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DOSamatic User Guide and Reference Copyright 1985 Marin Pacific Software All Rights Reserved DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 1 Table of Contents 1. Introduction...................................... 3 2. System Requirements............................... 4 3. The DOSamatic Program Disk........................ 4 4. Starting DOSamatic................................. 5 5. DOSamatic Basics................................... 5 The Information Panel............................ 5 The Drive Selection Panel........................ 6 The Directory Selection Panel.................... 6 The File Selection Panel......................... 6 Comparison with DOS commands..................... 7 6 DOSamatic Commands................................. 7 Special Keys..................................... 7 The Cursor Keys............................. 7 The [ENTER] key............................. 8 The [ESCAPE] key............................ 8 The [F1] = [HELP] key....................... 8 The [F2] = [REFRESH] key.................... 8 The [F40] = [SWITCH] key.................... 8 Main Menu........................................ 8 Screen Colors............................... 8 Executing DOS Commands...................... 8 Exiting DOSamatic........................... 9 Using a File Mask........................... 9 Searching for a File........................ 9 Show/Hide Date/Time/Size.................... 9 Show Normal/Hidden Files.................... 9 Sorting the File Display.................... 9 Suppressing Flicker/Snow.................... 9 Labeling a Volume........................... 9 File Menu........................................ 9 Attributes.................................. 10 Browsing ASCII Files........................ 10 Browsing Binary Files....................... 10 Using Your Debug Program.................... 10 Using Your Edit Program..................... 10 Executing a BAT, COM, or EXE file........... 10 Printing a File............................. 10 Renaming a File............................. 10 DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 2 7. Quick Reference.................................... 11 Table of Keystrokes.............................. 11 How to End DOSamatic............................. 11 8. Multi-Tasking How to Use It.................................... 12 Technical Details................................ 12 Compatible Software.............................. 13 Cautions......................................... 14 Encouragements................................... 14 9. Your License Agreement............................. 15 DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 3 1. Introduction DOSamatic is a powerful tool that helps you get the most out of your IBM Personal Computer or compatible. It combines a Macintosh ( tm )-like user interface that uses "point and press" to perform useful actions with a powerful multi-tasking facility which lets you run several programs and the same time. DOSamatic is not copy-protected. You are encouraged to give copies to your friends for their use. If you find the program useful you can send a check for $39.00 payable to : Marin Pacific Software 1001 Bridgeway, Suite 514 Sausalito, CA 94965 If there is a serial number on the program, please include it along with your name and mailing address. We will register you as a DOSamatic user, and send you the latest version of the program, along with the latest user guide ( currently printed on an HP Laserjet to be easy on your eyes! ). Please send us any suggestions you may have for enhancements or improvements in DOSamatic. Besides being a nice thing to do, registering brings you several benefits. When another user registers a copy with your serial number, we'll send you a check for 10 percent of the amount they send us. We'll also keep you on our mailing list so that we can send you other products we develop for your examination at no cost. Even if you decide not to register, please do not attempt to delete the copyright and order information messages. We don't copy protect any of our packages, and we depend upon you to respect our efforts. Corporate Users Note: Site licenses for multiple copies are available at very reasonable terms. DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 4 2. System Requirements DOSamatic will run on the IBM PC, PC/XT, PC/AT, 3270PC, and most compatibles including the Compaqs and the Data General DG/1. Minimum requirements are : 128 KB of memory ( although up to 640 KB is useful for running multiple tasks ). PC DOS 2.0, 2.1, 3.0, 3.1, or MS-DOS 2.11. One diskette drive. Either a color or a monochrome monitor with 80 column display. Note that DOSamatic determines how much memory you actually have, the number of disk drives ( including hard disks and RAM disks ) available, and the type of monitor you are using. 