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PC-SIG Diskette Library (Disk #1151)
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Information about “ROAM A DOS SHELL”
ROAM is a DOS shell, an easy-to-use interface that insulates you
from the complexities of DOS. It makes it easier to enter commands and
manage files. ROAM helps organize and control a hard disk and makes it
possible for you customize its organization to fit individual user
needs.
Instead of displaying confusing information, (e.g., cluster size and
other technobabble), ROAM breaks down the process into two distinct
modes, depending on what you are doing. The first is an enhanced
command line, similar to, but easier to use than the DOS command line
and the second is a directory/file screen where you can easily
navigate through disk directories, files, and drives.
ROAM grows with you as you develop your computer skills. While an
experienced programmer can make use of its more advanced capabilities,
a newcomer immediately gains a beneficial, easy-to-use tool.
FILE1151.TXT
Disk No 1151
Program Title: ROAM
PC-SIG version 1
ROAM is a DOS shell, an easy-to-use interface that insulates the user
from the complexities of DOS. It makes it easier to enter commands and
manage files. ROAM helps organize and control a hard disk and makes it
possible for the user to customize its organization to fit individual
user needs.
Instead of displaying confusing information (e.g. cluster size and other
technogabble), ROAM breaks down the process into two distinct modes,
depending on what the user is doing. The first is an enhanced command
line, similar to, but easier to use than, the DOS command line, and the
second is a directory/file screen where one can easily navigate through
disk directories, files and drives.
ROAM grows with the user as he develops his computer skills. While an
experienced programmer can make use of its more advanced capabilities, a
newcomer immediately gains a beneficial, easy-to-use tool.
Usage: DOS Shell Interface.
Special Requirements: None.
How to Start: Type GO (press enter).
Suggested Registration: $44.95
File Descriptions:
#FILES Description of files included on disk from author.
#READ ME Last minute changes, instructions, info on shareware.
INSTALL EXE Installs ROAM on the hard disk.
LOOK EXE File browser used by ROAM.
REBOOT COM Reboots a PC compatible (including some difficult ones).
ROAM DOC ROAM manual on disk.
ROAM EXE Main program used to start ROAM.
ROAMINIT EXE Used by ROAM for initialization.
VIEW EXE Peephole into a DOS redirection pipe.
PC-SIG
1030D E Duane Avenue
Sunnyvale CA 94086
(408) 730-9291
(c) Copyright 1988 PC-SIG, Inc.
GO.TXT
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ <<<< Disk No 1151 ROAM >>>> ║
╠═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ To install ROAM to your hard disk, type INSTALL (press enter) ║
║ ║
║ To view the documentation for ROAM, type LOOK ROAM.DOC (press enter) ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
ROAM.DOC
April 1, 1988
FINAL DRAFT
Intermedia Design Systems, Inc.
15 Century Hill Drive
Latham, New York
(518) 783-1661
FRONTISPIECE
Design by Intermedia Design Systems, Inc.
Copyright (c) 1988 by Intermedia Design Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published in the United States of America. Reproduction or translation of any
part of this work beyond that permitted in Section 117 of the 1976 United
States Copyright Act without the express written permission of the copyright
owner is unlawful. Requests for permission or further information should be
addressed to the Permission Department of Intermedia Design Systems, Inc.
IBM, IBM PC and PC DOS are registered trademarks of International Businesses
Machines Corporation. MS DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft
Corporation, Compaq is registered trademark of the Compaq Computer
Corporation.
THE PURCHASER MAY MAKE A BACK-UP COPY FOR HIS/HER USE ONLY AND NOT FOR
DISTRIBUTION OR RESALE.
THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHORS ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR
DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE USE OF THESE
PROGRAMS OR FROM THE USE OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN. BY USING THESE
PROGRAMS, THE USER ACCEPTS ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE USE OF THE RESULTS OF
THE OUTPUT. IF ANY ERRORS ARE DISCOVERED IN THE PROGRAMS, CORRECTIONS WILL BE
SUPPLIED BY IDS TO THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER. THIS IS THE EXTENT OF ANY WARRANTY
WHICH IS GIVEN OR IMPLIED.
Printed in the United States of America
USER ASSISTANCE
Intermedia Design Systems, Inc. is pleased to provide assistance to users of
our software. We provide technical assistance to all users who register with
Intermedia Design Systems, Inc. by filling out and returning the postage paid
USER'S REGISTRATION AGREEMENT in this package. Users who have registered
should direct any questions about running this program to our technical
service number (518) 783-1661. Please have your registered serial number
(which you can find either on the screen when you start up ROAM, or on the
distribution disk which you received from Intermedia Design Systems) handy
when you call the above number.
This software documentation is designed to provide accurate and authoritative
information in regard to the subject matter covered.
The computer program for ROAM is delivered to you on a diskette that is not
electronically copy-protected. As a licensed user of this program you are
entitled to make a backup copy of these programs, to protect your investment
should the originals become damaged.
WHAT CAN ROAM DO FOR YOU?
ROAM is a DOS shell, an interface to the computer that insulates you from the
complexities of DOS. The program makes it easier to enter commands and manage
files. All commands generated by ROAM are passed through to DOS without you
having to type them yourself. ROAM helps you organize and control your hard
disk by letting you choose the means to quickly access often used programs,
DOS commands and batch files.
