Archives - Quick Tutor. TO: ALL USERS, NEW or OLD Please review this it takes 10 to 15 minutes ... and you need to know this to run Archives! ------------------------------------------------------------ If not all of the right side of this document is showing in this Window, MAXIMIZE Archives &/or Left Mouse Click the F6 button showing below the Archives 'Help' Menu item (or press your keyboard's F6 function key). (The F6 button alternates between showing and not showing the Files Window. The F6 function key on your keyboard performs the same action as clicking the F6 button.) Use the THUMB TAB or UP/DOWN arrows located at the far right to move up and down in this document. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------ This TUTOR covers: - Archives WINDOWS Locations - VIEWER WINDOW functions - FILES WINDOW functions - MASK WINDOW functions - BUTTON usage - OVERVIEW of DECOMPRESS functions - PRINTING TUTOR.TXT ------------------------------------------------------------ Archives WINDOWS Locations: There are 3 Windows in Archives. The window that you are looking in now is called the VIEWER WINDOW. <<< The window to the left is called the FILES WINDOW. (if the Files Window is not showing, press F6 again.) The Window ABOVE the VIEWER WINDOW and FILES WINDOW is called the file MASK WINDOW. The Mask Window contains the File Selection criteria for the Files Window, the Drive:\directory\ and Mask(s). The masks are the same as in DOS but multiple masks can be listed simultaneously, and are separated by a semicolon. More info later. The rest of the tutor is easy if you memorize the names and locations of the Viewer Window, Files Window, and Mask Window. ------------------------------------------------------------ VIEWER WINDOW functions: (the window that this text is in) The Viewer window is where you read documents, select files to compress, decompress, copy, move, etc. TO VIEW the DOS FILES in the Viewer Window, you would press the [FileStat] button above or press the F2 function key. (F2 like edit in Lotus or Excel) If you would press the [FileStat] button with the Left Mouse button, this document will disappear and the DOS file statistics for the files showing in the Files Window would display. If you press the [FileStat] button with the Right Mouse button, the file selected in the Files Window will be found in the Viewer Window in addition to doing the same as the DOS file statistics are displayed. We are early in this document and you can refind your place here easily, so we will go thru an example... Please read the following instructions & then perform the instructions when asked: Confirm that TUTOR.TXT is selected (BLACK) in the Files Window. Press the [FileStat] button with the LEFT mouse, Press the [FileStat] with the RIGHT mouse, Then Press the [Read] button with the LEFT mouse. DO THE ABOVE NOW and COME BACK TO HERE (About 3 PgDn). <# 1 > Archives could have brought you back to the above place using it's Edit+Find. You could have selected from the menu Edit+Find, then typed # 1 (note the space between # and 1) and ... zoom you're there. The Edit+Find only works in the Viewer Window. TO VIEW the inside of a COMPRESSED FILE, select a ZIP, ARC, or LZH file in the FILES WINDOW and double click on the compressed filename or press your keyboard's [Enter] key while the Files Window has the focus. The Files Window has FOCUS when there is a Marquee around the black square of the selected file. Click on this window, the Viewer Window. Look at the filename TUTOR.TXT and Click on the filename TUTOR.TXT. Do you see the marquee? (Black & white dotted line around the filename.) To select files for Copying, Moving/Renaming, Deleting, etc press the [FileStat] button and then use the Left Mouse button and click on the File in the Viewer Window. If you hold the mouse button down, you will paint several files. CLICK THE LEFT MOUSE BUTTON ON THIS SENTENCE... . . AND HOLD THE MOUSE BUTTON DOWN AND PAINT TO HERE... The painting action above is currently meaningless in a text file like this except for printing. I haven't built the Copy to your Clipboard function, yet. (You can paint the inside of a text file and send to your printer just the highlighted portion that is painted, but more about printing later.) But, when the FILESTATS are showing or you are viewing the inside of a compressed file, then the clicking or painting that you did above is how you select files for decompressing, copying, etc. You can also select files in the Viewer Window using the Shift+Spacebar and Shift+direction keys (arrows, up, down, home, end) but ONLY when the Viewer Window has Focus. The Viewer Window has the Focus when the cursor is red. The Viewer Window curser is blue when the Viewer Window doesn't have the focus. Press the Shift+Spacebar until the highlight in the Viewer Window is black . Now hold the