3. The DOSamatic Program Disk If you receive DOSamatic from Marin Pacific Software or from a friend, there should be three files on the diskette : DOSAMATC.COM - The DOSamatic Program DOSAMATC.DOC - This manual in ASCII text format. DOSAMATC.HLP - File containing HELP screens used by DOSamatic. If you receive your program disk from us, there may be other files on the disk to help you install DOSamatic. Just use the DOS TYPE command to display the contents of the file call READ.ME to find out what is on your program disk. Unlike many copy-protected programs, the DOSamatic program disk is only required when you start the program. If you wish to use the HELP facility however, the DOSamatic program disk must be available. See the section on starting DOSamatic for more details. DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 5 4. Starting DOSamatic Starting DOSamatic is easy. Simply place the program diskette in the current default disk drive ( not necessary for hard disk users ), type "DOSAMATC", and press [ENTER]. DOSamatic will start and assume you wish to use the current default drive for the HELP file. You can specify which drive should be used for HELP by typing : "DOSAMATC C:" before pressing [ENTER], which will tell DOSamatic to look for the HELP file on drive C. DOSamatic will display the Marin Pacific Software logo screen, and then the license agreement under which you may use the program. Please do not try to alter the program to suppress these messages. Finally, DOSamatic will display its main screen with the Information, Drive Selection, Directory Selection, and File Selection Panels. 5. DOSamatic Basics The Information Panel After starting DOSamatic, you will see a full screen display - the main DOSamatic screen. The screen consists of an Information Panel at the top which shows you: The default disk drive, the volume label of the drive, and the current directory for that drive. Disk space information including total KB ( kilobytes ) on the diskette, the KB available ( free ), the available KB as a percent of the total, and the number of files displayed along with the KB of space they occupy. Total RAM ( random access memory ) on your PC, and the RAM available for running additional programs. The version of DOS you are using The number of tasks ( programs ) you are currently running ( including DOSamatic ). The status of the keyboard shift keys ( in the top right corner ). Press the Scroll Lock key several times to see how this feature works. Below the Information Panel are the three Selection Screens. DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 6 The Drive Selection Panel In the panel labelled "Drives" is a list of the available drive letters on your system. Use the cursor keys to move the large reverse video cursor bar onto a drive letter, and then press [ENTER]. The selected drive letter will become the DOS default drive, and the Information, Directory, Selection, and File Selection Panels will be refreshed to show information about the drive you have selected. If you change the diskette in a drive, then you will need to select that drive again to read the new diskette. The Directory Selection Panel The panel labelled "Directories" shows you a list of all the directories on your diskette which are accessible from the directory which is currently active. To view a different directory, place the cursor bar on the desired directory and press [ENTER]. Note the two special directory entries, <root> and <parent>, which enable you to jump to directly to the root directory, or back one step in the current directory chain. If there are too many directories to fit in the window, then the window will scroll up and down as you move the cursor keys off the ends. When the cursor bar is in the Directory Selection Panel, pressing [INSERT] creates a new directory, and DOSamatic will prompt you for its name and extension. Press [ESCAPE] if you change your mind about creating the new directory. Pressing [DELETE] when the cursor bar is placed on a directory name will delete that directory ( DOSamatic does check to make sure you want to do that ). The File Selection Panel The panel labelled "Files" shows you a list of all the files in the current directory on the default disk. Placing the cursor bar on a file name and pressing [ENTER] opens a pull-down menu at the right side of the screen from which you may select operations to be performed on the file. If there are too many files to fit in the window, then the window will scroll up and down as you move the cursor keys off the ends. When the cursor bar is in the File Selection Panel, pressing [INSERT] creates a new file, and DOSamatic will prompt you for its name and extension. Press [ESCAPE] if you change your mind about creating the new file. DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 7 Pressing [DELETE] when the cursor bar is placed on a file name will delete that file ( DOSamatic does check to make sure you want to do that ). If the file has special attributes, you may need to activate the Attribute Selection Panel and make changes before attempting to delete the file. Comparison with DOS Commands Note that the Directory and File Selection Panels show you the same information that the DOS DIR command would, except that all the files in the current directory are available for your viewing. The Information Panel gives you the same information that the DOS CD, CHKDSK, VOL, and VER commands would. The use of the [INSERT] and [DELETE] keys replaces use of the DOS MKDIR, RMDIR, and ERASE commands. 