SPACE 1/SPACE - Library 1 - Volume 1.iso/utilitys/51/discat.doc

Text File | 1986-10-19 | 11KB | 275 lines

GETTING STARTED

The first thing you need to do is configure your printer.  If you
have an Epson or compatible the PRINTER.CNF file included with
Discat will work fine.  Otherwise you will need to run the program
called LINSTALL.TOS.  You will need your printer manual, and you
will need to get the ASCII codes needed to do the following :

8 Lines per inch mode
17 characters per inch mode (Compressed)
12 characters per inch mode (Elite)

If your printer is not capable of 17 characters per inch, then you
will not be able to print disk labels.  All of the above codes are
used when printing labels.  If you are using this cataloging
system strictly as a cataloger, then you do not have to worry
about these codes.

RUNNING THE PROGRAM

Simply double click the DC.TOS icon and the program will start up.
You will be presented with a screen that asks you to register your
copy of this program.  Please see section at the end of the manual
labeled REGISTERING YOUR COPY.

After pressing a key the following menu will appear:

1.  Editing Menu
2.  Get catalog from disk
3.  Save catalog to disk
4.  Output catalog
5.  Print Labels
6.  Exit Cataloger

EDITING MENU

This is where all the functions for editing, deleting, adding, and
sorting are inside the program.  See EDITING FUNCTIONS for more
details.

GET CATALOG FROM DISK

When this function is selected you will be prompted for a
filename.  All Discat catalogs have a .CAT extension on them.
Simply enter a name of a valid catalog.  The program will then
warn you that you will clear out any catalog that might be in
memory and ask you if you wish to continue.

SAVE CATALOG TO DISK

You will be asked what filename you wish the current catalog to.
You will be warned if the file already exists, and asked if you
want to overwrite it.

OUTPUT CATALOG

With this function you can output the catalog to either the screen
or printer.  The catalog will fit onto an 80 column printer and
should print out with no problems even if you have not configured
for your printer.

PRINT LABELS

To use this function you must either have an EPSON Compatible, or
have run the LINSTALL.TOS program and entered the ASCII codes that
your printer uses for 17cpi, 12cpi, and 8 lines per inch, and what
codes turn each of those off.

Selecting filenames to print on labels :

In order to print labels, you need to have selected filenames to
print on the label.  To do this, go to the editing menu, and
select item 2, EDIT CATALOG ENTRIES.  Files can be selected or un-
selected by hitting F1.  Files that are to be on the label will
appear in reverse video.

Labels needed :

In order for this function to work, you need 3.5" disk labels on
tractor feed.  These should be available at any larger computer
supply store.  100 labels should run you $5 - $10 depending on
where you shop.

Aligning printer on labels :

When you print labels, you need to be very careful to align the
printer correctly.  Place the labels in your printer so that the
left edge of the label, not the tractor feed it self, is right on
the left margin of the printer.  (This is where your printer will
start printing, usually marked by a zero on the ruler of your
printer.)  The print head should be straddling the top of the
label.  When a label is printed, the program feeds the label up
3/4" to make room for the back side of the label.  You will
probably need to waste a couple of labels to get the feel for it.
One way to avoid wasting expensive labels is to turn your printer
off, and then back on.  Load the printer with normal tractor feed
paper and mark where your print head is sitting.  Print a label
and try to judge where the label should be positioned.  Remember
that the label moves up around 3/4" before it prints the label.
It prints "Write Protected" and "Write Enabled" on the back side
of the label, so you will know where the edge of the disk will be,
roughly.

EXIT CATALOGER

This function will exit you to GEM.  If you have a catalog in
memory you will be asked if you want to leave without saving the
current catalog.

EDITING FUNCTIONS

The following functions are found in item number one of the main
menu, EDITING MENU.  First we will give you a look :

1.  Add a directory to the catalog
2.  Edit catalog entries
3.  Sort catalog
4.  Clear catalog
5.  Change starting disk number
6.  Return to main menu

ADD A DIRECTORY TO THE CATALOG

When you want to add a disk directory to your catalog, select this
function.  You will be given a number, and allowed to edit it.  I
strongly advise that you simply hit return and use this number.
If you wish to start your numbering system at a higher number like
10, 100, or whatever, you can use CHANGE STARTING DISK NUMBER, and
that will be the lowest disk number in the catalog.  When you ask
to add a directory, the program searches through the catalog for a
disk number that is not being used.  It starts at the starting
disk number and goes up with the highest value being 32,000.  (If
anyone goes beyond 32,000 disks, then I will make a special
upgrade just for you!  As long as I get to take a look at all
those disks!)  As soon as you are prompted to place the disk in
drive A: you should label the disk in some way to show what disk
number it is.  (If you don't have a label on it, use a very dark
pencil to mark it.  This way when you print the label and put it
on the disk you don't have to pull off an old label)

The number of filenames that can be added to the list is limited
by only your computer's memory.  I recommend that you try to keep
the number not much over 1,000 - 2,000 because the sort command
gets really slow, and movement inside the editing function is
slower also.

