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Centiwrite 1.10 User's Manual ========== ==== ====== ====== Copyright 1988 Andrew M. Saucci, Jr. What's to Follow 1. What Do I Do With This Thing, Anyway? 2. About the Author 3. Installing Centiwrite 4. Loading Centiwrite 5. Command-Line Switches 6. What's in a Name? 7. What Not to Load 8. What You Can Load 9. How Long is the Width of the Screen? 10. The Status Indicators 11. Insert/ Overstrike Modes 12. Cursor Movement 13. Character Deletion 14. More Deletion 15. File Saving and Exiting 16. Character Repetition 17. Undo Last Keystroke 18. Displaying the ASCII Value of a Character 19. Changing the Encryption Option 20. Inserting an ASCII Zero 21. Displaying the Date and Time 22. Nobody's Perfect 23. Why Become a Registered Owner? 24. OK, So You Asked 25. Attention, Developers! 26. Special Service 27. Down to Brass Tacks 28. Before Going to the Highest Court in the Land 29. Boilerplate 30. To All Those Who Helped =========================================================================== What Do I Do With This Thing, Anyway? Congratulations on having acquired this useful editor. You should find it immediately useful for a variety of tasks. Some possible uses are 1. Editing CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. These files generally do not exceed a screen in length, and 99% of the features of a word processor are wasted on these. In fact, if you haven't yet learned how to save an ASCII file with your word processor, you probably haven't been able to edit these two important files. 2. Replacing EDLIN. Although it can't do everything EDLIN can do, Centiwrite is better for all the things anyone would WANT to do with EDLIN. If you've been stuck using EDLIN, you'll find Centiwrite a welcome relief. 3. Writing a "letter to the editor." Everyone knows that a letter that is too long will be "condensed" to fit the available space. Now, stop to think for a minute. Editors are people just like the rest of us. They don't like extra work any more than anyone else. If your letter is already short enough for publication, it STARTS with a much better chance than another letter that requires work on the editor's part to make it fit. Centiwrite won't let you write a letter longer than a screen, so you'll have the discipline needed to stick within the limit. Besides, why write more than a page if most of it will get discarded anyway? 4. Keeping an editor on floppies. Some people still use floppies for various reasons, particularly if they own laptops, which may not even have a hard drive. Centiwrite is small enough to fit on a single floppy of any size and still leave room for other programs. A word processor may be too unwieldy for this. In fact, you may even want to put Centiwrite on all your floppies. 5. Creating "bulletin board" messages for on-line services. If you are a regular user of the bulletin board section of an on-line service, you've probably had it with those pesky line editors that serve only to enrich either the coffers of the company that owns the service or the coffers of your favorite long-distance company. You may be able to create your messages beforehand using Centiwrite and upload the result in a flash, or if your communications program has a "shell to DOS" feature, you could switch to Centiwrite while still on-line and then upload. Check with others on your service for more information. 6. Sending control codes to your printer. Often, you need to send codes to your printer to tell it to do things such as to skip to a new page. Creating these codes is sometimes a pain in the neck, especially with a word processor. Centiwrite gives you an easy way to create short files containing these codes. To place an ESC (ASCII 27) in a file, just press ESC! Form feed (ASCII 12) is almost as easy-- just press Ctrl-L. These characters are not displayed in an artificial way, either. ESC, for instance, is shown as an arrow pointing left. 7. Creating short scripts for redirection. You may not have known that many DOS commands can have their input (and output) redirected. That is, you could take a file and send it as input to a command such as DEBUG, which if used correctly, can make useful changes in your programs. Preparing a short script in advance gives you the opportunity to check for errors before sending the file to DEBUG, which can be very nasty when mistakes are made. Centiwrite can create many of these scripts very easily. 8. Creating files to be sent to ANSI.SYS. Your work can be significantly expedited if you install ANSI.SYS (included with DOS) and use it to customize your prompt, screen colors, and key assignments (for example, you can make F10 display a directory in a flash). Centiwrite, unlike other programs, gives you an easy way to create the Escape character needed to "announce" an ANSI.SYS command-- just press ESC! (Check your DOS manual or primer to learn more about ANSI.SYS if you aren't already familiar with this important subject.) 9. Training new users. A person who has never used a text editor, word processor, or even a computer before will be totally confused if the first lesson is given on a full-fledged word processor. Many people will just quit after quickly being overwhelmed by the countless features and unfamiliar terminology of a typical $400-$500 product. People generally feel better if they can totally master a product. Centiwrite has such a small set of commands that anyone can quickly become proficient with it, yet it is powerful enough to be useful even to advanced users. It's perfect for use in schools and corporate training programs. 