FANCY BOOT:

If you have no Clock Card in your PC and would like a simple way to set the
date and time when you turn on your machine; if you are "bored to tears" by
the same old "C>" prompt, then this is for YOU!


Enclosed in this .ARC, you will find 4 files, plus this READ_ME.1ST file:

CONFIG.SYS - A CONFIG.SYS file, explained below

AUTOEXEC.BAT - An AUTOEXEC file that executes the other files and
illustrates a rather unique PROMPT command

DTIME.ANS - An ansi-graphics file that is the lead-in to IPLTIME.COM

IPLTIME.COM - Like DDATE, but allows setting of Date AND Time with the
Arrow Keys!


AN EXPLANATION OF THESE FILES:

1. CONFIG.SYS - This file configures your system upon boot-up. The most
important commands in this file are the first two:

SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /p /e=20 - This command tells your PC to always
look for COMMAND.COM in the ROOT Directory, and expands your PC's
environment to 20 paragraphs (may be expanded up to 62!).

DEVICE=ANSI.SYS - This command installs the ANSI Graphics interpreter-
required for DTIME.ANS and the PROMPT command in the AUTOEXEC file to
work!

The other two commands expand the default FILES and BUFFERS environment.

2. AUTOEXEC.BAT - I will explain each command in this file:

ECHO OFF - This command turns off the ECHO of all other commands in the
file to the screen, until reversed by ECHO ON at the end of the file.

TYPE DTIME.ANS - This gives a colorful display of instructions on how
to set the DATE and TIME using IPLTIME. The DTIME.ANS file was made
using the PD ansi-graphics program THEDRAW.

IPLTIME - This is a PD program I got from a BBS which is similar to
DDATE, but allows setting the Date AND Time with the arrow keys. The
last time set is automatically saved to the file each time it is run,
so if you boot-up at approximately the same time each morning, you
shouldn't have to change much!

PATH C:\;C:\SYSTEM - Regardless which sub-directory you are in, if you
try to execute a file that is not in your current directory, the PATH
command instructs your PC to check the "PATHED" directories before
issuing a "File not found" error. Files you use on a regular basis
(such as a text editor or LIST program) should be kept in one of these
PATH directories. This eliminates the need of having duplicate often-
used programs in each sub-directory.

PROMPT DATE:...etc. - This will give you a "Fancy" Prompt, namely, the
DATE in RED, the TIME in CYAN, your current sub-directory in YELLOW, and
a "Your Command?>" in bright WHITE. Quite a change from the "dull and
drab" C:>, don't you think?

Some of the commands you can use in this PROMPT command to "custom tailor"
your own prompt:

$d = display the current date | $t = display the current time
$n = display current drive | $p = display drive and directory
$g = display ">" | $_ = goto new line
$h = erase previous character (for example: $t$h$h$h$h$h$h will display
TIME in only HH:MM format, erasing the seconds and hundredths)

$e = the escape command, can be used with the following to change the
color of what follows the command:

[0m = returns to default colors, always put this at the end of the
PROMPT statement, unless you want the foreground color changed!

[1m = HIGHLIGHTED (Colors 8 through 15)

[4m = UNDERLINED

[5m = BLINK

[7m = REVERSE Video

[31m = RED [32m = GREEN [33m = YELLOW [34m = BLUE

[35m = MAGENTA [36m = CYAN [37m = WHITE [30m = BLACK

(NOTE: the default command for PROMPT is $n$g)

ECHO ON - Turns your screen ECHO back on.

These are ideas and files I got from many other people (to numerous to
list here), hopefully put into an order you can understand and use.

HOPE YOU ENJOY!!!

Lloyd Unsell
(202) 822-0369