EDIT CATALOG ENTRIES

Using this function you can add filenames to the disk label,
delete filenames from the listing (why have a ton of data files
that mean nothing to you in the catalog?), and edit descriptions
of files.  Here are the commands available :

Pressing the UP arrow moves you up a line, and pressing the DOWN
arrow moves you down a line.

Holding down the CONTROL key along with the above keys moves you
UP and DOWN a page at a time, respectively.

Holding down the SHIFT key along with either the UP or DOWN arrow
moves you to either the beginning or the END of the catalog,
respectively.

DELETE - Deletes the filename on the current line from the catalog
(not from the disk).  You will be prompted to make sure that you
want to delete that entry.

F10 - Returns to the editing menu

F1 - Adds or Deletes filename from the disk label

SORT CATALOG

With this function you can sort the catalog according to either
Filename or Disk Number.  When a directory is read in, it is
appended to the end of the catalog, so I recommend reading in all
of your disks at one time, editing them, and then sorting them
before you output the list.  The sort function is fairly quick on
small amounts of filenames, but once you go over 1000 filenames,
you will begin to slow it down.  This function is slow because of
they way I store each individual file.  Hopefully in a future
update I will rewrite the storage routine so that it moves along
quicker, but for now, I believe that it is fast enough for most
purposes.  (Besides, you will probably only sort the list once, so
you can let the computer digest 2000 filenames for a couple of
minutes, and never have to do it again...Make sure you save it
though!)

When you select this function you will be asked how you wish to
sort it.  The function does not check to see if the data is
already sorted.

CLEAR CATALOG

This function will clear the catalog out of memory.  You will be
prompted to make sure you want to do this, because once it is
done, you cannot get the data back.  (Unless you have saved it.)

CHANGE STARTING DISK NUMBER

This will allow you to change the lowest number that Discat will
assign to disks.  If you assign 100 as the starting disk number,
you will get disk numbers 100, 101, 102, etc...  If you change the
number and there are already directories in memory there will be
no effect on those disk numbers.

PROBLEMS THAT I AM WORKING ON

The sorting is a little on the slow side for large catalogs.  I am
going to rewrite the way information is stored so that you can
sort more than 1,500 records EFFECTIVELY (Right now you can sort
as many as you want, but it gets REALLY slow after 1,500 - 2,000
records, let alone 5,000.

I will probably add a menu for reading in catalogs so that you
will have a list of current catalogs on the disk.

I might add a "Disk Delete" function so that you can wipe out a
whole disk from the catalog at a time.  Right now all you have to
do is delete all the filenames with the DELETE key.

COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, AND BUG REPORTS (HOPEFULLY NOT!)

I am still working on this program.  This is my first development
project on the ST, and I have had quite a bit of fun with it.
This program is meant as a way to get me into the world of
software development, and I decided to use the shareware method of
distribution.  Since I am still working on this program I welcome
any and ALL suggestions, no matter how trivial.  If you feel you
have a good suggestion to make Discat better, please drop me a
line.  Please report any bugs immediately!  I can be reached by
paper mail or electronic mail at the following addresses :

Matt Leber
8851 SE 37th
Mercer Island, WA  98040

Compuserve ID#   : 73657,3646
GEnie Mailing ID : M.LEBER

REGISTERING YOUR COPY

This program represents many hours of work.  I am distributing
this via the shareware method for one main reason, PRICE.  It
costs me very little to distribute this way, and so I can provide
quality software at a very low price.  If you decide to use this
program to any extent (This is the type of program that you might
use five times in your life) I would appreciate $5.  Registered
users get the following :

1.  Notification of updates via mail
2.  Updates for only $3, by sending the notification card along
    with the $3 to me.  I will send you a new disk with the
    program.
3.  The satisfaction of being a nice person (it is there, really!)

Registered users will be notified of updates two weeks before
there release.  If you are going to register your copy and want an
update sent to you when it is ready (A new version should be out
by Mid April, 1987), just send me $8 and avoid the hassle.

All you have to do is take a $5 bill (use a non-see through
envelope if you send cash...) or a check put it in an envelope
with your name and address on it, and you are automatically
registered.  That is all there is to it.

Even if you decide not to use this program, others might want to,
please feel free to distribute the program in unmodified form to
User Groups, friends, BBS's or any other way you wish.  I thank
you for reading this notice, and hope this program proves useful
to you.

                         Matt Leber