FileViewer

...the easier way
























v3.52 (c) 1988 George A. Yandl


SHAREWARE




Traditionally when marketing a new product, vast
sums of money are spent on slick advertising
campaigns trying to convince every last human being
that they can't live without the product. Of course
these costs are passed on to the consumer in the
price of the product. Since peoples needs and
tastes are different, sometimes the product does
not meet the expectations created by the
advertising. There has to be a better way.


FileViewer is being marketed under the Shareware
concept. Although the program is fully
copyrighted, you are encouraged to help in the
distribution of FileViewer by sharing unmodified
copies of the program, via disk or modem, anywhere
in the United States or Canada. Hopefully this
will give many people a chance to try FileViewer
and see if it meets their needs. Try before you
buy.


However, Fileviewer is NOT public domain software
and those who use the program are expected to pay
for the value received. The cost savings afforded
by Shareware marketing is reflected in the very low
price of $25.00. By return mail, you will receive
the latest version of FileViewer with the Shareware
title screen removed.



Send $25.00 by check or Money Order to:

George A. Yandl
Four Seasons Software
P.O. Box 14
Painesdale, MI 49955












GENERAL DESCRIPTION




Simply put, FileViewer makes communication with
your computer's Disk Operating System (DOS) much
quicker and easier. Typing and retyping long
complicated DOS command lines will be a thing of
the past. Forget trying to stop the DIR output as
it scrolls off the screen. Forget the aggravating
sequence of trying to recall that strange filename,
getting it wrong and trying again, and then finally
doing another DIR command.


With FileViewer and just one or two keystrokes you
can:

Change directories or drives
View the contents of any file
Sort files by name, extension, size and date
Copy a file or a group of files
Check for enough room when copying files
Move a file to a different directory
Erase a file or a group of files
Change the file attributes of any file
Rename a file
Call an application program to operate on a file
Execute a file


FileViewer will protect you from common DOS errors
which cause loss of data, such as:

Copying a file onto itself
Copying an older file over a newer version


Fast and intuitive to use, FileViewer ends DOS
drudgery and allows the user to spend all his time
productively and efficiently.



System Requirements

DOS 2.0 or above
64K or more free memory
Maximum of 500 files per directory







COPYING FileViewer TO YOUR SYSTEM


Floppy disk system:

Copy FV.COM from the distribution disk to one or
more of your working disks. Since you will be
using FileViewer frequently, it is usually most
convenient to have it available from any of your
working disks that have the space available.


Hard Disk system:

Copy FV.COM from the distribution disk to your hard
disk. Since you will be using FileViewer
frequently, it is usually most convenient to put it
a subdirectory that is in your DOS PATH command.
This will allow you to call up FileViewer from any
directory or drive. If you are not familiar with
the DOS PATH command, please see you DOS manual.






STARTING FileViewer


To start FileViewer using the current drive and
directory, simply type,

FV


Optionally, you may specify a different drive
and/or directory when FileViewer is started by,

FV d:\dir1\dir2...

(if you wish to specify only a different drive, the
colon may be omitted; e.g. FV b)

FileViewer will then begin by displaying the
specified drive and/or directory in the default
mode of 80 files on screen sorted by name. All
hidden and system files will also be shown. Press
'F2' to see the 20-file mode along with the help
screen. Press 'F2' again to flip back to the 80-
file mode. All functions of Fileviewer operate in
either display mode. Use the cursor keys to move
around the displayed filenames.




The FileViewer Display


The default display mode of FileViewer is the 80-
file format showing all normal files, hidden or
system files, and sub-directories. Sub-directories

are shown in bright video followed by the ''
indicator. Any read-only, hidden and system file
attributes appear following the filename. (If you
are not familiar with file attributes, see your DOS
manual.)

In the upper left hand corner, the current drive
and/or directory is displayed. In the upper right
hand corner the total number of files (including
sub-directories) in the current directory is
displayed. The bottom two lines of the screen are
used to display messages from FileViewer.


Pressing 'F2' flips between the 80-file display and
the 20-file display. All functions of Fileviewer
are active in either mode. Which display mode to
use is a matter of personal preference.


When in the 20-file display mode, Fileviewer
displays the file size, date, and time in addition
to the information displayed in the 80-file mode.




RESTRICTED FUNCTIONS ON HIDDEN AND SYSTEM FILES:

Because some copy protection schemes are based on
the location of hidden files, Fileviewer does not
allow hidden files to be moved or copied. However,
if you are certain of your needs, the attributes of
these files may be changed by using the 'A'
command, thus allowing them to be manipulated as
ordinary files. Use caution with hidden files of
unknown origin.












