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OS/2 Help File
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1995-10-22
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597KB
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4,134 lines
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. How to use FM/2's help (Read me first!) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The best way to use FM/2's help, which is basically a hypertext document, is to
look at the Contents (which you'll get if you press CTRL+F1 at the main window
-- it may help you to maximize it within the help window). The Contents view
of a help file is something like the Table of Contents in a book, with each
major topic representing a chapter. Some topics have a "+" sign beside them to
indicate that there are subtopics available in a hierarchal inverted tree
structure; click the "+" and they'll be revealed.
The help sometimes has hypertext links shown in a different color, like the
words "Context menu" a few paragraphs below. You can select these links to
switch to a different topic related to the highlighted word(s). In this way you
can browse through the help, moving from topic to topic as you feel the need
for more specific help. The Previous button (or the Escape key) will move
backwards through the hypertext links you've followed.
To find something on a specific topic, click the Search button at the bottom of
the help window and enter some text. This might be analogous to the index at
the back of a book (although the help manager also provides an "index" of its
own, which is something like the Contents window with the hierarchy removed --
difficult to browse, in my opinion).
A couple of Search examples to give you the feel of the process:
To find out about changing a volume label, enter "Label" as the "Search for:"
text, check the "All sections" checkbox, then press [Enter].
To find out how to open a new FM/2 window, enter "Open" as the "Search for:"
text, check the "All sections" checkbox, then press [Enter].
If you'd like a printout of any of the topics in the online help, click the
Print button at the bottom of the help window. The Context menu help topic
would probably be a good one to print out.
If you're stuck in a dialog, click that dialog's Help button. That will
usually take you directly to appropriate help. One note of caution: if you
call up help for a dialog, be sure to dismiss the help before dismissing the
dialog. Many of the dialogs run in threads other than thread 1, and there's a
long-standing OS/2 bug that causes weird behavior if you do it the other way
around to a dialog run in a thread other than thread 1. Trust me.
So, if you're totally new to FM/2, how to get started? First, run the OS/2
Tutorial if you need help on the basics of using a mouse in general or using
one with OS/2 in particular. Next, read the help section titled Terminology so
we'll understand each other a bit better. If you're still nervous about OS/2
conventions, try FM/2's Tutorial topic for real hand-holding. Then plunge into
the General Help topic to find out how to look at, Move, Copy, Rename and
Compare files and directories (the basics). That will get you started, and
we'll give you hints along the way about other places you might like to look
(like Hints :-) when you're ready. The previously mentioned Context menus topic
will give you an overview of all the commands available in FM/2 (and there are
a lot of commands you can use).
Since some folks are at first overwhelmed by FM/2's configurability, take a
look in the internal Settings notebook (accessible under the Config menu),
specifically at the Quick page. There you'll see a few "standard"
configurations you can try out to perhaps get an idea of the range of
appearance and performance you can get out of FM/2 via the Settings notebook
and Config menu.
Command line help is in the READ.ME file that accompanied the archive, since
you should have read that before trying to start FM/2. You did, didn't you?
There is one thing you should keep in mind about FM/2. FM/2 is extremely
powerful and has a lot of features, but you don't have to use or even know them
all. Most people will use only a few of FM/2's features on a regular basis
(and not everyone will use the same combination), and that's fine -- find what
works best for you and use it. If you find yourself needing some other
feature, call up the help, find it, and use it -- it'll be there whenever you
need it. But don't feel that, somehow, by not using every little nook and
cranny of the program that you're missing out on something. The idea is to use
what you need; pick your tools from the arsenal and get some work done.
On the other hand, always assume that there's a way to do what you want with
FM/2 (chances are good that there is), and ask the help window to Search for
it. If you can't find it there, check into the Compuserve OS2SHARE forum for
help.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Terminology ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Some definitions:
GUI = Graphical User Interface
WPS = WorkPlace Shell, OS/2's GUI
PM = Presentation Manager, OS/2's graphical supersystem
B1 = Mouse button 1, usually the left button
B2 = Mouse button 2, usually the right button
B3 = Mouse button 3, usually the middle button. Not all mice have three
buttons. OS/2 will let you redefine the buttons using the WPS' Mouse object in
the System Setup folder.
Chord = Pressing B1 and B2 simultaneously
Context menu = a popup menu obtained directly on an object of interest by
clicking B2 while the mouse pointer is over the object. Context menus usually
have options tailored for the specific object.
Pulldown menu = the action bar menu just under the title bar of a window. If
you don't know what a title bar is, run the OS/2 tutorial.
System menu = the icon at the top left of most PM main windows. You can close
a window by double-clicking the System menu icon with B1. Click once and you
get a menu (called, oddly enough, the system menu).
Conditional cascade menu = a submenu with the right-pointing link arrow
contained in a button on the menu item. When the button is clicked, the
submenu displays (cascades) as with a normal submenu. When the menu item
itself is clicked, a default action from the submenu is activated. You can see
which submenu item is the default as it has a checkmark by it. A conditional
cascade menu generally gives you a default option for a command and several
related commands; for instance, in an Archive Container, the Extract
conditional cascade menu defaults to simply extracting the selected objects,
but clicking the arrow button reveals several extract options that can be
selected instead. FM/2 uses conditional cascade menus to keep the menus
organized in such a way that often used commands are immediately available but
many more commands are still accessible.
Toolbar = an array of buttons, usually with pictures on them, that you can
click with your mouse to cause commands to be activated -- a sort of menu for
illiterates. The FM/2 toolbar can be turned on and off, can be changed from
icon to text buttons and back again, and can display text below the icon
buttons. Brief help appears on the title bar when the mouse passes over a
toolbar button.
Toolbox = a collection of buttons in a toolbar. FM/2 allows you to customize
and save toolboxes which you can load into the toolbar as desired.
Databar = a window to which you can cause FM/2 to be "minimized," or which can
be run separately, that shows occasionally updated information about your
system, such as free drive space, threads/processes, time/date, etc.
Drag and drop = an intuitive way of manipulating objects -- this is
more-or-less how you manipulate objects in the real world. If you don't know
how to drag and drop, you really should run the OS/2 Tutorial. Drag and drop
is a superior method for manipulating objects, as opposed to keyboard commands,
because you choose both the command and the target in one operation.
Dialog = a specialized input or informational window that's transient. You use
it, then it goes away. Dialogs generally have their own specialized help
available via a Help button.
Direct Editing = a method of changing the text of an object, as when you change
the name of an object on the WPS by pointing at it, holding down the ALT key
and clicking the text with B1. FM/2 supports direct editing of file system
object names as well as Subject and Longname fields in Details view.
Default action = what happens when you double-click an object in a container
(or put the cursor on it with the arrow keys and press [Enter]) The default
action may sometimes be modified by the Shift state of the keyboard (if you
hold down Shift or CTRL while double-clicking or pressing [Enter]). The
General Help topic explains default actions in detail.
Accelerator keys = key combinations that allow you to quickly give a program a
command without going through menus or toolbars. For example, FM/2's
accelerator key to get help is CTRL+F1 (usually written ^F1 -- ^ is shorthand
for CTRL). When you see ^m, it means CTRL+"m". On the other hand, you may see
^M which means CTRL+"M" (or CTRL+Shift+"m") -- it's not the same key as ^m.
Drive Tree = the special window that's always open in FM/2 displaying your
drives in "tree" format. If subdirectories are available, there will be a "+"
sign to the left of the drive which you can click to show the subdirectories.
Note that floppy drives (A: and B:) aren't checked for subdirectories until you
access them. Double-clicking a drive or directory in the Drive Tree opens a
Directory Container or switches the current Directory Container to "look" into
that directory (unless a Directory Container "looking" into that directory
already exists, in which case it's brought to the foreground).
Directory Container = a special window that "looks" into a particular directory
and shows you what's in it.
Archive Container = another special window that "looks" into an archive file
and shows you what's in it.
Collector = yet another special window that serves as a temporary storage place
for file system objects you place into it. Objects in the Collector are a
little like WPS Shadows in that they take up no additional space on your drives
-- they just represent the objects so you can manipulate them.
User Lists = optional dropdown combo boxes at the top of the FM/2 window (below
the toolbar, if it's on) that give quick access to several often used things.
Also known as quick lists.
Filter = what you do when you selectively remove some of the file system
objects from a container by giving filemasks and/or attribute masks to "filter"
what's displayed. Filtering affects only what shows; the files and directories
remain on the drive.
Mask = a filemask that can contain wildcard characters (* and ?) and select one
or more files. In FM/2, filemasks can usually contain multiple masks separated
by semicolons.
Current object = the object upon which commands will act (also called the
cursored object). The current object in a container is indicated by a dotted
outline around the object. The current object may or may not also be
highlighted. There can only be one current object in a container.
Highlighted objects = objects in a container which are indicated by a different
color (usually darker) background. If the current object is also highlighted,
commands affect all highlighted objects. Highlighted objects are sometimes
referred to as selected objects. Note that in the Drive Tree there is always
one highlighted object (which will also be the current object), but in other
containers there can be many or no highlighted objects, and, depending on the
selection type you use (see Windows toggle page), the current object may not be
a highlighted object. Thus understanding the distinction between current and
highlighted objects is important.
Autoview window = an optional window (Config->Toggle Autoview Window) that
shows you the first few lines of current file objects.
State = the state of the FM/2 main window at any given time -- what directories
are open, where their Directory Containers are positioned, etc.
Tree view = a container view similar to an inverted tree, with roots at the top
and leaves at the bottom. The FM/2 Drive Tree is an example of this sort of
view, as is the default view of an OS/2 WPS Drive object.
Icon view = a container view showing the object's name below the object's icon.
This is the default view for a WPS folder.
Name view = a container view showing the object's name beside the object's
icon.
Text view = a container view showing only the object's name. Text view shows
more objects for a given space than any other view, but the least amount of
information.
Details view = a container view showing full object information in rows. A
detail container is split into two sides with one vertical scrollbar serving
both sides, and two separate horizontal scrollbars. Details view shows more
information on the objects within it than any other view; it also displays
fewer objects for a given space.
MLE = Multi Line Edit control. This is something like a text editor. They can
(and do) come in all sizes.
See also these pictures:
FM/2 Window Layout
Current object & selected objects
Cascade menus & accelerator keys
Context and sub menus
Drag and drop
Direct editing
Visual Tree
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1. FM/2 Window Layout ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.2. Current object & selected objects ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 showing the current object (the one with the dotted outline; the mouse
cursor is pointing at it) and selected objects (those with the darker outline).
If the current object is also selected, commands affect all selected objects.
Otherwise, commands affect only the current object.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.3. Cascade menus & accelerator keys ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 with a cascade menu off a pulldown menu open: Notice the checked default
action "FM/2 Window" on the Open cascade menu -- this is what would be executed
if you clicked Open other than on the arrow button. Clicking the button opens
the cascade menu.
Commands is an example of a standard submenu (note the arrow isn't a button).
If you click commands anywhere it opens the submenu; there is no default
action.
Notice that listed beside "FM/2 Window" is the symbol "^o". This is the
accelerator key for the command to open a new FM/2 window, and is the fastest
way to input a command. In the menus, "^" represents CTRL (hold down the CTRL
key and press the indicated key following it). Accelerators are case sensitive,
so ^o isn't the same thing as ^O, which would require holding down both the
CTRL and Shift keys while pressing O.
The mouse cursor is pointing at "Default" (accelerator F6). This command will
perform the default WPS action on an object (like double-clicking an object on
the desktop or in another WPS folder). WPS associations are honored when using
this command (while double-clicking an object in an FM/2 container uses FM/2's
associations).
Finally, note that the Files pulldown menu is a "ghost" for a context menu
requested on a file/directory object. The Views pulldown is a "ghost" for a
context menu requested over container whitespace. Since you can select the
container and/or item while requesting a context menu in one smooth motion with
a mouse, context menus are faster than pulldowns. The "ghosts" are mainly for
people without a pointing device available.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.4. Context and sub menus ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 with a sub menu off a context menu open: Here FM/2 is displaying a context
menu that was requested over whitespace in the Drive Tree. This is the same
thing you'd get if you'd clicked the Views pulldown menu with the Drive Tree
active (titlebar highlighted).
The Sort submenu is open and the mouse pointer is over the Dirs First command.
Notice that the Collector is also open along with a Directory Container.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.5. Drag and drop ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 with a drag and drop operation underway: Several files are being moved
from a Directory Container to a directory in the Drive Tree. Notice that in
this picture several Directory Containers are open with different views
(Details, Text and Name view) and that mini-icons are used in the Drive Tree
container.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.6. Direct editing ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
An example of direct editing. The ALT key was pressed and held while the
filename in the container was clicked with B1 (the mouse pointer is pointing at
the object being edited). A new name can then be entered into the small MLE
under the object's icon (where the name usually shows), and another click of B1
will accept the input (Escape will abort). Note that the entire pathname of
the object is presented for editing -- this allows you to move the object as
you rename it.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.7. Visual Tree ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Some of FM/2's modules are available separately (non-monolithically). This is a
picture of VTREE.EXE (Visual Tree) in action, a drop-in replacement for the WPS
Drives object. You can find Visual Tree and other standalone objects in the
FM/2 folder created for you by the INSTALL program.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. General Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2's main purpose is to show you what's on your file system and let you sling
what's there around.
Here we'll cover the basics. Some familiarity with OS/2's WPS (WorkPlace
Shell) is assumed. If you need refreshing, run the OS/2 Tutorial. It's also
assumed that you've already read the How to use FM/2's help and Terminology
topics.
There are several ways to view a directory with FM/2, just as there are with
the WPS. Icon, Name, Text and Details views all offer different perspectives
into the directory being "looked at" (see Terminology). Views showing icons
can use full-sized icons or smaller "mini-icons" to save space.
Details view can show a great deal of information about file system objects,
and you can customize what is shown with the Details Setup submenu (under the
Views menu or a Directory Container window's context menu).
You can also place some limits on the amount of detail that FM/2 loads from the
file system with the Toggles page of the Settings notebook. This can speed up
FM/2's scanning of directories but can also make for duller screens and less
information being presented to you. My advice to you is to enjoy the bells and
whistles OS/2 and PM provide.
Take a moment to set up the look of your Directory Container windows to match
your taste -- everyone likes something different. Then meet me back here and
we'll talk about manipulating those objects you see...
As we talk about manipulating objects, keep firmly in mind the concepts of
"current object" and "highlighted objects". The current object is the one on
which commands act (it has the dotted outline around it). If the current
object is also highlighted, all highlighted objects will be affected.
Renaming file system objects: The simplest way to rename a file system object
is to point at it with the mouse cursor, hold down the ALT key, and click the
text of its name. OS/2 produces a mini MLE text entry field where you can type
in a new name (this is Direct Editing). When finished, click the object and a
rename is performed. Note that you can even move the object to another
directory when you do this. (Also note that in Details view you can
direct-edit the Subject field to change an object's Subject, and the Longname
field to change an object's Longname on FAT drives.)
Using this method will not allow you to overwrite an existing file. You can
use drag and drop (as detailed below for Move) or the menu command Rename or
the toolbar to allow overwriting.
Moving file system objects:
There are several ways to move a file system object. The best and most
intuitive is drag and drop. Using this method, you "grab" the file system
object by pressing and holding B2 while the mouse pointer is over the object,
then begin to move the mouse (still holding B2). The object's icon should
begin to move with the mouse pointer. "Drag" this icon to where you want to
move it (for instance, if you want to move a file from C:\ to D:\, drag the
file to the Drive Tree's D:\ object). When the object is where you want it,
release B2 and the move is done.
When dragging an object into a Directory Container, remember that to place it
into the directory into which the Directory Container "looks" you need to drop
it on container "whitespace" (a part of the container not occupied by an
object). For convenience, the two recessed status areas at the top of the
container are considered whitespace.
If you get confused when dragging object(s), press the F1 key. This will give
you some information about what you're doing. Pressing the Escape key will
abort the drag.
Note that you can't move a file or directory onto another file (except for
archive targets), only into a directory (moving into container whitespace in a
Directory Container window is the same as moving into the directory the
Directory Container "looks" into, and a minimized Directory Container window is
"all whitespace"). Also note that the object you grab becomes the current
object, and if it's also highlighted you'll drag all highlighted objects
(you'll see visual feedback to this effect).
You could, of course, also select "Move" from the Files menu or a context menu,
or click the Move toolbar button, or type the accelerator key ^m (hold the
control key down and type "m"). In this case, you'll get the Walk Directories
dialog where you can enter a target directory.
Copying file system objects:
The procedure for copying file system objects is very similar to that for
moving them. When you begin to drag the object, and until you release it, hold
down the control (CTRL) key. You'll notice that the dragged icon is "ghosted"
to give visual feedback that a copy, not a move, is being performed. Note that
you can copy a file onto an archive file as well as into a directory. You can
also "clone" a file by dropping it into the directory where it already resides
-- you'll get a rename dialog that will allow you to change the name, creating
a file exactly like the other with a different name.
As for move above, there is a "Copy" menu item and a toolbar button, and ^c is
the accelerator key.
There is one other type of drag and drop operation called a "link drag." To
link drag, hold down the CTRL and Shift keys while dragging. You'll see a
"rubber band line" extend from where you grabbed the icon to the mouse pointer
as a visual cue. Link dragging is usually used within FM/2 to do compare
operations (see also Link Sets Icon toggle). What you drag will be compared to
what you drop it on. Note, however, that if you drag to a WPS object (like the
desktop or other folder), OS/2's version of a link drag is performed, which
usually results in a shadow object being created.
Double-clicking an object in a Directory Container window causes a default
action to take place. What that action is depends on the type of object and
how you've configured FM/2. Here's a breakdown:
If the object is a directory, the Directory Container switches to look into
that directory. If it's a file, FM/2 first checks to see if you've assigned
any Associations that match the filename and signature (if applicable). Next,
FM/2 tries to view the file as an archive. If it's not an archive, FM/2 checks
to see if the file's an executable and runs it if so. Then INI and HLP files
are checked by extensions and viewed as such. If all else fails, FM/2 views
the file using the configured or internal viewer.
In the Drive Tree, holding down the Shift key while double-clicking causes a
new FM/2 Directory Container to be opened, and holding down the CTRL key while
double-clicking causes a WPS folder to be opened.
In Directory Containers, holding down the CTRL key while double-clicking causes
the default WPS open to be performed on the object (this honors WPS
associations, runs executables, opens folders in their default view, or opens
the Settings notebook for the object -- whatever double-clicking on the object
in the WPS would do), and holding down the Shift key while double-clicking
causes the file to be directly Viewed, bypassing the other steps listed above
(for file objects; directory objects cause another FM/2 window to be opened).
Other commands are accessed via pulldown or context menu commands or toolbar
buttons. You can read about them by selecting the highlighted words "context
menu" in this paragraph. FM/2 also offers several general utilities and many
configuration options which you may want to explore. But you now know how to
perform the file system maintenance basics: Move, Copy, Rename and Compare.
