{1.11} CD-rom Explorer =========================================================================== CD-rom Explorer(tm) Copyright by Hamster Software(tm) P. van Andel '95/'96 All rights reserved. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ooooo ooooooo oooooooo ooooooooo ooooooooo oooooooo ooo oo oo ooo oo oo oo oo oooooooo oo oo oo oooooooo oooooo ooo ooo o o ooo o ooo oo oo ooo oo o o o o o o o o o o o o ooooooooo ooooooooo oooooooo o o o oooo o o o o oooo o ooooo ooooooo oooooooo o o o o o o o ooo o o oooo ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short description: Cde is a very easy to use program to explore cd-roms drives or any other drive. Create (active) drive info files for any drive. Remark and category marks for every directory. Start from Cde Dos and Windows programs. View documentation files. Combine extentions with your favorite programs. Unpack files to Cde tmp directory to examine or start the unpacked files. Make for every file a separate note to e.g. describe pictures, sound files or fonts. You have to Register ONLY ONCE (standard version) Requirements. AT computer (286 or higher) IBM compatible. MS DOS v3.2+ Windows 3+ MSCDEX.EXE or Windows95 Approximately 520 kb base memory ********************************************************************** DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY THIS SOFTWARE IS SUPPLIED AS IS. THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WAR- RANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND OF FITNESS FOR ANY PURPO- SE. THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES, DIRECT OR CON- SEQUENTIAL, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE. You may use this program, but on your own risk. Always test any program on a save location to avoid loss off data. ********************************************************************** CD-rom Explorer === # 0 ============================================================ page 2 Contents chapter CONTENTS page Short description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 # 1 Notations used in this file . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 # 2 Cde, introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 # 3 Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 # 4 Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 # 5 Key usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 # 6 Supported description files . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 # 7 The Cde screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 # 8 Pulldown menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 # 9 Personal key file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 # 10 Explorer and File Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 # 11 Archived files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 # 12 Cde_dif files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 # 13 The extension file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 # 14 Error message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 # 15 Memory problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 # 16 Give a Cde copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 # 17 Windows95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 # 18 Register Cde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 # 19 Credits/Testers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 # 20 Address Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 ==== # 1 =================================================================== Notations used in this file. Alt+Letter : Keep the Altkey down while you press the letterkey; | Letter : Select a highlighted letter from a pulldown menu. Example: Alt+F|A means keep the Alt key down and press F key, release the Alt and press A, this will open the file menu and activate the Auto Read function. ^ Letter : Hold down the Control Key and press the letterKey, Example: ^F = Control+F (Starts the File browser directly) CD-rom Explorer === # 2 ============================================================ page 3 Cde, introduction. Cde is designed to explore -on a very comfortable way- a cd-rom. Cde creates a active Drive_Info file for a cd-rom drive or any other drive. Cde uses this file to examine (explore) the contents of a cd-rom. With Cde you can view documentation files, start programs (even Windows programs), unpack files to the cde tmp directory for further examination, if desired you can delete them afterwards. Through the extension file "cde_ext.dat" you can combine/start your favorite pictureviewer, soundplayer or any other program with the desired extension. For each directory there is a category mark and remark field where you make a description for the program it contains. Note: For directories with archived programs you can insert a special remark list for that directory. If you use the auto read option, Cde fills the remark space by scanning for description files like "file_id.diz" or uses information from the "descript.ion" files . For each directory you can turn on/off six category marks: X Directory already seen. M Has the program/game music S Is sound (voice) available. D W B O Needs, Dos, Windows, Dos&Windows or Other. CD HD Runs from cd-rom or install needed on hard disk. 1..10 Value (is it a good or bad program). With the remark filled and the proper marks set, you instantly see the nature of the program. And by setting for example the filter on CD you see only the programs that run directly from the cd-rom. If a program or game locks the computer, and you have to reboot. Cde shows at startup a error message in which directory the error occured. Cde Drive_Info files can be opened without the drive actually being present, so you can examine the files at any time to search for a file or program. Conclusion: New cd-roms can be fun, now you are able to explore the cd-rom, stop exploring and even months later you now exactly where you were, and continue where you left off. Learn to use the Cd-rom Explorer once, so you can access every cd-rom/drive with the same (interface) program. Scan all your floppies with Cde, then you have a way to find a program without feeling like a diskjockey, and insert only the disk you really need. CD-rom Explorer === # 3 ============================================================ page 4 Quick Start. 