:

Unterschrift:

(Die Versandadresse MUSS mit der Adresse des Karteninhabers übereinstimmen)

Ich habe eine Compuserve-ID:_______,______ (bitte geben Sie uns Ihre ID an, dann können wir Sie über E-Mail über Neuerungen informieren)


 Merged Catalogs

 SmartCat supports the ability to merge multiple separate catalogs (up to 255 times) to enable searches to be undertaken, reports produced, and statistics analysed about all the floppy disks you have. After the first catalog is loaded further catalogs can be merged into it by use of the Merge Command in the file menu or you can load multiple catalogs at one time using the Open File command in the file menu .

 The Display will also change slightly, to include the catalog that the disk is in. If you merge so many catalogs you can't remember the full paths of them the view menu has a Merged Catalog Listing option which presents a dialog box giving full details.

 There are however, some restrictions when dealing with a catalog which is the result of one or more merge operations. In such cases the catalog cannot be saved, or modified by adding, deleting, updating or renumbering disks.


 Processing Files

 Once you have located the file(s) you are interested in, either in a disk window or a search window you can process the file in a number of ways. Having put the disk in question into the drive (unless the file is on a hard disk) double clicking on the file name will present a dialog box from where you can specify what action you wish to take.

 The dialog box that is presented details at the top the name of the file, the number of the disk it is on, the volume label (if it has one), and the default drive in which it expects to find it.

 To the right of the dialog box is a list box showing the available drives on your system, and you can select an alternative drive from which to process the file if desired.

 To the left of the dialog box is another list box, and just above it the words "Target Path:-". The target path defines where any action which creates a further file or files will place those files. For example, the "Explode" option, which extracts all the files from an archive, will place the resultant files as specified by the "Target Path" specification. You can change the target path specification by use of the list box. The target path you specify is remembered from session to session.

 Slightly to the right of the centre of the dialog box are two on/off toggle options. Minimize on Use, if checked, causes SmartCat to shrink to an icon if another program is launched by use of the Run or Process buttons. Confirm Deletes, if checked, issues a warning before any destructive operation is undertaken on any file.

 Towards the bottom of the Dialog Box are 16 buttons. The first 9 provide different options, and are enabled and disabled as appropriate for the type of file selected. If the selected file is part of an archive, the text of some of the buttons will change to be preceeded by an "X" signifying that the file will first be extracted from its archive to the target path before the action is undertaken.

Delete will attempt to delete the file.

Rename will attempt to rename the file.

Copy will attempt to copy the file to the specified target path.

Move will attempt to copy the file to the specified target path, and then delete the original.

Run (which is only enabled if the file is executable), will attempt to execute the file.

Process (which is only enabled if the file is associated with a particular program (use the File Manager File | Associate option to associate files to programs) - see your Windows documentation) attempts to launch the associated program with this file as its input.

Extract attempts to extract this file from the archive it is in to the target path. This option is only enabled if the file is in an archive.

Explode attempts to extract all the files from this archive to the target path. This option is only enabled if the file is itself an archive.

Print attempts to print the file to the current Windows printer.

The last seven buttons are user-definable. For more information see the customization options section.


The Windows Control Panel is a program supplied as part of Windows itself which allows you to configure various parts of your system. The program can usually be found as part of the MAIN group in the Program Manager.


SmartCat first attempts to write the new copy of the catalog with an extension of .TF~. If this is successful it then deletes the original copy of the catalog and renames the .TF~ file to the required name. For this reason there needs to be sufficient free space to write the new copy before the old copy is deleted.


The Windows Clipboard is a repository which programs can use to share information. One program (such as SmartCat) can place data on the Clipboard, and another program (such as Write, Notepad etc.) can retrieve that data. To retrieve the data in another program refer to the other program's documentation. Most programs supply a command "PASTE" on their "EDIT" menu which will retrieve the data on the Clipboard and insert it into a document. There is also a program supplied as part of Windows itself called the Clipboard Viewer which allows you to manipulate the data on the Clipboard. The Clipboard Viewer program can usually be found as part of the MAIN group in the Program Manager.


An item in a list box is selected if it is displayed in reverse video. To change the currently selected item, on which most menu commands operate, click with the mouse on the item you wish to become selected.


The window which contains the list of disks contained within the catalog. The catalog window is an  MDI Window . There can only be one catalog window.


The window which contains the list of files on a particular disk in the catalog. The disk window is an  MDI-Window . There can be as many open Disk Windows as required, memory permitting.


