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@CB
EDiskCat Disk Cataloging SystemF
EV1.0F
(c) Copyright 1988. J. M. Nerwinski.
DiskCat is distributed under the Shareware concept. Feel
free to make copies and pass them on to friends and
associates.
If you find Diskcat to be of use, please support it. Your
registration fee of $30.00 will earn you an honored place in
my database, a registered copy of the latest version of
DiskCat, 50 free labels,a source for additional labels and
insure future support of the program. Please use the
registration and label order form included on this disk.
You will be notified of all major upgrades and be given the
opportunity to purchase upgrades at a nominal charge.
Send all registrations, bug reports, comments, suggestions,
etc. to:
J. M. Nerwinski
112 Leon Street
Durham, NC 27704
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 2
ETABLE OF CONTENTSF
System Requirements .................... 3
Installation ........................... 4
General Information .................... 5-6
Printed Disk Labels ............ 5
Help System .................... 5
Data Entry ..................... 5
Menu Option Selection .......... 5
Escape Key ..................... 6
Disk and File Deletion ......... 6
Cataloging Disks ....................... 7-8
Disk Number .................... 7
Volume Label ................... 7
File Cataloging Process ........ 8
Disk Labels .................... 8
Delete Disks from Catalog .............. 9
Review Files on Disk ................... 10-12
Catalog Search ......................... 13
Reports ................................ 14
Utilities .............................. 15-16
Reindex Databases .............. 15
Start New Catalog .............. 15
Set System Defaults ............ 15
Remove Deleted Disks and Files . 16
Print Labels ................... 16
Edit Category Listing .......... 16
Label Order Form ....................... 17
Registration Form ...................... 18
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 3
ESYSTEM REQUIREMENTSF
The minimum requirements for DiskCat are:
* 512K Random Access Memory
* A hard disk system with one floppy drive
* An 80 column printer (Epson or compatible)
* a monochrome or color monitor
DiskCat was designed to be used on a hard drive system.
Since all catalog items will be stored on the default drive,
it is impractical to run DiskCat from a single floppy drive.
The database files will fill up quite quickly and you will
run out of disk space.
Future versions of DiskCat will include the option to
operate the program on a floppy drive system.
It is also necessary to have a CONFIG.SYS file in your root
directory. If you already have a CONFIG.SYS file, make sure
that it contains these statements:
FILES = 20
BUFFERS = 22
If there is no CONFIG.SYS file, consult your DOS manual for
the information on how to create it.
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 4
EINSTALLATIONF
Installation of Diskcat is quite simple.
Copy all files on the distribution diskette onto your hard
disk. It is recommended that you create a unique directory
for DiskCat. Consult your DOS manual for instructions on
how to create a new directory.
Change to that directory, insert the distribution diskette
into drive A, and issue the DOS command: Copy a:*.*
To start DiskCat simply type DISKCAT. The program will load
and the introductory screen will appear. Diskcat
automatically detects a color monitor and will display
accordingly. After carefully reading the introductory
screen press any key.
The first time you run DiskCat, the system screen will
appear. You need to supply Diskcat with two pieces of
information.
1. The disk drive you will be using for your
cataloging. (This is NOT your hard disk! it
must be either drive A or B. If you specify
drive C, DiskCat will catalog your hard drive
which may take a day or two.)
2. Your name or Company Name. This is the name
that will be printed on your diskette labels.
DISK CATALOG OF ------------------
After you have entered the above information, DiskCat will
display the Main Menu. This information will not be
requested again. You may, however, change it any any time
through the Utilities Menu.
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 5
EGENERAL INFORMATIONF
EPRINTED DISK LABELSF
DiskCat requires one-up labels, 1 7/16" x 5". I know
from experience that these labels are not only
difficult to find, but are usually only sold in boxes
of 5,000 labels.