ROAM is also a disk management program which handles large capacity hard disk
systems, simplifying maintenance tasks such as file deletion, copying, moving
files, and creating and renaming subdirectories.
Instead of displaying superfluous information (e.g. cluster size and other
technogabble), ROAM's philosophy is to break down the process into two
principal modes. Depending on what you are doing, it might be easier for you
to work in one or the other. Most operations can be carried out in either
mode, but you will most likely find one better suited for what you are trying
to accomplish. The first mode is an enhanced command line, similar to, but
easier to use than the DOS command line, and the second is a directory/file
screen where you can easily navigate through all your disk directories and
files, effortlessly switching from drive to drive.
ROAM grows with you as you develop your computer skills. While an experienced
programer can make use of its more advanced capabilities, a newcomer
immediately gets a beneficial tool.
ROAM is not a "memory resident" program which gobbles up your valuable RAM.
ROAM uses only the memory it needs and then returns the memory to DOS when it
is not needed.
GETTING STARTED
Although ROAM can be used if you only have a floppy drive system, its features
do not warrant it. Therefore this documentation and installation procedure
are aimed at a HARD DISK SYSTEM. In the instructions that follow, the various
"special" keys and key combinations, are enclosed in angle brackets, for
example <ENTER>, <F2>, <Alt-U>, <Alt-F2>, etc. Do not type < E N T E R >.
To Install Roam
After DOS has been installed on your system, take the distribution disk
and insert it in the A: drive of your computer. Switch to the C: drive,
if you are not there already. Type:
C: <ENTER>
to do this. At the C> prompt type the following line:
A:INSTALL <ENTER>
If you have an AUTOEXEC.BAT file with a path already defined, you will be
prompted by ROAM INSTALL for the directory in which you wish to have ROAM
install itself. Move the cursor to the directory where you wish to
install ROAM and press the <ENTER> Key. ROAM will then automatically
install itself and its adjunct programs in that directory. You will also
have the option to install ROAM in its own subdirectory. Once ROAM's
installation procedure is complete, reboot your computer (by
simultaneously pressing <Ctrl-Alt-Del>).
You may want to add ROAM as the last item executed in the AUTOEXEC.BAT
file, so that it will automatically load itself when you boot your
machine. If you would like ROAM to "lock" itself into memory, so that
you or a user can not inadvertently EXIT to DOS, include the phrase ROAM
SHELL rather than ROAM. If you do not want ROAM to execute
automatically, do not include it in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, but simply
type ROAM at the C> prompt and ROAM will load itself. Press any key to
move into ROAM's DIRECTORY/FILE mode after the title page is on your
screen. NOTE: If you need assistance and have registered your copy of
ROAM, you may use the Technical Assistance telephone number which is on
this title screen.
Getting out of ROAM
If you wish to get out of ROAM for any reason (if you have not started it
with the ROAM SHELL option in AUTOEXEC.BAT), simply type EXIT in ROAM's
COMMAND LINE mode and you be at the DOS command line.
ROAM HAS THREE SCREEN MODES - DIRECTORY/FILE, AUTOMENU and COMMAND LINE
ROAM has three modes of which two, DIRECTORY/FILE and COMMAND LINE, are the
most important. Depending on what you are doing, it might be easier to work
in one or the other of these two. Most operations can be carried out in
either mode, but you will most likely find one better suited for what you are
trying to accomplish.
Screen Mode Toggle
The <TAB> key will allow you to move between ROAM's screen modes.
Normally it will toggle you between the COMMAND LINE screen and the
DIRECTORY/FILE screen unless you have created an AUTOMENU.BAT in which
case, the <TAB> key will toggle you through three modes (DIRECTORY/FILE -
COMMAND LINE - AUTOMENU). To facilitate setting up such a menu, see
CHOOSE in the ADJUNCT PROGRAMS listing.
When in ROAM, you always know where you are!
Whether you are in the COMMAND LINE mode or the DIRECTORY/FILE mode, the
current path is always present, so you know what directory you are
currently in.
An example of ROAM's Current Path prompt might look like this:
C:\BUSINESS\LETTERS\1987\
COMMAND LINE MODE
The screen has a bar of light in which you enter commands, similar to the
command line in DOS with some very big differences:
Command Line Editor
You can edit the line without erasing everything you have typed, by using
ROAM's Command Line Editor:
All of ROAM's editing functions operated in an "Insert Mode", i.e. each
character typed is inserted into the line at the cursor position, and any
characters to the right of that position are moved to the right.
The following special keys are available in ROAM's Command Line Editor,
as well as in any other line where ROAM request you to edit a line (the
Pattern, customizing items, etc.).
<DEL> Deletes the character at the cursor.
<BACKSPACE> Moves the cursor one space to the left and
deletes the character that was there.
<Ctrl-X> Erases the entire line.
<LEFT ARROW> Moves the cursor one position to the left non-
destructively (unlike <BACKSPACE>.
<RIGHT ARROW> Moves the cursor one position to the right.
<Ctrl-LEFT ARROW> Moves the cursor one word to the left.
