
                            VIEW - the file viewer      Ż
                                                        Ż
                                Version 10.0a           Ż
                                                        Ż
                          ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜŻ


     Note: this package contains the following files:

                     VIEW.EXE     - file viewer version 10.0a
                     VIEWCFG.COM  - customizer
                     HPSET.COM    - utility for setting printer functions
                     VIEW10A.DOC  - this file
                     NEWIN10A.DOC - history and new features
                     TROUBLE.DOC  - possible problems, and solutions
                     HOWDOI.DOC   - tips for using VIEW
                     ORDER.FRM    - convenient order form
                     WINDOWS.95   - note on using VIEW under Windows 95
                     (zipped with PKZIP 2.04g)


NOTE: If you are using VIEW to read this file, you can go to any section by
pressing the down arrow until the topic in the following list of contents
is at the top of the display, then pressing Enter.  Pressing Enter again
brings you back to the list of contents.


CONTENTS
========

WHAT IS VIEW?
THE FINE PRINT
SHAREWARE - THE CONCEPT
THE SUGGESTED CONTRIBUTION
 - Pay only once!
 - Multiple copies
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
OVERVIEW
 - Command line switches
 - Text search
 - Wild cards
 - Examples
BOOKMARKS
THE VIEW SCREEN
PRINT FUNCTIONS
RESETTING THE PRINTER
IMPORTANT NOTE
AUTOMATIC DETECTION OF FILE FORMATS
THE FILE SELECTION MENU
CUSTOMIZING VIEW
HTML FILES
2COL
JETCOL
COMPUSERVE ADDRESS
INTERNET ADDRESS
MORE SHAREWARE

                      *************************************


WHAT IS VIEW? Ż
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VIEW is a file viewing utility for DOS.

ž It allows you to view and print files in the following formats:

   -  Wordperfect versions 5.0 to 6.0
   -  Word for Windows versions 1.0 to 6.0
   -  Word for DOS
   -  Ami Pro
   -  Wordstar
   -  Windows Write files
   -  Windows Notepad files (which use the ANSI character set)
   -  Windows CLP (clipboard) text files
   -  ASCII files
   -  ANSI files (e.g. created under UNIX)
   -  World Wide Web HTML tagged files
   -  Compuserve mail and messages

ž You can see a quick preview of the first part of files.

ž You can print or save all or part of the files viewed.

ž You can print or save to file only those lines containing or omitting
  specified text.

ž Printing can be done directly via the compressed print routines 2COL and
  JETCOL (if you have them).  These shareware programs by Tony Caine are
  provided to those who register VIEW.  They allow you to print in multiple
  columns using small but highly legible fonts. Highly recommended!

ž Windows help files can be viewed via a link to an external program HLP2DOC
  (which is a freeware utility available on many BBS and provided to those
  who register VIEW).

ž VIEW allows you to search for text strings (both case-sensitive and
  case-insensitive), including across multiple files.

ž You can also print or convert files to ASCII, including in format
  suitable for import to word processor, directly from the file
  selection menu.

ž You can convert between ASCII and ANSI.

ž You can save files in a format suitable for importing into word
  processors without a hard return at the end of every line.

ž You can convert or print file directly without viewing, using command
  line switches.

ž You can convert files to or from UNIX and DOS file formats.

ž Together, VIEW and 2COL/JETCOL offer a powerful file printing utility
  that can be run under a wide variety of DOS and Windows shells and file
  managers.

ž VIEW can be identified as the file viewer for a wide range of DOS and
  Windows shells and file managers, including archive display programs.

ž VIEW is ideal as a viewer for e-mail attachments.

ž VIEW can be customized for display color, and also its printing,
  display and memory features.


Note: as shipped VIEW is configured NOT to use the Windows help file
translator HLP2DOC.  You must have this utility in a directory that is
referred to in your PATH statement.  The link to HLP2DOC can be enabled by
using the configuration program VIEWCFG.


THE FINE PRINT  Ż
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The author makes no warranty that the software in this package will work
with your particular hardware configuration.  You use the programs entirely
at your own risk, and the author will not be held liable for any damage
caused to your hardware or software through their use, nor for any
consequential damages, loss of earnings, or loss of life, limb, health,
sanity or personal relationship.  Legalities aside, you should not run into
difficulties with this software.