6. DOSamatic Commands Special Keys By using only a few keys, plus pull-down menus, DOSamatic lets you perform complex functions without the need to memorize complex keystroke sequences. These are: The Cursor Keys These keys let you move the cursor bar within and between windows. On the IBM PC keyboard they are arranged as: [HOME] [UP ] [PAGE UP ] [LEFT] [ ] [RIGHT ] [END ] [DOWN] [PAGE DOWN] Within any active panel, the [HOME], [UP], [PAGE UP], [END], [DOWN], and [PAGE DOWN] keys work as you would expect to move the cursor bar within the panel. For the Drive, Directory, and File Selection Panels, [LEFT] and [RIGHT] move the bar between panels, but have no effect for other panels. During prompting for input lines, [LEFT] and [RIGHT] work as you would expect, [HOME] moves you to the beginning of the input line, [END] moves you to the end, and [CTRL]+[END] will delete all characters from the current position to the end of the input line. DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 8 The [ENTER] key This key is used to select a drive, directory, file, or panel option, or to signal the end of an input line. Think of it as the Activator key. The [ESCAPE] key This key functions as a Deactivator key which lets you jump from the current panel to a previous one. It lets you shift between the Main Menu Panel and the Drive, Directory, and File Selection Panels. The [F1] = [HELP] key Will cause a context-sensitive help screen explaining what your current options are to be displayed. The [F2] = [REFRESH] key This key will refresh the display screen when if it ever gets damaged. The [F40] = [SWITCH] key This "hot key" lets you jump from one active task to another. It is equivalent to pressing the [ALT] and [F10] keys simultaneously. If no subtasks are active, [F40] has no effect. The Main Menu Panel If the cursor bar is in the Drive Selection, Directory Selection, or File Selection panels, pressing [ESCAPE] activatees the Main Menu Panel. This pull-down menu lets you execute a number of system functions. Move the cursor bar to one of the functions and press [ENTER] to activate it. Pressing [ESCAPE] will return you to the panel you were in before you activated the Main Menu Panel. The Main Menu Panel functions are : Color On/Off Lets you switch color on and off. Monochrome monitors with graphics adapters usually look best with color off. DOS Commands Pressing this key lets you issue any legal DOS command if memory is available. You are prompted for the command at the bottom of the screen. DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 9 Exit Use this selection to end DOSamatic and return to DOS. You can't do this if any sub-tasks are still running. Filemask Upon selecting this option, you are prompted for a file mask, and DOSamatic will then display only those files matching the mask. For example, entering *.COM will result in the display of only those files with extension of COM. Search Selecting this item you are prompted for a filename and extension, and DOSamatic will search all directories on the default drive for that file. Using *.EXE, for example, DOSamatic will find all files with an extension of EXE. Show Date/Time This selection switches the display of file date, time, and KB occupied on and off. Show Hidden Files This item switches on and off the display of files with the special DOS attributes of SYSTEM and/or HIDDEN. For example, the files IBMBIO.COM and IBMDOS.COM are system and hidden files present on the DOS system disk. Sort Selecting this item opens a sort pull-down menu in which you specify the sort key, and the order ( ascending or descending ). The files are not re-sorted until the diskette is read again. Sound On/Off Switches on and off the use of sound cues with DOSamatic. Suppress Flicker For IBM Color Graphics Adaptors, writing directly to the screen memory in 80 column alphanumeric mode will cause "snow". To prevent this, the video must be shut off momentarily, causing a small amount of display flicker. Many other adapters do not have this problem, and you can reduce display flicker by selecting this item. Volume Label Selecting this option allows you to create or change an 11-character volume label for the diskette in the default drive. The File Menu Panel Pressing [ENTER] when the cursor bar is in the File Selection Panel opens the File Menu Panel pull-down menu. This menu shows you a number of actions which you can perform upon the selected file when you press the [ENTER] key. You can return to the File Selection Panel at any time by pressing [ESCAPE]. The following functions can be performed on the selected file: DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 10 Attributes Selecting this item will open the Attributes Panel, which displays the files attributes and lets you modify them if desired. For example, you can hide files or make them read-only to prevent unauthorized viewing or deletion. Browse ASCII Displays the contents of the selected file, assuming that it is in ASCII text format. Browse Binary Provides both an ASCII and a hexadecimal display of file contents for files in non-text format. Copy Lets you copy the current file to another file. Debug Activates the IBM/Microsoft DEBUG program to debug the selected file. This function assumes that the DEBUG program is in the root