<Ctrl-RIGHT ARROW> Moves the cursor one word to the right.
<HOME> Moves the cursor to the first position in the
line.
<END> Moves the cursor to the last character in the
line.
<TAB> Changes to AUTOMENU mode, if \AUTOMENU.BAT
exists, otherwise to the COMMAND LINE mode.
Recalling Previous Commands
You may instantly recall previous commands by pressing <DOWN ARROW>,
bringing to the screen up to 20 of the last commands. These can then be
reexecuted by moving the bar of light to the appropriate item and
pressing <ENTER>.
Function Key Assignment
You may temporarily assign the function keys <F1> through <F10> to carry
out specific commands, either by typing the command at the command line
or by moving the bar of light to the command (in the PREVIOUS COMMANDS
window) and pressing <Alt> and the selected function key at the same
time, e.g. <Alt-F1>. A note will appear in the lower portion of the
screen stating that the command has been stored to whichever function key
you have designated. Unlike the Alphabetic Key assignments, these keys
lose their memory when you EXIT ROAM or turn off the computer.
Adjunct Programs
You can make use of ROAM's special functions by incorporating the Adjunct
Programs in your command. For example, you can use MOVE to move files
from one directory to another. You can also use the "marked items"
shortcut (^M) the "bar-of-light" shortcut (^B), etc. with these programs,
other utilities or DOS commands such as COPY. (SEE ADJUNCT PROGRAMS)
Marking and Unmarking Files
ROAM gives you the ability to identify individual files so that you may
take action on them as a group. You can only mark files in one
subdirectory at a time. Marking files in the COMMAND LINE Mode can be
accomplished in several ways.
For example, typing the following command:
MARK *.BAT <ENTER>
will mark all files with the extension .BAT in the current directory.
You may consecutively add files to the MARKED group, by repeating the
above command for file name pattern you wish to add.
MARK *.BAT <ENTER>
MARK *.TXT <ENTER>
MARK BUSLTR.* <ENTER>
MARK RO*.* <ENTER>
Unmarking files can also be achieved in the COMMAND LINE mode. If you
wish to selectively remove certain files from the marked group, type the
following command:
UNMARK *.BAT <ENTER>
to unmark all those files with the extension .BAT.
After you have carried out the activity that involved all the marked
files, you can remove all the marking from the files by typing the
following:
UNMARK *.* <ENTER>
Multiple Commands on a Single Command Line
You can specify a series of actions to be carried out by dividing them
with the "grave" accent mark ` (not the apostrophe '). Let us suppose
you have been editing several .DAT files, littering your hard disk with
.BAK backup files in the process.
DEL *.BAK`COPY *.DAT`A:`A:`DIR
This command deletes all the backup files, copies your data files to the
A: drive, changes to that drive, and displays its directory.
<Ctrl> Key Shortcuts
A series of key combinations have been set aside to make life in ROAM a
little more pleasant. When you type one of these keys the character ^
appears along with the corresponding letter. You may also enter them
that way, e.g. <Ctrl-B> is the same as <^> <B>. These short cuts can not
be included in batch files, as batch files are interpreted by COMMAND.COM
rather than by ROAM.
<Ctrl-B>: the Bar of Light
Using the ^B shortcut tells ROAM that you want to do something using
the file or subdirectory marked by the bar of light on the
DIRECTORY/FILE screen. For example, if you wish to have standard
DOS directory information for an item, you would move the bar of
light to that item (a file or subdirectory), toggle (with <TAB>) to
the COMMAND LINE mode and type:
DIR <Ctrl-B> <ENTER>
For another example, let's copy the file in the bar of light to the
A: drive:
COPY <Ctrl-B> A: <ENTER>
<Ctrl-M>: the Marked Items
The ^M shortcut lets you specify an arbitrary group of files to be
processed together, referencing all items which you have marked.
Using this shortcut, in conjunction with a specific program or
command, will allow you to have the specific action taken on all the
items you have marked. For example, you can MOVE all the files that
you have marked in the current directory into the directory
C:\BUSINESS by typing:
MOVE <Ctrl-M> C:\BUSINESS <ENTER>
On the other hand, you can MOVE all the files you marked in some
other directory into the current one by typing:
MOVE <Ctrl-M> <ENTER>
<Ctrl-I>: User Input
The ^I shortcut will open a small one-line window at the bottom of
the screen, to request input of a parameter which might be required
by the program you are executing. An example of this is the
preconfigured <N> key in the DIRECTORY/FILE mode where ROAM makes a
new subdirectory and takes you there. ROAM requests USER INPUT in
naming the new subdirectory. You could have accomplished the same
thing in the COMMAND LINE mode by typing:
MD <Ctrl-I>`CD <Ctrl-J> <ENTER>
The first command, MD <Ctrl-I>, pauses for you to supply the name of
the new subdirectory, and then creates it once you type the name and
press <ENTER>. The second command, CD <Ctrl-J>, takes the input you
just typed for ^I and repeats it as the parameter for CD, taking you
there (See below).
<Ctrl-J>: What You JUST Input in the ^I Window
The ^J shortcut is especially useful if you wish to carry out two or
more actions on the same user input. See the example above for ^I.