SHAREWARE - THE CONCEPT Ż
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These programs are distributed as shareware, AND ARE NOT CRIPPLED!!.  Nor
do they contain "nag" screens.  (Editorial note: I don't support
"crippleware" - I want to know EXACTLY what I'm expected to pay for!
Crippleware is, in my opinion, like test driving a Mercedes that's been
fitted with a lawnmower engine! There, that's said - but each to his own.)

You do not have to register as a user, nor are you under any
obligation to buy the program(s).  However, they are not free, and in
the spirit of shareware, you are requested to make a small
donation to the author if you find the software in this package useful,
and if you continue to use it after an evaluation period of 30 days. This
would both fulfill your moral obligation and help ensure the viability of
the shareware concept, from which we all benefit.


THE SUGGESTED CONTRIBUTION Ż
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The suggested contribution is $25 US ($30 Canadian, 12 pounds sterling),
but less (or more!) would be fine.  Pay what you think the software is
worth to you.  If you pay the recommended amount or more, I will send you a
diskette with the latest version plus a selection of other shareware for
you to evaluate, including Tony Caine's excellent 2COL and JETCOL utilities
and some useful freeware programs.

Should you decide to make a contribution, please remit to:

                   Malcolm Drury
                   11 Adele Crescent
                   Nepean
                   ON  K2J 2T7
                   Canada

INTERNET ADDRESS    drury@gsc.emr.ca
COMPUSERVE ADDRESS  70574,3457

Bank notes in your local currency would be fine, as would international
money orders made out in US or Canadian dollars.  Thank you.  Please tell me
where you got the software from and, most importantly, which version it is.


Note to Compuserve members: you can register online.  GO SWREG and look for
VWFILE.ZIP

 - Pay only once!
   ==============

IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY PAID FOR AN EARLIER VERSION - THANKS, AND OF COURSE
YOU ARE NOT EXPECTED TO PAY AGAIN.  YOUR INPUT, COMMENTS ETC.  ARE ALWAYS
WELCOME.


 - Multiple copies
   ===============

Please contact me if you would like to negotiate a price for multiple
copies. I accept purchase orders, but cannot accept credit card orders.


TECHNICAL SUPPORT Ż
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Please note that at the low contribution requested, I cannot provide DIRECT
technical support, nor automatically send upgrades, should they
become available. If you have comments, questions, bug reports etc., please
leave a message at my Compuserve or INTERNET address, or write to me via
snail mail.  I will endeavor to fix any problems you might encounter.
Users who have paid may, of course, download future upgrades free of charge.
I will never post a deliberately crippled version of VIEW, nor a version
that has any kind of "nag" message.  I also guarantee to honor the
suggested contribution for the version of VIEW you are registering in the
event that the contribution requested has increased for the current
version; you will also receive the current version.  I hope my pricing
policy will compensate for the lack of direct technical support and mailing
of upgrades.

The software is supplied on an "as is" basis. You are free to distribute
this software package provided that you distribute the ENTIRE package,
including this documentation file. (This is necessary for others to be able
to use it properly.  I've downloaded too many shareware packages that had
been posted without accompanying documentation!).

I hope you find this package useful.


Now to the fun stuff!

            ******************************************************


OVERVIEW Ż
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Usage:

view [d:][path][filename] [/sw1] [/sw2] [/sw3] [/sw4]  [text string to find]


where switches /sw1, /sw2, /sw3 and /sw4 can be:

          /a
          /cfilename.cnv
          /Cfilename.cnv
          /fxx
          /h
          /lnnn
          /mnnn
          /q
          /u
          /w
          /6
     (in which nnn is a three digit number and xx is a two-digit number)

/a             - assume the file uses the ANSI (Windows) or UNIX character sets and
                 convert high-order charcaters (e.g.  ,,) to the ASCII
                 set used by DOS
/cfilename.cnv - convert selected file to filename.cnv directly, i.e.
                 without viewing it. NOTE:  NOT APPLICABLE FOR WORD 6 FILES.
/Cfilename.cnv - as for /c but file is saved in format suitable for import
                 into word processor (i.e. with hard returns within text
                 suppressed) NOTE:  NOT APPLICABLE FOR WORD 6 FILES.
/fxx           - allow the file list to display xx 100s of files.
/h             - force HTML files to be displayed as ASCII, thus showing their HTML
                 tags.
/lnnn          - set line wrap to nnn columns
/mnnn          - set aside nnn memory allocation units (see below)
/q             - preview mode; show only the first screen's worth of a file
/u             - convert the file to the UNIX format (using the UNIX character
                 and saving the converted file with only line feeds rather
                 than the combination carriage return/line feed used by DOS
/w             - convert the file's charcater set to Windows (ANSI) and save
                 the converted file in the DOS format (i.e. combination
                 carriage return/line feed)
/6             - tells VIEW to try a different approach to decoding Word 6
                 files that appear not to be decoded correctly.