1 Make the directory containing Cde active. 2 Type INSTALL . 3 Follow the instructions from the install program. 4 Start cde by typing "CDE" at the Dos prompt. Cde starts now with defaults. 5 Examine the example file [CDETESTFILE] #AAAAENG.DIF, this will give you a impression of what a Drive_Info file looks like. 6 Begin your first Drive_Info by pressing Alt+F | D select a drive from the menu and press enter. Cde will scan the designated drive to build a tree. When Cde is ready, the screen will show the new Drive_Info file. 7 At this point you can use the Drive_Info file. The main screen has three fields First field (left) : The tree of the drive. Second field (Middle) : Here are 6 locations for category marks you can set. Third field (right) : 60 character remark space. To EXPLORE a directory just press enter or Alt+X. To EDIT the category mark and remark press Alt+E. 8 You can fill the remarks yourself during the exploring of the cd-rom/drive using Alt+E. Or if the descript.ion and/or file_id.diz files (**) are found by Cde, you now can Auto read the drive, to fill the remark spaces by pressing Alt+F | A. 9 The file you by now have created can be used as described in the "Cde introduction" page. (**) Note: If none of the files above are found during the tree scan you have to search manually for a file which can be used for auto search Alt+F | I, look for a filename which is the same in most directories, for example bbs.txt or files.txt. Because Cde skips the remark lines already in use, you may scan the drive more then once using different info files. CD-rom Explorer === # 4 ============================================================ page 5 Mouse. In this documentation only the keyboard is reviewed. But all options, menus, buttons can also be used by click or double click of a mouse, If a single mouseclick is not activating the option then use a double click. E.g to activate the Explorer you may click on the Explore button or double click in the main screen on the tree you want to use. Double click (RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON) on a word in viewers or main screen activates a quick search system and jumps to the first next match. Click on the top or bottom (scroll)window lines, to slowly scroll the text up or down (use the arrow signs to scroll fast). The screen saver can be activated, if you put the mouse cursor at the top right screen corner then the screen. ==== # 5 =================================================================== Key usage. Tab and shift+tab: If the screen contains buttons or other fields you can use the tab key to switch to the next button or field or shift+tab to switches backwards. Alt + Letterkey: If a letter on a button is highlighted then you can access that part by pressing Alt+the highlighted letter. e.g. Alt+F starts the file menu. Ctrl + Letterkey: Some menu parts can be used directly, look for a ^ sign followed by a letter in a menu e.g. ^F this means that you can start that menu part directly by using the Ctrl + that letter. Escape: The escape key brings you mostly back to a previous window. Letterkey: Quick search, jumps to a line which begins with the pressed letter, works in most windows. CD-rom Explorer === # 6 ============================================================ page 6 Supported description files. There are many files to describe a program, for example FILE_ID.DIZ, SDN.ID and DESC.SDI, Cde reads such a file and takes the first or second line and inserts this line in the (empty) remark space. Cde works with the data file "cde_scan.dat" in this file are the most common description files present, you may add up to 30 file names to this file. Use Alt+F | I to look for or add any filename, or edit with Alt+C | L the cde_scan.dat file. The search for description files is from top down if the first file is not present Cde looks for the next file until the list is completed. Special files: CDE_DIF.INF Special CDE format (See chapter Cde_dif files). FILES.BBS From this file there are many different variations therefore you can get unexpected results. DESCRIPT.ION Describes more then one directory. Those files are usually the best choice for (Auto read) because they (often) have descriptions for every directory. The method for auto read in this case is very different from the other files. If descript.ion files are found and some other files, Cde scans first for the descript.ion files and start after that a scan for the other files. Exception: if cde_dif.inf and descript.ion are found you can choose with file to use first. VENDINFO.DIZ ('95 and up) Special file which contains very useful information, if you start in the Browser or the Explorer this file then vv.exe takes over and you can choose the information you want to