PCjs Machines
Home of the original IBM PC emulator for browsers.
PC-SIG Diskette Library (Disk #3918)
[PCjs Machine "ibm5170"]
Waiting for machine "ibm5170" to load....
CDROM.TXT
T h e P C - S I G L i b r a r y o n C D - R O M,
1 2 t h E d i t i o n
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The PC-SIG Library on CD-ROM, winner of the Optical Publishing
Association's Best Consumer Product Award, has added a hypermedia
interface that makes it easy to find and download any type of program
you could want. The WordCruncher text retrieval program has also been
implemented to assist you insearching this vast collection.
This CD-ROM contains over 3700 fully functional shareware programs, each
with a detailed review. The 12th Edition has added over 300 new programs
and over 500 updates since the release of the 11th Edition. The
collection is always kept current and now contains over 70 megabytes of
Windows 3.0 and 3.1 applications, fonts, icons, games and wallpaper
files.
The range of software is phenomenal! There are huge assortments of
games, everything from adventure games with full SVGA and SoundBlaster
support to favorites like Klondike, Chess and Othello. Spreadsheets,
databases, wordprocessors and graphics programs are instantly available
and there are literally hundreds of unique and specialized programs that
will save you time and money. This amazing collection will help you get
a handle on all your business and home accounting and also teach your
children about zoology.
Each of the more than 3700 programs has a one-line description for quick
reference, Just pick one of the 13 software categories and a subcategory
to begin browsing for a program that interests you. You might choose the
Games Category, where you can pick from 12 subcatgories including
Adventure, Arcade, Cards and more. A mouse click (or keyboard stroke) on
the program title takes you to a detailed description of the program.
you can immediately download the software to your hard or floppy drive,
and in many cases view a screen shot.
You can find any program in the collection quickly and easily by using
the search button. When you are in a program category just type in the
title of the program and you will be taken to the description of that
program. The popular WordCruncher text retrieval program has been added
to allow searching every description for any word within that
description, not just in the title or keywords chosen by someone who
thinks differently than you do. The WordCruncher is ideal for finding
programs which perform a specific function, just try searching for
"split", "math" or "subtract". Or switch to the Disks section where you
will find an alphabetical list of all the programs which can be searched
by program title or disk number.
Everyone has their favorite programs and we're no exception. Our 44
favorite programs can be run immediately. No downloading is necessary,
all you do is click on the word "RUN" in the program description and
you'll be working or playing with top notch software right on the CD.
The power of hypermedia will allow you to try out more software than you
ever thought possible. We are sure that you will find a multitude of
programs to your liking on the P-SIG Library on CD-ROM.
System Requirements: IBM PC/AT PS/2 or compatible with 640K, DOS 3.3 or
higher, Microsoft MS-DOS CD-ROM Extensions and a CD-ROM player. We
recommend a 386 with a VGA monitor.
T h e E s s e n t i a l H o m e & B u s i n e s s C o l l e c t i o n
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Never before has such a valuable collection of popular shareware been
compiled on one CD-ROM that everyone can afford." Dr. File Finder a.k.a.
Michael Callahan
Finally, 368 of the most useful, popular, important shareware programs
have been put together on one CD. No matter what your need, it's on The
Essential Home & Business Collection. Everything from Administration to
Windows software is here.
The Essential CD incorporates the WordCruncher text retrieval system.
Every program on the disc is indexed by title, filename, PC-SIG disk
number, and every word in the program description. A new utility, Narc,
is implemented so you can look at the program files and the author's
on-line documentation without having to first copy the program to your
hard disk. By using WordCruncher and Narc, you can quickly find the
program you want and review it to be sure, without ever having to run it
from your hard disk.
If you've got a CD-ROM player at home and want to get more use of it and
your computer, or if you're trying to avoid purchasing another Nintendo
cartridge, or if you just enjoy looking at new software, you need The
Essential Home & Business Collection.
System Requirements:
IBM PC/XT/AT PS/2 or compatible with 384K memory DOS 3.1 or higher and
Microsoft MS-DOS CD ROM extensions.