NOTE 1:  the /u, /a and /w switches are only meaningful when used with the
/c or /C switches, i.e. for converting files directly.

NOTE 2: the order of the switches is unimportant.

NOTE 3: if you use any of the switches, you MUST include at least a drive
        letter on the command line.  If not VIEW will tell you something
        like "can't find /m056".

NOTE 4:  if you are using VIEW from a batch file, such as for converting
         files directly, you can use the ERRORLEVEL function.  VIEW returns
         error level 1 if for some reason the file cannot be viewed or
         converted (e.g. file does not exist, unrecognized format).


If you just type VIEW you will get a list of files on the current drive and
directory, from which you can select the one to view. Similarly, if you
type VIEW plus drive and directory parameters, you'll get a list of files
on that drive and directory.  From the file selection menu, you can
change to any directory on the drive, or to any other drive.  Note that
VIEW supports the * wild card character.


 - More information on command line switches
 ===========================================

  /q
  ==

Use this switch for displaying only the first screen's worth of of a file
(usually the first 23 lines) in a quick preview mode.  This function can be
toggled on and off from the file selection menu by pressing the q key.

  /mnnn
  =====

If you include the switch /mnnn you will be able to allocate more memory for
use by JETCOL, 2COL or HLP2DOC (see below).  The more memory you allocate
for these programs the less is available to VIEW for loading files.  If you
only use JETCOL, 2COL or HLP2DOC occasionally you should leave the memory
allocation at the default level and use the /mnnn switch when you do want
to use them.  If you use them frequently, you should probably permanently
allocate sufficient memory using the configuration program VIEWCFG.COM.
See later in this information file for more information on running JETCOL
and 2COL.

  /lnnn
  =====

If you use the /lnnn switch the line wrap is set at a maximum of 132
columns and a minimum of 20.  The number of columns you want is determine
by "nnn" which MUST be a three digit number (e.g.  070, 120).  In this mode
you can use the left and right arrow keys to scroll the display to the left
and right.  This mode is useful if you want to print files for which the
line wrap is greater than 80 - for instance, program listings.  Note that
VIEW will also run in true 132 mode (i.e. 132 columns actually displayed
on screen if you have a video adapter that allows that mode).

(NOTE: when you use the /lnnn switch, the help line at the bottom
of the screen will refer to "Cursor arrows".  When it is not used the
left and right arrow function are disabled and the help line refers to "Up
and down arrows").

  /c
  ==

To convert a file directly, use the /c switch - that is, /c
followed immediately by the name of the CONVERTED file.  For example, to
write a converted file called myfile.cnv the format of the switch would be
/cmyfile.cnv The name of the converted file can include a full path (drive
and directory plus sub-directory) if you wish, or it could be an alternate
printer port.  TO PRINT A FILE DIRECTLY use /clpt1 (or /clpt2 etc)

  /C
  ==

This is the same as the /c switch EXCEPT that the converted file is written
in a format suitable for import into a word processor.  Hard returns within
paragraphs are suppresed so that in your word processor you can chnage the
word wrap parameter.  VIEW attempts to retain legitimate hard returns.  No
other formatting is saved.

 /a
 =====

This switch causes VIEW to convert high-order characters in a file that
uses the ANSI character set (e.g.  Windows Notepad) to ASCII.  Used only
with /c or /C

 /u
 =====

This switch causes VIEW to convert high-order characters in a file that
uses the ASCII character set to the UNIX character set.  Used only
with /c or /C. The saved file is in the UNIX file format.

 /w
 =====

This switch causes VIEW to convert high-order characters in a file that
uses the ASCII character set to the Windows character set.  Used only
with /c or /C. The saved file is in the DOS file format (used by Windows).


 /fxx
 ====

 Enable xx 100s of files to be listed in the file list.   For example,
 /f06 enables a display of 600 files.  The default is 500 files.  The
 maximum is 1000 (although you can  request a special version with up to
 3000 when you register VIEW).  The more files you enable the less memory
 is available for actually viewing files, although the loss by going from
 the default of 500 to, say, 800, is not great.


 - Text search
  ============

The text string to find MUST come after the filename, and after any
switches used.  It allows you to search for the string in all files
viewer until the "text search" function is switched off (see later).  Text
entered from the command line is assumed to be case-insensitive.