10. Hiding your messages from nosy associates. The encryption feature, new with version 1.10, will keep people from reading your short notes simply by using the TYPE command or their favorite file browser. It won't keep the CIA out, but it could prove useful. Plus, just think of the smug self-satisfaction you'll have when the office gossip looks you straight in the eye and says, "How could you DO THAT to me?" 11. Saving money. Everyone can afford Centiwrite. At $20.00, it's "well worth the price of admission." ============================================================================= About the Author Andrew M. Saucci, Jr. was graduated with distinction from the New York Institute of Technology with a master's degree in computer science. He received a bachelor's degree in computer science from Hofstra University. Mr. Saucci, a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) and the Association for Computer Machinery (ACM), has programmed in Turbo Pascal for over one year now using his Dell System 200. He is also the author of the program "The Holy Rosary." Mr. Saucci can be reached at any of the following electronic mail addresses: CompuServe 72117,241 GEnie A.SAUCCI3 Delphi ASAUCCI The Source BFE501 BIX ASAUCCI Comments about any of his products are most welcome; however, please allow one week for a response to your initial inquiry. After that, an "active" mailbox is checked daily. Also, to guarantee a response, use the regular mail facility of your service rather than a bulletin board area. One week is a "worst case" situation as well. Often, mailboxes are checked more frequently. In particular, the CompuServe box is checked most often. ============================================================================ Installing Centiwrite Installation of Centiwrite could not be simpler. Simply copy the file CWRITE.EXE onto another disk. If you copy it onto a hard disk, you'll probably want to put it in a directory that is specified in your PATH statement (\UTIL, for example). That way, you'll be able to run it no matter what the default directory is, simply by typing "cwrite" at any DOS prompt. A PATH command that would do this is "PATH=C:\UTIL". If such a command is placed in the file AUTOEXEC.BAT in your root directory, you're set. Otherwise, you'll have to enter the full path name, for instance "\progs\best\cwrite". Whatever you do, designate one copy as an "original" and NEVER use it for anything else other than making copies. The fee for a replacement copy of Centiwrite is $3.00 plus applicable taxes when ordered direct. ========================================================================== Loading Centiwrite To run Centiwrite, type "cwrite" followed (if you wish) by the name of a file you want it to load. The file name may be preceded by a drive letter and a full path if necessary. If you do not type a file name on the command line, you will be prompted for one. Even if you are creating a new file, you must first name it before proceeding. To accept the default name "cwfile.txt", press ESC when prompted for the name. If no errors occur, you will be placed immediately into the editor and can begin making changes or additions. The copyright notice will appear on the status line when you are first placed into the editor. The first key you press will replace the copyright message with the normal status line. If any error occurs, an error message will appear and you will be prompted for a new file name. The old name will be displayed and you may edit it using the usual commands and keys, or you may retain it without changes and try again by pressing ENTER. After you make changes, pressing ENTER at any time enters the new file name; moving the cursor to the end of the line is not necessary. Pressing ESC assigns the default name of "cwfile.txt". You may change all or part of the file name, as well as the drive letter and path. Note that while entering the file name, all letters are automatically converted to uppercase, and invalid characters such as ">" will be ignored by the input routine. However, you may, as usual, enter any character which may be used in a file name by holding down Alt and entering its ASCII code number on the numeric keypad. Also, the trademark of this program, the non-blinking cursor, is maintained for your convenience. =========================================================================== Command-Line Switches Centiwrite takes eight possible command-line switches, which may be specified in any order, provided that they are separated by spaces. The first is /m. This will force monochrome color attributes regardless of your monitor or display adapter. Use this switch if you start to steam on account of not being able to read the text. Once you use CWCUSTOM to customize your copy of Centiwrite, you won't need this switch at all. The second switch is /ey (Encryption Yes). This enables automatic encryption and decryption. DON'T use this if you are loading a non-encrypted file. You'll see garbage on the screen, plus a "line too long" error message. To encrypt an existing file, load it normally, press F6 to enable encryption, and then save it. To decrypt an existing file, load it with the /ey switch, press F6 to disable encryption, and then save it. Note that this is a minimum- security program-- no passwords are required, and anyone who knows how to use Centiwrite will be able to decrypt a file encrypted with Centiwrite. You can, of course, hide Centiwrite using CHATTRIB.EXE (see below), which would help guard against that sort of thing. If you inadvertently load a non-encrypted file with the /ey switch, press Alt-D to exit immediately so that no damage will be done. Also, Centiwrite will only decrypt files that were encrypted using the same algorithm that Centiwrite uses; don't count on it to fix