T h e P C - S I G G a m e s C D - R O M
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Now you can play a game a day fo over a year. This CD-ROM is jammed
with over 380 shareware games of all types, designed to appeal to the
new generation of CD-ROM users out for fun. The CD incorporates a
hypermedia interface and allows 250 of the games to be played directly
from the CD-ROM.
The hottest games in shareware are on this disk, including the
action/arcade games "Jill of the Jungle" and "Wolfenstein 3D," which
rival or surpass commercial PC and Nintendo for use of animation,
SoundBlaster audio, and VGA graphics. There are also games designed to
teach children mathematics, spelling and even ecology. All these games
for less than a dime each!
Over 250 of the games can be played directly from the CD without copying
them to a floppy or a hard drive. Being able to run from the CD means
that users can explore games without using up valuable hard disk space
or spending time downloading and deleting files. The hypermedia
interface makes it easy to browse the titles, read a one line
description or full review, and copy or start a game by clicking the
mouse or using the keyboard.
T h e P C - S I G W o r l d o f G a m e s C D - R O M
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The new PC-SIG World of Games CD-ROM contains over 550 of the best
shareware games, including 53 educational games for children and 57
Windows games. 430 of them can be played directly from the CD without
using your hard drive space.
This edition employs the award-winning HyperReader interface, allowing
easy searching and playing by using a mouse or the keyboard.
This CD is the first in a six-volume PC-SIG Encyclopedia of Shareware
series. Each volume will include the programs from a section of the
PC-SIG collection and also the programs and text from the current issue
of Shareware Magazine. This CD contains the entire text from the
May/June issue of Shareware Magazine, featuring hardware reviews of
the Tandy Sensation and the Media Vision Pro 16 Multimedia System.
Software reviews included cover 58 new shareware releases, security,
educational, CD audio and PIM's. 159 of the programs mentioned in the
magazine are included and can be downloaded using the HyperReader
interface.
There are also 89 programs which were updated since the last issue of
Shareware Magazine, helping those of you who have purchased the 12th
edition of the PC-SIG Library keep on top of the everchanging world
of shareware.
As well, a description of every program in the PC-SIG Library can be
searched with the WordCruncher text retrieval program. This Games CD
continues the ten year PC-SIG tradition of providing quality programs
and information to help you find the best program for your purpose.
System Requirements: IBM PC/AT/PS/2 or compatible computer with 640K,
DOS 3.3 or higher, Microsoft MS-DOS CD-ROM Extensions and a CD-ROM
player. We recommend a 386 with a VGA monitor.
To Order in the U.S.A.: Call 800-245-6717 and ask for Customer Service.
For Technical information: Call 408-730-9291 and ask for Technical
Support
Outside the U.S.A.: Call (408) 730-9291 for the name of the dealer near
you.
PCSIG.TXT
P C - S I G
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Welcome to the world of Shareware, state of the art software you can
actually try before you buy.
Shareware, a term coined in the early eighties, refers to the method of
distribution chosen by the software authors. With shareware, you can
receive a program and put it through its paces without having to pay for
it. If you find the program useful, and choose to keep the program, then
you pay a modest registration fee to the author.
For the last nine years, PC-SIG has been providing shareware and public
domain software to its customers and members. Since 1982 PC-SIG has
developed an unprecedented library of shareware programs, constantly
updated, consistently strong in every category. Our library of
shareware contains over 3500 titles divided into 120 logical categories.
Every program we add to the library is thoroughly reviewed and tested to
insure that each one meets the high standards of reliability and value we
insist upon and you expect. As a result, our library doesn't contain
every shareware program available, just those that really work.
PC-SIG has grown into the premier distributor of shareware and and
shareware information by producing shareware collections on CD-ROM,
publishing an encyclopedia of shareware, and by publishing Shareware
Magazine, a bi-monthly magazine distributed world-wide.
Quality and support - guaranteed. All of our programs are guaranteed
virus free. We've isolated our systems and check every program
submitted to insure that no viruses make their way to your computer or
ours.
Our support staff is available by phone as well as on our BBS to help
you with questions about installation and operation of PC-SIG's
products.
