Category : Utilities for DOS and Windows Machines
Archive   : DAZL104.ZIP
Filename : DAZL.DOC

------------------------------------------------------
| |
| DAZL |
| Version 1.04 |
| September 28, 1989 |
| |
| A utility to aid in the management |
| of compressed files. |
| |
| Copyright 1989 Dennis Tuttle |
| All rights reserved. |
------------------------------------------------------

DAZL is a commercial program available through a low cost
method of marketing known as Shareware. By utilizing a national
network of electronic bulletin boards we are able to offer this
software at a very reasonable price of $15.00. Do not mistake
your current possesion of this product for ownership. You have a
limited time to determine is DAZL suits your needs/wants. This
time should not exceed 30 days.





































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INTRODUCTION
------------
What is DAZL ?

DAZL is a utility that will allow you to view and/or extract
the contents of certain types of compressed files. DAZL supports
Phil Katz's ZIP format as well as compressed files compatible
with PKware's earlier format. DAZL also allows you to view any
file on your system by utilizing Mr. Buerg's fine utility,
LIST.COM. This program attempts to provide the facilities you
will require when working with compressed files. By simplifying
the process of creating and maintaining compressed files DAZL
attempts to become one of your favorite utilities.

DAZL was specifically designed to make using multi drive
systems effortless. The system DAZL was written on has a single
physical hard disk drive, partitioned into 5 logical drives, and
utilizes a 20 meg internal Bernoulli Box for a total of 6 drives.
By treating the entire group of logical drives as a single
storage unit (after all, it often is) an interface is provided
that, to date, is unique in the software industry. The tree
display will visually support up to 10 levels of subdirectories,
however your path may be deeper. Only the first 55 characters
are displayed.

Among DAZL's strengths is the easy of use. Currently a non-
menued flat approach is being used. If you want to create a ZIP
file then press the 'Z' key. Likewise, if you want to find a
file the 'F' key prompts for the file name. Press F1 for a list
of the available commands.

In addition to being easy, DAZL allows you to adjust your
configurations in a considerate manner. As many features are set
by options on the command line (the same line as when you type
'DAZL' to invoke the program) you may load the program several
different ways. These modes deal primarily with storage drive
selections and video modes and will be covered in greater detail
elsewhere in this documentation.


OFFER TO PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS
---------------------------------------

Due to the extent of maintenance required by a SysOp, and
also because this class of person has dedicated so much to the
Shareware channel, any Sysop running a multi-node system may
apply for a registered copy of DAZL free of charge. This will be
a lifetime registration, or for as long as the SysOp maintains
the BBS system. Because of the tremendous volume of bulletin
boards across the country this offer can be made only the the
primary owner/operator of the system. In the case of my home
board there are over a dozen conference moderators. Some
mitigating circumstances may apply, and if you feel qualified
without actually owning the BBS send in an application.



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Any commercial distribution of DAZL is strictly prohibited!
CodeWorks chosen manner of marketing this product does not allow
any other person, group, or entity to make a profit from our
effort. This expressly INCLUDES disk fees. As previously
stated, DAZL is a commercial product. If you desire distribution
rights then submit your request in writing. You will receive a
written reply within 60 days of CodeWorks receipt of same.


FILES:

DAZL.EXE - Main program
DAZL.DOC - This Documentation
HISTORY.DOC - Brief maintenance outline.
READ.ME - Last minute info not listed in DAZL.DOC
REGISTER.DOC - Registration Form


SUPPORT FILES (required but not included)

LIST - Van Buergs Excellent listing program
PKZIP/PKUNZIP - PKWare's Compression programs. (v 1.01)
PKPAK/PKUNPAK - Required to support ARC.


Please take the time to review at least the READ.ME file
before running the software. Often questions will be answered
before they can be asked. Currently the READ.ME covers a quirk
contained in PKZIP v0.92.

Currently, only compression methods available from PKWare
are supported. If your board supports another method and you
wish to use DAZL send in a request. This applies to any other
features you would like to see in DAZL. What the users demand...



SETUP
-----

Any version of LIST.COM may be used. No command parmameters
are passed and if you prefer a utility over the one written by
Mr. Buerg then you should not have any problems. It must be
called LIST and must reside in the PATH statement of your
environment. The same is true of PKZIP/UNZIP and PKPAK/UNPAK.