read. Note: If Cde puts information from a VENDINFO.DIZ files in the Remark space Cde will putt a ! first in that space. CD-rom Explorer === # 7 ============================================================ page 7 The Cde screen. Pulldown: On the first line you find a pulldown menu, this can be activated by pressing Alt+highlighted letter. Main screen: Below the pulldown menu you find the main screen which is used for a active Drive_Info file. Buttons: The line below the main screen has the following six buttons, which you can access by pressing Alt+Highlighted letter. Edit_Line : Used to set category marks and edit the remark space of a Drive_Info directory line. Dir_Info : Opens a Dir_Info file for reading, you can edit or change that filename by pressing (Alt+F | I). This filename is also used to Auto read. Explorer : Starts a the Explore. (See chapter "Explorer and File browser".) Search : Searches for text you want to find. Filter : This filters on the category marks you have set. Dir_Ins : Create Insert file (See chapter "Archived Files"). P : Create cde_dif.inf (See chapter "Cde_dif files") Info line: The bottom screen line gives (from left to right) the following information: Label the name of the active Drive_Info file. Name of a file (preference to read first) used for Auto Read, Dir_Info and Get_Info. Name of your file manager, default NC (Norton Commander). Drive the active drive. 000:000 Number of directories, and which of them is highlighted. The lines of a Drive_Info file: line 1 : Label name and filename. (this line is not active) line 2 : Drive letter where the cd-rom is. (can be changed) Rest of lines (divided into three columns): Left: The first 30 locations are used to show the tree for a scanned cd-rom or other drive. Select a directory by moving the cursor up or down, if you press the enter key the Explorer becomes active. Middle: Here you find six category marks which can be set through Alt+E. Right: Here you can write down your remark for a directory, max. 60 characters (should be enough for a brief description). CD-rom Explorer === # 8 ============================================================ page 8 Pulldown menus (from left to right). * Ega/Vga + Registered version - shareware version FILE All (current) file related options. Exit ^X Back to Dos ----------------------- File & Drive ^F Open an existing Drive_Info file or log on and/or build a new drive. Rebuild current drive + Delete Current file Removes a file from disk. ----------------------- Change file drive letter If the location of a drive is different then the drive letter in the current file. Dir Info_File to use Here you can change the (preference) filename Cde uses for the e.g. Auto read. Auto read This option fills the empty remarks with text it finds in the filename you entered in the option above. ------------------------ WHERE_IS Search menu through all Cde files. + Last result Opens a menu (list) with the result of the two search options below. + Search text at DIFS ^Z Search for text in all the *.dif files. + Search Dirlist also ^D Same as above but searches in the directory lists also. ------------------------ MONITOR Screen options Screen saver Activates the screen saver. * Resolution ^R Switches between 25 and 43/50 lines ------------------------ White Color options. Black * Cyan white * Grey white * Blue White * Bright Blue ------------------------ CONFIG Several options to customize CDE. Info Information about Cde. Memory Shows (heap) memory. Help lines (De)activates the help lines on bottom line. Backup by rebuild (De)activates the creation of backup files. Swap to disk Free more XMS/EMS memory. + Show bbs/descr. Shows during the Browser/Explorer the file information found in a bbs/discription file. Edit ext. file Starts any editor to edit the extension file. Edit Scanlist Starts any editor to edit the file with the (description) file names for Auto scan. F_Manager to use Assign the name of your favorite file manager, default nc (Norton Commander). Windows commands Path and Windows start commands. ------------------------ [continues on next page.] CD-rom Explorer ==================================================================== page 9 DOS Dos related options Show Dos Shows the last dos screen (from buffer). Dos shell Exit to (execute) Dos without closing CDE. + Dos Command's ^C Menu for your useful dos commands. ------------------------ UTILS File Browser ^B Browse through drives and directories to for example execute a program that uses a install file to create a new directory. - Import key A:\CDE Import your personal key file from drive A:, enables you to update a newer shareware version into a registered version. - Import key A:\CDE Same as above for drive B:. ------------------------ HELP Documentation files. Cde documentation ^H Read the CDE_ENG.DOC file. What's new New in this version (if present). - Order Order info - Print form Print (empty) form at LPT1 - Edit form Edit, print form with any text editor. === # 9 =================================================================== Personal key file * * * * * * * * YOU HAVE TO REGISTER CDE ONLY ONCE * * * * * * * * * Registered users of Cde receive a personal Key file which contains your "very" personal information, this key enables you to update your current Cde version with any newer (Dos) shareware versions. Simply get hold of a newer shareware version of Cde and you have a completely working registered version again. To transform a newer shareware version of Cde into a registered version you have to copy your personal key file "CDE_KEY.DAT" into the Cde directory (see also points 1 and 2). You'll find this key file on you registered floppy disk. Note: make a backup of the current Cde directory. 