Through our network of international distributors, PC- SIG strives to
bring you the most current, exciting, technically advanced software
available as shareware.
If you can't find the software you need in PC-SIG's library, it may well
not exist.
To order the latest in Shareware, in the U.S.A: Call (800) 245-6717
Outside the U.S.A.: Call (408) 730-9291 for the name of the dealer near
you.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SHAREMAG.TXT
S H A R E W A R E M A G A Z I N E
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Shareware Magazine has distinguished itself as the only internationally
distributed periodical devoted to the use and business of shareware.
Shareware Magazine provides detailed reviews of new products,
hard-hitting comparisons of shareware programs with regular retail
software, and timely information about changes in the industry and the
latest technology.
Intriguing columnists and regular features add to the excitement. The
beginners section sheds light on new user's concerns regarding
everything from choosing the right operating system to alleviating the
intimidation of using on-line systems.
Educational sections focus on how low cost shareware can aid in
classroom learning, curriculum development, and as a forum for
discussing the impact of computers and technology in schools.
Graphics Gallery renders expert advice and suggestions on how to better
work with graphics, desktop publishing, CAD systems, and the Windows
environment.
Programmers benefit from others experience in developing new programs or
polishing existing ones as well as choosing the right programming
language.
And columnists provide that subjective component, sometimes
controversial, that calls for a closer look at the way we compute and
how shareware effects what we do.
Published bimonthly, Shareware Magazine is available on a subscription
or at your local newsstand or computer bookstore. In conjunction with
PC-SIG, there are special benefits for subscribers as well as
opportunities for discount purchases from PC-SIG.
To Order, in the U.S.A.: Call 800-245-6717 and ask Customer Service.
Outside the U.S.A.: Call (408) 730-9291 for the name of the dealer near
you.
SIGORDER.TXT
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FROM: ___________________________
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___________________________
PC-SIG Inc.
[A] [B]
1030-D East Duane Avenue
Sunnyvale California
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4. Tape or staple the envelope at the two spots marked [A].
5. Slip in any other enclosures (business cards, cheques, etc.).
6. Tape or staple the envelope at the spots marked [B].
THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO PRINT THIS FORM -*- MAIL YOUR ORDER TO:
PC-SIG Inc. 1030-D East Duane Avenue Sunnyvale CA 94086
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PC-SIG Disks - Member $2.49 for 5.25" or $2.99 for 3.5"
Non-member $3.50 for 5.25" or $4.00 for 3.5"
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
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_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ total ______
One year subscription to Shareware Magazine $19.95 ______
Super Saver Membership $39.95 ______
(includes a 1 year subscription to Shareware Magazine,
the PC-SIG Encyclopedia on Disk with WordCruncher,
and 5 free disks)
The PC-SIG Catalog on Disk $5.00 ______
($5.00 is refundable with your first order)
The PC-SIG Encyclopedia on Disk with WordCruncher $20.00 ______
The PC-SIG World of Games CD-ROM $19.95 ______
The PC-SIG 12th Edition Library CD-ROM $99.00 ______
Upgrade to the 12th Edition from ANY previous edition
of the PC-SIG Library on CD-ROM! $59.00 ______
Upgrade from ANY other CD-ROM just! $59.00 ______
The Essential Home & Business Collection CD-ROM $39.00 ______
The PC-SIG Encyclopedia of Shareware on CD-ROM
(1 year subscription) $99.00 ______
Subtotal ______
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California residents add 8.25% sales tax ______
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If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know!
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Ask for operator #2351
TVP.DOC
TV PARTNER
Welcome to TV Partner! TV Partner is a unique, easy-to-use, time-
saving program especially designed for cable TV viewers, but well-
suited for fans of movies and other programs on commercial TV also.
With TV Partner, you can sit down when the monthly (or weekly) TV Guide
magazine comes, and quickly generate a customized personal TV viewing
schedule for the whole month (or week).
The best part of TV Partner, though, is the link to a library file
which can be used to automatically highlight times and descriptions of
your favorite scenes in movies or other programs on the schedule. You
can generate your own library file or use the one provided free to
registered users consisting of over 750 movies and other programs shown
on cable TV.
