The Business Master (3rd Edition)

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******* CONTROL 3 ******* Version 7.3 Programmed by Kevin Solway November, 1992 - UPDATE INFORMATION - VERSION 7.3 * Pressing F8 will now switch between display modes if you have an EGA or VGA system. You can now view 50 lines on screen with a VGA system, or 43 on an EGA. * Increased keyboard response rate. * Added a file search feature which will search all the the directories of a drive for the specified file (the search string may contain wildcards). This enables you to easily find a file anywhere on your hard disk. See "file searching". * Fixed bug where file last-written time was changed when copying. * Program executions from within Control3 are now automatically timed. * Added an update feature which will replace files only if they are of a later date. This prevents errors of copying over new files with old, and also speeds-up the backing-up of files, by eliminating needless re-copying of unchanged files. * Added a file copy progress indicator. * Date is now displayed in the date format set within the system. (UK or US format) * Added word left and word right (ctrl-arrows) commands when editing input from main screen, eg Dos commands. Also added delete word function (ctrl-w). * Hidden files, System files, and Read only files can now be copied without having to first change their attributes. VERSION 7.2 * Control 3 will now work in conjuction with your favourite directory tree program, like Norton change directory (NCD.EXE), or, even better, ACD.EXE (which is free). Press Ctrl-L or Alt-L to run your directory tree program which will list the directory tree structure. Select, delete, or add a new directory and when you quit the directory tree program and return to Control3 the currently active window will reflect the changes. See "Directory tree program" for more information. * When files are tagged in the current window, the file under the highlight bar is now NOT automatically included as being tagged if you have not tagged it. VERSION 7.1 * When executing a program or a DOS command Control3 can now make use of expanded memory or hard disk space to deallocate the memory it is using. This makes a lot more memory available for applications. I have left this feature as optional for those who do not have expanded memory on their system as there may be an unwanted slight delay during swapping to disk. For those without expanded memory: - Press Ctrl-Enter instead of just Enter when executing a file for more memory. - Press Ctrl-N instead of just "N" when executing a DOS command for more memory. If you do have expanded memory then Control3 will automatically attempt to use it. That is, you DO NOT need to press the Ctrl key when pressing the Enter key or the "N" key. * Short cut: pressing shift-F keys will now log the root directory (as opposed to the same directory) of the chosen drive (sF1-sF6 = Drive A: to F:). So, for example, when you wish to bring up another directory on Drive C: it may be faster to press shift-F3 rather than having to press F3 and then the backspace key to get back to the root directory. (Note: the feature added in version 7.2 to work in conjuction with a directory tree program may prove even faster). * Added mouse support. VERSION 7.0 * Major improvements to editor. Can now handle files up to 10,000 lines in size and line lengths of up to 255 characters. Also added a text find feature. * Much improved text file viewer. Now allows for paging up and down through the text. Text find feature. Faster scrolling. * Reduced number of keystrokes for some move and copy commands. VERSION 6.9 * Minor bug fix - screensaver sometimes left a dot on. VERSION 6.8 * Minor bug fix VERSION 6.7 * Improved some error messages * Minor bug fix VERSION 6.6 * Improved file moving facilities. * Added a display of the total number of bytes in tagged files and the number of files tagged. * The screen saver can now be manually activated by pressing down the Alt and Ctrl keys together. * Improved user input facilities. Now, pressing Alt-L, Alt-M, and Alt-R will pull down the path string from the left, middle and right windows respectively, speeding up your typing. VERSION 6.5 * Fixed some minor problems when renaming a directory. * Fixed a minor display problem when deleting entire directories. * Improved string input facilities. VERSION 6.4 * When moving back through directories the highlight bar is returned to the location in the file list which you were previously at before you moved down a directory level. This helps you to keep track of where you are when moving between directories on a hard disk, and reduces the number of keystrokes required. * Scrolling of file lists is now activated when you reach within two lines of the top of bottom of the file list window. This enables you to look ahead while scrolling, minimizing the chance that you will overshoot the file you want. * Added a screen saver which automatically activates after a period of 5 minutes of no key activity. This prevents screen "burn-in". * Minor problem with display of volume label has been fixed. VERSION 6.3 * Fixed some lingering problems when there are two or more listing from the same drive on the