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-
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- FmP Taskmaster, README.FMP, 5th September 1991
- =================================================================
-
- INTRODUCTION
- -------------
-
- This document refers to the MS-DOS Shareware version of the
- Taskmaster product, UNIX, XENIX and CDOS versions being also
- available. The product has been developed, produced and is
- exclusively owned by UK Software house FmP, a company
- established in 1984.
-
- MS-DOS Taskmaster is also available as a conventional
- 'commercial' product known as Professional Taskmaster. Having
- evaluated the shareware users may choose to register it or
- purchase the Professional version.
-
- INSTALLATION:
- -------------
-
- Please insert the issue disc in drive A: and type
-
- A:<return>
- GO<return>
-
- This runs the installation task (INSTALL.TSK) which is we hope
- in itself a friendly introduction to Taskmaster.
-
- Though the evaluation system requires a considerable amount of
- disc space, Taskmaster itself is comparatively small. The
- install task will advise of disc requirements.
-
- REPLICATION OF SOFTWARE
- ------------------------
-
- If you wish to make copies of this software for your friends
- or colleagues, you are strongly advised to use the facility
- provided by OVERVIEW.TSK. This will ensure that you end up
- with a reliable and complete copy with no missing files.
-
- See the REPLICATION and VERIFICATION options.
-
- The files TMISSUE.EXE, TMMANUAL.EXE and TMEXAM.EXE are self-
- extracting archives containing all issue files in compressed
- form. They are not needed for normal operation and will only
- be copied to the Hard disc if you use the REPLICATE option.
-
- If you suspect any of the issued files of being corrupted you
- may re-run the INSTALL task from the issue disc.
-
- CONFIGURATION OPTIONS:
- ----------------------
-
- 1. Location of files
-
- In order to run Taskmaster and SCR from any directory:
-
- Add \FMP to the APPEND command in AUTOEXEC.BAT
- Add \FMP to the PATH command in AUTOEXEC.BAT
-
- Alternatively:
-
- SET FMPDIR=installation directory (if not C:\FMP)
-
- A BATCH file \FMP.BAT is created at installation time which
- can also be used.
-
- 2. Command interpreter.
-
- By default, Taskmaster first looks for C:\COMMAND.COM. If not
- found, it then examines the Environment variable COMSPEC.
-
- 3. Swap files
-
- When Taskmaster is asked to make the maximum amount of memory
- available in order to run large programs beneath it, it
- normally creates a temporary 'swap file' in C:\. If this
- directory is not a suitable location for you, please include
- the following SET command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
-
- SET TMP=location
-
- 4. Running Tasks:
-
- Tasks must have a filetype of .TSK. You need not specify this
- when invoking Taskmaster:
-
- e.g. a task called TASK3.TSK is run by typing:
-
- TM {flags} TASK3<return>
-
- Several Command-line flags are available and are summarised
- when you invoke Taskmaster with no parameters.
-
- SHAREWARE ISSUE FILES
- ---------------------
-
- Mandatory files:
- ----------------
-
- TM.EXE This is the Taskmaster Interpreter. The Shareware
- issue is of a single-user copy. Netware (tm)
- users will require Taskmaster Professional. Please
- state your requirements when ordering. The share-
- ware copy of TM.EXE is not intended to run on net-
- works. TM.EXE will identify itself as UNREGISTERED
- SHARWARE, REGISTERED SHARWARE or PROFESSIONAL on
- loading if given no command parameters. Taskmaster
- Professional will also run stand-alone.
-
- The following files must be available either in the working
- directory or one listed in the APPEND list.
-
- FMPVT52.DEF Contains video specific sequences, i.e. VT52. An
- ANSI driver is not required by Taskmaster.
-
- LOGON.OVR Logon screen file.
-
- Files Required for application development:
- -------------------------------------------
-
- SCR.EXE The Screen Processor program. SCR combines screen
- source text with VT52 sequences extracted from
- FMPVT52.DEF to produce an .OVR file.
-
- Utilities:
- ----------
-
- LIST.COM A Public Domain file viewer (as used to display
- the license during installation). Please make a
- donation to the author if found useful.
-
- Any Editor or Word Processor can be used to create tasks which
- are merely ascii text files. There is no requirement for any
- compilation or pre-processing, the task being interpreted (like
- BASIC).
-
- This does not however apply to the screen templates for your
- menu, data capture and information screens. These must be pre-
- processed using SCR. For the demonstration tasks, this is done
- automatically by INSTALL.TSK (or by OVERVIEW if they are missing
- when needed).
-
- First use
- ---------
-
- Two approaches are recommended. You can load the OVERVIEW
- system by typing: TM OVERVIEW<return>. This will give you
- access to:
-
- 1. The on-line manuals for Taskmaster and SCR.
- These are not intended nor cannot be a total substitute
- for the standard A5 manual of several hundred pages.
-
- 2. All example tasks,
-
- 3. An interactive introduction to the Taskmaster user-
- interface.
-
- The alternative is to run the STANDARD service selection
- system. This comprises two tasks: STANDARD which runs the
- services and CONFIG which configures them.
-
- You can therefore type: TM STANDARD/O<return> for a
- demonstration of the STANDARD system. The /O flag is
- generally used to inform a task that it should run in
- demonstration mode. In this case, it is used to avoid some of
- the security features that are normally active.
-
- The point not to be missed here is that STANDARD and CONFIG
- while supporting a menu system comparable if not superior to
- other products, ARE ONLY EXAMPLES. Taskmaster lends itself to
- the production of 100% customised systems for menuing, text
- information, job-control and many other applications.
-
- EUC
- ---
-
- As you run through the demonstrations, you will see various
- references to a program called EUC. This program enables a
- system administrator to tailor PC's for Taskmaster end-users
- and install any necessary security features if required. It
- is particularly useful for an administrator, who supports a
- Novell NETWARE(tm) network and wishes to review the activities
- of end-users in real-time. It should be noted that such users
- will require Taskmaster Professional. EUC is available in both
- networked (supplied with Taskmaster Professional) and non-
- networked (supplied with Registered Taskmaster) versions.
-
- FOOTNOTES
- ---------
-
- The facilities to be found in Taskmaster although extensive
- are minor compared to its parent product: the PROTEAN 4GL.
-
- We hope you enjoy using Taskmaster.
-
- In the event of problems:
- -------------------------
-
- Taskmaster is supported both by its authors in the UK and its
- distributors in the USA. Contact details given in VENDOR.DOC.
-
- We welcome any suggestions for improvements to the software
- and documentation forming this Shareware product, which will
- be added to our Enhancement Register. We reserve the right to
- subsequently release improved versions without notice.
-