CAL2K Version 4.0 Pop-up Calendar for DOS Copyright 1991, 1994 by J. Douglas Fogg CONTENTS OF SELF-EXTRACTING CAL2K4.EXE CAL2K.TXT -- This file. Complete instructions for CAL2K. CAL2K.COM -- The executeable CAL2K program file. WHAT IS CAL2K? CAL2K is a small, pop-up calendar for use on IBM-PC-compatible computers, and on the Tandy 2000 (a not-so-IBM-compatible machine on which the original versions of CAL2K were developed). Once loaded into your computer's memory, CAL2K uses only 4 KB of memory. With later versions of DOS, it can be loaded high with the DOS LOADHIGH command so as to use none of the precious memory below 640K. The primary design goal was to keep it small. It's not an appointment manager or daily planner; it's just a one-month perpetual calendar which you can call up over any DOS program by pressing the hot key. It's valid from 1583 A. D. (the first full year of the Gregorian calendar) through 9999 A. D. CAL2K FEATURES Reconfigurable hot key -- you pick the hot key you want to activate CAL2K when you first load it, or anytime thereafter. Time display -- current 24-hour time is displayed at the top of the CAL2K calendar. Today highlighted -- When the current month is being displayed, the current day will be highlighted. Easy month & year selection -- the up & down arrow cursor keys raise and lower the displayed calendar year by one. The right and left arrow cursor keys change the displayed calendar ahead or back (respectively) one month. Quick jump to any year -- just type the four digits of any year between 1583 and 9999 and the currently displayed calendar jumps to that year. Last displayed month memory -- The first time you pop up the CAL2K calendar, it shows the current month. If you change to any other month, that month will be the one displayed when you again press the CAL2K hot key. Pop up in graphics modes -- CAL2K will pop up over any DOS screen, including graphics mode screens, something many pop-up utilities will not do. However, to keep CAL2K small, it was not given the capability to remember what was underneath the calendar in graphics modes; it restores only text mode screens. Be aware that CAL2K will leave a gaping rectangle of nothing after you finish using it in graphics mode. Also, depending on the color palette in use by the parent program when you call up the CAL2K calendar, it may be difficult or impossible to see because of the colors used. Again, this was a trade-off decided in favor of minimal program size. Tandy 2000 compatibility -- CAL2K Version 4.0, while functionally identical to the previous Version 3.2, now has complete and separate hot key tables for the Tandy 2000 and the IBM-PC-compatibles. The hot key you pick can be virtually any key or key combination which produces an extended ASCII code. A complete list of available hot key codes for both the Tandy 2000 and the IBM-PC-compatibles is at the end of these instructions. STARTING CAL2K Once the CAL2K.COM file has been copied to the drive and directory of your choice, simply switch to that drive and directory, type CAL2K and press . CAL2K will install itself in memory, automatically recognizing whether it is running on an IBM-PC-compatible or a Tandy 2000. The default hot key is ALT-C (hold the "ALT" key down and press the "C" key). Just press ALT-C to pop up the calendar. Press to put it away. CHANGING HOT KEYS To select a different hot key, enter it's code on the command line along with "CAL2K". The code is a two-digit hex number which is the least-significant byte of the two-byte extended ASCII code returned by the key or key combination. Extended ASCII codes are returned by the funtion keys, the cursor keys, and, when combined with the CTRL or ALT keys, most other keys on the keyboard. Two tables at the end of these instructions, one for the Tandy 2000 and one for IBM-PC-compatibles, list all of the codes which CAL2K can recognize as its hot key. For example, to make the hot key ALT-K instead of ALT-C, type: CAL2K 25 CAL2K will respond with the message: CAL2K calendar display key changed to ALT-K To make the hot key ALT-F5, type CAL2K 6C You can change the hot key from the default any time. Do it when you first start CAL2K, or after it's already loaded. While you should never initially load a