screen. VERSION 6.2 * Improved handling when there three directories from the same drive on the screen. If all three directories are different, then when you copy or move files to a destination on the same drive you are given choice between the other two directories, rather than the right adjacent window automatically being chosen. * Fixed display bug when recovering from renaming error. * Improved error messages when executing a file. VERSION 6.1 * Execute any DOS command as you would from the DOS command line. When typing the DOS command you can pull-down the text under the highlight bar by hitting Ctrl-Enter to vastly speed up typing. Use the up arrow key to recall previously typed DOS commands. * Automatically treat files with certain extensions in specified ways. For example, if the highlight bar is on a file with a '.ZIP' extension (ie, a file compressed with pkzip), you can simply press the return key and automatically run a pkzip -v command on it, to view the contents of the archive. Or, if the file is a .DOC or .TXT file, you can configure CONTROL3 to automatically run your favourite editor (or text viewing program like "list") with the highlighted file as a parameter. A sample .CFG file, which lists a few common file extensions and commands, is included in the package. * Pressing the backspace key will take you immediately to the root directory of the currently logged drive. FEATURES: * Lists directories of THREE drives/directories on screen simultaneously. * Powerful search feature scans your entire hard disk to locate files matching a search pattern. * Built-in no-nonsense editor and file viewer. * Can work in conjunction with your favorite directory tree program (like Norton Change Directory) for impressive results. * Colour coded directory lists (optional). * Back-up/update copying feature. * Execute ANY DOS command, as you would from the normal DOS command line. * Immediately updates directories after changes ON SCREEN. * Lets you execute, copy, delete, rename and sort files, make and remove directories, view and print text files, shell to Dos, touch-up file dates and times, change file attributes. * Change disk volume labels. * DELETE AND COPY WHOLE DIRECTORIES complete with any files and directories nested within them. * File encryption. * Operates in condensed line mode on EGA/VGA systems. * Search and find strings within both text files AND executable files. * Lets you move effortlessly through directories and between drives. * Proportional disk space indicator; * Fast file and directory find. * Not copy protected. REGISTRATION This program is being released under the shareware concept, if you find this program useful you are required to send a registration fee of $15 to me at the address below. Include an extra $5 if you want information about updates. Please indicate which size disk drives you have on your computer (ie, 3 1/2", 5 1/4", DD or HD). Orders outside Australia send a cheque or postal order in U.S dollars. Remit to: Kevin Solway P.O Box 207 University of Queensland St Lucia 4067 Australia OVERVIEW: "Control 3" is a short and fast program that performs all commonly used file management operations with a minimum of bother and from the convenience of a multi-menu environment. USING "CONTROL 3": Proportional disk space indicator: On the left hand border of each directory listing you see a bar indicating the proportion of space used on that drive. Listing a second directory on the screen: Press F1 to list the directory of Drive A on the screen, F2 for Drive B, F3 for Drive C (up to F6 for Drive F:) or Alt - (any letter) to list the directory of that drive on the adjacent part of the screen. Press shift-F1 .. shift-F6 to log the root directory of the specific drive rather than the same one you are currently logged on to. This can be a faster way of bringing up other directories on the same drive. Log a new disk: Press "L" to "L"og a new disk in the same drive indicated by the highlight bar, or alternatively to re-log the current disk (for example, after changing the entries through the use of other programs run with the Dos command function). Selecting file types: Press "E" to list executable files, or press "A" to list all files. Use the "S" option to type in a "S"earch pattern. For example, the search pattern "*.doc" will list all the document files on your disk. Sorting the file listing: To locate files more quickly Press "S" (for "S"ort) and you will be asked if you wish to sort the files by name, extension or size. Press the appropriate letter. Once you have sorted the files from a particular drive all files from that drive will be sorted in subsequent operations until you press Ctrl-S to re-log the disk and unsort the files. Moving about in the directory listing: Use the up and down arrow keys to move up and down a single line in the list. "End" takes you to the end of the window, "Home" takes you to the top. PgUp and PgDn moves one whole window up or down, Ctrl-PgDn takes you to the last entry in the list and Ctrl-PgUp takes you to the first entry. To find and go to a file which is somewhere on your hard disk, but you are not sure exactly where, use "File searching". File searching: Pressing the F9 key will prompt you for a file search pattern, and will search the entire directory structure of the currently logged disk for matching files. If the desired file is found, Control3 will locate you at that file, or alternatively will keep searching for further matching files. If you type, say, acd then files beginning with acd will be searched for. It is not necessary to type acd*.