Shift key down and use the arrow keys, page down, page up, home, & end keys. The Shift+Spacebar alternates between highlighting (selecting) the files and removing the highlight (selection). Press the Shift+Spacebar so that the selection is not black. Now, press Page up, down etc while holding the Shift key down (ie. Shift+PageUp). This removes the selection. If the selector was originally black, then Shift+PageUp, Shift+PageDown, Shift+Home, or Shift+End would have selected files. A white curser deselects files. If you are wondering why painting overwrites one pixel's worth of your text, read the file QUESTION.TXT. Basically, This is normal because I'm trying to squeeze as much on your screen as possible and not repaint the screen for speed. (If you are using a VGA monitor, then you won't see the overwrite unless you are viewing foreign characters.) Where is the red or blue curser? If you have been using the thumb tab or other right scroll bar function, then the curser is above this window somewhere and is a place holder. If you move your keyboard arrow keys, the window will first scroll to show the curser, then the curser will move. If any kind of files (compressed or DOS File Stats) are showing in the Viewer Window then the [Run] button is used to run those files. NORMALLY, YOU WILL SELECT A FILE FROM THE VIEWER WINDOW AND PRESS THE [Run] button. But if you pressed the [Run] button now, since this is a text document in the Viewer Window, Archives defaults to running the file shown in the Files Window. Select any file from the Files Window and then press the Archives [Run] button. Pressing the right mouse button over the file in the Files Window would also launch the Run dialog box. If the File is an executable file for Windows (*.EXE, *.COM, *.BAT, or *.PIF) then that file will execute as-is. If that file is a document and it's extension is listed in your WIN.INI under [extensions], then Archives will find the executable program associated with that file. If you wish the extensions were in your INI file, well... of course Archives can do that for you too. PRESS THE [RUN] BUTTON NOW, THEN CANCEL THE DIALOG BOX, (this window doesn't change it's place this time). Someone told me that I tell you too much in my dialog boxes, and it scares users. If you don't know what to do, read the messages. I'll try my best to warn you. Many of my messages will be below the OK button on the dialog boxes. I'll beep if you're getting ready to do something I wasn't expecting. If no beep, read the message and then press the OK button. As you become more computer wise, you'll like the extra options and info! Whoops, my legal beagles tell me to remind you that you are running Archives at your own risk! I cannot warrant the satisfactory performance of anything. If you saw my checkbook, you would know what I mean! ------------------------------------------------------------ MASK WINDOW functions: (located above the Viewer Window) This window provides the file selection criteria for the type of files you want listed in the Files Window. The Mask Window lists the Drive:\Directory\ and Mask(s). For Example: C:\WINDOWS\*.INI;*.EXE would list all files that match the *.INI and *.EXE mask from your Windows Directory on your C: drive. The asterisk (*) is a wild card character, similar to using the asterisk in DOS copy. The question mark can also be used as a substitution character. If you enter multiple masks then the Masks are separated by a semicolon. You can Manually type in a Mask or use the [dir] [*.*] [user] [comp] buttons shown above the Files Window to change the mask. (I'll tell you what these buttons mean later.) If you manually type in a mask, then you must press your keyboard's [Enter] key to enter that mask while the Mask Window has FOCUS, or else nothing happens. The Mask Window has FOCUS when the cursor is blinking in the Mask Window. Windows is a game of FOCUS. And it's up to you to manage: "WHO'S GOT THE FOCUS!" A final note about the Mask Window, if you enter a filename that exists, then that file is opened to the Viewer Window. This can be useful when you have copied to you clipboard the drive:\directory\filename from another program, or when using macros. If the filename doesn't exist and there are no substitution characters (* or ?) then the File+Open dialog box opens asking you to select a file. ------------------------------------------------------------ FILES WINDOW functions: This is the Easy Window to understand BUT READ THIS SECTION ANYWAY! The Files window always displays the directories, and sometimes displays the drives and files. SOMETIMES??? YES! A. If you click the [dir] button with the left mouse button: Directories will display BUT no files will display. To switch to showing ALL files, you'll need to click on the [*.*] button. PLEASE CLICK THE [DIR] BUTTON USING YOUR LEFT MOUSE BUTTON NOW, THEN CLICK THE [*.