When DAZL loads into memory it has to read a configuration
file. Since the file is actually DAZL.EXE the location of the
executable file must be made known to DAZL. Prior to running
DAZL you must add a line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The line
should read :

DAZLPATH = x:\dir[\dir]



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Where [x] is the drive to look on, and [\dir] is the
directory you have placed the program in. If you do not wish to
add a variable to your DOS environment you may instead use a
BATCH file to make sure DAZL is always in the current directory
before loading. To do this create a file (that must be located
in the defined PATH statement) to do some work for you. This
would be a simple start:

echo off
c:
cd \utils
dazl 43 :cd ;loads two drives!

The bad side of this is that DAZL will always load to the
c:\utils directory. By using the environment variable DAZL will
load into your current directory.



GETTING STARTED
-----------------

It doesn't take much to get started with DAZL. At the DOS
prompt type: DAZL and press the ENTER key. This activates DAZL
on the current drive. Once loaded, DAZL will scroll to the
current directory. A brief message is displayed, then control is
turned over to the user. To exit the program press the F10 key.

When DAZL is loading for the first time the drive(s) will be
scanned. During the disk read the names of the directories will
be displayed in the Output Path Specification area. A file
called DAZLTREE.LST will be created and located in the root
directory of the current drive. If you specified more than one
drive when loading each subsequent drive will be scanned and a
file created on each drive. DAZLTREE.LST is an ASCII file and
may be viewed without distorting your display.

A note for those attempting to load on networks. DAZL does
not seem to like NOVELL systems, however, LANTASTIC causes no
problems. Once equipment is obtained to perform testing this
problem will be be addressed. DAZL will operate on NOVELL local
drives but will not cross the logical network drive. No other
networks have been tried.

DAZL's default configuration may be altered at load time by
utilizing peramiters after the name is typed on the command line.
These are:

dazl/43 Load in 43 line mode on EGA/VGA

/50 Load in 50 line mode for VGA





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/BW Force monochrome mode. When using a CGA card on a
monochrome monitor. For those using monochrome VGA this will
allow them to utilize the higher screen modes while not sucumbing
to the often intolerable results caused by colorization.

A problem still exists with machines that have more than one
display adapter. This will be evidenced by a 'blinking' display.
There is not a good fix for this problem at this time. It seems
that the CGA/EGA/VGA cards will interpet the codes used for the
monochrome display in an unexpected manner. The monochrome
display could be altered but for the few occurances of those
using dual monitors we preferred to have the current black and
white display now used. When the Color options utility is
completed you will be able to alter the colors to suit your
system.

/S Primarily for earlier CGA cards where "snow" occurs. This
will also slow the display somewhat.

:EDZ..C Drive list. This will allow DAZL to scan more than the
default drive. Place the drive letters in the order you wish
them to be scanned. This *MUST* be the last item to appear on
the command line and *MUST* have the ':' symbol before the list.
A FILE named DAZLTREE.LST will be created on EACH drive that is
scanned. Maximum allowable directories is 200. File limit (per
directory) is 1024. Each compressed file is limited to 256
files. If you need more than this contact us with the details.

The drive list prefix ':' is new with this version.
Previous versions used the '+' key. This change will undoubtly
create problems previous usrs that haven't read the documentation
or READ.ME file before running the program. Some sample command
lines. (the slash '/' and/or dash '-' are optional)

DAZL/50:cde 50 line, drives C,D,E
DAZL 43s 43 line, BIOS writes, use default drive only
DAZL bws:cd 25 line, mono, BIOS screen writes, drives C,D
DAZL s:fcgde BIOS screen writes, drives F,C,G,D, and E
DAZL 43bw:cdg EGA mono drives C,D, and G




UP and RUNNING
--------------

After the drive is scanned you will be in the ROOT directory
of the default drive, or the first drive of the selected list.
The display is divided into three main sections, DIRECTORY
STRUCTURE, DIR FILES, and CURRENT SPECIFICATIONS. Each will be
elaborated upon.

Control may only be directed into two of the windows. While
the Directory Structure window is the active window the Output



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Specification window will contain the name of the current
directory and will be highlighted. This will always contain the
name of the directory your output will be directed into. Locking
and unlocking this specification is supported. That will be
explained later. Just be sure to check the name before
extracting from compressed files. It's easy to clutter the root
directory when you don't want to!