The window which contains the list files resulting from a search of the catalog, or a list of the contents of an archive file. The search window is an  MDI-Window . There can be as many open Search Windows as required, memory permitting.


A particular style of window which appears in an MDI Compliant application, and exists within a bounding window known as the client window. An MDI Window can be resized, minimised and maximised and moved inside its owning client window, but cannot move outside it. It is effectively "owned" by the client window. The Windows Program Manager and File Manager are MDI Compliant programs, as is SmartCat.


Clicking twice in rapid succession on an item with the left mouse button. This usually has the effect of selcting an item and then performing some default action on it. In the case of the SmartCat program, double-clicking on a file causes the Process-File dialog to appear.


A window has the "focus" if it is "at the front". It will usually have a caption bar that is highlighted, and is the window which commands usually affect.


Dos Wildcards are the characters * and ?. The * character will match any one or more characters in the position it occurs or afterwards, to the end of the filename section, either the name itself, or the extension. The ? character will match any character in the single position it is coded.


*.EXE would match files PROGMAN.EXE, HC.EXE etc.. etc..

 F*.BAT would match files FRED.BAT and FRUIT.BAT but not APPLE.BAT.

 ?A?.* would match files CAT.PCX, BAD.EXE, MAT.COM, but not BET.EXE.

 *.BMP *.PCX *.TIF would match all files with extensions BMP or PCX or TIF


Your PATH is the list of directories that will automatically be searched to attempt to locate a program if explicit drive/directory information is not included in the command. PATH is a command that appears in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Refer to your DOS documentation for more information.


Shareware is copyrighted software which is distributed by authors through bulletin boards, on-line services, disk vendors, and by copies being passed among friends. It is commercial software that you are allowed to try before you pay for it. This makes shareware the ultimate in money back guarantees.

 Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. There is good and bad shareware, just as there is good and bad retail software. The primary difference between shareware and retail software is that with shareware you know if it's good or bad before you pay for it.

 You benefit because you get to use the software to determine whether it meets your needs, before you pay for it.  Authors benefit because they are able to get their products into your hands without the expenses it takes to launch a traditional retail software product.

 The shareware system and the continued availability of quality shareware products depend on your willingness to register and pay for the shareware you use. It's the registration fees you pay which allow us to support and continue to develop our products. Please show your support for shareware by registering those programs you actually use and by passing them on to others. Shareware is kept alive by your support!


 Problem Determination

 SmartCat has gone through a thorough testing process, but like any complex piece of software there may be the odd bug still lurking. SmartCat also depends to some extent on the integrity of the data (i.e the disks, and the files thereon) that are presented to it to catalog.

 If you discover a problem there are some things you can do to help narrow down the cause:-

 If the problem occurs while cataloging a disk first determine if the disk is actually readable by the DOS DIR command (or the Windows File Manager). If they can't read it, it is almost certain the Directory Structure is corrupt. If there is no obvious problem try running the CHKDSK command against the disk in question (refer to your DOS documentation - the usual command is CHKDSK a: to check the disk in drive "a") to see if there are any structural problems. If the disk can be read OK by a DIR command and the Windows File Manager, and CHKDSK suggests no problems, try cataloging the disk again with SmartCat but having turned OFF all the archive analysis and auto-comment checkboxes. If SmartCat can now cope with the disk it is almost certain that one of the archive files on the disk is corrupt. A process of elimination, together with careful observation of the message box in the Add Disk Dialog box should enable you to narrow the problem down to a specific file. Once you have determined which file causes the problem try to process it with its native utility and produce a list of the files the archive contains. If this also fails you don't have many choices, either attempt to repair the archive (some archives, like ZIP files, have a matching repair utility (PKZIPFIX)) or try and extract what you can before you scrap it.

 If DIR and the Windows File Manager can cope with the disk, and there don't appear to be any corrupt archives, please contact us for advice. We may already have a fix, or we may ask you to send us the offending disk/file for further investigation.

 If you have any other problem not related to cataloging disks please let us know and we will do our best to resolve them.

 Before you contact us please have available all the facts surrounding the problem. It is much easier for us to help you if you let us know:-

 1. If you can reproduce the problem, and can let us know the exact steps that cause it.

 2. If any error messages are issued, and you tell us the exact content of them. Just saying "I get an error message" will delay any response, because we will have to ask you what it said. If you get "Someprog caused a General Protection Fault at ssss:oooo" then please note down the address given (ssss:oooo).

