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PC-SIG Diskette Library (Disk #930)
[PCjs Machine "ibm5170"]
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Information about “POINT & SHOOT HARD DISK MANAGER”
The POINT & SHOOT Hard Disk Manager addresses two of the most
important needs of hard disk users -- program execution and file/
directory management.
POINT & SHOOT includes all of the standard menu, file, and directory
commands with a split-screen file list and directory tree. The
program includes DOS access, floppy disk formatting, multiple hard
drive support, mouse support, file and subdirectory undelete,
passwords and time logging, text search, and much more.
FILE0930.TXT
Disk No: 930
Disk Title: Point & Shoot Hard Disk Manager
PC-SIG Version: S2.01
Program Title: Point & Shoot Hard Disk Manager
Author Version: 2.0
Author Registration: $35.00
Special Requirements: Hard drive.
The POINT & SHOOT Hard Disk Manager addresses two of the most important
needs of hard disk users: Program execution and file/directory
management.
POINT & SHOOT includes all the standard menu, file, and directory
commands with a split-screen file list and directory tree. The program
includes DOS access, floppy disk formatting, multiple hard drive
support, mouse support, file and subdirectory undelete, DOS 4.0 support,
passwords and time logging, text search, and much more.
PC-SIG
1030D East Duane Avenue
Sunnyvale Ca. 94086
(408) 730-9291
(c) Copyright 1989 PC-SIG, Inc.
FILES.TXT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
POINT & SHOOT 2.0 -- BY AMST (MEMBER ASP)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
POINT & SHOOT ADDRESSES TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT NEEDS OF HARD DISK
COMPUTER USERS; PROGRAM EXECUTION AND FILE/DIRECTORY MANAGEMENT. POINT
& SHOOT IS NOT THE ONLY PROGRAM OF ITS KIND, BUT ONE QUICK LOOK AT THE
PROGRAM WILL PROVE ITS APPEAL. REQUIRED KEYSTROKES ARE MINIMIZED WHILE
THE PROGRAM REMAINS FEATURE RICH. EVEN POWER USERS WILL FIND POINT &
SHOOT TO BE A USEFUL TOOL.
POINT & SHOOT CURRENTLY SUPPORTS THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS:
o UP TO 30 MENU ENTRIES, EACH OF WHICH MAY CONTAIN A SUBMENU
OF UP TO 10 ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS EACH FOR A TOTAL OF 300
USER-DEFINED MENU ENTRIES.
o POP-UP CALCULATOR, CALENDAR, DISK STATISTICS, HELP SCREENS, INSTANT
ACCESS TO THE DOS COMMAND PROMPT, AND FLOPPY DISK FORMATTING.
o CONFIGURATION OPTIONS INCLUDE COLORS, AN HOURLY CHIME, AND MOUSE
SUPPORT.
o FILE OPERATIONS INCLUDING: ATTRIBUTE, BLOCK OPERATIONS ON
GROUPS OF FILES, COPY, DELETE, EDIT (UP TO 64K), FILTER,
GLOBAL SEARCH WITH OPTIONAL DELETE, HEX/ASCII EDITOR, LOCATE TEXT,
MOVE, NEWER FILE, PRINT FILE LISTING & TEXT FILES (INCLUDING DOUBLE
COLUMN HP LASERJET), RENAME, SORT, AND VIEW.
o SORTED DIRECTORY TREE DISPLAY WITH DIRECTORY OPERATIONS
THAT INCLUDE: HIDE/UNHIDE, MAKE/DELETE, GOTO, PRINT WITH
OPTIONAL FILENAMES, AND RENAME.
o UNDELETE FILES AND DIRECTORIES
o PASSWORD PROTECTION AND USAGE LOGGING
o BONUS STAND-ALONE PROGRAMS INCLUDE SCREEN BLANKERS FOR CGA, MDA,
AND EGA MONITORS.
POINT & SHOOT REQUIRES THE FOLLOWING HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE TO OPERATE
CORRECTLY:
o IBM OR 100% COMPATIBLE COMPUTER
o 320K MINIMUM MEMORY
o A HARD DISK
o MS-DOS VERSION 2.0 OR GREATER
o COLOR/GRAPHICS, MONOCHROME, EGA OR VGA DISPLAY ADAPTOR
THE FILES CONTAINED ON THE DISTRIBUTION DISK ARE:
FILES TXT THIS FILE
INSTALL BAT HARD DISK INSTALLATION PROGRAM
PAS EXE THE POINT & SHOOT PROGRAM
PASAUX ARC ARCHIVED DOCUMENTATION & AUXILIARY PROGRAM FILES
READ ME LAST MINUTE CHANGES AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
UNDO EXE PROGRAM TO UNARC THE AUXILIARY FILE DURING INSTALLATION
GO.TXT
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ <<<< PC-SIG Disk #930 POINT & SHOOT HARD DISK MANAGER >>>> ║
╠═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ ║
║ To print installation instructions, type: COPY READ.ME PRN (Enter) ║
║ ║
║ To view author's notes, type: TYPE FILES.TXT (press Enter) ║
║ ║
║ After installing program, type: COPY PASDOC.TXT PRN (press Enter) ║
║ ║
║ Copyright 1990, PC-SIG, Inc. ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
ASBDOC.TXT
Documentation for ASMT Screen Blanker 1.0
Copyright 1987 All rights reserved
------------------------------------------------------------------
The AMST Screen Blanker blanks the screen of your computer after
5 minutes of no keyboard activity. There are actually two
programs in the set; ASB.COM, which is used for CGA/MDA monitors,
and ASBE.COM, which is used for EGA type monitors. Neither program
has been tested on VGA monitors or on all types of CGA, MDA, or
EGA monitors.
To use either program, type:
ASB
or ASBE
from the DOS prompt, or include the command in a batch file like
AUTOEXEC.BAT. The program will display an installation message.
After the screen blanks, any keypress will restore the screen.
However, the key you press will be passed on to the currently
running program, so it is suggested to use a non-action key, like
[alt] to restore the screen.
After the initial installation, you may temporarily disable the
program by entering:
ASB -
or ASBE -
Entering the original ASB or ASBE command again will re-enable the
screen blanker.
Neither program supports graphics modes, but you may disable the
programs before entering graphics mode programs. Also, some word
processing programs rudely capture keyboard interrupts, and are
not compatible with these screen blankers, so you should disable
the blanker before entering these programs.
Applied Micro Systems Technology
Box 1596, Welch Avenue Station
Ames, IA 50010
CHANGES.TXT
Point & Shoot Revision History
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 1.1 (10/87)
----------------------
Completely rewrote program in Turbo Pascal 4.0 (made 1 .EXE)
Added Check Snow parameter in program Setup
Added ORIG: and TARG: display on graphic tree
Added [right-arrow] to File Block command to move directly to Tree
Added [ctrl-PgDn] command to quickly tag groups of files in File Block
Fixed bug in File Block Move when duplicates were encountered
Added } symbol to force prompting for parameters in menu entry definitions
Fixed Goto floppy drive bug (cannot allow but old versions tried anyway)
Added File Xecute command to run small programs
Changed Newdate command to Newfile. Date changes are now in Attributes
Added standard and double column laser text file print to File commands
Included screen blanking programs with Point & Shoot package
Version 1.2 (12/87)
-----------------------
Added Alt-D command for DOS access
Fixed background color bug for some color monitors
Removed Check Snow parameter function in program setup (now automatic)
Added automatic drive scan for systems with more than one fixed disk drive
Fixed bug in menu setup (was incorrectly adding extra duplicate commands)
Added % completion status to File View command
Changed format of color selection in Setup to show colors
Changed Origin directory setting so that [Cr] always rereads files
Fixed Target Space available display in File commands to show new target
space before copy operations begin. Previously, if you switched disks
in the target drive, the space available shown was incorrect.
Added a comprehensive text file editor called "PASE.EXE". This editor uses
WordStar type commands and can handle files up to 64K. The new text editor
will automatically run from Point & Shoot and can also be used as a stand-
alone text editor. The documentation for this editor is contained in a
separate file called "PASEDOC.TXT" contained on the distribution disk.
Added a backup parameter to the Setup screen to designate whether the text
editor should make backups (.BAK's).
Version 1.3 (5/88)
----------------------
Rewrote user interface and added comprehensive error checking procedures
Added mouse support to the program
Added external interface to Point & Shoot Backup/Restore program
Changed Newfile command to Newcopy which will copy newest files only
Added time display to file list (date sort now sorts on date and time)
Revised program setup to allow setting of background colors
Printed (complete) documentation is now available to all registered users
Program defaults are now stored directly in program .EXE file
Added Diskformat command to format floppy disks
Moved all menu management commands to a separate menu
Added sort order status display to file display screen
Added "/M" parameter to force correct display on some incompatible machines
Version 2.0 (1/89)
----------------------
Added TREE UNDELETE command to recover deleted files & directories
Moved FILE OPTIONS to SETUP and removed Duplicate file check (now always on)
Changed drive selection in SETUP to designate each drive used instead of
the last drive used and modified program so it may be run on any hard drive
(previously had to be lowest lettered hard drive)
Added USAGE command which incorporates a comprehensive set of Usage Log
and Protection features to the Point & Shoot Program. The addition of the
password protection mechanism has changed the format of the user-defined
menu file. Users of versions prior to version 2.0 MUST use the menu
function UPGRADE found in the Menu Commands.
Added memory statistics and other information to the Alt-S statistics screen
Included the text file editor directly into the program for quicker access.
Text editor now also automatically uses the memory that is available to
allow more flexibility on systems with limited memory (max still 64K).
Editor has additional command to examine the current amount of editing
memory available. Added option in SETUP to allow user to specify the text
editor to use if they wish to use an editor other than the built-in P&S
editor. F4 New File command in editor now prompts for a new file name.
Redesigned the Alt-D drop to DOS command to free as much memory as possible
before attempting to execute a DOS command to allow larger programs/commands
to be executed from this part of the program
Enhanced the printed documentation available to registered users. Now
includes user guide and reference sections.
Changed FILE ATTRIBUTE command to FILE ATTR to allow more space for commands
on FILE menu
Enhanced the FILE VIEW command to read large files quicker and to support
correct on-screen spacing of tabs in text files
Added TREE A&B command to show directories on floppy disks
Added marker in file list to indicate other than standard file attribute
Added option to FILE GLOBAL command to gather all files on hard disk(s) in
one sorted/filtered list then copy or delete individual files
Added file delete confirmation to original FILE GLOBAL command
Improved the DISKFORMAT command to correct problems with some computers
Added FILE WINDOW command to show dual file list (origin and target files)
Added Alt-L pop-up calendar command to show on-screen perpetual calendar
Added [Esc] feature to FILE BLOCK commands to interrupt long activities
Added ******** mask to hidden subdirectories. If protection is on, then
users cannot make a hidden subdirectory the Origin or Target. Users can
also be restricted to a single subdirectory in Tree & File operations.
Added inverse date (newest first) sort order option in File commands. Sort
may now be aborted with [Esc] if the file sorting process is too long.
Added FILE LOCATE command to find files with embedded text strings
Added INDEX database to keep track of files (or anything else)
Changed FILE NEWCOPY command to FILE NEWER
Added additional error checking to TREE COLLECT to ensure that the program
does not halt if too many diretories are found to display on the screen.
The limit is now 255 total directories on the tree. If more, the
program will show as many as it can, where previously too many directories
would halt the program.
PASDOC.TXT
POINT & SHOOT HARD DISK MANAGER
VERSION 2.0
Copyright (C) 1987, 1988, 1989
All Rights Reserved
Applied Micro Systems Technology
Kurt H. Diesch
Member, Association of Shareware Professionals
Revised: January 1, 1989
Point & Shoot Hard Disk Manager is a hard disk file and program
management tool designed for IBM Personal Computers and 100%
compatibles. Applied Micro Systems Technology reserves the
COPYRIGHT to this program and all related materials. The user is
granted a non-exclusive license to use the program and is
encouraged to pay for the program if it is found to be useful.
Payment of the $45 registration fee will entitle the user to full
registration including printed documentation and user support.