a file encrypted by another program to which you have lost the password. (This encryption is equivalent to Deciwrite's Level 1.) The third switch is /en (Encryption No). It disables automatic encryption and decryption. Unless you use CWCUSTOM to make Encryption On your default, you don't need /en, because /en is the "factory" default. When you have encryption off, Centiwrite will try to use the input file as is. Again, if you mistakenly load an encrypted file with the /en switch, immediately press Alt-D to exit. The fourth switch is /sa (Save Automatic). When used, this switch enables the automatic save feature of Centiwrite. Your file will be saved every five minutes, unless you save it yourself manually. Each manual save resets the "save clock" so that the next automatic save would occur five minutes after your manual save. The five-minute interval is based solely on the author's personal opinion and will be changed on public demand. The fifth switch is /sm (Save Manual). If this switch is used, no automatic saves are done. This is the "factory" default. You can use CWCUSTOM to change the default to /sa if you like. The sixth switch is /vb (Video BIOS). This switch disables the direct screen writes normally used and transforms Centiwrite into a well- behaved application (we hope). This may help you to use the program with windowed operating environments such as Desqview or Concurrent DOS. Note that writing to the screen through the video BIOS is somewhat slower than writing directly to the screen. The seventh switch is /vd (Video Direct). This is the "factory" default and need not be used unless you use CWCUSTOM to make /vb your own personal default. The eighth switch is /ls (Load Screen). This is the switch to use if you want to load the current screen into the program. You can then edit and save it. This works much like Print Screen, except that the screen is saved to a file instead of to the printer. When you load a screen, you must still specify the name of the file to which to save the screen, either on the command line or at the "Please enter a file name:" prompt. If the name you give denotes an existing file, it will not be given special treatment. Also, the rightmost two columns of each line will be ignored. In most cases, this will not be a problem. All of these switches can be entered in either upper-case characters or lower-case characters. If you use both /ey and /en (because you're testing Centiwrite's patience), the one which appears first on the command line will take precedence. Likewise, when both /sa and /sm or both /vb and /vd are used, the same priority applies. Also, if two file names appear on the command line, only the first is used. =========================================================================== What's In a Name? Centiwrite will accept any legitimate DOS file name, with the following restriction: reserved device names are not allowed. These are CON, PRN, AUX, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, CLOCK$, and NUL. If you do enter one of these, an error message will appear, and you will be asked to enter a new file name. You wouldn't want to use these anyway, unless you're testing a program that uncrashes systems. Also, if you avoid using the name "cwfile.txt" for any file anywhere on your system, it should work in a pinch when nothing else does-- it is, when loading the file, the default name used if you press ESC when the prompt for a file name appears. If an error message appears while you are attempting to save a file, ESC will return you to the editor, where you can press Alt-D or Alt-X to exit the program if you wish. ============================================================================ What Not to Load Technically, you can load any DOS file into Centiwrite. However, because of its inherent limitations, you probably won't want to load many kinds of files. On the other hand, if you ever make a mistake, simply press Alt-D before any saves, and the original file will remain untouched. First, because Centiwrite can only display the first screen of a file, the remainder will be discarded. If you load a 400K file and then save it, only the first screen will remain. You can still recover it, though, if you only made one save, because the original 400K file is unchanged but renamed with an ".old" extension. Two saves, though, erases the original as well. In general, therefore, any file that does not fit on a single screen should not be used with Centiwrite. If you do load such a file, the message "The file was too long and will be truncated for editing." will appear. You then have a chance to exit with Alt-D. Second, because only lines that can fit on the screen can be displayed, any line longer than the width of your screen is truncated. Again, if you don't want to lose what was truncated, press Alt-D before any saves. If such a file is loaded, a message will appear such as the one below: At least one line in the file was too long and was truncated for editing. Third, a file created by a word processor is likely to have many formatting codes embedded within. Centiwrite assigns no special meaning to these, and this could cause "line too long" or "file too long" problems. If the file is otherwise short enough, use the word processor first to save it as a plain ASCII file. Fourth, a file containing the four ASCII characters 7 (bell), 8 (backspace), 10 (line feed), and 13 (carriage return) will have those characters removed before editing. (The 13-10 COMBINATION which is standard in text files is acceptable, however.) Centiwrite will not handle these four characters and will ignore them if entered. Fifth, program (binary) files are totally incompatible with Centiwrite. You