home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- ╔══════╗ ╔══════ ║ ║ ╔══════ ║ ║
- ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
- ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
- ╠══════╝ ╚═════╗ ╠═════╣ ╠══════ ║ ║
- ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
- ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
- ║ ══════╝ ║ ║ ╚══════ ╚══════ ╚══════
-
-
-
-
- Version 2.8
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- (c) Hans Paijmans 1991, 1992
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- PSHELL (KSHELL)
-
- Copyright Hans Paijmans 1991
-
- NOTA BENE
-
- PSHELL is also called KSHELL and under that name is used at Tilburg
- University. The only difference is a different Icon and a different
- welcome-screen.
- So if you are using it at the KUB, just read KSHELL when it sez
- PSHELL here.
-
- DISCLAIMER
-
- All the usual disclaimers go here: use PSHELL at your own risk and
- don't come wailing to me if bugs in the program eat your disk, your
- computer and your pet canary. As far as I know there are no dangerous
- bugs in PSHELL and I certainly did not put a virus in it. Please read
- the copyright notice: althoug not too many strings are attached (pun
- not intended), this program is not public domain.
-
- Comments and suggestions are always welcome as are bottles with beer!
- See address below. (Must see the first dutchman yet who sends a
- bottle of beer for what he can have for free!).
-
-
- DIRECTIONS OF USE
-
- PSHELL was born from the conviction that ten fingers and a keyboard
- are better tools to perform typical housekeeping-tasks on the PC than
- mice and other pointing devices.
-
- Also I am addicted to 4DOS, the well-known alternative for
- COMMAND.COM from JP Software and many of my directories have
- 4DOS-descriptions attached. Alas! none of the command-line shells
- for WINDOWS, that I have seen, seems to support them.
-
- So I wrote another command-line shell for MS-WINDOWS, but one that
- should be able to read the 4DOS DESCRIPT.ION-files. But I wondered
- why not try out a few other enhancements, that I always miss in shells?
- Therefore there are quite a few original niceties in PSHELL that are not
- even in 4DOS, let alone in DOS itself.
-
- Note the four different ways of copying files. Besides COPY and MOVE you
- have BAC and UPDATE, both based on the DOS date-time stamp. BAC copies
- both new versions of files already existing in the target-directory AND new
- files, i.e. files that do not yet exist in the target. UPDATE only
- updates files in the target directory but does NOT add new files.
-
-
- Also rather original (at least I like to think so) is the
- INDES-command, that lets you manipulate files according to strings in
- their file-descriptions.
-
- And of course you MAY point your mouse at files and execute them by
- pressing a button. If you have a list of extension-application pairs,
- PSHELL will automatically load the application if you point at a datafile
- (or type the name+extension at the prompt).
-
-
- Put PSHELL.EXE and PSHELL.HLP somewhere in your path. If you decide to
- like PSHELL, add a line like
-
- RUN = E:\BIN\PSHELL.EXE
-
- in WIN.INI and it will be around when WINDOWS awakens. If you find you
- are not using the regular program manager so much any more, you can change
- the line
-
- SHELL=PROGMAN.EXE
-
- in SYSTEM.INI into
-
- SHELL=PSHELL.EXE
-
- thus freeing up the memory space used by the old PROGMAN. You can
- always activate PROGMAN from the Pshell-command-line. You can use the
- 4PSHELL.PBT to automatically run other programs when starting Windows.
- Even better: you can give the name of any PBT-file on the command line
- when starting a new PSHELL, e.g. WIN STARTUP, whete STARTUP.PBT is a
- batch-file.
- *********************************************
-
- Use of PSHELL.INI is discontinued from PSHELL 2.09 onwards. WIN.INI
- }
- is {
- used from then on to store PSHELL data.
-
- *********************************************
-
-
- Use the HELP-command to learn about the commands. A synopsis is given
- below, but I keep adding things and forgetting about them later. Most
- DOS-commands that you have become used to in the last ten years
- should be in PSHELL, so just try them out.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- SHORT TOUR of PSHELL
-
- PSHELL does not cover *all* 4DOS-commands, switches and parameters. It
- reflects those functions that I use regularly, but there are many
- very sensible functions that are not in PSHELL, because I do not
- happen to need them. Tell you what: send me a bottle of Belgian beer
- and I'll add them in for you.
-
- To gain an immediate feel for what PSHELL may do for you, do the
- following:
-
- 0. Copy PSHELL.EXE, PSHELL.TXT and PSHELL.HLP somewhere in your PATH.