TV Partner creates a compact, complete, annotated schedule that
eliminates the need to shuffle through the daily newspaper, TV Guide,
and Cable TV magazine every night. Your favorite programs are there
and nothing else. You won't miss a show or even tune in late for your
favorite scene.
TV Partner is menu-driven and will step you through the process of
generating or modifying a file of titles and a viewing schedule. There
are two data files associated with the TV Partner program. These are
the CURRENT TITLES file (CURRFIL), and the LIBRARY file (LIBFIL).
CURRFIL and LIBFIL hold the program's input data. The following
sections explain a little more about these files and other specific
features of TV Partner.
RUNNING THE PROGRAM:
To run TV Partner, enter "TVP" at the DOS prompt. The first menu
screen you'll see is the SETUP Menu. To work on CURRFIL or LIBFIL,
highlight its menu line using the up/down arrow keys and press
"Return". Then you can select menus with various options to edit,
modify, or display the files. When these files are built or edited to
your satisfaction, you're ready to generate the TV Schedule. In all
cases, a series of instructions, examples, templates, and questions
will lead you through each process.
CURRENT TITLES FILE (CURRFIL):
CURRFIL is the "raw data" that TV Partner uses to generate a
viewing schedule. This consists of the schedule data which you input
each month or week from the TV guide magazines. As many as 200
different titles per month can be input. When you've gone over the
magazine/newspaper listings and checked off the titles you want to see,
you're ready to compose CURRFIL. You'll find it easiest to use the
section of your TV guide which lists all the titles for the month with
their showtimes rather than the daily schedule section. TV Partner
will lead you through this process step-by-step as explained below. A
sample CURRFIL is included with this disk for illustrative purposes.
Building the file: To begin composing a new CURRFIL, you'll want
to select the MODIFY menu using the left/right arrow keys. (Note that
you do have to select either the CURRENT TITLES or LIBRARY file line
before TV Partner will let you move to another menu.) Then select
"Clear file, start anew" to delete the "old" data and then select "Add
new title" to start entering new data. You'll be prompted for the
program titles you want to see along with a series of "showtimes" for
each title, which are the dates and times when that title will be
shown. A couple things are important to note at this point:
Titles: For some operations, TV Partner searches for a match
between data input from the keyboard and data in its files. In order
for a match to be found, the data must agree exactly. (The only
exception is that data is not "case sensitive"; that is, it doesn't
matter if you enter text in upper or lower case, or even a
combination. TV Partner automatically converts all titles to upper
case letters before entering them into CURRFIL and LIBFIL.) For this
reason, it's a good idea to follow consistent practices such as always
omitting leading "The"s and "A"s in titles. If you make use of the TV
Partner library which is provided upon registration, you'll find those
conventions have been observed. Titles are limited to 72 characters in
length. Make sure that spellings agree exactly with library entries,
to include punctuation and use of arabic vs. roman numerals, etc!
Showtimes: For each title, TV Partner will prompt you to input
the dates/times when that title will be shown. For the calculations
that TV Partner performs later, the showtimes need to be in a certain
format. A screen template will guide you and check your entries as you
input data. You have the option of entering data using civilian time
(12-hour clock) or military time (24-hour clock). TV Partner
internally converts civilian time to military time for its
calculations. Depending on your choice, you will see a screen which
explains the required format and displays a template in that format.
Each showtime entry must be in one of two formats:
Civilian time: CCDDHH:MMS or Military time: CCDDHHMM
where CC = Channel ID (optional) - any one or two characters
DD = date (two digits required) between 01 and 39
HH = hours (two digits required)
between 01 and 12 for civilian time
between 00 and 23 (not 24!) for military time
MM = minutes (two digits required) between 00 and 59
S = suffix (1 letter): a=AM, p=PM, n=Noon, m=Midnight
In both military and civilian options, you may include an optional
one or two character "Channel ID", e.g., "13" for Channel 13, "H" for
HBO, etc. Next, you enter two digits for the date (using a zero when
required). TV Partner will accept dates from 01 to 39, since some
schedules include shows for a few days into the next month. The date
digits are followed by two digits for the hour and two for the minutes
(using zeroes when required). For civilian time entries, the minute
digits are followed by a suffix (a, p, m, or n) indicating AM, PM,
Midnight, or Noon.
