Cream of the Crop 1

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Text File | 1992-07-24 | 23KB | 449 lines

******************************* * * * CMFiler -- Version 5.32 * * * ******************************* ADDENDUM -- Changes Since Version 5.22 The CMFILER.DOC user manual is current through Version 5.32. The following features have been added or improved since Version 5.22, in reverse chronological order: o Version number changed to 5.32 to avoid confusion with several versions of 5.31 released to selected users for beta testing. ----- o The command line support has been expanded to include an optional path specification(s) to the directory(ies) initially displayed and an optional initial file mask, as well as an optional color attribute setting. The command line syntax is now as follows, where the square brackets indicate optional parameters: (5.31) cmfiler [pathspec1[\mask] [pathspec2]] [@color] where "mask" is a file mask of the form "*.ext", and may be attached to pathspec1 or pathspec2, and color is C, M, L or T for standard color set, monochrome attribute set, LCD (except Tandy) and Tandy LCD attribute sets. Parameters are separated by blanks. The leading "\" may be omitted from the mask if there is no pathspec in the command line. Examples of valid command lines might be: cmfiler c:\assembly\*.doc c:\pcw\letters @t CF C:\ASSEMBLY C:\WP51\DOCS\*.DOC cf assembly @c cf *.exe cmfiler d: CF C:\QBASIC A:\QBASIC /*.BAS o In the tree module, after the delete commands (D for soft Delete, Ctrl-D for hard Delete), CMFiler marks the deleted portion of the image of the tree structure in memory so that it will no longer be shown on the screen, but does not refresh the tree structure from disk or update the directory size and files information. This saves time so that you can do several delete operations without having to wait for the tree structure to be reread from disk after each deletion. When you finally want to refresh the tree from disk after one or more deletes, the command is Alt-R (for Refresh). (5.31) o In the tree module, a new text searching function is available for searching for a text string of 25 characters or less, using up to eight file filters separated by + signs. Preceding a file filter with the pipe symbol (|) excludes it from the search. You may restrict the search to files only in the currently selected block of the tree (the "painted" structure in the source panel), or expand it to the entire disk. The search text entry "*" is permitted, which hits any text (useful in scanning for several filenames at once in text find mode, instead of individually in file find mode). The command is "Shift-F" in the tree module. (5.31) The screen display in file find and text find modes has been revised to eliminate the use of blinking to signal the presence of a "hit". The directories containing hits are shown in high intensity (underlined in monochrome) with "right arrowheads" (ASCII character 16) in front of them, and the files containing hits are shown in high intensity (monochrome underline) at the top of each file list. Also, while the results of a text search (Shift-F) or file name search (F) are displayed on the screen, the command Alt-L (print tree List) prints a copy of, not the tree structure, but a listing of the directories containing "hits" and the names of the files in those directories. o In the main menu, the function of the tagging options Alt-N and Alt-O has been changed to "tag all files Newer than the file at the cursor", and "tag all files Older...". A new tagging option is added as Alt-D, "tag all files with same Date as file at cursor". (5.31) o Esc from the main menu now presents the followup choice of "Esc to remain in CMFiler, any other key to quit." (5.31) o A bug has been corrected which precluded running batch files with command lines. (5.31) o When shelling out of CMFiler, the DOS prompt has been modified so that it retains the caller's PROMPT string, and imbeds into it the string <CMFiler> (CR-LF) so you are reminded you are in a shell from CMFiler. (5.31) ----- o The annotation of files backed up with the backup facility ("B") is now that the first character in the extension is the tilda (~) instead of underscore (_), for readability and to CMFiler -- Addendum 1-2 ensure that backed-up files always follow the original in an alphabetical listing. Thus the backed-up file to READ-ME.DOC would be READ-ME.~DO. (5.30) o The notes facility was expanded to provide for two cases, and its mnemonic command changed: (5.30) - The "edit notes" function has been reassigned the command "Ctl-N" (was "O"), and its operation is much the same as modified in version 5.28 - A new "view notes" function is added, as "Shf-N", which displays the notes in the opposite panel covering the file list for the target directory, but the cursor remains in the source panel and all the file services are still available, including copy and move to the target directory. Toggle out of "view notes" mode with Shf-N or Esc. o A display option was added ("Ctl-E" for casE) which lets you display file lists and trees in one of four possible letter case conventions: (5.30) - Files and directories all caps - Files lower case, directories all caps - A "modified-Tauck" convention, (eg, Read-Me.Doc) - Files and directories all lower case. o In the application launcher, when the command line is shown for editing just before file execution, you may swap the command line shown in the window for the last one used in a previous file execution with Up Arrow, Down Arrow (twice), PgUp or PgDn. This simplifies multiple execution of the same file with slightly different command lines, and works with ZIP/UNZIP as well as user specified applications. (5.30) o The options screens invoked by Shf-O, Ctl-Enter and Ctl-O were "spiffed" up. (5.30) o A separate help screen was added for the edit notes facility, invoked by F1 or Alt-H from the Ctl-N screen. (5.30) o The file mask facility was revised to make the method of entry similar to other data entries, and the default value was changed from ????????.??? to the simpler *.