-
- 1. Run PSHELL from windows (e.g. WIN PSHELL from the DOS-command line or by
- launching it from the WINDOWS program manager).
-
- *****************************************
- Point 2 discontinued from version 2.09 onwards. Extensions from WIN.INI
- will be used. The EXT-command will only be used to check the
- extensions.
-
- 2. Type the PSHELL-command
-
- EXT TXT NOTEPAD
-
- (for NOTEPAD use your favorite editor. This will tell PSHELL that files
- with the extension TXT should be used with NOTEPAD.
-
- *****************************************
-
- 3. Type DIR and observe the familiar DOS directory scrolling by.
-
- 4. Move your mouse-pointer to PSHELL.TXT (or any other TXT-file and
- doubleclick on that filename (or just type 'PSHELL.TXT'.
- .
-
- 5. If everything is all right (and NOTEPAD.EXE is in your path), NOTEPAD
- should start with PSHELL.TXT as file.
-
- Nifty, isn't it? If you like this trick, go on reading this manual. If not,
- go and install X-Windows or some similar interface.
-
- DOS and MS-WINDOWS.
- Most commands may be typed on the
- PSHELL-commandline to start execution, just as you used to do when
- in 'normal DOS'. This works for BAT-files and PIF-files too. The
- DOS path-environment is copied to PSHELL and expanded when
- searching for an executable file. If one is found, first a CHDIR
- to that directory is executed. This might cause some
- 'where-is-that-darned- file-I-see-it-right-here-but-he-doesnt!'
- feelings, but you'll get over it. This only happens if the
- batch-file is on a different drive and a filename is given as a
- parameter to that batch-file. Just remember to add the
- drive-letter if you give filenames as parameters to batch-files.
-
- Also there are batch-files for PSHELL, with the extension of .PBT.
- They are found and executed *before* regular BAT-files.
-
-
- command line editor:
- ^E, ^X, ^S and ^D double as Up-arrow,
- down-arrow, left and right. ^A and ^F as HOME and END.
- Up and Down cycle through the history list. Left, Right, Home and
- End move in the command-line. Insert (Ctrl-V) toggles insert and
- changes the cursor in the bargain.
- Note that clicking the mouse on a word inserts that word in
- the comamnd-line. But if the mouse gets clicked on the command-line,
- the cursor just changes position.
-
- TAB, F9 and F8 may be used to cycle through the directorylist.
- TAB cycles through all files, beginning with the
- characters already typed AND shown in the last DIR operation.
- Note that the path-prefix is not kept in memory, so you have to
- type it yourself.
-
- F9 cycles through all files, beginning with the characters
- already typed, but reads the directory anew.
- F8 cycles backwards.
- E.g.:
- After DIR \PATH\*.BAK you may use a command like
- DEL \PATH\ab<TAB>
- to cycle through all files in \PATH, beginning with ab and with
- the extension .BAK.
- DEL ab<F8>
- however, reads your default-directory and cycles through all
- files that start with ab.
-
- The caret (^) may be used to combine several commands on the
- command line. E.g.:
-
- COPY *.* B: ^ DEL *.BAK ^ CHKDSK C:
-
- Support is added for the excellent WINBATCH batchprocessor for Windows
- from Morris Wilson. A shareware version can be downloaded from any
- well-equipped BBS. Just put WINBATCH and the batchfile (extension
- WBT) somewhere in your path. Of course WINBATCH will nag you for
- registration every first time you use it in a session. I will nag
- you for a bottle of beer, every time you read this. And if Morris
- Wilson reads this, he may send me a registered copy of his programs.
-
- BATCH-files.
- It had to come: PSHELL now has batchfiles of its own.
- Just use ASCII-files with the extension .PBT.
- Currently supported are:
-
- ECHO on|off|messagestring
- REM
- PAUSE message
- 9 parameters (%1 .. %9)
- IF parameter == string .... (mind the spaces around the == !)
- also eq, ne, gt, lt, le, ge
- and EXISTS filename
- GOTO label
- :label
-
- NOTA BENE: As we said PSHELL searches PBT before the BAT-extension.
- Therefore you may use identical names, e.g. SEARCH.PBT and SEARCH.BAT as
- below for the same tasks under WINDOWS and DOS.
