Main Index

Contents of HISTOPIC Help System

     Introduction:

           HISTOPIC for Windows is a tool designed to help you

     avoid downloading files you have previously retrieved.

     With HISTOPIC you can maintain a history of all the file

     names you have downloaded from the Internet.

     Initial Setup:

          Getting started

          Ongoing maintenence

      Commands:

          SEARCH the history database.

          ADD an entry to the history database.

          DELETE an entry from the history database.

          EXIT the program.

          SPECIAL Resequence the database.

          HELP for HISTOPIC

     Glossary:

          Error Messages.

         Defined Terms


Getting Started

Getting Started:

          Initially your history database database will be empty.

     To manufacture a history of what you already have on disk;

          *  Select the ADD function from the menu.

          *  Use the directory box to locate a directory

             where you have your pictures stored.

          *  Click on the ALL button to select all entries.

          *  Click on the ADD button to add entries to database.

          *  Repeat procedure for all directories where

              pictures are stored.

          If you have pictures intermixed with other types of files that

     you do not wish to add to the history database, Use a filter in the

     Add screen's edit box.  For instance, to have the list box display

     only gif files enter

                               *.gif                 or   /dir01/dir01/*.gif

     in the edit box.  You can then use the ALL button to select all files

     shown in the list box.


Ongoing maintenece
     Ongoing Maintenence:

          Suggestions for maintaining the history database.

          * During your internet session, download all pictures to a

            single directory.

          * After your session is complete, use the Add function to add

            all file names to the history database.

          * Delete any unwanted pictures after they have been added to

            to database.  In this way, you have a record of all pictures

            downloaded, even those that you delete or transfer to off-line

            storage.

          * Backup the directory where you installed HISTOPIC on a regular

            basis.  In the event of media corruption restore the entire directory.


Search function

    SEARCH function:

          The search function allows the user to search the

     databse for a matching item.  This dialog screen

     contains 7 distinct parts.

          Edit Box - The place where the user enters the search

     argument.  The search item can be up to 8 characters long.

     File extensions such as gif, jpg, tif, etc... are not used by

     the search. The search is not case sensitive.

          List Box - The place that contains the results of the

     search.  As you type in the Edit box, the list box shows

     entries greater than or equal to the contents of the Edit box.

     Double clicking an entry in the List box will display the

     extension and the date of addition to the database.

          More Button - Clicking on this button allows the user to

     view more history entries by makeing them available to the

     List box.

          Info Button - Selecting (highlighting) an entry from the List

     box and then pressing the Info button will diplay the extension

     and date the entry was added to the history database.  This is

     equivalent to double clicking an entry in the List box.

         Search Button - Clicking this button, or pressing the enter key

     after entering data in the Edit box, initiates a search for an exact

     match.  Although entries appear in the List box as the user is

     typing, this button is handy because it highlights the contents of

     the Edit box, allowing the user to overtype for the next search.

          Exit Button - Exit the Search dialog and return to the menu.

          Help Button - This help screen.


Add Function

    Add Function:

          The Add window allows you to add file names to the

     historical database.  At the top  of the screen are counters

     of names selected, names that were added and names that

     were not added because they duplicated existing entries.

          Underneath the counters is the edit box.  You can enter a full path

     and file name, a path and wildcards in place of a file name ( c:.*),

     or a extentsion filter (*.gif).  Any entries that qualify for inclusion will

     appear in the list box below the edit box.

          The list box contains file name that are eligable to be added to the

     history database. Use the ALL button to select all entries.  Click on an

     entry in the list box to select an individual entry.  Drag the mouse down

     the list to make multiple selections.  An alternative for making multiple

     selections is available by highlighting an etrry and using the shift and

     down arrow key.  Once entries are selected, they can be added to the

     history database by clicking the add button.

          To add a name for history reference that is not available via the list

     box (file has been discarded or stored off-line), enter the name and

     extention (optional) in the edit box, press enter, and click the add button.

          The right side of the Add window contains boxes for changing the drive

      and directory.  Clicking on the drive box allows you to select other drives.

      Clicking on a directory allows you to view the files in that directory.

     Clicking on the first item in the directory list will move the display to the root

     directory.

          The ADD button is that button that initiates the addition of names to

     the history database.  This button is disabled if no entries have been selected.

          The EXIT and HELP buttons are self explanatory.


Delete Function

       Delete Function:

          This window allows you to delete single items from the

     history database.  Enter the name of the entry to be deleted

     in the edit box,  or double click one of the items in the list box

     to have it placed in the edit box.  Click the Delete button to

     remove that item from the history database.

          Note: As this item rewrites the database from the point of

      removal onward, it may take some time.  Do not use this facility

     to try to reduce the size of the history database as it is the same

     size after removal as before, although new added records will use

     the empty slots.


     Error Messages

          Below are message denoting errors in the HISTOPIC

     program.  Messages starting with F indicate an error in

     the file hanling module.  Messages starting with I occur

     in the logical application module.