 - Wild cards
   ==========

You can use the * wild-card character in a file name. Then you will get a
list of files in the default or specified directory that match the
* criteria.  Any string identified on the command line for the text
search function will be active for all files specified by the wild
card option (unless it is changed or switched off when viewing one
of the files).


 - Examples
   ========

      view *.doc   -  list of files with extension doc in the current
                      directory

      view d:\docs -  list of all files on drive d, directory docs

      view d:\docs\*.txt  -  as above, but only files with extension txt

      view myfile.doc this is a string  - open myfile doc and search for
                                          "this is my string"


      view myfile.doc /m060 - open file myfile.doc after allocating 60
                              block of memory for use by JETCOL, 2COL or
                              HLP2DOC

      view d: /m050 - list all files on root directory of drive d: after
                      allocating extra memory.

      view *.txt /l132 - list all matching files and display them in
                         emulated 132 column mode.


      view myfile.doc /l120 /clpt1 - print the file myfile.doc directly,
                                     using 120 column word wrap.


      view another.doc /cnew.doc - convert "another.doc" and save
                                   converted file as "new.doc"


      view this.doc /u /Csaved.doc - convert "this.doc" to file "saved.doc"
                                     which is saved in the UNIX format and
                                     with the UNIX character set.

      view d:\docs\*.doc another string - list all matching files, and as
                                          each is opened look for "another
                                          string".  This search is in
                                          effect for all subsequent files
                                          until it is switched off.

      view d:\docs\*.doc /l120 yet another string - display all matching
                                                    files in emulated 120
                                                    column mode, and look
                                                    for the string "yet
                                                    another string".

Note on text search: VIEW will only find matches in complete lines, i.e.
it will not find text that has wrapped.  For example, if the text to find
is "cat sat on the mat" it would find the following:

One fine day the cat sat on the mat and ate a rat.

but not:

One fine day, the cat sat on
the mat and ate a rat.

Note that VIEW reads as much of a file as possible into memory, but if
not all of a file can be read in it won't display the full file. This
allows you to skip instantly to any part of the file in memory without
disk reads. If you are not using DOS 5.0 or later, or a memory manager
such as QEMM386 or 386MAX, I strongly recommend you do so. If a file is
too big, an overflow file is created; you can switch quickly between the
two. The overflow should, in most circumstances, allow you to see all of
the original file, unless it is really big. If the file IS really big,
you can convert it to ASCII (from the file selection menu) and then split it
into smaller components using a text editor.  When you convert to ASCII
from the file selection menu the entire file is converted even if it is too
big to view via VIEW.

VIEW will automatically detect WordPerfect 5.0 and later, Microsoft Word,
Ami Pro and Windows WRITE formats. It attempts to detect other files that
may not be ASCII and gives you the opportunity to display them as straight
ASCII, as Wordstar - i.e. with the high-order characters stripped
out, or in preview mode, or in preview mode.  It will automatically force
to ASCII certain standard types of non-ASCII file (e.g. EXE, COM, DLL etc.).

Using VIEW is pretty straightforward. Pressing F1 brings up a help menu,
and the key features of the menu are permanently displayed on the bottom
line.

Every feature is accessible directly from the view screen, or from the menu
screen.


BOOKMARKS  Ż
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VIEW allows you to place up to 200 bookmarks in the text you are viewing.
This allows you to move quickly to preset places in the text that you have
chosen.  In addition, when reading in an ASCII file, VIEW assigns a
bookmark to any form feed character it finds.  The form feeds are not
actually displayed, but by setting a bookmark you can move quickly to any
place in the text where they occur.  See the following section for a
description of the keys assigned to bookmark functions (they are: Ins, the
grey + key, the grey - key, Shift-F5, and Shift-F8).



THE VIEW SCREEN  Ż
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The keys:

Navigate through the file using the cursor keys (up and down arrows, left
and right arrows if in "wide screen" mode, PgUp, PgDn, Home, End).

Ins -         insert a bookmark at the text currently displayed at the top of the
              display.

Grey + key -  go to the next bookmark.  If you are at the last one, this
              key moves to the first one (that is, cycles through the
              bookmarks).  First, though, it repeats the bookmark you are
              currently at in order to indicate that you are at the last
              one.

Grey - key -  go to the previous bookmark.  If you are at the first one, this
              key moves to the last one (that is, cycles through the
              bookmarks). First, though, it repeats the bookmark you are
              currently at in order to indicate that you are at the first
              one.

