Copyright 1993, Hyperion Softword THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS INTENDED FOR THE USE OF SHAREWARE DISTRIBUTORS PROGRAM TITLE: Orpheus VERSION: 1.62 RELEASED ON: July 7, 1993 NEW IN THIS VERSION: (Please see the WHATS.NEW file) PROGRAM AUTHOR: Rod Willmot Hyperion Softword 535 Duvernay Sherbrooke, QC Canada J1L 1Y8 (819-566-6296) INTENDED USER: Writers of online books, manuals, tutorials, or any other form of electronic documentation with a hypertext component. SHORT DESCRIPTION: Orpheus is a writer-friendly hypertext authoring system, consisting of two programs: OH.EXE, the authoring program itself, and OHREAD.EXE, a reader to distribute with compiled electronic books. WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THIS SOFTWARE: * Hypertext authoring in Orpheus is easier, faster, more intuitive than in any other system on the market. * Compiled books form a seamless package with an impressive user- interface. Readers see a gorgeous end-product that is easy to navigate and fun to read. * Link to graphics, embed hotspots in graphics, launch programs, play music... or just do fabulously readable text. The end-user can click on a word and get anything you can imagine. * Import existing text or use the powerful hypertext word processor in the authoring program's Integrated Development Environment. * The Orpheus Reader has bookmarks, a notepad, printing, online help, configurable colors, even a Tour Mode for self-running displays. CAPACITY AND LIMITATIONS: Documents can contain up to 32,000 linked cards and graphics. A text card can hold up to 250 links to any combination of text cards and graphics. There are 7 link types, of which one can be reserved for the author's notes and excluded from the compiled version, while three others are for script commands entered in the easy Orpheus Command Language. REQUIREMENTS: Orpheus requires an IBM XT- or AT-compatible computer with DOS 3.1 or later. The authoring program requires a hard disk; the Orpheus Reader does not. IS A MANUAL INCLUDED? Yes. The file MANUAL1.DOC provides an introduction to hypertext and a series of step-by-step tutorials on how to make hypertext with Orpheus. (Both programs include online help -- context-sensitive, with hypertext links of course! Help in the authoring program is an exhaustive resource with nearly 250K of texts on every facet of the system.) In addition the file MANUAL2.DOC provides a complete guide to using the Orpheus Command Language (for authors who wish to display graphics, launch programs, play music, etc). SUPPORT: Orpheus is supported on three levels, all of them free: (1) voice support over the telephone (11:30 am to 11:30 pm, Eastern Time); (2) email support via Internet and GEnie, as well as the shareware conferences of several public echomail networks; (3) two support BBS's providing free updates. See the README file for details. HOW TO START THE PROGRAM: At the DOS prompt, "OH [Enter]" starts up the authoring program; you can also give the name of a file. For example, to start up Orpheus Author and simultaneously initiate a new project called "Test", you would give the command "OH TEST [Enter]". See MANUAL1.DOC (Chapter 1) for more information. To start up the Orpheus Reader with the demo book "Introducing Orpheus", give the command "OHREAD INTRO.HTX [Enter]" at the DOS prompt. REGISTRATION: Orpheus is distributed as shareware, with a registration fee of $79. Registered users receive bonus utilities and an unlimited licence to sell, give away, or otherwise distribute their compiled works together with the Orpheus Reader. Registration numbers are built right into compiled books as the ultimate proof of copyright. Site licensing is available to companies requiring multiple copies of the authoring program. SUGGESTED CATALOG TEXT: For hypertext writers, for anyone wishing to create electronic books and manuals, Orpheus is a dream come true. The system is two programs: Orpheus Author (OH.EXE), an Integrated Development Environment for composing hypertext; and Orpheus Reader (OHREAD.EXE), a slick but easy-to- use program for registered users to distribute with their finished works. Both programs come with pulldown menus and online help, mouse support, and configurable colors. Orpheus Author gives you seamless integration between the act of writing and the act of hypertext linking. All features are accessible through menus and dialogs, and most have keyboard accelerators. There are no special codes or brackets to insert; you can quickly develop a complex hypertext network that is a joy to navigate and a pleasure to read. Extensive word processing tools include reformatting, search and replace, block operations including column mode and mouse-marking, a boxdraw mode for making tables and boxes, everything you need to write well and make text look great onscreen. Hypertext tools let you refine and restructure your hypertext network at will, letting it grow and change following the flow of ideas -- safely and easily, with a couple of keystrokes or clicks of the mouse. With 4 independent Edit windows you can keep separate "growing points" of your work close to hand (Orpheus saves your window configuration when you end a session). A fifth window provides read-only access to other files for quickly importing external text. Every Orpheus book can hold up to 32,000 cards; each card can have up to 250 links to any combination of text cards and graphics; graphics in turn can have hotspots linked to other graphics or to text. Finished works are compiled into two or more compressed files for efficient distribution with the Orpheus Reader. The Orpheus Reader is the public's gateway to you and your work. It offers a user-friendly interface combined with the under-the-hood sophistication to take full advantage of the user's hardware. (Even if you wrote your book in monochrome, users with color will get glorious color; but if you used graphics that the reader's system can't display, Orpheus handles this gracefully.) Features on the menu include a notepad with hypertext linking, a bookmark dialog where the user can enter descriptive comments for up to 10 bookmarks, and printing. The author of Orpheus provides support through GEnie and Internet addresses, as well as the shareware conferences of several public echomail networks. A sample book included with the Reader (INTRO.HTX) demonstrates what the system can do. FILES IN THIS PACKAGE: README ....................... general info and file list OH.EXE ....................... Orpheus Author, the authoring program WHATS.NEW .................... new features, fixes, changes REGISTER.DOC ................. order form VENDOR.TXT ................... this file OH.HLP ....................... online help for the authoring program MANUAL1.DOC .................. manual/tutorial on OH.EXE MANUAL2.DOC .................. guide to Orpheus Command Language OHREAD.EXE ................... the Orpheus Reader OHREAD.HLP ................... its online help INTRO.HTX .................... demo book to read with Reader INTR_.1 ...................... part of demo book INTRO.FGI .................... library file for demo SHOWRUN.BAT .................. sample batch file called by demo