can't do much that is useful with them, so don't bother loading one. If you ever mistakenly load a program file, you'll see random- looking graphics characters, and probably quite a few blanks. Moreover, its lines will be too long, and the messages for "line too long" and "file too long" will appear. Immediately press Alt-D to exit if you load a program file. Sixth, don't load encrypted files with the /en switch or non- encrypted files with the /ey switch. You'll get truncated garbage. Seventh, don't load this file. It's way too long. ============================================================================ What You Can Load Centiwrite will load without incident any ASCII text file shorter than the number of lines on your screen minus the two top lines that are reserved for the file name and status information. On a 25-line screen, for example, the maximum number of lines that can be edited is 23. If your display is operating in EGA's 43-line mode or VGA's 50-line mode when the program is loaded, the extra lines are available for editing. Note, however, that files created in 43-line or 50-line mode will be truncated if they are later loaded in 25-line mode. You may also load the current screen into the program (see the /ls switch above). ============================================================================ How Long is the Width of the Screen? The rightmost column of the screen is reserved by Centiwrite and is not used. The column to the left of that is used only to display the cursor if it is at the end of the line. Therefore, on an 80-column wide screen, a maximum of 78 characters may appear on any one line. Centiwrite will ignore any attempt to make a line longer than 78 characters on an 80-column wide display. ============================================================================= Details to Follow Experienced users will probably be able to learn Centiwrite from the "Command Summary" which appears by pressing F1 when in the editor. They may, therefore, wish to skip to the section below labeled "File Saving and Exiting." ============================================================================= The Status Indicators Centiwrite's display is divided into three parts. The first is provided by the file-handling part of the program and appears on a magenta background on color monitors. It consists of the title "Centiwrite 1.10" and the name of the current file. The other two parts come from the editor itself. The "status line" shows whether the program is Insert or Overstrike mode as well as the line and column number of the current cursor position. The status line also displays any messages which may appear, such as the copyright notice. These special messages usually appear on a green background. The edit window follows the status line. All text to be entered into the file appears here. ============================================================================= Insert/Overstrike Modes The editor will normally start in Insert mode, as indicated on the status line. This means that new characters are inserted into the text at the cursor position, but only if they will not make the line too long. If the line is already as wide as your screen will permit, new characters are ignored. The only key that behaves differently based upon whether or not the editor is in Insert mode (apart from the character keys) is Enter(Return). In Insert mode, Enter breaks the current line at the cursor position if the screen will accomodate an additional line. If not, the key is ignored. In Overstrike mode, Enter simply moves the cursor to the beginning of the next line. Typing a new character will replace the character at the cursor position, except when the cursor is past the right margin. In that case, the key is ignored. Overstrike mode is indicated by the word "Overstrike" on the status line. It appears in boldface on monochrome monitors and white on red on color monitors. To switch between these two modes, simply press the Insert key. ============================================================================= Cursor Movement The first thing you will notice about Centiwrite is the absence of the hated blinking cursor. In fact, a primary reason for writing this program was to get rid of that thing once and for all. In Centiwrite, the cursor will appear in reverse video on monochrome systems and as a black on light gray character on color systems. This is usually quite adequate to call your attention to the cursor without demanding immediate action. Further, the code required to simulate a cursor (which is usually provided by hardware) does not noticeably slow the program. When the cursor is located on a character, the character appears in its usual form, except for these three: ASCII zero, ASCII 32 (blank) and ASCII 255. As distributed from the "factory," these characters are displayed as blanks. On a monochrome system, however, if you use a simple boldface cursor, you will lose the cursor if it rests on any of them. Use CWCUSTOM to select an alternate "Blank Character." The "Blank Character" is also displayed at the cursor position when the cursor is past the end of the line. Most of the usual types of cursor movement are supported by Centiwrite. The arrow keys can be used to move the cursor one column or line at a time anywhere in the edit window, except past the bottom line. In order to move to a position past the bottom line, you must first create enough new lines (using Enter) to move the bottom line so that the new position is accessible. Any attempt to move the cursor off the screen or past the bottom line will be ignored. Also, the left and right arrow keys do not "wrap"-- that is, if you reach the beginning or end of the