Enter       - find text currently displayed at the top of the display area.
              Use this function for going directly to topics listed in the
              contents.  NOTE: The Enter key is a toggle.  Press it a
              second time to return to the point at which it was first
              pressed.


F1       -  help menu; all menu items are available directly from this menu
            (i.e., while the menu is displayed, pressing F2 will activate
            the appropriate function for that key).
F2       -  case-INSENSITIVE text search - matching text is shown in the
            highlight color. Unless the string to find has been defined from
            the command line, the first time you press F2 the string is
            defined. Subsequent presses of F2 find the next occurrence.
F3       -  as for F2, but for case-SENSITIVE text.
F4       -  toggle text search OFF.

(NOTE: when the text search function is enabled an asterisk (*) appears at
 the bottom right corner of the screen.)

F5       -  go to a particular line number
Shift F5 -  go to a particular bookmark number
F6       -  print all of file to printer or disk
Shift F6 -  set or reset HP and HP compatible printers that use the PCL4
            command set (portrait or landscape mode, normal or compressed
            print). This includes a user-definable command.
F7       -  print all lines that specifically include or exclude a
            particular text string
F8       -  print file currently being viewed directly via 2COL or JETCOL.
            NOTE:  you must have either configured VIEW to reserve at least
            55 memory blocks, or you must use the switch /m055 on the
            command line, to activate this feature.
Shift F8 -  clear all bookmarks
F9       -  this is a toggle for printing (to printer or disk) a block of
            text. The first time you press F9, the current top line
            is set as the beginning of the block.  The second time, the
            current top line is set as the end of the block, and the block
            is printed to the location you specify.  While block select is
            on, you will see a message at the bottom-left of the screen
            telling you the starting line of the block.
F10      -  changes the character set of the file being displayed from ANSI to
            ASCII.  If you print to file after this conversion is made, the
            file you print will use the converted (i.e. ASCII) character
            set.  This feature is useful for converting Windows NOTEPAD
            files and others created with the ANSI set (e.g.  text files
            created under UNIX).

Shift F10- changed the character set of the file being displayed from
           ASCII to ANSI.  As with F10, files printed to disk will contain
           the ANSI character set.

Space bar- leave menu without enabling any of the features.

If you have read in a large file that has resulted in a temporary overflow
file being created, the following keys are also activated:

n         - move to overflow file  ("n" means "next")
p         - move to original file  ("p" means "previous")

If you hear a "beep" the function is not currently activated (e.g. already
in that file, or you have blocked off text but not yet printed it).

When in "overflow" mode an identifying letter appears at the bottom-left
of the display. "p" means you are in the second level, i.e. overflow
file, and "n" means you are in the top level, i.e. original file.
Note that in the second level, you will be told that the file is ASCII, and
called overflow.1. Not to worry: it still contains the overflow from
the file you called to read.  Pressing the letter takes you to the
<p>revious or <n>ext part of the file.



PRINT FUNCTIONS  Ż
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Note: for the print functions, you have the following choices:

 - print to printer
 - save to file (and you can also use this for printing to an alternate
   printer port - just use the port name as the name of the file to be
   saved)
 - print directly via 2COL or JETCOL
 - save file in format suitable for importing into word processor (as far
   as possible VIEW puts hard returns where they are needed and omits
   them where they are not).



F6 - F9    allow you to print to file, to printer, or via 2COL/JETCOL. The
           latter function produces a file called cainelnk.fil, which is
           deleted when processing has finished.  If you have not set aside
           memory for 2COL/JETCOL (see configuration, VIEWCFG) you can
           simply write a file (converted to ASCII) to disk and process it
           separately with 2COL or JETCOL.  Alternatively, you can load
           VIEW with the /mnnn command to allow to to allocate (temporarily)
           enough memory to run 2COL or JETCOL.

F6         print entire file. You can include line numbers if you wish.

F7         print only those lines containing or omitting a text string you
           define.

F8         Allows you to access JETCOL or 2COL directly (assuming you have
           them of course!) to print the entire file.

           Pressing F8 allows you to enter a command line for JETCOL or 2COL,
           thereby allowing you to set switches individually.  You should
           NOT enter a file name - VIEW does this for you, as it uses a
           special ASCII file. The true file name will be added to the end
           of the printout.  If JETCOL or 2COL do not exist in a directory
           that your PATH statement specifies, you must include the full
           path in your command line.