memory-resident program like CAL2K from a DOS prompt obtained while another parent program is running, you CAN safely change the CAL2K hot key any time. INVALID HOT KEY CODES If CAL2K doesn't recognize the hot key code you enter, or if you enter extraneous characters on the command line, the hot key will remain as it was. CAL2K will display a portion of its sign-on screen reminding you of the syntax for changing hot keys, and letting you know what the current hot key is. FORGOTTEN HOT KEY If you forget what the current hot key is for CAL2K, just type: CAL2K CAL2K will respond as above with syntax instructions and the current hot key. INITIAL MONTH DISPLAY & TIME DISPLAY The first time you pop up CAL2K, it will display the current month and current time (as detected from your computer's system clock). Today's date will be highlighted. If the month, day, or time is incorrect, adjust your computer's clock with the DOS DATE and/or TIME commands (see your DOS manual). CHANGING THE DISPLAYED MONTH When the CAL2K calendar is displayed, you can change it to a different month or year using keys as follows: Right arrow -- Show next month. Left arrow -- Show previous month. Up arrow -- Show same month for next year. Down arrow -- Show same month for previous year. To jump immediately to the same month in any given year, just type the four digits of the year. When you type the fourth digit, the CAL2K calendar will immediately jump to the same month in that year. Then use the left or right arrow keys as above to select the appropriate month. STOWING THE CALENDAR Press to put the calendar away. If you called up the calendar over a text mode screen, the original screen contents will be restored. If the underlying screen was a graphics mode display, the original contents will be lost. Many programs will provide a way to "repaint" the same screen. Use that feature to restore the screen after using CAL2K in graphics mode. If the program you're using offers no way to repaint the screen, you may wish to refrain from using CAL2K at such times. CAL2K AND YOUR MOUSE After stowing the CAL2K calendar by pressing , you may find your computer will ignore the mouse buttons. Just press a harmless key (such as the spacebar) to restore mouse button action. CAL2K AND BACKGROUND TASKS Displaying the CAL2K calendar may interrupt some background tasks like printing. If these tasks do not resume immediately when you stow the calendar, they should resume as soon as you press another key on the keyboard. CAL2K AND WINDOWS CAL2K is not a Windows program. It won't pop up over the Windows Program Manager or other Windows programs. However, if you load CAL2K at the DOS prompt (or with your AUTOEXEC.BAT file) before running Windows, CAL2K will be available anytime you run a DOS program or call up the DOS prompt from within Windows. If you don't load CAL2K before starting Windows, but instead load it at a DOS prompt called up from within Windows, it will work only until you end that DOS session (i. e., close the window containing the DOS program or DOS prompt). OTHER ERROR MESSAGES If CAL2K doesn't recognize your computer as being either a Tandy 2000 or an IBM-PC-compatible, it will beep and ask you whether or not to install itself in IBM-PC-compatible mode anyway. If you say no (by pressing the "N" key), CAL2K will abort its installation. If you say yes (by pressing the "Y" key), CAL2K will install itself using the IBM-PC-compatible hot key table. Some hot key choices may not work depending on how incompatible with the IBM keyboard codes your machine is. The Tandy 1000 is an example of a computer which may produce this prompt. FORCING CAL2K INTO IBM-PC-COMPATIBLE MODE You can add a command line switch ("/I") when you first install CAL2K to force it into IBM-PC-compatible mode. This is equivalent to answering "Y" to the "... Install in IBM mode anyway?" prompt described above. By using the switch, you can eliminate the prompt. This is useful when you install CAL2K via your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. For example, CAL2K 6C /I sets the hot key to ALT-F5 and forces installation in IBM mode. If you use the "/I" switch ("/i" works, too), you MUST specify the hot key, even if you wish to use the default ALT-C (code 