line, you must use either the up/down keys or the Ctrl-Left arrow or Ctrl-Right arrow combinations in order to move off the line. The Control (Ctrl) key can be used in combination with both the left arrow and the right arrow keys to move the cursor to the first character of the next word in the appropriate direction. A "word" in this case is any group of characters separated by one or more spaces. These key combinations DO wrap. Consequently, you can move through the entire file by words simply by starting at Line 1, Column 1 and holding down the Ctrl-Right arrow combination. Note that the column at the end of the line is also treated as "the first character of a word." Centiwrite has fixed tabs at the following columns on an 80-column display: 1, 11, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, and 79. Pressing Tab moves the cursor to the next highest of these tabs. Pressing Shift-Tab moves the cursor to the next lowest of these. Both these keys are ignored if the cursor is in either the leftmost or the rightmost column of the screen. Tab, by itself, does not insert any spaces into the text, but simply moves the cursor. However, any time the cursor is past the end of the line (regardless of how it got there), and any character is inserted, the line will be padded with sufficient space characters (ASCII 32) to fill the gap. The Home and End keys are fairly straightfoward. Home moves the cursor to the first column of the current line. If the cursor is already there, it moves to the first column of the previous line. Ctrl-Home moves the cursor to Line 1, Column 1. End moves the cursor one column past the last character on the line, or one column past the last character on the next line if the cursor is already at the end of the line. Ctrl-End moves the cursor one column past the last character on the last line. ============================================================================ Character Deletion The two keys to use to delete single characters are Backspace and Delete. These work as they do in most text editors and word processors, but with the usual Centiwrite restrictions. Backspace deletes the character to the left of the cursor and shortens the line. If the cursor is in column 1, and the combined length of the current line and the previous line is less than the width of the screen, the two lines will be combined. Otherwise the key is ignored. Delete removes the character at the cursor position and shortens the line. If the cursor is one column to the right of the last character on the line, that line and the following line will be combined if the new line would fit on the screen; otherwise, the key is ignored. ============================================================================ More Deletion Pressing Alt-T deletes the word which starts at the cursor position. Here, a "word" is a group of blanks OR a group of non-blank characters possibly followed by trailing spaces. You can delete a series of words by pressing and holding Alt-T. However, when the cursor is at the end of the line, Alt-T is ignored. Alt-B deletes all characters from the first column of the line to just left of the cursor. If the cursor is at column 1, the key is ignored. Alt-E deletes all characters from the cursor position to the end of the line. If the cursor is at the end of the line, (all together, now) the key is ignored. Note that Alt-E deletes the character at the cursor while Alt-B does not. Alt-Y deletes the current line entirely. If the deleted line was not the last line, the cursor remains where it was; otherwise, it moves one line higher and stays in the same column. If the file consists of a single line, and it is deleted with Alt-Y, the cursor moves to Line 1, Column 1. ============================================================================= File Saving and Exiting Saving a file using Centiwrite is as easy as pressing a single key. Pressing F2 saves the file as it appears on the screen, and keeps you in the editor to make additional changes. Alt-X functions identically, but ends the program. Alt-D discards the contents of the screen and ends the program. The details of file saving follow. Whenever you save a file, the procedure below is followed. 1. The disk is checked to see if a file with the current file name exists. If not, the file is simply copied to the disk. Otherwise the process continues. 2. Any file with the same name but an extension of ".old" is erased. 3. The original is renamed with the ".old" extension. 4. The new file is copied to the disk. If any error occurs during this process, an error message is displayed and you are given an opportunity to change file names, just as in loading the file. The importance of this approach is underscored here. If, for any reason, the file cannot be saved as originally desired, you can switch to a file name that works. For instance, if you try to save the file "a:ralph.txt" and drive A is on fire, you'll probably get an error message such as "Drive not ready." Instead of being unable to save the file, you can simply change the file name to "c:ralph.txt" and save to the hard drive. No data is lost. This feature is particularly useful if you're working with floppies and you don't happen to have extra ones formatted when the inevitable "Disk is full" or similar message appears. After you change the file name (or decide to retry with the same name) the above procedure is repeated starting with step 1. This reduces the likelihood of a small error confusing the program. Also, regardless of how many times you save the file, the same sequence is repeated. Thus, if you start with files "joe.txt" and "joe.old" on the disk, and save six times, only the last two versions will