*, as this is done automatically. This feature is very handy for finding lost files, or duplicate files. File searching Moving into a directory: Position the highlight bar over the directory name and press the return key. Moving back to the previous directory: To move back one directory level you can either position the highlight bar over the two dots ("..") and press the return key, or simply press "B" (for "B"ack a directory); Pressing the backspace key will take you immediately to the root directory of the currently logged drive. Make a directory: Press "M" and type the name of no longer than eight characters. Then press the return key. Delete a directory: Position the highlight bar over the directory you wish to remove and press "D" (same as for deleting files). If the directory is not empty you will be asked to verify that you wish to delete any files and directories contained within that directory. Before using this operation be sure that you really want to delete ALL the files in the directory. If you make a mistake and delete files you wish to keep you will only be able to recover the files if you are in possession of a good file undelete program. Directory tree program Control 3 will now work in conjuction with your favourite directory tree program, like "Norton change directory" (NCD.EXE). Press Ctrl-L or Alt-L to run your directory tree program, which will "L"ist the directory tree structure. Then select, delete, or add a new directory and when you quit the directory tree program and return to Control3 the currently active window will reflect the changes. Press Ctrl-L to change the directory listed in the current window in Control3. Press Alt-L to open a new window in Control3 and list a new directory. This is a fast way of getting other directories listed on the screen for subsequent use in copying or moving files. Specify your directory tree program with a TREEPROG=program name statement in the C3.CFG file. For example, in the C3.CFG file, TREEPROG=NCD.EXE or, if you are using ACD.EXE TREEPROG=ACD.EXE * You can specify the exact directory where the program is to be found if you want optimum execution speed, eg, TREEPROG=C:\UTILS\NU\NCD.EXE If you do not specify any directory tree program in the C3.CFG file then NCD.EXE will be assumed. Executing normal DOS commands: Press the "N" key to be prompted for a normal DOS command (or Ctrl-N if you do not have expanded memory and want to use have access to more memory by swapping Control3 to disk - if you have expanded memory then Control3 will use it by preference, without having to press the Ctrl key). The command can be any DOS instruction, including program names to execute etc. Using this feature you can execute any program on the DOS path with ease. That is, you don't have to position the highlight bar on it and then press enter. You may wish to use the file name currently indicated by the highlight bar as a parameter for the program you wish to execute. You can speed your typing by firstly typing the name of the program you want to execute (which can be anywhere on the DOS path), then pressing Ctrl-Enter to pull down the text currently under the highlight bar. Also to speed your typing you can pull down path strings from the different file list windows. For example, if the left window is logged onto C:\UTILS then pressing Alt-L will pull down that text into the input window at the current cursor position. Alt-L, Alt-M, and Alt-R will pull down the path string from the left, middle and right windows respectively. Press the up arrow key to bring up previously used DOS commands. You don't have to type the same command again and again. Execute a file: Press the return key to execute the file indicated by the highlight bar. "Control 3" uses about 110 kb of memory so don't expect to be able to run enormous programs unless you have expanded memory or use the swapping feature to swap Control3 to hard disk during execution. If you do not have expanded memory and need more memory then press Ctrl-Enter instead of just Enter (Return) to tell Control3 to temporarily swap itself to disk during execution of the file. If you have expanded memory then Control3 will automatically use it for this purpose, without you having to press the Ctrl key. During this swapping process Control3 will write itself into a hidden, system file, in the root directory of the startup drive, called c3swap.