IMPORTANT! Before using new software it essential to: Make a work copy to use and SAVE the ORIGINAL as a backup! ABOUT SHAREWARE... Most shareware is every bit as good as commercial software but it does have some differences. Usually the instructions for running the software are stored on the disk in .DOC or .TXT files. You may also find file names like READ.ME or README.1ST. Before running the programs you should read these files to determine how to install or run the software. On some disks the program(s) may be stored in a SUBDIRECTORY. If it is you will see something like this when you "do" a directory: FILENAME1 01-23-90 FILENAME2 01-24-90 FILENAME3 02-25-91 1 File(s) 65734 bytes free The indicates a sub directory. To change to a subdirectory type the command CD FILENAMEX and press ENTER. (Where FILENAMEX is the name of the directory you wish to change to.) "Do" another directory and you should see the files stored in the subdirectory. (See details further in this document.) DOS provides only one very poor method for viewing text files, the TYPE command. Simply enter the command, TYPE FILENAME.DOC, then use the pause and return keys to scroll through the document. (There are many programs available that allow you to view text files the same way you are viewing this one.) You can print the document by entering the command, COPY FILENAME.DOC PRN:. This will cause the document to be printed out on your printer. This catalog is updated four times a year. When a program you select has been udpated you will receive the most recent release. If a program you have selected has been deleted from the catalog, consider selecting another from the same catagory. Experience has shown that different users sometimes encounter the same problems. This help file is designed to address some of these problems and to make known some of the more friendly and helpful aspects of MS-DOS by explaining certain commands/programs and their usage. ARCHIVES... Occasionally you will find a program in the catalog that will have in the description, (Archived File). This means that the program has been compressed and stored in an archive to fit it on one disk. Special programs make this possible. Archive programs have many advantages, mainly, on an average they can compress files nearly 50%. They also group all of a program's support files together in one compact file. This saves disk space and reduces clutter. It is particularly useful when making back-ups. BASIC PROGRAMS... Some programs in the catalog will require a compatible version of the BASIC programming language to run, usually GWBASIC or BASICA. Using BASICA as an example you can run BASIC programs by having BASICA.EXE and the BASIC program, FILENAME.BAS in the same directory, then typing, BASICA FILENAME. ( Leave off the .BAS extension.) You can also run them by invoking BASIC, then typing the command, RUN 'FILENAME'. DIRECTORIES... Often when a computer system has 360k drives, the users tend to overlook the use and convenience of directories. Volume in drive A has no label Directory of A:\ FILENAM1 12-22-88 9:41p FILENAM2 11-05-89 10:23p FILENAM3 09-23-89 5:32a 1 File(s) 65734 bytes free This means there are 3 separate directories on this disk plus 1 file in the "Root" directory ( The first directory on the disk.). To change to a different directory, simply enter the command, CD FILENAMX. Now "do" another directory and you should see something new. To change back to the "Root" directory, enter the command, CD\. The most commonly used directory commands are: MD FILENAME - Make new directory, "FILENAME". RD FILENAME - Remove directory, "FILENAME". ( Must be empty first.) CD FILENAME - Change to directory, "FILENAME". CD\ - Return to "Root" directory. CD.. - Move back one directory. ( NOTE: By using the PROMPT= command, you can have the prompt display the current directory. The command is PROMPT=$P$G. (Consult your DOS manual for more details.) This should be entered in your AUTOEXEC .BAT file to make it load each time your computer is started. For more information concerning BATCH files see the FILE TYPES section of this document.) PRINTING FILES... Almost all shareware and public domain programs come with documentation .DOC or .TXT files. Most of the time you will want to print these on paper to use as a reference. DOS supplies several ways of printing files. The best is to enter the command, COPY FILENAME.DOC PRN. This will copy the file to the printer. The latest versions of DOS have a PRINT command that "spools" the file to the printer so that you can continue using the computer while printing. There are several utilities in the SS catalog that will spool files, enhance print quality, even allow you to print on both sides of the page. As a general rule, 1 page of text uses about 3k of memory or disk space, so a 60k file will need about 20 pages of paper. Changing paper supplies in the middle of printing can sometimes cause problems, so try to have enough before starting. ( Some list utilities or most any word processor can be used to print partial files.) VIEWING FILES... DOS supplies only one, very poor method for viewing files. To use it, enter the command, TYPE FILENAME.EXT, then use the CONTROL-S combination to stop and start the scrolling. It's poor but it's all DOS has to give. Inside our catalog are many programs that allow you to scroll, search, print, even convert text files into .COM files. FILE TYPES... As you try out new software you will find many different types of files. The type of file is usually denoted by it's extension. Below is a list of the more common file types and their meaning. FILENAME.EXE - An executable file. Just type the filename without the extension to execute the program. FILENAME.COM - A command file. Operates the same as an executable file. FILENAME.BAS - This type of file requires a BASIC interpreter to run. It must be used in conjunction with a program like GWBASIC or BASICA. Usually you can learn more about the program by "listing" it out and reading the internal comments. FILENAME.DOC - This is a documentation file. Most always contains documentaion for the program it comes with. FILENAME.TXT - Sometimes used for documentation. Most often used for information files, not necessarily related to programs. FILENAME.ZIP - This means the file has been archived. Will need to be "un-arced" before using. Other more common archive extensions are, .ARC, .LZH, .PAK. SS uses the .LZH extension. FILENAME.BAT - This is a batch file, one of the most useful features of DOS. Batch files may contain any DOS commands. They can display text and perform loops to vastly reduce repetitive keystrokes. Batch files are invoked like .EXE or .COM files, they will then execute each line in the batch file as if it were entered from the command line. A special batch file named, AUTOEXEC .BAT, will automatically execute when the computer is "booted". To create a BATCH file you must use a text editor not a word processor. DOS provide a simple text editor called EDLIN.COM. (See your DOS manual for more instructions on creating and using batch files.) FILENAME.DAT - This type of file will almost always contains data that the program needs or has created. There will also be many different graphics or picture extensions. (.PIC. .IMG, .GIF, .RLE, ect...) Usually graphics with different extensions are created differently and are not compatible, although there are several programs that read and convert different formats. File extensions can be any thing you choose, so there will many that are program specific. Copyright 1991 Advantage Plus DIst., Inc.