2E). On a Tandy 2000, the "/I" switch is ignored. LEGALESE IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation Tandy is a trademark of Tandy Corporation Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation CAL2K.COM and CAL2K.TXT are distributed as a self-extracting archive file, CAL2K4.EXE, portions of which are copyrighted by Haruyasu Yoshizaki. CAL2K Version 4.0 is a copyrighted work by J. Douglas Fogg, who reserves all rights. Recipients of CAL2K are licensed to use and copy the CAL2K software. Any profits from the distribution or sale of the software (except profits of bulletin board sytems to which CAL2K has been uploaded by the author) become the property of the author. Users may modify the software as they see fit, but any distribution or sale of the software must be in unmodified form (i.e., CAL2K4.EXE, containing CAL2K.TXT and CAL2K.COM) as originally distributed by the author. No warranty of any kind is expressed or implied by the author, who is also not liable for damages of any kind arising from the use of CAL2K. CONTACTING THE AUTHOR The author may be contacted via CompuServe [70355,1017]. ---------------------------------------------------------------- IBM-PC-Compatible Hot Key Table Key Normal Control Alt Shift --------------------------------------------- Esc -- -- 01 -- F1 3B 5E 68 54 F2 3C 5F 69 55 F3 3D 60 6A 56 F4 3E 61 6B 57 F5 3F 62 6C 58 F6 40 63 6D 59 F7 41 64 6E 5A F8 42 65 6F 5B F9 43 66 70 5C F10 44 67 71 5D F11 85 89 8B 87 F12 86 8A 8C 88 ` -- -- 29 -- 1 -- -- 78 -- 2 -- 03 79 -- 3 -- -- 7A -- 4 -- -- 7B -- 5 -- -- 7C -- 6 -- 07 7D -- 7 -- -- 7E -- 8 -- -- 7F -- 9 -- -- 80 -- 0 -- -- 81 -- - -- -- 82 -- = -- -- 83 -- \ -- -- 2B -- Backspace -- -- 0E -- Insert 52 92 A2 52 Home 47 77 97 47 PageUp 49 84 99 49 / -- 95 A4 -- * * -- 96 37 -- * - -- 8E 4A -- * Tab -- 94 A5 0F Q -- -- 10 -- W -- -- 11 -- E -- -- 12 -- R -- -- 13 -- T -- -- 14 -- Y -- -- 15 -- U -- -- 16 -- I -- -- 17 -- O -- -- 18 -- P -- -- 19 -- [ -- -- 1A -- ] -- -- 1B -- Enter -- -- 1C -- Delete 53 93 A3 53 End 4F 75 9F 4F PageDown 51 76 A1 51 Home 47 77 -- -- * Up Arrow 48 8D -- -- * PgUp 49 84 -- -- * + -- 90 4E -- * A -- -- 1E -- S -- -- 1F -- D -- -- 20 -- F -- -- 21 -- G -- -- 22 -- H -- -- 23 -- J -- -- 24 -- K -- -- 25 -- L -- -- 26 -- ; -- -- 27 -- ' -- -- 28 -- Left Arrow 4B 73 -- -- * 5 4C 8F -- -- * Rt. Arrow 4D 74 -- -- * Z -- -- 2C -- X -- -- 2D -- C -- -- 2E -- V -- -- 2F -- B -- -- 30 -- N -- -- 31 -- M -- -- 32 -- , -- -- 33 -- . -- -- 34 -- / -- -- 35 -- Up Arrow 48 8D 98 48 End 4F 75 -- -- * Down Arrow 50 91 -- -- * PgDn 51 76 -- -- * Left Arrow 4B 73 9B 4B Down Arrow 50 91 A0 50 Rt. Arrow 4D 74 9D 4D Ins 52 92 -- -- * Del 53 93 -- -- * Enter -- -- A6 -- * *Indicates a key on the numeric keypad (with NumLock off) ________________________________________________________________ Tandy 2000 Hot Key Table Key Normal Control Alt Shift --------------------------------------------- F1 3B 5E 68 54 F2 3C 5F 69 55 F3 3D 60 6A 56 F4 3E 61 6B 57 F5 3F 62 6C 58 F6 40 63 6D 59 F7 41 64 6E 5A F8 42 65 6F 5B F9 43 66 70 5C F10 44 67 71 5D F11 98 AC B6 A2 F12 99 AD B7 A3 Insert 52 9F A0 89 Delete 53 9D 9E 8A Break 00 -- 00 00 Esc -- -- 8B -- 1 -- -- 78 -- 2 -- 03 79 -- 3 -- -- 7A -- 4 -- -- 7B -- 5 -- -- 7C -- 6 -- -- 7D -- 7 -- -- 7E -- 8 -- -- 7F -- 9 -- -- 80 -- 0 -- -- 81 -- - -- -- 82 -- = -- -- 83 -- Backspace -- -- 8C -- Print -- 72 46 -- \ -- 93 -- -- * ~ -- 94 -- -- * PgUp -- 84 49 -- * Tab -- 8D 8E 0F Q -- -- 10 -- W -- -- 11 -- E -- -- 12 -- R -- -- 13 -- T -- -- 14 -- Y -- -- 15 -- U -- -- 16 -- I -- -- 17 -- O -- -- 18 -- P -- -- 19 -- [ -- -- 1A -- ] -- -- 1B -- Enter -- -- 8F -- | -- 95 -- -- * 5 -- -- -- -- * 6 -- -- -- -- * A -- -- 1E -- S -- -- 1F -- D -- -- 20 -- F -- -- 21 -- G -- -- 22 -- H -- -- 23 -- J -- -- 24 -- K -- -- 25 -- L -- -- 26 -- ; -- -- -- -- ' -- -- -- -- Up Arrow 48 90 91 85 Home 47 77 A6 4A End 4F 75 -- -- * ` -- 9A -- -- * PgDn 51 76 -- -- * Z -- -- 2C -- X -- -- 2D -- C -- -- 2E -- V -- -- 2F -- B -- -- 30 -- N -- -- 31 -- M -- -- 32 -- , -- -- -- -- . -- -- -- -- / -- -- -- -- Left Arrow 4B 73 92 87 Down Arrow 50 96 97 86 Rt. Arrow 4D 74 -- 88 0 -- 9C 9B -- * . -- A4 A5 A1 * Enter -- -- 8F -- * *Indicates a key on the numeric keypad (with NumLock off)