- E.g.: a textfile like this:
-
- PUSHD C:\
- WHERE %1
- CDD D:\
- WHERE %1
- POPD
-
- Which (assuming 4DOS and the existence of a filefind-command for DOS,
- called WHERE.COM) would either use PSHELL-commands under WINDOWS and
- 4DOS-commands under 4DOS, but execute transparently.
- An 'autoexec' is possible, which executes automatically whenever a
- new copy of pshell is started. It is called '4PSHELL.PBT' and may be
- anywhere in the path. You may give other PBT-files on the commandline
- when starting new PSHELL's or when firing up WINDOWS itself.
-
- A PBT-batchfile should have at least one empty line at its end!
-
- NOTA BENE: if a normal DOS-batch-file conforms to the PSHELL-syntax
- (that is a subset of DOS), you may use it as a PBT-file, just by adding
- an exclamationmark.
- So the command
- SEARCH!
- will execute the SEARCH.BAT inside PSHELL (without shelling to DOS)
- if no SEARCH.PBT is found.
- Alternatively the command BAT ON may be given.
-
- MOUSE
- The mouse in PSHELL may be used to click with the left button on a
- string somewhere in PSHELL's window. That string will be inserted in the
- command-line, complete with slashes and points (only spaces will
- separate string). Useful to pick up a long path after a WHERE-command
- and put it in the command-line, or to start applications from a
- directory.
- Doubleclicking the left button will select the string and immediatly
- launch it.
- Singleclicking the right button will insert spaces in the command-line
- and doubleclicking the right button will also launch the command-line.
-
- NOTE: in the commandline itself, and only in the commandline, the
- mouse may be used to position the cursor.
-
- If you really are lazy you may click the left button on the prompt as
- substitute for arrow-up (previous command in history) and the right
- button on the prompt as arrow down.
-
- CALIBRATION
- If the mouse does not 'hit' the right spot, you may adjust the
- 'pixeloffset'- parameters in the PSHELL.INI file. The values 12 and
- 5 work just fine on my screen.
-
-
- EXTENSIONS
-
- *********************
- from version 2.09 the WIN.INI extensions will be used
- *********************
-
- ALIASES
- Pshell has room for 25 aliases of 40 chars each. The first part
- (the alias itself) can be no longer than 5 characters; the
- expansion is maximal 40 long.
- Aliases consist of a single word and do accept parameters.
- They are expanded only if they are typed on the
- command-line after the prompt or read from a PBT-file.
- Aliases beginning with % are treated as systemvariables (see
- below). Remove aliases by adding a minus sign in front.
-
- SYSTEM VARIABLES
- Pshell knows a number of system variables. They have the general
- form %qxyz (the procent is obligatory).
-
- %_BAT returns ON or OFF (see command BAT).
- %_CWD current drive and directory in the format d:\directory
- %_DATE current date in the format yyyy-mm-dd
- %_YESTERDAY the yesterday-variable (see commands).
- %_TIME current time in the format hh:mm:ss
- %_DISK current disk as character (e.g. C )
- %_DOW day of the week (mon, tue, wed etc.)
- %_SYSDIR Windows systemdirectory (e.g. C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM ).
- %_WINMODE returns ENHANCED, STANDARD or REAL.
-
- Aliases that consist of % followed by no more than four
- characters are treated as system variables.
- System variables are used in IF- and ECHO-statements.
-
-
-
- SHORT LIST OF COMMANDS.
-
- ------> Refer to the Help-function of PSHELL if the following is not
- clear. ALso the excellent HELP of 4DOS might clarify many things,
- which is invoked by typing:
-
- 4HELP
- Invokes 4DOS help, if it exists somewhere in your path and has the
- name HELP.
-
- ALIAS [[-][alias "expansion]]
- Without parameters: displays list of aliases.
- With parameters in the form ALIASNAME=EXPANSION creates an alias
- with that meaning. The double quote is obligatory if the expansion
- has spaces or slashes inbedded.
- e.g.:
-
- ALIAS dw "dir *.bak /w
-
- Use the minus sign to remove aliases
-
- ALIAS -dw
-
- which removes that alias from the list.
-
- BAC source [destination]
- Works like COPY, but only copies new files and
- files, which are younger than the files on the destination drive.
-
- BAT [ON][OFF]
- BAT ON enables the execution of all BAT-files as PBT-files. BAT OFF
- switches this option off. BAT without parameters shows the current status.
- BAT ON acts as if all BAT-commands are followed by an exclamation mark.