Government and business entities may not use the program without
paying the full registration fee. Please register your program with
the form included at the end of the documentation or use the
registration form print function [alt-P] in the program. REMEMBER:
Shareware is not free! Send payments to:
Applied Micro Systems Technology
P.O. Box 1596, Welch Ave.
Ames, Iowa 50010
The user is also granted permission to make unlimited copies of the
program and to distribute those copies as long as no fee is charged
for the program. A duplication charge not to exceed $5 may be
collected.
SHAREWARE DISK VENDORS ARE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM
AMST BEFORE DISTRIBUTING THIS PROGRAM. REQUESTS MUST INCLUDE A COPY
OF THE VENDOR'S CURRENT CATALOG ALONG WITH THE VENDOR PERMISSION FORM
FOUND AT THE END OF THIS DOCUMENTATION.
Applied Micro Systems Technology specifically disclaims all
warranties, expressed or implied, including but not limited to,
implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for any particular
purpose. In no event shall Applied Micro Systems Technology be
liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage,
including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential or
other damages.
MEMBER - ASSOCIATION OF SHAREWARE PROFESSIONALS
The author of this program is a member of ASP and has agreed to
comply with its standards:
Programming standards:
- The program meets ASP's definition of Shareware.
- The program has been thoroughly tested by the author and
should not be harmful to other files or hardware if used
properly (although ASP cannot warrant this; therefore, the
user should take normal precautions in trying new
software).
Documentation standards:
- Sufficient documentation is provided to allow the average
user to try all major functions of the program.
- The program author has explained the Shareware concept in
a professional and positive manner.
Support standards:
- The program author will respond as described in the
documentation to people who send registration payments.
At a minimum, the author will send an acknowledgement of
payment.
- The author will respond to written bug reports from
registered users when the user provides a self-addressed,
stamped envelope (some authors will respond by phone, but
this is not an ASP requirement).
- Incompatibilities with other software or hardware, major
or unusual program limitations, or known problems are
noted in the documentation that comes with the shareware
version of the program.
General:
- The author keeps his/her membership in ASP current.
- The author recognizes that any user may appeal to ASP for
any unresolved dispute that arises.
If you feel that the author has not complied with these standards in
some manner or if you register the program with the author and
subsequently have any disputes with the author which cannot be
resolved, please write the ASP at:
Association of Shareware Professionals
P.O. Box 5786
Bellevue, WA 98005
While ASP cannot warrant programs nor the actions of members, ASP
will do what it can to assure that all authors who claim membership
comply with ASP standards. These standards are the assurance of
quality and support that you will get when you register Shareware
produced by ASP members.
SHAREWARE
To promote better understanding of the shareware concept, ASP has
developed the following official definition of shareware:
Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before
buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you
are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details --
some request registration while others require it, some specify a
maximum trial period. With registration, you get anything from the
simple right to continue using the software to an updated program
with printed manual.
Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and
the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific
exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished
programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of
comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad
ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The
author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the
software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For
example, some authors require written permission before a commercial
disk vendor may copy their Shareware.
Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You
should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether
it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting
your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because
the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate
money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay
for it.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
QUICK START GUIDE .................................... 1
Installation ...................................... 1
Program Startup ................................... 1
Program Setup ..................................... 2
Multiple Hard Disk Drive Installation ............. 2
Alternate Directory Installation .................. 2
Upgrading from a Previous Version ................. 2
Printing the Documentation ........................ 3
In Case of Difficulty ............................. 3
USER GUIDE ........................................... 4
Program Description and Requirements .............. 4
General Program Operation ......................... 5
Data Entry Screens ................................ 7
User Defined Menus ................................ 8
File & Directory Maintenance ...................... 11
Hard Disk Organization Tips ....................... 14
Database Commands ................................. 15
Database Backups .................................. 17
Database Errors: The Fixup Command ................ 17
Protection & Usage Logging System ................. 18
Screen Blanker Operation .......................... 20
Text Editor Operation ............................. 21
Using a Mouse ..................................... 29
Network Installation .............................. 31
MAIN MENU COMMANDS ................................... 32
Backup ............................................ 32
Diskformat ........................................ 32
File .............................................. 33
Index ............................................. 33
Menu .............................................. 33
Setup ............................................. 33
Tree .............................................. 33
Usage ............................................. 33
FILE COMMANDS ........................................ 34
Attr ............................................. 34
Block ............................................. 35
Copy .............................................. 35
Delete ............................................ 35
Edit ............................................. 35
Filter ............................................ 35
Global ............................................ 36
Hex ............................................... 36
Locate ............................................ 37
Move .............................................. 37
Newer ............................................. 37
Print ............................................. 37
Rename ............................................ 37
Sort .............................................. 37
Tree .............................................. 37
View .............................................. 38
Window ............................................ 38
Xecute ............................................ 38
INDEX DATABASE ....................................... 39
MENU COMMANDS ........................................ 40
Add ............................................... 40
Change ............................................ 41
Delete ............................................ 41
Exchange .......................................... 41
Move .............................................. 41
Upgrade ........................................... 41
SETUP ................................................ 42
TREE COMMANDS ........................................ 43
A&b ............................................... 43
Collect ........................................... 43
Delete ............................................ 43
File .............................................. 43
Goto .............................................. 44
Hide .............................................. 44
Make .............................................. 44
Origin ............................................ 44
Print ............................................. 44
Rename ............................................ 44
Sort .............................................. 44
Target ............................................ 45
Undelete .......................................... 45
USAGE COMMANDS ....................................... 46
Change Password ................................... 46
Fixup Databases ................................... 47
Time Log Database ................................. 47
User Database ..................................... 48
VENDOR PERMISSION FORM & GUIDELINES .................. 49
REGISTRATION FORM .................................... 51
QUICK START GUIDE
-----------------
NOTE: This quick start guide should not replace a complete reading
of the documentation. This program contains many useful features
that are not discussed in the quick start guide.
INSTALLATION
To automatically install this program on a hard disk:
o Place the program disk in floppy drive A:
o From the ROOT DIRECTORY of the hard disk, type:
A:INSTALL
o At a minimum, the AUTOEXEC.BAT file must contain the
following lines in the order shown:
PATH \P&S (or desired directory)
PS (this MUST be the last line)
o The CONFIG.SYS file must contain the following lines:
BUFFERS = 20
FILES = 20
o Reboot the computer using [Ctrl-Alt-Del]. The program
should run. If any problems occur, perform the
installation again, consult the remainder of the
documentation, or contact AMST for assistance.
PROGRAM STARTUP
This program MUST be started with the supplied batch file, PS.BAT.
Correct operation of the menu portion of the program depends on
running the program from this batch file. If this file cannot be
found, it should be created in the \P&S directory and should consist
of the following lines:
ECHO OFF
C:
CD C:\P&S (or desired disk and directory)
PAS
PASCPROG
If you are at the DOS prompt, the program must be restarted from DOS
by typing PS (not PAS). If the program has been correctly installed,
the main program screen should appear.
- 1 -
PROGRAM SETUP
The first time this program is executed, the user should immediately
use the SETUP command to select program configuration options. The
most important option is to identify the disk drives used. To select
the drives, press the [S] key from the main menu to select the SETUP
command. When the Setup Screen appears, use the [Enter] or [down
arrow] key to move the flashing "*" to the first DISK DRIVE USAGE
field. Type "Y" or "N" to identify all available drives (floppy and
hard disk). Finally, press function key [F10] to save the current
setup configuration.
MULTIPLE HARD DISK DRIVE INSTALLATION
If this program is installed on a system with more than one hard disk
drive, the PS.BAT file should be modified to include a line
designating the drive letter that contains the program. For example,
if the computer has both drives C: and D: and the program is
installed on drive C:, then the PS.BAT file should appear as follows:
ECHO OFF
C: (or desired disk)
CD C:\P&S (or desired disk and directory)
PAS
PASCPROG
ALTERNATE DIRECTORY INSTALLATION
Automatic installation places the program and associated files in a
predefined subdirectory. This program is capable of running from
alternative drives and/or directories, but the program must be
installed manually. To install the program in a directory other than
the default, manually create the desired directory from DOS using the
MD command, copy all files from the program disk to that directory,
and replace all references to \P&S in the INSTALLATION section with
the new directory name.
UPGRADING FROM A PREVIOUS VERSION
Users upgrading from a version of the program prior to 2.0 should
immediately use the MENU UPGRADE command to convert pre-2.0 user
menus to the new menu data file format. The command issues
appropriate warnings and prompts.
- 2 -
PRINTING THE DOCUMENTATION
The simplest method to print this documentation file is to use the
FILE PRINT command contained in this program. To use this command,
press [T] to select the TREE command from the main menu. Next, use
the [up/down arrow] keys to hilite the \P&S directory on the graphic
directory tree and press [Enter] to select \P&S as the origin. Use
the [left arrow] key to move to the file list and use the [up/down
arrow] keys to hilite PASDOC.TXT. Press [P] to select the PRINT
command and then press [P] to Print Text File or [H] for HP Laserjet
print, whichever is appropriate.
IN CASE OF DIFFICULTY
This program has been carefully tested to ensure that users have
minimum difficulty. The science of computer programming, however,
dictates that no program is ever entirely bug free. If a problem
occurs in the operation of the program, support may be necessary.
In the event of a problem, the first step is to carefully review the
associated section of the documentation. Many apparent program
problems are actually incorrect usage of the program. The second
step is to ask a colleague or friend about the problem. If neither
of these steps proves sufficient, registered users may contact AMST
for support at:
Applied Micro Systems Technology
Box 1596, Welch Ave. Station
Ames, Iowa 50010
(515) 292-0426
When writing or calling for support, you must be the registered owner
of the program. If phoning for support, be prepared with a written
list of details. Whether writing or phoning, the following list will
serve as a guideline for information to collect:
o Program name, version, and serial number
o Equipment used including make and model of computer,
type of monitor and other peripherals, amount of memory,
and other hardware details
o DOS version and manufacturer
o Other software used, especially Terminate and Stay
Resident Programs (TSR's)
o Complete detail of the problem including error messages,
specific procedure followed when the error occurs, and
any other relevant information
- 3 -
USER GUIDE
----------
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND REQUIREMENTS
The following functions are currently supported by this program:
o Run up to 300 programs from user-defined menus. Point &
Shoot is not memory resident. Programs will have ALL
available memory. Menu entries may consist of multiple
commands with optional parameter entry.
o Pop-up calculator, calendar, system statistics, help
screens, instant DOS access with 10 command recall, and
floppy disk formatting (all sizes).
o User-defined program colors, mouse support, automatic
screen blanking, support for multiple hard drives, and
optional user-selected text editor.
o Built-in interfaces to Point & Shoot Backup/Restore for
hard disk backups.
o Password protection and usage logging system.
o File manipulation commands including:
o Change the attributes of any file
o Copy, delete, move, and rename files
o Update file lists with the Newer command
o Edit files in text (up to 64K), Hex, and Ascii
modes with built-in editor or name your own editor
o Find files with the Filter and Global search
commands or find text in files with Locate command
o Print text files and file lists
o Sort by date, extension, inverse date, name or size
o Show two file lists with Window command
o View any file with a scrollable screen
o Sorted directory tree for directory manipulation:
o Hide and unhide directories
o Make, delete, and rename directories
o Jump directly to a directory with the Goto command
o Print the directory tree, optionally with filenames
o Show floppy subdirectories
o Undelete files and directories, including DOS 4.0
This program requires the following hardware and software to operate
correctly:
o IBM or 100% compatible computer with 320K minimum memory
o A hard disk with MS-DOS version 2.0 or greater
- 4 -
To run this program, several files must be available in the directory
in which the program was installed. Following is a list of the
necessary program and data files. Files marked with a "*" are
created by the program as required.
PAS.EXE The Point & Shoot Hard Disk Manager program
PAS.OVR Program overlay file
PASCPROG.BAT* Batch file for menu-defined program execution
PAS.HLP On-line help file text
PASMENU2.DAT* User-defined menu configuration data
PASTREE2.DAT* File to store directory tree structure
PASINDEX.??? Database files used with Index Database
PASTLOG.??? Database files used with Timelog Database
PASUSERS.??? Database files used with User Database
PS.BAT Batch file to start Point & Shoot
In addition, several other files are included on the program disk.