Now, unless you have 5,000 disks to catalog, this may
pose a problem. REGISTER YOUR COPY OF DISKCAT! I
will automatically send you 50 labels with your
registration. You will also be able to purchase more
labels, either with your registration or at a later
time. The order form can be found in ORDER.TXT.
Labels will only be available to REGISTERED USERS!
EHELPF
Help is available at every turn. There are context
sensitive help screens for every menu option and data
entry item. Simply press F1 key when needed.
EDATA ENTRY - CAUTION!F
Please be careful when entering file name, extensions,
etc. manually. DiskCat will automatically go to the
next data item when the previous item has been filled.
Press the <Enter> key only if your entry does not fill
the entire field. This especially holds true for
single digit or character entries. If you press
<Enter> after making your entry, you may find that you
have automatically skipped the next item in the list.
EMENU OPTION SELECTIONF
There are two ways of making a selection from a menu.
1. You can move the light bar to the desired
selection. This method is recommended
for first time users since it gives you
access to on-line HELP. Once you become
familiar with the menu options you can
use the direct method.
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 6
2. Press the letter of your desired
selection. Diskcat will go directly to
the procedure selected.
EREMEMBER! DON'T PRESS <Enter>!F
EESCAPEF
Pressing the <Esc> key will usually get you out of
whatever you are doing.
If you escape out of a data entry routine, any changes
or additions that you have made will be ignored.
During the cataloging process, you can escape at any
time except when entering a new volume label, and while
DiskCat is processing and reading the diskette.
There is only one SAFE way out of the system - through
the Exit to DOS option from the Main Menu. If you
reboot your system or turn it off without properly
exiting DiskCat, you run the risk of damaging your
databases. You must also be very careful with DOS
errors. If at all possible, NEVER 'Abort'. DOS has a
bad habit of leaving the database files open when you
abort. Try to rectify the situation and 'Retry'.
BE FOREWARNED!!
EDISK AND FILE DELETIONF
When you request to delete a file or disk from the
catalog, Diskcat will mark the deletion with an
asterisk. Whatever you mark for deletion can always be
unmarked until you physically remove it through the
Utilities Menu.
DiskCat will advise you if a disk or file is marked for
deletion in one of two ways. If the entire disk is to
be deleted, a message will appear at the top of the
screen. If a file is marked for deletion, an asterisk
will appear to the left of the item number. When you
delete a disk all of its associated files are also
marked.
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 7
ECATALOGING DISKSF
From the Main Menu, Select Option A.
EDISK NUMBER:F
DiskCat will catalog up to 9,999 disks.
DiskCat keeps track of the next Disk number available.
That number will be shown in the Disk Number box.
Press Enter to accept this number.
If you know that you have deleted a disk from the
catalog, and want to reuse that number you can enter
the number at this time.
If the number you enter is already in use, and the disk
has not been deleted from the catalog, you will receive
an error message and be given the opportunity to select
a new number.
To return to the Main Menu without continuing with the
cataloging process, simply press <Esc>.
Once you have entered the disk number, you will be
instructed to insert the disk to be cataloged into the
drive you have specified (usually A:). Diskcat will
then look for a volume label.
EVOLUME LABEL:F
If the disk has a label, it will de displayed in the
Label Box. You will then be asked if you want to
change that label.
If you wish to change the label, answer Y and enter the
new label (maximum 11 characters). The new label will
be displayed in the Label Box and the volume label of
the disk will also be changed.
NOTE: I am using a public domain utility (Volser.com)
to change the disk label. There are a few cases when
this utility can not change the volume name. Should
this happen, your only recourse is to escape out of the
cataloging process for that disk and change the disk
label through DOS. You can then catalog the disk
normally.
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 8
No duplicate volume labels are permitted by the system.
If the label you enter already exists in the catalog,
you will be given the opportunity to change your entry.
You can cancel the cataloging process by pressing the
<Esc> key. The system will return to the Main Menu.