You are now, as the Smothers Brothers said, educated.
For more specific information on FM/2, click the Contents button at the bottom
of the help window.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.1. Opening a Directory Container ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
There are several ways to open a Directory Container.
The most common is to double-click a directory in the Drive Tree. If no
Directory Container windows are open, one is created. If one or more Directory
Container windows are already open, hold down the Shift key while
double-clicking (see picture below) -- otherwise the default action is to
switch the most recently used Directory Container to the new directory rather
than open a new one.
An alternative is to select the Open->New FM/2 Window command from the Files
menu with the Drive Tree active, or (preferred) a context menu obtained on the
directory you want to open (remember, you get a context menu by clicking mouse
button 2 on an object).
Yet another alternative is to invoke the Utilities->Open Directory Container
command (^O accelerator -- remember, that's Shift + CTRL + the letter "O").
The Walking Dude button at the bottom of the FM/2 window invokes this command.
You can also open directories from their objects in a Directory Container via
context menu, Files menu or using the Shift modifier while double-clicking.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.2. Using User Lists ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2's optional User Lists (dropdown combo boxes) provide quick access to:
o Drives in the Drive Tree.
o Saved states.
o Often used directories you've configured (see Walk Directories dialog).
o Toolboxes (if the Toolbar's on).
You turn the User Lists on and off using the Config->Toggle quicklists command
(F8 accelerator).
The first list (starting from the left) contains drives. If you select a drive
from the list, the Drive Tree scrolls to that drive and makes it the current
object in the Drive Tree. This can be handy when you have the tree expanded
and don't want to collapse it. This list is readonly.
The second list is the State list, containing the names of saved States of the
FM/2 window (what directories are open, where the windows are located, etc.).
You can add to this list by typing a name into the entry field, requesting a
context menu on the entry field, then selecting Save State as name from the
context menu. FM/2 will save its current State under that name for later
recall.
This can be handy if you have different setups that you use frequently, as you
can save and recall them when you need them rather than opening containers and
setting them up to point at the directories you want and positioning them where
you want each time. For example, let's say you're connected to a LAN and have
a BBS system running. You might want one State set up specifically for dealing
with the LAN, one set up specifically for maintaining the BBS, and another (or
few) for general work. Once you've set FM/2 up in each of these conditions and
saved the State under an easy-to-recall name, you can quickly move from State
to State using the State list. You'll find this much faster and more flexible
than the way DOS-think file managers do things.
To "edit" a State, first recall it, then change what you want, then delete the
State name, then save it again.
The third list is the commonly used directory list. You can add a directory to
this list as above; type in the name, select Add pathname from a context menu.
You can also drag the pathname from the entry field (you'll be dragging the
directory itself), or drag an object onto the control to add it to the list.
For example, if you have a Directory Container open and decide it'd be nice to
have the directory name in this list, start a drag in one of the recessed
status boxes at the top of the Directory Container (to either side of the
Folder button) and drop the dragged folder on this list.
Selecting a directory name from the list results in FM/2 opening a new
Directory Container for that path (hold down the Shift key while selecting the
path to cause the current Directory Container to switch instead). You can
reverse this action with the Userlist switches toggle in the Settings Notebook.
In addition, the Recent Dirs toggle can be used to cause FM/2 to automatically
add temporary entries for directories that you visit during a session. You can
add them as above to make them permanent if you desire.
The commonly used directory list, in combination with the State list, allows
you to quickly place FM/2 into precisely the configuration you need to get real
work done.
The last list (only present if the Toolbar is on) is a list of Toolboxes. You
can select one from the list. FM/2 automatically maintains this list for you.
Initially, the saved toolbox names are read in from disk (the FM/2 directory),
and any you subsequently save are added to it on the fly. The FM/2 includes a
few Toolboxes for you to look at and customize if you'd like.
You can use the font and color palettes to set the colors and fonts used in
these windows. Note that you must set the entry field and listbox components
separately. To set the listbox component, drop onto the button, not the entry
field.
The list-and-arrow button at the bottom of the FM/2 window toggles the
userlists.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This tutorial section is provided for the complete novice. If you already know
how to use OS/2's WPS in general and have used other OS/2 PM applications, you
probably don't need this tutorial. Go forth and be productive.
This tutorial addresses the most often used commands in FM/2 -- the only
commands that most "file managers" provide. There are, of course, many more
commands available in FM/2. However, once you have the methodology for these
basic commands mastered, other commands are easy to use. Of course, if you're
totally new to OS/2 PM and WPS, you should first run the OS/2 tutorial.
Plesae pick a topic:
Using context menus
Rename
Move
Copy
Compare
View
Open
Delete
Make directory
Create archive
Extract from archive
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. Context menu tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To request a context menu, first point the mouse arrow at an object. Then click
mouse button 2 (B2, usually the right button). A context menu will then
appear, if available.
The Files menu is a "shadow" of the context menu that would be shown if one
were requested over the current object. Keyboard-only users can use the Files
menu instead of context menus. But stop being unproductively stubborn, get a
pointing device. :-)
The Views menu is a "shadow" of the context menu that would be shown if one
were requested over whitespace in the current window.
To make things a little clearer to users who haven't used OS/2's WPS before,
take a look at the following three pictures: A context menu that applies to one
item. The mouse arrow still points at the object on which the menu was
requested -- that is the object that will be affected by the command selected
from the menu. A context menu that applies to several items. The mouse arrow
still points at the object on which the menu was requested -- since it is
highlighted, all highlighted objects will be affected by the command selected
from the menu. A context menu that applies to a container as a whole. The menu
was requested over container whitespace, not over any of the objects that it
contains.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. Rename tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Please select a method to learn about:
Direct editing
Drag and drop
Keystrokes
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.1. Rename by direct editing ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To rename a file system object, hold down the Alt key and click on the object's
name with mouse button 1 (B1, usually the left button). The entire pathname of
the object appears in a framed control known as an MLE. You'll initially be
located at the start of the pathname; press the End key to get to the end if
desired. Type in the new name, then click the file system object again. FM/2
renames the object and updates the display.
You can abort the rename by pressing the ESCape key.
Return to Tutorial menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.2. Rename by drag and drop ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To invoke a rename using drag and drop, "grab" a file system object with the
mouse by placing the mouse pointer on top of the object and depressing and
holding mouse button 2 (B2, usually the right button). Still holding B2, "drag"
the object to some whitespace (unoccupied space in the Directory Container -- a
blank area) and then release B2. The Rename dialog will then appear and you
can enter a new name for the object.
You can abort a drag and drop action by pressing the ESCape key.
Return to Tutorial menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2.3. Rename by keystrokes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Place the dotted cursor on the object you want to rename (make it the current
object). Press ^r (CTRL + "r"), the accelerator key for the Rename command, or
pick "Rename" from the Files menu.
The Rename dialog will then appear and you can enter a new name for the object.
Return to Tutorial menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3. Move tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Please select a method to learn about:
Direct editing
Drag and drop
Keystrokes
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.1. Move by direct editing ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To move a file system object, hold down the Alt key and click on the object's
name with mouse button 1 (B1, usually the left button). The entire pathname of
the object appears in a framed control known as an MLE. You'll initially be
located at the start of the pathname. Type in the new pathname, then click the
file system object again. FM/2 moves the object and updates the display.
You can abort the move by pressing the ESCape key.
Return to Tutorial menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.2. Move by drag and drop ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To move a file system object using drag and drop, "grab" a file system object
with the mouse by placing the mouse pointer on top of the object and depressing
and holding mouse button 2 (B2, usually the right button). Still holding B2,
"drag" the object to its destination (for instance, onto a directory in the
Drive Tree), and then release B2.
You can abort a drag and drop action by pressing the ESCape key.
Return to Tutorial menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3.3. Move by keystrokes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Place the dotted cursor on the object you want to rename (make it the current
object). Press ^m (CTRL + "m"), the accelerator key for the Move command, or
pick "Move" from the Files menu.
A dialog known as the Walk Directories dialog appears to allow you to pick or
type the destination directory for the move operation. Return to Tutorial menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4. Copy tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Please select a method to learn about:
Drag and drop
Keystrokes
Cloning
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4.1. Copy by drag and drop ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To copy a file system object using drag and drop, press and hold the CTRL key,
then "grab" a file system object with the mouse by placing the mouse pointer on
top of the object and depressing and holding mouse button 2 (B2, usually the
right button). Still holding B2 and CTRL, "drag" the object to its destination
(for instance, onto a directory in the Drive Tree), and then release B2.
During a copy drag, the dragged object is "ghosted" rather than solid as during
a move drag.
You can abort a drag and drop action by pressing the ESCape key.
Return to Tutorial menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4.2. Copy by keystrokes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Place the dotted cursor on the object you want to rename (make it the current
object). Press ^c (CTRL + "c"), the accelerator key for the Copy command, or
pick "Copy" from the Files menu.
A dialog known as the Walk Directories dialog appears to allow you to pick or
type the destination directory for the copy operation.
Return to Tutorial menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4.3. Clone tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You clone a file system object by copying it into the same directory that
already holds it. The Rename dialog will then appear because of the naming
conflict, and allow you to specify a new name for the new, "cloned" copy of the
object.
Return to Tutorial menu
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5. Compare tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To compare file system objects, link-drag one object onto another.
A link drag is initiated by placing the mouse cursor on the object to be
dragged, holding down the CTRL and Shift keys, and clicking mouse button 2 (B2,
usually the right button). While still holding the keys and B2, move the mouse
to drag the object over the target object, then release B2. During a link
drag, a rubber-band line appears between the source object and the dragged
object.
You can change the compare program from FM/2's Internal Settings notebook. An
internal default is used if you leave the entry there blank.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.6. View tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Viewing files can be as simple as double-clicking their objects. FM/2 will
attempt to do to the object what should "logically" be done, which, in the case
of text files, archives and the like, is to view them. If you would like
different actions taken, FM/2 provides Associations to allow you to assign
special viewer programs or actions to different file types.
You can also invoke viewing directly from the Files and context menus, or by
pressing the ^v accelerator key. In this case, no other default actions will
be taken even if one might be "obvious" -- the object will simply be viewed.
If, for example, you wanted to view an executable, this is the method you'd
need to use (the default double-click action would be to run the executable
file, which is usually what you'd want to do).
You can change the viewing program from FM/2's Internal Settings notebook. An
internal default is used if you leave the entry there blank.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.7. Open tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
"Opening" a file system object is an object-based concept. When you open a
directory, you get a view of the file system objects (files and directories)
contained within that object. When you open an executable file, you cause it
to execute. When you open a data file, you usually cause its owning
application (if known) to execute with the data file being loaded by the
application. This is known as a "default" open.
But there are often several types of "open" operation that can be performed on
an object. For instance, you can open an object's Settings notebook. FM/2
provides some variations on WPS open themes. You can open either a WPS folder
or an FM/2 Directory Container for a directory object, for instance (to find
out more about opening an FM/2 Directory Container for a directory object, see
the Opening a Directory Container topic).
To open an object's default WPS "view," use the F6 accelerator key, or press
the CTRL key while double-clicking the object. The same type of "open" will be
done on the object that would be done if you directly double-clicked the object
in a WPS folder object (remember, WPS folders are just visual representations
of directories).
To open the Settings notebook directly, use the F7 accelerator key.
For directory objects, you have the choice of view type to open, as well --
Icon, Details or Tree view. You pick these from the Open cascade menu on the
Files menu or a context menu requested on the object (you request a context
menu on an object by placing the mouse pointer on the object and clicking mouse
button 2, B2). A command to open an FM/2 Directory Container is also on that
cascade menu, and is the default.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.8. Delete tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
There are two styles of deleting under FM/2 -- a "regular" delete, that leaves
the objects capable of being undeleted using OS/2's UNDELETE command or FM/2's
Undelete Utility, and a "permanent" delete that does not leave the object
recoverable. You can select which type you want to be the default in FM/2's
internal Settings notebook.
You can delete objects in many ways:
Drag and drop Drag the object(s) to FM/2's toolbar Trashcan icon, or to the
WPS's Shredder icon.
Files or context menu Select the Delete command or pick the type of delete
from the cascade menu.
Keyboard The ^d (CTRL + "d") accelerator key performs a "regular" delete, ^D
(Shift + CTRL + "D") performs a permanent delete.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.9. Make directory tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To create a directory, use FM/2's Make Directory command.
You can pick this command from the Files menu or a context menu (under the
Miscellaneous cascade menu). You can click the button on FM/2's toolbar. Or
you can use the ^M (Shift + CTRL + "M") accelerator key.
FM/2 presents you with a small dialog box in which you can type the name of the
directory that you want to create -- FM/2 will try to fill in the entry field
with a guess at the first part of what you want, but you can delete that if
desired (Shift + Home, then touch the Del key to do it quickly).
The directory created can be many levels deep. FM/2 will create intermediate
subdirectories as required if they do not already exist.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.10. Create archive tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To create a new archive, select the file system objects you want in the
archive, then select Archive from the Files menu or a context menu, or click
the Archive toolbar button.
A dialog then appears that lets you select the type of archive to be created
from the types defined in the ARCHIVER.BB2 control file.
Once you have selected the archive type, the Archive dialog appears and lets
you specify the name of the archive to be created and the type of archiving
action (move or copy to archive, include subdirectories or not, recurse into
subdirectories, etc.). You can specify additional filemasks or place more
obscure options on the command line to be executed.
To add to an existing archive, you can go through the same process, changing
the name of the archive to that of the existing archive, or drag objects onto
the existing archive's object.
You can also add objects to an archive by viewing it (double-click on the
archive object) and then dragging the objects to be added onto the Archive
Container window.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.11. Extract from archive tutorial ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To extract from an archive, first place the dotted cursor on the file (make it
the current object), then select the Extract command from the Files menu or a
context menu requested on the archive, or press the ^x (CTRL + "x") accelerator
key.
The Extract dialog then appears and allows you to specify a filemask to be
extracted and/or to add more esoteric options to the command line to be
executed.
You can also extract objects from an archive by viewing it (double-click on the
archive object) and then dragging objects from the Archive Container window to
FM/2's other windows, or by using the Files or context menu and selecting from
various types of Extract commands there.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Files Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Files pulldown menu displays the same menu that would be obtained as a
context (popup) menu over the current object in the current window. If you
select the Files menu when a window that doesn't use it is active, you'll see
"n/a" (not applicable).
Generally speaking, it's best to leave the Files menu for folks who either
don't have a mouse or don't really understand how OS/2 works, and instead work
from the context menus.
See also Commands submenu.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1. Commands submenu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Commands are programs that can be run on selected objects by picking the
programs by an assigned title from a dynamically built submenu of FM/2's Files
pulldown menu.
When commands are displayed in the submenu, visual queues are given as to the
behavior of a given command. Commands that are checked will run once for each
selected file. Commands that are framed will prompt the user to edit and
accept the command line before running.
FM/2 provides accelerator keys for the first twenty commands in the submenu.
The accelerators are listed beside the command's title for reference. This
provides a "macro key" capability.
Don't overlook the power of Commands. This is a simple way of extending FM/2
to do things that it can't do on its own, to automate things, and to merge
those old command line utilities with a PM selection shell (FM/2).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Views Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Views pulldown menu displays the same menu that would be obtained as a
context (popup) menu for the current window (but not for any objects in the
window -- in other words, a context menu requested over whitespace). If you
select the Views menu when a window that doesn't use it is active, you'll see
"n/a" (not applicable).
Generally speaking, it's best to leave the Views menu for folks who either
don't have a mouse or don't really understand how OS/2 works, and instead work
from the context menus.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Utilities Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 offers several utilities to make your life a little easier:
Collector
Seek and scan files
See all files
Undelete Files
Kill Processes
Instant Batch File
Command Line
INI Viewer
View Bookshelf
View Helpfiles
System info shows you some of OS/2's system variables (those retrieved with the
DosQuerySysInfo API, if you're interested). For convenience, you can also get
to the System Clock object, System Setup folder, and command line windows from
this menu.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1. Collector ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Collector is a temporary place to hold objects that you want to manipulate
later; it allows you to temporarily group objects regardless of where they're
physically stored in the file system. No physical (disk) storage is used; the
Collector just holds the objects (something like WPS shadows) until you're
ready to do something with them. You might think of it as an additional
clipboard containing names of file system objects. Note that objects in the
Collector, unlike objects in main tree and directory containers, show their
full pathnames.
You can drag file system objects from and to the Collector. Be careful where
you drop the objects; directories and files already in the Collector are
"targets." If you drop on a directory, the files are moved or copied to the
directory, not into the Collector.
The Collector allows you to manipulate the files it contains just as you would
in a main tree or directory window. Popup menus are available just as they are
in a main window. The popup for the collector container obtained over
container whitespace allows clearing the container, collecting files from the
clipboard (a good way to import a selection from some other program that might
save a list of files, one file per line), and collecting from a list file (a
file containing fully qualified pathnames, one per line).
Additionally, the pulldown menu gives you access to a Seek and scan function.
This leads to a dialog that lets you search for and Collect files based on
filemasks and text content. The Collector as it appears when run from Collector
object in the FM/2 folder INSTALL creates (VCOLLECT.EXE).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1.1. Seek and scan ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog, accessed from a Collector context menu, allows you to search for
files (by filemasks and, optionally, text within the files) and Collects the
files found.
In the Filemasks entry field you can enter one or several filemasks. To enter
multiple masks, separate them with semi-colons. Example: "C:\*;D:\*.TXT".
The Add and Delete buttons can be used to add the current filemask to the
listbox for later retrieval or delete a line from the listbox if you want to
get rid of it.
The Walk button brings up the Walk Directories dialog. When you select a
directory in the dialog it's added to the Filemasks entry field.
In the Search text MLE you can enter text that must be found for the file to
match. All files matching the filemask(s) are searched for this text. If no
text is entered, a simple file find is performed. Note that each line of the
MLE is a separate search string. If any of the strings are found, FM/2 will
consider a match to be made.
Simple regular expressions are supported. These can be briefly summarized:
'*' matches any string
'?' matches any single character
'['XYZ']' matches any of X, Y or Z
' ' matches 0 or more whitespace characters
'\\' 'escapes' the next character
C matches C
The Include Subdirs checkbox controls whether the search extends into
subdirectories. If the box is checked, subdirectories are searched.
The Absolute checkbox disables regular expressions in the Search text entry
field.
The Case Senseitive checkbox, if checked, makes text searches case sensitive.
Otherwise they are not ('c' matches 'C' and 'c').
The Say files as found checkbox tells FM/2 to display the filenames it finds
based on the filemasks as it encounters them, if checked.
The Search files checkbox, when checked, tells FM/2 to look inside files for
the text in the Search text entry field. This has no effect if no search text
was entered.
The Search EAs checkbox, when checked, tells FM/2 to look at the text EAs of
files for the text in the Search text entry field. This has no effect if no
search text was entered.
