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Text File | 1990-10-14 | 22.8 KB | 376 lines

Version 0.62 of WAS.COM Copyright 1990 by Charles Lazo III All Rights Reserved WAS is a program that once loaded becomes memory resident. Thereafter it captures lines that scroll off the top of the screen to a scroll back buffer kept in expanded memory. If an attempt is made to reload WAS after it is once loaded it will buzz the speaker and state that WAS is already loaded. Only after an improper installation of WAS will you hear this buzzing sound. If the sound is heard at other times--after WAS has been successfully loaded-- then the sound denotes a bug in the program and WAS will probably not function properly after that. WAS will display upon a user's screen the content of previous screens/lines that have scrolled off the top of the screen. To perform this action WAS uses the Scroll Lock key. If other software in the system is also using this key, then such software and/or WAS may fail to operate properly. (Note, however, the descriptions of the '+' and '-' switches below.) WAS necessarily requires the use of EMS memory. It should work with EMS versions 3.2 and later, but it has only been tested on versions 3.2 and 4.0. Emulated EMS memory should work fine. WAS is "Gratisware", that is, software that while copyrighted, may be freely distributed. See the notice at the end of this document for the nature of the copyright restrictions. A disclaimer also applies to WAS. The author is not responsible for any damages that are caused by the use of the program whatever their nature. By using the software you agree to this provision. Having said that there is from the author's point of view, only a slight probability that any damage can occur. A worst case situation would be that WAS may lock up the computer when the Scroll Lock key is pressed. The probability of problems will tend to decrease as users of the program report them to the author. A few minor problems have been reported with version 0.50 and these hopefully have been fixed with this 0.62 version. Most of the difference between 0.50 and 0.62 is internal. Principally this has been the addition of code that allows WAS to work with device drivers that extend the keyboard buffer, moving to an internal stack when WAS is in the hold state and clearing the prefetch queue after each I/O operation. Three new switches have been added, the "d" switch is a kludge fix for a problem that is due to the way in which video function 0eh is implemented in the Orchid VGA BIOS that is installed in the system on which this version reached its final phase. The problem was that each line in the scroll back buffer was appearing twice. Hopefully I'll be able to auto detect this anomaly in at some point and thereby avoid the use of this switch. Another switch added with version 0.62 is the "v" switch. When used after the initial installation this switch will display the version number and copyright notice. Finally, the "e" switch enables the exiting of the WAS Scroll Lock hold by pressing the ESCape key. To install WAS simply enter the number of EMS pages (16k bytes each) to devote to WAS on the command line after the program's name following either letter "b" or "B" (no spaces allowed between "b" and the number), e.g., for a 20 page (EMS pages) scroll back buffer (320k bytes of EMS memory) simply enter this line at the DOS prompt or in a batch file: WAS b20 Each EMS page will be enough to save approximately 102 lines of text. (Part of the the memory assigned will be used to save up to 60 lines of the current screen for later restoration when WAS leaves the Scroll Lock state. Thus by assigning only a single EMS page to WAS you will have enough space to store about two screens of 25-line text in the scroll back buffer. (See, however, the description of the 'l' switch below.) Now that you know how to install WAS it might be easier to comprehend what follows if you leave whatever editor, file lister, etc. that you happen to be using to view this documentation, load WAS and then practice using the commands described below while reading the remainder of the documentation. (You can install WAS, TYPE this file to the screen, and then view it from the WAS scroll back buffer.) Alternatively, you do not have to read the remainder of this file at all; WAS by default loads a command summary into the scroll back buffer memory and that may be all you need to get started. Just install WAS, press the SCROLL LOCK key and then the HOME key to read the command summary in the scroll back buffer. If at some point in time you find the command summary superfluous you can tell WAS not to load it by using the 'n' switch on the command line when you run WAS, e.g.: was nb20 WAS should perform adequately on all types of video hardware: MDA, CGA, EGA, PGC, MCGA, VGA, etc. Only 80 column text modes are supported. Any other column size will definitely be incompatible with WAS. ============================================================================== More about WAS Installation Options WAS installation options (command line switches) are symbols placed on the command line of WAS which are followed perhaps by numbers or other symbols that tell WAS how you want it to be installed. Switches may be used in small case or capitals or any combination of case. Spaces may be placed on the command line separating the invocations of each, but the parameter(s) of a switch (if any) must follow the switch without any intervening spaces. This version supports six switches: 'b' (Buffer size) Already described. 