*] AGAIN WITH THE LEFT MOUSE BUTTON, reopen THIS FILE AND COME BACK TO <# 2 > using Edit+Find # 2. (note the space between # and 2) Why did this file disapear from the Viewer Window? If you choose a mask that doesn't include this file, then it can't be found, and the Viewer Window clears. B. If you click the [dir] button with the right mouse button, normally, the files will show: The display in the Files Window will alternate between displaying Directories BUT NO Drives and displaying Directories AND Drives in the Files Window. The filenames may or may not show depending on whether the highlight is on the [dir] button. Additionally, files have to exist in the directory that match the file mask in the Mask Window. CLICK THE [dir] BUTTON WITH THE RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON SEVERAL TIMES NOW. THE VIEWER WINDOW WILL NOT CLEAR THIS TIME. You are removing and adding the drives to the Files Window with the Right Mouse button on the [dir] button. C. If the directory has no files that match the file mask shown in the Mask Window: no files will show. The PRIMARY Functions of the Files Window are to: 1. Change directories. 2. Open files to view their contents. 3. Select a Directory to Rename or Delete from the Files Window. The SECONDARY Functions of the Files Window are to: 4. Find a file to run. If you Right Mouse click on a file, then Archives will give you a Run Dialog Box. 5. And finally, select a file to Copy, Move\Rename, Delete, etc from the Files Window. The reason I said "SECONDARY Function of the Files Window" is because you normally will use the Viewer Window to do the points 4. and 5. above. Yes, the File Run, Copy, Move\Rename, Delete, Date, Time, and Attribute functions work for both the FILES WINDOW and the VIEWER WINDOW, but only in certain circumstances: - Eventually, this is obvious. If the files aren't in the Viewer Window, then Archives defaults to the Files Window. If you pressed the [FileStat] button and select your files from the Viewer Window, then you can File Copy, Move\Rename, Delete, etc up to the 2000 files at a time! However, if you use the Files Window, you can File Copy, Move\Rename, Delete, etc only one file at a time. Hint, when you turn on the Dynamic Data exchange option, the files can be copied from one Archives application to the drive &/or directory location of the other Archives application. ------------------------------------------------------------ BUTTONS usage: By now you should be familiar with the definitions of the 3 Archives windows: Files Window, Viewer Window, and Mask Window. It helps if you remember that the buttons above the Files Window affect primarily the Files Window. The buttons above the Viewer Window affect primarily the Viewer Window if files are displayed in the Viewer Window. With this in mind, the button actions are as follows: [dir] Button description: directory Hot Key: Alt+i Left Mouse: Changes the Mask Window and the Files Window to display only directories and sometimes drives. (See right mouse) Right Mouse: Switches the Files Window back and forth between showing directories AND drives in the Files Window and showing directories BUT NOT drives. [*.*] Button description: *.* File Mask Hot Key: Alt+. Left Mouse: Changes the Mask Window to *.* and all files in the current directory are shown in the Files Window. Right Mouse: Does the same as the Left Mouse AND displays the FILESTATs in the Viewer Window Since this file will display in the Files Window if you select [*.*], go ahead and click on the [*.*] button now. [user] Button description: user's File Mask Hot Key: Alt+u Left Mouse: Changes the Mask Window to the mask you chose during Setup. Setup had a default setup of: *.ARC; *.LZH; *.ZIP; *.EXE And all files matching the User's mask in the current directory are shown in the Files Window. Right Mouse: Does the same as the Left Mouse AND displays the FILESTATs in the Viewer Window [comp] Button description: All Compressed Files Mask Hot Key: Alt+a (for All) Left Mouse: Changes the Mask Window to list only the compressed files using the mask of: *.ARC; *.LZH; *.ZIP And all files matching the above mask in the current directory are shown in the Files Window. Right Mouse: Does the same as the Left Mouse AND displays the FILESTATs in the Viewer Window [Read] & [ZIP], [LZH], [ARC], [TEXT], [BINARY] Button description: Read File selected in Viewer or Files Window Hot Key: Enter NOTE: This button changes names and tells you the type of file that is read, but the button has the same response in all cases. The [Read] button will change to [ZIP], [LZH], [ARC], [TEXT], [BINARY] depending on the type of file read. Left Mouse: Reads the file selected in the Viewer Window. If you are viewing the inside of a text file, then Read defaults to reading the file selected in the