<Ctrl-P>: The PATH in Which ROAM is Installed
The shortcut ^P is replaced by the name of the directory in which
ROAM has been installed. For example, the alphabetic key <H> is set
up as a Help key to LOOK at the #READ.ME and ROAM.DOC files. It
is defined as:
LOOK ^P\#READ.ME ` LOOK ^P\ROAM.DOC
assuming that your distribution diskette included a #READ.ME file,
otherwise:
LOOK ^P\ROAM.DOC
DIRECTORY/FILE MODE
The second mode is the DIRECTORY/FILE mode. Unlike other DOS shell programs,
ROAM's DIRECTORY/FILE mode fills the screen with directories and files, not
superfluous information that is not required on the screen all the time. You
can scroll through all the subdirectories and files.
ROAMing in the DIRECTORY/FILE mode, you may
Using a "point and shoot" methodology, move from file to file, directory
to directory, drive to drive,
Easily execute programs by moving a bar of light to the program and
striking the <ENTER> key,
Selectively mark a file or group of files to be moved, copied, looked at
or anything else you wish to do,
Permanently assign a single alphabetic key to carry out commands such as
moving to another drive or executing a certain program. Unlike the
function keys <F1> to <F10>, these assignments are not erased when you
turn off the computer.
Layout of the DIRECTORY/FILE Window
This screen is made up of the following components:
A status line comprised of the current path, Pattern (if active) and
Del Safety indicator,
The Directories window displaying the subdirectories within the
current directory,
The Files window, displaying the files within the current directory,
And the user-definable Key to available commands.
The first part of the status line is the current path, which shows your
location in the branches of the DOS directory "tree". Below it, is the
Pattern used for determining which files will be visible in the Files
window. In the top right corner of the screen is the Del Safety
indicator which tells you whether "the safety" is ON or OFF for deleting
files or empty subdirectories. If it is ON, ROAM always requests
verification before deleting.
The Directories and Files windows are of the "point and shoot" type, in
which a bar highlights an item, and the user chooses it by hitting
<ENTER> or a user-definable alphabetic key. The numbers at the bottom
right corner of both the Directories and Files windows respectively
represent the number of directories and files in the current directory.
The Key is located at the bottom of the screen. It consists of three
lines of user-editable text, usually a key of available commands. The
Key comes preconfigured, just like certain of the alphabetic keys, in
order to give you a head start in setting up your own Personal Guide.
Navigation in the DIRECTORY/FILE Mode
<ENTER> If the bar of light is in the Directories window, you are
taken to the directory that was in the bar of light when
you pressed <ENTER>.
If the extension of the file in the bar of light has been
defined (by us, or by you), the corresponding command or
program is executed. For example, the extension .EXE (as
well as .COM and .BAT) is associated with the command ^B
(the item in the bar of light itself), therefore feeding
that item to DOS as a command. If the bar of light is on
CHKDSK.COM, then DOS executes CHKDSK.COM. The extension
.BAS is associated with BASICA ^B. If the bar is on
SAMPLES.BAS, then DOS executes the command BASICA
SAMPLES.BAT, just as if that had been typed in at the
command line.
If an extension has not been defined, then some other
user-definable action takes place. The preconfigured
command is LOOK ^B, so that pressing <ENTER> when the bar
is on CONFIG.SYS will show you the current contents of
CONFIG.SYS. (SEE YOUR PERSONAL GUIDE)
\ When you press this key it will bring you back to the root
directory no matter how deeply nested you are in
subdirectories.
. Drops "down" one subdirectory toward the root directory.
* Opens the Edit Pattern window. (See: You Set The
Pattern)
<LEFT ARROW> Moves one column to the left. If the bar of light had
been in the first column of the Files window, it moves
into the Directories window. If the bar had been on the
rightmost visible column of the Files window, and there
were one or more columns not visible at the left of the
window, the window scrolls one column to the right, hiding
the rightmost column and making the next column to the
left visible.
<RIGHT ARROW> Moves one column to the right. If the bar of light had
been in the Directories window, it moves to the leftmost
column of the Files window. If the bar had been on the
rightmost visible column of the Files window, and there
were one or more columns not visible, the windows scrolls
one column to the left, hiding the leftmost column and
making the next column to the right visible.
<UP ARROW> Moves one row upward. If the bar of light is in the Files
window, it can not move past the first row. If the bar is
in the Directories window, and there were rows above that
were not visible, the window scrolls downward 16
directories, hiding the current group of directories and
making the previous group visible.
<DOWN ARROW> Moves one row downward. If the bar of light is in the
Files window, it can not move past the last row. If the
bar is in the Directories window, and there were rows
below that were not visible, the window scrolls upward 16
directories, hiding the current group of directories and
making the next group visible.
<Home> Moves the bar of light to the leftmost column, i.e. the
Directories window in the same row. If the current row is
below the last directory in the Directories window, the
bar moves to the last directory in the window.
<End> Moves the bar of light to the rightmost column in the
Files window in the same row. If the current row is below
the last directory in the Files window, the bar moves to
the bottom row of that window.
<PgUp> Moves the bar of light to the top row in the window. If
the bar is already in the top visible row of the
Directories window, the window scrolls downward 16
directories, hiding the current group of directories and
making the previous group visible.