The Find duplicates checkbox, when checked, tells FM/2 to find potential
duplicate files. Files with the same name are found, as are files with the
same size and date/time. Note: Finding duplicates is a time and resource
consuming operation due to the usually large number of files (and therefore
comparisons) involved (FM/2 on a 486/66DX2 with 32 mb RAM required about 7
minutes to search 11,000 files for dupes). Once potential dupe files have been
found and Collected you can use the Collector's sort and information facilities
and commands to check the files and delete or archive any you don't want to
keep around -- use filename sort to see files grouped with the same name, size
sort to see files grouped with the same size and date/time. The two switches
listed below also affect how potential duplicate finding works.
The CRC dupes checkbox, when checked, causes FM/2 to determine and check the
CRCs of potential duplicate files. Only files with matching CRCs will then
pass the dupe test begun as described above. This approximately doubles the
time it takes to find potential duplicate files. Note that in order to CRC a
file, FM/2 must be able to open it -- if it can't, FM/2 will consider the two
files being compared to be duplicates.
The No size dupes checkbox, when checked, tells FM/2 to not consider files as
potential dupes unless their names match (size/date matches aren't considered).
Be aware that you will probably miss true duplicate files if you turn this off,
as not all dupes have the same name.
The Ignore extensions checkbox, when checked, tells FM/2 to ignore the (last)
extension on filenames when checking for dupes by name. This is handy when
you're comparing files in BBS upload directories where the same file may have
been archived with different archivers, resulting in identical rootnames but
different extensions.
The Larger entry field can be used to find files larger than the number of
bytes input (zero means all files). The k button next to the entry field
multiplies the value by 1024 for you to make kilobytes instead of bytes. The
Smaller entry field works the same except that it causes files smaller than the
number of bytes input to be found. When used together (both fields are
nonzero), files found will be greater than the Larger field's value or less
than the Smaller field's value.
The Newer and Older entry fields work similarly. When non-zero, these fields
cause the search to find only files newer or older than the number of days
entered. The m buttons multiply the value by 30 for you to make "months"
instead of days.
The AllHDs button prompts you for a single simple filemask (one without a drive
or path) then builds a Filemasks string that will search all hard drives for
that mask.
The file search is performed using the current Collector Filter's attribute
values.
Click Okay when ready to search, or Cancel to exit without searching.
Quicky instructions: type a mask into the Filemasks entry field (for example,
"C:\*.BAK") and press [Enter].
See also: See all files
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1.2. See all files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 can present a window listing all the files on one or more drives. This
command is part of the Collector, and can be accessed from the Collector's
context menu. There's also a shortcut command under the Utilities submenu on
the main FM/2 window.
After you select the drives to list from a dialog, FM/2 will scan the selected
drives and then fill a custom list control with the names of all the files
found.
Once the filenames are displayed, together with their sizes, attributes and
last written dates and times, you can perform a variety of actions with
selected files from the list. Commands exist to sort the listing in several
ways and to filter and select files in several ways.
You can also drag selected files from the list.
FM/2 displays Hidden and System files in red, Readonly files in blue, and all
others in black on a light grey background. Selected files are displayed in
reverse video (white text on a black background). These colors are
configurable. The current file has a ">" pointing at it in the left margin.
Single selections and swipe selections are supported, as well as select and
deselect all, and select and deselect based on masks and/or attributes.
Keyboard selection is performed with the spacebar, or you can hold down the
Shift key while moving the cursored selection with the arrow keys. You can
press the first letter of a file (as displayed; if fullnames are on, you must
type the first letter of the full filename, including path) to "find" a file
that begins with that letter. In fact, in this window, you can type more than
one letter of a filename (each within one, count 'em, one, second of the
previous) to narrow the search further -- something that standard OS/2 controls
don't support.
Double-clicking a file results in a default action as in Directory Containers
(usually a view of the file). If you need a refresher, check the General Help
topic. The keyboard equivalent is the Enter key.
A large subset of the commands available in Directory Containers is available
in this window. See the Context menus topic for more information. Commands in
this window always apply to selected files.
See also: Seek and Scan
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1.2.1. Pick drives ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Highlight the drive(s) to list, then click Okay. Click Cancel to abort.
FM/2 will quickly load all the files on the selected drives into an ugly but
fast custom list control for you to further examine.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.2. Undelete Files ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This leads to a dialog that interfaces with UNDELETE.COM to allow you to
undelete files. The drive that will be operated on is determined by the
highlighted object in the directory tree. This dialog filters out files that
already exist on the disk.
The Mask entry field lets you set a mask (which can include a directory path).
You can switch drives using the dropdown listbox. A Subdirs button lets you
choose whether to show files that can be undeleted in subdirectories as well.
You can always go directly to UNDELETE.COM if you have the need for more
control. This is provided only for convenience.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.3. Kill Processes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This leads to a dialog that allows you to kill most renegade processes. If you
run into a window that just won't close, or one that hides itself but doesn't
quite go away, this may let you kill the hung process.
Obviously you'll want to exercise some care here. FM/2 will remove its own PID
(Process ID) from the list, but if you ran it from a command line you could
still kill FM/2 by killing its parent. You can also kill off the WPS
(PMSHELL.EXE), but it should restart itself. Some kernal processes show up but
can't be killed.
A checkbox allows you to set the Process Killer to use the undocumented
DosQProcStat API instead of parsing PSTAT.EXE's output. While this removes the
requirement of having an English version of PSTAT.EXE, you should be aware that
the DosQProcStat can be changed by IBM without notice, possibly causing the
Process Killer to fail and/or trap.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.4. Instant Batch File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This leads to a dialog that lets you quickly hack together a batch (command)
file and run it (the currently highlighted tree directory will be its default
directory). The command file isn't saved; think of it as an "extended command
line" which allows you to enter more than one line at a time (for instance,
when several tests must be made).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.5. Command Line ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This brings up a windowed OS/2 command line. F9 is the accelerator key for
this command.
There are also commands to bring up a windowed DOS command line and a Win-OS/2
full screen session.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.6. INI Viewer ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
INI files are a form of data file that OS/2 provides to applications and
utilizes itself. This viewer dialog allows you to take a peek inside them.
Two special INIs are used by the system. They are the User INI (usually
OS2.INI) and the System INI (usually OS2SYS.INI). Both are usually located in
the \OS2 directory of your boot drive. FM/2 will tell you where they are when
you view them.
Applications normally use private INI files named after the application. For
example, FM/2's INI is FM3.INI and its executable is FM3.EXE.
A record in an INI is composed of three parts: An application name, a keyname,
and data. This three-part format is represented in the dialog by three
listboxes. When you choose an application name and a keyname, you see the data
associated with them.
This dialog allows you to delete an application name from an INI (deleting all
keynames and data associated with it) with Edit->Delete Application, or to
delete individual keynames, deleting the data associated with them with
Edit->Delete Keyname. You can also copy or rename entire application names or
application+keynames.
The Files->User Profile command loads the user INI (usually OS2.INI) and the
Files->System Profile command loads the system INI (usually OS2SYS.INI). The
Files->Other Profile command allows you to pick an INI file to load. The
Files->Refresh command will refresh the contents of the listboxes from the INI
file on disk; handy if a background process might modify it.
The Entries->Filter appnames command can be used to selectively remove or
include application names from the first listbox via a dialog that pops up when
the command is selected. One filter "mask" should be entered per line in the
MLE; preface "masks" with "/" to cause the following mask to exlude rather than
include items.
Note that the Filter command removes entries from the listbox; refiltering with
a more inclusive set of masks will not restore filtered entries. Use the
Files->Refresh command for that.
The Utilities->Backup Profile creates a backup of the current profile. You get
to specify the filename. The Utilities->Change System Profiles command lets
you change the User and System profiles that OS/2 uses. The Utilities->Replace
System Profiles command lets you replace the default system profiles with new
profiles; the old files are physically overwritten.
You can also drag from and to the top two listboxes in this window. If you
drag from the left window, you drag the current application name, all its
keynames, and all the data associated with the keynames. If you drag from the
right window, you drag the current application and keynames, and all the data
associated with the keyname. You can either move or copy the record(s) using
the standard key modifiers (you did read the General Help topic, didn't you?).
This window is reached via the Utilities pulldown menu on FM/2's main window,
or by selecting (double-clicking) an INI file in a directory window, or by
starting it from the FM/2 folder. The double-click behavior can be changed by
specifying an association for *.INI under FM/2's main Config->Edit Associations
pulldown.
See also:
Adding an INI record
Changing OS/2's INIs
Replacing OS/2's INIs The INI viewer run as a standalone application from the
FM/2 folder.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.6.1. Adding an INI record ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To add an INI record, fill in the three entry fields on the screen. The appname
and keyname pair, together, should form a unique ID, or you'll end up replacing
existing data rather than adding new data. Then click Okay. Click Cancel to
abort.
You can check the Use \-encoding checkbox if you want to enter or edit binary
data. FM/2 attempts to determine the type of data if you're editing rather
than adding and sets the checkbox for you accordingly.
FM/2 adds a trailing 0 byte (NUL) to string information saved to the INI file
(if you don't have Use \-encoding checked), which seems to be a common
convention.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.6.2. Changing OS/2's INIs ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 lets you change the INIs that OS/2 uses while OS/2 is still active. This,
together with the Backup Profile command, allow you to create and use alternate
profiles. Note that this doesn't change the physical INI files, it just points
OS/2 at the new files; when you reboot, the files specified in CONFIG.SYS are
used.
There are a couple of potential uses for this function. You might use it to
maintain different desktops and switch between them. You might use it to allow
you to copy backed up profiles to OS2.INI and OS2SYS.INI (the default OS/2
profiles -- do this by first switching to a different set of profiles, then
copying your backups onto OS2.INI and OS2SYS.INI, then restoring OS2.INI and
OS2SYS.INI as the system profiles. You can't do this normally as the system
profiles are readonly and can't be overwritten.).
Note that when the change occurs, OS/2 will restart the WPS. It's recommended
that you back up your system INIs before using this and shut down all other
running processes first.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.6.3. Replacing OS/2's INIs ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog physically replaces the OS/2 system INIs with the INI files you
select. The change is permanent.
Note that when the change occurs, OS/2 will restart the WPS (twice). It's
HIGHLY recommended that you back up your system INIs before using this and shut
down all other running processes first. (Use of this after having used the
Change System Profiles command probably won't do what you expect unless you
first change back to the system defaults.)
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.6.4. Copying and renaming INI records ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 allows you to copy or rename (a move followed by a delete) INI
applications or application+keynames.
A dialog is presented where you enter the new application name (and keyname if
copying or renaming a specific application+keyname pair). Once you've filled in
the new name(s), click Okay to perform the operation. Click Cancel if you
change your mind.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.7. View Bookshelf ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 presents a listbox containing all the .INF files found in the directories
listed in your BOOKSHELF environment variable (see SET BOOKSHELF= in
CONFIG.SYS). You select the .INF file(s) you want to view, then click the View
button.
If you selected more than one .INF file, FM/2 calls VIEW.EXE in such a way that
all the files are presented at once (a single contents page appears listing the
contents of all the .INF files). Warning: Don't select more than one filename
with the same title (left column of listbox) -- View.exe will choke if you do,
and be unable to read any of the files.
You can enter text into the entry field below the listbox, and FM/2 will try to
find the first listbox entry with matching text as you go. If you click Select
FM/2 will highlight all matching entries (hint: empty the entry field and click
Select to unhighlight everything). If you click Filter FM/2 will remove all
but highlighted items from the listbox (Rescan will refill the listbox).
The AddDirs button will copy the contents of the entry field and add it to the
directories listed in the BOOKSHELF environment variable. It should be in the
same format as the HELP environment variable uses, fully qualified directory
names separated by semi-colons. The next time you use the Bookshelf Viewer,
FM/2 will remember this input and use it. This is an internal addition; your
CONFIG.SYS and environment are not modified.
The Topic entry field can be used to have the INF file(s) searched on entry for
a topic of interest (like typing "VIEW inffile topic" at a command line).
When you're done with the dialog, press [ESCape] or click Cancel. Any open
.INF files remain open until you close them (hint: F3 will close an .INF file).
Note: this dialog is shared by the View Helpfiles and View Bookshelf commands.
If you click on either while this dialog is up, the dialog is simply brought to
the foreground. Close it if you want to switch function. (This doesn't apply
if you started this from the Bookshelf Viewer object in the FM/2 WPS folder.)
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.8. View Helpfiles ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 presents a listbox containing all the .HLP files found in the directories
listed in your HELP environment variable (see SET HELP= in CONFIG.SYS). You
select the .HLP file you want to view, then click the View button.
You can enter text into the entry field below the listbox, and FM/2 will try to
find the first listbox entry with matching text as you go.
The AddDirs button will copy the contents of the entry field and add it to the
directories listed in the HELP environment variable. It should be in the same
format as the HELP environment variable uses, fully qualified directory names
separated by semi-colons. The next time you use the Bookshelf Viewer, FM/2
will remember this input and use it. This is an internal addition; your
CONFIG.SYS and environment are not modified.
When you're done with the dialog, press [ESCape] or click Cancel. Any open
.HLP file will remain open until you close it.
Note: this dialog is shared by the View Bookshelf and View Helpfiles commands.
If you click on either while this dialog is up, the dialog is simply brought to
the foreground. Close it if you want to switch function. (This doesn't apply
if you started this from the Helpfile Viewer object in the FM/2 WPS folder.)
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Config Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 can be configured as you like it using the commands under this submenu.
It is highly recommended that you step through the items in this submenu when
you first begin to use FM/2, both to familiarize yourself with the available
configuration options and to make FM/2 work the way you like it to work.
To change fonts and colors, FM/2 uses the WPS Font and Color Palettes. The
Config menu contains commands to call up these objects for you.
This submenu affects general FM/2 behavior. Each class of container has its
own configuration menu that allows you to set the type of view, filtering, and
so on. To get the popup menu that controls the container's appearance, request
a context menu while the pointer is over an empty area of the container, or
select the Views pulldown submenu.
The Toggle quicklists command causes a dropdown listbox to appear below the
toolbar (if one is being used; below the pulldown menu, if one is being used,
or titlebar if not) and above other windows. The listbox contains the
directory names you've assigned in the Walk Directories dialog. If you pick
one, a Directory Container for that directory is opened (hold down the Shift
key while clicking to change an existing Directory Container instead). If the
dropdown listbox is already present, this command causes it to disappear.
A Drive Finder dropdown listbox also appears with the userlist; selecting a
drive in this list causes the Drive Tree container to scroll to show the
selected drive and make it the current object.
Finally, a Setup dropdown list also appears that contains names of setups
(Drive Tree location, Directory Container locations and associated directory
names). Pick a setup name, and FM/2 reopens and repositions the windows as they
were when you saved the setup. A context menu requested on the setup list
entry field is used to save and delete setup names. To add a name, enter it in
the entry field of the dropdown, request a context menu, and select Save state
as name To delete a name, put it in the entry field, request a context menu
and select Delete state name
The Autoview submenu controls the Autoview window. The default for this
conditional cascade menu is the Toggle autoview window command, which causes an
autoview window to appear above the status line at the bottom of the screen.
As you move the cursor from object to object, FM/2 displays the first few lines
of file objects in this window. If the autoview window is already displayed,
clicking this command causes it to disappear. You can also set the what is to
be autoviewed -- either the file's .COMMENTS EA or the start of the file's
contents (similar to the *nix HEAD program).
See also:
Toolbar
Associations
Commands
Edit Archiver Data
Settings notebook
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1. Toolbar ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The toolbar is a collection of buttons that invoke some of the commands in the
pulldown or popup menus. Placing the mouse pointer on a button and pressing
and holding B2 displays brief help for the button on the titlebar.
Some of the buttons will allow objects to be dragged onto them; for example,
you can drag objects onto the trashcan to delete them. Note that the hotspot
of the mouse pointer itself should be over the button before releasing, not the
icon being dragged (icons are slightly offset from the mouse pointer to give
better target visibility). Target emphasis is provided in the form of a black
outline around the button, and the arrow pointer turns into a hand when above a
toolbox icon.
This toolbar submenu is a conditional cascade menu, meaning that if you click
other than on the boxed arrow a default command is executed (the toolbar is
toggled off and on), but if you click on the boxed arrow you get a submenu of
items you can select (the other choices are Text Toolbar, which will cause the
toolbar to appear as "normal" buttons with text on them, or Toolbar Titles,
which will cause text to appear below the toolbar bitmap buttons).
Toolbar buttons are user-configurable. To change the toolbar, click mouse
button two (usually the right button) while the mouse pointer is over a button
to pop up a context menu. You can get the "Load Toolbox" dialog by clicking B2
on a blank area of the toolbar, and the "Add Button" dialog by chording on a
blank area of the toolbar.
For advanced/curious users: Information on what buttons are in the toolbar is
kept in a file named FM3TOOLS.DAT. This file is an ASCII (plain text) file
that contains information defining the toolbar. The file contains comments
that explain its format.
FM/2 allows you to create customized toolboxes that can be loaded as required
to provide toolboxes for specific activities. Although FM/2 provides ways to
edit the toolbar internally, it's probably easier to load the definition files
into a text editor and make the changes manually en masse.
If you'd like to see a different toolbar layout (and try out the Load Toolbox
command), right-click on the toolbar, pick Load Toolbox from the resultant
menu, and pick a toolbox from the listbox. Then you might try creating your
own and saving it with the Save Toolbox command.
See also:
Reorder Tools
Edit Tool
Add Tool
Save Tools
Load Tools
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.1. Reorder Tools ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog, accessed from the context menu of a tool button, allows you to
rearrange the order of the toolbar's tool buttons. You take selected items
from the left listbox and Add them to the end of the right listbox with the
Add>> button. When you've moved everything to the right listbox, click Okay.
Click Cancel if you change your mind.
In reality, you don't need to move everything to the right listbox. You can
move only what you want moved to the top of the list, then click Okay.
Anything remaining in the left listbox is added to the end of what's in the
right listbox.
The <<Remove button can be used to move selected items from the right listbox
to the bottom of the left listbox.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.2. Edit Tool ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog allows you to change the help and text strings and flags associated
with a button. Edit as desired, then click Okay. Click Cancel if you change
your mind.
The Help field should contain text to remind you what the button's command
does. For example, a button that deletes files and directories might have help
reading "Delete files and directories".
The Text field should contain very brief text that will be placed on the button
(if the tool id has no bitmap associated with it).
The Droppable checkbox determines if the tool can have objects dropped on it or
not. See list below.
The Visible checkbox determines if the tool is visible or not.
If the Separator checkbox is checked, FM/2 puts a bit of whitespace after the
button (separates it from the next button).
The ID field cannot be changed here.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.3. Add Tool ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog is accessed from the context menu of a tool button, or if you turn
on the toolbar when there are no tools defined.
To add a tool, fill in the fields as appropriate and click Okay. Click Cancel
if you change your mind.
The Help field should contain text to remind you what the button's command
does. For example, a button that deletes files and directories might have help
reading "Delete files and directories".