*. (5.30) ----- o A logic error that prevented applications launched by CMFiler from finding the COMSPEC string in the environment was corrected. (5.29a) CMFiler -- Addendum 1-3 o Improvements were made to the editor as follows (5.29): - The record delimiter marks are now toggled with "Alt- Minus" and the bottom display is toggled with "Alt-Plus". The current states of both of these switches are stored as the program startup defaults by "Shf-S". - The line wrapping mode can be toggled between Wrap and NoWrap with "Alt-W". If this is done while viewing any but the first section of a very long file, the editor has to go back to the beginning of the file to avoid confusion when it reestablishes the array of memory pointers to the text lines. The current state of this switch is saved as the startup default by "Shf-S". o Wolfgang Stiller's Integrity Master system integrity and virus checking application generates files named ")(.ID" in each directory, to record signatures of all the files in the directory for later integrity checking. It is important that those not be disturbed, and so CMFiler now has a protective feature that prevents their being overcopyied. (5.29) o The Home and End key actions in the main file services memu have been revised slightly, to make navigation from long directory lists to long file lists easier. If the cursor is in a directory list, the first press of End puts the cursor at the top of the file list, and the second press goes to the end of the file list. Within a file list, the first press of Home goes to the top of the file list, and the second to the top of the directory list. (5.29) ----- o The file editor is now accessible from the nOtes panel, so you can take a peek at (or even edit) files while you are looking at or writing the associated notes. Press Alt-E to Edit, Alt-V to View. (5.28) o Tagging files may be done from the nOtes as well. Ctl-T for a normal Tag (since the letter "T" would be taken as text to be typed into the note), and Alt-T (as froom file listing screen) for Alt-Tag. (5.28) o Improvements have been made to the editor as follows (5.28): - The algorithm which calculated the display parameter "Record Number" was not corrected when the line wrap feature was added. "Record Number" was actually counting the number of screen lines, and so a record (the material delimited by a carriage return, line feed or combination) longer than 80 CMFiler -- Addendum 1-4 characters might appear to be 2,3,4 etc., records. That is now corrected. - The find-string feature has now been made case- insensitive. ----- o The configuration file format for version 5.27 is unavoidably different from that of the interim version 5.26. Users of 5.26 will have to respecify configuration (F1-F9, Hide and Compare switch settings, etc.) (5.27) o If there is old "trash" in the trash can directory TRASH_CAN.CF, CMFiler only asks once each day if you want to delete or look at it, rather than each time the drive is selected. (5.27) o The "Go to..." commands for navigating within a long directory listing ("G" to go to a file name in a directory list beginning with a certain character, "Alt-G" to go to a directory name) have been expanded. Now you can keep typing the name of the file or directory you are trying to find, and as you type the second letter, then third, etc., the cursor moves if necessary to the file described, until the string of characters you have typed no longer describes a file or directory name, or you press Enter or Esc to leave the "Go to" command. The cursor stays positioned on the last file described by the string you were typing. (5.27) ----- o The name has been changed to remove the nuisance underscore character. In searching for itself and its overlay, it looks first for CFV if it is the evaluation version, then CF, then CMFILER. (The evaluation version is identical to the registration version except that it has an opening screen which provides a license for 60-day evaluation and information on how to register.) (5.26) o You may now edit or view files directly while in the tree module, without having to exit back to the main module. In the tree module, press "F" to find files or "S" to show files, and move up and down the directory tree until you find the directory of interest. Arrow left or right across to the file list, move the cursor (dark bar, actually) up or down until it is on the file of interest, and press "E" or "V", for Edit or View file. You will be in the editor module directly. Exit back to the tree module with Esc or, in view mode, Enter. If you then want to return to the main file services module with CMFiler -- Addendum 1-5 the cursor selected to this file for editing, printing, execution, etc., just press Enter again. (5.26) o Rather than overwriting part of the .COM file to record setup parameters, which forces the user to reestablish the setup parameters each time a revision to the program is received, a separate file is created called CMFILER.CFG (or CF.CFG), which CMFiler will look for each time it runs. This should be kept on the same path and be given the same name as the .COM file. (5.26) o Logic errors have been corrected to make file moving smoother for the case where there is already a file by the same name in the target