Incidentally, TV Partner considers midnight (12:00M civilian time
or 0000 military time) to be the "beginning of a new day" and not the
"end of the old day"; i.e., 1112:00M civilian time (110000 military
time) occurs between the 10th and 11th of the month, not between the
11th and 12th. Also, you might note the difference between TV Partner
and some magazine TV schedules which start "new days" at 6:00 or
6:30AM.
More showtimes for the same title are input on the same screen by
pressing the spacebar after each entry. Don't hit "Return" until
you've input all the showtimes for each title. (Actually, one record
can hold up to 20 showtimes. If you should have more than 20 showtimes
for one title, simply enter the title a second time with the remaining
showtimes as if it were a different title.)
Typical showtimes for a title might look like this (after TV
Partner has converted them to military time):
X020730 161200 H100335 13262020 T212300
The record above indicates that the title will be shown on Channel
"X" (Cinemax) on the 2nd of the month at 7:30 AM, on an unspecified
channel on the 16th at 12:00 Noon, on Channel "H" (HBO) on the 10th at
3:35 AM, on Channel 13 on the 26th at 8:20 PM, and on Channel "T" (TMC)
on the 21st at 11:00 PM.
Note that the showtimes don't have to be entered in any kind of
sequential order at all. Also, civilian time suffixes can be entered
in upper or lower case. Note too that you can save a lot of keystrokes
using military time instead of civilian time. Further, you can flag
special titles with a special character like "!" as part of the channel
ID.
TV Partner checks the syntax of each showtime as you input the
data. If everything's OK, the title and showtimes will be added to
CURRFIL. This process will continue until you've entered all the
titles you want to see. To help keep your place in the listings, TV
Partner will display on the screen the last title entered every time it
prompts you for a new title. If you make mistakes while adding new
titles, it's easiest to just note the errors as you go, then correct
all of them at once after you've finished inputting all the new titles.
A special feature of TV Partner is its ability to force a "page
feed" in the printed schedule at any date and time. You can do this by
entering a dash for the title ("-" without the quotes) along with the
"showtimes" when you want to start a new page. Then whenever TV
Partner sees a dash for a title, it will eject the current page before
continuing the schedule. This feature might be useful if you like to
start, say, each week of the month on a fresh page.
When you're all done, just hit "Return" when prompted for the next
title. Incidentally, there's no need to enter all the titles and data
at one sitting - just continue adding titles and data at subsequent
sessions as desired. TV Partner automatically saves all data to file
as it is entered. Just be sure not to "Clear file, start anew" again
until you want to start a totally new file from scratch!
Display: When all titles and data have been entered and saved,
you may want to "Display" the file to check for any typos (screen and
printer options are available). If you want to print or list something
short of the whole CURRFIL or LIBFIL, pick the "Select range of titles"
option. You can specify an alphabetical first and/or last title (or
title segment) of the range to be printed as desired. For example, if
you're looking only for titles that start with "A", enter "N"(no) to
the first question (Include ALL TITLES in range?), then enter "A" for
the first title and "B" for the last title of your range.
If you only want to see selected titles in the range, like
those with a certain actor's or actress' name in the data records, then
enter that name as the "Search term" (upper or lower case). TV Partner
will list all titles and data between the first and last titles with
that search term in either the title or the data record.
Editing: If you discover any typos, you can make use of the
various options available on the EDIT Menu to correct them. These
options include "Locate title", "Change title or data", and "Delete
title" which are self-explanatory and which will step you through the
appropriate procedures. Note that you do have to "Locate" a title
before TV Partner will let you select the "Change" or "Delete" option.
You don't have to enter the whole title to locate it - just enough to
identify it. In fact, the shorter the search term, the quicker the
search is performed. Incidentally, it's surprising how well just a 3-
letter search term usually performs! TV Partner will list -one at a
time- each title that matches your entry. When you find the one you
want to change or delete, hit "Esc" to return to the EDIT menu.