directory of drive A:. You can of course use any program named DEBUG.COM in its place. Edit Activates the IBM/Microsoft EDLIN program to edit the selected file. This function assumes that the DDLIN program is in the root directory of drive A:. You can of course use any program named EDLIN.COM in its place. Execute The most powerful capability of DOSamatic, allows you to execute any other program in available memory. The selected file must have an extension of BAT, COM, or EXE. BAT files receive all available memory, but COM or EXE files can be restricted to run in a portion of memory. You are prompted for the amount of memory in KB to be used. You are also asked if this is a graphics program, which requires additional storage for a screen buffer. Once your selected program starts, you can jump immediately back to DOSamatic by pressing [F40] = [ALT] + [F10] = [SWITCH]. If you have memory left, you can start other programs ( up to a limit of 7 additional programs ) and switch among them using the [SWITCH] key. Print Prints the selected file to LPT1:. Use this for small files for which you want a quick copy. Rename Lets you rename the selected file. DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 11 7. Quick Reference to DOSamatic Active Panel Key Action Drive Selection [ENTER] Select Drive [ESCAPE] Activate Main Menu [LEFT] Go to File Selection Panel [RIGHT] Go to Directory Selection Panel Directory Selection [DELETE] Remove selected directory [ENTER] Select Directory [ESCAPE] Activate Main Menu [INSERT] Make a new directory [LEFT] Go to Drive Selection Panel [RIGHT] Go to File Selection Panel File Selection [DELETE] Erase selected file [ENTER] Activate File Menu Panel [ESCAPE] Activate Main Menu [INSERT] Create a new file [LEFT] Go to Directory Selection Panel [RIGHT] Go to Drive Selection Panel Main Menu [ENTER] Perform indicated action [ESCAPE] Deactivate Main Menu Panel File Menu [ENTER] Perform indicated action [ESCAPE] Return to File Selection Panel Sort Selection [ENTER] Use indicated sort criteria [ESCAPE] Return to Main Menu Panel Attribute Menu [ENTER] Make indicated attribute change [ESCAPE] Return to File Menu Panel ** ALL PANELS ** [F1] Help ( context sensitive ). [F2] Refresh Screen [F40] Jump to another task if one is active (See Execute option of File Menu Panel). In all panels the cursor keys not mentioned above will move the cursor bar up and down within the panel. Ending DOSamatic Press the [ESCAPE] key until the Main Menu Panel is displayed, place the cursor bar on EXIT, and press [ENTER]. A more drastic way to end is to hold down the [ALT] key, and press the digits 2, 5, 5 in order on the numeric keypad. Be careful with that method of ending. DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 12 8. Multi-Tasking One of the most useful capabilities of DOSamatic is the ability to run from 1 to 7 other programs simultaneously, switching between them by pressing a single "hot key." In this section we describe how to use this feature, how the multi-tasking context switch is performed, and the compatibility of various popular software packages with this feature. How to Use It Previously, you learned how to execute programs from DOSamatic by placing the cursor bar on the program name, pressing [ENTER] to activate the File Menu, and then placing the cursor on the EXECUTE option and pressing [ENTER] again. DOSamatic asks you for any required parameters, and then requests the amount of memory in which you wish the program to run. If the available memory is 322 KB, say, you might wish to have your program use 128 KB. DOSamatic will then ask if this is a graphics program. If you reply by typing [Y], DOSamatic reserves an additional 16 KB of memory to preserve the graphics screen when you start switching among programs. Otherwise, DOSamatic reserves 4 KB of memory for your program screen. After your program starts, you can return to DOSamatic at any time by pressing [F40], i.e. pressing the [ALT] key and the [F10] key simultaneously. This key combination was selected because very few programs actually use it for anything ( although there are some ), and because it is easy to hit with the left hand on the standard PC keyboard. You can now switch at will between DOSamatic and your other program simply by pressing [F40] = [ALT] + [F10]. If you did not use all the available memory for your program, you can load additional programs from DOSamatic as you did before, and use the hot key to switch among them all. The Task field at the top of the display tracks how many programs you have running. Technical Details DOSamatic performs its task switching by intercepting program calls to the BIOS and DOS keyboard handlers. It is always checking for the hot key, and when pressed goes into action. DOSamatic also monitors some of the BIOS video monitor calls, since the BIOS does not preserve all video information. Finally, DOSamatic intercepts calls to the DOS memory control functions to limit program requests for memory. Programs that bypass the keyboard services and manipulate the hardware directly will not let you jump back to DOSamatic. However, pop-up applications like Sidekick (tm) can be installed successfully before you start DOSamatic and can be used during your DOSamatic