<PgDn> Moves the bar of light to the bottom row in the window.
If the bar is already in the bottom visible row of the
Directories window, the window scrolls upward 16
directories, hiding the current group of directories and
making the next group visible.
<Ctrl-PgUp> Moves the bar of light to the first (visible or not) row
of the Directories window. An alternative key that does
the same thing is <Ctrl-Home>.
<Ctrl-PgDn> Moves the bar of light to the last (visible or not) row of
the Directories window. An alternative key that does the
same thing is <Ctrl-End>.
<TAB> Changes to the COMMAND LINE mode.
<Shft-TAB> Customizes the DIRECTORY/FILE mode.
You Set the Pattern
ROAM gives you the ability to see only the files you want, by using Edit
Pattern. For example, if you wish only to see the files that end in
(.COM), you can. To choose Edit Pattern, press the <*> key (either the
<Shft-8> from the row of numbers, or the separate <*> near the numeric
keypad will work. A box with flashing borders will replace the KEY at
the bottom of the screen and you will be able to input whatever pattern
you would like. You may use DOS wildcards such as * and ?.
Additionally, you may use ! (e.g. *.!) to indicate that you want to match
all executable file extensions (.COM), (.EXE) and (.BAT).
Whenever you have created a special matching pattern, it will be
displayed right below the Current Path at the top of your screen, so that
when you say to yourself, "I thought I had more files in this directory",
look to the display to make sure that you have not set a limiting
pattern. To reset the pattern, so that all files are present, simply get
to the Edit Pattern box again, and this time clear the box by pressing
<Ctrl-X><ENTER>. This sets the pattern to the default *.*.
Deleting Files and Subdirectories
One of the biggest problems when using DOS is trying to SELECTIVELY
delete more than one file at a time. We have made it easy when you are
in ROAM.
To delete a file, move the bar of light to it and press the <Del> key.
The file is erased and vanishes from the screen. If the file is "locked"
(i.e. is read-only) an error is reported instead.
To remove a subdirectory, move the bar to it and press <Del>. The
subdirectory is removed and vanishes. If the subdirectory is "locked",
or has files and/or subdirectories within it, an error is reported
instead.
The DEL SAFETY Toggle
We know that there are times when you don't want it easy to delete
files, so we have provided a safety toggle switch. If the switch is
ON, you are prompted to verify that you wish to delete a file or
remove a subdirectory. When it is OFF, you can take the express
route and rapidly delete those files you wish to remove from your
disk.
To change this toggle, simply press the <Ins> key, which is
(usually) next to the <Del> key. Each time you press this key you
will toggle the Del Safety ON or OFF. ROAM will always let you
know the status of this toggle in the upper right hand corner of the
screen. But remember, when you do delete a file, it is gone
forever, unless you have a special program to retrieve it.
If the Del Safety is OFF, and you are deleting files, you will be
dropped one subdirectory toward the root when the last file is
deleted. Additionally, the bar of light is on the name of the
subdirectory in which you had been deleting, and the Del Safety
toggle is returned to ON. This is to protect trigger-happy
Deleters!
Marking Files
ROAM gives you the ability to identify individual files and
subdirectories so that you may take specific action on them as a group,
even though they may not have similar names. Files and subdirectories
may be marked in one directory at a time. If you mark an item in the
current directory, having already marked something in another, the
marking will vanish in the original directory.
To mark files and subdirectories, you simply move the bar of light to the
item you wish to mark and press the <+> key (either the <Shft-=> from the
top row of keys, or the separate <+> key near the numeric keypad and
cursor control keys may be used - using that <+> as well as <-> is easier
on the fingers). Depending on your computer screen, marking will either
underline the item or turn it a different color.
If you move to another directory and wish to take a look at the files
that you have marked in the other directory, you can toggle between the
two directories by pressing <Alt-M>. This works across drives.
Unmarking Files
To unmark an item, move the bar of light cursor to it and press the <->
key. You can unmark all files at once by typing <Alt-U>.
The Easy Route: User-Definable Keys - the Alphabetic Keys A to Z
These keys, which are ONLY used in the DIRECTORY/FILE mode, can be used
to permanently save instructions. ROAM comes with several of these keys
predefined. However, you can change any of these predefined keys, if you
wish them to do other things. SEE YOUR PERSONAL GUIDE.
For example, your preconfigured Key shows <K>opy [sic] and <T>ransfer:
You have several files, with nothing particular in common - at least
in their names, to copy from the C: drive to A:. Move to each file,
pressing <+> to mark each one. Unmark any (with <->) if you were
"trigger-happy" or change your mind. When you are satisfied, press
the <A> key, which changes you to the A: drive, and then press <K>.
Each of the files you marked are copied and that fact is reported on
the screen. The original files are unmarked. Press <C> to return
to the C: drive. This was equivalent to the following commands in
the COMMAND LINE mode (after the files were marked):
A: <ENTER>
COPY ^M <ENTER>
UNMARK *.* <ENTER>
C: <ENTER>
As a matter of fact, those exact instructions were fed into the
COMMAND LINE!
