Hall of Fame/HallofFameCDROM.cdr/util4/cat.lzh/CAT.DOC

Text File | 1985-06-15 | 15KB | 372 lines

        CAT.COM- DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE FACILITIES


    CONTENTS

    Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1

    Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2

    Screen Format  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3

    Manipulating the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4

    Program Function Keys  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6

    Using the Command area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7

    î    CAT.COM- DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE FACILITIES
    Page 1

    OVERVIEW:

    This document provides information about CAT for use on the
    IBM Personal Computer.  We hope the program fills as  many
    of your needs as it did ours.

    It provides a full screen list of a file set specified by
    the user.  These may be presented in an unsorted, name,
    extension, date, or size order, and the sorted order of
    presentation may be changed dynamically.  Within each entry
    is displayed an area to allow the entry of commands.  This
    command area may be used to issue commands which pertain to
    the files displayed.  These commands are entered in the
    command areas adjacent to the files they are to affect.
    Helpful facilities are provided to reduce the typing
    required.  One example is the use of the "=" internal
    command to repeat the last command.  To provide additional
    ease of use, the editing keys and function keys may be used
    to page through the list and add or delete commands.

    When all desired commands have been entered, the user
    enters execution mode [by pressing CTRL-ENTER] to pass the
    commands entered in display mode to the PC-DOS command
    environment.  The commands are passed to the command
    environment for execution, one after the other, beginning
    with the command closest to the top of the list and
    continuing toward the end of the list until all commands
    have been returned or an internal function is encountered.

    After execution, the program returns you to DOS to allow
    you to view any messages or output which result from the
    executed commands.  The DOS prompt appears, with a full
    block cursor to remind you that CAT.COM is still active.
    To return to the CAT.COM display, simply press ENTER all by
    itself.  Any other entry will be immediately executed by
    DOS, without returning to the CAT.COM display until you
    press ENTER all by itself.

    The program becomes a resident extension of DOS in memory.
    This means the program loads into an area of memory that is
    protected from change by any other programs you run.  Once
    loaded, you can start LOTUS, MultiMate, or most any other
    program without interference.  When you return to PC-DOS,
    CAT.COM IS STILL OPERATING:  PRESS RETURN WITH NO COMMAND
    TO RESUME OPERATION OF CAT.COM.  It picks up right where
    you left off.  CAT.COM will remain active in memory until
    the system is rebooted.

    Because it stays resident, CAT.COM always occupies
    approximately 7000 bytes of memory.  This storage includes
    the necessary resident code and table space for an
    unlimited amount of entries.

    î    CAT.COM- DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE FACILITIES
    Page 2

    BACKGROUND:

    CAT is invoked from the DOS command environment by issuing
    the commands shown below:

    +==========================================================+
    |                               |
    |                               |
    | CAT < fspec > < /sn | /se | /sd | /ss>           |
    |                                |
    | CAT is the minimum command.                    |
    | If no parameter is specified, files will sort by date.   |
    | The | symbol separates alternative commands.             |
    |                                |
    +==========================================================+

    If the filespec is omitted, all files on the current
    default disk will be listed.  This is almost always the way
    you invoke CAT.COM.  If CAT is used on the IBM PC/XT, only
    those files within the current directory on drive C: are
    listed.  Options include:

    /sn: files will be listed in alphabetical order by filename.
    /se: files will be listed in alphabetical order by extension.
    /sd: files will be listed in date sequence,newest first.
    /ss: files will be listedbysize, largest first.

    EXAMPLES:
    CAT        list all files on default drive by date.
    CAT /SN        list all files on default drive by name.
    CAT B:/SS    list B: drive by largest file size.

    î    CAT.COM- DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE FACILITIES
    Page 3

    SCREEN FORMAT:

    The displayed format consists of three distinct areas.  The
    first line is a status line.  The first two (blinking)
    characters show the current default drive in DOS.

    The balance of the line gives the size of the allocation
    unit, the allocation units used and the allocation units
    free (as well as the percentage of free allocation units)
    on the listed diskette plus the number of the first
    displayed entry as well as the count of active (displayed)
    entries.  (Allocation unit information is of little
    interest to most people.  See your DOS manual if you're
    curious.  JSS]

    The next 23 lines contain displayed entries for listed
    files.  The first portion gives the filespec for the listed
    file.  The next 25 postions are a command area.  The
    balance of the line contains the attribute indicators, the
    size of the file in decimal bytes, the number of allocation
    units occupied by the file, followed by the date and time
    the file was last updated.