These files are installed by the automatic installation program but
may be deleted if they are not used.
ASB.COM Screen blanker for CGA and MDA monitors
ASBE.COM Screen blanker for EGA monitors
ASBDOC.TXT Screen blanker documentation
CHANGES.TXT Revision history of the program
FILES.TXT A description of the diskette files
INSTALL.BAT Automatic installation program
PASDOC.TXT Documentation text file
READ.ME Last minute changes and important information
GENERAL PROGRAM OPERATION
Point & Shoot is executed automatically when the computer is booted
through the AUTOEXEC.BAT file or by typing PS from the DOS prompt.
The main program screen appears first. The top line of the screen
displays the name and version of the program, a copyright notice and
the current date and time. The center portion of the screen displays
the user-defined menu title and user-defined menu entries. The
bottom section of the screen displays the program menus with an
explanatory line of text describing the currently hilited program
command.
The [Esc] Key
An important key to remember is the [Esc] key. At virtually every
location in the program, the [Esc] key serves to "back out" of a
command. At no time will the [Esc] key cause any damage to files or
the program. Consider the [Esc] key to be a safety net to be used
freely.
- 5 -
[Alt] Commands
There are several commands available at any time during the operation
of the program using the [Alt] key. To execute these commands, hold
the [Alt] key and press the associated letter of the commands
described below. The command will then run. To return to the
program at the previous state, press the [Esc] key. The following
[Alt] commands are available:
[Alt-C] Activates an on-screen calculator which operates
like a simple pocket calculator.
[Alt-D] Provides quick access to the DOS command line.
The current directory will be whichever directory
was last in use by the FILE commands. Any DOS
command may be entered from the DOS prompt if
sufficient memory is available. The [F1-F10]
function keys recall the last 10 commands entered.
[Alt-H] Displays program help screens. The first screen
to appear is a quick index. A specific help topic
may be selected from the index by pressing the
associated letter. The [up/down arrow] keys,
[PgUp], [PgDn], and [End] keys allow scrolling
within the help file. The help index may be
recalled at any time by pressing the [Home] key.
[Alt-L] Displays a perpetual calendar. The [left/right
arrow] keys change the month and the [up/down
arrow] keys change the year.
[Alt-P] Displays a detailed copyright notice for the
program including the serial number and prints a
registration form if desired.
[Alt-S] Displays the current space statistics of disk
drives, memory statistics, and other program
option settings. To examine the disk space
statistics for alternate drives, press the letter
of the desired drive.
Program Menus
Most of the program functions are executed through the list of
commands shown in the bottom area of the screen. The [Space] or
[BackSpace] keys may be used to hilite the desired command. The
one-line description of the command shown on the bottom line of the
screen will change appropriately. To execute any of the program menu
functions, press the first letter of the command. The command
corresponding to the selected letter will be immediately executed.
Alternately, hilite the desired command and press [Enter].
- 6 -
Some of the menus shown on the bottom of the screen will not allow
movement of a hilite. These command lists are distinguished by the
absence of a hilite on any one command. To select a command from
these types of menus, press the associated letter or function key.
The selection of some commands will display another command list. A
previous command list may be selected by pressing the [Esc] key.
Occasionally, you will be presented with a pop-up vertical list of
choices for some program options. Select from these lists with the
[up/down arrow] keys and then [Enter] key. If the first letters of
the options are shown in bold characters, the corresponding letter
may be pressed to make a selection. The [Esc] key to will abort the
selection process.
Quitting the Program
To quit the program and return to the operating system, press [Esc]
or select QUIT from the Main Menu command list. To restart the
program from DOS, type PS. NOTE: if the protection or usage logging
features are enabled, the user may be denied access to the DOS
prompt. See PROTECTION & USAGE LOGGING SYSTEM for details.
DATA ENTRY SCREENS
At many points in the program information will be entered on the
screen. A cursor (and on multiple field screens a flashing "*") will
indicate where information is to be entered. The following commands
are available for data entry:
[left/right arrow]: Moves the cursor within the current
field. If the cursor is at the first position
within a field, [left arrow] selects the previous
field. If the cursor is at the last position,
[right arrow] selects the next field.
[^left/^right]: Moves the cursor to the first position or
to the last character of the field.
[up/down arrow]: Selects the previous or next data field.
[Enter]: Same as right or down arrow for next field.
[F1/F2]: Enters date or time if appropriate.
[F8]: Blanks the current data field.
[Esc]: Aborts changes made to the data screen.
[F10]: Accepts changes made to the data screen and
completes enter/update action.
- 7 -
USER-DEFINED MENUS
The MENU command on the main menu is used to manipulate the
user-defined program menus. User menus consist of menu titles,
commands to execute, the directory path from which to execute the
command, and an optional password. The protection system must be
enabled for passwords to function. See PROTECTION & USAGE LOGGING
SYSTEM. The menu entries are created and modified with the ADD and
CHANGE commands. Up to 30 menu entries may be defined. Each of
these menu entries may contain up to 10 submenu entries for a total
of 300 programs controlled through user-defined menus.
To demonstrate the use of the user-defined menu system, the following
procedure will install the DOS DIR command in a user-defined menu
entry:
o Press [M] to select the MENU commands from the main
menu. The MENU command list will appear.
o Select ADD to add a new menu entry. A hilite bar will
appear in the center portion of the screen.
o Use the [up/down/left/right arrow] keys to select a
position on the screen for the new menu entry. When the
desired position is hilited, press [Enter]. The MENU
DETAIL screen will appear.
o Type "Directory Test" in the MENU ENTRY TITLE field and
press [Enter].
o Type "DIR | PAUSE" in the COMMAND TO EXECUTE field and
press [F10] to accept the menu entry. The | character
is used to combine commands. The main screen containing
the new menu entry should appear.
o Press [Esc] once to return to the main program menu.
The new menu entry is now installed and is ready to
test. Use the arrow keys to select the new menu entry
and press [Enter]. The DIR command should run (the
PAUSE command was included to stop the listing before
returning). If the command did not work correctly, make
sure that the program was installed correctly. Refer to
INSTALLATION in the QUICK START GUIDE.
Note that the directory shown was for the root directory of the hard
disk because that is where the DIR command was executed. Commands
are normally executed from many places on a hard disk and there is an
easy method to accommodate this requirement. The test menu
previously entered will now be modified to execute the DIR command
from another directory:
- 8 -
o Press [M] to select the MENU commands and then press [C]
to select the CHANGE command.
o Use the arrow keys to hilite the "Directory Test" entry
if it is not already hilited and then press [Enter].
The MENU DETAIL screen should appear.
o Note that the APPLICATION PATH field at the bottom of
the screen is blank. If no path (directory) is given
for a menu entry, the program will assume that the root
directory of the hard disk is the intended path. Press
[F7] to use the graphic directory tree to select a path
for the DIR command. For this example, select the \P&S
directory when the graphic tree appears by using the
arrow keys and [Enter]. Note that the APPLICATION PATH
now shows C:\P&S.
o Press [F10] to accept the changes, quit back to the main
menu, and test the new DIR command. This time, the
directory listing should be from the \P&S directory. If
this does not work, reread this section.
As a final example, the test menu entry will be changed to include a
submenu of two commands under one menu entry:
o Press [M] to select the MENU commands and then press [C]
to select the CHANGE command.
o Use the arrow keys to hilite the "Directory Test" entry
if it is not already hilited and then press [Enter].
The MENU DETAIL screen should appear.
o Change the MENU ENTRY TITLE field to "DOS Commands" and
press [Enter] to move to the COMMAND TO EXECUTE field.
Press [F8] to clear the COMMAND TO EXECUTE field.
o Press [Enter] once more to move to the first SUBMENU
ENTRY TITLE field. In this field, type "Directory Test"
followed by [Enter]. Type "DIR | PAUSE" in the COMMAND
TO EXECUTE field followed by [Enter].
o In the second SUBMENU ENTRY TITLE field type "Wide
Directory" followed by [Enter]. Type "DIR /W | PAUSE"
in the COMMAND TO EXECUTE field followed by [F10] to
accept the changes.
o Finally, return to the main menu and test the menu
entry. Notice the appearance of the submenu! Again, if
the new menu entry does not work as expected, review
this section again.
- 9 -
The user-defined menus do not do anything that cannot be done from
the DOS prompt. On the other hand, ANY programs that can be executed
from the DOS prompt can be executed from the user-defined menus using
the procedure shown in the examples above. Even batch files can be
executed if the last line is PS.
The important point to remember is that the COMMAND TO EXECUTE and
the APPLICATION PATH fields in the user-defined menus are telling
Point & Shoot the same information that is normally entered on the
DOS command line. With Point & Shoot, this information is only
entered once and is used repeatedly, but Point & Shoot needs the same
information that DOS needs when running a program.
If problems are encountered when attempting to run programs from
user-defined menus, consider how the program would be run from DOS.
The PATH command normally found in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file will still
be required along with other special commands that may be necessary
for programs to operate correctly.
Programs that run on MS-DOS computers are usually one of four types:
.COM, .EXE, .BAT or BASIC files. Any of these types of programs can
be executed from the Point & Shoot user-defined menus. If the file
ends with ".COM" or ".EXE", select this file as the command to
execute in MENU commands. ".BAT" files may also be executed as long
as the last line is "PS" in these files.
To execute BASIC programs from the user-defined menus, the BASIC
command interpreter (usually BASIC.EXE) must be copied into the
appropriate subdirectory. When selecting the command to execute, use
the following format:
BASIC <filename>
As a final exercise, try installing your favorite word processor,
spreadsheet, and/or database program in user-defined menu entries.
In general, treat the user-defined menus as an extension of the DOS
command line, with the same power and limitations. Refer to the MENU
COMMANDS section of the documentation for further details on the use
of user-defined menus.
- 10 -
FILE & DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE
This section of the documentation will provide file and directory
manipulation practice. For a complete description of the FILE and
TREE commands, refer to the appropriate section in the documentation.
Subdirectories are separate areas on hard disks and floppy disks that
are used to store files. The directory structure of a hard disk is
often referred to as a "tree" because the total structure resembles a
tree, with the "root" directory forming the base for the rest of the
directories. Following is a graphic example of a hard disk directory
tree:
C:\
|__P&S
|__DOS
|__WORDPROC
| |_DOCS
|__GAMES
The file and tree commands in this program provide a comprehensive
set of functions for file and subdirectory manipulation. Selection
of the FILE or TREE command from the main menu produces a dual
display with a file list and a graphic directory tree.
The FILE and TREE commands work in concert. The file list shown is
always for the directory (or floppy disk) marked on the graphic
directory tree with an "O" denoting Origin. In addition, the current
Origin and Target paths will be shown (abbreviated) above the graphic
directory tree display.
File commands generally operate on the currently hilited file. Some
commands like COPY will also use the directory (or floppy disk)
marked with a "T" for Target. Switching between the FILE and TREE
sides of the screen is accomplished with the [right/left arrow] keys.
Additional commands available with FILE and TREE that are not shown
on the menu are:
[Enter]: Tags/untags the currently hilited file for use
with the BLOCK command, or if on the tree side of
the screen, selects the currently hilited
subdirectory as the Origin.
[+ or -]: Tags/untags all files for BLOCK commands.
[^PgDn]: Tags the current file and moves hilite bar down.
[up/down arrow], [PgUp], [PgDn], [Home], [End]: Moves the
hilite bar through the file list or tree.
[Tab]: Moves between Origin and Target file lists (see
FILE WINDOW)
- 11 -
Point & Shoot is capable of reading up to 255 directory names, and as
many files within a directory as memory permits. Files may be
sorted by name, extension (the letters after the "." in the
filename), date or inverse date, or size. The directory tree is
automatically sorted by name.
Point & Shoot can copy, move, rename, edit, and perform a variety of
other functions on files. Point & Shoot can create, delete, rename,
and otherwise manipulate directories. Point & Shoot can also
undelete files and directories that may accidently be deleted. The
following examples illustrate the basic FILE and TREE commands.
First, create a new directory to serve as a work directory:
o From the main menu, press [T] to select TREE commands.