$$$. Be careful about tampering with this file as Control3 may not be able to "find" itself when the time comes to return after executing a file. WARNING: Do not try to install memory resident programs from within Control3. You may run into problems if you do. Install memory resident programs before you run Control3. If you try to execute programs from within "CONTROL 3" whilst you have memory resident programs or large virtual disks resident in memory you may have problems. In this situation it is safer to execute these programs from DOS. You will be prompted for any parameters you wish to pass to the program. The instructions you give here are the command line parameters you would normally type after the filename from the Dos prompt. Control 3 saves the previous ten parameters used and these can be called up by pressing the up-arrow key. If you wish to pause after having executed the file and before returning to "Control 3" then enter a single space as a command line parameter as you execute the desired program. This is useful if you wish to view possible Dos errors for example. Auto-execution You can treat files with certain extensions in specified ways. For example, if the highlight bar is on a file with a '.ZIP' extension (a file compressed with pkzip), you can simply press the return key and automatically run a pkzip -v command on it, to view the contents of the archive. Or, if the file is a .DOC or .TXT file, you can automatically run your favourite editor with the highlighted file as a parameter. A sample .CFG file, which lists a few common file extensions and commands, is included in the package. You can have up to twelve extension-command pairs in the file. Use any ascii text editor, or control3's editor to create a configuration file, containing the file extensions and commands you would like associated with them. The file must be called C3.CFG and must be located on the DOS path so CONTROL3 can find it when it starts up. For example, DOC LIST.EXE PAS TURBO.EXE Type the extension first (3 letters) followed by the command you desire. The two lines above, when placed in the C3.CFG file will enable you to select .DOC files from within CONTROL3 and you will automatically be able to view them with the program LIST (provided you have a copy of the popular program LIST, and the path is set up correctly). Also, selecting a file with a .PAS extension from within CONTROL3 will call up the TURBO editor, with the highlighted file as the work file. Move a file: Use the "O" command (m"O"ve) to move files from one directory to another on the same drive. The destination directory must be listed on the screen with the source directory. This process is much faster than copying the files across and then deleting the originals. Directories cannot be moved with this command. Use the directory copy and delete functions instead. Copying files: Position the highlight bar over the file you wish to copy and press "C" (for "C"opy). You will be prompted for the destination drive letter. If the default is correct then press the return key to go ahead with the copy. If you have tagged some files then only the tagged files will be copied. If you wish to copy to a different directory on the same drive then you need to bring that directory up on the same screen with the source directory. To do this, list the source directory on the screen a second time and move into the desired destination directory. Then move back to the source directory and perform the copy. You will see the files displayed in their new location as soon as the copy is complete. Updating files, or replacing files only if newer When copying files, if the file already exists, you will be prompted with a list of options. Press "U" to update, or replace all older files that exist. This prevents errors of copying over new files with old ones. This feature also speeds-up the backing-up of files, as files of the same date (unchanged files) are not needlessly re-copied each time you back-up your files. Copying directories: The process is the same as for copying files. This function will copy ALL the files and directories within the chosen directory across to the current directory in the chosen target drive (which may be the same drive). Changing windows/drives: When you have more than one directory listed on the screen pushing the left or right arrow key will move you into an adjacent listing. Rename a file: Position the highlight bar over the name you wish to change (which can be a directory name), then press "N" (for re"N"ame). Type the new name and press the Return key to see your changes updated on the screen. It is possible to move a file into a different directory using this command. To do this, include the destination directory name in the filename. Delete a file: Position the highlight bar over the file to be deleted and press "D" (for "D"elete). You will be asked to verify the deletion with a yes/no or all. "All" will delete all tagged files. View a text file: Position the highlight bar over the text file you wish to view (these normally have an extension of either ".DOC", ".TXT" or ".ASC"). Press the spacebar to start scrolling and again to pause scrolling. Pressing 1..9 will change the speed of the scrolling. F or Ctrl-F : find text. R or Ctrl-L : repeat last find. PgUp, PgDn : Page through text. Up arrow, Down arrow : one line at a time. Home/End : move to top or bottom of the document. Left and right arrows : scroll entire text left and right. Alt-E : shift into edit mode to edit the text. Print a text file: Position the highlight bar over the text file to print and press the "P" key. You will then be asked to verify that the printer is ready. Make sure that the printer is both on and on-line. Tagging