- The status of BAT will be kept in the INI-file.
-
- BEEP [integer]
- Look, you're not gonna believe this, but it beeps.
- And if you add a number it beeps many times!
-
- CHDIR, RMDIR, MKDIR dirname
- work as expected (by me, that is). Of course the
- shorter forms CD, MD and RD are also supported.
-
- CDD d:dirname
- changes both path and disk.
-
- CLS
- clears screen.
-
- COLORS [?][fg bg]
- changes or displays colors. fg and bg are integers.
- (not yet implemented. Use XCOLOR to experiment)
-
- COPY source [destination]
- may be used and changes will be reflected in the descriptions.
- Switches like /V, /B, /A etc. not supported at the moment (I
- never used them anyway. Note that both 'COPY CON filename' and
- 'COPY filename PRN' work as expected.
- Of course COPY allows you to change disks if one gets filled.
-
- DEL filename
- Deletes file.
-
- DESCRIBE filenaam [Description]
- will enable the user to add 4DOS descriptions to files in the
- directory. Wildcards are allowed. The description string may be
- entered on the command-line: in this case start it with double
- quotes if more than one word.
-
- DIR [dirname] [switch]
- Displays directory. Default is sorted on name or according to PSHELL.INI.
-
- /w - for wide display.
- /a - displays attributes in stead of comments.
- /e - sort on order of entry (like DOS)
- /t - sort on time.
- /s - sort on size.
- /d - sort on description.
- /n - sort on name.
-
- EXCEPT (filespec [filespec....]) command filename ...
- (one of that 4DOS-goodies) Just put filespecs
- inside parenthesis and give a disk-command.
- e.g.
- EXCEPT (*.EXE *.COM) COPY *.* B:
- It works by first setting the attributes of the files
- between the parenthesis on HIDDEN and READONLY, executing
- the command and setting the HIDDEN and READONLY off again.
- NOTE: files of that filespec, which were hidden or read-only
- to begin with, are changed to NOT hidden and NOT readonly!
-
- EXIT [/S].
- To kill the 4PSHELL just type EXIT on the command-line. Another way
- is clicking left upper corner (as with all windows applications).
- EXIT /S causes the current parameters of prompt, directory-sort and
- screen to be saved in a PSHELL.INI, which resides in C:\.
-
- EXT [[-] [ext filename]]
- To check which extensions are enabled for auto-execution.
-
- FIND filespec string
- Searches files for an occurring string. Returns filename or both filename
- and lines in which the string occurrs. Use /I to Ignore case, /F if you
- only need the filename. Pshell adds the search-string to every filename,
- so you will not forget what you asked.
-
- FONT [?][number]
- Changes or displays font in Pshell-window
- (not yet implemented. Use XFONT to experiment)
-
- FREE D:
- displays free space and total capacity on disk.
-
- GLOBAL
- Executes an internal command over all directories under the default.
- Try 'GLOBAL DEL *.*' to get the general idea. (NO! Don't take me serious!).
-
- HELP [keyword]
- starts WINDOWS help-system on PSHELL. (Also F1). You may add a
- keyword that you want help on.
-
- HISTORY
- displays last fifteen commands entered.
-
- INDES[i] "string" command filename...
- The command INDES has been added, which enables the selection
- of files which have a certain string in their 4DOS description-part
- (INDES is case-sensitive, INDESI is not). So
-
- INDES "foobar" DEL *.BAK
-
- means "delete all *.bak-files with 'foobar' somewhere in the
- description. and
-
- INDES NOT "foobar" DEL *.bak
-
- means "delete all *.bak-files, except those with 'foobar' somewhere
- in the description...
- Try it! It effectively makes the filenames 40 characters longer!
-
- INI
- Saves INI-file without having to use EXIT/S.
-
- KILL processnumber.
- Kills the window with that processnumber. See the warning under PS!
-
- KD dirname
- Which means 'KillDir'. KD recursively deletes all files
- and directories under and inclusive the given directory.
-
- LOAD command
- Loads and minimizes a windows-program as an Icon.
-
- MAX processnumber
- Maximizes the window with that processnumber
-
- MEMORY
- displays free RAM-memory.
-
- MIN processnumber
- Minimizes the window with that processnumber
-
- MOVE source [destination]
- Like COPY, but deletes files in the source-directory after copying
- them. If within a drive, a 'rename' is done, which is MUCH faster.