           Example:   c:\jetcol\jetcol -W70     - prints the file using
           JETCOL, which is in directory c:\jetcol; the single W switch
           is activated.

           If when you try to print via JETCOL or 2COL nothing happens
           except that the display returns immediately to VIEW, one of
           two things is the probable culprit. Either JETCOL/2COL has not
           been found, or you have not set aside enough memory for
           VIEW to link to JETCOL/2COL.  For the former, check that
           you entered the path properly.  For the latter, reconfigure
           VIEW using VIEWCFG.COM and set aside 50 or so "memory
           blocks" (the configuration program will tell you when to do
           this), or load VIEW with the /mnnn command.


F9         This key is a toggle to allow you to select a block of text for
           printing.  The first time you press it the block starts at the
           line currently at the top of the display; the second time the
           line at the top is the end of the block.  Once selected, the
           block can be printed as for the F6 key.


RESETTING THE PRINTER Ż
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(For HP compatible printers and those that use commands beginning with the
Esc character)

In VIEW 10.0 the "reset printer" function has been moved to a separate
file, HPSET.COM This can be aclled as before by pressing Shift-F6.  It can
also be used as a standalone. Usage is:

hpset      - reset printer on default port (lpt1)
hpset port - reset printer on port "port"

Note:  if you wish to use this function from within VIEW you must set aside
enough memory allocation units - it needs at least 35.  This can be done
permanently through VIEWCFG.COM, the customization program, or temporarily
by using the /m035 switch.


IMPORTANT NOTE   Ż
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If you are viewing anything other than a straight ASCII or ANSI file, it
will not look the same as the version that you print from the word processing
software. If the document uses a proportional font, or contains columns
or tables, the appearance under VIEW will in all probability be different.
This is because of the way VIEW simplifies the formatting built into such
documents. If VIEW were to be designed to show all formatting faithfully,
it would be at least as big as the executable files used by the word
processors themselves and would therefore lose its point as a quick viewer.

I have attempted to cover all formatting and embedded code possibilities,
but with the power of WordPerfect, Word and Ami Pro, the possibilities
are mind-boggling!  If you come across a file that does not seem to
display properly - e.g. hangs mid-way through or displays garbage -
please send it to me and I will attempt to fix the problem.  NOTE:  VIEW
will NOT properly display Word 6 files saved with the "quick format"
feature.  Such files are extremely complex and I have so far been unable to
develop an algorithm to handle them.

Note that Wordstar files may contain some extraneous characters,
including "dot commands" such as .PA - however, they should
certainly be readable.



AUTOMATIC DETECTION OF FILE FORMATS Ż
ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜŻ

VIEW will automatically detect Word, Ami Pro, Windows Write, WordPerfect,
Windows clipboard (CLP), Windows help files and ASCII files.  For others,
it may tell you that the format is unknown, and give you some options:

 ŚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄæ
 ³       Undetermined file format - please select display option:           ³
 ³           F1 show as ASCII   F2 - preview   F3  don't view               ³
 ĄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄŁ

F1 - means show the file as if it were a true ASCII file.  VIEW will
     automatically assign certain types of file (e.g.  EXE, COM, BIN,
     DLL) to this display mode.

F2 - means show the	file with high-order characters omitted.  Useful for
     scanning for text strings and previewing files of unknown format.

F3 - means don't try to show the file.

If you choose F1, you will be asked which line wrap you want - that
coded directly into the file, or the VIEW default.  You should choose
the former first, as it will be appropriate for files with fewer than 80
characters per line.  If the file has more than 80 characters per line,
however, this display will cause lines to break within words.  In that
case, try choosing VIEW's defaults. Just go with whichever suits you!



THE FILE SELECTION MENU Ż
ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜŻ


If you have called VIEW without specifying a particular file, you have
access to the file selection menu, which looks like this:-


                    D:\VIEW100\*.*  -  9 item(s)  (0 read)
    Keys:   PgDn PgUp Home;  Enter - select;  Esc - exit;   F1 - help
     ASCII line wrap OFF
   ŚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄæ
   ³ ..                                                                    ³
   ³ file_id.diz                                                           ³
   ³ newin100.doc                                                          ³
   ³ trouble.doc                                                           ³
   ³ view.exe                                                              ³
   ³ view100.doc                                                           ³
   ³ viewcfg.com                                                           ³
   |                                                                       |
   ³                                                                       ³
   ĄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄŁ
 ŚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄæ
 ³UPPER CASE - directories   lower case - files   z - toggle quick view mode ³
 ³F2 - set line wrap   F3 - toggle ASCII line wrap on/off   F4 - Wordstar    ³
 ³F5 - preview mode  F6 - convert/print   F7 - new drive   F10 - ANSI on/off ³
 ĄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄŁ

THE KEYS:

Use the arrow and cursor keys to scroll through the list of files, and
press Enter to view the highlighted file or to change to the highlighted
directory.