The Text field should contain very brief text that will be placed on the button
(if the tool id has no bitmap associated with it).
The Droppable checkbox determines if the tool can have objects dropped on it or
not. See list below.
The Visible checkbox determines if the tool is visible or not.
If the Separator checkbox is checked, FM/2 puts a bit of whitespace after the
button (separates it from the next button).
The ID field should be assigned a number that tells FM/2 what the command
associated with the button is. Here's a list of supported commands:
ID Command Droppable?
==== ================================================= ==========
1023 View Files Y
1024 Edit Files Y
1026 Make Directory N
1010 Object Information Y
1005 Rename Files/Directories Y
1004 Delete Files/Directories Y
1006 Permanently Delete Files/Directories Y
1009 Set Attributes and Date/Time of Files/Directories Y
10002 Walk Directories N
10008 Select All Files N
10007 Deselect All N
1029 Archive Files/Directories Y
1030 Extract From Archives Y
1022 Create Objects Y
1021 Create Shadow Objects Y
1002 Copy Files/Directories Y
1001 Move Files/Directories Y
2003 Kill Process N
2004 Undelete Files N
2006 Instant Command File N
2007 OS/2 Command Line N
5001 Filter Container N
3001 Edit Associations N
1048 Edit Commands N
5021 Rescan N
1007 Print Files Y
1008 Extended Attributes Y
2001 View INI Files Y
1027 Save List to Clipboard Y
1028 Save List to File Y
1011 Collect Files/Directories N
1060 Collect Files/Directories from list file Y
2010 Bookshelf Viewer N
1017 Open Default Y
4001 First Command Y
4002 Second Command Y
...
4900 First Toolbox N
4901 Second Toolbox N
...
Note: Other Commands can also be used; just add to 4000 as required to get the
number of the command. For instance, Command 4 would be ID 4004. Command
buttons use the text field; others shown have bitmaps associated with them in
FM/2's resources. Remember that if you change your Commands around, you need
to resync the tools to the Commands...
Note: Toolbox buttons on a toolbar cause the appropriate toolbox to be loaded
from QUICKTLS.DAT (one filename per line, blank lines and lines beginning with
";" ignored). The file named on the first line is the First Toolbox, and so
forth. You can have up to 50 toolbox buttons defined (total).
This list isn't complete; ask me if you'd like a command added that doesn't
appear, and I'll tell you if it can be added and what the ID is, if so.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.4. Save Toolbox ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 allows you to save toolboxes (groups of tools) for later recall with the
Load Toolbox command.
Type the name of the file to hold the toolbox definitions into the entry field
below the listbox, or select a file displayed in the listbox (it will be
overwritten). FM/2 saves the toolbox definitions into the file.
The files are given an extension of .TLS if you don't specify an extension.
The listbox shows files in the FM/2 directory that have the extension .TLS
(which is my way of suggesting that you follow this convention).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1.5. Load Toolbox ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 allows you to load toolboxes (groups of tools) which were saved with the
Save Toolbox command.
Type the name of the file that holds the toolbox definitions into the entry
field below the listbox, or select a file displayed in the listbox. FM/2 loads
the toolbox definitions from the file and updates the toolbar.
This allows you to have groups of specific-purpose buttons which you can load
for different types of activities. You don't have to use it, but it's there if
you would like to do so.
Clicking Okay without typing in or selecting a filename results in FM/2
reloading the default toolbox from FM3TOOLS.DAT.
If I may, here's how I'd recommend using this facility:
First, save the full toolbar under a new name (perhaps ALL.TLS). Next, delete
any buttons that you don't want in your customized toolbar. Finally, add any
Command buttons that you do want in the customized toolbar and save the new
toolbox (as <something>.TLS). By starting with the full toolbar, you'll spend
more of your time deleting buttons you don't want (a trivial task) and less
adding buttons.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2. Settings notebook ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2's internal Settings notebook lets you fiddle with some of the global
toggles and variables used to control how FM/2 behaves. This is called up via
the Config->Settings notebook... pulldown menu item.
Some container types have their own individual settings, usually available via
a popup menu requested on container whitespace (or the Views pulldown menu).
Note that settings changes generally don't take effect unless and until you
close the notebook by clicking the Okay button. You can press [Escape] to
abort the configuration, and the Undo button will restore things to the way
they were before you started fiddling about.
See also:
Toggles page
Toggles2 page
Window toggles page
External programs/paths page
Directory Container views page
Directory Container sort page
Collector Container views page
Collector Container sort page
Quick Configurations page The first page of the FM/2 internal Settings
notebook.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2.1. Toggles page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The checkboxes on this page are on/off switches. The items are checked if they
are on, not checked if they are off. Following is a description of the
available toggles:
Confirm delete controls whether FM/2 will ask you to confirm the deletion of
files (deleting directories always requires confirmation). It is recommended
that you leave this option on; FM/2 will let you confirm all files on which
you're acting from one dialog, so it has minimal impact and provides a safety
net.
Uppercase names and Lowercase names control how FM/2 pretreats filenames before
inserting them into the container. The default is not to change the case of
the filenames at all. Changing these toggles will have an effect on the next
rescan.
If Unhilite after action is on, highlighted objects in the container are
unhighlighted after you perform some command on them.
The Verify disk writes toggle turns system-level write verification on and off.
This is like typing VERIFY ON or VERIFY OFF at a command line.
Normally FM/2 updates the container as things change; for instance, if you're
deleting several files, the container is updated after each file is deleted.
If you uncheck Immediate updates, FM/2 updates the container after an atomic
action completes (i.e. after all files moved by one operation have been moved).
This speeds up processing but allows the container to be temporarily "out of
synch" with the real state of affairs.
If Load Subjects is checked, FM/2 loads object descriptions from their standard
WPS .SUBJECT EAs during scans. If you change the state of this toggle, you'll
need to rescan to get the change to show up in FM/2's containers. Note that
only the Details view shows Subjects. Subjects may be direct-edited when
showing in the container. You can also pick Subject from a context menu,
whether Subjects are being loaded during scans or not, to view and optionally
change the object description. You can turn this off to increase scanning
speed. You can also adjust this on a drive-by-drive basis from the command line
(see the READ.MEthat came with FM/2).
If Load Longnames is checked, FM/2 loads the .LONGNAME extended attribute for
non-HPFS drives. This attribute usually contains a long name for objects that
should be restored if the object is moved to an HPFS drive. As for Subject,
Longnames are only shown in the Details view. You can turn this off to
marginally increase scanning speed. You can also adjust this on a
drive-by-drive basis from the command line (see the READ.MEthat came with
FM/2).
If Don't load file icons and/or Don't load directory icons are checked, FM/2
won't load the icons of objects from the file system but instead uses defaults.
Although this can speed up scanning, it makes for boring containers. This is
PM, folks, enjoy the bells and whistles! You can also adjust this on a
drive-by-drive basis from the command line (see the READ.MEthat came with FM/2)
so that you can, for instance, skip reading in icons from very slow drives (CD
or floppy, for example) and/or from disks containing only DOS programs (DOS
programs don't normally have special icons associated with them, anyway).
The Follow Drive Tree toggle causes FM/2 to "follow" the current selected
directory in the Drive Tree (when you move the cursor in the tree, the
directory container changes to show the files in that directory without you
having to press [Enter] or double-click the directory).
The Don't move my mouse! toggle keeps FM/2 from moving your mouse (to place it
in the center of a popup menu or over the Okay button in some dialogs). Some
people like the help, others don't. Take your pick.
The Double-click Opens toggle, if on, causes FM/2 to always open a new
Directory Container window when a Drive Tree directory is double clicked. It's
probably not useful to have both this toggle and the Follow Drive Tree toggle
on simultaneously.
Link Sets Icon changes the action of a link-drag. If this toggle is set, a
link drag causes FM/2 to try to set the icon of the target to the icon of the
first dropped object (if the first dropped object has no .ICON EA and is not an
icon file, the target's icon is reset. Note that OS/2 sometimes buffers this
info and an icon change may not show up immediately). If not set, a link drag
causes FM/2 to do a compare of the target with the dropped objects.
If Default action Copy is checked, FM/2's windows perform a copy rather than
move by default (note the highlighting on the mouse pointer as your cue).
Instead of pressing the CTRL key to change a drag from a move to a copy, you'll
need to press the Shift key to change a drag from a copy to a move (don't ask
me why). Note that this is the opposite of the standard OS/2 behavior, so know
what you're doing. I remind you that pressing F1 when you have a target in an
FM/2 window will display some help on what the drag command would have
performed.
FM/2 usually performs copy and move actions at the lowest "normal" priority
available. If you'd like FM/2 to use a true "idle" priority, check the Idle
Copy toggle. Warning: if a DOS program is running, even in the background,
idle priority threads slow way down. Performance at true idle with DOS
programs running may not be acceptable.
If the Show archiver activity toggle is checked, FM/2 runs archiver windows in
the foreground. Normally it runs them in the background, minimized, so you'd
have to use the task list to pull them to the foreground if you want to see
them.
If you check VTree->WPS folder, when running VTree a double-click on a
directory will open a WPS folder instead of an FM/2 Directory Container.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2.2. Toggles2 page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The checkboxes on this page are on/off switches. The items are checked if they
are on, not checked if they are off. Following is a description of the
available toggles:
Many remote FSDs have bugs in their file finding functions, preventing a find
for more than one file at a time from working correctly. Symptoms range from
invalid data returned to trapping of the requesting application. While you'd
think that these bugs would be fixed (and they are), new versions seem to
reintroduce them again. Therefore, FM/2 provides the Remote find bug toggle.
If checked, FM/2 will only ask for one file at a time from remote drives. This
is slower, but at least useable.
If you turn this toggle off (it's on by default) and FM/2 starts behaving
strangely, turn it back off. If FM/2 traps and you can't get to the settings
page, disconnect from the network, start FM/2, then turn off the toggle. If
that's not possible for some reason, use FM/2's INI editor to view FM3.INI and
delete the "RemoteBug" keyword from the INI (which will cause FM/2 to revert to
the default setting).
The Drag&drop dialog toggle, if checked, causes FM/2 to bring up a dialog
allowing you to select the action a drag and drop should perform.
The Min dir on open toggle, if checked, causes FM/2 to minimize a Directory
Container window if you open another Directory Container window from one of its
objects. When you close the new Directory Container window the old window is
restored.
The Quick arc find toggle, if checked, causes FM/2 to check only files with
extensions that match those configured in ARCHIVER.BB2 as potential archives
during a drag and drop operation. If you're dragging over files on a floppy or
network directory, this can speed things up a bit.
If the Don't scan remov. is checked, FM/2 won't attempt to find subdirectories
on removable drives until you double-click the drive in the Drive Tree, so you
won't see a [+] sign beside removable drives even if they do contain
subdirectories until you double-click the drive. Floppy drives A: and B:
receive this treatment without this toggle; it's for other removable drives,
like CD-ROM drives.
The Viewer outside, INI viewer outside, Collector outside and Arcboxes outside
toggles, if checked, cause FM/2 to open windows of the corresponding kinds
outside the main FM/2 monolithic frame window.
Default delete perm. controls which type of deletion is the default for the
Delete context submenu. If this is checked, the default is permanent
(unrecoverable) deletion.
New internal viewer causes FM/2 to use the newer, faster internal viewer
(unless you have an external viewing program defined).
The Folder after extract toggle, if on, causes FM/2 to create a folder to hold
objects extracted from an archive via an Archive Container. You'll be given an
opportunity to abort the folder creation or to decide where the folder will be
located and what it'll be named.
The Userlist switches toggle reverses the operation of the user directory
quicklist control -- if you click an item in the dropdown list without holding
down Shift, the last used Directory Container switches, if you hold down Shift
while clicking, a new Directory Container is opened.
The Guess view type toggle, if on, causes FM/2 to guess at the type of the file
being viewed (text or binary) and display it accordingly.
The Recent Dirs toggle, if on, causes FM/2 to place temporary entries for
directories "visited" during a session to the user directory quicklist and Walk
Directories dialog.
The Selected Always toggle (NOT RECOMMENDED!) causes FM/2 to use selected
object(s) (rather than keying on the current object).
The Autoview comments toggle, if checked, causes FM/2 to show file .COMMENTS
EAs instead of the start of the file's contents in the Autoview window. You
can also control this with accelerator keys (take a look at the
Config->Autoview conditional cascade menu item).
The Findbuf spin button controls how many files FM/2 searches for in one system
call. The higher this number, the faster FM/2 works (with properly operating
FSDs that support "finding" more than one file at a time -- unfortunately, the
FSDs that can benefit the most from this, network FSDs, are the ones most often
broken), but the more memory is temporarily consumed as a container is filled.
If you habitually work with directories containing great numbers of files and
have sufficient memory, boosting this may be a good idea. On the other hand,
if you are extremely limited in memory (less than 16 megs), reducing this might
be the thing to do. The range is 16 to 2048, with 128 the default.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2.3. Window toggles page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Save state of dir windows toggle, if checked, causes FM/2 to "remember" the
directory windows that are open when you close FM/2 so that it can open them
again when you restart FM/2. If you turn this on, be sure to play with the
Free Tree and Autotile toggles under the Windows menu to acheive the desired
effect (everyone will want a different effect). You'll probably want to omit
any directories from the command line if you turn on this toggle.
If you turn on Autotile (it's on by default), FM/2 will retile the windows in
many cases to try to keep things neat.
If you check the Free Drive Tree toggle, FM/2 will allow you to move the Drive
Tree Container. Otherwise it "pins" it in the upper left corner of the client
window.
If Split Status is checked, you get two status lines at the bottom of the FM/2
window instead of one. The left status line typically contains information
about the current container, the right about the current object in the
container.
The Multiple select cnrs and Extended select cnrs checkboxes control the type
of selection in some new containers (existing containers are not affected).
Collector, Directory Container and Archive Containers created after these
settings are changed will have the type of selection desired (note:
unhighlighting both results in a single select container -- probably not
desirable). The default is to have both types of selection active in
containers.
Normally FM/2 leaves a space below the Drive Tree just the right size for a
minimized window. Checking the No space under Tree toggle causes FM/2 to start
without this space below the Drive Tree.
The Start minimized and Start maximized toggles cause FM/2 to assume the
indicated state after startup.
The Minimize to databar toggle, if on, causes FM/2 to minimize to a small,
bar-shaped window (the databar) showing some system information.
The Tile backwards toggle, if on, causes FM/2 to favor tiling windows so
they're taller than wide. I suggest you think twice before doing this;
displaying files is basically a horizontal operation, not vertical (at least in
countries that read left to right or right to left), and some DOS programs have
instilled a LOT of bad habits.
The Toolbar help toggle controls whether or not FM/2 shows "bubble" help when
the mouse pointer passes over toolbar buttons.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2.3.1. Databar ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The databar can be set to appear when FM/2 minimizes (see Settings notebook's
Windows toggles page). The databar shows swapper information, time and date,
memory information and process[/thread] information. In addition, the databar
can optionally show the free drive space on all local fixed drives (and,
optionally, remote drives).
The swapper information includes the size of the swapfile, in kilobytes, and
the amount of free space on the drive holding the swapfile, again, in
kilobytes. The memory information includes the amount of free physical memory
and total free memory (including available swapspace), also in kilobytes.
The time/date information is updated about once every two seconds. The other
information is updated about once every ten to thirty seconds. For about four
seconds of every minute the time/date field displays the elapsed system time
(how long the system's been up).
You can move the databar by clicking and holding mouse button 1 (B1) on the
date/time window (the one that appears to bulge out rather than recess) and
dragging it. You can request a context menu on the date/time window to adjust
some other items. Double-clicking the databar with B1 will close it (and
restore FM/2 if you're not running the DATABAR.EXE miniapp).
The databar can only be controlled by the mouse, so don't bother with it if you
don't have a mouse or are afraid of the rodent.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2.4. External programs/paths page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This page allows you to set the generic external programs that FM/2 uses to
view files (text or binary), edit files (text or binary), compare files and
scan archives for viruses. It also has a couple of other fields discussed
below.
The Find button can be clicked to bring up a dialog that will let you
point-and-click on a file or directory name that will be imported to the
current entry field. For example, if you're in the Editor entry field and
click Find, you'll get a standard OS/2 open dialog which you may use to find
your editor executable.
FM/2 uses one of two internal viewers or an internal MLE editor if you have no
text viewer, binary viewer or text editor configured here. It's recommended
that you fill these fields in with whatever viewers and editors you like rather
than use the internals.
If the Dir Cmp field is filled in, FM/2 runs that when directories are to be
compared. FM/2 fills in the name of the two directories after the text entered
in this field -- no "%a" or other metastring (see below) is required.
The Ext. Path field, if anything is in it, gives the default directory in which
to place extracted files. Otherwise, FM/2 takes a wild, hairy guess about
where you want the extracted files to go (although it'll let you override
manually). You can enter "*" as the extract path and FM/2 will use the
directory in which the archive resides.
The Printer field lets you specify the device to which FM/2 will print text
files. By default it is PRN (LPT1). You can also just drag a file to a system
printer object; the FM/2 printer is really intended only for situations where
the WPS printers are unavailable. (The Find button doesn't work for this
field.)
Examples:
Editor: "EPM.EXE %a"
or "Q.EXE %a"
or "VS.EXE %a"
or "CMD.EXE /C START /C /FS EMACS.EXE %a"
Viewer: "HV.EXE %a"
or "LSTPM.EXE %a"
or "LIST2.EXE %a"
Compare: "COMP.COM %a"
or "CONTRAST.EXE %a"
or "CMD.EXE /C MYCOMP.CMD %a"
DirCmp: "PMDMATCH.EXE"
Virus: "OS2SCAN.EXE %p /SUB /A"
The following replaceable "metastrings" can be used in command lines:
%$ drive letter
%a full pathnames
%A full pathnames, no leading drive letters
%c command processor specified in %COMSPEC%
%f filenames, no paths
%F filenames, no paths or extensions
%e extensions
%p path (d:\directory)
%P path (\directory)
%% a percent sign
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2.5. Directory Container views page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This settings page lets you set the type of view that will be used in new
Directory Container windows. Directory Containers that are already open won't
be affected.
Icon In Icon view, the object's name appears below its icon.
Name In Name view, the object's name appears beside its icon.
Text Text view is the fastest view for a container to maintain, but provides
the least information on the objects it contains.
Detail Details view shows a great deal of information on the objects it
contains, including file sizes, dates, and times, but it is the slowest view
for a container control to maintain.
Mini Icons is a toggle controlling whether icons are shown full size or in
miniature in views that show icons.
The Field Titles group (analogous to the Views->Details Setup submenu) allows
you to control what is shown in a Details view. Each possible field in the
details view is shown. If the field is checked, FM/2 will show it. If not, it
won't.
The Filter entry field shows the current default filter mask for Directory
Containers. Moving to this field will bring up a dialog that lets you set a
new filter. The filter will be used for subsequently created Directory
Containers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2.6. Directory Container sort page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This page lets you set the type of sort for Directory Containers. Directory
Containers that are already open won't be affected immediately (see Resort
context menu command), but will use the new sort type the next time they're
resorted or rescanned.