If the directory structure has not been previously read,
a short delay will occur while the subdirectories are
scanned. A graphic picture of the directory will then
appear on the right side of the screen with a list of
files on the left side.
o Use the [up/down arrow] keys to hilite the \P&S
directory, then press [Enter] to select \P&S as the
ORIGIN. An "O" will appear to the left of the \P&S
directory and the file list will show some of the files
from that directory.
o Press [M] to select the MAKE command. A prompt box will
appear on the left side of the screen asking for a name
for the new directory. Type "TEMP" in the space
provided and then press [Enter]. The new "TEMP"
directory will appear immediately below the \P&S
directory on the tree.
The \TEMP directory will be used during the following examples as a
work space. The next step is to copy some files into the \TEMP
directory.
o Use the arrow keys to move the hilite bar to the \TEMP
directory and the press [T] to select \TEMP as the
Target directory. The Target is where files will be
moved or copied to during file operations.
o Press the [left arrow] key to move to the file list side
of the screen. Alternately, the FILE command from the
TREE menu could have been selected. A hilite bar should
appear over the first file in the \P&S directory,
assuming that the \P&S directory is still the Origin.
If it is not, then go back to the TREE commands and
select \P&S as the Origin.
Note at this point that the current Origin and Target are shown above
the graphic tree. Use the indicators to double check Origin and
Target settings during file operations!
- 12 -
o Use the arrow keys to hilite the file called "PS.BAT."
When this file is hilited, and after double-checking
that the Target directory is \TEMP, press [C] to COPY
the file.
o Press the [right arrow] key to move to the tree, then
select the \TEMP directory as the Origin by hiliting it
and pressing [Enter]. The "PS.BAT" file should appear
on the file list.
The next example shows how a group of files can be quickly copied.
o Use the commands discussed previously to select the
\TEMP directory as the Target and the \P&S directory as
the Origin.
o Move to the file list and press [B] to select BLOCK
commands. A new menu will appear at the bottom of the
screen. In the BLOCK menu, files may be individually
tagged and untagged. Tagged files are marked with an
asterisk "*" to the left of the filename.
o Press [T] to tag all the files in the list, then use the
arrow keys and the [Enter] key to untag "PAS.EXE" and
"PAS.OVR." The file list should now have all files
tagged except the two mentioned above.
o Press [C] to select the copy command. Point & Shoot
will then proceed to copy all the tagged files to the
target directory. A count of tagged files is shown as
the copy process takes place. When the program starts
to copy "PS.BAT", it will find that file already exists
in the target directory. Answer "N" when the program
asks whether it is Ok to replace "PS.BAT". This safety
feature prevents accidental copying over of files.
o When the copying is complete, move back to the tree and
select \TEMP as the origin. All the copied files should
appear.
In the final example, the \TEMP directory will be cleared of files
and then removed. MAKE SURE YOU SELECT THE PROPER ORIGIN DIRECTORY.
o Select the \TEMP directory as the Origin.
o Use the FILE BLOCK command discussed previously to tag
all the files in the \TEMP directory.
o After making sure that \TEMP is the Origin, press the
[D] key to delete the tagged files. When prompted "Are
you sure", answer "Y" to begin the deletion process.
o Move back to the tree side and use the DELETE command to
remove the \TEMP directory.
- 13 -
HARD DISK ORGANIZATION TIPS
Hard disk systems can be complex because of the large number of files
they can contain. Point & Shoot relieves much of the complexity of
these systems, but some tips and suggestions are in order concerning
additional disk organization.
The DOS files (from your DOS system disk) should be transferred to a
separate subdirectory and not stored in the root directory. For
example, the TREE commands could be used to make a subdirectory
called "SYSTEM" and then all all DOS files except AUTOEXEC.BAT,
COMMAND.COM, and CONFIG.SYS could be transferred (FILE MOVE) to this
subdirectory. Next, use the FILE EDIT command to modify the PATH
command in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file to appear as follows:
PATH \SYSTEM;\P&S
The PATH command tells the computer where to search for program files
(.EXE, .COM, and .BAT) if they cannot be found in the current
directory. If the path command shown above is installed, all DOS
commands can now be executed from anywhere on the disk. Many other
programs can be executed from any location on the disk by
transferring the associated files to a separate subdirectory and
adding that path to the PATH command in the AUTOEXEC file. Each
additional path is separated by a semicolon. DO NOT issue separate
path commands.
Utilize the TREE commands to create a logical, organized directory
tree on the hard disk. Many users prefer to create separate
subdirectories for each major computer function, and then to create
child directories below the major functions for each category of work
of project. The following tree is an example of typical hard disk
organization.
C:\
|__DATABASE
| |_SALES
| |_VENDORS
|__P&S
|__SPRDSHET
| |_BUDGETS
| |_EXPENSES
|__SYSTEM
|__WORDPROC
|_DOCS
|_PERSONAL
- 14 -
DATABASE COMMANDS
A database is a collection of data in a format that is similar to a
collection of index cards. Each record in a database is equivalent
to a card in an index file. Each piece of information in a record is
called a field. An entire group of similar records is stored in a
single file called a database. In this program, the database files
end with the ".DB" extension.
To assist in sorting and retrieving data in the databases the program
maintains key files which are separate files (ending with .Kxx)
consisting of data from one field of a database kept in sorted order.
The databases included in this program are the Index, Timelog and
User databases. The commands used to work with the databases are
generally identical and are described here. Differences that occur
will be covered in the associated detail section of this
documentation.
In general, the program databases operate in the same fashion. After
selecting the appropriate database from the program main menu, a
screen will appear that displays information relative to the database
in use. Line 24 of the screen will display information related to
the current database. This line will show, in order, the name of the
current database, the current order of the database, the page and
number of pages total, the current record number, the number of
records currently stored in the database, the total number of records
counting previously deleted records, and the number of records that
may still be added to the database (dependent on disk space
remaining). The following commands are available for database
manipulation:
Browse: Shows the records in tabular format. The
[PgUp/PgDn] and [up/down arrow] keys may be used
to move through the list. The [left/right arrow]
keys scroll the screen horizontally. [^Home] and
[^End] jump to the beginning and end of the
database respectively. [Esc] returns to the
original database screen at the original record
and [Enter] selects the record that the arrow is
pointing to. Search options in the Browse command
allow quick location of records. The [F1] and [F2]
keys are used to set the primary and secondary
search strings for the field currently shown on
the left side of the Browse screen. After setting
the desired search strings, [F5] and [F6] are used
to search forward or backward. A match indicator
is shown on the lower right corner of the screen.
Delete: Deletes the current database record.
Enter: Enters a new record into the current database.
For an explanation of data entry, see the section
on DATA ENTRY SCREENS.
- 15 -
Find: Finds a record matching a selected field. You
will be prompted to enter a string to match. Find
options include equal to, greater than or equal
to, less than, and partial match.
Key: Used to add or delete keys in the database. A
prompt will ask if the desired action is to add or
delete a key. After selecting the appropriate
option, a list of key field choices will appear
from which the desired field may be selected. Key
fields are marked with a "K" or "k" to indicate
unique keys or duplicate keys respectively.
Unique key fields that have been predefined for a
database may not be deleted, and a maximum of 10
key fields may be defined for a database.
Misc: Miscellaneous functions appear here. The Export
command exports the database records to an Ascii
file for use by other programs. Each field in the
database will be placed on a separate line in the
output file. Text fields will be enclosed in
quotes, numeric fields are left-justified without
quotes. The Export command creates a file with
the same name as the current database, but with a
".XPT" extension. If the export file already
exists, you will be asked if it is Ok to replace
it. The field specifications may be printed using
the Print Database Layout command.
Order: Changes the record display order. A list of key
field choices will appear for selection of the
desired order. Key fields are marked with a "K"
or "k" to indicate unique keys or duplicate keys
respectively. If a field is selected that is not
a key, the program will make it a key.
Report: Allows the user to select a report to print for
the database. All databases have at least two
report options: All records or current record
summary. Other reports available are covered in
detail in the sections describing each database.
Reports will print in the current database order.
Update: Updates the current database record. For an
explanation of data entry, see the section on DATA
ENTRY SCREENS.
Several additional database commands are available but not shown:
[^Home] [^End]: Jumps immediately to the first/last
record of the database.
[F1/F2]: Enters the current date/time if appropriate.
- 16 -
[F5]: Accepts changes to the current record and moves to
the previous record of the database. (Not
available in Enter mode)
[F6]: Accepts changes to the current record and moves to
the next record of the database. If in Enter
mode, a new blank record will appear for data
entry.
[F8]: Blanks the current field.
[Enter]: Same as right or down arrow for next field.
[Esc]: Aborts changes made to the current record and
completes Enter/Update action.
[F10]: Accepts changes made to the current record and
completes Enter/Update actions.
DATABASE BACKUPS
Power outages and surges as well as computer malfunctions may cause
corruption to occur in the databases of the program. The only
security you have against such problems is to make regular backups of
your data. It is suggested that you use a rotated backup routine
where you keep two copies of backups. Alternate between these disks
each time you perform a backup.
When making your backups, you may either use the backup program that
comes with your DOS disks or any other commercial backup program
(like Point & Shoot Backup/Restore available from AMST). To backup
your data, you must specify all files that end with the ".DB"
extension as well as files that end with a ".Kxx" extension, where
the "xx" is a number that identifies the field number for the key.
If the need ever arises to restore your databases from your backup
disks, follow the procedure in your backup program documentation to
restore your data.
DATABASE ERRORS: THE FIXUP COMMAND
On rare occasions a database may become corrupted. If a "FATAL
DATABASE ERROR" occurs when attempting to access a database, the
database may still be recoverable with the FIXUP command. FIXUP is
found in the INDEX and USAGE commands. Fixup attempts to rebuild
damaged databases by scanning the database and reconstructing the
index files. Fixup also attempts to free unused disk space by
eliminating previously deleted records from the database.
- 17 -
PROTECTION & USAGE LOGGING SYSTEM
It is often desirable to restrict access to a computer system. It is
also advantageous to track the usage of a system to determine
utilization, bill for time on projects, assist in justification of
new equipment, and validate tax deductable use of computers. The
protection and usage logging system provide these capabilities and
more:
o Unlimited number of users may be defined and tracked.
o Access to each command found in the Point & Shoot Hard
Disk Manager may be selectively enabled or disabled for
each user.
o Time log entries are made automatically each time a
program is run from the user-defined menus.
o Full-featured database commands with advanced B-tree
design are available to manipulate the databases:
o Browse records in tabular format and search using
two-key pattern matching
o Delete selected records
o Enter new records and update existing records
o Find records based on less than, greater than,
equal to, or partial key field matches
o Add or remove keys to the databases
o Order the databases in sequential or key field
order
o Print reports in a variety of formats
o Transfer database records to text files for use
with other programs
Before the protection or usage logging systems are enabled, the USAGE
command should be used to make entries for each person that will be
using the system. Access privileges should be set at this time. See
the section on the USAGE command for complete details.
Protection and Usage Logging are enabled and disabled using the SETUP
command. If Usage Logging has been enabled in SETUP, users will be
required to enter a User Id when they run the Hard Disk Manager (the
User Id is located in the User database). After the User Id has been
verified, the access privileges from the User database will be
recorded in the Hard Disk Manager for that user.
From that point, until the user quits the program with the QUIT
command, all system activity will be recorded in the Timelog
database. In addition, whenever the user attempts to use one of the
commands found in the Hard Disk Manager, their access privileges will
be checked before access is allowed.
- 18 -
Invalid attempts to access the Hard Disk Manager and the user-defined
menus will also be recorded in the Timelog database if Usage Logging
has been enabled.
If the Protection system has been enabled in SETUP, users will be
required to enter their password when first logging on to the Hard
Disk Manager. The password is located in the User database. Users
may change their own password with the USAGE command.
The Protection system in the Hard Disk Manager also provides password
protection for the user-defined menu entries. (See the MENU COMMANDS
section of the documentation).
NOTE: IF THE USAGE LOG IS ENABLED, USERS WILL NOTICE A
LONGER DELAY WHEN RUNNING PROGRAMS FROM THE
USER-DEFINED MENUS. THIS DELAY IS CAUSED BY THE
RECORDING OF USAGE LOG ENTRIES IN THE TIMELOG
DATABASE.