F1 - brings up a help menu

F2 - allows you to change the column at which lines wrap.

F3 - toggles line wrap on and off.  When toggled OFF, line wrap occurs
     according to the file's setting and ignores VIEW's setting.  In
     this mode, lines in ASCII and Wordstar files may wrap within words.
     When toggled ON VIEW prevents (as far as possible) breaks
     appearing within words.  You can use this feature to reformat ASCII
     files; for example, to change the width of lines.
     NOTE: line wrap toggle is only used for ASCII or pseudo-ASCII
     (e.g.  Wordstar) files.  It has no effect on WordPerfect, Word
     etc. files.

F4 - tells VIEW to treat the file as Wordstar.

F5 - tells VIEW to treat the file as "unknown format".  High-order
     characters are stripped out and error trapping routines are initiated
     during the file read (e.g. missing end-of-file)

F6 - allows you to convert a file to ASCII or print it directly without
     viewing it, including via 2COL/JETCOL.

Shift F6 - allows you to reset HP and HP-compatible printer mode for those
           printers that recognize the PCL4 command set.

F7 - allows you to change to another drive.  A list of available drives is
     displayed.  Just type in the drive letter you want and press "Return".
     Note: this function default the file listing parameter to *.*, i.e.
     it results in all files on the drive and directory shown being listed.

F8 - allows you to specify a file to be read FROM THE CURRENT LIST
     DISPLAYED directly.  You should not enter the full path, just the file
     name.

F9 - takes you to the first of a block of files whose name begins with the
     letter you are asked to specify.

F10- the next file to be viewed will have its character set converted from
     assumed ANSI (e.g.  Windows NOTEPAD) to ASCII.  F10 is a toggle -
     press it a second time and this feature is switched off.

q -  toggles quick view mode on/off.  When on, a Q appears above and to the
     right of the file list.

z  - tells you how many display lines are available and how many 2000 byte
     memory blocks you have set aside.

Esc- exit to DOS




CUSTOMIZING VIEW  Ż
ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜŻ


VIEWCFG

usage:  viewcfg [filename]

        where filename is view.exe or an exact copy with some other file
        name.  If the wrong version of VIEW is found, VIEWCFG will
        tell you so.

This program allows you to customize VIEW.EXE.

Setting colors is self-explanatory.  However, VIEWCFG also allows you to set
some print parameters, such as number of lines per printed page, number of
spaces to expand tabs, and number of spaces to leave for the left margin.

After setting colors, VIEWCFG allows you to override the default number of
lines of display and display speeds.  VIEW as shipped is configured
for normal display speed and hard coded to display 25 lines by 80 columns.
Try experimenting with the display parameters to get maximum benefit; if
your system crashes - and there's a lot of non-standard hardware and BIOS
software out there - just reconfigure VIEW to a lower display standard.

Next, you to choose whether the "delete file?" feature of VIEW is
activated.  As a safety measure, you may wish to set this to "off".  Even
with the feature on, a file will not be deleted until you have
answered an "are you sure?" question.  Protected (read-only) files cannot
be deleted directly from VIEW.

You can also configure some display and print parameters - the number of
lines per printed page, the default printer port, and the offset from the
left margin or printed output.

VIEWCFG allows you to set the column at which lines wrap.  The default is
66 - that is, VIEW counts characters per line and if it is within 14 of
the rightmost screen column puts in a line feed if it finds a space.  This
is not absolutely foolproof; you may find that setting the line wrap column
to less than 66 gives better performance.  (NOTE: you can temporarily
over-ride the default setting from the file selection menu).

Next, VIEWCFG allows you to change the default number of files that can
be read in sequence from the file selection menu. Each time you read a file
a small amount of memory is lost to the system (until you exit to DOS, when
it is fully restored). To prevent memory allocation errors VIEW exits to
DOS after a certain number of files have been read. The default is 50. If you
wish to experiment with a higher number, you can do so via VIEWCFG. Don't
go above 100. If you find that your setting does cause a system freeze,
just reduce the number. There is no "best" value - it depends on the amount
of free RAM on your system, the nature and operations of any TSRs or memory
managers you have running, etc.  You should have no problems going with the
default of 50.

