Date: 19-Oct-90 12:19 EDT
From: Chris Barr [PC MagNet] [72241,13]
Subj: PCSORT.DOC

PCSORT, by Michael J. Mefford, is a multi-line, multi-field text file
sorter, that does everything SORT.EXE can do--and plenty more.

USING PCSORT
The syntax for PCSORT is:

PCSORT [filename] [options]

PCSORT COMMAND-LINE SUMMARY
/Snn=size of record in lines (1-9)
Default=1
/Pnn=sort priority (1-9)
Default=1
/RSort current priority in reverse order
Default = ascending
/NNumeric sort current priority
Default = Alphanumeric
/L[n]Line sort:
n=record sort line (1-9)
default=1
default sort is a line sort
/[B][+] nn [xx [y]]Block or column sort:
nn=start column
xx=width
y=sort line (1-9)
defaults: nn=1; xx=start column to end of line; y=1
/W [+|-] nWord sort:
n=word count
default = plus 1
minus = count from end of record
/C Case sensitive sort
Default = Case insensitive

Shown above are the many switches you can use, either at the command
line or within batch files, to configure PCSORT for your own needs.
The options listed need be used only if you're using PCSORT as a
filter--in combination with the DOS redirection characters |, <, and >.
A common example is piping DOS directory's output to a filter and
redirecting the filter's output to a file.

PCSORT MENU COMMAND SUMMARY

PgUp/PgDn Next page
Arrow keys Cursor
Home(1) Beginning of column
Home(2) Top of page
Home(3) Top of text (the third time you press Home)
End(1) End of column
End(2) End of page
End(3) End of text (the third time you press End)
Ctrl Home Beginning of text
Ctrl End End of text
Enter Beginning of next line
F1 Displays all sort fields at a glance
Alt-F1 Resets all the sort variables to their defaults
F2 Save file
F3 New file
F4 Sort text
F5 Increase lines per record (1-9)
Shift F5 Decrease lines per record
/F6 Select next key priority (1-9)
Shift F6 Select previous key priority}
F7 Sort order (de/ascending)
F8 Alphanumeric or Numeric sort
F9 Select next Field type: Line, block, word or none
Shift F9 Select previous Field type
F10 Mark the record line for line sort
or mark block sort field
or select sort word count
Shift F10 Reverse selection of word count
Esc Exit PCSORT

This listing of PCSORT's navigation keys demonstrates the program's
versatility in sorting in up to 9 priority orders. Each priority can
be set independently of the others. Key commands, in general, operate
as you might expect. Note, however, the varied uses of the Home and
End keys for traveling throughout the file; each key's role, here,
depends on the number of times you press it.

CUSTOMIZING PCSORT
by Michael J. Mefford

Some systems, especially laptops, do not display color contrasts very
well. If you find PCSORT hard to read, you can force PCSORT to use
black-and-white attributes by entering the command MODE BW80 before
running PCSORT. The best way to do that is from a batch file, as shown:
MODE BW80
PCSORT %1 %2
If you have a color system and PCSORT is using black and white attributes,
chances are some other application has changed the video mode. To encourage
PCSORT to use color, issue the DOS command
MODE CO80
before running PCSORT.
The following instructions will enable you to customize the colors
used by PCSORT. Start by making a backup copy of PCSORT.COM and then enter
DEBUG PCSORT.COM
You are now ready to modify PCSORT.COM. If at any time you make a mistake,
you can abort the editing process by entering Q. The last two commands that
you enter after entering any modifications are
W
Q
for Write to disk and Quit DEBUG.

COLOR SCHEME
Enter the following Debug instructions, replacing the xx with a hexadecimal
color value. The default color values for the menu color, the text, and the
block marker, and their respective descriptions, are shown as comments to the
right of the semicolons. Do not type in the comments.
E 106 xx ; 71 Blue on light gray
E 107 xx ; 17 Light gray on blue
E 108 xx ; 31 Blue on cyan
Alternate colors may be selected from the following list. The background color
number is entered for the first x and the foreground color for the second x.
Do not use a light color for the background, or the display will blink.
Dark Light
0 Black 8 Dk. gray
1 Blue 9 Lt. blue
2 Green A Lt. green
3 Cyan B Lt. cyan
4 Red C Orange
5 Magenta D Violet
6 Brown E Yellow
7 Lt. gray F White
For example, to change the Block marker color from blue on cyan (31) to
blue on light gray (17), you would enter
E 108 17
PCSORT turns on the border, and some monitors can not handle that. To
disable the border, enter
E 10C 1
Replace the 1 with a 0 to re-enable the border.
Finish the DEBUG session with
W
Q