You can also tell FM/2 to always display directories ahead of or behind files.
Note that Last access date and Creation date are only meaningful for HPFS file
systems; FAT file systems do not track this information. The difference
between Pathname and Filename is only apparent in the Collector. With the
former, the entire pathname of the object is used to sort. With the latter,
only the filename portion is used to sort. FM/2 maintains separate sort
criteria for Drive Tree, Collector, Directory Container and Archive Container
windows. This page affects only Directory Container sorting. The Collector
has its own page; use a context menu or View pulldown menu for other container
types (like the Drive Tree).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2.7. Collector Container views page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This settings page lets you set the type of view that will be used in new
Collector windows. If the Collector is already open it won't be affected
unless you close and reopen it.
Icon In Icon view, the object's name appears below its icon.
Name In Name view, the object's name appears beside its icon.
Text Text view is the fastest view for a container to maintain, but provides
the least information on the objects it contains.
Detail Details view shows a great deal of information on the objects it
contains, including file sizes, dates, and times, but it is the slowest view
for a container control to maintain.
Mini Icons is a toggle controlling whether icons are shown full size or in
miniature in views that show icons.
The Field Titles group (analogous to the Views->Details Setup submenu) allows
you to control what is shown in a Details view. Each possible field in the
details view is shown. If the field is checked, FM/2 will show it. If not, it
won't.
The Filter entry field shows the current filter mask for the Collector. Moving
to this field will bring up a dialog that lets you set a new filter. The
filter will be used for subsequent invocations of the Collector.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2.8. Collector Container sort page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This page lets you set the type of sort for the Collector. If the Collector is
already open it won't be affected immediately, (see Resort context menu
command), but will use the new sort type the next time it's resorted or
rescanned.
You can also tell FM/2 to always display directories ahead of or behind files.
Note that Last access date and Creation date are only meaningful for HPFS file
systems; FAT file systems do not track this information. The difference
between Pathname and Filename is only apparent in the Collector. With the
former, the entire pathname of the object is used to sort. With the latter,
only the filename portion is used to sort. FM/2 maintains separate sort
criteria for Drive Tree, Collector, Directory Container and Archive Container
windows. This page affects only Collector sorting.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2.9. Quick configuration page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This page allows you to select from a few pre-configured setups for FM/2 in
general.
Default restores FM/2 to its default state, for the most part.
Max user interface activates most of FM/2's bells and whistles -- user lists,
toolbar, autoview window, etc.
Min user interface turns off FM/2's toolbar, menus, etc. You'll have to use the
mouse and work from context menus and accelerator keys alone, but you'll have
the maximum amount of free space within the main FM/2 window. Hint: The System
Menu contains the command to unhide the pulldown menu, if that's going to far
for you.
Max info, pretty puts FM/2's Directory Containers into their maximum
information state as attractively as possible.
Max info, plain puts FM/2's Directory Containers into their maximum information
state without caring about how pretty it looks. Consequently, more filenames
fit in a container at once.
Max filenames puts FM/2's Directory Containers into a state that allows the
most filenames per container. Rather unattractive.
Max speed turns off some automatic information gathering to make FM/2 faster,
but displays get a bit "dumber."
1.x emulation sets up FM/2 2.x to behave somewhat like FM/2 1.x for those who
prefer that style. Generally I find that such a preference is more due to
ignorance of what 2.x will do; perhaps this will allow folks to get over
initial knee-jerk responses. (That's not meant as a slam to users who prefer
1.x, simply a logical observation on the part of the opinionated jerk author
and an example of why authors who can afford it should hire someone else to
write their documentation).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.3. Associations ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Associations are programs that are run when files matching specified filemasks
(and optional file signatures) are selected (double-clicked).
You can use this facility to cause editors specific to different datafile types
to start when the datafile is selected. For instance, if you associate "*.ICO"
with "ICONEDIT.EXE %a" the icon editor will be started with the selected icon
file when you double-click an icon. A special association command line, "<>",
causes FM/2 to open the default WPS view of an object. Warning: Do not use
this on a file associated with AV/2 as you will cause an endless loop as AV/2
constantly starts itself.
Signatures provide a mechanism to further test a matching file to determine
that it is the proper type. For example, all OS/2 .INF (information) files
have the string "HSP" at position 0 of the file. By using signature "HSP" at
offset 0 for the filemask "*.INF" and assigning the command line "VIEW.EXE %a"
to the association, any OS/2 .INF file will be read using VIEW when selected,
but non-OS/2 files that have an .INF extension will not match this association.
The signature entry field supports C-style escaping.
To add an association, fill in the entry fields and set the radio buttons and
checkboxes that control session type as desired (these are explained in more
detail in the help for Editing Commandline except for Prompt, which causes a
dialog to appear that allows editing the command line before it is run), then
click Add..
To delete an association, select it in the listbox, then click Del. You should
be aware that the association deleted is the one matching the entry fields,
specifically the mask, signature and offset fields.
To change an association, delete it, edit the entry fields, radio buttons and
checkboxes, then add it.
The Find button brings up a standard OS/2 open dialog that you can use to
point-and-click at the desired executable file. It's pathname will be entered
into the command line entry field.
The Close checkbox will cause FM/2 to close after executing this association.
Please be sure that's the behavior you really want before checking this button.
The Environment MLE control lets you enter environment strings for the program
to inherit. Generally speaking, this is only for running DOS programs as any
strings entered here are interpreted as DOS settings. For example,
IDLE_SECONDS=5 would adjust the DOS setting IDLE_SECONDS to 5. Names of DOS
settings are as shown in the Settings notebook for a DOS program.
The following replaceable "metastrings" can be used in command lines:
%$ drive letter
%a full pathnames
%A full pathnames, no leading drive letters
%r full pathnames, no quoting under any circumstances
%R full pathnames, no leading drive letters, no quoting
%c command processor specified in %COMSPEC%
%f filenames, no paths
% F filenames, no paths or extensions
%e extensions
%p path (d:\directory)
%P path (\directory)
%% a percent sign
There's an ASSOCIAT.TXT file that comes with FM/2 with some recommended
associations you can use, if desired.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.4. Editting Commands ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog allows you to edit the commands that are available in the Commands
submenu. There is always a Do it yourself command in the Commands submenu, and
it is the default for the conditional cascade. The Do it yourself command
supplies the names of selected files as the command line and allows you to
enter a command to be performed on the files in an entry field. Note that OS/2
command lines are limited to 1,000 characters.
To add a command to this submenu, fill in the entry fields and set the radio
buttons and checkboxes that control session type as desired (these are
explained in more detail in the help for Editing Commandline, except for Each,
which means that the command will be run once for each selected file, and
Prompt, which means that the command will display a dialog that allows the user
to edit the command line before running), then click Add..
To delete a command, select it in the listbox, then click Del. You should be
aware that the command deleted is the one matching the entry field,
specifically, the title field.
To change a command, delete it, edit the entry fields, radio buttons and
checkboxes, then add it.
The Find button brings up a standard OS/2 open dialog that you can use to
point-and-click at the desired executable file. It's pathname will be entered
into the command line entry field.
The Environment MLE control lets you enter environment strings for the program
to inherit. Generally speaking, this is only for running DOS programs where
any strings entered here are interpreted as DOS settings. For example,
IDLE_SECONDS=5 would adjust the DOS setting IDLE_SECONDS to 5. Names of DOS
settings are as shown in the Settings notebook for a DOS program.
The following "metastrings" can be used in command lines:
%$ drive letter
%a full pathnames
%A full pathnames, no leading drive letters
%r full pathnames, no quoting under any circumstances
%R full pathnames, no leading drive letters, no quoting
%c command processor specified in %COMSPEC%
%f filenames, no paths
%F filenames, no paths or extensions
%e extensions
%p path (d:\directory)
%P path (\directory)
%d full pathnames of all open Directory Containers
%D full pathname of current directory in Drive Tree
%% a percent sign
See also: Reordering Commands
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.4.1. Reordering Commands ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog, accessed from the Edit Commands dialog, allows you to rearrange
the order of Commands. You take selected items from the left listbox and Add
them to the end of the right listbox with the Add>> button. When you've moved
everything to the right listbox, click Okay. Click Cancel if you change your
mind.
In reality, you don't need to move everything to the right listbox. You can
move only what you want moved to the top of the list, then click Okay.
Anything remaining in the left listbox is added to the end of what's in the
right listbox.
The <<Remove button can be used to move selected items from the right listbox
to the bottom of the left listbox.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Windows Menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Windows submenu lets you control FM/2's child windows. In addition, you
can select child windows to give the focus from the bottom of the menu.
Following is a discussion of the "permanent" commands on the menu.
Tile:
Causes child windows to be tiled.
Cascade:
Causes child windows to be cascaded.
Arrange Icons:
Causes any minimized icons at the bottom of the screen to be arranged neatly.
Dialog:
Brings up a dialog that lets you minimize, restore or close selected child
windows. You can also chord the mouse on a blank portion of the main client
window to call up this dialog.
Restore:
Restores any minimized child windows.
Minimize:
Minimizes child windows.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. Window List ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog lets you minimize, restore or close selected child windows. It's
accessed via toolbar button, Windows->Dialog or by chording on a blank portion
of the main client window.
Highlight the windows on which you want to act, then click the appropriate
button.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. Context menus ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Context menus are used extensively in FM/2, just as they are in the WPS.
Context menus are requested by placing the mouse pointer over a desired object
in a container (or over container whitespace) and clicking mouse button two
(B2, usually the right button).
Commands that affect the container as a whole are found in context menus
requested over whitespace (any empty area of the container). Commands that
affect the objects within the container are requested over the object of
interest. If an object is highlighted when a context menu is requested, the
commands will usually affect all highlighted objects; otherwise, any commands
will affect only the object over which the menu was requested (you'll see
visual feedback to this effect).
FM/2's Files menu shows the same menu that would be obtained if you requested a
context menu over the current object. FM/2's Views menu shows the same menu
that would be obtained if you requested a context menu over the current
window's whitespace.
When a menu command leads to a dialog, the command name is followed by dots
(i.e. "Attributes..."). In cases where commands have accelerator key
equivalents, the accelerator key is listed after the command (i.e. "View ^v",
where ^ indicates that the CTRL key must be pressed with the 'v' key, or
"Archive... ^A" which indicates that both the CTRL and SHIFT keys must be
pressed with the 'a' key).
Context menu commands affecting objects:
(Note that not all commands are available for all objects on all drives; CD-ROM
drives obviously wouldn't allow Delete and Move commands, for instance, since
they're read-only drives.) The View conditional cascade submenu allows you to
view the current object. Since this is a conditional cascade submenu, you can
click on the button to get a list of choices or click elsewhere to get a
default viewing action (noted below).
Autoview views objects through the configured viewer. This is the default for
the Files->View conditional cascade submenu when a file is the current object.
When you select Autoview, FM/2 guesses whether the file is text or binary data
and views it accordingly.
as text causes FM/2 to view the current file object as text, using the
configured text viewer or the internal if none is configured.
as binary causes FM/2 to view the current file object as binary data, using the
configured binary viewer or the internal if none is configured. Binary data is
usually viewed as a hex dump. Information brings up a dialog telling you
everything you ever wanted to know about file system objects but were afraid to
ask. If you select this from a drive object (root directory) in the Drive Tree
container, you get a "drive information" dialog that lets you change the
drive's label. Otherwise, you get a comprehensive dialog that, besides showing
you all the pertinent information about the object, shows the object's icon.
That icon is important. You can get a context menu on it, and you can drag
other objects onto it to change the object's icon. If the object is an icon or
pointer file (*.ICO or *.PTR) you can use it to change a system pointer (for
instance, you could change OS/2's usual arrow pointer to a finger). You can
draw pointers yourself using OS/2's ICONEDIT program, or find them pre-drawn in
several collections of icons and pointers freely available on BBSes. This is
the default command for the Files->View conditional cascade submenu when the
current object is a directory. Multimedia attempts to play the objects via
MMPM/2 using FM2PLAY.EXE (distributed separately in FM2UTILS.ZIP). Obviously,
the objects must be multimedia objects (sound files, movies, midi files, etc.)
for this to have the desired effect, and MMPM/2 must be installed in your
system.
Update objects updates objects by refreshing the information FM/2 has on them
from disk to make sure it's current (an alternative to rescan for special
situations).
Hide objects hides objects (removes them from view in the container) until you
rescan, use the Filter dialog or switch directories.
The Edit conditional cascade submenu allows you to edit the current object.
Since this is a conditional cascade submenu, you can click on the button to get
a list of choices or click elsewhere to get a default editing action (noted
below).
Autoedit edits objects through the configured editor. This is the default for
the Files->Edit conditional cascade submenu when a file is the current object.
When you select Autoedit, FM/2 guesses whether the file is text or binary data
and edits it accordingly.
as text causes FM/2 to edit the current file object as text, using the
configured text editor or the internal if none is configured.
as binary causes FM/2 to edit the current file object as binary data, using the
configured binary editor. Binary data is usually edited as a hex dump. No
default binary editor is provided at this time, but that may change. Extended
Attributes allows you to view an object's extended attributes (EAs) and to edit
and add text attributes. Attributes leads to a dialog that sets objects'
attributes and (optionally) date/time. This is the default for the Files->Edit
conditional cascade submenu when a directory is the current object.
Subject allows you to give an object a description. This makes use of the same
EA (.SUBJECT) that the WPS uses for object descriptions -- you can see and edit
it on the File page of an object's Settings notebook. Rename allows you to
rename objects. You are notified of conflicts as they occur. An easier method
for renaming one object is to point at its text, hold down the ALT key, and
click mouse button one; however, this command allows you to use wildcards when
renaming if you desire. Delete deletes objects. If the Confirm Delete toggle
is on or one or more directories are among the selected objects, you get a
dialog showing the selected objects and asking you to confirm that you really
meant what you said. In that dialog you have a chance to remove some of the
objects. If you have Undelete enabled for the drive on which the objects
reside, they may be recoverable. Permanent Delete deletes objects as above, but
they will not be recoverable (which may make the deletion faster). It should
be noted that when deleting directory objects, the file objects within the
directory can never be recovered, but deleting all the file objects inside a
directory (rather than the directory itself) allows things to be recovered if
you use the Delete command above rather than this Permanent Delete command and
have Undelete enabled (type HELP UNDELETE at a command line for more
information on enabling Undelete). Print prints text files. It'd be a good
idea to have a printer to which to print, and have configured it first, before
trying to use this. If using the standard WPS, be sure you have a printer
object configured for the device you've told FM/2 to use, or you may wind up
with FM/2's printing thread blocked for eternity awaiting access to a
nonexistent or inaccessible device. Actually, if using the standard WPS, it's
recommended that you simply drag files to the printer object and drop them
instead of using this command. Move and Copy move or copy objects. Drag and
drop is recommended over using the menu commands for moving and copying. When
using the menu commands, the Walk Drives dialog appears to allow you to select
a target directory.
Copy and rename and Move and rename allow you to change the names of the
destination files as you copy and move using the standard rename dialog. You
can also copy or move with wildcarding, like you can from the command line
(COPY thisfile.txt *.bak) by using wildcards in the filename portion of the
destination. Shadow builds WPS shadow objects on your desktop (or other
selected folder) for selected object(s). You can also create Real Objects
(except for directories, for which you can only create shadow objects). Both
these options (where applicable) are in a conditional cascade submenu called
Create Objects, with Shadows as the default command. The Open conditional
cascade submenu allows you to open an object's Settings notebook, open
directories as WPS Folders, or open a new FM/2 Directory Container window for
directories (the default for directories). Note that when WPS Folders are
opened, they come up in the background. This is an OS/2 bug, and IBM has been
notified. Opening a file's Default view will honor any OS/2 associations that
you have setup. Archive allows you to build an archive containing the selected
object(s). Extract allows you to extract files from selected archives. Save to
clipboard allows you to save selected objects to the clipboard as a text list,
one per line. This is a good way to transfer selections of files to other
programs; for instance, you might copy a list of files to the clipboard and
feed it to a terminal program to send the files over a modem or network. Save
to list file lets you save selected objects as a list to a text file. Lists
can include file sizes, subjects, etc.
Collect File(s) calls up the Collector and places the selected files and
directories into it. You can also open the Collector and drag things into it.
Collect List in file(s) collects the files listed inside the selected files
(see Save to list file above). The filename should be the first item on each
line of the list. If spaces are contained in the filenames, enclose the
filenames in "quote marks." Filenames must be full pathnames
(d:\path\filename). Directories as well as files can be Collected.
Quick Tree appears in Directory Containers. You can use this to quickly select
a subdirectory into which to switch the Directory Container. Obviously, if
there are no subdirectories to select from, FM/2 will ignore this command
except to tell you.
Context menu commands affecting containers as a whole:
Icon switches the container to Icon view; the object's name appears below its
icon.
Name switches the container to Name view; the object's name appears beside its
icon.
Text switches the container to Text view. Text view is the fastest view for a
container to maintain, but provides the least information on the objects it
contains.
Details switches the container to Details view. Details view shows a great
deal of information on the objects it contains, including file sizes, dates,
and times, but it is the slowest view for a container to maintain.
Mini Icons is a toggle controlling whether icons are shown full size or in
miniature in views that show icons.
The Details Setup submenu allows you to control what is shown in a Details
view. Each possible field in the details view for the drive type is shown. If
the field is checked, FM/2 will show it. If not, it won't. Set the current
view to Details view and you can see the changes as they occur. Rescan rescans
the directory associated with a container, or the drive from the current object
down in a tree container. FM/2 tries very hard to keep all its windows up to
date, but things outside FM/2 can cause changes that FM/2 cannot know about
automatically. This command will ensure that your display is current.
The Sort submenu allows you to control how objects are sorted based on several
criteria. You can also tell FM/2 to always display directories ahead of or
behind files. Note that Last access date and Creation date are only meaningful
for HPFS file systems; FAT file systems do not track this information. The
difference between Pathname and Filename is only apparent in the Collector.
With the former, the entire pathname of the object is used to sort. With the
latter, only the filename portion is used to sort. FM/2 maintains separate
sort criteria for Drive Tree, Collector, Directory Container and Archive
Container windows. See Directory Container sort page and Collector Container
sort page. Note that Shift+F7 will call up the Sort menu for a given
container.
Resort resorts items in a container. If you have more than one Directory or
Archive Container window open, selecting a new sort type only causes the
container in which you requested the context menu to resort itself (although
the change will affect all future rescans, resorts and insertions in that type
of container). This command lets you resort a container so that the new sort
type is reflected in the display. Filter leads to a dialog that lets you set
filemasks and attributes for objects to include in the container's display.
Parent moves directory containers to the previous (parent) directory.