-
- NEW [filespec]
- Looks for files, newer than 'yesterday', where yesterday is the
- last time NEW was executed. That date is stored in the PSHELL.INI
- in the [checknew] section, so you will have to execute NEW at least
- one time 'blind'.
-
- PUSHD dirname
- Pushes the current directory on a stack and does a CD to dirname.
-
- POPD
- reverses PUSHD: i.e. a directory name is popped off the stack
- and a CD to that directory is executed.
-
- PROMPT
- Behaves more or less as the DOS prompt-command. The prompt is
- saved to PSHELL.INI when quitting PSHELL with EXIT /S
- Prompt accepts a string, which may end with a number of
- $(character) combinations. These characters are
-
- $ The $-sign itself.
- _ The underscore inserts a carriage/linefeed
- d The current date
- e The ASCII escape character.
- g The > sign
- l The < sign
- n default drive letter
- P Path in uppercase
- p path in lower case
- s The space character
-
- A string may be placed before the first $-character.
- Example
- PROMPT This is an idiotic prompt$_$t$s$P$g
-
- will create the following prompt:
-
- This is an idiotic prompt
- 12:02:11 D:\\PSHELL>
-
- PS
- Gives a list of active windows with processnumbers.
- NOTA BENE: The processnumbers are not static, but change after minimizing,
- maximizing and other actions. Always do a PS immediatly before using
- KILL, MIN, MAX or REST.
-
- REDIRECTION
- Use > and >> as in dos. The first creates a new file and directs
- Pshell-output in it; the second appends it after an existing file.
-
- REN filename1 filename2
- Renames files (wildcards allowed). Changes will be reflected in
- the descriptions. Parameters not supported at the moment.
-
- REST processnumber
- Restores the window attached to the process to its original size.
-
- SET
- may be used to examine DOS environment variables (not to SET them!)
-
- STOP[!]
- Quits WINDOWS without first having to discuss it with
- the progam manager. You have to enter 'Y' in uppercase to confirm.
- STOP! quits Windows without confirmation (you might have to close
- some open WINDOWS-applications by hand).
-
- TREE
- displays tree of directories under current directory.
-
- TYPE filename
- and LIST are identical. They support wildcards. Press ESC to
- cancel the typing of the current file, ctrl_C to quit.
- S to stop scrolling, any key to start again.
- I know it's slow, but you may scroll back too.
-
- /S added to TYPE and LIST. It suppresses weird characters and
- adds CR/LF's, so that you may TYPE executables and other
- non-ASCII-files.
- /c - switch added to TYPE to add CR to lines, which don't have
- one.
- /W trims bit 8 (useful for some wordprocessor-files).
-
- UPDATE source [destination]
- added, which works somewhat like BAC; copies only younger files
- over older files, but does not add new files.
-
- VER
- Displays the version numbers of PSHELL, MS-DOS and MS-WINDOWS.
-
- WHERE filenaam.
- Searches default disk (under the current subdirectory) for file(s)
-
- YESTERDAY [yyyy:mm:dd]
- Lets you give the date to use as 'yesterday' in the NEW-command.
- Sorry, it doesn't check for correctness and you have to give it
- as yyyy:mm:dd, or it won't work.
- Also exit PSHELL with EXIT /S to store it in the INI-file, because
- subsequent NEW will reset that date to the current date.
-
-
-
- COPYRIGHT NOTICE
-
- Although everybody is invited to copy PSHELL for private use, the
- program is NOT public domain. I want to keep all options open to
- prohibit criminal, racist, zionist and fascist organizations to
- profit from my work. At home everybody is entitled to his own mind,
- so then no restrictions apply for private use. If you are using PSHELL on a
- regular basis, please send me say 25 US dollars, or 50 Dutch
- guilders or Deutsche Mark or something like that. It is NOT obligatory, but
- You 'll get a registered version without the Bromberg-notice.
- If you became curious about the very first mass murder of World War II,
- it has served its purpose.
-
- Giving this program away for free in a package deal, in which
- other products are sold, is considered commercial use and is explicitly
- prohibited without written permission from me. Just keep thinking
- "OK, so this guy made something. How would I like to be treated
- if I were in his place?"
-
- If somebody wants to use my program commercially, just contact me.
- We will work out something.
-
- Suggestions and donations are welcome at
-
- Hans Paijmans
- Elzenstraat 1
- 5183 VS Waalre
- Holland
-
- email: PAAI@KUB.NL (bitnet).
-
-
-