Lets try another. You have the same problem with file names, but
this time you want to MOVE them to another directory. Mark the
files you want, the same way as last time. Go to the directory you
want (let's say \BUSINESS). Do this by pressing <\> (have you
noticed that </> works also?), move to BUSINESS in the Directories
window, and press <ENTER>. Next hit the <T> key and watch your
files move! This was equivalent to the following commands in the
COMMAND LINE mode (after the files where marked)
CD \BUSINESS <ENTER>
MOVE ^M <ENTER>
or, as COMMAND LINE actually got it:
CD \ <ENTER>
CD BUSINESS <ENTER>
MOVE ^M <ENTER>
ACTIVITIES USING BOTH MODES
Copying and Moving Files from One Directory to Another
ROAM allows you to move and copy files from one directory to another.
When you MOVE a file or files, you can only move them within directories
on the same drive, i.e. you can move a group of files from one directory
to another on your hard disk, but you can not use ROAM's MOVE command to
move them from your hard disk to your A: Drive. When you wish to do
this, you must use the COPY command and then return to the original
directory and delete them (see example below).
If you move a file to another subdirectory and there is a file by the
same name in that subdirectory as the file you are moving, ROAM will
alert you and request directions on what to do.
Moving and Copying, when You Know Where You Are Going
When you wish to move or copy files from one directory to another, the
following commands can be used in the COMMAND LINE mode. The Control Key
combinations can be used to make your work easier as shown below.
COPY <Ctrl-B> A: This would copy the file currently in the bar of
light to the A: drive
COPY <Ctrl-M> \FUN This would copy the files which are marked to
the \FUN subdirectory.
Packing Your Bags and Taking the Files with You
ROAM's other way of moving and copying files - by moving to the new
directory and calling for the program to deliver the files to you. This
method is similar to checking into a hotel, going to your room and having
the porter bring your bags to your room. You would take the following
steps.
1. In the DIRECTORY/FILE mode, mark the files you wished to move
or copy.
2. Remaining in the DIRECTORY/FILE mode, move to the directory
where you wish to copy or move the files.
3. When you are in the new directory, <TAB> to the COMMAND LINE
mode and type either of the following, depending on what you
wish to do:
COPY ^M <ENTER>
MOVE ^M <ENTER>
ROAM will then take over and carry out your wishes, moving or
copying all the marked files to the new directory.
YOUR PERSONAL GUIDE TO ROAM - CONFIGURATION OF THE DIRECTORY/FILE MODE
ROAM allows you to customize several facets of the DIRECTORY/FILE mode to make
ROAM adapt to your needs. To set up your personal guide, <TAB> to the
DIRECTORY/FILE mode and then press <Shft-Tab>. You will be presented with the
following menu:
Customizations Available
Alphabetic keys
Default command for undefined extensions
File extensions associated with commands
Key at bottom of screen
Quit
Move the bar of light to one your choices and press <ENTER>.
Alphabetic Keys
ROAM is distributed with several keys predefined to carry out certain
commands. You may keep these as they are, or change them using the
personalization process shown in this chapter. Some of ROAM's predefined
keys are:
<A> Switches you to drive A:
<B> Switches you to drive B:
<C> Switches you to drive C:
<D> Lets you view the familiar DOS-type listing for the directory
that you are currently in, including expanded information, e.g.
File Name and Extension, File Size, Date, Time. If the
directory is longer than can be fit on the screen at one time,
you can scroll through it using the <UP>, <DOWN>, <PgUp> and
<PgDn> keys. When you are finished, use <Esc> to return to
ROAM (See VIEW under ADJUNCT PROGRAMS).
<E> Activates the DOS line editor Edlin. If the bar of light was
on AUTOEXEC.BAT, then DOS is told EDLIN AUTOEXEC.BAT, to edit
that file.
<F> Uses WHEREIS to Find files for you, no matter where they are
and then counts and lists them. As with <D>, you can scroll
through the resulting listing.
<G> Go back to the previous subdirectory (if you used <R> to
remember your place.
<H> Uses LOOK to browse through the #READ.ME file ROAM manual.
<K> Kopy [sic] marked files. This will copy any files which are
marked into the current directory.
<L> Executes the LOOK program which allows you to view, but not
edit any ASCII file and some word processing files.
<N> Prompts you for a subdirectory name, creates it and moves you
there.
<R> Tells ROAM that you wish to remember where you were before you
move out of a directory.
<T> Transfer (i.e. MOVE) files which are marked into the current
subdirectory.
You can assign specific commands to an individual key. After you are in
the Alphabetic Keys menu, select the letter key you wish to configure. A
listing of the alphabetic keys which have already been selected are
displayed at the top of the menu. If the key you wish to configure has
already been chosen, you will see its assignment on the editing line.
You can either reassign it or exit without editing the line.
Default Command for Undefined Extensions
You can specify a command to execute when you press <ENTER> with the bar
of light on a file whose extension (the extension of the file
AUTOEXEC.BAT is BAT) is not otherwise defined in ROAM (See the next
section). ROAM comes preconfigured to execute LOOK ^B. If you want to
see the contents of CONFIG.SYS, move the bar to that file and press
<ENTER>.