ETHE FILE CATALOGING PROCESS:F
Once the volume label has been entered, DiskCat will
proceed to read all of the files on the diskette.
DiskCat is able to catalog all files on the disk,
including files in sub directories. The location of
each file on the disk is stored along with the file
name.
After DiskCat has read all files on the disk, the
screen will clear and you will be able to catalog a new
disk.
If there are no more disks to catalog, press <Esc>.
EDISK LABELS:F
E F** See the information regarding labels used by DiskCat
in the General Information Section.
After each cataloging session, you will be given the
opportunity to print disk labels for all NEWLY
cataloged disks. This is optional. You can also print
labels through the Print Label Option in the Utilities
area.
If you decide to print labels at this time, DiskCat
will first ask if you want a sample label to check your
printer alignment. Once you have determined that the
labels are properly aligned, answer N to "Print
Sample?" and labels will be printed.
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 9
EDELETING DISKS FROM CATALOGF
Select Option B from the Main Menu.
DiskCat will ask for the disk number to delete. Once
you have entered a valid number, one page of files on
that disk will be displayed. This gives you the
opportunity to verify that the disk you have entered is
the correct one.
If the disk has not already been marked for deletion,
DiskCat will verify that you really want to delete the
disk. If, however, the disk has already been marked
for deletion, DiskCat will ask you if you want to
recall it (unmark it).
Remember that deleting a disk also deletes all of its
files from the catalog.
When finished, press <Esc> to return to the Main Menu.
If you want to physically remove deleted disks from the
catalog at this time, you can do so through the
Utilities Menu.
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 10
EREVIEW FILES ON DISKF
Select Option C from the Main Menu.
Enter the number of the disk you want to review. If
the disk is not in the catalog, DiskCat will display an
error message and you will be given the opportunity to
request another disk. You can return to the Main Menu
from this point by entering 0 or pressing <Esc>.
If the disk is in the catalog, DiskCat will display the
first page of files. All further activity will depend
on the use of the function keys as displayed at the
bottom of the screen.
You can page up and down through the file list and add,
delete and edit files. The directory location of the
files will be displayed directly below the disk number
always starting with the root directory.
The file listing displays the file name, extension,
size, and date as read from the disk. There are two
fields for you to fill in if desired: Description and
Category.
The file Description is strictly informational. No
processing or reports are affected by it. The Category
field, however, is rather important. After you have
categorized your files, you will be able to search for
all files in a particular category and print listings
by category. More about categories a little later.
EUSING THE FUNCTION KEYSF
F1 - Always used for HELP.
F2 - Page Up. Pressing F2 will give you the previous
page of files. If you are already on the first
page DiskCat will 'beep' to alert you.
F3 - Page Down. Pressing F3 will give you the next
page of files. If you are on the last page of
files when you press F3, DiskCat will 'beep' to
alert your.
F4 - Chr Dir. Pressing F4 will allow you to change
to a directory displayed on the file screen. A
directory can be identified by <DIR> in the size
column. When you press F4 the cursor will be
positioned at the bottom right corner of the
screen requesting Item #. Enter the item number
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 11
to the left of the directory listing. If your
entry is a valid sub directory, the screen will
change to show only the files in that
subdirectory. You can always return to the root
directory by pressing F4 and entering 0.
F5 - Add. You can add a file to a disk listing by
pressing F5.
The current listing will clear and you will be
presented with a line of blanks to be filled in.
Enter the description, category, filename,
extension, size and date of the new file.
Remember the caution about using the <Enter> key.
You can cancel your entry by pressing <Esc>.
Now for that word about CATEGORIES. When the
cursor is positioned in the category box, press
F1. A normal HELP screen will appear. Press F1
again, and a list of all established categories
will appear. You can page through these existing
categories by using the up and down arrows and the
PgUp and PgDn keys. When you have found the
category you want to use, press <Enter>. The
screen will clear, and your category selection
will be entered automatically. If you can not
find the category you want, press <Esc>.