A variety of reports are available from the User and Time Log
databases. Time Log entries may be printed for one user or all users
and restricted to particular dates. The User database provides key
summary reports of user access privileges.
If the system administrator forgets his/her password, the Point &
Shoot Program may be reinstalled using the distribution disk.
Protection will be disabled (the default), and the administrator will
be able to access the User database to make appropriate changes to
his/her password and privileges.
NOTE: THE SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT ALL
OF THEIR PRIVILEGES ARE ENABLED IN THE USER
DATABASE. IF A USER IS RESTRICTED TO A SINGLE PATH
FOR TREE COMMANDS IN THE USER DATABASE, ALL TREE
COMMANDS EXCEPT ORIGIN AND TARGET SHOULD BE
DISABLED FOR THAT USER TO AVOID ERROR CONDITIONS
THAT MIGHT ALLOW ACCESS TO THE ROOT DIRECTORY.
- 19 -
SCREEN BLANKER OPERATION
There are two programs provided on the distribution disk that will
blank the computer screen to prevent "burn-in" that occurs with some
monitors. These programs are ASB.COM for CGA and MDA monitors and
ASBE.COM for EGA monitors. The screen blankers blank the computer
screen after 5 minutes of no keyboard activity.
NOTE: These programs have NOT been tested on all brands of display
adaptor cards or monitors but should operate correctly on most
systems. These programs ARE Terminate and Stay Resident programs and
will occupy approximately 256 bytes of available RAM. If any
problems are encountered when using these programs, discontinue use.
To use either screen blanker program, type ASB or ASBE from the DOS
prompt, or include the command in a batch file like AUTOEXEC.BAT.
Upon execution, the program will display an installation message.
Normal use of the computer may then continue.
NOTE: DO NOT INSTALL BOTH SCREEN BLANKERS, ONLY INSTALL THE
APPROPRIATE PROGRAM FOR YOUR COMPUTER. ALSO, DO NOT INSTALL THE
SCREEN BLANKER FROM THE DOS MODE OF POINT & SHOOT.
After the screen blanks, any keypress will restore the screen.
However, the key pressed will be passed on to the currently executing
program; use a non-action key like [Alt] to restore the screen.
After the initial installation, the screen blanker may be temporarily
disabled by entering the one of the following commands from the DOS
prompt. These may be entered from the DOS mode of Point & Shoot or
from the COMMAND TO EXECUTE in user-defined menus:
ASB -
or
ASBE -
Entering the original ASB or ASBE command again will re-enable the
screen blanker. This secondary enabling of the screen blanker may be
entered from the DOS mode of Point & Shoot or from the COMMAND TO
EXECUTE in user-defined menus.
Neither program supports graphics modes but they may be disabled
prior to entering graphics mode programs. Also, some word processing
programs rudely capture keyboard interrupts and are not compatible
with these screen blankers so the screen blanker should be disabled
before entering these programs.
- 20 -
TEXT EDITOR OPERATION
The built-in text editor invoked with the FILE EDIT command supports
the following functions:
o Full-screen editing of text files up to 64K
o Autoindentation
o Fixed or smart tabs (tab to previous line words)
o Block operations
o Find and replace operations
o On-line help
o Pop up available editing memory display
NOTE: If another text editor has been selected in setup, the
built-in editor will not be invoked when FILE EDIT is selected.
Overview
The text editor is a full-screen text editor very much like
MicroPro's WordStar non-document mode and the program editors found
in Borland products such as Turbo Pascal, Turbo C, or SideKick. If
you are familiar with any of these editors, you should need little
help in using this editor.
Text is entered similarly to a typewriter. However, there are a few
important differences. The cursor (a flashing underscore) always
indicates where new text will be entered, and the cursor can be moved
throughout the current file in many different ways as described
later. Mistakes can be quickly corrected with the delete commands.
Text can be copied and moved with the block commands. Text strings
can be located with the Find command and optionally replaced with new
text using the Find and Replace command.
The editor can edit text files of up to 64K bytes. If insufficient
memory is available, the editor capacity will be reduced. In
addition to common editing commands, the editor also features a
built-in command help screen and a pop-up memory statistics screen.
Each command for the editor is described in detail in the following
sections, and a brief summary of commands is given on the next page.
NOTE: the ^ character indicates a Ctrl-key combination. To execute a
Ctrl-key function, hold the [Ctrl] key and press the letter shown.
- 21 -
BASIC EDITING COMMANDS SEARCH COMMANDS
Word left [^F] Find [F5] or [^Q F]
Word right [^G] Find/replace [F6] or [^Q A]
Line up [up arrow] Find next [^L]
Line down [down arrow]
Page up [PgUp] FIND OPTIONS
Page down [PgDn] [B]=Backward search
Top of screen [Home] [G]=Global search
End of screen [End] [L]=Limit to block
Top of file [^Home] [N]=Replace without asking
End of file [^End] [U]=Ignore case
Left on line [^left arrow] [W]=Whole words only
Right on line [^right arrow]
Top of block [^Q B]
End of block [^Q K]
Insert line [F7]
Delete line [F8] or [^Y]
Delete word [^T]
BLOCK COMMANDS MISCELLANEOUS COMMANDS
Begin [^K B] Help Screen [F1]
Copy [^K C] Save/resume [F2]
Delete [^K Y] Editor Stats [F3]
End [^K K] New File [F4]
Move [^K V] Abandon [F9] or [^K Q]
Print [^K P] Save/quit [F10] or [^K D]
Read [^K R]
Write [^K W]
OPTIONS
Toggle indent [^O I]
Toggle tabs [^O T]
- 22 -
The Editing Screen
When the editor is invoked through the FILE EDIT command, the main
editor screen will appear. The center portion of the screen is the
text editing area, and the bottom section of the screen displays the
quick function key commands. The top line of the text editing window
shows the editor status line. The status line provides the following
information:
Command Echo: When the first key of a Ctrl-key command is
pressed, the keystroke is echoed at the left edge
of the status line.
Line n: Shows the line number containing the cursor.
Col n: Shows the column number containing the cursor.
Insert: Indicates that Insert mode is in effect.
Indent: Indicates Autoindent mode is in effect. [^O I]
toggles the Autoindent mode on and off.
Tab: Indicates fixed tabs are in effect. [^O T]
toggles fixed tabs on and off.
X:FILENAME.EXT: The drive, name, and extension of the
file being edited. If the current file has not
been named, only the current drive letter will be
shown. Also, even though a complete directory
path for file editing may be specified, the entire
path will not be shown on the status line.
Options
Toggle insert mode [Ins]: Selects Insert or Overwrite
mode. In Insert mode, text to the right of the
cursor is moved to the right as new text is
entered. In Overwrite mode, text at the cursor
position is overwritten when new text is entered.
Toggle autoindent [^O I]: When Autoindent mode is in
effect, pressing [Enter] will move the cursor to
the next line and to the same column as the first
character of the previous line.
Toggle fixed tabs [^O T]: With fixed tabs, tab stops
start at column 1 and occur at every 8 columns.
With smart tabs, tab stops are set at the first
character of each word on the previous line.
- 23 -
Cursor Movement
The simplest commands in the editor are the cursor movement commands.
Following is a description of these commands.
Character left [left arrow]: Moves the cursor one
character to the left.
Character right [right arrow]: Moves the cursor one
character to the right.
Word left [^F]: Moves the cursor to the beginning of the
word to the left.
Word right [^G]: Moves the cursor to the beginning of the
word to the right.
Line up [up arrow]: Moves the cursor up one line. If the
cursor is at the top line of the screen, the text
scrolls down one line.
Line down [down arrow]: Moves the cursor down one line.
If the cursor is at the bottom line of the screen,
the text scrolls up one line.
Page up [PgUp]: Moves the cursor up one screen.
Page down [PgDn]: Moves the cursor down one screen.
Top of screen [Home]: Moves the cursor to the top of the
screen.
End of screen [End]: Moves the cursor to the bottom of
the screen.
Top of file [^Home]: Moves the cursor to the beginning of
the file.
End of file [^End]: Moves the cursor to the end of the
file.
Left on line [^left arrow]: Moves the cursor to column 1
of the current line.
Right on line [^right arrow]: Moves the cursor to the end
of the current line.
Top of block [^Q B]: Moves the cursor to the block-begin
marker set with [^K B].
End of block [^Q K]: Moves the cursor to the block-end
marker set with [^K K].
- 24 -
Editing Commands
New line [Enter]: In Insert mode, this command inserts a
line break at the current cursor position. If
Autoindent mode is on, the cursor moves to the new
line and to the same column as the first character
of the previous line; otherwise the cursor moves
to column 1 of the new line. In Overwrite mode
(Insert off), the cursor will move to column 1 of
the next line without creating a new line.
Insert Line [F7]: Inserts a new line at the current
cursor position.
Tab [Tab]: Moves the cursor to the next tab stop. In
Insert mode, any text to the right of the cursor
is moved along with it. If Insert mode is off,
only the cursor will be moved. The location of
the next tab stop depends on whether fixed tabs or
smart tabs are in effect as discussed previously.
Delete current character [Del]: Deletes the character at
the current cursor position and moves any
characters to the right of the cursor one position
to the left.
Delete left character [Backspace]: Deletes the character
to the left of the cursor and moves the cursor to
the left one position. Any characters to the
right of the cursor are moved to the left one
position. If the cursor is at column 1, the
cursor is moved to the end of the previous line
and the current and previous lines are joined
together.
Delete word [^T]: Deletes the word to the right of the
cursor.
Delete line [F8] or [^Y]: Deletes the current line and
moves any lines below it up one line. The cursor
moves to column 1 of the next line.
- 25 -
Search Commands
Find [F5] or [^Q F]: Searches for a string of up to 30
characters. This command will prompt for a search
string. The last search string used (if any) will
be displayed and can be selected again by pressing
[Enter] or can be edited. A new search string may
also be entered. To edit the search string,
[Backspace] deletes the previous character, [^R]
restores the previous string, and [^U] or [Esc]
cancels the command. After the search string is
entered the program will prompt for search
options. Any previously entered options will be
shown. Again, these may be revised or accepted.
The following options are available for the Find
command:
B: Searches backward from the current cursor
position toward the beginning of the file.
L: Limits the search to the current block.
n: Find the nth occurrence of the search string.
U: Ignore the case of the target string.
W: Searches for whole words only.
Find and Replace [F6] or [^Q A]: This command works the
same as the Find command, except that the "found"
string may be replaced with any other string up to
30 characters in length. After entering the
search string, the program will prompt for a
replacement string. The last replacement string
used will be shown and can be revised or accepted.
The options for the Find and Replace command are
the same as the Find command except for the
following additions:
G: Searches globally through the entire file for
the search string.
N: Replaces any matches without confirmation.
Find next [^L]: Repeats the last Find or Find and Replace
command.
- 26 -
Block Commands
A block of text is any contiguous unit of text. A block is defined
(marked) by placing a begin-block marker at the first character in
the desired block and an end-block marker just beyond the last
character in the desired block. Once a block has been marked, that
block may be copied, moved, deleted, written to a file, or printed.
When a block is marked, the marked text will appear in a different
color than the rest of the text. A defined block will remain in
effect unless the Block Delete command is issued or a new block is
defined. The following block commands are available:
Begin block [^K B]: Marks the beginning of a block. The
marker itself is not visible, and the block itself
will not be marked until the end-block command is
given.
End block [^K K]: Marks the end of a block. Like the
begin-block marker, the end block marker is not
visible and the block itself will not be displayed
unless both markers are set.
Copy block [^K C]: Creates a copy of a marked block of
text at the current cursor position. The original
block is left unchanged and the block-begin and
block-end markers are placed around the new copy
of the block.
Move block [^K V]: Moves a marked block of text from its
current position to the current cursor position.
The block markers remain around the block at its
new position.
Delete block [^K Y]: Deletes a marked block of text and
erases the old block markers.
Read block [^K R]: Reads a file into the editor at the
current cursor position. The file is read in
marked as a block. The program prompts for the
name of the file to read. If used earlier, the
last file name entered is displayed and may be
modified or accepted.