   FCP001     error on lseek access of index file

   FCP002     error on lseek access of data file

   FCP005     error reopening data file

   FCP010     error reading the index file

   FCP011    error writing to data file

   FCP012    error on read of data file

   FCP014    error on lseek

   INF003      drive length exceeds program limit

   INF013     error parsing root directory

   INF015     memory allocte failed

   INF016     table reallocte failed

   INF017     fetch of directory count failed

   INF020     unsupported drive string length

   INF021     drive does not exist

   INF032     function not yet implemented

   INF034    error on local memory allocate


FCP001

    Error on lseek access of index file  - Disk I/O error on COMPFILE.IDX

    in the directory where HISTOPIC is installed.  Restore from backup.


FCP002

    Error on lseek access of data file - Disk I/O error on COMPFILE.DAT

    in the directory where HISTOPIC is installed.  Restore from backup.


INF003

   Drive length exceeds program limit  - User entered an invalid drive name.

   The drive is assumed to consist of anything preceeding the : (colon).  Or

   saved default drive no longer exists.  Select a drive using the drive box

   in the ADD screen.


FCP005

    Error reopening data file - Program could not find COMPFILE.DAT so it

    tried to create and reopen one.  Possibly trying to run HISTOPIC from

    directory contained on write protected media.


FCP010

    Error reading the index file - Could not read from COMPFILE.IDX.

    Physical media corruption possible.  Possible this file was opened

    with an editor and file length was changed.


FCP011

    Error writing to data file - Could not write to COMPFILE.DAT.  Possible

   that no more space exists on drive or some other program has file

   open with exclusive access.


FCP012

    Error reading the data file - Could not read from COMPFILE.DAT.

    Physical media corruption possible.  Possible this file was opened

    with an editor and file length was changed.


INF013

    Error parsing root directory - Possible that saved last used directory

    was deleted since the last time HISTOPIC was run.  Type in valid

    directory path.


FCP014

    Error on lseek - Generic Disk I/O error.  Reboot and restart program.  If

    error reoccurs, restore COMPFILE.IDX and COMPFILE.DAT from backup.


INF015

    Memory allocte failed - Close other applications to free up more memory.


INF016

    Table reallocte failed - Memory allocation failure.  Close other applications

    to free up more memory.


INF017

    Fetch of directory count failed - indicative of a program bug.  Contact Ball

    Software.


INF020

    Unsupported drive string length  - User entered a drive specifier which

    exceeded the max length allowed for a drive.  Choose a drive from the

     drive box.


INF021

    Drive does not exist  - Specified drive does not exist in the drive list.  Possible

    that user entered [-  (bracket dash)  when entering drive.  Enter drive as

    X:  (drive name, colon).


INF032

     Function not yet implemented - Version of program does not contain code to

     support this function.


INF034

    Error on local memory allocate - Close other applications to free up memory.


Defined Terms

           Directory - Often referred to as the path.  The directory consists

     of directory names delimited by the backslash which point to an area

     where files are stored. You can use the directory box in the ADD window

     to display available directories and sub-directories.

           Drive - Typically the hard drive denoted in the form C:.  The ADD

     window displays the drive in system format of [-C-] when displaying

     drives.  Do no try to emulate that format when overriding the drive by

     typing a path in the Edit box,  use the C: (or A: etc..) format instead.

           Edit Box - An area of the window where the user can type in input.

      HISTOPIC has Edit boxes in the ADD, SEARCH and DELETE windows.

          Extension - The last three characters of a file name preceeded by a

       period.  Examples include .uue, .gif., .jpg, .bmp etc.

          File - A name consisting of up to 8 characters followed by an extension.

       Win95 supports longer file names but their usage is limited on the internet.

       Files are what you select to add to the history database.

          List Box - A box in a window displaying multiple items.  HISTOPIC has

       list boxes for files, directories, drives and etries in the history database.


Ordering
       Order Histopic (click on Order)

Order


Special function

       The Special resequence function allows the user to reseqence

 the database in order to speed up the initial sort of the database.

 Since having only a few entries out of sequence does not slow

 down the sort very much, the user need only use this function

 occasionally.  I would suggest you run it after you have added 500

 entries or when you notice that the program is taking longer to come

 up with the initial screen.

       The actual function is carried out in two parts;

          1:  A compfile.tmp file is created that contains the data entries

               in sequence.

          2: The compfile.tmp file is copied to the programs data file which

              is called compfile.dat.

    Should a catastrophe such as a power outage or a disk error occur

 while in this process, ascertain your status by the following means;

        * Try your search and add functions, if everything appears normal, it is

           likely the failure occured while in step 1 (above) and your database

           still has integrity.

        * If the search or add functions show abnormal results, it is possible that

          your failure occurred during step 2 (above)  in which case the compfile.tmp

          file should contain a full database. After exiting the Histopic program,

          Rename compfile.dat to compfile.old,  then rename compfile.tmp to

          compfile.dat and run Histopic. (NOTE: these files can be found in the programs

          file directory (HISTO unless you overrode the default during installation).

       * If the above fails to resolve your problems, restore compfile.dat and

         compfile.idx from your most recent backup.

     These instructions may seem like overkill and beyond the scope of

 non-technical users, but since the compilation of the database represents a lot of

 work on the part of the user I felt it necessary to provide some type of procedure

 to follow in case of data corruption.  As always the safest defense is regular backups.