If you wish to use a category which is not in the
list simply type it in. DiskCat will look at the
existing list and add any new category as
necessary.
The Category list can also be modified through the
Utilities Menu.
F6 - Edit. You can edit any file or directory listing
in the catalog by pressing F6. The cursor will be
positioned at the lower right corner awaiting the
item number to edit. Enter the number located to
the left of the file you wish to edit.
That file information will now be highlighted and
you can make the necessary changes. To keep the
existing information, simply press enter and the
cursor will move to the next field. You can
cancel the editing process by pressing <Esc>.
You will probably use edit primarily to enter file
descriptions and categories. See the notes about
the category lists under F5. Once you have added
the description and/or category and, if there are
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 12
no more changes to make, you can press PgDn.
DiskCat will accept your changes and skip all of
the remaining fields.
F7 - Del/Rec. Press F7 to Delete or Recall a file in
the file list. As with Add and Edit, DiskCat will
request the Item Number to Delete or Recall. If
the item has not been previously deleted, it will
be marked for deletion and an asterisk will appear
to the left of the item number. If the item was
already marked for deletion, it will be recalled
(unmarked) and the asterisk will disappear.
Remember, that items marked for deletion are not
physically removed until you request DiskCat to do
so through the Utilities Menu.
F10 - Exit. F10 will clear the existing screen and
request a new disk number. Enter another disk
number or press <Enter> or <Esc> to return to the
Main Menu.
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 13
ECATALOG SEARCH UTILITYF
Select option C from the Main Menu.
A new Search Options Menu will appear.
You can search DiskCat for files several ways:
A. By File Name and/or Extension
B. By Disk Label Name
C. By Category
The search procedure is basically the same for all searches.
A display screen will appear requesting the search criteria.
If DiskCat is able to match your request, it will display
only those files which match the request. If there is no
match, you will be advised.
So, if you want a list of all GAMES in your catalog, request
option C. Search by Category, and enter the category GAMES.
Don't forget the Category list is available by pressing F1.
DiskCat will display all files that have been categorized as
games, showing the file name, extensions, descriptions,
locations, sizes, dates and, most importantly, the disk
number.
One item to note is that when searching by filename and/or
extension, you CAN NOT USE DOS WILDCARD CHARACTERS. If you
want all files beginning with the letter C, simply enter C
and leave the extension blank.
If you fill in both the filename and extension, DiskCat will
search for an exact match. Therefore, in the above example,
if you enter C in the filename and COM in the extension,
DiskCat will search for C.COM.
Again, don't forget the HELP screens. They give examples
for all searches.
Once you have received a screen of files, you can use the F2
and F3 keys to page up and down through the listing. You
can not add or edit any file from the search area.
When you are finished with the current listing, press F10
and you will be able to either request another search or
return to the Search Menu by pressing <Esc>.
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 14
EREPORTSF
Select Option E from the Main Menu.
A new Reports Menu will be displayed.
There are 5 basic reports available:
A. Individual Disk Listing: This report will give a
listing of all files on a particular disk. Disks
will be separated into their own reports. That
is, if you request a listing for your entire
catalog, each disk will have it's own report, even
if there are only one or two files on that disk.
This report is best suited for a permanent record
in a binder.
B. Complete by Disk Number: This report will produce
a continuous listing by order of disk number. You
can limit the report to any number of consecutive
disks, or print the entire catalog.
C. Complete By File Extension and File Name: This
report will produce a complete listing of files
ordered first by extension and then file name.
You can limit the report by entering an individual
extension.
D. Complete by File Name and Extension: This report
will produce a continuous listing of all files in
the catalog by order of File Name and then
Extension. This report can only be printed as a
complete catalog.
E. Complete by Category: This report will produce a
continuous listing by order of category. This
report can be limited to a single category if
desired. Please note that when requesting the
complete catalog, only those files which have been
categorized will be included in the listing.