Write block [^K W]: Writes the current block to a file.
The program prompts for a filename; if the file
already exists, the program prompts for
replacement.
Print block [^K P]: Prints the currently marked block to
the printer. If no block is marked, the entire
file is printed.
- 27 -
Miscellaneous Commands
Help [F1]: A screen with the editor commands is shown.
Pressing any key returns to editing mode.
Save/Resume [F2]: Saves the current file (if it is named)
and resumes editing.
Editor Stats [F3]: Displays the amount of memory
available for editing and the memory occupied by
the current text file.
New file [F4]: Clears the editor of all text. If the
current file has been modified, the program
prompts for saving. A new file name may be
selected.
Abandon [F9]: The current file is abandoned (after
confirmation if changes have been made) and
control is returned to the FILE commands.
Save/done [F10]: The current file is saved, and control
is returned to FILE commands.
- 28 -
USING A MOUSE
A mouse may be used instead of the keyboard for most operations.
The mouse interface has been designed to be as similar to the
keyboard commands as possible.
To enable the mouse, the MOUSETRAP option in the program SETUP
command must be set to "Y". In addition, the MOUSE driver program
must be executed once before running Point & Shoot. Refer to the
documentation provided with your mouse for instructions on installing
and executing the mouse driver program.
If the mouse has been installed correctly and enabled in the program
SETUP, upon initial startup of Point & Shoot, the mouse cursor (a
solid rectangle) will appear on the right side of the screen on the
same line as the [Alt] commands. To check the mouse operation, move
the mouse around the screen.
NOTE: Mouse use will not prohibit screen blanking!!
ALMOST all of the Point & Shoot commands may be controlled with the
mouse. Noted exceptions are the hex and text file editors, the file
view command, any text entry, and the [Alt-D] drop to DOS. All menus
and file/tree manipulation commands may be operated with the mouse.
The right mouse button is ALWAYS equal to the [Esc] key. In MOST
cases, the left mouse button is equal to [Enter]. Mouse movement is
generally equal to the up and down arrow keys. Following is a
summary of the different types of mouse use encountered in Point &
Shoot.
Command Menus: These are the menus found on the lower
area of the screen. To select a menu command,
place the mouse cursor anywhere within the command
and click the left mouse button.
User Menus: These are the menu items created to run
programs. To select a user menu, place the mouse
cursor on the menu entry and click the left mouse
button. If the selected menu contains a submenu,
select a submenu entry as discussed in Vertical
Lists. Use the same procedure to select a user
menu when using the Menu commands.
Vertical Lists: These are the vertical lists of items
used to select user-defined submenus and options
such as FILE SORT or FILE ATTRIBUTES. The mouse
cursor will be tied to the horizontal cursor bar
in the vertical lists. Move the mouse up or down
to move the cursor bar and click the left mouse
button to select the hilited entry.
- 29 -
Switch Menu Lines: This command is [F6] in the MENU ADD
or MENU CHANGE commands. When using this command,
the mouse cursor will be tied to the flashing star
used to select a menu entry line to switch. Move
the mouse up or down to move the star and click
the left mouse button to accept the selection.
Path Selection: This command is [F7] in the MENU ADD,
MENU CHANGE, or USAGE User database commands.
When the directory tree appears on the screen, the
mouse cursor will be tied to the hilited
directory. Move the mouse up or down to move the
hilite. To scroll the tree, move the mouse cursor
past the upper or lower tree box boundary. To
select a directory path, click the left mouse
button.
File and Tree: The file and tree commands operate as
discussed previously. The mouse must be used in a
different manner to manipulate the file list and
directory tree. Move from file to tree commands
by clicking on the associated menu command or by
clicking once anywhere within the side (File or
Tree) not currently in use. To move the cursor to
a particular file or directory, place the mouse
cursor on the item and click. The cursor will
move to that file or directory. If the cursor is
already on that file of directory, the file will
become tagged/untagged or the directory will
become the ORIGIN. The outer vertical boundary
lines around the file list and directory tree are
used as scroll lines. To scroll the file list or
directory tree, place the mouse cursor on the
associated scoll line and then, while holding the
left mouse button down, move the mouse in the
desired direction. A click on the top corner of
the scroll line simulates a [Home] keypress, and a
click on the lower corner of the scroll line
simulates an [End] keypress. Similarly, a click
on the second position from the top or bottom of
either scroll line simulates a [PgUp] or [PgDn]
keypress. Finally, the FILE FILTER and FILE SORT
commands may be executed by clicking on the
appropriate areas above the file list.
A certain amount of practice will be necessary before becoming
comfortable with the mouse operation of Point & Shoot. Many users
find keyboard use to be more efficient, especially with the FILE and
TREE commands.
- 30 -
NETWORK INSTALLATION
Point & Shoot will operate on a network provided certain restrictions
are followed. To use Point & Shoot on a network, separate copies of
the program must be made available to each user on the system. This
means that each user on the network must have their own hard disk.
Each user would then use Point & Shoot to control their own computer.
Appropriate error messages will be returned to users who attempt to
access locked files or directories.
The system administrator could install Point & Shoot on the central
file server, but NETWORK USERS CANNOT RUN A SINGLE COPY OF THE
PROGRAM FROM THE NETWORK SERVER DISK.
Point & Shoot maintains special files and program settings during the
execution of programs from user-defined menus and during the
operation of the protection and usage logging system. These files
and program settings are specific to the current process. If a
single copy of the program is operated from a network server for
multiple users, files and program settings will be changed by more
than one user at a time. The end result is potential damage to Point
& Shoot files and databases.
NOTE: Using a single copy of Point & Shoot on a network is a
violation of the license agreement. Network installations must have
a licensed copy of Point & Shoot for each user on the network.
Network license agreements are available from AMST.
- 31 -
MAIN MENU COMMANDS
------------------
The Main Menu is the center of Point & Shoot activity. Some of the
Main Menu commands move to another command list, while others will
immediately execute a command. Following is a description of the
Main Menu commands.
BACKUP
Attempts to locate and execute the Point & Shoot Backup/Restore
program to perform a hard disk backup or restoration. Point & Shoot
Backup/Restore is a separate program available from AMST that is used
to backup your hard disk to floppy disks or restore previous backup
disks to your hard disk. If the Backup/Restore program has not been
purchased and installed, a message will indicate that the program
could not be found.
DISKFORMAT
The DISKFORMAT command is used like the DOS FORMAT command to format
diskettes. For user protection, the DISKFORMAT command will only
operate on drives A and B. When the DISKFORMAT command is selected,
a screen will appear for entry of the format specifications:
FORMAT DRIVE: This is the letter designating the drive to
format. The only acceptable entries are A and B.
TYPE: This is the type of drive used in the format
process where:
1 = 360K 3 = 720K
2 = 1.2M 4 = 1.4M
VOLUME LABEL: Up to 11 characters may be entered as a
volume label to be placed on the disk during the
format process. The volume label is optional.
After the appropriate disk format specifications have been entered,
[F10] will begin the format process. All disks formatted with the
DISKFORMAT command will be checked for bad sectors (unusable areas on
the disk). Progress of the format operation will be shown on the
screen. When the format operation is complete, the total and
available bytes on the formatted disk will be shown, as well as the
number of bytes in bad sectors found and marked (if any).
The [F10] key will restart the format operation using the same
specifications. Press [Esc] to end the formatting session.
- 32 -
FILE
Moves to the FILE command list described later. The FILE command
list contains operations to manipulate files on hard or floppy disks.
INDEX
Moves to the INDEX database described later. The INDEX database is
used to maintain a list of files or anything else that must be
tracked.
MENU
Moves to the MENU command list described later. The MENU command
list contains operations to create and manipulate user-defined menus
for program execution.
SETUP
Moves to the program SETUP data screen described later. The SETUP
data screen allows changes to the program colors, the computer beeper
and hourly chime, available disk drives, optional mouse support,
optional protection system and time logging, and the user-defined
menu title.
TREE
Moves to the TREE command list described later. The TREE command
list contains operations to allow manipulation of subdirectories.
USAGE
Provides access to the Time Log and User Databases that are key to
the Protection and Usage Logging system of the program. Also allows
users to change their passwords.
- 33 -
FILE COMMANDS
-------------
IMPORTANT: ORIGIN AND TARGET DIRECTORIES SHOULD ALWAYS BE SELECTED
BEFORE USING FILE COMMANDS!!! IF THE FLOPPY DISK IS CHANGED, THE
ORIGIN OR TARGET COMMAND IN THE TREE COMMANDS MUST BE USED TO RE-LOG
THE DISK, OTHERWISE THE FILE DISPLAY WILL BE INCORRECT.
The FILE commands provide a comprehensive set of functions for file
manipulation. Select FILE from the main menu to produce a dual
display with a file list and a graphic directory tree. If no files
are found in the currently selected directory (the ORIGIN), a NO
FILES FOUND message will be displayed in the file side of the screen.
The FILE and TREE commands work in concert. The file list shown is
always for the directory (or floppy disk) marked on the graphic
directory tree with an "O" denoting Origin. In addition, the current
Origin and Target paths will be shown (abbreviated) above the graphic
directory tree display.
File commands generally operate on the currently hilited file. Some
commands like COPY will also use the directory marked with a "T" for
Target. Switching between the FILE and TREE sides of the screen is
accomplished with the [left/right] arrow keys. Additional commands
available with FILE that are not shown on the menu are:
[Enter]: Tags/untags the currently hilited file for use
with the BLOCK command.
[+ or -]: Tags/untags all files for use with BLOCK
command.
[^PgDn]: Tags the current file and moves hilite bar down.
[up/down arrow], [PgUp], [PgDn], [Home], [End]: Moves the
hilite bar through the file list.
[Tab]: Moves between the origin and target file lists
(See FILE WINDOW)
ATTR
Used to change the attributes, date, and/or time of the currently
hilited file. Attribute choices include Read-only, Hidden, System,
and Archive. A pop-up list will appear from which the current
attribute settings may be examined or modified. [Esc] will leave the
attributes unchanged. Select [D] to change the file's date and/or
time stamp.
CAUTION: DO NOT CHANGE A FILE'S ATTRIBUTES UNLESS ATTRIBUTES
ARE FULLY UNDERSTOOD.
- 34 -
BLOCK
Used to perform a COPY, DELETE, MOVE, NEWER, or RENAME operation on a
group of tagged files. The BLOCK command produces a new menu on the
bottom of the screen. The command options will be displayed along
with the number of tagged files and the total size in bytes of the
tagged files. When all desired files have been tagged (using the tag
commands discussed previously) the appropriate command letter may be
pressed to initiate a block operation. Files will be untagged after
each operation is completed. If all files are deleted or moved in
the ORIGIN directory with the BLOCK command, then execution will
automatically return to the FILE menu, otherwise [Esc] must be
selected to return to the FILE menu or [right arrow] to move to the
TREE menu.
COPY
Used to copy the currently hilited file from the ORIGIN directory to
the TARGET directory. If the ORIGIN and TARGET directories are the
same, the program will prompt for a new file name. The result is a
file duplication in the ORIGIN directory. If the selected file
exists in the TARGET directory, the program will ask if it is Ok to
replace the existing file.
DELETE
Used to delete the currently hilited file. The program asks for
verification before deletion takes place. If a file is accidently
deleted, it may be recovered with the TREE UNDELETE command.
EDIT
When EDIT is selected, the built-in text file editor is invoked and
the currently hilited file is automatically loaded. The text file
editor is limited to text files of 64K or less. Complete
instructions for the editor can be found in a separate section of
this documentation. Alternately, a text editor other than the
built-in editor may be used (see SETUP).
FILTER
Used to filter (select a subgroup of files) in the ORIGIN directory.
The default search filter is "*.*" which will find all files. File
filter strings are the same as used in DOS (consult a DOS manual for
details on file filters). When FILTER is selected, the cursor will
move to the top of the screen where the FILTER status appears. The
filter string may then be edited to select the files of interest. If
the resulting file list does not look appropriate, remember to
examine the current FILTER setting to ensure that desired files have
not been inadvertantly excluded from the list.