Note that changes to data records must be made in military time
format (24-hour clock). Changes are entered directly on the data line
and not on a screen template like appeared during the "Add new title"
procedure. The usual editing keys (left and right arrows, Home, End,
Delete, etc.) can be used. Note also that you can toggle between
"Insert" and "Overwrite" modes using the "Insert" key.
Text Editor: You can use any text editor that produces ASCII files
to build and edit CURRFIL and LIBFIL. However, any syntax errors you
might introduce won't be caught until you generate the TV schedule.
For that reason, it might be best to hold off using a text editor at
least for a few months while you become familiar with TV Partner's
syntax. The text editor can be a lot faster, but any syntax errors in
the file will slow down your schedule-generation process considerably.
*** IMPORTANT ***
If you do use a text editor, be sure you generate only ASCII
files, and that you don't accidentally erase the end-of-file marker or
insert an extra blank line anywhere. Don't make any titles longer than
72 characters or data records longer than 254 characters. These errors
can produce unpredictable (and unpleasant!) results.
Further, TV Partner expects all TITLES in CURRFIL and LIBFIL
to be in upper case letters. (TV Partner automatically converts titles
to upper case when you add or change titles using the program's edit
features.) Data records can be upper case or lower case or mixed.
Incidentally, TV Partner will still generate a viewing schedule
correctly even with lower case titles in CURRFIL; it just won't catch
matches with LIBFIL entries or keyboard entries.
There's also an "Alphabetize file" option under the MODIFY menu.
TV Partner doesn't need the titles in alphabetical order for its
purposes, but you may want to alphabetize them and print them out as an
off-line reference. (When TV Partner alphabetizes LIBFIL, it will need
enough free space on your disk to accommodate a work file as big as
LIBFIL.)
Note: Although TV Partner was developed specifically for TV
schedules, there's no reason not to include other events of interest
such as appointments, social events, etc. The "showtimes" for these
events will need to follow the same syntax as discussed above for film
titles.
LIBRARY FILE (LIBFIL):
In addition to the CURRENT TITLES file, TV Partner uses an
optional LIBRARY file as input data when generating a viewing schedule.
LIBFIL holds data which identifies scenes from your favorite programs
and contains other useful data you may want to include such as stars,
comments, video tape information, etc. There's virtually no limit to
the number of titles LIBFIL can store.
The most powerful feature of LIBFIL file is a procedure in TV
Partner which automatically searches LIBFIL and converts the times of
your favorite scenes to "clock time". This is done for each showing of
each title in CURRFIL which also has an entry in LIBFIL. As an
example, let's say you've watched "Star Wars" and identified scenes
starting at the following times into the film as especially
interesting: everything before 20 minutes, the Cantina scene at 1 hour
and 10 minutes, and especially the scene between 1 hour 35 minutes and
1 hour 50 minutes. Further, the movie is 2 hours 5 minutes long, and
you've recorded it on your video tape number 5 starting at position
540. You might compose a LIBFIL record for Star Wars as follows:
<0.20 1.10(cantina) 1.35-1.50* end=2.05 tape 5 @ 540
Let's say Star Wars appears on a monthly schedule starting at
9:00pm some night. TV Partner will search LIBFIL, locate your Star
Wars entry, and convert the LIBFIL record into the following:
Civilian time:
<9:20 10:10(cantina) 10:35-10:50* end=11:05 tape 5 @ 540
or Military time:
<2120 2210(cantina) 2235-2250* end=2305 tape 5 @ 540
Notice that what has happened is that all five of the time entries
in the LIBFIL record have been converted into clock time based on the
9:00pm program start. These are the actual times those scenes will
play on the screen. Now you'll know when to be sure to tune in.
Building the file: The procedure to compose and edit LIBFIL is
similar to the procedure for building CURRFIL as described earlier.