Files Window. Right Mouse: Finds the file selected in the Files Window by 1st displaying the FILESTATs in the Viewer Window, then the curser finds the file selected. Same as the Right Mouse on the FileStats Button. [FileStat] Button description: list the DOS File Statistics: date, time, file size, file attributes Hot Key: F2 function key Left Mouse: list the DOS File Statistics for the files showing in the Files Window. Right Mouse: Finds the file selected in the Files Window by 1st displaying the FILESTATs in the Viewer Window, then the curser finds the file selected. Same as Right Mouse on Read Button. [Run] Button description: Run a program or file selected in the Viewer Window. Hot Key: F9 (calculate) Left Mouse: If the DOS File Stats are showing in the Viewer Window, then the Run dialog box opens. If you are Viewing the contents of a compressed file, you are asked if you want to 'Chain CheckOut' this file first. (You have to decompress the file first before you can run it.) 'Chain CheckOut' is explained later. Right Mouse: NULL, nothing happens [..] Button description: parent directory selector Hot Key: Backspace key Left Mouse: moves the current directory level one level closer to the root directory in this drive. If you are already in the root directory, nothing happens. Right Mouse: NULL, nothing happens [=A=] [-C-] [~R~] Buttons description: drive selector Hot Key: Ctrl+letter the equals '=' sign represents floppy the minus '-' sign, hard drive the enter symbol '~' represents remote Left Mouse: Moves the current drive selection to the drive letter selected. Right Mouse: NULL, nothing happens [F6] Button description: remove/show the Files Window Hot Key: F6 function key Left Mouse: Alternates between showing and not showing the Files Window. Right Mouse: Empties the Viewer Window and the memory buffer holding the contents of the Viewer Window. Title Bar of Archives changes to 'Archives - (untitled)' Why would you want to do this? If you are impatiently clicking thru directories and you don't want to wait for the Viewer Window to keep displaying the FileStats. Additionally, although rarely, you may need the global memory for another program. [¤] Button description: Select All/ Deselect All located in lower right corner of Archives Hot Key: Alt+/ Left Mouse: Alternates between SELECTING ALL of the contents of the Viewer Window and DESELECTING ALL. Right Mouse: Always DESELECTS ALL Mouse functions in the FILES WINDOW: Note: You can select only one file at a time in the Files Window. Left Mouse: Double clicks always opens a file to view the files contents unless that file is an executable program, then it tells you what type of program it probably is (eg DOS, maybe windows, definitely Windows 3.0, etc.) Right Mouse: Brings up the run dialog box to run the selected program or file. Mouse functions in the VIEWER WINDOW: Note: You can select up to 2000 non-consecutive files at a time in the Viewer Window. Left Mouse: Double clicks always opens a file to view the files contents unless that file is an executable program, then it tells you what type of program it probably is (eg DOS, maybe windows, definitely Windows 3.0, etc.) This is the same as the Left mouse in the Files Window. Open a file means when the File is a DOS TEXT FILE then the file is opened to view in the Viewer Window instantly. Open a file means when the File is a COMPRESSED FILE then a message box asks whether you are wanting to Chain CheckOut the file to decompress and view temporarly in another Archives application. Select 'Compress+Chain CheckIn' to delete these temporary files. (Gets you back to where you were.) One exception. If you are not showing the Files Window and you double click on an executable program, then the run dialog box opens. This is the same as the Right mouse in the Files Window. Right Mouse: When viewing DOS FileStats, will bring up the Compress Dialog Box. When viewing COMPRESS FILES, will bring up the DeCompress Dialog Box. ------------------------------------------------------------ OVERVIEW of DECOMPRESS functions Archives has 6 major decompressing methods. These are (in the same order as shown on the menu of Archives under decompress): Details... This opens a Decompression dialog box that provides decompression options: which directory, decompress only newer files, overwrite, etc. ARC to LZH ARC to ZIP LZH to ARC LZH to ZIP ZIP to ARC ZIP to LZH Only 2 of these 6 options will show on your menu depending on which type of compressed file was selected. If you open a compressed file, you can convert that file to one of the other 2 formats with one mouse click. Both files will be located in the same directory. To CheckOut! To Normal! Both of these functions will decompress the files you selected from a compressed file that you are viewing to the directory indicated. The exclamation point