    The last line of the screen displays the function key
    settings.

    î    CAT.COM- DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE FACILITIES
    Page 4

    MANIPULATING THE DISPLAY:

    Once the list is displayed, the editing keys on the
    keyboard may be used to manipulate the screen.  The
    semantics for the key usage follow those used for the BASIC
    editor.  They are:

    PgUp         move the display to show entries nearer the
    beginning of the entry sequence.

    Ctrl-PgUp    move the display to show the first screen
    of entries in the entry sequence.

    PgDn        move the display to show entries nearer the
    end of the entry sequence.

    Ctrl-PgDn     move the display to show the last screen of
    entries in the entry sequence.

    Home        position the cursor to the first postion of
    the command area on the first entry displayed on the
    screen.

    End        position the cursor at the last character
    in the command field on the line containing the cursor.

    Ctrl-End     erase the command area from the cursor to
    the end of the field.

    Ins        toggle insert mode.  When in insert mode, a
    full block cursor is displayed.

    Del        delete the character at the cursor.


    Cursor keys     move the cursor in the direction depicted
    by the arrows on the keys.  The screen will scroll up or
    down if needed and if possible.

    Enter         positions the cursor to the beginning of
    the next command area.  It functions like the RETURN key on
    a 3270, not the 3270's ENTER key.  If appropriate, the
    screen will be scrolled as described below in the entry
    for Tab.

    Backspace     deletes the character to the left of the
    cursor.

    î    CAT.COM- DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE FACILITIES
    Page 5

    Tab         skips to the first position of the next
    command area if not the last entry displayed.  In this
    case,  scrolling occurs as for down cursor unless
    prohibited by file position.  In this case, wrap to first
    displayed command area occurs.

    Shift-Tab     skips backward to the beginning of the
    previous command field.  If the cursor is not in the first
    position of the command area, this key will position to the
    first position of the current command area.  If the skip is
    off the first entry displayed, scrolling occurs as for up
    cursor unless prohibited by file position.  In this case,
    wrap to last displayed command area occurs.

    ESC        clear the command area to blanks and
    position the cursor to the first position of the command
    area on the current entry.

    Ctrl-Return     EXECUTE ALL COMMANDS.  While in execution
    mode, a block cursor will be displayed along with the DOS
    prompt, CAT remains active in core and can be recalled
    simply by depressing [CR].  CAT will display the previous
    entries from your previous display.  To refresh and update
    the current display, simply depress [F1].

    î    CAT.COM- DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE FACILITIES
    Page 6

    PROGRAM FUNCTION KEYS:

    The functions provided on the PF keys are displayed on the
    25th line of the display.  The assignment is similar to the
    BASIC softkeys, with the function key placing the assigned
    character string on the command line at the first position,
    then entering execution mode.  The function key assignments
    are as follows:

    [F1] FRESH    refresh display and clear old entries.
    [F2] DIR A:    read and display all entries from drive A:
    [F3] DIR B:    read and display all entries from drive B:
    [F4] DIR C:    read and display all entries from drive C:
    [F5] Sort/N    sort (ascending) by name and refresh.
    [F6] Sort/T    sort (ascending) by extension and refresh.
    [F7] Sort/E    sort on date (descending) and refresh.
    [F8] Sort/S    sort on size (descending) and refresh.
    [F9] EDIX    Executes EDIX file editor IF YOU HAVE IT.*
    [F0] EXECUTE    Executes the filename shown all by itself.


    *-Send us your copy of CAT along with a check for $10.00 to
    cover postage and handling and we will change the PF key
    settings to execute your preferred editor (e.g., Wordstar,
    Volkswriter, EDLIN  or another of your choice).  Make sure
    to include a note stating your requirements.  [I'll do it
    for free for Searle PC User Group participants.  You should
    be aware that I reassigned these function keys so they
    would make more sense to most users./jss.]