You'll need to highlight and select the LIBRARY file option from the
SETUP menu. Then select the "Add new title" option. (Again, don't
select "Clear file, start anew" unless you want to erase all the
existing data in the file.) The data you'll be prompted for consists
of program titles along with a data record for each title.
Titles: Remember that the spelling of titles in LIBFIL must agree
exactly with titles in CURRFIL for a match to be recorded. It's a good
idea to establish uniform conventions such as always omitting leading
"The"s, etc., for this reason. Remember titles can't be more than 72
characters long. Incidentally, two completely different movies will
occasionally have the exact same title (an example is "Red Heat"). If
you find that the LIBFIL data for a movie is completely out in left
field, this may be the reason.
Data records: The data record for each title requires no format
whatsoever with the exception of three-digit time entries which will be
described just below. Any text not in the three-digit time format
(such as actors' names, comments, etc.) will be reproduced verbatim on
your viewing schedule. As with any DOS record, there is a limit of 254
characters per data record. It's not a bad idea to include negative
comments along with other information so you don't sit through a dog
more than once waiting for a "good part" that never comes.
Time entries must be input as 3 digits (using zeroes where
required) in the form "H.MM". "H" is the hours digit (between 0 and 9
inclusive) and "MM" are the minutes digits (between 00 and 59
inclusive). A decimal point (period) must separate H and MM. Thus 1
hour and 3 minutes is entered as "1.03"; 1 hour and 30 minutes as
"1.30"; and 30 minutes as "0.30" (without the quotes). Time entries in
the same record must be separated from each other by at least one blank
space or some text entry. Data input in this format will be converted
to "clock time" when TV Partner generates a viewing schedule. Again, a
sample data record might look like the following:
<0.20 1.10(cantina) 1.35-1.50* end=2.05 tape5 @ 540
All five of the three-digit time entries will be converted to
clock time, and the rest of the data on the record will be reproduced
verbatim each time the title appears on the viewing schedule. (Note
that the "540" won't be converted to clock time since there's no
decimal point.)
Backup: It's a good idea to keep a backup copy of your latest
LIBFIL on another disk to guard against a data loss problem. You can
do this by using the DOS "Copy" command to copy LIBFIL to a different
disk. Also, you may want to print out LIBFIL occasionally to use as a
power-off reference, especially as your library of film data grows.
TV Partner Library: Remember that a ready-made library of over
750 titles with data records is provided upon registration. This
library can be used as is, or modified and expanded as desired.
TV SCHEDULE:
When you've built your CURRFIL and updated your LIBFIL as desired,
you're ready to generate the TV SCHEDULE. Simply go to the SETUP Menu
and select "Generate TV Schedule" to start the process. TV Partner
expects to find both CURRFIL and LIBFIL in the current directory along
with the TV Partner program itself.
You'll be asked for a few preferences and items of data. For
example, TV Partner needs to know the day of the week which falls on
the first of the month for your schedule. Your computer's calendar
wouldn't always fill the bill here since you might sometimes want to
generate a schedule for "this month" and sometimes for "next month", so
a keyboard input is needed.
Next, you'll be asked whether you'd like the schedule to be output
in civilian time (12-hour clock) or in military time (24-hour clock).
It doesn't matter which you used to build your CURRFIL - select
whichever you prefer for the TV Schedule output.
Finally, TV Partner will ask if you'd like hard copy. If you're
ready for the schedule to be output on your printer, select "HARD COPY"
otherwise you'll get a monitor display only. You may want to use the
monitor-only display first just to verify everything's OK before going
to hard copy.
Any syntax errors in CURRFIL and LIBFIL will be flagged during
the schedule generation process. (There shouldn't be any unless some
crept in through use of a text editor.) You'll usually have the option
of continuing the schedule without using the incorrect data or of
halting execution and correcting the error.
If you like, you can generate an example TV Schedule right away
using the sample CURRFIL and LIBFIL included on this disk. This might
be useful just to illustrate the format so you'll know what to expect
when you create your own TV Schedules. Note that as an added bonus, TV
Partner summarizes the titles, showings, and scenes appearing on as
many as 10 channels in your schedule. This gives you a quick feel for
your "best performers" each month.