Previous Directory returns the container to the last directory. This is sort of
like a one-step "undo" when you switch a container to look at a different
directory. Walk Directories leads to a dialog that lets you walk through your
directory structures, or recall user-defined directories. The Select submenu
gives you many ways to highlight and unhighlight objects in a container. This
lets you quickly build sophisticated selection sets of objects upon which you
can perform tasks.
You can select (or deselect) all files, all directories or all objects. You can
also select (or deselect) everything matching a mask string which can contain
wildcards, select (or deselect) filenames stored in the clipboard or a list
file and invert the current selections (highlight what isn't, unhighlight what
is).
Finally, FM/2 offers a full set of Compare Selection tools that let you select
and deselect files based on how they compare to unfiltered files in all other
open Directory Containers (available only in Directory Containers). To give
you an idea how this might be helpful, imagine that you just hit the [Enter]
key in the middle of typing a copy command, when you were reaching for the
backslash key to complete a path. Before you realize what's happening and can
hit CTRL-C, you copied fifty files from a data directory to the root directory
of your boot drive (you shoulda used FM/2! :-). Now you want to get rid of
them, but you don't want to pick each one. Open the data directory and the
root, choose "Select if in all," then delete the selected files in the root
directory. You're done.
These powerful selection tools are where a file manager really outshines
command line file management, so be sure to take a look at them. Note that
Shift+F8 will call up the Select menu for a given container.
Context menu commands specific to the Drive Tree container:
Expand expands the tree from the point where the context menu was requested to
the bottom of the branch.
Collapse collapses the tree from the point where the context menu was requested
to the bottom of the branch.
Optimize runs a .CMD file with the name <Filesystem>OPT.CMD, giving the drive
to optimize as a command line argument. Therefore, for a FAT drive C:
"FATOPT.CMD C:" would be run (through the command interpreter defined in
%COMSPEC% or CMD.EXE if none is defined) and for an HPFS drive D: "HPFSOPT.CMD
D:". CMD files are supplied with FM/2 that call utility programs from
FM2UTILS.ZIP (a separate collection of free-for-the-using utilities, sometimes
named FM2UTL.ZIP). You may modify these command files as required for your
system, even to call other programs than those supplied. Always be sure to
check the disk before trying to optimize it, and (in the case of the FAT
optimizer) it's a good idea to back up first. You shouldn't run the FAT
optimizer on compressed drives -- use the utilities that came with your
compression program instead.
Check Disk runs PMCHKDSK.EXE on the selected drive. This tests the drive and
can correct some deficiencies. This is available only in context menus
requested on drives (root directories).
Format Disk runs PMFORMAT.EXE on the selected drive. Formatting a disk will
destroy any information already on the disk. This is available only in context
menus requested on drives (root directories). Make Directory allows you to
create new directories. The name of the directory where you requested the
context menu is filled in as a starting point for convenience. Directories may
be created many levels deep in one pass.
Sizes brings up a dialog showing how many bytes are in the selected directory
and its subdirectories.
Eject ejects removable media from drives (for instance, opens the door of a CD
ROM drive).
Partitions calls up FDISKPM.EXE to allow you to modify the partitions on your
hard drives. Extreme caution should be exercised; read the help!
The Drives submenu lets you select a root directory and the Drive Tree will
scroll to show that directory, and make it the current object.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.1. Save list to file ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This command allows you to save the list of selected files to a disk file (or
to a printer; enter PRN for the file name to which to save the list).
The Save as entry field contains the name of the file to which the list will be
saved. The Find button calls up a standard OS/2 open dialog to let you point
and click at a file. If the file exists, it will be appended. Hint: You can
enter PRN as the filename to print the list.
The listbox below this contains patterns you've saved in the past (use the Add
button to add the current pattern (the one in the entry field), and the Del
button to remove the currently highlighted pattern from the listbox). You can
select one of the patterns in the listbox to avoid retyping it (as you
highlight a pattern in the listbox it'll appear in the entry field). The
patterns are saved in a file named PATTERNS.DAT, one per line.
The Pattern entry field contains a pattern that will be used to format the
list. Metastrings may be used to cause parts of a file description to be
written where desired (see below). Also note that the pattern is run through a
C-style escape encoder, so that \x1b would be interpreted as an ESCAPE
character, \r\n as a carriage return and linefeed "newline," and \\ is required
to get a single '\' character.
When everything's set as you want it, click Okay to save the list. Click
Cancel if you change your mind.
Metastrings and their meanings:
%s subject (description)
%S subject padded to 40 chars
%z file size
%Z file size padded to 13 chars
%e EA size
%E EA size padded to 5 chars
%d last write date
%t last write time
%l longname
%L longname padded to 40 chars
%f filename (no path)
%F filename (no path) padded to 13 chars
%p full pathname
%P directory only (no file)
%$ drive letter
%% percent sign
Note that you can manipulate list files from REXX. An EXAMPLE.CMD is included
in the FM/2 archive to show you how it's done. REXX scripts written in this
manner can be effectively used as Commands.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.2. Renaming ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
When you rename a file sytem object other than by Direct Editing, or a naming
conflict arises, you get the Rename dialog.
The dialog displays the Source filename and proposed Target filename, along
with information about both objects. Below these two fields is a recessed box
that attempts to give you directions on what to do (usually to change the
target filename -- when renaming, the target name is initially the same as the
source name).
After entering the new target name, click Okay. If the new target name exists,
the display will be updated to reflect the new information. You can, at that
point, enter a new name to avoid the conflict or click Overwrite (which will
destroy the old target file, keeping in mind that you can't overwrite a file
with itself). Skip can be used to skip one file when you are renaming several
in one action; nothing will be done for that file. Click Cancel if you change
your mind and want to abort the whole thing.
The Rename Existing button allows you to rename (move) the existing file system
object which is causing a naming conflict. For example, if you are trying to
copy a file to "C:\MYFILE" and a "C:\MYFILE" already exists, you could change
the target name as desired, click Rename Existing to rename (move) the existing
file out of the way, then click Okay to continue the copy operation.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.3. Filter container ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog allows you to filter what's shown in a container. A filemask or
filemasks can be used to filter, and so can file attributes (except for archive
listings where attributes are not applicable). In addition, you can set
attributes that _must_ be present on the objects to be shown (for instance, if
you check Hidden in the "Must-have Attribs" group, only objects with their
hidden attribute set will show up). You can specify whether FM/2 should always
show directories whether they match the mask(s) or not by checking the Always
show directories checkbox to keep them visible.
As you enter filemasks they're saved for later redisplay in this dialog's
listbox. If a filemask desired is in the listbox you can use it by selecting
it (double-clicking it). You can get rid of a mask in the listbox by
highlighting it and clicking Delete.
Multiple filemasks can be used by separating the masks with semi-colons.
"No filemask" can be quickly entered by just clicking the Clear and Okay
buttons, or "*" can be used.
Wildcard matching is not case-sensitive.
If a filename does not have a period, an implicit one is automatically appended
to the end during matching operations.
Some characters have the following special meaning:
? A question mark matches one character, unless what it would match is a
period, slash or backslash, in which case it matches no characters.
* An asterisk matches characters from the source to the target until it finds
a filename character that matches the non-wild character following it in the
filemask, or a period, slash, backslash or the end of the filename and/or
filemask.
Therefore, "*.f?o" matches "anything.foo" but not "anything.foe".
Up to 24 masks may be "cascaded" by separation with semicolons. When specifying
multiple filemasks, you can use '/' as the first character of a mask to mean
_don't_ match this filespec. Exclusions should usually be listed before
inclusions to attain the desired effect.
Filemask examples:
/*.obj;/*.res;* (Show all but *.obj and *.res files)
*.c;*.h (Show only C source and header files)
*.ico (Show only icon files)
* (Show everything)
A reminder: CD-ROM files are marked ReadOnly and will not appear in your
containers unless you have the ReadOnly attribute on (checked). If you copy
these files to your hard drive the ReadOnly attribute goes with them; use the
menu command Attribs (^a accelerator) to reset it.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.4. Drive Info ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 will show you information about the drive from which you chose the Info
command in a context menu.
For writeable drives, you can change the drive's label here by changing the
text in the entry field and clicking Okay.
The dialog box shows you the type of file system, volume label, total and
available sizes of the drive (megabytes, kilobytes and units), tells you how
the drive's resources are parceled into units, gives the drive's serial number
and some flags. These flags indicate special properties about the drive, like
Removable (the drive allows its media to be removed and changed) or Not
Writeable (the drive does not allow changes to be written to it).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.5. Object Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This comprehensive dialog tells you just about everything there is to know
about file system objects. If information is being displayed for more than one
object, the objects may be scrolled through in the listbox at the top of the
dialog.
Note particularly the object's icon. That icon is important. You can get a
context menu on it, and you can drag other objects onto it to change the
object's icon. If the object is an icon or pointer file (*.ICO or *.PTR) you
can use it to change a system pointer (for instance, you could change OS/2's
usual arrow pointer to a finger). Request a context menu on the icon (click B2
while the mouse pointer is on the icon).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.6. Attributes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog allows you to set the attributes and (optionally) date and time of
all objects in a selected group from one popup dialog. The dialog presents you
with spinboxes to change the date and time (defaults to current time and date)
and checkboxes to set the attributes (ReadOnly, System, Hidden and Archived).
You can also modify the selected list of objects by pushing the Select button.
If you only want to change the objects' attributes and not their date and time,
uncheck the Use Date/Time checkbox.
The initial state of the checkboxes and date/time spinbuttons has no
relationship to the actual state of the objects being manipulated if more than
one object was selected and acted upon by the command. This command affects
all selected objects at once.
The attribute checkboxes are "3-state" checkboxes. This type of checkbox can
have three different meanings: reset attribute (cleared box), set attribute
(checked box), or ignore attribute (greyed box, "indeterminate state," meaning
leave this attribute unchanged).
Note that checking the Use Date/Time checkbox, setting the date/time to the
current date/time, and leaving the attribute checkboxes greyed results in a
"touch" of the file system objects selected for the command (works like the
*nix Touch command -- if you don't know what that is, don't worry too much).
Click Okay when done, or Cancel to abort.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.7. Shadow ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 has the ability to create shadows of objects on your WPS desktop (or in
other WPS folders). To create shadows, select objects in an FM/2 window, then
select Shadow from a context menu or the Files pulldown submenu (Create Objects
submenu).
If only one shadow is being created, the shadow is placed directly into the
folder you specify. If more than one shadow is being created, FM/2 first
prompts you for the name of a folder. This folder is then created on the
desktop and the shadows are placed inside that folder. You can move the shadows
or folder elsewhere after that.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.8. Real Objects ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 has the ability to create objects on your WPS desktop (or in other WPS
folders). To create objects, select objects in an FM/2 window, then select
Real Objects from a context menu or the Files pulldown submenu (Create Objects
submenu).
If only one object is being created, the object is placed directly into the
folder you specify. If more than one object is being created, FM/2 first
prompts you for the name of a folder. This folder is then created on the
desktop and the objects are placed inside that folder. You can move the objects
or folder elsewhere after that.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.9. Compare Directories ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Compare Directories dialog shows you a comparison breakdown of two
directories. You can highlight files here and Collect them for later
processing.
The dialog presents two containers side-by-side. Vertical scrolling of the
containers is synched so that scrolling one scrolls both. The files are listed
so that they are in alphabetical order, with gaps in the containers where a
file exists in one but not the other. This provides easy, at-a-glance
comparison of the directories' contents.
Several selection/deselection techniques are available via the first row of
pushbuttons to enable you to select files based on their comparison. The
pushbuttons operate on both containers. You can also select and deselect files
in the containers manually with the mouse and/or keyboard. Hint: mouse
selection works slightly differently when you hold down the CTRL key while
clicking.
It is possible to change the directory of a container by direct editing of the
container title, and to drag files from the containers.
This dialog is reached by link-dropping a directory object onto another
directory object.
Suggestions:
Position the dialog so that FM/2's toolbox is showing. Drag files to the
toolbox to edit, delete, etc.
See also Selection.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.10. Extract from archives ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To extract from an archive, select the archive(s), then select Extract from a
context menu.
FM/2 presents you with a dialog that allows you to select the method of
extraction, add masks for files to extract, tweak the command line for exotic
settings, and select the extraction directory (the directory to which the files
will be extracted. You can drag file system objects onto the Extract Directory
entryfield to set the extraction directory, or you can type in one you like, or
click the Walk button.
If you check the Remember... checkbox, this dialog will remember some of its
settings for the next time you use it. Uncheck it and it'll forget them and
use the defaults.
Click Okay to begin extracting from the archive, or Cancel if you change your
mind.
You can also extract files from the archive in the Archive Container window
using that window's menus; double-click an archive file in an FM/2 main window
to view the archive listing.
Notes:
I have a copy of ARC.EXE here that's 'broken' in that it won't extract files
unless given a DOS filemask (for instance, to extract all files you need to
enter *.* (not *) in the masks field). FM/2 normally gives no filemasks as the
argument when you want to extract everything, which every other archiver in the
world understands.
The ZIP/UNZIP programs are case sensitive even though OS/2 itself is not, so,
for example, trying to extract "*.PKT" when the file inside the archive is
"01234567.pkt" will fail to extract the file -- you'd have to use "*.pkt". If
in doubt, use both.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.11. Build an archive ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To build an archive, select some files, then select Archive from a context
menu. You can add files to an existing archive by link-dragging them onto the
archive object, or dragging them onto an Archive Container window.
FM/2 will ask you for the type of the archive by presenting you with a listbox
from which to pick an archiver. After that, another dialog appears to let you
modify how the archive will be created. Additional masks may be entered
(remember that the ZIP and UNZIP programs are case sensitive), the archiver
command line tweaked, and so forth. Click Okay to create the archive, or Cancel
if you change your mind.
Note that the archive name may be an existing archive, in which case it's
modified by adding the new files. If some of the files are already in the
archive, they're replaced.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.12. Extended Attributes ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog allows you to view and edit text Extended Attributes (EAs) for an
object. Binary EAs may be viewed but not edited. You'd have to be the sort
who enjoys programming on a hex keypad to want to edit a binary EA...
There are three types of EAs that FM/2 can view and edit (the only three types
that have meaning to humans):
ASCII EAs are shown in an entry field.
Multi-value single-type EAs are shown in an MLE control if the type is text.
Each line represents one 'record' of the EA.
Multi-value mult-type EAs are also shown in an MLE control if all types are
text. Each line represents one 'record' of the EA.
In general, if you don't know the purpose of an EA you shouldn't change it. In
particular, EA names beginning with a period (i.e. .TYPE), as these EAs are
used by the WPS. An exception is the .SUBJECT EA, for which FM/2 provides a
special context menu item. This EA is used to store a simple text description
of an object. FM/2's details views can show this description and allow you to
direct-edit it.
To view a particular EA, select its name in the listbox in the middle of the
dialog. The EA type will be shown on a text field toward the bottom of the
dialog, and if it's a human-editable type the appropriate control will appear
to display it; otherwise, a hex dump is shown in a listbox. If you edit the EA,
a Change button can be clicked to save your changes. You can delete EAs, but do
so with extreme caution and at your own risk. Otherwise, click Okay when done.
If you're viewing EAs for more than one object, you can change the current
object by scrolling the listbox containing the names of the objects at the top
of the dialog.
See EAUTIL in OS/2's Command Reference for more information on EAs and how to
manipulate them. Note that this dialog is not meant to be a full-featured
super-powerful EA editor (though it does a decent job with text EAs). You can
use Config->Edit Commands to add such an external EA editor to a list of
commands that you can run on selected files, if desired.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.12.1. Adding an Extended Attribute ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To add an extended attribute (EA), enter its name in the top entry field, then
select a type for it from the radio buttons. Click Okay to create it, Cancel
to abort.
OS/2 defines several Standard Extended Attributes (SEAs):
.ASSOCTABLE is a multi-value multi-type (MVMT) EA. FM/2 will not create one of
these, but you can with the Association page of a program object in the WPS.
.CLASSINFO is a binary attribute. FM/2 will not create one of these, but the
WPS does automagically as required.
.ICON is an icon attribute. FM/2 will not create one of these via the EA
dialog, but you can change the icon of a file system object in other, more
direct, ways with FM/2.
.CODEPAGE is an attribute (don't know the type). FM/2 won't make one.
.TYPE is an MVMT attribute (see a file object's Type Settings page).
.SUBJECT is an ASCII attribute (see a file object's File page). This describes
the object. FM/2 makes use of these for you.
.COMMENTS is an MVMT attribute (see a file object's third File page).
.KEYPHRASES is an MVMT attribute (see a file object's third File page). OS/2
documentation incorrectly describes this as an MVST, but the WPS objects create
MVMTs.
.HISTORY is an MVMT attribute (see a file object's third File page).
.LONGNAME is an ASCII attribute that gives the full name of a file when stored
on a file system that doesn't support long filenames (like FAT). Sometimes
you'll see them even on files stored on HPFS drives, which doesn't make much
sense to me, but there you are.
.VERSION is an ASCII attribute that gives some sort of version information.
When creating attributes of your own, you should not begin them with a period.
Try using a convention like "JOES.ATTRIBUTE" (yourname.attribtag) to make sure
it doesn't conflict with the WPS or any apps you may run.
.SUBJECT, .COMMENTS and .KEYPHRASES can be modified, deleted and added by the
user without problem. The other standard EAs are the domain of apps and the
WPS and should be left alone. You can, of course, create your own EAs and
manipulate them with REXX or other types of programs.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.13. Total size of directories ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog's container contains a breakdown of disk usage for a directory and
its subdirectories. The container is reached by selecting Totals from a tree
directory's context menu.
The container displays a tree view of a directory and all its subdirectories.
Expand and Collapse buttons allow you to quickly open and close branches of the
tree. After the container has completely filled, each record displays the
object's name and four numbers, as in:
D:\ADIR 8.024% (4096k + 8192k = 12288k)
The first number is the percentage of the used space this directory contains,
in relation to the total used space on the drive. The second is the number of
kilobytes occupied by the directory and any files and subdirectories it
contains. The third number indicates the total number of kilobytes occupied by
all subdirectories and their files and subdirectories. The last number is the
total of the first and third (addition performed on byte count before rounding
to kilobytes).
It is possible for either of the second or third numbers to be larger than the
other, and possible for both to be 0. The percentage figure is given to the
nearest thousandth.
The totals reflect the size of files and extended attributes. Due to minimum
allocation units on the disk, more space may be physically allocated than is
accounted for in the totals. The text field just above the pushbuttons gives
you stats that _do_ take allocation units into account. Also be aware that
directories containing more than 0 bytes but less than 1024 bytes will be
displayed as containing 1k (1 kilobyte, equal to 1024 bytes) so that you know
that a 0k figure denotes a directory with a truly 0 byte count.
This is a quick way to see where your disk space has gone.
Hint: You can get a printout of this information by entering PRN as the name
of the Save file.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.14. System Pointer Manipulation ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog is reached from the context menu of the icon in a file system
object Information dialog.
Set the radio button of the system pointer you want to change. Then click
Okay. Click Cancel to abort if you change your mind.
