4FILES VERSION 3.10 UPDATE ========================== Changes relative to 3.0x versions: ---------------------------------- A few rough edges on the previous version have been fixed and number of new features have been added. The additions: FROM WITHIN FILE MODE: ---------------------- a) Typing "V" displays 'Volume Information,' including the free bytes available on the current drive and an editable VOLUME LABEL field. b) For Copy/Move/Zip operations, the target path input field now is active first, and puts you in the new filename input field. c) During Copy/Move/Zip, the target drive is now checked for write protection before the operation is attempted, giving a timely "mission impossible" message if it is. FROM WITHIN NOTE MODE: ---------------------- a) In note mode, generation of special symbols with Alt-Keypad key combinations is now possible. b) The "whole note copied" message is now cleared automatically by the next keystroke; a separate keystroke is no longer required. ADDITIONS TO CONFIGURATION MENUS: --------------------------------- Switches have been added on the Configuration Options menu to: a) ... to turn 'file overwrite protection' on or off for file copying and moving operations. This switch determines whether any matching filenames in a target directory are automatically overwritten, or whether the user is prompted first. The former action was to always prompt you. b) ... to turn on or off the creation of a DEMARCAT.ION file during directory changes and on exit. This file is used to restore file marks when you return to the directory (a previous feature, please see the manual for details). c) ... to force 4FILES to startup in Note Mode (File Mode is the default). d) ... to force 4FILES to leave numlock as-is on startup. If NumLock was active, this setting allows the keypad to type numbers, but the grey keys still have their 4FILES navigation functions. e) Also, changes have been made to the switches controlling blinking at termination, display of the previous DOS screen, and whether 4FILES colors are retained at exit. Your old settings will not be in effect, so you may need to set these switches. If, with blinking disabled and 4F colors retained at exit you have had trouble with poorly behaved programs showing strange colors, these changes will help and further explanation is given on page 22 of 4F.DOC. OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS: ------------------------- a) During operations from write protected disks, including CDROMs, the DEMARCAT.ION file (preserving file marks) and 0-4F-DOS.ERR error trapping files are now written to your TEMP directory. This avoids the two warning messages ("can't save marks" and "can't trap errors") which were previously generated from read only disks. A ^L (Ctrl-L) command has been added to show the error trapping file via your LIST utility. When leaving this display you are promted to delete the error file. The ^L command will read the error file from the current directory or your TEMP directory, as appropriate. VIDEO MODE CHANGES ON-THE-FLY: ------------------------------ VIDEO MODE CHANGES ON-THE-FLY. cycles through all available video modes, using either of two methods. These are described in the manual. In a nutshell, with EGA and VGA monitors you cycle through 25, 43 and 50 (VGA only) row displays, or you can specify any special extended video mode your hardware supports. See the manual for details. FIXES: ====== The following difficulties or bugs have been fixed: 1) A TEMP directory that was not a root directory was not being recognized as valid, resulting in less than optimal action or no action of several 4FILES features if you had a more complex TEMP directory specification in your environment. 1) Note mode problem fixed. Variously, typed characters would sometimes not show; or the cursor would return to the top of the list rather than the record that was current after a utility was executed. 2) During a prompted (^D)elete, trouble with the (N)o delete option has been fixed. 3) Problem with adding marked files to an existing archive file corrected. 4) The problem encountered when logging onto a disk with too many files has been fixed. In correcting this, capacity has been lowered from 799 to 798 records. 5) Symbols for keys shown on the Utility Ports Configuration menu now keep in synch with your choice of keyboard type or substitution of for on the Configuration Options menu. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE INFORMATION RELATIVE TO VERSION 2U.x o Marked files may now be copied, moved, renamed, and archived (to ZIP, ARJ and LHA formats, with file descriptions included). Marked file operations for file attributes and deletion already existed in earlier versions. o History lists have been added for these input fields: filename, target directory, directory change, and DOS command line. Input field have been completely redesigned. o Many new keystroke commands have been added (see below). o A special keyboard configuration for laptop computers may now be selected. o There is an internal routine for registered users to brand future shareware versions as registered. o The Configuration Routine has been improved, a utility port added, and several option switches added. New command line switches have been added as well. o A DOS-order directory sort has been added to the 10 pre-existing sorts. o The setting and handling of file marks has been improved. TEMP Directory Recommended -------------------------- Note that for the marked file and archiving operations to work as fast as possible you should have a tempory directory, named TEMP, set up. In AUTOEXEC.BAT you can put a statement like: SET TEMP=d:\ where "d" is a RAMDISK or hard drive. A directory may be included in the specification if desired. 4FILES uses the TEMP directory as a place to put temporary it needs to create during some operations, and it deletes its temporary files when done with them. A RAM disk is perfect for this purpose. New Key Mappings ---------------- The keyboard may now be configured for a laptop computer via the configuration screen. The <[>, <]> and keys are substituted for , and respectively. Settings for this switch are 1=AT, 2=PC and 3=laptop, as shown on-screen. The "2" setting substitutes the key for . now toggles the display of file attributes and file times. In addition, still does this on non-laptop keyboards. A new utility port has been added for . In File Mode only, now duplicates ^X (execute immediately). Changed & New Command Line Switches: ------------------------------------ /C(hrono) sort replaces /T(ime/date) sort. /R(everse) sort replaces /D(escending) sort. /U(nsorted) is a new switch, and gives the DOS sort order. The above changes were made to agree with useage in the new Re-sort Menu, which has (U)nsorted added to it. /L For use if 4F is called from a numeric-keypad intensive operation. Keypad state is restored on exit from 4FILES. This is a new switch, required by changes in NumLock (see below). /M Prevents marks in an old DEMARCAT.ION file from being ignored. New keystroke commands: ----------------------- ^C Copy all marked files. ^M Move " " " ^R Rename " " " Z Zip a single file with its file description. ^Z Zip all marked files with file descriptions. @^Y Delete file input or a file description from the cursor to the right. New file marking keys, in addition to the old F5, F6, ^F5 and ^F6: ------------------------------------------------------------------ Toggle marked/unmarked for the current file. <^SPACE> Swap (toggle) the marks on all files. <^/> and <^\> These duplicate <^F5> & <^F6> file marking. Other Keys ---------- Now has its normal, keypad-toggling function back. Toggles the display of file attributes and creation time. (This is what did in earlier versions.) ^D IN TEXT ENTRY MODES: Deletes the file descriptions for all marked files (giving a prompt first of course). In file mode this key deletes marked files. The prompts appear on different segments of the screen to help distinguish the pending actions of the two senses of this key. ^H IN FILE MODE: If 4DOS is active, shell to DOS and show the command history window. ^H IN TEXT ENTRY MODES: Destructive backspace. ^W Presents a DESCRIPT.ION Write Menu, with choices to (S)ave notes immediately or (A)bandon all unsaved note edits. Alternate exit means in Windows and OS/2 since the preferred <@ESC> and <^ESC> keys are appropriated by these systems. <^INS> These three keys cut and paste text as they do in Windows ... <$INS> ... and are in addition to the preferred use of the F9 ... <$DEL> ... and F10 keys. Laptop keyboard switch -- see detailed description above. --------------------------------------------------------- Directory List Sorting ---------------------- In the sorting menu, ascending or descending sorts are now selected with the UpArrow or DownArrow keys, rather than or . (U)nsorted has been added. -= end =-