1: If you install the newer shareware Cde in your present (registered) Cde directory, you don't have to to anything your key file is already present. 2: If you start a new directory for shareware Cde then you have to import the key file from your disk, this can be done which the "Import Key" options in the Help menu. Do not give anyone your personal key file, this file contains personal information, keep your registered floppy at a save place. CD-rom Explorer === # 10 ========================================================== page 10 Explorer and File browser. The Explorer and Browser are designed for quick access a directory, execute programs, view files, start windows, unpack files to the CDE tmp directory. The active Drive_Info file is combined with the Explorer. Therefore, if you press enter on a directory in the main screen the Explorer opens immediately, showing the files of that directory. The following buttons are present to help you explore the directory: Open/Start: Pressing this button will have different results. If the highlighted filename is a executable then CDE will attempt to start the program. If the filenames extension is listed in the file "CDE_EXT.DAT" then Cde will start the file with the listed program (see The extension file). If non off the above is true then Cde shows the contents of the file. (binary files show only some strange characters ) Filter: This Button enables you to view only the files you want to see. For example set the filter on Text & Doc files to see the documentation files of a program. View: This starts always the Cde viewer, this option enables you to view *.bat files instead of starting them. Winstart: Here you start Windows, if the highlighted file is a executable (for windows) then Windows will start with the program running, extentions other then com, exe or bat starts Windows without a program running. Dos shell: Go to Dos (Cde runs on background), if you have to execute one or more dos commands, use this option. Show Dos: Shows the last dos screen before Cde restarted, so you can read messages left behind by Dos programs. To Browser: Starts the Browser in the Cde tmp directory, enables or you to review unpacked programs. (See Archived files) To Explorer: Back to explorer. (Disabled if browser is started from the pulldown menu Remove Tmp : Removes all files from the CDE\TMP directory Cancel: Exit Explorer or Browser, back to the main screen. The Browser has the mainly the same options as the Explorer but with the browser you can change drives and directories. Just press enter on a directory name to change directories or press [continues on next page.] CD-rom Explorer =================================================================== page 11 enter on drive letter (see brackets [ ], below the filenames). E.g. if a program has a install program which creates a directory somewhere on your hard disk you need to change to that directory to start the program. The browser can also be started directly from the pulldown menu (Alt+U | F) or by pressing ^F. === # 11 ================================================================== Archived files. For cd-roms which contains mostly archived files, you have to take a different approach to explore the directories. (some cd-rom have directories filled with archived files) Example (for a card came directory): First go to the directory CARD GAMES, press ALT+D to insert a Dir_List, now you have a list of all the archived files the directory contains, also each line has a limited space for a brief remark. Press the enter key to open the explorer. The explorer should show the same filename as shown during the File_List, press enter again to unpack the program. Cde unpacks a archive always to the Cde tmp directory. After this operation start the File Browser to go directly to this directory to examine/execute the unpacked program. If you are done press Alt+C to return to the File_List, edit the remark line to describe the program. Use the Erase Tmp button to erase the files in the Cde\tmp directory. === # 12 ================================================================== Cde_dif files This cde_dif.inf file (75 bytes) contains marks and remarks and can be used by Cde to fill both fields, and is filled with all the characters right from the directory line (incl. all spaces). If you create those files (Ctrl+P) in every directory on any drive (CD_ROM producers can use them also) then cde fills the mark and remark spaces with the info from the found cde_dif.inf file. Use CDELINE.EXE from the Dos prompt to create (for active directory) a cde_dif.inf file directly. CD-rom Explorer === # 13 ========================================================== page 12 The extension file. The extension file "cde_ext.dat" combines a program to an extension, and is used in Cde by the Explore and File browser. Example: If you want to start Word perfect with any file with the extension wp5, then you have to add the line, wp5=wp to the file "cde_ext.dat" Now if you start Cde and find a file sample.wp5 in the Explorer or Browser simply press enter on that line to start WP with sample.wp5. Or if want to use a text viewer named Viewtxt with some text files then add one or more lines to the extension file. doc=Viewtxt txt=Viewtxt The file looks like the example below: [ARCHIVE] zip=pkunzip -d arj=arj x lzh=lha x [END_ARCHIVE] bmp=vpic mid=play