files: If you wish to delete or copy more than one file you can tag as many as you like by pressing "Ctrl-T" to tag all the files in the current directory, or by pressing the space bar to tag and untag individual files. When one or more files are tagged then operations like copy and delete will operate on all the tagged files, otherwise the operations will act on the file beneath the highlight bar. Encrypting and de-crypting files: This encryption program modified from "PC magazine" pp 376-383 Jan 12th 1988. This is just the thing you need to make sure that no un-authorized person can use your programs and read your personal documents (should you have something to hide!). To encrypt a file, position the highlight bar over the file you wish to encrypt, then press Ctrl-E. Enter a password - and remember it ! The file will then be written out over the original in encrypted form, and will be rendered unusable and unreadable. To de-crypt go through exactly the same procedure, using the same password. When you enter your password you will be asked to verify with a "Y" or "N" whether the password is correct. Should you make a mistake, the file will be de-crypted incorrectly. To recover from this mistake you must run the encryption program again with the faulty password to get the file back to its previous state, and then use the correct password. The "Touch" facility: Select any number of files and press "T" to touch-up the time and date recorded on each selected file to the current time and date. If you have the information window displayed you can see this happening. The "Find string" command: This is a very useful function for when you want to locate a particular series of characters (called a "string"). For example, you may have a whole diskette full of source code files for your programs, and wish to locate a single variable name. In this case, tag all the files on the disk and then press Ctrl-F. Type in the series of characters you wish to locate. If the string is found, the line of text containing it will be printed along with the line number. Use the spacebar to pause scrolling. If you select '.COM' or '.EXE' files, all printable strings greater than or equal to five characters will be listed onto the screen. Look through the error messages of a file to discover its limitations. This feature can also be useful in getting a better idea of what an unknown program actually does, and can even detect the possibility of "viruses" or "bombs" (though this doesn't always work). If you see suspect strings printed onto the screen, such as "gotcha..." then think twice before running the program! With executable files ALL strings will be returned, regardless of the search string you typed in. Changing the attributes of a file: Ctrl-A will enable you to type in changes you wish to make to the attributes of a file. For example, if you were to type in sha the attributes would be changed to system file + hidden + archive. Shell to DOS: Press Ctrl-O. You can then perform any Dos command as you normally would from Dos. Type "EXIT" from the Dos prompt at any time to return to the program where you left it. File information: Position the highlight bar over the file and press "I". You can now use the arrows to move about between files while viewing the time the file was last written and its attributes. Press the escape key to exit "file information". Maximum files in any one directory: "Control 3" will truncate the directory listing at 500 files, following a warning. You can have as many files on any one disk as you like, as long as there are no more than 500 in any one subdirectory. If you use a hard disk with many files you may want to create subdirectories and move some files into them. Changing the system time and date:: Ctrl-D will prompt you to enter a new date and then the time. Examples: Times Dates 2:05 20-1-88 14:45:30 2-11-88 22:11 4-5-88 If you do not see the correct changes made on the screen immediately then you have entered the time or date incorrectly. Try again. The Editor: To edit an existing text file position the highlight bar over the file, press "E" and then press the number "1". Alternatively, to create a new file, press "E" followed by "2". Press F1 for help. You may edit lines up to 255 characters in length. Note that if you do not want to insert tab characters in your document when saving (conserving disk space) then turn tab mode off with the tab key. When tab mode is on this is indicated by a "T" on the status line. Editing keys are: left and right arrows : move the cursor left and right without changing the text. up and down arrows : move the cursor up and down a single row without changing the text. Page Up, Page Dn : page through the document. backspace : moves the cursor one position to the left and deletes the character at that position. Home/End : moves the cursor to the beginning and end of the current line. Insert : Press the "Ins" key to toggle the insert mode. A large cursor indicates that insert mode is on. With insert mode on, any characters you type in will be inserted into the line at the current cursor position, with all text to the right of the cursor being pushed further to the right. Pressing the return key whilst insert mode is on