File Extensions Associated with Commands
In this screen you are presented with two columns. The left column is
for file extensions and the right is for the commands associated with
those extensions, for example:
BAS:basica ^B
BAT:^B
COM:^B
EXE:^B
DFX:DFX ^B
PAS:TURBO ^B
WP:WP ^B
When the bar of light is on a file with one of the above extensions, the
command associated with that extension is executed.
KEY at screen bottom
Using the ROAM's editing instructions printed on the screen, you may
design your own Personal Guide screen to reflect the decisions that you
made in the first three menu selections.
AUTOMENU
If you have a set of operations which you would like to choose from a batch
file (See CHOOSE below) create the batch file and name it AUTOMENU.BAT, making
sure that it is in the root directory. It would usually be a menu of some
sort, but it could be any batch file. The next time ROAM is started, it will
find \AUTOMENU.BAT and incorporate it as the third "mode".
ROAM ADJUNCT PROGRAMS
ROAM has several unique programs which can be run from ROAM, when you are at a
command line or incorporated into your personal configuration of the
DIRECTORY/FILE mode. These programs have been selected to make life easier
for you when you are using ROAM to travel about your directories. The
DIRECTORY/FILE mode comes preconfigured to automatically carry out several of
these programs.
CHOOSE This program can be used to create a menu, which can be either
toggled on when using the <TAB> key (if it is named
\AUTOMENU.BAT, or can be called by defining one of the
alphabetic keys with the name of the batch file.
CHOOSE waits for keyboard input and, provided that the key
struck is in that set of letters in CHOOSE's parameter, the DOS
ERRORLEVEL is set according to the order of that letter in the
parameter.
EXAMPLE OF MENU.BAT FILE that you can create using CHOOSE:
echo off
:START
cls
echo E)dit
echo P)rint
echo Q)uit [SEE NOTE BELOW]
choose EPQ
if ERRORLEVEL 3 goto Q
if ERRORLEVEL 2 goto P
EditIt
goto START
:P
PrintIt
goto START
:Q
echo Goodbye!
NOTE: If you wish to use a similar AUTOMENU.BAT as one of the three
modes in ROAM, you should use the ASCII <TAB> character instead of
the <Q> for Quit. The ASCII <TAB> can be created in most ASCII
editors, e.g. EDLIN. For the above example you would replace the
line
Echo Q)uit
above with
Echo [TAB] from this menu
This will enable you to rapidly switch between the three modes
without taking your finger off the <TAB> key. Note that we did not
enclose the name TAB between angle brackets. This is because the
angle brackets < > have a special meaning to DOS.
DAY If a batch file needs to know what day of the month it is,
the ERRORLEVEL returned by DAY can be used:
echo OFF
cls
DAY
if ERRORLEVEL 15 goto SECOND_HALF
echo This is the first half of the month.
goto THE_END
:SECOND_HALF
echo This is the second half of the month.
:THE_END
If the date if more than or equal to 15 the second message
is displayed, otherwise the first is shown. Any set of
commands could be substituted for the messages.
EACHDIR This program will carry out a command on every directory
on the current drive. If you wanted to remove or delete
every backup file called .BAK, you would type the
following:
EACHDIR DEL *.BAK
Similarly, if you wished to look at each .BAT file, you
would type:
EACHDIR LOOK *.BAT
Never type something like:
EACHDIR DEL *.*
Unless, of course, that is what you meant!
HOUR This program tells a batch file the hour of the day
through ERRORLEVEL:
echo OFF
cls
HOUR
if ERRORLEVEL 12 goto PM
echo It's early!
goto THE_END
:PM
echo It's late!
:THE_END
If the hour is more than or equal to 12 than the message
at :PM is displayed, otherwise control falls through to
the A.M. Any set of commands could be substituted for the
messages.
LOOK This program, allows you to look at files, if the files
are ASCII. You can not make any changes in these files,
only look at them. The cursor control keys listed at the
top of LOOK's screen will move you about the file and the
<Esc> key will drop you back into ROAM. For example:
LOOK THISFILE.TXT
The Key at the bottom of the DIRECTORY/FILE mode screen
comes preconfigured to automatically carry out LOOK.
Striking the <L> Key when in DIRECTORY/FILE mode, will let
you look at the file which is currently highlighted with
the bar of light.
As LOOK reads in a file, you will see the number of lines
read appear at the bottom right corner of the screen. You
can start moving about within the already read portion of
the file before the rest of the file is finished being
read. The bottom left corner of the screen tells you the
line number of the text at the top of the screen.
MARK & These commands will mark and unmark specified files (See
UNMARK COMMAND LINE - Marking Files. The following sequence
MARK *.BAT
UNMARK R*.*
marks all the batch files in the current directory and
then unmarks any of those marked files which begin with
the letter "R". Like MEM, PUSHD and POPD, the commands
MARK and UNMARK are commands internal to ROAM and can not
be included in batch files.
MEM This program will give you the available memory of your
computer's current RAM memory. The Key at the bottom of
the DIRECTORY/FILE mode screen comes configured to
automatically carry out MEM, when you press the <M> key.
This is actually an "internal" command, rather than a
separate MEM.EXE. This means that you can not include it
in a batch (.BAT) file.