FileViewer COMMANDS


,

will change directories if the highlighted file is
a directory or will allow you to view the file if
the highlighted file is not a directory. (Also see
functions: F6, , )



,

will exit FileViewer and return to the DOS prompt.
This function is identical to 'Q'.



, (file finder)

will prompt you for the leading character of a
filename and will place the cursor on the first
filename that matches. If the character you enter
matches the leading character of the highlighted
file, the FileViewer will advance the cursor to the
next filename that begins with that character. If
there are no more filenames after the cursor that
begin with that character, a beep will sound. This
function is particularly useful if you have sorted
the filenames by extension, size, or date.



, (change to root directory)

will change to the root directory of the current
drive. (Also see functions: , )



, (change to parent directory)

will change to the parent directory of the current
sub-directory. (Also see functions: , )



A, (Attribute)

will toggle the file attributes of the highlighted
file. A menu will be presented to select the
(R)ead-only, (H)idden, or (S)ystem attribute. If
you are not familiar with file attributes, see your
DOS manual. (Also see function: F1 )



B, (Bytes used)

will sum the sizes of the files meeting the file
specification entered; e.g. entering *.*, will give
the sum of the sizes of all the files in the
current drive\directory. Pressing for the
file specification will give the sum of the tagged
files. (Also see function: T, G )



C, (Copy)

will copy the highlighted file to the
drive\directory entered using the same filename -
DO NOT enter a filename as part of the destination
path. If you are entering only a drive, the colon
may be omitted. In this mode FileViewer checks for
a newer file in the destination drive\directory and
will not overwrite a newer file or a file with the
same time and date as the highlighted file. (Also
see functions: C, C, M )



C, (Copy and rename)

will copy the highlighted file to the
drive\directory\filename.ext entered by you - a
filename MUST be entered as part of the destination
path. To make another copy of a file in the same
directory, simply type in the new filename. The
file will not appear in the listing until you
'Login' the drive again. In this mode FileViewer
checks for a newer file in the destination
drive\directory and will not overwrite a newer file
or a file with the same time and date as the
highlighted file.
(Also see functions: C, C )



C, (check available space and Copy)

this variation of the copy command checks for
available space on the target drive before
beginning to copy, thus eliminating time wasting
"Disk Full" messages. In this mode FileViewer
checks for a newer file in the destination
drive\directory and will not overwrite a newer file
or a file with the same time and date as the
highlighted file. This command may be used with
C to check space before a copy and rename by
pressing C.
(Also see functions: C, C )



D, (Delete file)

will delete (erase) the highlighted file from the
current drive\directory after asking you to confirm
the deletion. Pressing F5 prior to the Delete
command will bypass the need for you to confirm the
command. A warning message will flash on the
screen to remind you that pressing "D" will delete
the highlighted file immediately. USE F5 (CONFIRM
OFF) WITH CAUTION. (Also see function: F5, Z)



E, (Execute menu)

will allow you to call another program to operate
on the highlighted file or to execute the
highlighted file itself. For further information
please see the separate section that deals with
Execute function.



F, (Force copy/mass copy)

will allow you to bypass the safeguards for copying
files that are built into FileViewer. Force copy
will allow you to copy an older file onto a new one
and does not check disk space available. Force
copy may also be used with C, rename and copy.
(Also see functions: C, M )



G, (Group tag/untag)

will tag (or untag) all normal files from the
cursor to the end of the file display. Tagging a
file allows it to be operated on by the Mass Copy
or Zap functions. (Hint: An area of files in the
center of the display may be easily tagged by doing
a Group-Tag at the first file desired and then
doing a Group-Untag at the end of the area.)
(Also see functions: M, Z )



L, (Login drive)

will change the displayed drive\dir to the current
directory of the drive selected. (Also see
function: )



M, (Mass copy)

will copy all currently tagged files to the
drive\directory entered by you using the same
filenames - DO NOT enter a filename as part of the
destination path. In this mode FileViewer checks
for newer files in the destination drive\directory
and will not overwrite a newer file or a file with
the same time and date as the source file. If a
newer file is found, FileViewer says "Newer File
Exists" screen and continues to copy any remaining
tagged files. (Also see functions: T, U, G )



Q, (Quit)

will exit FileViewer and return to the DOS prompt.
This function is identical to .