diz=c:\cde\vv.exe (vv.exe = Cde program to view vendinfo.diz files.) The extensions between the label [ARCHIVE] and label [END_ARCHIVE] are an exception, those extensions and programs are used by Cde to unpack a compressed file to the Cde tmp directory. You may add your own archive program between the two labels. Note: If you place a archive program outside the labels, Cde starts that program like the other extensions. Use "Edit ext. file" Alt+C | E to edit the file "cde_ext.dat" Read the instructions in the file before you change anything. ==== # 14 ================================================================== Error message. If a program started by the Explore or Browser locks the computer or some program errors place you back to Dos, by restarting Cde, Cde show you in which directory the error occured. If the main screen filter was off, the remark *ERROR* can be written in the directory's remark space, if the filter was previously on only the error line number is given. CD-rom Explorer ==== # 15 ========================================================== page 13 Memory Problems. Cde runs complete in base memory including the Drive_Info file so you need enough memory to scan large drives. Cde + Drive_Info screen consumes about 220kb and each line in a Drive_Info file need about 110 bytes (changes by diverted versions). So with 500kb free you should be able to read some 2550 directories. But in practice Cde reserves some memory to keep running. If you have problems reading very large Drive_Info files, examine your memory by typing MEM /C at the dos prompt, to find out which programs use the memory. Disable those programs from your system you don't really need. EMS/XMS memory If a program needs more ems or xms memory then try the Alt+O | S Swap to Disk option, then Cde will not use this memory to store its program data, but uses disk space installed. ==== # 16 ================================================================== Give a Cde copy Shareware version: You may distribute the shareware version freely and also you may upload Cde to bulletin boards. Note: Vendors and shareware distributors see VENDOR.DOC. Registered version: On the floppy of the registered version you will find the batch file GIVECDE.BAT (drive C: needed for tmpfiles) with this file you can create a (shareware) copy for friends. 1 Take your (floppy) copy of Cde and a empty formatted floppy. 2 Put the registered floppy in drive A: or B: and type a: or b: givecde Givecde B 3 follow the instructions from the batch file... done. CD-ROM Explorer ==== # 17 ======================================================== page 14 Windows95. Create a shortcut for Cde on the desktop: There are two ways to create a shortcut on the desktop: Use your right mouse button to click the desktop, click New, and then click Shortcut. Type the correct drive:\path\Cde, or browse to find Cde to make a shortcut. Click Next, and you will be prompted for a shortcut name. Enter "CDE", and then click Finish. OR Open Windows Explorer, and find the map with containes Cde to create a shortcut for Cde. Click and hold the icon while dragging it to the desktop. This creates a shortcut on the desktop named "Shortcut to Cde." Properties: Start Cde (in a Dos-box) and you can make adjustments, select the properties button (hand with letter) to change for example the used fonts. Check "Advanced" to make sure that all the marks there are off. With Cde you can start Dos and Windowsprograms bij selecting a executable file (Explore/Browser) and simply press the enterbutton or dubbelclick with the mouse on the program name. Tips: 1 Run Cde in a Dosbox, then if you start a Windows program Cde remains visible. 2 Alt+Enter : Switches between Dos/Windowsscreen. 3 Alt+Tab : Switch between applications. 4 Alt+Spatie: Running window menu. Extension File: Between the labels [WINDOWS95] AND [END_WINDOWS95] in the file cde_ext.dat you may add links for use with Windows95 only. Use ( Alt+O | E ) to edit this file. (See Chapter Extension File"). CD-ROM Explorer ==== # 18 ======================================================== page 15 Register Cde. CDE IS NOT FREE!, if you continue to use Cde longer then the 30 evaluation days you'll have to register and pay the program. By registering you'll receive a updated version without any shareware messages, limits or build in delay's. With a registered version you can convert newer shareware versions into a registered version, so you don't need to register again. As a BONUS you get a free copy of the utility DIRZIP(tm) This archive shell allows you to pack or unpack a directory by simply typing "dirzip" at the dos prompt. (Needs an archive program.) Or if you use DIRZIP to make a backup from a directory, DIRZIP creates a batch file on a floppy drive to restore the archive to any drive. See Alt+H | O (Order menu) for more information. ==== # 19 ================================================================== Credits/Testers I wish to thank the following beta testers for there dedication, enthusiasm, tips and support. A. van Andel (Dos intern, tests, shareware advice) W. Barendregt (Use of test computer, error messages) P. van den Dungen (BBS viewer, tests, distribution advice) C.W Floor (Dutch version) P. Melchior (Tests, Program and Doc. corrections) ==== # 20 ================================================================== Address Author P. van Andel Boezemlaan 80 3034XD Rotterdam Holland (Europe) Tel +31 (0)10 - 4110966 E-mail 106143.3333@compuserve.com http//ourworld/compuserve.com/homepages/pvandel/homepage.htm