- 35 -
GLOBAL
Used to search the entire hard disk(s) for files matching the current
file FILTER. After the FILTER command has been used to select a
desired subset of files, GLOBAL is used to search the entire disk(s).
Two options for GLOBAL are All Files or Quick Scan. The All Files
option gathers all matching files into one file list. These files
may then be deleted or moved to the current target directory.
The quick scan option pauses in each directory to allow the following
options:
D)elete: Deletes the currently hilited file. If the
deleted file was the only file left in the current
file list, the global search will automatically
continue with the next directory.
N)ext Dir: Skips the current directory and continues with
the global search.
[Esc]: Stops the global search and stays in the current
directory.
All of the file list viewing commands (arrows, [PgUp], [PgDn], [Home]
and [End]) will operate when global search has paused in a directory.
A current count of files found and deleted will be displayed in the
bottom portion of the screen when using the Quick Scan option. The
ORIGIN directory will be hilited on the directory tree as the global
search proceeds.
HEX
Used to edit any file in Hex/Ascii mode. The first 256 bytes of the
currently hilited file will be read into memory and the HEX screen
will appear. The left side of the screen displays the file in Hex
code (base 16) and the right side displays the Ascii equivalent.
Commands included in HEX are:
[F1]: Rereads the current 256 bytes from disk
[F2]: Saves the current 256 bytes to disk
[F3/F4]: Moves the edit cursor to the Hex/Ascii sides of
the screen respectively
[F10]: Ends the Hex/Ascii editing session. If any
changes have been made to the current 256 bytes of
the file since the last save, the program will ask
if the changes should be saved.
[Esc]: Ends the Hex/Ascii editing session and aborts any
changes made to the current 256 bytes.
[PgUp], [PgDn], [Home] and [End]: Move the edit cursor.
- 36 -
LOCATE
Used to locate text strings in files anywhere on the hard disk.
When LOCATE is selected, the program will prompt for a text string to
find. Options for LOCATE include all directories, current directory
only, and forward from the current directory. If the desired text
is found, a portion of the file which contains the text will be shown
with the search text hilited. The search can then be continued or
stopped. [Esc] aborts the search at any time.
MOVE
Used to move the currently hilited file from the ORIGIN directory to
the TARGET directory. If the selected file exists in the TARGET
directory, the program will ask if it is Ok to replace the existing
file. If a file appears to be lost after using MOVE, check which
directory is set as the TARGET then look there for the file.
NEWER
NEWER is similar to the COPY command except that if the TARGET
directory contains a file with the same name, the date and time of
the ORIGIN and TARGET files will be compared and the TARGET file will
only be replaced if the ORIGIN file is newer. If no matching TARGET
file exists, the copy will proceed as with the COPY command.
PRINT
Used to print text files or the file list. File list print options
include an expanded list with filename, size, date, and time, or a
list of filenames only. Text file print options include "as is" or
HP LaserJet 2-column (HP LaserJets only). The LaserJet format prints
the file in two 80 character columns and 60 lines per page. Use a
word processor to format text files to improve appearance.
RENAME
Used to change the name of the currently hilited file. When RENAME
is selected, the program prompts for a new name for the file.
SORT
Used to sort the file list by date, extension, inverse date, name, or
size.
TREE
Jumps to the TREE commands (same as right arrow).
- 37 -
VIEW
Used to view the currently hilited file. VIEW commands include:
[F1]: Toggles filtering of characters of Ascii 128 or
higher.
[F2]: Toggles the display of printable characters only.
WINDOW
Splits the file list into two windows, one for Origin files and
one for Target files. The [Tab] key is used to move between the
windows. File commands will only operate on the Origin file list.
XECUTE
Executes the currently hilited file in memory (.COM or .EXE only).
DO NOT EXECUTE MEMORY RESIDENT PROGRAMS!!! The ability to execute
programs is limited to the amount of memory available when Point &
Shoot is operating. See [alt-S] command to determine the amount of
memory available when running Point & Shoot. Point & Shoot requires
approximately 320K of memory, DOS requires another 50-60K, and any
other resident programs will also consume some memory. On a 640K
computer, only about 256K will normally be available to the XECUTE
command. NOTE: THE XECUTE COMMAND SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A
REPLACEMENT FOR THE USER-DEFINED MENUS!
- 38 -
INDEX DATABASE
--------------
The Index database is used to store information from a variety of
sources. The database contains fields for an item name, category,
date, keywords, and several comment fields.
The Index database is primarily designed for use with file names and
descriptions to facilitate locating files, but the database may
potentially be used for lists of any types of items. The category
field is useful to separate items in the database if more than one
type of item is stored.
The Index database uses the standard database commands as described
in the documentation in the DATABASE COMMANDS section.
Reports included in the Index database include All Entry Detail,
Current Entry Detail, Keyword Match, and Single Category. Note that
all reports will print in the current database order.
- 39 -
MENU COMMANDS
-------------
The MENU commands are used to manipulate the user-defined program
menus. User menus consist of menu titles, commands to execute, the
directory paths from which to execute commands, and optional
passwords. The menu entries are created and modified with the ADD
and CHANGE commands described below. Up to 30 menu entries may be
defined for programs. Each of these menu entries may contain up to
10 submenu entries for a total of 300 programs controlled through the
user-defined menus. Following is a description of each MENU command.
ADD
Used to add new menu entries to the user-defined menus. When ADD is
selected, a hilite bar will appear in the center portion of the
screen. Use the arrow keys to select a position for the new menu
entry. When the desired position is hilited, press [Enter]. The menu
entry can be moved later. The MENU DETAIL data screen will appear.
The following data fields are available:
MENU ENTRY TITLE: This is the name (up to 20
characters) that will appear on the main screen.
The first menu title line defines the main entry.
The remaining 10 lines are for submenu entry
definition. A title MUST be entered in the first
line, but the rest may be blank. If submenu
titles are entered, it is best to use a different
starting letter for each title so they may be
selected by using the starting letter only.
COMMAND TO EXECUTE: The command entered will be executed
when this menu entry is selected on the main
program screen. If the first command is left
blank and one or more of the submenu commands are
entered, the submenu will be invoked when the
corresponding main entry is selected. Several
commands (up to 50 characters) may be entered on
one line by separating each command with the
vertical bar |. A } symbol forces prompting for
parameters. If the carat symbol ^ is placed in
the command string, Point & Shoot will not resume
after the command is executed.
!!!! IMPORTANT !!!!
If a batch file is specified as the command to
execute, the last line of that batch file must be
"PS" so that Point & Shoot will resume after the
command is complete.
- 40 -
APPLICATION PATH: When moving through each of the menu
title or command fields, the directory path for
the current menu line will appear in this field.
Different directory paths for each menu and
submenu entry may be defined. If no directory
paths are specified, the root directory will be
used. If a directory path is not specified for a
submenu entry, the path specified for the main
entry is used. [F7] displays the directory tree.
APPLICATION PASSWORD: The [F3] key sets or changes
passwords. Different passwords may be specified
for each menu and submenu entry. If a password is
specified and PROTECTION is enabled (see SETUP),
users will be required to enter the password for
access. See PROTECTION & USAGE for details.
In addition, [F5] allows deletion of a menu entry line and [F6]
allows two lines to be switched. When the menu has been defined,
[F10] will save the entry. [Esc] aborts changes.
CHANGE
Used to change the specifications for an existing menu entry. When
CHANGE is selected, a hilite appears on the first defined menu entry.
The arrow keys and [Enter] are used to select the menu entry to
change. Editing of this screen is the same as for the ADD command.
DELETE
Used to delete a menu entry. When DELETE is selected, a hilite
appears on the first defined menu entry. The arrow keys and [Enter]
are used to select the menu entry to delete.
EXCHANGE
Used to exchange the position of menu entries. When EXCHANGE is
selected, the first defined menu entry is hilited. The arrow keys
and [Enter] are used to select two menu entries to exchange.
MOVE
Used to move an existing menu entry to a new location. When MOVE is
selected, the first defined menu entry is hilited. The arrow keys
and [Enter] are used to select the menu entry to move and the desired
new location.
UPGRADE
Updates previous versions of the menu file to the current version.
- 41 -
SETUP
-----
The SETUP command is used to establish the configuration for the
program. Available options in SETUP include:
COLORS: If operating with a color monitor, the program
colors may be selected. Only the background, low
text, normal text, headline, and help line colors
may be changed. A sample screen is shown to
assist in color selection. The [up/down arrow]
keys select a color to modify, and the [left/right
arrow] keys choose a color. The new colors will
take effect when [F10] is pressed to leave SETUP.
BEEPER ON?: If "Y", the computer's beeper will sound on
errors and other places within the program.
HOURLY CHIME?: If "Y", the computer's beeper will sound
when the time reaches the hour mark.
EDITOR BACKUPS?: If "Y", when files are edited with the
FILE EDIT command, the editor will make backups
(.BAK files) if a file is saved while editing. If
"N", no backups will be made. This works with the
built-in editor only.
MOUSETRAP?: Setting MOUSETRAP to "Y" allows use of a
mouse if one is available. If a mouse is not
available, this setting has no effect. (See the
section on USING A MOUSE in this documentation).
TEXT EDITOR NAME: If a text editor name is entered here,
that editor will be used in place of the built-in
text editor when using the FILE EDIT command.
DISK DRIVE USAGE: Determines the disk drives available on
your computer for directory tree scanning.
PROTECTION ENABLED?: This option will enable menu
passwords, user logons, and user access privilege
checks.
USAGE LOG ENABLED?: This option will force user logons.
Whenever a user runs a menu item, logs on or off,
or uses the TREE GOTO command, their activity will
be logged.
MAIN MENU TITLE: This name will appear on the main
program screen and is strictly for aesthetic
purposes.
- 42 -
TREE COMMANDS
-------------
IMPORTANT: ORIGIN AND TARGET DIRECTORIES SHOULD ALWAYS BE SELECTED
BEFORE USING FILE COMMANDS!!! IF THE FLOPPY DISK IS CHANGED, THE
ORIGIN OR TARGET COMMAND IN THE TREE COMMANDS MUST BE USED TO RE-LOG
THE DISK, OTHERWISE THE FILE DISPLAY WILL BE INCORRECT.
The TREE commands provide a comprehensive set of functions for
subdirectory manipulation. When TREE is selected from the main menu,
a dual display screen will appear. The left half of the screen
displays a list of files and the right half of the screen displays a
graphic directory tree of the hard disk.
The FILE and TREE commands work in concert. The file list shown is
always for the directory (or floppy disk) marked on the directory
tree with an "O" denoting Origin. The FILE and TREE sides of the
screen may be selected with TREE or FILE commands, or [right/left
arrow] keys. The [Enter] key will select the currently hilited
directory as the ORIGIN.
A&B
Adds floppy disk subdirectories (if any) to the graphic tree display.
COLLECT
Rereads the directory tree from the hard disk. Usually it is not
necessary to use this command. However, directories are created or
removed while outside of Point & Shoot if in DOS or another program,
Point & Shoot will not know that the directory structure has changed
unless COLLECT is used. If the tree does not show all drives, check
the DISK DRIVE USAGE option in SETUP for proper drive indication.
DELETE
Deletes the currently hilited directory. Directories with child
directories or those with files may not be removed. No prompting
occurs before the directory is deleted. If a directory is accidently
deleted, it may be recovered using the TREE UNDELETE command.
FILE
Moves to the FILE commands (same as left arrow).
- 43 -
GOTO
Immediately exits Point & Shoot and moves to the directory that was
hilited. A message will remain on the screen reminding the user to
type PS to return to Point & Shoot. If the drive is other than the
drive in which Point & Shoot resides, the message will remind the
user to change drives before returning to Point & Shoot. NOTE: the
neccessity to change drives on a multiple hard disk system may be
avoided by modifying the PS.BAT file to always change to the Point &
Shoot drive. For instructions, refer to the QUICK START GUIDE.
HIDE
Hides the currently hilited directory. The directory name will be
masked with asterisks to show that it is hidden. Point & Shoot can
find these hidden directories, but they will be hidden from the DOS
DIR command. If the directory is already hidden, then the HIDE
command will unhide it. If protection is enabled, a hidden directory
cannot be selected as the Origin or Target.
