Category : Databases and related files
Archive   : JOT-IT.ZIP
Filename : JOT_IT.TXT

Circle Software Company
P.O. Box 7954
Department C
Clearwater, FL 34618-7954


JOT_IT, a software scratch pad, is designed to provide
maximum utility at minimum cost. Your contribution will
help me continue to provide quality products for MS-DOS
computers. The following rate schedule lists several
options available to you.

1. Registration $10.00
Includes product registration, notice of updates,
and list of other quality software products.

2. JOT_IT Program $15.00
Includes the above plus a disk with the JOT_IT
program and documentation file.

3. Source Code $35.00
Includes all the above plus well-documented
assembly language source code, including theory of
operation and suggestions on how to modify or
customize the program.
































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Program Description

JOT_IT is a memory resident scratch pad useful for
recording notes while running another program. With command
line options, you can adjust the space available for jotting
down information, change the hot key used to activate the
program, and change the file name where your notes are
stored. You can even load multiple copies of JOT_IT at the
same time. But don't try to activate one on top of the
other.

A possible alternative use for JOT_IT is as an on-line
help facility, activity reminder or schedule, or list of
frequently called telephone numbers.

JOT_IT will run on any PC-compatible computer equipped
with any of the popular video adaptor/monitor combinations
when they are operated in a text mode. JOT_IT will not
activate when your computer is in the graphics mode. It
requires about 6000 bytes of memory, including 4000 bytes to
store the previous screen contents, plus buffer space to
accomodate the number of note sheets you have chosen to use.


Program Operation

JOT_IT's command syntax is as follows:

JOT_IT s hhhh filename

where

s is a one digit hex number (1 through F) representing
the number of note sheets you wish to use. Each sheet
is one screen or 2000 characters. The default is five
sheets.

hhhh is a four digit hex number representing the hot
key code. The default is CTRL-A. You may use a value
from the table below if the default interferes with
another program.

filename is the name of the text file where your notes
will be saved when you execute the save command (CTRL-
S). The default name is JOTS. This file is always
placed in the root directory.

If you are satisfied with the defaults, you may enter
simply JOT_IT without the command-line parameters. However,
if you use any command-line parameters, they must be entered
in the order shown. If you only wish to change the number
of sheets, you need only enter JOT_IT s. If you want to
change the filename, it is necessary first to specify both
the number of sheets and the hot key code.



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In any case, the command should be entered in your
autoexec.bat file so the program will be ready when you need
it.

Hot Key Control Code Table

Alt-A 1E1E Alt-J 2424 Alt-S 1F1F
Alt-B 3030 Alt-K 2525 Alt-T 1414
Alt-C 2E2E Alt-L 2626 Alt-U 1616
Alt-D 2020 Alt-M 3232 Alt-V 2F2F
Alt-E 1212 Alt-N 3131 Alt-W 1111
Alt-F 2121 Alt-O 1818 Alt-X 2D2D
Alt-G 2222 Alt-P 1919 Alt-Y 1515
Alt-H 2323 Alt-Q 1010 Alt-Z 2C2C
Alt-I 1717 Alt-R 1313

CTRL-A 1E01 CTRL-J 240A Ctrl-S 1F13
CTRL-B 3002 CTRL-K 250B Ctrl-T 1414
CTRL-C 2E03 CTRL-L 260C Ctrl-U 1615
CTRL-D 2004 CTRL-M 320D Ctrl-V 2F16
CTRL-E 1205 CTRL-N 310E Ctrl-W 1117
CTRL-F 2106 CTRL-O 180F Ctrl-X 2D18
CTRL-G 2207 CTRL-P 1910 Ctrl-Y 1519
CTRL-H 2308 CTRL-Q 1011 Ctrl-Z 2C1A
CTRL-I 1709 CTRL-R 1312



Editing Commands

JOT_IT will be activated when you press CTRL-A, or
whatever hot key you have chosen. JOT_IT interrupts the
program in progress, saves the screen contents and displays
a completely blank screen or the first sheet from the JOTS
file, if it exists. When you reactivate JOT_IT, it will
display the sheet you were last using. Press Esc to return
to the interrupted program

The best way to learn the editing commands is to
experiment. The arrow keys move the cursor as you might
expect. When the cursor is on the top or bottom line of a
sheet, pressing the up or down arrow key will display the
previous sheet or the next sheet, respectively. You can
also use the PgUp and PgDn keys to move to adjacent sheets.
The Home key moves the cursor to the upper left corner of
the sheet, and the End key moves it to the lower left
corner.

When you enter text, you can press Enter at the end of
each line or the text will word wrap when the cursor moves
beyond column 70. Text entered over existing text will push
the old to the right, but not down to the next line. Text
pushed off the screen is lost. The Delete key will erase



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the character under the cursor, pulling the remaining test
to the left. The Backspace key erases the character to the
left of the cursor, but the remaining text is not pulled.

When you press the Enter key, any text to the right of
the cursor on the same line is erased. This is a convenient
way to erase or replace one line. CTRL-D erases the entire
sheet. Be careful! JOT_IT does not ask if you really want
to do it.


Other Functions

The contents of every sheet will be saved to the file
named JOTS (or whatever name you choose) when you press
CTRL-S. JOT_IT always looks in the root directory for JOTS
and will load it if found. Other wise, JOT_IT will create
JOTS when you execute the save command.

If you reload JOT_IT and specify a different number of
sheets, the data in the original sheets will be retained.
When you reactivate JOT_IT, the original sheets will appear
as before and the new sheets will be blank.

Press CTRL-P to print the contents of the sheets. The
sheets are printed 54 lines to the page with no break
between sheets. If the printer is not on line, the program
will hang.

If you load multiple copies of JOT_IT, each should use
a different hot key and different filename. Don't try to
activate one on top of another.

I have tried to keep JOT_IT small to minimize RAM
usage. Therefore, it has only minimal error handling
capability. Be sure to enter the command line correctly.
JOT_IT will coexist with most other memory resident
programs, but do not activate another memory resident
program while JOT_IT is active. That is, while the JOT_IT
sheet is displayed on the screen.

















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