directory. Previously, this case would cause an error message "Access denied renaming file", which was not too enlightening. Now, this case is handled just like copying -- if the target file by the same name is older, it is simply deleted before the newer file is moved in. If it is newer, the user is asked to confirm that it should be replaced with the older file. (5.26) o A choice of four color pallettes in now available for color monitors. Press "Ctl-P" (for "Pallette"), then roll through the choices with the spacebar. Esc to cancel any change, Enter to change the default color set. (5.26) o A new option setup menu has been added to permit easy reconfiguration of a few features. (5.26) It is called by "Shf-O" (for "Options"), and it presents this menu: -------------------------------------------------------------------- Move cursor with Up/Dn Arrow. Type option desired. Define F1 as Help? N Define "D" as HARD Delete? N Clear I/O buffers if located? N Overcopy files with same date/time/size? N Refresh directory contents after Screen Saver? N Assign Hidden attribute to NARATIVE.CF file? Y Monitor (C=Color, L=LCD, T=Tandy LCD, M=Mono) C Press Esc to cancel changes, Enter to accept. -------------------------------------------------------------------- These seven "switches" represent setup features that various users have asked for, but that not all users would want. Any of the first six may be toggled between Y and N by putting the cursor on it using the Up/DnArr keys, and pressing the spacebar, or pressing Y or N. The seventh must be set for your CMFiler -- Addendum 1-6 monitor type by pressing one of the key choices. Once you have reconfigured the way you wish, press Enter. Esc exits with no changes. Here is an explanation of each feature: 1. The F1 key has been added as a Help call in the editor and tree modules, and can be so designated for the main module by resetting this switch to Y. The sacrifice is loss of F1 as a user-defined application. 2. For those who do not wish to use the "soft" delete feature nor be bothered with the directory "CF_TRASH.CAN", the "D" key may be reconfigured to "HARD Delete", identical to "Ctl-D" by resetting this switch to Y. 3. The I/O buffer clearing feature for data security during file writing operations runs into problems on some system configurations with DR DOS 6.0 as the operating system. It has been set to a default mode that does NOT clear buffers before writing. If you want to invoke this security feature, you have to reset this switch to Y. 4. In the default setting, CMFiler does not waste time during file copy operations overcopying any file in the target path that are reported by DOS to be the same date/time and size as a file in the source path. However, sometimes you might want to mass-overwrite files on a backup directory or disk that are suspect, even though they may appear to be identical. Just set the Overwrite switch to Y. 5. For Windows users, if you run CMFiler in a window, it does not have any way of knowing when it returns to the foreground whether any other application has written to the directories that it is selected to. In the default setting, it does not refresh the file listing (reread the directory tables). Windows users may want to reset this switch to Y. 6. Users have asked to be able to specify that the NARATIVE.CF file, containing the file/directory notes, not be assigned the hidden attribute. This switch may be reset to N for this purpose. 7. CMFiler can detect the presence of a true monochrome video card, and when a monochrome card is present, there is only one color set available. However, when CMFiler detects a color card, there is a range of possibilities. The attached monitor may be an LCD or monochrome monitor, in which case a set of default color attributes designed for a CGA/EGA/VGA monitor would be awful. On initial execution, CMFiler establishes what type of monitor you have atached by forcing a choice. This setup option lets you change that initial choice if you wish. CMFiler -- Addendum 1-7 o CMFiler now does a rudimentary self-check for integrity each time it loads. If the file has become corrupted by tampering or a disk sector gone bad, you will get a message to that effect and the program will offer you the option of continuing or terminating. This will detect some of the file-infecting viruses, as well as corruption by editing or defective media, but should NOT be counted on as an anti-virus measure. (5.26) [There is no substitute for a good virus checking/integrity checking software suite. I recommend the shareware program Integrity Master by Wolfgang Stiller.] o A new "Save configuration" command has been added as "Shf-S" to make saving the current configuration (Hide switch, Compare mode switch, file Order mode, etc.). This saves all the current setup data to the .CFG file. (The Options command at "Shf-O" also calls the same save routine when it exits, so you do not need to press Shf-S after Shf-O.) (5.26) o The spacebar has been remapped to tag files. The date/time display is toggled with the "5%" key. (5.26) o The editor module has been revised to wrap lines longer than 79 characters, so that there is never any information off-screen. This makes viewing .COM and .EXE files much easier, and has little effect on edited text files. This is a display feature only -- the editor does not insert line delimiters in the text. (5.26) ----- o The on-screen Help in the main module has been reoganized for clarity. (5.25) ----- o A new file copying option, "copy with rename", has been added as the command "Alt-R" in the main file services module. It operates only on the file at the cursor. (5.23) CMFiler -- Addendum 1-8