I HAVE A DREAM (or two) -------------- Wouldn't it be great if all software was distributed as shareware? Anyone could try it out for a limited period of time, and then decide if they would like to register their copy to obtain full functionality and user support. Another thing is the GUI (Graphical User Interface) most people are using nowadays; I wish we had a CUI (Character based User Interface) as an alternative for all those PCs with somewhat less than 486DX33 and 8MB RAM. If the major software makers had agreed on some CUI before that day back in 1990, Windows wouldn't have been all over us. Many of us enjoy leisure software on our PCs. This kind of software seldom runs under Windows, which is just one of the cases where you need TCutilities! Send any feedback on TCutilities (or my dream) to this address: Tore Christoffersen Petedalsflaten 24 5049 Sandsli Norway Telephone: 47 - 55 - 228714 ³ ³ ³ Norway ÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ³ Sandsli ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ Me ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ INSTALLING TCutilities ---------------------- To install TCutilities, do this: Unzip TCU31.ZIP in a temporary directory (e.g. C:\TMP). Then run INSTALL.EXE from this directory and follow the instructions. The installation program will prompt you for three directories (startup, program and work), and then copy the necessary files to run TCutilities. Then it will launch TCeditor to show you this file. M.BAT, TCM.BAT, TCF.BAT and ED.BAT will be placed in a directory which is specified in your PATH. You must select one of the directories in your current path as the startup directory. TCutilities consists of the following files; Name Purpose ------------ -------------------------------------------------- M.BAT Batch file to start TCM.BAT TCM.BAT Batch file to start TCmenu TCF.BAT Batch file to start TCfiler ED.BAT Batch file to start TCeditor TCMEND.BAT Batch file called when you exit TCmenu TCFEND.BAT Batch file called when you exit TCfiler TCMRUN.EXE Main program for TCmenu TCFRUN.EXE Main program for TCfiler TCERUN.EXE Main program for TCeditor TCCRUN.EXE Configuration program for TCutilities TC.TXT Source screen text file TC*.NLS Screen texts (generated using TCNLSGEN.EXE) TC*.HLP Help files TCNLSGEN.EXE Used to generate TC*.NLS (see below) TCLICENS.EXE Used to burn license information into TCutilities TCTRUN.EXE Time Consuming Game *.MEN Sample menu files Files generated by TCMRUN.EXE: Name Purpose ------------ -------------------------------------------------- TCMDO.BAT Batch file containing commands for executing menu selections, or starting TCfiler. TCM.INI Configuration *.TML Log files for menu items usage Files generated by TCFRUN.EXE: Name Purpose ------------ -------------------------------------------------- TCFDO.BAT Batch file for running programs, editing a file or making backups of files. TCF.INI Configuration TCF.WIN Current state of windows within TCfiler TCF?.LOG Log files for directory trees (TCFC.LOG = drive C:) Files generated by TCERUN.EXE: Name Purpose ------------ -------------------------------------------------- TCE.INI Configuration Files generated by TCTRUN.EXE: Name Purpose ------------ -------------------------------------------------- TCI.INI Configuration HOW IT WORKS: ------------- TC?RUN.EXE all accept one parameter, which is the directory where they are allowed to write theis configuration and temporary files. This is TCM.BAT: ECHO OFF C:\TCU\TCMRUN C:\TCU\WORK C:\TCU\WORK\TCMDO TCM.BAT launches TCMRUN.EXE, which will generate TCMDO.BAT. The next thing TCM.BAT does is to call TCMDO.BAT, which completes the loop. This architecture leaves all memory available when TCmenu launches an application. M.BAT is used to get TCM.BAT going: ECHO OFF C:\TCU\TCM To run TCmenu, type M from the DOS prompt and press Enter. M.BAT and TCM.BAT must be placed in a directory which is included in your current PATH. When you exit TCmenu, TCMDO.BAT will search for TCMEND.BAT in the same directory as TCMRUN.EXE. If it exists, it will be called. This allows you to decide what happens AFTERWARDS. A dummy TCMEND.BAT is supplied. This is TCF.BAT: ECHO OFF C:\TCU\TCFRUN C:\TCU\WORK C:\TCU\WORK\TCFDO TCfiler operates in a loop just like TCmenu. To run TCfiler separately, type TCF from the DOS prompt and press Enter. TCF.BAT must be placed in a directory which is included in your current PATH. When you exit TCfiler, TCFDO.BAT will search for TCFEND.BAT in the work directory. If it exists, it will be called. A dummy TCFEND.BAT is supplied. ED.BAT is used to start TCeditor. Supply the name of the file(s) you want to edit (e.g. ED C:\CONFIG.SYS C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT). RUN TCutilities ON A NETWORK ---------------------------- To run TCutilities on a network, install TC*.EXE, TC*.NLS and TC*.HLP in a directory on a network drive (e.g. Y:\UTIL). Assuming each user has a personal network drive called P:, TCM.BAT must be changed like this: ECHO OFF Y:\UTIL\TCMRUN P:\ P:\TCMDO To run TCfiler on a network, edit TCF.BAT to look like this: ECHO OFF Y:\UTIL\TCFRUN P:\ P:\TCFDO CONFIGURING TCutilities ----------------------- This is how TCutilities configure themselves; 1) Search for INI file in the work directory. 