Changes to system pointers are persistent (they stick around even when FM/2 is
no longer running).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.15. Object Container ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog allows you to select a new folder (directory) to hold objects that
FM/2 creates. By default it is <WP_DESKTOP>. FM/2 tries to find the directory
being used as the desktop folder first in the OS/2 system INI, and if that
fails, uses the directory \DESKTOP on your boot drive as the "desktop window
object" directory -- this is the OS/2 2.1+ default. I suppose future versions
of OS/2 could break this and make an update necessary, but IBM seems to think
(though won't guarantee) it should always work.
A button labelled Desktop allows you to restore the default <WP_DESKTOP>
setting. This will work whether the above fails or not.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.16. Quick Tree ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Quick Tree dialog displays a container showing all the subdirectories of
the directory currently displayed by a Directory Container window (or one of
its subdirectories, depending on how you picked the command).
If you select one of these subdirectories, the Directory Container window will
switch to look into that directory. You can click Cancel if you change your
mind.
This might be useful when you want to move to the bottom of a long subdirectory
chain in one step.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11.17. Selection ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Shift+F8 accelerator calls up the Select menu for a given container. You
can also, of course, get to it with the mouse via the Views menu.
What follows is an item-by-item description of the commands in the Select menu.
Where both Select and Deselect commands are available, only the Select command
will be discussed to save space and avoid repetition.
Select All Selects all objects in a container. Deselect All has an accelerator
^\.
Select All Files Selects all the file objects in a container. The accelerator
key ^/ is assigned to this command.
Select All Dirs Selects all the directory objects in a container. The
accelerator key ^? is assigned to this command (same as for Select All Files
with the addition of the Shift key). Deselect All Dirs has an accelerator ^|
(same as Deselect All with the addition of the Shift key).
Select Mask Allows you to select files that match a filemask. The same dialog
is used for this command that's used for the Filter command. When you first
initiate this command, FM/2 fills in a default mask built from the current
object's name. So, to quickly select all the *.BAK files in a container, you
could select one of the files, then type ^= (the accelerator assigned to Select
Mask) and press [Enter] to accept the default filemask built by FM/2 (*.BAK).
Select clipboard If the OS/2 clipboard contains a list of files (such as can
be created with the Save to clipboard command), you can select any files
present in both the container and the list with this command. The accelerator
for this command is ^]. The accelerator for the Deselect clipboard command is
^}.
Select List If you've saved a list to a file (such as can be created with the
Save to list file command), you can select any files present in both the
listfile and the container with this command.
Reselect This command causes the container to reselect the last selected
items. The accelerator is ^'.
Invert selection Selects what isn't, deselects what is. In other words,
reverses the current selection set.
Compare selections
FM/2 provides Directory Containers with special selection commands that can be
used to select file objects based on their relationship to file objects in
other open Directory Containers. These commands are extremely powerful tools
that can let you, for instance, compare two directories to see what's different
about them. See also Compare Directories.
Select if in all This command selects any file objects that exist in all open
Directory Containers.
Select if in more than one Selects any file objects that exist in more than
one open Directory Containers.
Select if in one Selects any file objects that exist in only one open
Directory Container.
Select newest Selects the newest file objects that exist in more than one open
Directory Container.
Select oldest Selects the oldest file objects that exist in more than one open
Directory Container.
Select largest Selects the largest file objects that exist in more than one
open Directory Container.
Select smallest Selects the smallest file objects that exist in more than one
open Directory Container.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. Folder Button ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Folder buttons appear on directory and archive containers at the top center of
the window (below the title bar). They provide several shortcuts for their
containers.
Behavior for each type of container is as follows:
Directory containers:
B1:
Go to parent directory
B1+CTRL or B2:
Go to previous directory
B1+SHIFT:
Walk directories
B1+ALT:
Child window dialog
B3 or Chord:
Rescan directory
B2+CTRL
Quick Tree
Archive containers:
B1 or B2:
Walk directories
B1+ALT:
Child window dialog
B3 or Chord:
Rescan archive
You can also drag a file or directory object onto the folder button. In
directory containers, the directory "switches" to "look at" the directory of
the dropped object. In archive containers, the extract directory changes to
that of the directory of the dropped object. This means that, for instance,
you can set the extract directory for an archive to the same directory that the
archive is in by dragging from a recessed text field next to the folder button
(which drags the archive itself) and dropping it on the folder button. Here you
can see the folder button in a Visual Directory (VDIR.EXE) centered between two
recessed text status windows just under the titlebar. The type of view shown
here is Icon view.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. Archive Container ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Archive Container windows presents you with a list of an archive's contents.
The menus available here present you with commands which you can perform on
selected files and the archive as a whole, as well as the usual configuration
of the window's appearance. You get here by double- clicking an archive file
in an FM/2 Directory Container window.
Archive Container windows have their own sorting method, accessible via a
context menu requested over whitespace (the Views menu).
Besides the container showing the archive contents and a couple of
informational fields above that, there's an entry field at the bottom of the
window that shows the current extract directory. This is the directory in
which any extracted files will be placed. (Extraction refers to copying files
from the archive onto your disk as normal files.) To change the extract
directory, enter a new directory into the entry field (if it doesn't already
exist you'll get an option to create it), drag a directory onto the entry
field, or click the folder button with B1.
You can drag files onto the Archive Container's listing to add them to the
archive, and you can drag files from the archive to an FM/2 directory window.
OS/2's drag and drop "rendering" mechanism would make this painfully slow for
any other application's window, as each file is processed individually (imagine
extracting each file in an archive by typing a separate command line for each
to get an idea how slow it would be). The menu extract items allow optimizing
extraction so that only one "pass" needs to be done (note that Files->Extract
must also deal with the OS/2 command line length restriction of 1024 bytes, so
if you want to extract all the files in a large archive, Files->Extract All is
a superior choice), and the internal drag to an FM/2 Directory Container window
... well, cheats, to get around it.
You can get a popup menu in the container by pressing B2.
Following is a discussion of the pull-down menus:
Files Menu
View causes FM/2 to extract the file(s) to a temporary directory and display
it/them. If, for some reason, the files don't appear when you attempt to view
them, try Testing the archive.
Edit works as above but the file(s) are loaded into the configured editor
instead of being viewed. File(s) can then be Refreshed back into the archive.
Note: Do not attempt to Refresh files that were stored with pathnames. The
pathname will either be lost or an additional file without pathname will be
stored (depending on the archiver's behavior).
Extract causes FM/2 to extract the selected file(s) to the extract directory.
Extract w/ Dirs causes FM/2 to extract the selected file(s) to the extract
directory in such a way that, if directories have been included with the
filenames, the directories are recreated.
Delete causes FM/2 to delete the selected file(s) from the archive.
Exec causes FM/2 to extract all selected files to a temporary directory and
then runs the cursored file. If you pick this from a popup menu, that would be
the file under the mouse pointer when you requested the popup. This allows you
to select DLLs, help files, data files, etc. required to get the application to
run correctly as well as the executable file.
Print causes FM/2 to extract and print selected files. This uses the FM/2
printing method, not the OS/2 printer objects (see Config->Printer in an FM/2
main window's pulldown menu).
Find causes FM/2 to scan the extract directory for any files matching the names
of the selected files within the archive and Collect them if found.
Virus Scan causes FM/2 to extract the selected files and then run the
configured virus checker. See the internal Settings notebook's Files/Dirs
page.
Extract All extracts all files from the archive to the extract directory.
Extract All & Exit does the same thing but closes the archive listing window
after starting the extraction.
Extract All w/ Dirs does the same thing including any enclosed directories
(i.e. files are extracted into the directories they were archived "with," if
any, rather than all going into the extract directory). Extract All w/ Dirs &
Exit does the same thing but closes the archive listing window after starting
the extraction. (Note that if all you want to do to an archive is extract from
it, you can do so without ever opening a contents box; just pull up a context
menu on the archive in an FM/2 main window and select Extract. This is the
fastest and most efficient method of extracting files from an archive.)
Test tests the archive's integrity.
FM/2's archive viewer can be caused to run outside the FM/2 main window by the
following association:
Mask: *.ZIP;*.ARC;*.LZH;*.ARJ;*.ZOO;*.HA Command line: <d:\path\>AV2.EXE %a
or, if you've associated AV2.EXE with archives in the WPS (FM/2's INSTALL does
this for you if you don't request otherwise), use the above mask with the
command line: <>
See also:
Editing Archiver Details
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.1. Editing Archiver Details ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog box, which you can reach from the Config menu, allows you to edit
the details of an archiver. Entry boxes are present for all the twenty one
fields represented in ARCHIVER.BB2 (the text file that contains control
information about your archivers which FM/2 uses to interface with the
archivers). It's probably easier for most people to edit ARCHIVER.BB2 directly
with a text editor.
NOTE: The simplest method to ensure that your archivers work properly with
FM/2 is to make sure they're in a directory named in your PATH= statement, and
check the names of the files to make sure they match what's on your system
(i.e. UNZIP.EXE in both ARCHIVER.BB2 and on your hard disk, not UNZIP.EXE in
one and UNZIP32.EXE in another).
In the event that you attempt to list an archive and FM/2 feels you've probably
bungled the entry in ARCHIVER.BB2, you'll be given an opportunity to use this
dialog to fix the entry. In this case, you'll see the listbox at the right of
the dialog filled with the listing of the archive that your archiver made. You
can highlight a line and click the << button next to the Start List or End List
fields to move the line to that entry field (these are the most common
mistakes, and FM/2 cannot find any files if the Start List string is wrong).
You can double-click on a listbox line to have FM/2 "parse" it into the Fld#
text boxes for you, to make it easier to judge field positions for sizes,
dates, and filenames. The filename field in particular is extremely important.
If it's too high, FM/2 finds no files. If it's "in range" but wrong, FM/2 gets
the wrong fields for filenames.
You may still need to refer to your archiver's documentation, or run it to get
the help on its command syntax. FM/2 can't do everything for you, but it holds
your hand as best it can.
Refer to the ARCHIVER.BB2 file that came with FM/2 for additional information
and an example.
When you've completed editing the archiver's details, click Okay. FM/2 will
ask you if you want to rewrite ARCHIVER.BB2 (be sure you save the original copy
for its complete notes; FM/2 will back it up one version to ARCHIVER.BAK). If
you don't rewrite ARCHIVER.BB2, changes are good only for the current session
(handy for testing).
You can also get to this dialog box from Select Files' Config submenu.
See also:
Archiver Details Fields
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.1.1. Archiver Details Fields ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ID This field contains an ID for the archiver; something for human
consumption. It's a good idea to include the version number of the archiver
for reference. An example might be "LHArc 2.11".
Add This field should contain the command that creates and adds files to an
archive. An example might be "PKZIP.EXE -a" (NOTE: This example assumes the
file is on your PATH (see PATH= in CONFIG.SYS). If it's not, you'd need to give
a full pathname, like "C:\UTILS\PKZIP.EXE -a".) Note that commands should
include the extension so that FM/2 can check them without guessing. Above this
field is a button labeled "See." If clicked, the program named in this field
will be run (you'll be given the opportunity to add arguments to the command
line) in another window. This lets you check command syntax and archiver
version, as well as assuring that FM/2 can find your archiver executables.
Move This field should contain the command that moves files to the archive
(adds then deletes the file). An example might be "ARC.EXE mwn".
Extension This field contains the extension normally associated with files
created by this archiver. An example might be "ZOO" for files created by the
Zoo archiver.
Extract This field contains the command that extracts files from the archive.
This command should not delete the files from the archive when it extracts
them, and *must* be present for FM/2 to show you a member of the archive
(commands other than Extract and List may be left blank if necessary). An
example might be "PKUNZIP.EXE -o". Note the "-o" option given; this tells
PKUNZIP to automatically overwrite any existing files (FM/2 will check to see
if any of the files exist and warn you if so). It's important to always
include your archiver's "don't stop for user input" option; some things occur
as detached processes and you can't interact with them; the program would be
hung, which is uncool. Above this field is a button labeled "See." If clicked,
the program named in this field will be run (you'll be given the opportunity to
add arguments to the command line) in another window. This lets you check
command syntax and archiver version.
Extract w/Dirs This field contains the command that extracts files from the
archive and places them into directories embedded in the archive. An example
might be "LH.EXE x /o /s".
Signature This field contains the signature for the archive type. There is
usually a byte or few in a particular place in any archive that indicates that
it is, indeed, an archive of that type. FM/2 uses these signatures to "sniff
out" which archiver is used to manipulate the archive. Since these signatures
sometimes contain characters which are "unprintable," you can use \x<hexnum> to
represent any "strange" characters. A side effect of this is that two
backslashes are required to represent a single backslash ("\\" == "\"). See
C-style encoding for more information.
To determine what an archiver's signature is, either ask the archiver's author
or check several different archives of the type for one or more bytes present
in each at the same location, usually near the beginning of the file.
This field must be entered and valid for FM/2 to detect this type of archive
(see also Sig(nature) Pos(ition)).
List This field contains the command to list the archive's contents. This
command *must* be present and correct for FM/2 to work properly with this type
of archive. An example might be "ZOO.EXE v".
Test This field contains the command to test the archive's integrity. An
example might be "PKUNZIP.EXE -t".
Add with paths This field contains the command to add files to the archiver
with their paths (i.e. \FM3\FM3.EXE instead of just FM3.EXE). This can be
omitted if the archiver doesn't support the command. An example might be
"ZIP.EXE" (Zip defaults to adding paths).
Move with paths As above, but moves the files instead of just adding them. An
example might be "PKZIP -m -P".
Add and recurse Adds files to the archive, with paths, and recurses into
subdirectories. An example might be "LH a /s".
Delete This field contains the command to delete files from the archive. An
example might be "LH.EXE /o /d".
Sig(nature) Pos(ition) This field contains a number indicating how many bytes
into the file the signature is located. If this number is negative, FM/2 looks
from the end of the file instead of the beginning.
F(ile)Name Pos(ition) This field tells FM/2 which field on the line of an
archive listing is the filename. Fields are numbered from 0. This field must
be present and correct for FM/2 to get the right filenames from the archive
listing. A -1 in this field tells FM/2 to use the last field in the archive
listing line for the filename.
To understand what "field on the line of an archive listing" means, think of a
text line as being broken up into tokens, or words, separated by spaces. These
tokens, or words, are fields. Therefore,
I like Ike.
contains three fields. Field 0 is "I", field 1 is "like", and field 3 is
"Ike."
OldS(i)z(e) Pos(ition) This field tells FM/2 which field on the line of an
archive listing is the old (uncompressed) size of the file. If this isn't
available or you don't care about it, you can enter a -1 to disable detection
of this field entirely.
NewS(i)z(e) Pos(ition) This field tells FM/2 which field on the line of an
archive listing is the new (compressed) size of the file. If this isn't
available or you don't care about it, you can enter a -1 to disable detection
of this field entirely.
Date Pos(ition) This field tells FM/2 which field on the line of an archive
listing is where the time/datestring is. If this isn't available or you don't
care about it, you can enter a -1 to disable detection of this field entirely.
NumDateF(ie)lds This field tells FM/2 how many fields comprise the
time/datestring.
Here's an example of an ARC listing (5.12mpl, command "ARC l"; you may need to
widen the help windows for this to look right...):
Name Length Date
============ ======== ========= <--this line is start-of-list
MAKEFILE 374 28 Nov 89
QSORT.C 14279 29 Nov 89
QSORT.EXE 24629 29 Nov 89
STUFF.H 371 29 Nov 89
==== ======== <--this line is end-of-list
Total 4 39653
Note the filename is in position 0, old length in position 1, and the date
starts in position 2, with 3 parts, and there's no new length field (so it'd be
-1). Compare that to the archiver entry for ARC 5.12mpl in the "stock"
ARCHIVER.BB2 and you should get a feel for what all those fields mean.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13.2. Archive Errors ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Sometimes FM/2 can't get information from the archiver about an archive. There
are a couple of reasons this could happen: The information in ARCHIVER.BB2 may
be incorrect for the archive type, or the archive may be damaged. Possibly the
file "smelled" like an archive but wasn't.
When this happens, this dialog appears. You'll be given as much information as
possible, including the text of what the archiver had to say about the archive
when it was asked to list its contents, presented in an MLE, and allowed three
choices: Edit the archiver details, Test the archive (if you have told FM/2
how to test archives with this archiver in ARCHIVER.BB2), or Cancel the whole
thing.
Generally speaking, first Test the archive. If the archive is okay or if the
test won't run at all, the problem is most likely in your archive information
record in ARCHIVER.BB2.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 14. Editing Commandline ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Enter any optional arguments to the program here as you would on the command
line. Remember that, when passing commands to a command processor such as
CMD.EXE, like DIR, it's CMD.EXE /C DIR, not just CMD.EXE DIR.
Full Screen, Maximized, Minimized, Invisible, Default: control how the program
will be run. Default is usually in a window with OS/2 controlling the size of
the initial window. Note that PM programs will always run on the desktop in a
window and programs marked full screen only will always run in a full screen
session. This corresponds to START /FS, /MAX, /MIN, /I or just START.
Keep when done: determines whether the window will remain until you close it,
or go away when the command completes. It's like START /K. For reasons of
safety (too complex to explain briefly) you aren't allowed to Keep a DOS
session; this flag is ignored for DOS executables.
The Environment MLE control lets you enter environment strings for the program
to inherit. Generally speaking, this is only for running DOS programs as any
strings entered here are interpreted as DOS settings. For example,
IDLE_SECONDS=5 would adjust the DOS setting IDLE_SECONDS to 5. Names of DOS
settings are as shown in the Settings notebook for a DOS program.
Tech note: FM/2 picks the directory in which to start the process using the
following criteria:
If the executable contains a path, FM/2 uses that directory.
Otherwise, if the first filename argument contains a path, FM/2 uses that
directory.
Otherwise, FM/2 uses its default directory.
See also (in the online Command Reference CMDREF.INF):
CMD.EXE
START command
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 15. Walk Drives ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This dialog lets you pick a directory by "walking" through the directory
structure of your drives. It also lets you save and recall user-defined
directories.
On the left is a listbox containing all your drive letters. If you select a
drive, the directories on that drive fill the center listbox.
If you double-click one of these directories, any subdirectories of that
directory are displayed, as well as a special directory named ".." which is
actually the previous (parent) directory. In this manner you can walk to any
directory on any drive.
The listbox on the right of the window (User List) contains only directories
that you add to it. To add a directory, click Add when the desired directory
name is displayed in the entry field at the bottom of the window. To delete a
directory, highlight it and click Delete. To switch to one of these
user-defined directories, highlight it and click Okay or double-click the
directory. You can add up to 100 directories.
When the desired directory is displayed in the bottom entry field of the
dialog, click Okay to exit. Click Cancel to exit without selecting a
directory.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 16. Checking Lists ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
On occasion you may be asked to check a list of objects. You'll be presented
with a list of highlighted objects in a listbox. To remove an object from the
list, unhighlight it (hint: hold down the CTRL key while clicking to
unhighlight a single item). When you've got the list the way you want it,
click Okay. Click Cancel to abort the action.