The window on the right is the DIR FILES window. This will
show the first few files contained in the directory. The number
of files depends on the screen mode. One note of interest! When
scrolling through the tree a keyboard buffer is active. By
holding the up or down keys and keeping the input buffer full the
directory scan for each directory is skipped. The scanning
routine is entered, but exits when it sees another keypress. If
you have directories with hundreds of files they may cause a
slight jumpiness in scrolling. At this time replacing the file
scanning routine with a faster one written entirely in assembler
would force us to deactivate the keyboard buffer. The tradeoff
for the jumpy display is the ability to have the files displayed
at all times.

While the DIR FILES window is active a new display is shown
in the CURRENT SPECIFICATIONS window. This shows current drive
capacity, free space, number of files in the active directory,
the name of the current file, and the size of that file. It also
shows the number of tagged files and the amount of storage they
represent, if any files have been tagged.

Now on to the details for each area of the display.



Directory Structure
-------------------
The active window will always have the title highlighted.
All keys pressed will affect only the active window except the
TAB key. TAB will alternate the active windows. The valid keys
are:

HOME - Go to top of the drive list.
END - Jump to the end of the drive list.
PgUp - Previous drive in list.
PgDn - Next drive in list.
ENTER - Lock or Unlock output path specification.
DEL - Rescan the current drive.
F1 - Help window.
F10 - Exit DAZL.
+ - Scroll to root of next drive
- - Scroll to root of previous drive

These keys are basically self explanatory. The only keys
that might need further explanation are the ENTER and DEL keys.
All commands are accessed through single key entries. This



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explicitly means you will not have to hold down two keys at the
same time to perform any function. You can believe there is good
reason for this!

DEL -> DAZL maintains a small file in the root directory of each
drive you have selected. This speeds up load time, but may cause
inaccurate results if you have added or deleted directories since
DAZL was last used. You may delete the file yourself or use DAZL
to take care of it for you. To rescan a drive, position the
highlight anywhere on the drive and press the DEL key. This will
delete the DAZLTREE.LST on that drive. DAZL will then rescan
(only) that drive, then redisplay the entire selected tree. This
can be done quickly using the '+' (next drive) key and DEL
combination for each drive in your list.

ENTER -> When scrolling through the tree, the CURRENT
SPECIFICATIONS window will display the highighted directory. To
lock an output path, press the ENTER key while the desired path
is highlighted. This will remain constant until the ENTER key is
again pressed while in the DIRECTORY STRUCTURE window. To select
a different output path, position the highlight selector on the
desired path and press the ENTER key again. If you no longer
want to maintain a locked directory press the ENTER key twice.
This is similar to double clicking a mouse button. Now the path
will again 'float' as you move through the tree. This can be a
flexible tool, but if you are not careful you may direct de-
compression into an unwanted area.

When working with compressed files, work space must be made
available. When using fixed disk drives this is rarely a problem
but for floppy based systems this can be difficult to maneuver.
When DAZL creates temporary work files, they will be placed in
the currently locked Output Path Specification. When viewing
text files within compressed files DAZL must extract the file
then LIST. You MUST have a utility to view files available in
your DOS path and it MUST be named LIST. Check your DOS manual
for further information if this is not familiar.

Other than basic working storage, DAZL will also direct de-
compression to the default output path specification. If you do
not select a default path, DAZL will use the current directory at
the time you pressed the TAB key to switch into the DIR window.

Using my system as an example, I have a batch file called
ZIP.BAT in my C:\batch directory (in my path). The batch file
contains:
DAZL 50:gcdehf

When I invoke DAZL, I press the END key, taking me to a
directory called F:\WORK. I press ENTER to lock it, then HOME to
begin the session. It's really second nature at this point.
Take some time to define your systems arrangement and DAZL can
help you take advantage of logical grouping of information.




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DIR FILES
---------
Once you have pressed the TAB key the titles of the two top
windows will alternate colors (or highlight.) You have the same
key options, but now they have different meanings. When working
with the files the directional keys work as you would expect.
The ENTER key is the only one that needs explaining.

