UPDATE INFORMATION 4FILES 3.0 ------------------ o Capacity is increased to 799 records. 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. o A special keyboard configuration for laptop computers is now available. 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 added if desired. 4FILES deletes its temporary files when done with them. History Lists ------------- There are separate history lists for the following user input fields: 1) the ^E command, 2) directory changes, 3) renaming during copy/move, 4) renaming with the "R" command, 5) archive names (when zipping, etc.), and 6) the target directory for copy/move/archive. Once commands have been executed, the up and down arrow keys will scroll the appropriate history list from the bottom and top respectively. The current filename is located at the top of all filename history lists (the input field is initially blank). Each list has a capacity of ten strings, and beyond that the oldest will scroll off. The newest string is at the bottom, as in 4DOS. File Management Operations -------------------------- Copy, Move, Rename and archiving rely on shelling to DOS. By default the activity occurs full screen, but configuration switches may be set to cause execution in a nice window (by setting full screen to "N"). This does not work with some video cards (with controllers that break the rules). An option switch allows these DOS to run in a window rather than full-screen. File Archiving -------------- The archiver history list maintains ".ZIP", ".ARJ", and ".LZH" templates at the top of the list, and they will not scroll off (making the active capacity of the list seven strings). When archiving, if no extension is specified, .ZIP is assumed. Based on the extension given, or the default, PKZIP, ARJ, or LHA is called via a secondary DOS shell. This allows the archiver to be found by DOS via your PATH statement. At present there is no field on the configuration menu to specifiy the location of the archivers. File descriptions will automatically be added to ZIP files as comments. While ARJ also has a provision for storing file comments, at present 4FILES is unable to take advantage of it. LHA does not accommodate file comments. 4FILES does not yet have an internal means of unarchiving files, so you will need to continue to rely on other utilities such as 4UNZIP for the time being. File Marks ---------- File marks are stored in each directory in a file called DEMARCAT.ION. By default, when 4FILES enters a directory it reads this file and checks first to see if it was created during the current 4FILES session. If not, it is deleted and ignored; if so, it is read and then deleted. This behaviour may be changed with one of the configuration switches, so that marks from a previous session are retained. If when loading 4FILES it is necessary to reuse old file marks but this configuration switch is not "on," you may use the /M command line switch instead. The disk overflow protection system takes into account the size of both the DESCRIPT.ION and DEMARCAT.ION files (if any) which will be written for the current directory, assuring that these files will not be truncated by trying to write to a disk which does not have enough room for them. 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). Configuration Option Info ------------------------- For Copy, Move, and Rename operations there is now a configuration menu switch for determining whether an existing 4DOS command or user alias named COPY, MOVE or RENAME will be unaliased before sending the command. NOTE THAT ENABLING ALIASES DISABLES THE SAFETY IN 4FILES WHICH PREVENTS MARKED FILES FROM OVERWRITING ONE ANOTHER IF THE TARGET DIRECTORY DOES NOT EXIST. You MUST incorporate this safety yourself into BOTH the copy and move aliases you use, for example by including the 4DOS /D switch. 4FILES operates this way to support users who have aliases which complete a path fragment (given for a copy/move operation) into a full path. If 4FILES were totally safe for both switch settings, such aliases would be pre-empted by the prompt to create the non-existent directory, which is what a path fragment appears to be. Note that the entry for this switch on the configuration menu has a "_CAUTION!_" statement. The switch is completely safe if set to "N." If set to "Y," you must take the above precautions. Also, if set to "Y" your aliases must be able to handle (either using or discarding) both the /R and /P switches. 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 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 =-