Since this dialog may appear for more than one reason, additional information
is provided in a multline text field below the listbox.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 17. Drag and drop dialog ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
If you have the "Drag&Drop Dialog" toggle on, this dialog appears when you drop
files onto an FM/2 Directory Container or object within one, or onto a
directory object in the Drive Tree, or onto an object in the Collector. You
can then pick the action to be performed from the buttons below the listbox.
You can remove an object from the listbox if you've changed your mind about
including it in the action (hint: hold down the CTRL key while clicking to
unhighlight a single item).
The +Rename toggle causes Copy and Move operations to allow you to change the
name of the destination using the standard Rename dialog.
The Shadow toggle causes Object to create Shadow objects instead of "real"
objects. Directory objects are always created as Shadow objects.
Note that creating Shadows in directories not under the Desktop folder probably
isn't desireable.
The Launch button causes FM/2 to bring up the Execute dialog to run the target
of the drop with the dragged objects as arguments.
Drag and drop dialog shown about to initiate a rename operation.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 18. Internal Viewer/Editor ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The internal viewer/editor is an extremely simplistic MLE window. It is
strongly recommended that you replace it with a better one via the Settings
Notebook's Program Setup page. The reasons are simple: a product designed
specifically and exclusively for editting will generally do a better job, and
MLEs tend to be sluggish when loading anything larger than about 58K.
Suggestions: EPM (which comes with OS/2), or QEdit for OS/2 (an excellent and
inexpensive text-mode editor from Semware highly recommended, and used, by
FM/2's author) or Visual Slickedit by Microedge, PM and more powerful (and, of
course, more expensive) than QEdit. There are many other editors, freeware,
shareware and shrinkwrap, available, I simply listed those with which I have
some familiarity and feel I can recommend as very good software.
There's another internal viewer (no editor) which is used as the default for
viewing in FM/2.
The internal viewer/editor creates a window for each file being viewed/ edited.
The Windows->Dialog dialog can be used to quickly close several windows at once
or find a particular window and bring it to the front.
Note that when saving files the editor formats the file so that it appears as
it does in the MLE. The appearance of a file can be different in the MLE or in
the created disk file depending on various settings under the editor's
Config->Format Control, notably Wrap. Be sure you have these settings right
for the way you want the resultant file to look.
When the viewer/editor is in readonly (viewing) mode, several menu items are
disabled to prevent you from changing the file by accident.
See also:
Codepages
Hex dumps The dialog that appears when you elect to change the viewer/editor's
font.
The viewer/editor itself.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 19. Internal Viewer ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The internal viewer is used to view files unless you have an external viewing
program defined in the internal Settings notebook's Files/Dirs page, or the New
internal viewer checkbox in the internal Settings notebook's Toggles 2 page
off. This viewer loads and displays a one megabyte text file in less than two
seconds on a 486/66. The "old" viewer loads large text files considerably more
slowly, but you might want to use it anyway; your choice.
Both hex and ASCII (plain text) display modes are supported, and a variety of
text sizes. These controls are under the View pulldown submenu.
Selected lines are displayed in reverse video (white text on a black
background). The current line has a ">" pointing at it in the left margin.
Single selections and swipe selections are supported, as well as select and
deselect all (under the Select pulldown submenu) and select/deselect all
"found" lines (see Search below). Keyboard selection is performed with the
spacebar, or you can hold down the Shift key while moving the cursored
selection with the arrow keys. Discontiguous lines can be selected.
If you double-click a line in the viewer window, a listbox appears above the
text containing that line. Select (single-click) the line in the listbox and
the viewer window will scroll to that line -- a sort of instant bookmarking
facility. To remove a line from this bookmark listbox, double-click it in the
listbox.
The Clipboard pulldown submenu allows you to save selected lines to the
clipboard or a file. Warning: Warp appears to have a 64K limit to the size of
text that can be placed in the clipboard. You can also save lines that you've
double-clicked into the bookmark listbox. When you write lines to a file, you
append to the file (if it already exists).
When you search for text in the file, you can search for more than one "phrase"
at a time. Each line you fill into the MLE on the Search->Find text dialog is
a separate search string. You can also search case sensitively (i.e. 'A'
doesn't match 'a'), translate C-like \-encoded characters (\r = a carriage
return, for example -- useful when searching binary files), and/or select lines
as they're found by checking the appropriate checkboxes on the Find First
dialog. All matching lines are displayed in red. The Search->Next found line
command moves to the next highlighted line in the file (from the current
position), and Search->Previous found line moves to the previous highlighted
line. Colors are configurable.
The "new" internal viewer contained within the main FM/2 window.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 19.1. Codepages ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
FM/2 will allow you to change the codepage (character set) in use in the
internal viewer by selecting a codepage from the listbox. The codepage must be
one of those supported in your CONFIG.SYS (see CODEPAGE in the online OS/2
command reference).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 19.2. Hex Dumps ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Hex dumps show two hexadecimal digits (0-9 and a-f represent 0 to 15 decimal in
hexadecimal (base 16) representation) for each byte of data followed by the
actual data (some data may be unrepresentable in the current control and
therefore displayed as a period):.
0000 0a 0d 46 4d 2f 32 0a 0d ..FM/2..
This is a common method for representing binary data (as opposed to text, or
ASCII, data) for human viewing.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 19.3. C-style \encoding ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
In many areas, FM/2 allows you to use C-style backslash encoding (or more
properly "escaping") to give constants you normally couldn't enter into an
entry field or MLE. There are some differences from standard C escaping, so
pay attention.
The following escapes are permissible:
\\ single backslash character
\r carriage return (ASCII 13)
\n linefeed (ASCII 10)
\t tab (ASCII 9)
\b backspace (ASCII 8)
\a bell (ASCII 7)
\f formfeed (ASCII 12)
\' '
\" "
\27 escape character (ASCII 27; this is decimal encoding)
\x1b escape character (ASCII 27; this is hexadecimal encoding)
Therefore, "This\x20is\32a test of \\FM2\\SETENV.\r\n"
becomes "This is a test of \FM2\SETENV." (followed by a carriage return and
linefeed).
A hex dump of the above after conversion:
00000000 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 61 20 74 65 73 74 20 6f This is a test o
00000010 66 20 5c 46 4d 32 5c 53 45 54 45 4e 56 2e 0d 0a f \FM2\SETENV...
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 20. Hints ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This section contains hints about obscure functions, FM/2 "secrets" and other
rubbish.
With most video display drivers, chording a directory in the Drive Tree (or
clicking the middle button on a three button mouse) will cause FM/2 to open a
new FM/2 Directory Container window for that directory.
To set the label of a drive, pick Files->View->Info (^i accelerator) on the
root of the drive in the Drive Tree container (you'll find Format and Chkdsk in
that menu, too).
Remember, when using the internal editor (but don't, use your favorite editor
instead), FM/2 saves the file as it appears in the MLE. If you don't want long
lines wrapped (such as when editing CONFIG.SYS), turn wrap OFF before saving.
If you want to change the fonts used in the Walk Directories dialog, drop a new
font from the Font Palette onto a blank area of the dialog (not a control).
The new font will be used in the directory listboxes and path entry field the
next time you use the dialog.
To invoke an OS/2 WPS association rather than an FM/2 internal association, try
Open->Default from a context menu on the file object (F6 accelerator) or
holding down the CTRL key while double-clicking the object. Alternatively, use
<> as the command line for an association and it'll open the object's default
WPS view, which will run the program associated with the object under the WPS
if there is one.
If you periodically do something to the same set of files, you might consider
making a List of the files and Collecting them from that list file so you don't
have to reselect them when you want to manipulate them.
Using AV/2 from the WPS: Drag an archive file onto the AV/2 object; this opens
a view into the archive. Drag any files you want added to the archive into the
container; they're added to the archive.
You can add commands to FM/2's pulldown menus. Create a file in FM/2's
directory called FM3MENU.DAT. Here's a sample:
;
;Items listed in this file are added to FM/2's action bar (pulldown) menu.
;First word in a line MUST be MENUITEM. Next comes ID of command (see
;FM3TOOLS.DAT). Finally, the text to display on the menu for the command.
;
;Any line beginning with a semi-colon, like this one, is a comment.
;
MENUITEM 1023 V~iew
MENUITEM 1024 ~Edit
MENUITEM 1010 I~nfo
MENUITEM 1009 ~Attrs
MENUITEM 1017 ~Open
MENUITEM 1006 ~Kill
If you want to set the extract directory in an Archive Container to the same
directory as the archive is in, start a drag from one of the recessed text
fields next to the Folder button and drop onto the Folder button. If you
always want the extract directory to be the same as the directory in which the
archive resides, enter * in the Ext. Path field of the internal Settings
Notebook's Files/Dirs page.
If a container is in Details view, and if the titles above the columns are
turned on, you can hold down ALT and click a title to cause the container to
sort on that field (assuming the field is one of those on which FM/2 will sort
-- filename, size, EA size, and dates are all valid).
In the See all files window, if you've scanned in several drives, you can limit
the list to one or more of those drives without rescanning by using a filter
mask containing the drive. For instance, a filter mask of "F:\*" will
constrain the listing to files on the F: drive. Similarly, you can view all
the files in C:\OS2 and subdirectories with the filter "C:\OS2\*".
Old DOS hands will know this, but you can enter PRN when you want output to go
to a printer rather than a disk file.
The first (lefthand) status line reacts in special ways to some mouse actions.
Requesting a context menu gets a combination of the Config and Windows
submenus. Click MB2 and drag, and the Drive Tree will be brought to the top of
the heap and made active, and restored if it was minimized. Chord the mouse and
the Child window dialog will appear.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 21. Registration ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To register FM/2 (required after an initial 30 day evaluation period), send
$40.00 US for a personal registration, $80.00 US for a commercial registration
to:
M. Kimes
542 Merrick
Shreveport, LA 71104 USA
(BBS Number: (318)222-3455)
(Fidonet address: Fidonet#1:380/16.0)
(Compuserve: 74601,1327 or GO OS2SHARE for FM/2 support)
There's a REGISTER.TXT file in the distribution archive to help you make sure
you provide the right information to get your personalized registration as you
like it (see also the license at the bottom of the READ.ME). Registration
involves a registration number generated from the information you provide and a
few other variables you'll receive along with it. You can then use the online
registration dialog to register your copy of FM/2.
(If you were wondering, "Barebones Software" is just me.)
Registration entitles you to free upgrades for at least one year from the time
your FM/2 registration number was mailed. If you order the optional diskette
package ($10.00 more), you also get a copy of the newest verison of FM/2 and a
registration program you can run to avoid having to fill in the online
registration dialog (this registration is retained even if you accidentally
delete FM3.INI!). However, I do not recommend that overseas users order the
new disk, as the postal service seems to quickly lose anything that's not in a
standard sized envelope if it crosses a large body of water -- perhaps it makes
the planes too heavy (grumble).
Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery via Snail Mail if you order the diskette; serial
numbers can be sent almost immediately if you include a Compuserve address.
Feel free to use the unregistered version while you wait, without guilt --
there are no restrictions and only minimal reminders.
FM/2 may also be registered on CIS (go SWREG). Its database number is 2859
(personal) or 4228 (commercial). Note that only diskless registrations may be
obtained from CIS and that the cost is a bit higher to allow CIS a cut of the
action.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 21.1. Online Registration ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
If your copy of FM/2 is unregistered, the main window has a Register command.
Selecting this command leads to a dialog that allows you to apply the
information that you sent in when registering FM/2.
In the mail you received a registration number, date and version number. Insert
these into the appropriate fields (Reg. Number:, Date: and Version:
respectively). The Name: and Address: fields are identical to those you mailed
in with your check when registering; fill them in exactly as you did when
registering. Don't include any enclosing quotation marks.
The Nodes: field is how many copies you registered; normally this would be one
(commercial users who ordered multiple registrations may be able to fill in
more than one for this to allow more than one copy to run concurrently and
possibly obtain a quantity discount). If you ordered a commercial
registration, check the Commercial checkbox.
Finally, press the [Enter] key or click Okay. If you filled in the fields
appropriately, FM/2 tells you that you are now registered and the Register
command vanishes from the main menu. Check the About box under the Help menu.
And thanks for registering FM/2!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 22. OS/2 error list ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Following are a list of errors you might occassionally see from OS/2, and what
they mean:
2 ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND
File not found.
3 ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND
Path not found.
4 ERROR_TOO_MANY_OPEN_FILES
Too many open files
(no handles left).
5 ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED
Access denied.
6 ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE
Invalid handle.
11 ERROR_BAD_FORMAT
Invalid format.
15 ERROR_INVALID_DRIVE
Invalid drive specified.
16 ERROR_CURRENT_DIRECTORY
Attempting to remove
current directory.
18 ERROR_NO_MORE_FILES
No more files.
19 ERROR_WRITE_PROTECT
Attempt to write on
write-protected diskette.
20 ERROR_BAD_UNIT
Unknown unit.
21 ERROR_NOT_READY
Drive not ready.
23 ERROR_CRC
Data error (CRC).
25 ERROR_SEEK
Seek error.
26 ERROR_NOT_DOS_DISK
Unknown media type.
27 ERROR_SECTOR_NOT_FOUND
Sector not found.
28 ERROR_OUT_OF_PAPER
Printer out of paper.
29 ERROR_WRITE_FAULT
Write fault.
30 ERROR_READ_FAULT
Read fault.
31 ERROR_GEN_FAILURE
General failure.
32 ERROR_SHARING_VIOLATION
Sharing violation.
33 ERROR_LOCK_VIOLATION
Lock violation.
34 ERROR_WRONG_DISK
Invalid disk change.
35 ERROR_FCB_UNAVAILABLE
FCB unavailable.
36 ERROR_SHARING_BUFFER_EXCEEDED
Sharing buffer overflow.
50 ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED
Network request not supported.
65 ERROR_NETWORK_ACCESS_DENIED
Access denied.
80 ERROR_FILE_EXISTS
File exists.
82 ERROR_CANNOT_MAKE
Cannot make directory entry.
84 ERROR_OUT_OF_STRUCTURES
Too many redirections.
85 ERROR_ALREADY_ASSIGNED
Duplicate redirection.
88 ERROR_NET_WRITE_FAULT
Network device fault.
99 ERROR_DEVICE_IN_USE
Device in use.
107 ERROR_DISK_CHANGE
Insert drive B disk into
drive A.
108 ERROR_DRIVE_LOCKED
Drive locked by another
process.
110 ERROR_OPEN_FAILED
Open/create failed due
to explicit fail command.
112 ERROR_DISK_FULL
Not enough space on the disk.
113 ERROR_NO_MORE_SEARCH_HANDLES
Cannot allocate another
search structure and handle.
118 ERROR_INVALID_VERIFY_SWITCH
Invalid value passed for
verify flag.
123 ERROR_INVALID_NAME
Illegal character or bad
file-system name.
124 ERROR_INVALID_LEVEL
Non-implemented level for
information retrieval or setting.
125 ERROR_NO_VOLUME_LABEL
No volume label found with
DosQFsInfo command.
130 ERROR_DIRECT_ACCESS_HANDLE
Handle operation invalid for
direct disk-access handles.
131 ERROR_NEGATIVE_SEEK
Attempting seek to negative
offset.
132 ERROR_SEEK_ON_DEVICE
Application trying to seek
on device or pipe.
133 ERROR_IS_JOIN_TARGET
Drive has previously joined
drives.
134 ERROR_IS_JOINED
Drive is already joined.
135 ERROR_IS_SUBSTED
Drive is already substituted.
136 ERROR_NOT_JOINED
Cannot delete drive that is
not joined.
137 ERROR_NOT_SUBSTED
Cannot delete drive that is
not substituted.
138 ERROR_JOIN_TO_JOIN
Cannot join to a joined drive.
139 ERROR_SUBST_TO_SUBST
Cannot substitute to a
substituted drive.
140 ERROR_JOIN_TO_SUBST
Cannot join to a substituted
drive.
141 ERROR_SUBST_TO_JOIN
Cannot substitute to a joined
drive.
142 ERROR_BUSY_DRIVE
Specified drive is busy.
143 ERROR_SAME_DRIVE
Cannot join or substitute a
drive to a directory on the
same drive.
144 ERROR_DIR_NOT_ROOT
Directory must be a
subdirectory of the root.
145 ERROR_DIR_NOT_EMPTY
Directory must be empty
to use join command.
146 ERROR_IS_SUBST_PATH
Path specified is being
used in a substitute.
147 ERROR_IS_JOIN_PATH
Path specified is being
used in join.
148 ERROR_PATH_BUSY
Path specified is being
used by another process.
149 ERROR_IS_SUBST_TARGET
Cannot join or substitute drive
having directory that is target
of a previous substitute.
154 ERROR_LABEL_TOO_LONG
Volume label too big.
161 ERROR_BAD_PATHNAME
Bad path name passed to exec.
166 ERROR_UNC_DRIVER_NOT_INSTALLED
Default redir return code
167 ERROR_LOCK_FAILED
Locking failed.
168 ERROR_SWAPIO_FAILED
Swap IO failed.
169 ERROR_SWAPIN_FAILED
Swap in failed.
170 ERROR_BUSY
Busy.
192 ERROR_EXE_MARKED_INVALID
EXE marked invalid - link
detected errors when
application created.
193 ERROR_BAD_EXE_FORMAT
Bad EXE format - file is
DOS mode program or
improper program.
206 ERROR_FILENAME_EXCED_RANGE
File name or extension
greater than "8.3" characters.
211 ERROR_INFO_NOT_AVAIL
File system information not
available for this file.
212 ERROR_LOCKED
Locked error.
250 ERROR_CIRCULARITY_REQUESTED
Renaming a directory that
would cause a circularity
problem.
251 ERROR_DIRECTORY_IN_CDS
Renaming a directory that is
in use.
252 ERROR_INVALID_FSD_NAME
Trying to access nonexistent FSD.
253 ERROR_INVALID_PATH
Bad pseudo device.
254 ERROR_INVALID_EA_NAME
Bad character in name, or
bad cbName.
255 ERROR_EA_LIST_INCONSISTENT
List does not match its size,
or bad EAs in list.
256 ERROR_EA_LIST_TOO_LONG
FEAList > 64K-1 bytes.
259 ERROR_NO_MORE_ITEMS
DosQFSAttach ordinal query.
260 ERROR_SEARCH_STRUC_REUSED
DOS mode findfirst/next search
structure reused.
263 ERROR_INVALID_ATTR
Invalid attribute.
266 ERROR_CANNOT_COPY
Cannot copy.
267 ERROR_DIRECTORY
Used by DOSCOPY in doscall1.
268 ERROR_OPLOCKED_FILE
Oplocked file.
270 ERROR_VOLUME_CHANGED
Volume changed.
275 ERROR_EAS_DIDNT_FIT
EAS didnt fit.