    î    CAT.COM- DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE FACILITIES
    Page 7

    Using the Command area:

    The input areas on each line (following the file ids) may
    be used to enter any REASONABLE command as in the normal
    DOS environment.  If not otherwise directed, CAT will
    append the complete filespec associated with the command
    area AT THE END OF THE COMMAND LINE.  For example, "TYPE"
    on the line containing A:CAT.DOC (a text file) is passed to
    DOS as TYPE A:CAT.DOC.  This is where "reasonable" comes
    in.  It isn't reasonable to TYPE CAT.COM, since it isn't
    reasonable to TYPE a binary file.  CAT.COM will do it, but
    it's just as ugly as if you did it in DOS.

    If the command is preceded by the /O internal command, no
    appending will occur and the command will be passed to the
    command environment without further processing.  For
    example, /O CHKDSK B: will pass the command CHKDSK B: to
    DOS without appending the filename shown on that line.
    This means you can issue this type of command from any
    line.  The command you pass obviously has to make sense to
    DOS.

    To copy a particular file to the A: drive, use the
    following format on the command line: COPY / A:  This
    command will copy the filename shown to drive A.  THE "/"
    CAUSES CAT TO INSERT THE FILESPEC LOCATED ON THAT LINE IN
    PLACE OF THE "/" CHARACTER WHEN THE COMMAND IS EXECUTED.

    The substitution of the filespec in the command passed to
    DOS is a key concept for CAT.COM that gives the program
    much of its power.  The general rule is:  UNLESS OTHERWISE
    DIRECTED, CAT.COM WILL APPEND THE FILESPEC AT THE END OF
    YOUR COMMAND.  THE TWO EXCEPTIONS ARE THE /O COMMMAND,
    WHICH EXECUTES ONLY WHAT IS ENTERED, AND THE SLASH COMMAND,
    WHICH CAUSES INSERTION OF THE FILESPEC AT ANOTHER POINT.


    The /n internal command will allow you to directly  execute
    the current filespec, if possible.  This option is useful
    for  executing batch files, and other executable filetypes,
    such as .COM and .EXE files.  It won't work if you can't
    issue the same command in DOS, so don't try to execute a
    text file -- DOS can't do it.  This is the same command
    that is issued by f10.  The difference between the /n
    command as entered on the command line and f10 is that you
    can supply your own arguments -- /n b: typed on line that
    contains CHKDSK.COM will pass CHKDSK B: to DOS.  /n tells
    the program to take the filename (only) and append any
    supplied arguments before passing the combined commands to
    DOS.  CTRL-ENTER is used to invoke your commands all at
    once.

    î    CAT.COM- DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE FACILITIES
    Page 8

    As noted earlier, "=" will allow you to repeat a previously
    entered command without having to retype it.  It simply
    means USE THE SAME COMMAND AS SHOWN ABOVE ON THIS LINE TOO.
    There must be a reasonble command shown above.

    CAT.COM will also display a subset of the files shown for a
    particular drive.  The /r command will refresh your display
    and show only the files included by a search string
    (same rules as for the DOS DIR command).  If you want to
    sort on particular filenames then enter the following: /r
    *.mem.  CAT.COM will select only the filenames on that disk
    that have a filetype of .mem for the resulting display.

    After all of your commands are entered on the display,
    press  [Ctrl] and [CR] simultaneously.  The block cursor
    will show along with the DOS prompt, just press [CR] for
    your requested list.

    î    CAT.COM- DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE FACILITIES
    Page 9



    PROGRAM WRITTEN BY:


        STEVE O'KANE              RON SIMMONS
        4306 DIEHL WAY             4303 ALCOSTA PLACE
        PITTSBURG, CA.  94565        PITTSBURG, CA 94565
        415-544-6204            415-427-4381


    EDITORIAL COMMENT:

    O'Kane and Simmons distribute this program under the
    FREEWARE concept.  They welcome sharing of the program with
    others and ask for a VOLUNTARY contribution of $35.00 if
    you feel the program is worthwhile.

    Whether you contribute to O'Kane and Simmons or another
    writer, FREEWARE deserves your financial encouragement to
    make the concept grow and attract competent programmers.

    Documentation cleaned up 4/7/84

    ===========================================================
    Program errors noted:
    Hard disk users should note that CAT.COM will apparently
    deal with only 64 files at a time.  If you have more, be
    aware that the program's authors didn't anticipate the XT's
    hard disk.  This problem shouldn't impact floppy disk users.

    If you exit the program IMMEDIATELY after entering it, the
    screen won't clear.  Issue CLS to clear the screen.
    6/4/84

                    Jon Simsî