1 Welcome to A1 DOS Utilities (first edition)) _____________________________________________________________ from Eric Rodda-Software A product of Australia _____________________________________________________________ This selection of utilities were written specifically for the enhancement of DOS batch files and menus. The functions included which improve the display and control of batch files, have long been missing from normal DOS programs. SHAREWARE AND REGISTRATION __________________________ The programs in this package are supplied as Shareware, which means that you can use them for a trial period of 60 days, after which, if you are still using them, you should pay the author a Registration fee. This will assist the author to be able to continue to write new programs for you to use. Please give these programs to anyone else who would like them. Ensure all files are distributed in a package. Registration costs are:- $10.00 each program or $40.00 for the whole package. (A disk of the latest version will be supplied in either case - packing and postage included) Site licenses for business and schools where multiple PC's are involved may be negotiated. If a disk of the shareware version is required the cost is $5.00 (Australian), which includes post and package. All of the above prices are in Australian dollars. If a cheque is supplied please ensure that it is payable at an Australian Bank. No personal cheques from outside Australia please, due to high transfer costs. Use an International Money Order or a Bank Draft. Please state disk size required:- 3.5" or 5.25". Please address all requests for Registration and disks to:- Eric Rodda-Software 34 Abbeville Terrace Marion 5043 South Australia 2 WARRANTY -------- This software and accompanying written materials (Including Instructions for use) are provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind. Further Eric Rodda-Software does not warrant, guarantee or make any representations regarding the use or the results of use, of the software and/or written materials, in terms of correctness, accuracy, reliability, or otherwise. The entire risk as to the results and performance of the software is assumed by you. Eric Rodda-Software shall not be held responsible for any direct or indirect, consequential or incidental damages (including damages for loss of business profits business interruption, or business information and the like)arising out of the use or inability to use such products even if Eric Rodda-Software has been advised of the possibility of such damages. INSTALLATION ------------ The DEMO program on the disk will enable you to install the programs onto the hard drive. It will attempt to create a directory named A1 and then copy all the files required into that directory. If for some reason this process fails, just copy all the files to the drive:\directory of your choice. FAST LANE --------- ...To start now, exit this text file (crtl+C) and type DEMO to INSTALL and then experience the utilities for yourself. Read this file later..... The following pages give an overall operation and assistance in using the A1 DOS Utilities. 3 PROGRAM OVERVIEW ________________ All of the programs have been written in Assembly Language for speed of operation and minimum size. The package contains 18 individual programs which are descibed below. (Plus some other files from vendors, possibly) Note:- All .COM programs have HELP screens available with the /? switch after the program name. eg. HL /? Program list:- A1.COM BLANK.COM BLANKS.COM BOX.COM CLEAR.COM DELAY.COM HL.COM KEYSPEED.COM MODE3.COM MODE7.COM MOUSETST.COM MPAUSE.COM PICKESC.COM PLAY.COM TIMEMARK.COM WAITFOR.COM WIPELEFT.COM WIPERITE.COM A1MANUAL.EXE and DEMO.BAT and this file A1.TXT A1.COM ------ A1 includes the following features. * Put text anywhere on the screen * in any color * in horizontal or vertical mode. * Move the cursor to a specific character on a particular row. * or a relative row. * Delay the batch file process. * Make a sound in the PC speaker. * Wait for a particular key to be pressed. * Clear the keyboard buffer. * Clear the screen to a particular color. * Hide the cursor. * "Stuff" a keystroke into the keyboard buffer. * Reset the video mode. * Set errorlevel to match various units. * Initiate a video screen saver. Most of the above facilities can be combined on one command line to allow multiple functions. 4 BLANK.COM and BLANKS.COM ------------------------ These programs give a special screen clear in a spiral effect with a following display of a flashing diamond (bottom right) or a scrolling message respectively. The program then waits for a keystroke before continuing. BOX.COM ------- This is a comprehensive box drawing program which will provide any or all of the following:- * Clear the screen to a particular color. * Place a box on the screen with * any size * any where on the screen * any color border * any color window * a single line, double line border or no border CLEAR.COM --------- The ability to clear the screen in various ways is shown in this program. * Spiral out pattern. * Sprial in pattern. * Wipe from left to right. * Wipe from right to left. * Remove blocks in a "random" pattern. * Leave screen in a particular colour after the effect. DELAY.COM --------- Delay the batch process for up to 99 seconds and by using various keys cause the process to delay further or exit with errorlevel set to match the keystroke. A message can be displayed as defined by the user or have a default message shown. 