 3. Details of the configuration of your machine:- What chip (286,386,486,Pentium!). How much memory, what Operating System, what version of Windows? What video cards/technology (VGA, SVGA, S3, Weitek P9000)? Do you use compression software? Any TSR's? Are you using Program Manager as the shell or something else? If you are using something else then does the problem go away if you go back to Program Manager?

 4. If the problem has only just started happening, and if you have changed any hardware recently, or introduced any new software?


Enhancing SmartCat Plus's Abilities
 Enhancing SmartCat Plus

 Custom Extension DLLs

 SmartCat's capabilities can be extended by the addition of custom DLL's (like "sub- programs" really), which can be used to enhance SmartCat's understanding of the internal formats of particular types of files by returning additional information about them. SmartCat can then use that information to either record any additional internal files that the DLL has discovered exist inside files of that type, or to extract useful information to use as file comments.

 For example, if a new archive format comes along it should be possible to add a DLL to SmartCat to enable it to determine the internal content of those types of files. Similarly it should be possible to construct DLL's to extract useful information such as Author Name, Document Title etc. from word processing document files.

 Some DLLs are supplied free with both the Shareware and Registered versions of SmartCat, and will be documented separately on your distribution disk.

 Note that whilst the shareware version of SmartCat can use all the available DLLs, only one can be installed at any one time. The registered version can have multiple DLLs installed concurrently.

 We intend to continue to produce useful DLLs, and will inform users of the availability of DLLs when registering, and on a regular basis thereafter as new DLLs are introduced.

 We would also welcome any suggestions you have for types of files that would make suitable candidates for analysis by SmartCat DLL's. If you do have an idea for a useful DLL that we haven't yet produced (call us first to find out!) then it is far more likely that we can produce something if you can obtain the format of the file for us, and send us some examples of that type of file. Obviously we don't have access to every possible variation of Word Processor, Spreadsheet etc. etc.., nor always an understanding of every type of package that produces files! Contacting the manufacturer of the package may bring you the layout of the files, or then again it may not. In our experience some manufacturers are very helpful, and some are not.

 Please note that none of the forgoing is a commitment on our part to produce specific DLLs, or in fact any more at all, although it is currently our intention to do so provided we believe they are commercially viable. Also, all extension DLLs will not necessarily be released as Shareware.

 To add a DLL to SmartCat to analyse a particular type of file refer to the instructions that came with the DLL. There may be an Install procedure that came with the DLL that will effect the complete installation for you. If you have to install a DLL manually all that is usually required is to edit the SMARTCAT.INI file (held in your Windows Directory), and add to the [Extensions] section a line of the format:-

 .xxx=DLLNAME1,DLLNAME2,DLLNAME3

 where .xxx is a file extension (leading dot required),

 and

 DLLNAME1,DLLNAME2,DLLNAME3 are the names of custom DLLs to be called to process this type of file.

 if the [Extensions] section does not exist in your SMARTCAT.INI file you can simply create it.

 Note that more than one DLL can be associated with a particular filetype. The DLL's will be called in sequence until one responds that it understands the format of file presented to it. No further DLLs will then be called for that particular file.

 In the shareware version of SmartCat only the first DLL coded in the [Extensions] section of the .INI file will be called.

 It is also possible to associate a DLL with one particular file, by coding a line of the format:-

 complete.fil=DLLNAME1,DLLNAME2

 The DLL is not actually restricted to recording anything specifically related to the file, and could be used to record almost anything as a comment for a particular file, for example the temperature at the time the catalog was run! This technique can be used to good effect particularly in networked environments or where Notebooks are used away from the office, where for example it could be used to determine the amount of Ram installed on Workstations for analysis by a Network Administrator. Further information is available in the manual that accompanies the SmartCat Audit Extensions product.

 Custom Default Action DLLs

 SmartCat's capabilities can also be extended by defining further "Default Actions" for files with particular extensions. This is achieved by adding lines to the [Actions] section of the .INI file, specifying the extension of interest, and the DLL to call to process it. For example, the line:-

 .WAV=SCWAVPLA

 defines that if the "Default Action" menu item is selected (or Ctrl+Enter pressed) while the selected file in the window that has the focus has a .WAV extension then the DLL SCWAVPLA.DLL will be called to process it. Note that in the Shareware version of SmartCat Plus only the first line in the [Action] section will have any effect. Note also that files inside archives cannot cause the execution of the default action.