MAKE
Used to make a new directory following the currently hilited
directory. When MAKE is selected, the program will prompt for a new
directory name. Directory names are the same format as file names.
ORIGIN
Selects the currently hilited directory as the ORIGIN for FILE
commands. [Enter] serves the same purpose as ORIGIN.
PRINT
Used to print the directory tree, optionally with a list of files
after each directory. A summary of file sizes and numbers of files
will be given for each directory and for the entire tree.
RENAME
Used to change the name of the currently hilited directory. The
program will prompt for a new directory name. As with files,
duplicate directory names are not allowed.
SORT
Forces a resorting of the directory tree. This command is only
necessary after renaming a directory or making a new directory. The
program will automatically sort the directory tree when the user
leaves the TREE commands to return to the main menu.
- 44 -
TARGET
Selects the currently hilited directory as the TARGET.
UNDELETE
The UNDELETE command is used to recover previously deleted files and
subdirectories.
NOTE: IT IS IMPORTANT TO ATTEMPT RECOVERY AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE AFTER A FILE OR DIRECTORY IS DELETED.
When a file or directory is deleted, the disk space used by that file
or directory is not actually overwritten until another file or
directory is created or expanded. Until one of these events occurs,
MOST files and directories may be recovered.
When UNDELETE is selected, the Origin directory is examined for
files and subdirectories that have been deleted. If any are found,
they will appear in file list with the first character shown as a
question mark. DOS changes the first letter when a file or directory
is deleted.
Files marked with an asterisk MAY be fully recoverable but there is
no guarantee. Files without the asterisk have been partially or
completely overwritten. Pressing "U" will cause the program to
attempt to undelete the currently hilited file.
The Verify option causes the program to show each cluster of data and
ask for verification. This option is useful on partially overwritten
files to determine whether the selected cluster is the correct data
for the file. The Verify option has no effect on subdirectories.
As with any file recovery program, this program must make some
assumptions during file recovery. Therefore:
ANY FILE OR SUBDIRECTORY THAT IS UNDELETED SHOULD BE
CHECKED AFTER RECOVERY USING FILE VIEW OR ANOTHER
METHOD!!!
UNDELETE has not been checked on all brands of computers and hard
disks, so careful testing should be done when first using the
UNDELETE command. Above all else, backups of valuable hard disk data
should be current before the first uses of the UNDELETE command.
After the user is satisfied that UNDELETE is functioning correctly
for the host computer, there should be no unexpected problems.
UNDELETE is compatible with all DOS versions from 2.0 to the 4.0
series. Disks formatted with DOS 4.0 with partitions larger than
32MB are also supported. Note that because of the structure of DOS
directories, only the first 62 files can be recovered from a
deleted/recovered subdirectory. If the directory has not been
previously deleted, then all files MAY be recoverable.
- 45 -
USAGE COMMANDS
--------------
The USAGE commands add password protection, user access privileges,
and time logging functions to the Point & Shoot Hard Disk Manager
program. If the Usage Log has been enabled in SETUP, users will be
required to enter a User Id when they run the Point & Shoot Hard Disk
Manager. The User Id is located in the User database. After the
User Id has been verified, access privileges from the User database
will be saved for that user.
From that point, until the user quits from the Point & Shoot Hard
Disk Manager program with the QUIT command, all system activity will
be recorded in the Timelog database. In addition, whenever the user
attempts to use one of the commands found in the Point & Shoot Hard
Disk Manager, their access privileges will be checked before access
is allowed.
Invalid attempts to access the Point & Shoot Hard Disk Manager and
the user-defined menus will also be recorded in the Timelog database
if Usage Logging has been enabled. (See SETUP.)
If the Protection system is enabled with the SETUP command, users
will be required to enter their password when first logging on. The
password is located in the User database. Users may change their own
password with the USAGE CHANGE PASSWORD command.
The Protection system in the Hard Disk Manager also provides password
protection for the user-defined menu entries. See the MENU COMMANDS
section of the documentation.
If neither the Protection nor Usage Log systems are enabled, the
facilities available through the USAGE command will have no effect.
NOTE: IF THE USAGE LOG IS ENABLED, USERS WILL NOTICE A
LONGER DELAY WHEN RUNNING PROGRAMS FROM THE
USER-DEFINED MENUS. THIS DELAY IS CAUSED BY THE
RECORDING OF USAGE LOG ENTRIES IN THE TIMELOG
DATABASE.
Refer to the DATABASE COMMANDS section of the documentation for
guidelines on database manipulation commands. The USAGE commands
include Change Password, Fixup Databases, Time Log Database, and User
Database. Each of these commands are covered in detail below.
CHANGE PASSWORD
Users are allowed to change their own passwords with the CHANGE
PASSWORD command. The user will be prompted for their old password,
their new password, and verification of the new password.
- 46 -
FIXUP DATABASES
Fixup performs two functions. First, it attempts to rebuild damaged
databases by scanning the database and reconstructing the index
files. Second, FIXUP attempts to free unused disk space by
eliminating old records previously deleted from the database. The
FIXUP command may be necessary in two situations.
o Damage has occurred in one of the databases. A damaged
database is indicated if the program aborts while in the
middle of a database activity. A message may appear on
the screen indicating some type of fatal error.
o You have deleted many records from a given database.
FIXUP will free unused disk space and speed database
access.
When FIXUP DATABASES is selected, a list of databases including the
Timelog and User databases will appear. After the desired database
is selected, the program will ask if backups of the database are
current. The FIXUP operation will then begin. Three passes are made
through the database to correct a variety of problems and to condense
the database.
It is important that you have a good set of backups before attempting
FIXUP in case anything goes wrong.
IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE YOU DO NoT COPY A CORRUPTED DATABASE
ONTO AN OTHERWISE GOOD BACKUP DISK.
TIMELOG DATABASE
Moves to the Timelog database menu for examination and/or
modification of the Timelog database. The Timelog database contains
entries that describe the usage activity for the Point & Shoot Hard
Disk Manager if user logging has been enabled with the SETUP command.
The Timelog Database uses all of the standard database commands. (See
DATABASE COMMANDS.) A noted exception is the DELETE command. The
DELETE command in the Timelog Database contains several options:
Current Record: Deletes the current Timelog record after
confirmation.
Delete Entire Timelog: Clears the entire Timelog database
after confirmation.
Inclusive Dates: Prompts for start and end dates, then
deletes all Timelog records within the defined range.
Selected User Id: Prompts for a User Id, then deletes all
Timelog entries containing the selected User Id.
- 47 -
The Timelog Database contains three reports. Note that all reports
will print in the current database order.
All Entries Detail: Prints entire Timelog Database record
for every user.
Current Entry Detail: Prints the entire Timelog Database
record for a selected user.
Usage Summary Report: This report may be printed in
chronological order, or sorted by user then date. The
user will be prompted for User Id, Start date, and End
date for selective printing.
USERS
Moves to the User Database menu for examination and/or modification
of the User database. The User database contains user id's,
passwords, user names, and access privileges to define which Hard
Disk Manager commands the user may execute. The access privileges
will only take effect if Protection has been enabled with the SETUP
command.
The Allowed Path field of the User database restricts a user to a
single directory on the hard disk. If this field is completed by
using the [F7] Select Path command, the user defined in that record
will only be able to access the specified directory during TREE and
FILE commands. (Note: access privileges to most of the TREE commands
should also be restricted to avoid indirect access to the root
directory of the hard disk.)
All of the standard database commands (see DATABASE COMMANDS) are
used in the User Database. The User Database contains three reports.
Note that all reports will print in the current database order.
All Users Detail: Prints entire User Database record for
every user.
Current User Detail: Prints the entire User Database
record for a selected user.
Summary of Users: Prints a shortened report showing only
User Id, Name, and Password.
CAUTION: DO NOT RANDOMLY CHANGE USER IDS. REMEMBER, THESE
IDS ARE USED IN THE TIMELOG DATABASE, SO IF THEY
ARE CHANGED, YOU MAY FIND THAT TIMELOG ENTRIES
WILL CONTAIN REFERENCES TO MORE THAN ONE USER ID
FOR A SINGLE USER.
- 48 -
VENDOR DISTRIBUTION REQUEST
Complete this form and return, with a current copy of your catalog,
to:
Applied Micro Systems Technology
P.O. Box 1596
Welch Ave.
Ames, Iowa 50010.
We request permission to distribute the Point & Shoot Hard Disk
Manager and agree to abide by the ASP VENDOR GUIDELINES given below.
Name __________________________________________________
Company __________________________________________________
Address __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Phone ( ) _______________________
Signature & Date: _________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ASSOCIATION OF SHAREWARE PROFESSIONALS VENDOR GUIDELINES
VENDOR ADVERTISING
------------------
All vendor advertisements that offer Shareware for sale and list a
price, offer Shareware as a promotion for any commercial venture, or
use Shareware as an enticement for the user to pay for any product or
service must state that "Shareware programs are copyrighted, and
require additional payment to the authors if used regularly". This
explanation must immediately follow the price (including "free" if
used) or be tied to the price with an asterisk.
- 49 -
VENDOR GUIDELINES (cont.)
VENDOR CATALOGS
---------------
Approved vendors will identify an ASP member's programs with an "ASP"
notation and an explanation such as: "ASP indicates the program is
being actively supported by a programmer who has agreed to comply
with the standards of programming and support of the Association of
Shareware Professionals."
Approved vendors will make an attempt to educate users on the nature
of Shareware. A suggested wording to be placed in the catalog is:
"Charges made by us are a distribution fee paid to us and
do not include the cost of the program itself. None of the
fees paid to us go to the programs' authors. Some of the
programs are Shareware. The principle behind Shareware is
that users should have the opportunity to try out software
before paying for it and that those that use software
should support it with payments. Some Shareware programs
allow a fixed length trial period, others an indefinite
trial period. Some programs request a payment, while
others make it a requirement. This payment provides you
with various rights and benefits, depending on the program.
Some programs only give you the legal right to continue to
use the software while others provide printed documentation
and/or higher levels of service."
VENDOR DISTRIBUTION
-------------------
Approved vendors will respect the copyright and all distribution
restrictions made by individual authors, even if those restrictions
are not specifically covered in this document. Approved vendors will
not claim to be selling the programs and will explain that the fee
charged is a copying/handling fee (none of which goes to the author
of the program). A written notice to this effect will be provided
with all Shareware programs shipped. If the vendor distributes
Shareware in pre-packaged wrappers, this notice must be on the
OUTSIDE (visible) part of the package.
Approved vendors will not change the contents of or delete ANY files
supplied with the program. Vendors may make small additions which
are designed to assist or provide a service to the user, but these
additions must be easily identifiable and end-users must be allowed
to delete the additions if they want to.
Approved vendors agree to distribute the most recent versions of an
ASP member's programs which have been made available to them by the
author. Approved vendors also agree to remove a program from their
library when requested by the author to do so.
- 50 -
REGISTRATION FORM
-----------------
PROGRAM: Point & Shoot Hard Disk Manager 2.0
SERIAL #: _______________________
Applied Micro Systems Technology
P.O. Box 1596, Welch Ave.
Ames, Iowa 50010
Name __________________________________________________
Company __________________________________________________
Address __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Phone ( ) _______________________
Payment $_______ $45 for full registration, printed
documentation and user support.
(No cash please.) IA add 4% tax.
Payment Method: ___Check ___Money Order ___VISA ___MC
VISA/MC #: ____________________________ Exp. Date: _______
Name on card (print): _____________________________________
Authorized Signature: _____________________________________
Where did you hear about Point & Shoot? ____________________
Comments __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
- 51 -
Directory of PC-SIG Library Disk #0930
Volume in drive A has no label
Directory of A:\
FILES TXT 2450 12-27-88 3:25p
INSTALL BAT 636 1-09-89 11:05a
PAS EXE 154736 1-30-89 8:58p
READ ME 2562 12-20-88 1:16a
UNDO EXE 12688 12-27-88 2:41p
PASAUX ARC 151368 1-27-89 2:59p
GO BAT 40 1-01-80 6:00a
GO TXT 925 1-01-80 7:36a
FILE0930 TXT 1777 9-13-90 3:53p
9 file(s) 327182 bytes
30720 bytes free