R, (Rename)

will rename the highlighted file. You will be
prompted to enter a valid filename. (Also see
function: C )



S, (Space free)

will display the available space on the drive
entered. If you press , Fileviewer will use
the current drive.



T, (Tag)

will tag the highlighted file (for use with the
Mass Copy or Zap function) and move the cursor to
the next file. The tag is displayed as a small
solid rectangle following the filename. (Also see
functions: M, Z, G, U )



U, (Untag)

will remove the tag from the highlighted file and
therefore it will not be affected by the Mass Copy
or Zap functions. (Also see functions: T, G, M, Z)



Z, (Zap)

will delete all tagged files according to your
response:
'y' will delete without confirming.
'n' will ask you to confirm each deletion.
'' will cancel the function and return to the
command? prompt.



F1, (toggle read-only)

will toggle the 'Read-Only' attribute of the
highlighted file and advance the cursor. Setting
the 'read-only' attribute will protect the file
from being changed or deleted by ordinary means.
If you are not familiar with file attributes, see
your DOS manual. (Also see function: A )



F2, (flip display)

will switch between the narrow display (that can
show up to 80 filenames on screen) and the wide
display (that can show up to 20 filenames, sizes,
dates, and times). The wide display also shows the
help screen and current settings of the view mode
and exit mode. All functions of FileViewer will
operate in either display mode.



F3, (exit mode)

will toggle the current setting of the exit mode.
Quitting FileViewer in the 'THIS DIR' mode will
return you to the DOS prompt in the currently
displayed directory. (The 'THIS DIR' mode is
indicated in the narrow display format by a
downward pointing arrow in front of the 'Command?'
prompt.) Quitting FileViewer in the 'ORIG DIR'
mode will return you to the DOS prompt on the
drive\directory from which FileViewer was
originally invoked. (The 'ORIG DIR' mode is
indicated in the narrow display format by an upward
pointing arrow in front of the 'Command?' prompt.)




F4, (move)

will move the highlighted file to a different
directory on the same drive. In this function, the
file is not physically moved but only renamed with
the new pathname; therefore this function is very
fast but does not allow moving the file to a
different drive.



F5, (toggle confirm)

will toggle confirm mode of the Delete function.
In 'Confirm On', (the default mode) you are asked
to confirm the deletion of every file - there is no
message on screen. In 'Confirm Off', pressing 'D'
will delete the highlighted file immediately - a
warning message appears on screen when FileViewer
is in 'Confirm Off' mode. USE 'CONFIRM OFF' WITH
CAUTION. (Also see functions: D, Z )



F6, (view mode)

will toggle the way that FileViewer presents file
on screen for viewing. In 'EXT ASCII' (extended
ascii) mode, all characters in the highlighted file
are shown as they are on the disk; i.e. all 256
ascii characters can be represented. In 'REG ASCII'
(regular ascii) mode, only the original 128 ascii
characters will be shown; all extended ascii
characters are converted to regular ascii. The
'REG ASCII' mode is useful for viewing some word
processor files, such as Wordstar, which use the
extended ascii characters to hold formatting
information. (Also see function: )



F7,

will sort the displayed files by name in ascending
alphabetical order. This is the default sorting
method.


F8,

will sort the displayed files by the filename
extension in ascending alphabetical order.



F9,

will sort the displayed files by file size in
ascending numerical order.


F10,

will sort the displayed files by date and time in
ascending chronological order.




Moving the FileViewer Cursor




moves the cursor down to the next file, scrolling
the screen if necessary. If there is not enough
room for all the files on screen, a small bright
arrow will appear indicating more files are
available.




moves the cursor up to the previous file,
scrolling the screen if necessary.




moves the cursor to the previous column in the
80-file mode. If there is not enough room for
all the columns on screen, a small bright arrow
will appear indicating more files are available.




moves the cursor to the next column in the
80-file mode.




moves the display up 20 files in the 20-file mode
or 1 column to the left in the 80-file mode.




moves the display down 20 files in the 20-file mode
or 1 column to the right in the 80-file mode.




moves the cursor to the first file.




moves the cursor to the last file.




moves the cursor to the next sub-directory.




moves the cursor to the previous sub-directory.






Execute Function


Pressing the 'E' key will display the execute menu.
The first six selections on this menu are user
changeable commands. Normally these would be
application programs such as spreadsheets, word
processors, utilities and etc. Once setup by you,
choosing one thru six is equivalent to typing the
command followed by the highlighted filename.