2) If not found, search for INI file in the program directory. 3) If not found, use default values. This allows you to configure TCutilities before you install them on a network by placing modified INI files together with the EXE files. To generate your own INI files, run TCutilities locally. CONFIGURATION USING ENVIRONMENT TCFLAGS --------------------------------------- The environment variable TCFLAGS is used to determine certain features: SET TCFLAGS= A- = user cannot modify menus in TCmenu D- = user cannot use the DOS Shell function S- = user cannot edit the system configuration X- = user cannot exit from the main menu in TCmenu For example, to prevent users from exiting to DOS or editing the system configuration (C:\CONFIG.SYS and C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT), specify SET TCFLAGS=D-S- TRANSLATE INTO YOUR OWN LANGUAGE -------------------------------- The English text elements for TCutilities are listed in TC.TXT, which is used as a source file for generating files with extension NLS (National Language Support). The NLS files are named like this; TCMNO.NLS ³³ ³ ³³ ÀÄ extension ³ÀÄÄÄÄ language, e.g. NO=Norway, UK=England, US=USA ÀÄÄÄÄÄ M=TCmenu, F=TCfiler, E=TCeditor, T=TCtetris, _=system To translate TCutilities into your own language, follow these steps: 1) Edit TC.TXT to include entries for your own language (use the English sections as guides and replace UK with your own two-letter language abbreviation (e.g. SP for Spanish). DO NOT add, delete or rearrange lines within the sections !! 2) The character on line 0 (default ^) in each section is the highlight character. If you wish to use another character (e.g. "@") as highlight character, a section in your TC.TXT could look like this: @ @Nei @Ja 3) To generate NLS files, run TCNLSGEN.EXE from the directory where TC.TXT is located. 4) Copy the NLS files to the program directory of TCutilities. 5) To translate the help files, make copies of TC?UK.HLP (e.g. COPY TC?UK.HLP TC?NO.*) and then edit the copies. DO NOT change the lines that start with an asterisk (*) !! DISCLAIMER ---------- In no event will the author be held responsible for any damages to you or any person or any equipment from using TCutilities, regardless of any form of the claim. (So there;-) VERSION HISTORY --------------- Version Date Remark ------- --------- ------------------------------------------------------ 1.x 88 - 91 * Lots of work... 2.0 27 AUG 91 * First official release (Beta tester: Vegard Bakke) 2.01 17 SEP 91 * Improved mouse control, onscreen license information 2.02 19 NOV 91 * Uses 43/50-lines mode on EGA/VGA video adapters * TCfiler: User can decide which drives to log * TCfiler: Association between programs and data files 2.03 31 MAR 92 * First release to include TCmenu, TCeditor and TCtetris * Improved help function with scroll bar * Improved mouse control (function key area) * TCfiler: Compare files in two directories (Feedback: Carl Bretteville) 2.04 30 JUN 92 * Configuration more accessible (Feedback: Truls Soebstad) * Color palettes common for all the programs * TCeditor: Improved mouse control * TCeditor: Cut and Paste text * TCmenu: Place menus anywhere on the screen * TCmenu: Cut and Paste menu items 2.05 07 SEP 92 * INSTALL.BAT replaced by TCINST.EXE * Mouse buttons with 3D effect in dialog boxes * TCmenu: Improved mouse control (drag'n'drop menus) * Drag'n'drop cursor in pulldown menus 3.0 12 DEC 92 * First release of TCutilities (one license for all) * True slider box functionality (Feedback: Carl Bretteville) * TCmenu: Single click on menu items to enable positioning of the cursor using the mouse; click again to activate (Feedback: Jon Harald Dunstroem) * Support for left handed mouse * TCfiler + TCeditor: Drag select using the mouse * OK/Cancel used instead of Yes/No/Cancel where appropriate 3.1 22 MAR 94 * KISS=KeepItSmallandSimple * TCmenu: Configuration of DOS prompt * TCfiler: Available drives accessible at all times * TCconfig: better mouse control in selecting colours (Feedback: Karin Berthels) REGISTRATION & FEEDBACK ----------------------- Distribute TCutilities like crazy. If you want to register your copy of this fine product, send your name and address and 300 NOK to me, whereupon I will send you a license number and a code to be used with TCLICENS.EXE (and of course include you in my database of registered users for future product info and user support). To register, run TCLICENS.EXE from the program directory of TCutilities. When a dialog box appears, you must type your name, license number, and code. Press Enter to burn the license information into TCutilities. Honor me by sending me your comments and feedback on TCutilities, and I will honor you by mentioning you in the version history of future releases. *** END OF FILE ***