means that now additional confirmation will be asked of you. The CheckOut directory was the \CHK\ directory that you configured during Configure+Setup, Setup Part B. The Normal directory was configured in Configure+Setup, Setup Part C. If you configured Setup Part C to always overwrite, then these menu items will show 'o.w' following the directory name. Chain CheckOut! YOU WILL USE THIS FEATURE MORE THAN ANY OTHER!!!! Most people want to quickly decompress a file, read the text, run the programs, then delete the decompressed files. This feature allows you to do this quickly and without alot of effort. READ THIS ... READ THIS ... READ THIS ... READ THIS ... This function allows you to temporarily decompress files, read, run, and then delete these temporarily decompressed files and the temporary directory in as few as 2 mouse clicks! The procedure is: Double click on a compressed file in the Files Window. You will be viewing the contents of this file in the Viewer Window. Select the files that you want to Chain CheckOut. Select from the main menu of Archives, Decompress+Chain CheckOut. These files will be decompressed into a temporary directory. A second copy of Archives will automatically open showing these newly decompressed files. Notice that the Title Bar of this copy of Archives shows 'Archives #2 - FILE STATS'. Press Ctrl+Esc to call up the Task Manager and look for the other copy of Archives. Notice its title is now 'Archives #1 - (filename)'. These 2 applications are 'Chained Together'. If you want, you could decompress another file using Chain CheckOut using the Archives #2 window, and you will open an Archives #3. You'll have to change directories in Archives #2 to continue the Chain Checkout unless the compressed file you just decompressed contained an internal compressed file. (I've chained 21 copies of Archives together, a rediculuous number.) When you are done viewing, running the temporarily decompressed files, select Compress+Chain CheckIn from the main menu bar of the highest Archives # opened. Maybe the Compress+Chain CheckIn is a misnomer because you are not compressing these temporarily Checked Out files, but you are delecting them and the temporary directory. This copy of Archives will close and the previous copy of Archives will open displaying the original compressed file contents. If this was confusing, read the next section on printing, and print this section and follow the steps shown above. It's easier to do than to explain. ------------------------------------------------------------ PRINTING TUTOR.TXT THERE ARE 3 PRINTING OPTIONS IN ARCHIVES: To print a portion of this or any file: Highlight what you want to print in this file, turn your printer ON, and select File+Print from the Archives main menu. You can highlight non-consecutive sections for printing too! To print all of this file: Either click on the Select All button shown as [¤] in the lower right corner of Archives and then Select File+Print from the Archives main menu, or Select the [FileStat] button, highlight the file you want to print in the Viewer Window then Select File+Print from the Archives main menu. To print a 'bunch of files': Do the same as above except FIRST Select a 'bunch of files' from the Viewer Window! Archives will start a new page at the beginning of each file. You can switch away from Archives while it is printing if you use the Alt+Tab key. Otherwise, you cannot do anything in Archives while it is printing except cancel the printing. Currently, Archives does not have any print options other than above and adjusting the left margin. You have to configure your printer from the Control Panel. You can launch the Control Panel from Archives using the F4 function key. In a future version, probably then next, you will be able to adjust the other margins, fonts, etc. ------------------------------------------------------------ You're Done! If this took more than 10 minutes, then I lied, but I hope it was time well spent. There are two other documents that I recommend reading very soon. These are in order: QUESTION.TXT and CHANGES.TXT. You may laugh at some of the questions in QUESTION.TXT but it may also answer a question that you have. eg. How to start up Archives so that it is always displays your download directory first? Unlike many programs, the ARCHIVES.HLP file has very useful browse features as well. REGISTER SOON. Archives is almost good enough to raise the price. When you are registered, you will be registered for all future versions of Archives in the 3.0 and 3.1 environments. Finally, Have FUN working with Archives, Ted Wall PS, please give me feedback on the usefulness of this TUTOR. If it works, I can write one for compressing/decompressing files and write one for the Dynamic Data Exchange options as well. I need positive feedback as well as negative, ie. what to keep.