MONTH This program tells a batch file the month of the year
through ERRORLEVEL numbering January as 1:
echo OFF
cls
MONTH
if ERRORLEVEL 4 goto APRIL_OR_LATER
if ERRORLEVEL 3 goto MARCH
if ERRORLEVEL 2 goto FEBRUARY
echo January!
goto THE_END
:FEBRUARY
echo February!
goto THE_END
:MARCH
echo March!
goto THE_END
:APRIL_OR_LATER
echo April or later!
goto THE_END
:THE_END
If the day of the week is more than or equal to 6 than the
message at :WEEKEND is displayed, if it's more than or
equal to 5, we talk about Friday, etc. Any set of
commands could be substituted for the messages.
MOVE The MOVE program is used by ROAM to relocate a file from
one directory to another on the same drive.
MOVE THISFILE.TXT \ROAM
would move the file THISFILE.TXT into the C:\ROAM
directory from the current directory.
Or you can type this command:
MOVE \ROAM\THISFILE.TXT
which would move the file THISFILE.TXT from the
subdirectory \ROAM into the current directory. You may
also use the ^M and ^B functions of ROAM in conjunction
with MOVE to transfer a file or group of files.
PUSHD & These, like MEM, are internal commands and may not be
POPD included in batch files. They do not exist as separate
.EXE files. In the COMMAND LINE mode, if you wish to
travel to another directory to see or do something and
want to return quickly to the drive and directory that you
were in before leaving the first directory, type:
PUSHD
Move to where you wish to go. When you want to return,
simply type:
POPD
The Key at the bottom of the DIRECTORY/FILE mode screen
comes preconfigured configured to automatically carry out
PUSHD and POPD. Type <R> for Remember, before you leave a
directory and when you wish to return type <G> for Go
back.
RENDIR This program is used to rename a subdirectory:
RENDIR THISDIR THATDIR
will rename the subdirectory called THISDIR, to THATDIR.
VIEW This is a filter program, similar to LOOK except that it
gets its input from the standard output of the previous
program in a pipe, and passes that input unchanged through
its standard output. For example:
DIR | VIEW >NUL
which is the default definition of the alphabetic key <D>.
The DOS command DIR is executed. Rather than sending its
output to the screen it is redirected (see your DOS manual
for more information) it is "piped" into the standard
input of VIEW. When you are done looking about in VIEW,
it copies its total input to standard output, which again
would normally be the screen. Instead we are redirecting
it into the DOS device NUL, which is where you send
anything you don't want! This program is of more interest
to advanced users of DOS.
WEEK This program tells a batch file the day of the week
through ERRORLEVEL, numbering Monday as 1:
echo OFF
cls
WEEK
if ERRORLEVEL 6 goto WEEK_END
if ERRORLEVEL 5 goto FRIDAY
if ERRORLEVEL 2 goto REST_OF_WEEK
echo I hate Mondays!
goto THE_END
:WEEK_END
echo What are you doing here on a weekend?
goto THE_END
:FRIDAY
echo Thank God it's Friday!
goto THE_END
:REST_OF_WEEK
echo Get to work!
:THE_END
If the day of the week is more than or equal to 6 than the
message at :WEEKEND is displayed, if it's more than or
equal to 5, we talk about Friday, etc. Any set of
commands could be substituted for the messages.
WHEREIS At the COMMAND LINE, you can use this program to find a
file which might be in another directory of the current
drive. You can use DOS wildcards. For example,
WHEREIS ROA*.*
The answer that WHEREIS might return is
C:\ROAM\ROAMINT.EXE
C:\ROAM\ROAMCUST.EXE
C:\ROAM\ROAM.EXE
3 Files Found
The <F> key comes configured to automatically carry out
WHEREIS. Pressing the <F> Key will prompt you for user
input, which is the file name you wish to search for. It
then searches the whole disk, redirecting its output into
VIEW, in case the report is a long one.
YEAR This program tells a batch file the last two digits of the
year through ERRORLEVEL:
echo OFF
cls
YEAR
if ERRORLEVEL 89 goto FUTURE
if ERRORLEVEL 88 goto PRESENT
echo The Past
goto THE_END
:FUTURE
echo The Future
goto THE_END
:PRESENT
echo The Present
:THE_END
If the year is more than or equal to 89 than the message
at :FUTURE is displayed, if it's more than or equal to 88,
the message at :PRESENT, etc. Any set of commands could
be substituted for the messages.
******************************************************************************
Directory of PC-SIG Library Disk #1151
Volume in drive A has no label
Directory of A:\
#FILES 1442 4-18-88 3:36p
#READ ME 4054 4-01-88 11:36a
INSTALL EXE 23568 4-01-88 2:39p
LOOK EXE 15472 2-23-88 11:57p
REBOOT COM 26 11-29-87 9:00p
ROAM DOC 53888 4-01-88 2:37p
ROAM EXE 43472 4-05-88 3:54p
ROAMINIT EXE 51968 4-01-88 2:41p
VIEW EXE 15536 2-18-88 5:23a
FILE1151 TXT 1725 10-20-88 12:23p
GO BAT 38 1-18-88 1:38p
GO TXT 540 10-05-88 2:23p
12 file(s) 211729 bytes
103424 bytes free