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 15
EUTILITIES MENUF
Select option F from the Main Menu.
The Utilities Menu will be displayed.
There are six options available through the Utilities Menu:
A. Reindex Database Files. During normal operation
of DiskCat, reindex of the databases should not be
necessary. However, should you experience a power
failure or other such horror, you may find that
the system is not displaying or reporting the data
properly.
Should this occur, your first line of action
should be to reindex the databases. If the
problem is not solved, you will have to rely on
your backups (You have been making regular
backups, haven't you?).
Be aware that a reindex on a large database could
take some time.
B. Start New Catalog. This option will delete and
remove EVERYTHING from your catalog except your
category listing. I have provided this option for
two reasons. First of all, if you are like me,
you will want to play with DiskCat a little before
getting down to the serious business of cataloging
all of your disks.
Once you are satisfied that DiskCat really is
wonderful, you can clean out everything you have
done and begin to catalog in earnest.
Secondly, there may be some who may want to just
start from scratch after a period of time. Both
options are possible.
When you select this option, DiskCat will verify
that you truly want to start a new catalog. If
you answer Y, the catalog will be cleaned out.
C. Set System Defaults. This option is provided in
case you wish to change either the drive
containing disks to be cataloged or the name to be
printed on the disk labels.
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 16
D. Remove Deleted Disks. As explained previously,
records marked for deletion will physically remain
in the catalog until you run this option. They
can, therefore, be recalled at any time prior to
running this option.
Once this option is run, however, the deleted
records are gone and can not be recalled.
E. Print Labels. This option allows you to print
labels for any disk in the catalog. You can print
labels for a single disk, a range of disks, or the
entire catalog.
Labels used are one-up, 1 7/16" x 5". See the
General Information section of this documentation
for more about labels.
F. Edit Category Listing. This option allows you to
add, edit, and delete predefined file categories.
You can move up and down through the category list
by using the up and down arrow keys, PgUp and
PgDn.
To add a category, press the <Ins> key. DiskCat
will ask for the name of the new category. Once
entered DiskCat will verify that the category does
not already exist and will insert it into the list
alphabetically. If the category does already
exist you will be advised and your entry will be
ignored.
To delete a category, move the highlight to the
category to be deleted and press the <Del> key.
The category will be deleted and the list
redisplayed. In this one case, once deleted, the
category can not be recalled.
To edit a category, move the highlight to the
category to be edited and press the <Enter> key.
The cursor will appear and you can edit the
category. When finished press the <Enter> key
again. The list will be redisplayed.
To return to the Utilities Menu, press the <Esc>
key.
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 17
EDISKCAT LABEL ORDER FORMF
Name:__________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
City:_______________________________________________
State:_______ Zip: ______________
Registration Number: _____________________________
Labels are available in lots of 100 to registered users
only. This includes postage.
Quantity: ________
x $5.00
Total Enclosed:____________
Mail To: J. M. Nerwinski
112 Leon Street
Durham, NC 27704
DiskCat Disk Cataloging System Page: 18
EDISKCAT REGISTRATION AND LABEL ORDERF
Registration includes:
A Registered Copy of the Latest Version of DiskCat
50 Free Labels
Prompt Notification of Upgrades and Special price
on Upgrade Purchase.
The Ability to Purchase Additional Disk Labels in
Lots of 100.
Name:__________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
City:_______________________________________________
State:_______ Zip: ______________
Where did you get this copy of DiskCat?:
______________________________________________________
Registration Fee: $30.00
Extra Labels (available to registered users only)
Add $5.00 per 100 labels. Sold in lots
of 100. Includes postage.
Quantity: ________ X $5.00 ________
Total: ________
Please include any comments or observations on a
separate sheet of paper or on reverse of registration
form. Thank You.
Mail to: J. M. Nerwinski
112 Leon Street
Durham, NC 27704