It sounds complicated but its really not. The
easiest way to learn is by going thru an example
(The Execute Function requires that command.com be
available in the boot drive):

Type 'E' to bring up the execute menu.

Type '9' to select to select the change option.

Type '1' to change the first command.

Type in a 10 character or less descriptive name.
For this example, type in 'Directory'. Use the
backspace key to make corrections if necessary.
Press when finished and the cursor will
move to line below which contains the actual
command syntax.

Type in the actual command. For this example, type
in 'dir'. Use the backspace key to make corrections
if necessary and press when finished.

FileViewer will ask if you wish to make this change
permanent. If no, the change will last only until
you quit FileViewer. If yes, and if a copy of
FV.COM is located in the current directory, the new
command will stay until you change it again. For
this example, type 'N'.

To use the newly installed command simply move the
FileViewer cursor to a filename (such as
EXAMPLE.FIL) and type 'E' to bring up the menu.
When you press '1', your computer will respond just
as if you had typed:

Dir EXAMPLE.FIL

at the DOS prompt.


As a more practical example, let's assume you use
the word processor PC-Write. To install PC-Write
as command2 (the PC-Write file ED.EXE must be in
the current directory or a directory listed in your
path and command.com must be in the boot drive):

press 'E'

press '9'

press '2'

Type 'PC-Write'

Type 'ed'

press 'y' or 'n'

Now place the FileViewer cursor on any text file
you wish to edit with PC-Write and type 'E', '2'.
It's as simple as that.

Just remember that command.com must be available in
the boot drive and the program you are calling must
be either in the current directory or in a
directory listed in your path. See your DOS manual
if you are not familiar with the path command.

Some word processors, spreadsheets and etc., setup
default data drives and/or directories when
installed and will always assume the data files are
located there. In such cases, the execute function
may not work with these programs outside their
default drive\directory.




Pressing '7' from the execute menu will execute the
highlighted file (if it ends with .com, .exe, or
.bat) just as if you had typed it at the DOS
prompt.




Pressing '8' from the execute menu will allow you
to type in any valid DOS command or executable
filename which is not available in the first six
choices. For example:

assume the highlighted file is 'example.fil'

press 'E' to bring up the execute menu

press '8' to open the 'enter command' box

Type 'ed' to use PC-Write and press


Your computer will respond just as if you had typed
'ed example.fil' at the DOS prompt.






Pressing '9' from the execute menu will allow you
to change the first six command entries. After
pressing '9' choose a command entry to change by
pressing its number. The change is made in three
parts. First, type in the descriptive name of any
ten characters or less and press . Second,
type in the actual command that you would normally
type at the DOS prompt and press . Third,
decide whether this change is just for this use of
FileViewer or should it be made a permanent part of
FileViewer - press 'y' or 'n'. For the command to
become permanent, the file 'FV.COM' must be in the
current drive\directory of your computer.









ERROR MESSAGES


'- CAN'T DO THAT -'

this is used by FileViewer in a wide variety of
cases, such as: trying to delete a read-only file;
trying to rename a sub-directory; trying to copy a
hidden file and many others which DOS will not
allow.


' DISK ERROR '

DOS has reported an unrecoverable error trying to
read or write to a disk drive due to: write protect
label; no disk in drive; door open; bad disk
surface.



'-- DISK FULL ! --'

there is no more room on the target disk.



'ERROR - Change not saved - '

DOS has been unable to write the requested changes
to the execute menu due to write protected disk or
FV.COM has been made read-only etc.



'FV.COM not in current DR\DIR'

trying to a make a permanent change to the execute
menu without FV.COM in the current drive and/or
directory.



'Insert Command.Com into Drive x'

when using the commands in the execute menu a copy
of Command.com must be in the boot drive.



'Invalid Command: '

a key was pressed at the FileViewer command prompt
that is not a valid FileViewer command.



'Invalid Path'

the destination path for a 'Copy' or 'Mass copy`
command does not exist.




'Newer File Exists'

you have attempted to copy a file with the same or
an older time/date stamp onto a newer file. If you
are sure you want to do this, then you must use the
'Force copy' function.



'NOT ENOUGH MEMORY - Press ...'

there is not enough free memory to use the execute
functions.



'>> USER ABORT <<'

DOS has detected a or C at the
keyboard and has interrupted FileViewer. Check to
be sure FileViewer completed the function in
progress. You may find files that have been only
partially copied or other incomplete work.