DAZL works from the extension of the file you select. If
the extension is .ARC then it expects to find a file compressed
with PKPAK or a compatible method. .ZIP files will bring up the
compression view window but will use the newer file format. Any
files with a .EXE or .COM extension will be executed. ANY other
file will be LISTed. If you select a binary file, then you will
see a binary file. For any of these features to work, you must
have a copy of the corresponding program in your PATH.

HOME - Go to the top of the files list.
END - Go to the end of the files list.
PgUp - Move up the number of files currently displayed.
PgDn - Move down the number of files currently displayed.
ENTER - View the file content.
F9 - Help window.
F10 - Exit DAZL.

A quick review is provided here, and when running DAZL you may
press the F1 key for this list.

Active Key list

Directory Structure Window Key Dir Files Window

Go up one directory Up arrow Go up one file
Go down one directory Down arrow Go down one file
Select an Output directory Enter Show contents of file
Top of window PgUp Previous Screen
End of window PgDn Next Screen
Goto Top of drive list Home Beginning of list
Goto Last drive on list End Goto End of list
Change to Dir Files window Tab Dir Structure Window
Next / Previous Drive + / -
Rescan Drive(s) Del


SUPPORT
-------
CodeWorks primary line of support is through the EXCHANGE
BBS. The number is prominantly displayed on DAZL's screen. As
mentioned previously we monitor the Interlink QuickBasic
conference, not in support of DAZL, rather, in support of
QuickBasic. Code and assistance is freely given through that
fine example of a useful interchange of information. Help is
available to all who ask for it. Registered users may also



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receive my home and business numbers in the case of urgent
problems.


UPGRADES / UPDATES
------------------
Registered owners will receive notification when new
versions are available for download from one of the selected home
boards. Registered users may elect to receive the newest
versions mailed to them at a cost of $5.00 per mailing, or
uploaded to their board for a cost of $3.00. The current policy
for registration notifications are for the lifetime of the
product. Owners will be notified through e-mail where possible,
and U.S. Postal Service when neccessary.

Future upgrades will hopefully be done through a network of
BBS systems in major cities by utilizing a Registration DOOR
currently under construction. When new versions are released
licensed owners will be permitted to download a new registered
copy from the board they first obtained DAZL from.


WHAT IS CODEWORKS?
-----------------
CodeWorks is a partnership conceived for the purpose of
marketing software under ShareWare channels. In the past, three
products were distributed under CodeWorks name. The most
prominent of which is FLASH. Although CodeWorks will continue to
support Flash23c, the current version (3.0) is being marketed by
Ken Wilcox, through QSoft. It's a total rewrite of the original
and well worth a look.




REGISTRATION INFORMATION
------------------------
DAZL is strictly a commercial program. Since we have
allowed you to try it before paying, we expect to be treated with
the same courtesy. If you find DAZL to be useful and use it
(even semi-regularly) send your check or money order to:

Dennis Tuttle
731 Goodard Drive
Va. Beach, VA 23454

You will receive the number to the CodeWorks BBS along with
an account password. As previously stated, your registration
entitles you to one year of maintenance updates, as well as
discounts on enhanced version upgrades. Printed documentation
will not be available unless we raise the cost of the software to
cover the incurred expenses. Thanks for trying our product. Now
to make the legal eagles happy!




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LICENSE
-------
This program, DAZL.EXE, and it's supporting documentation
may be freely distributed as long as they are not altered in any
manner, including distribution of less than the full number of
programs received, or sold for profit. Use of DAZL constitutes
agreement to the terms and conditions listed herein.

Any commercial distribution of DAZL is strictly prohibited!
CodeWorks chosen manner of marketing this product does not allow
any other person, group, or company to make a profit from our
effort. This expressly INCLUDES disk fees. As previously
stated, DAZL is a commercial product. If you desire distribution
rights then submit your request in writing. You will receive a
written reply within 60 days of CodeWorks receipt of same.




DISCLAIMER
==========
Codeworks makes no warranty of any kind, expressed or
implied, including without limitation, any warranties of
merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose.
Codeworks shall not be liable for any damages, whether direct,
indirect, special or consequential arising from a failure of
these programs to operate in the manner desired by the user.
Codeworks shall not be liable for any damage to data or property
which may be caused directly or indirectly by the use of this
program.

IN NO EVENT WILL CODEWORKS BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DAMAGES,
INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OR INABILITY TO USE
THIS PROGRAM, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY OTHER PARTY.




















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