will insert a new line into the text. Ctrl-Y : Press "Y" whilst holding down the control key to delete a whole line from the text. All lines below will be moved up one line. Ctrl-F : Find text. Searches from the current cursor position to the end of the document. Ctrl-L : Repeat last find operation. Searches from the position of the last find. Ctrl-left arrow : Move cursor one word to the left. Ctrl-right arrow : Move cursor one word to the right. Ctrl-Page Up : Move to top of document. Ctrl-Page Dn : Move to bottom of docment. Tab key: Toggle tab mode. When tab mode is on (indicated by a "T" on the status line) then tabs will be inserted in document when it is saved (saving disk space). Tab mode is on by default. The screen saver: The screen saver will automatically activate after five minutes of keyboard inactivity to prevent screen "burn-in". Press any key to deactivate the screen saver. You can manually activate the screen saver at any time by holding down the Ctrl and Alt keys simultaneously. Escape to Dos: Press "Esc" to escape to Dos and into the original directory you were in when you first executed "Control 3". Alternatively, press "Q" if you wish to quit into the current directory shown within "Control 3". Command line parameters: ... to alter the default settings. "?" for help eg Control3 ? "U" to leave files unsorted by default. This will result in faster operations if you are dealing with many hundreds of files "E" to sort automatically by extension. "T" to be prompted to enter the date and time (very useful if you want your files to have the correct times) "H" to keep hidden files hidden. "O" to turn off colour of filenames. "P" for filenames in capitals. "D" for filenames with dots. "M" for mono-system, or "C" for colour only if this program has trouble detecting what type of system you have (you will be able to tell if information is not being displayed properly). For example: C3 u s t when starting up will run the program without automatic sorting, without snow checking, and will prompt you for the date and time. Tricks and tips: * If you have a whole pile of floppy disks, and you know the file you are looking for is somewhere amongst those disks, then use the "file specification" option. For example, lets say you want to find the file UTILS84.DOC. Press "F" and then enter the command uti*.doc Feed in floppies with one hand and press "L" to log them with the other. If a file is found with this specification it will be listed, otherwise you will be told there have been "NONE FOUND". * This program will automatically sort your files alphabetically by default. However, if you like to have your files in order on disk this can be achieved by using the "Move" command. Create a directory and move all your files into it, then move them back again. Your files will now be in order on disk! * If you use the command line options a lot it will save you time to create batch files, and run these instead. For example, Press "E" and then "2" to get into the editor to create a file. then type c3 e p d t {or whichever parameters you choose} and then save it under the name "c3.bat". You can then run "CONTROL3" with date and time prompting, sorting by extension, and with filenames in capitals and dots, simply enter "con3" from the Dos prompt and press return. You may want to run "CONTROL3" from an autoexec file. In this case save the file under the name "autoexec.bat". Use different batch files for different options. * Print labels for your floppy diskettes by displaying the directory of the disk on the screen and then printing the screen. Do this by firstly making sure the printer is ON and ON-LINE and then pressing Shift-PrtSc. Cut out the directory list and then slip it inside your diskette cover. This is rough, but useful. * If you need to consult documentation to be able to operate one of your programs, rather than scrolling through the whole document with the text file viewer save time and effort using the "find" utility. Use an appropriate key word, such as "copy" if you wish to locate information on copying. You will often be able find out what you need from the text displayed. Help: Pressing "H" at any time will immediately display the remainder of the commands available to you. Hold the key down to keep the help window on the screen. Acknowledgements: Thanks to Turbo Power software for the exec-swap code. ****************************************************************************** LICENCE: Copyright (c) 1990-92 Kevin Solway. All rights reserved. This program is provided AS IS without warranty, expressed or implied. Under no circumstances is this program to be sold, except where clubs distribute programs without profit. This program is being released under the shareware concept, if you find this program useful you are required to send a registration fee of $20 to me at the address below. Include an extra $5 if you want information about updates. Please indicate which disk drives you have on your computer (ie, 3 1/2", 5 1/4", DD or HD). If ordering from outside Australia please send a cheque or postal order in U.S dollars. Remit to: Kevin Solway P.O Box 207 St Lucia 4067 Australia ***************************************************************************