FILE CAPACITIES:
The only size limitations programmed into TV Partner are the
maximum number of separate titles (200) in CURRFIL, the maximum number
of titles shown on any one day (25), and the maximum number of times
any one title is shown per month (20). As mentioned earlier, the
last constraint (20 titles per month) can be "beat" by simply listing
the title a second time with the extra showtimes as a new entry. If
the other restrictions are a problem, let me know your situation and
we'll work a trade-off.
TV Partner was developed under the Shareware concept. If you
find it to be useful, a contribution would be appreciated ($20
suggested). Your comments on the program would also be most welcome.
Enjoy!
Jim Crowther
P.O. Box 5253
Albuquerque, NM 87185
TVP.TXT
TV PARTNER
Thanks for your interest in TV Partner. I think you'll be very
pleased with the program.
Please look over the documentation file (TVP.DOC) before running the
program. To display the file on screen, enter "TYPE TVP.DOC". Even better,
if you have the DOS "MORE.COM" file on your disk (or a PATH to it), you can
display one screen at a time with the command "MORE<TVP.DOC" (then hit any
key to move to the next screen). Otherwise you'll need to use your "Pause
button" (or Ctrl/NumLock keys) and Esc key to move through the file.
For a hard copy of the documentation file, enter "TYPE TVP.DOC>LPT1".
To start TV Partner, enter "TVP".
Thanks again and I hope you enjoy the program.
Jim Crowther
P.O. Box 5253
Albuquerque, NM 87185-5253
PCSIG.TXT
Program title: ZIPZAG
Program description:
ZIPZAG is an arcade style spelling game in which the player uses
the arrow keys to run his bug over letters on the screen to spell
words. The player must go around obstacles to get to each
letter while staying away from other bugs chasing him. Each word
has a set amount of time to be spelled based on word length.
If time runs out, then the player does the same word again.
If there is time left over after spelling the word, extra bonus
points can be earned. Spelling lists are user created. Many of
the game features can be changed to suit the player.
Intended user: Teachers and elementary school age children.
Improvements over old version: N/A
Unique features:
The teacher creates the spelling lists rather than being
limited by a set of preprogrammed lists. Many of the
game's features can be customized to suit the student
so that the game can be made to appeal to a larger
number of children. ZIPZAG is truly a game and not just
a glorified spelling drill in which the student is engaged
only in spelling words. The student must also use game
skills to maneuver around obstacles and avoid chasers while
spelling words. Once a word has been spelled, ZIPZAG becomes
all game for the remaining time allowed for that word. ZIPZAG
ensures learning because each word must be spelled correctly
the required number of times before going on to the next word.
Capacity or limitations:
Maximum spelling word length is 20 letters.
Maximum spelling list file size is 7000 bytes.
Spelling list editor displays first 100 spelling list files.
Program is supplied full featured.
Program must be run from a disk that is not write protected.
because ZIPZAG creates several files at run-time.
Special system requirements: CGA
How to start program: Type ZIPZAG and press <ENTER>.
Registration fee: $10.00
What comes with registration: Update notices and telephone support.
List of program files:
ZIPZAG.EXE Main program file.
ZIPZAG.DOC Program documentation.
ZIPZAG.CFG Created at run-time to store game settings.
ZIPZAG.TOP Created at end of game to save top scores.
SAMPLE LST Sample spelling list created at start of game.
Directory of PC-SIG Library Disk #3918
Volume in drive A has no label
Directory of A:\
ZIPZAG ZIP 58406 8-11-93 1:53p
GO-STRT DAT 541 6-01-93 11:07a
SIGORDER TXT 3336 6-01-93 2:30p
TVPART ZIP 56985 8-11-93 1:53p
GO-FORM DAT 3336 6-01-93 2:30p
GO EXE 26022 1-10-92 12:14p
PKUNZIP EXE 29378 2-01-93 2:04a
PCSIG TXT 2329 6-01-93 2:31p
SHAREMAG TXT 1831 6-01-93 2:32p
CDROM TXT 8196 6-01-93 3:26p
10 file(s) 190360 bytes
125952 bytes free