'd' (no double lines) This switch is introduced in version 0.60 to fix a problem that occurs due to the way that at least one instance of the Orchid VGA BIOS implements a a BIOS TTY screen scroll. Possibly other video BIOSes do something similar producing the same result which is the doubling of lines in the scroll back buffer. If you have the line doubling problem with WAS then try this switch, otherwise ignore it. An attempt will be made to auto detect the problem and so as to eliminate this switch in the future. 'e' One person responding to my request for feedback mentioned that he would like the ESCape key when pressed to cause WAS to exit the hold state just as the Scroll Lock key is designed to do. That would be fine on systems that were AT compatible, but using ESCape to exit the hold state on PC or XT systems would cause the scroll lock state (used by WAS to signal a hold condition is desired) to be out of sync with the keyboard status LED for the Scroll Lock key. So if you are using a PC or XT system and you don't mind the out of sync problem, then go ahead and use the "e" switch if you want ESCape to exit a WAS hold. YEAH FEEDBACK! 'l' (maximum Line size) The 'l' switch uses a number parameter like the 'b' switch. It sets the maximum number of screen lines that WAS will save for the current (last, bottom, active) screen. This number must lie between 25 and 101 inclusive. It is the maximum number of screen lines that will ever be displayed on the terminal(s) on which WAS is used. For example, monochrome and CGA displays typically use no more than 25 lines maximum. EGA usually is limited to 43 lines, and VGA to 50 or 60 lines maximum. Default for this parameter (no 'l' switch specified) is 60 lines. Making this number as small as possible will give you additional lines in the scroll back buffer so it should be small; however, WAS will not work properly if it is set too low. If you are using WAS on a system that can display a large number of lines, but you intend to never use more than a certain number, say 28, then it would be okay to use the 'l' switch to specify 28 lines maximum (and similarly for other values). 'n' (No command summary) Include this switch if you do not wish the command summary to be placed in the scroll buffer when WAS is installed. 's' (annex Summary file) The 's' switch is used after the WAS source code has been freshly assembled, linked, and exe2bined to form a .com file). More information about the 's' switch can be obtained by running WAS without this switch after a newly made WAS.COM file is produced by assembling the source code. 'v' (show version) After installing WAS the version number (and the same copyright notice that appears at installation) will be displayed. '+' (enable WAS) If you install WAS using the '-' switch all of the and processing it normally does will be disabled until '-' (disable WAS) you run WAS at some later time with the '+' switch. WAS defaults to being active (enabled) and WAS can be run again with either '+' or '-' switch at any time after the initial install to change the enable/ disable status. Disable WAS if you intend to use software that also uses the Scroll Lock key, thereby preventing conflicts. V, +, and - are the only switches that are effective after the initial installation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Examples: WAS -n b80 Installs WAS with a scroll back buffer of 1310720 = 1280k bytes. (1310720 = 80 EMS pages). No command summary is placed in the scroll back buffer and WAS is disabled until at some later time WAS is run with the "+" switch. WAS L43 b20 A 20 EMS page buffer is assigned, and it is expected that no more than 43 lines will be displayed during this session. The command summary is placed at the top of the scroll back buffer. ============================================================================== Several command keys apply to the operation of WAS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*IMPORTANT NOTICE*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< The *ONLY* time that WAS takes notice of keypress commands is after it has placed the system the hold state caused by pressing the Scroll Lock key!!!!!! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< When the Scroll Lock state is active WAS freezes the computer and sits in a holding loop waiting for keypresses that express commands to WAS. When it freezes the system it also hides the cursor. WAS unfreezes the computer when you press the Scroll Lock key again, thereby resetting the Scroll Lock state and restoring the cursor to view. Other memory resident programs can pop up over WAS. Some, such as Turbo Lighting, will refuse to perform their tasks when WAS has locked the computer via the Scroll Lock key. Technically, any TSR that traps int 9 should be able to pop up over WAS in the hold state. No response will be made to any command keys when the display is in a graphics mode, nor will WAS do any capture of scrolled lines. It will, however, freeze the system in a manner similar to pressing the Pause key (same as the Ctrl-Num Lock keypress on non-enhanced keyboards) when the Scroll Lock key is pressed even in graphics modes. The WAS hold routine is probably safer than Pause because WAS will not interfere with an interrupt-driven thread. Following are descriptions of actions taken by WAS when the corresponding keys are pressed. Scroll Lock Scroll Lock not only causes WAS to place the machine on hold, but when pressed again will cause the hold state to be removed. See also the ESCape key command. UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW These keys allow the re-display of lines that have scrolled off the top of the screen. Pressing UP ARROW scrolls the screen down placing scrolled off lines one at a time on the top line of the screen while moving all others down. DOWN ARROW performs the reverse action by scrolling the screen up and replacing lines that have been removed from the bottom line when UP ARROW was pressed. PgUp and PgDn They work like the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys respectively, only they scroll the screen by the full amount (the entire number of lines on the screen) for each keypress. HOME and END HOME places the first screen of WAS's scroll buffer on the display and END will display the current application or DOS screen (i.e., no scrolled-off lines are displayed). INSERT Some application programs write to the screen directly and perform screen scrolling by themselves (instead of using the computer's built-in video BIOS scroll routines). WAS will not capture the lines scrolled off the top of the screen by these programs; however, if the screen being displayed is the application or DOS screen (displayed by pressing the END key) i.e., nothing is displayed from the WAS scroll buffer, you can press the INSERT key and WAS will capture the current screen in its buffer. Many applications exist that allow the user to make a choice between rapid screen updates and the slower updates available through the video BIOS. If you find that WAS is not capturing the scrolled lines of a program like this, then the choice of slower scrolling (often implemented to prevent snow on some CGA monitors) may allow the program's scrolled lines to be captured by WAS. BACKSPACE It may be desired at times to disable the scroll capture of WAS. You may do that by pressing the BACKSPACE key. The BACKSPACE key also turns scroll capture back on. However, the INSERT key will still operate the same way even with scroll capture disabled. Should you have forgotten whether capture is on or off you can press the Alt key and WAS will flash the capital letter "Y" in the upper left corner of the screen if capture is on, otherwise a capital "N" will flash. When you let up on the Alt key this signal will be extinguished. ESCape The Esc key when enabled with the "e" installation option switch will cause the machine to exit a WAS hold state produced by pressing Scroll Lock. I.e., either Scroll Lock or Esc will remove a WAS hold. KEYPAD PLUS and MINUS This covers the basic operation of WAS. Another feature of the program allows you to take text from the scroll back buffer (or even the current screen) and feed it to the keyboard buffer. That is, the text that you delineate with WAS will be given to the running application or DOS just as if you had typed it in yourself. The first thing you must do to feed the keyboard buffer from text in the scroll back buffer is to mark it by pressing the KEYPAD PLUS key. The KEYPAD PLUS key marks text while the KEYPAD MINUS key unmarks it. A marked area may be moved up or down in the display by first pressing a shift key and then either the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW key. The marked area can be resized horizontally by holding down a shift key and then pressing either LEFT or RIGHT ARROW keys. The LEFT SHIFT key controls resizing of the left side of the marked area and the RIGHT SHIFT key controls resizing of the right side. Press down a shift key then either LEFT or RIGHT ARROW. After marking the text merely press the Scroll Lock key to unfreeze the computer and the marked text will be feed to the application or DOS. Trailing spaces following a line of text will not be feed to the keyboard buffer. Multiple lines of text are marked by pressing the PLUS key multiple times. If you have marked a large section of text and feed it to the keyboard buffer and then later decide you made a mistake so now you want to stop the avalanche of key feed; don't panic--just press Scroll Lock and the feed will stop. DEL You can delete text in the scroll back buffer. All that is necessary is to mark one or more lines as indicated above and then press the DELETE key. The text will remain marked (nothing will happen) if you mark any of the current (last, bottom) screen. No warning will sound to indicate that you cannot delete portions of the current screen. Enter and Asterisk It may occasionally be useful to select a location in the scroll buffer that you would like to return to later. You do that by pressing the RETURN (Enter) key to specify the current location as a place to "return". When a location has been selected this way, you return to that place by pressing the asterisk (*) key. (Either asterisk next to the keypad or shift-8 will do.) Files of Version 0.62 SPCPAK C 2768 10-14-90 1:45p SPCPAK EXE 9023 10-14-90 1:45p SUMMARY 062 10880 10-14-90 1:45p W-DOC062 SUM 4315 10-14-90 1:45p WAS COM 10731 10-14-90 1:45p WAS062 DOC 23379 10-14-90 1:45p WAS062 ASM 119912 10-14-90 1:45p (Note: Version 0.61 is being distributed with only the COM and DOC files. It is otherwise identical to this version.) Copyright Provisions The provisions of the copyright of WAS are that the program, source code, and documentation contained in the author's original release (for any particular version) may not be altered in any way when distributed and all files contained in the author's release must be included in every distributed version. Alterations of the program and/or documentation--including possible additional documentation, data files and code--may be included with distributed versions of WAS. There are no other restrictions on the use modification, or sale of the WAS software. The author may be reached either via CompuServe Mail (User ID 72210,17), the US mail or telephone. All comments and criticisms are appreciated. Charles Lazo III P.O. Box 452 Hohenwald, TN 38462 Phone: 615/796-2640 Thanks are due to Russ Ranshaw "Wizard of 10" (CIS User ID 70000,1010) for the suggestion of the term "Gratisware" to describe copyrighted software that may be freely distributed. The term "Freeware" has been used to describe software of this kind (and other kinds as well); however, "Freeware" belongs to its respective copyright holder and should not be used by other individuals or organizations to denote software just as readily called Gratisware. Thanx Russ