session. Certain programs manipulate PC hardware directly, so DOSamatic has no way of knowing what they are doing. This is especially true of graphics. See the notes on Lotus 123 (tm) and SuperCalc 3 (tm). DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 13 Compatible Software The following programs have been tested by various users with DOSamatic and have behaved in a reasonable manner. If there is a comment, it reflects any incompatibilities which may arise. No comments are made when there is no known compatibility problem. Program Vendor Comments BASIC IBM/Microsoft CrossTalk MicroStuf DOS 2.x, 3.X IBM/Microsoft When loading a secondary copy of the command processor COMMAND.COM, it must be given all remaining memory. If you are loading this, load it last. DEBUG IBM/Microsoft Displaywrite 2 IBM DW 2 reserves all available memory when it loads. It apparently does not use the DOS function call to check available memory. DOSamatic Marin Pacific You can run one or more copies of DOSamatic as tasks, but don't try to run any sub-tasks from the copies. EDLIN IBM/Microsoft Lotus 123 Lotus Development Lotus works well, with a few exceptions. Lotus manipulates video hardware directly. The cursor often blinks in the wrong place, although this stops as soon as you hit any keystroke. Do not try to leave Lotus while a graph is displayed. MultiMate MultiMate Corp. [F40] sometimes has a meaning - press [ESCAPE] after switching back into MultiMate if there is a problem. Norton Utilities Peter Norton PC-Talk III Headlands Press SIM3278 SIMWARE SuperCalc 3 Sorcim/IUS The border color on color monitors and the graphics colors are not preserved, although you can switch while a graph is displayed. DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 14 Turbo Pascal Borland Int'l Do not jump unless you are editing a file. The hot key is interpreted as a Quit instruction. Volkswriter Lifetree Word Microsoft Word is a graphics program, at least if you have the Color Graphics Adapter. Wordstar MicroPro Int'l Cautions There are some problems whenever you try to implement multi-tasking on a machine which is not really designed for it. These are mainly because DOSamatic has no real control over what the programs you execute are doing. Two things you must absolutely avoid, however, are : Never attempt to run COMMAND.COM ( the DOS command processor ) in less than the total remaining memory. The system will hang in an unrecoverable error. So if you are going to run a number of programs including a second copy of DOS as tasks, start all the others before you start up COMMAND.COM, and give COMMAND.COM all the remaining memory. Be extremely careful when you end a program. Always end programs in the reverse of the order in which you start them. If you start A, B, and C in that order, you must end them in the order C, B, A. Failing to do this will generally lead to an unrecoverable error and the big red switch. Encouragements We can't possibly test all the programs which you might want to run as DOSamatic tasks. Most programs will run just fine, however, and we would be pleased to hear of your experiences. Just drop us a note at our mailing address and we'll make sure to include any interesting comments which you may have in future editions of this manual. DOSamatic User Guide May 15, 1985 Page 15 9. Your License Agreement DOSamatic is the sole property of Marin Pacific Software Company. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive license to evaluate DOSamatic on a trial basis, and to make copies for other users to do so. You may not: Remove copyright and other notices from the program and documentation which are placed there by Marin Pacific Software. Re-sell the program for any charge or "disk fee" Make any representations on behalf of Marin Pacific Software. Marin Pacific Software makes no warranty, express or implied, as to the suitability of DOSamatic for any particular purpose. You must determine that yourself. In addition, you should understand that using a program of this type on an IBM PC or compatible has inherent risks and that you may inadvertently damage or destroy valuable programs or data. Marin Pacific Software expressly declines to assume liability for any use of this program by you, and your use of DOSamatic constitutes your agreement to hold us blameless. If you regularly use DOSamatic, you should register your trial copy by sending a check or money order for $39.00 to Marin Pacific Software Company 1001 Bridgeway, Suite 514 Sausalito, CA 94965 Please enclose your name and address, any serial number which may appear on your trial copy, and any comments you may have. Marin Pacific will send you the latest version of DOSamatic ( we are improving it all the time ) and the DOSamatic user guide. In addition, when other users register copies with your serial number, we will send you a check for 10 % of the amount they send us, if it is no less than $39.00. Registered users may upgrade to new versions of DOSamatic at any time for a small charge required to cover diskette, handling and postage. (currently $5.00 ). Multiple use site licenses for corporations are available at significant discounts from single copy prices, and customization is possible for high-volume purchasers.