5 HL.COM ------ This is a very simple method of supply a menu display using a batch file format. HL stands for Highlight. HL.COM supplies an errorlevel output relative to the position of the highlighted menu item selected. The mouse can control the highlight bars and the mouse buttons can emulate keystokes. The program can be used in two different modes:- * Supply a text screen display anyway you can then impress the highlight bars over the selections on that display. The highlight bars can be anywhere on the screen and of any length. * Full screen menu mode is activated by supplying the menu options on the command line inside double quotes KEYSPEED.COM ------------ This function is available in the later DOS versions, but it has never looked like this full screen version. This makes it easy to adjust your keyboard response speed and repeat delay. A command line option is also available to do the process "on the fly" in a batch file. MODE3.COM and MODE7.COM ----------------------- Reset the video mode to the standard text mode for a color (3) or mono (7) screen. MOUSETST.COM ------------ A full screen program to show mouse features and ability. For a Microsoft mouse the version number, type and IRQ used, are all displayed. The X, Y coordinates and button actions are also tracked. 6 MPAUSE.COM ---------- Ever wished you could click the mouse when asked to - "Press any key to continue ..." - well now you can. This program senses if the mouse is loaded and changes the displayed message accordingly. You can also put your own message on the screen to replace the default. PICKESC.COM ----------- Another menu program with exit errorlevel being set by the selection of a character from a string on the command line. PICK from string or ESC to exit. PLAY.COM -------- Liven up your batch files with a musical tune. There are four different modes for this program. * User defined musical notes (mutiple notes per command line) * Preset sounds * Preset melodies * Keyboard interactive mode (full screen, non batch) TIMEMARK.COM ------------ * Generate a date and/or time display of any type required. * Redirect display to file or printer if required. * Exit with errorlevel to cause subsequent action depending on time of day, part of day or on any unit of the date. WAITFOR.COM ----------- Halt operation of a batch file process until a particular time of day. The program allows the user to exclude particular days if required. WIPELEFT AND WIPERITE --------------------- Simple stand alone clear screen programs with a wipe to the left or right respectively. 7 DEMO.BAT -------- This batch file contains a section allowing the user to INSTALL the A1 DOS Utilities on to a hard drive in a directory named A1 made for you by the DEMO.BAT program. Alteratively you can choose not to use DEMO.BAT to install the utilities. Just copy all the files to a directory of your choice. Ensure that all of the files are copied, otherwise DEMO.BAT will not function correctly. Three comprehensive demos are available for the programs:- A1.COM BOX.COM HL.COM Access to all of the HELP screens from all of the utilities, is available from the menus in this batch file. Other products of Eric Rodda-Software are also described in this file. If DEMO.BAT is examined you will be able to see how many of utilities are used to do the various functions. 8 A1MANUAL.EXE ____________ This electronic manual was prepaired by Mr David Stewart of Quirindi Concepts, PO Box 259, Quirindi 2343, NSW, Australia. David has done a great deal of work in presenting the material in an understanding and interactive way. The electronic A1MANUAL can be accessed though the DEMO.BAT program or directly from the DOS prompt by typing:- A1MANUAL The registered version of this package will contain a much enhanced version of this manual giving many tips and hints. 9 NOTES on ERRORLEVEL CHECKING ____________________________ Many programs are designed to exit leaving an "exit code" or an "errorlevel" in a register in the CPU. Batch files can then check for this with "if errorlevel ....". The errorlevel is always a number between 0 and 255. The checking is always done from the largest to the smallest. eg. PROGRAM if errorlevel 3 goto THREE if errorlevel 2 goto TWO if errorlevel 1 goto ONE if errorlevel 0 goto ZERO :THREE ...do something ... :TWO ...do something else ... :ONE ...do another thing ... :ZERO ...do some other thing ... In this example PROGRAM is the program which is designed to exit with various errorlevels. The words THREE, TWO, ONE and ZERO are labels which must be proceeded with a colon as shown. If a particular errorlevel is to be checked it can be done like this:- if errorlevel 12 if not errorlevel 13 goto LABEL .... :LABEL Many of the A1 DOS Utilities are designed to exit with errorlevels. In fact A1.COM can force an errorlevel of any value from 0 to 255 for the purpose of testing batch file processing. 10 FINALE ______ I hope you find these utilities helpful and enjoyable to use. If you have any suggestions or need assistance with any of the A1 DOS Utilities please do not hesitate to write to me at the address indicated in the Registration section of this text file. It is possible for me to make special versions of any of the utilities at a very moderate cost. Once a user has registered the A1 DOS utilities, that user has the rights to use them in any of their own programs which they may want to distribute. To print this file simply ensure the printer is ON and the paper is aligned, then enter the following at the DOS prompt:- TYPE A1.TXT >PRN. (Page breaks have been inserted and all pages contain 60 lines or less.) Thankyou for trying the A1 DOS Utilities (first edition) and keep watching for the next edition. Eric Rodda