Next, VIEWCFG allows you to reserve some memory for use by 2COL
or JETCOL.  When it loads, VIEW uses all available conventional memory
for displaying files, in 80 column lines.  You must set aside memory for
2COL or JETCOL, in 2000 byte blocks, equivalent to 25 lines of file.
There is a trade-off - the more memory you set aside for
2COL/JETCOL, the fewer the lines before getting a "file too big" message.
Currently, 2COL and JETCOL require you to reserve about 50 blocks;
if you don't want direct access to them you can reduce this.  However,
VIEW itself needs some memory in reserve.  When asked to enter a
number of 2000 byte blocks, you should enter at least 10, and
probably 13 or 14, and at least 48 for access to 2COL and JETCOL.
You may need to experiment a little to find the minimum number of
memory blocks you need to allocate, as this will depend to some
extent on how much conventional memory your computer has available.
PLEASE READ THE ACCOMPANYING FILE "TROUBLE.DOC" FOR MORE INFORMATION
ON THIS TOPIC.


Finally, you can specify the default number of files, in 100s, that can be
displayed in the file list.  The maximum is 700 (for which you would enter
7 i.e. 7 x 100). Registered users can request a higher number.

SUGGESTION: Configure two versions of VIEW, one with and one without
2COL/JETCOL access.


HTML FILES Ż
ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜŻ

VIEW displays HTML files that have been prepared to the HTML 2.0 standard.
It will display, but not properly format, tables.  It can also be used as a
basic syntax checker.  It will write information on any missing > or ; tags
it comes across to a file c:\htmlerr.rpt.  It fills in missing tags, but
this means that some ext may be missing.

VIEW will automatically decode HTML files PROVIDED the first character in
them is <.  Otherwise, it assumes they are ASCII.  You can force it to
display the tags in HTML files by using the /h command line switch or
pressing Shift-F3 at the file selection menu.

Malcolm Drury
January 13th 1996




**************************************************************************

MORE SHAREWARE
==============

            Look for the following shareware on Compuserve/Ziffnet or your
            favorite BBS.  I post it as ZIP files, but it may also appear
            as ARJ (or other format) files if re-posted by others.

VGAPAL40.ZIP - customize up to 4 VGA text color palettes, choosing from more
               than 250,000 colors! (And see how many you can actually
               discern!).  One palette can be used to create a small (2k) TSR
               program that maintains your chosen scheme.  Alternatively, you
               can set any of the palettes, or a grey-scale scheme, from a
               non-TSR if memory is a problem.  (On CIS Ziffnet as vgacus.zip
               in ZNT:TIPS). BBS SEARCH: VGAPAL??.*

DDIR111.ZIP - double-column directory display that highlights new files,
              flags system, hidden and read-only files, and optionally shows
              the "dead" space on disk associated with each file or the total
              space each file actually uses. Full file list sorting, and
              can scroll back and forth within the file list. Has file
              delete and protect/unprotect functions.  Links to VIEW,
              LIST and VPIC.  Also archive/unarchive files via links to
              PKZIP/PKUNZIP, ARJ, LHA, SQZ and ZOO.  Will also
              automatically decode UUENCODED files. (On Compuserve Ziffnet
              as dirdpy.zip in forum ZNT:TIPS) BBS search: DDIR??.*

DSPACE65.ZIP - shows graphically hard disk space installed, used and free,
               for all drives; second program shows graphically space on
               designated drive (including floppy), and reports on installed
               and available RAM, including XMS and EMS memory. (On CIS
               Ziffnet as dskspc.zip, in ZNT:TIPS).
               BBS SEARCH: DSPACE??.*

IF YOU DO NOT FIND ANY OF THESE, SEND ME A MESSAGE! USERS WHO REGISTER
VIEW WILL RECEIVE THESE (OR THE LATEST VERSIONS).

You can also search your favorite BBS for 2COL and JETCOL.  Use the search
terms 2COL????.* and JETCOL??.*

Compuserve 70574,3457
INTERNET mdrury@nrcan.gc.ca or 70574.3457@compuserve.com


Malcolm Drury
11 Adele Crescent
Nepean
Ont.  K2J 2T7
CANADA

Tel. +1 613 825-1683 after 6 p.m. Eastern Time

==============================================================================

  This document was prepared using the BOXER (TM) text editor version 7.0