remain on the disk-- the originals, plus some additional versions, will have been replaced by the saves. The extension of ".old" for backup files is used because of the inane similarity of ".bak" to ".bat". The number of ".bat" files which have been edited and immediately erased by errant fingers getting the last letter wrong must be in the millions. When you use Centiwrite, you won't have to make the same mistake. Also note that you CAN edit a file with an extension of ".old". In that case, backups will have the extension ".prv". When you exit the program by pressing Alt-D, the message "Discard screen and exit? (Y/N)" will appear on the status line in boldface on monochrome monitors and in white on red on color monitors. You must press "Y" in order to confirm that you indeed wish to exit. Pressing any other key will cancel Alt-D and leave you in the editor. Exiting via Alt-D does NOTHING to any copies of the file on any disk-- it simply discards the contents of the edit window without saving them. Therefore, if you created a new file and didn't save it, no copy would exist and it would be totally lost. If you had saved it, only the changes you made since the last save would be lost. ============================================================================= Character Repetition Using the graphics characters, (which have ASCII values of 128 or more), you can create surprisingly sophisticated effects with Centiwrite. Recall that you can insert a character by holding Alt and entering the ASCII code on the numeric keypad. If you do this with ASCII 220, you'll see a small, solid box appear. Then press Alt-H (horizontal repeat). A solid line will be drawn across your screen. Notice that this is unlike what you would get by holding down the equals sign, for instance. Used judiciously and sparingly, the graphics characters can add real spice to your short (and otherwise drab) little note. The two key combinations Alt-H and Alt-V (for vertical repeat) are a big help in creating these effects. Alt-H repeats the last character entered and moves the cursor one column to the right. Alt-V repeats the last character entered and moves the cursor one column down. (If the cursor cannot be moved in the appropriate direction, the key is ignored.) Without these keys, you would have to enter Alt-220 80 times on the numeric keypad to generate the same effect. Now you can see why most people write short, drab little notes. Just as an example of what you can do with this "neat trick," load Centiwrite with the file name "template.txt", which should not exist on your disk. At Line 1, Column 1, type Alt-220. Then press Alt-H until you get to the end of the line. Press Enter and type Alt-221. Press Enter again and then Alt-V until the cursor is at the bottom of the screen. Type Alt-223 and then Alt-H until the cursor is at the end of the line. Then move to the last column of the second line (78 on 80-column monitors) and type Alt-222. Move the cursor to the last column of the third line, and type Alt-V until your border (oh, so that's what it is?) is complete. If you're used to typing in Overstrike mode, (because Centiwrite padded everything with blanks, and you wouldn't be able to insert anything) you can save "template.txt" and load it whenever you create a new file so that all your little notes have a border around them. The point is, however, that this is so easily done, you can use your imagination to create many more such interesting effects. You don't have to "do it once, so you'll never have to do THAT again." It's particularly good simply for underlining with contiguous characters rather than ordinary ones with space between them. ============================================================================ Undo Last Keystroke Centiwrite saves a complete duplicate of your file in memory before each keystroke. By pressing F3, you can reverse the effect of ANY keystroke in the program, including F3 itself. Repeatedly pressing F3 toggles between the two copies of your file in memory. The cursor position for each copy is also saved. Not only are you able to recover from an inadvertent Alt-Y, but if the program has some kind of bug left in it, the Undo feature works simply and reliably enough that it should be able to recover. You might also use Undo to switch between slightly different versions of your file so that you can decide which is better. =========================================================================== Displaying the ASCII Value of a Character Pressing F5 displays the ASCII code (from 0 to 255) of the character at the current cursor position. This is useful if you load a file containing graphics characters, and you see one you would like to use. Just move the cursor onto it, and press F5 to see its value. You can then enter it using the Alt+ numeric keypad method. It also helps distinguish among ASCII zero, ASCII 32 (blank) and ASCII 255, which all appear as a blank. The display will remain for 2.5 seconds. ============================================================================ Changing the Encryption Option If you want to change the setting of the encryption flag, press F6. This alone will NOT alter any files on a disk, but simply change the option for the next save. A message will appear briefly on the status line indicating either "Encryption is ON" or "Encryption is OFF." ============================================================================ Inserting an ASCII Zero Occasionally, you will find the need to insert an ASCII zero into a file. ASCII zero is the only character (apart from 7, 8, 10, and 13 mentioned under "What Not to Load") that cannot be entered using the Alt+ numeric keypad method; therefore, just as in DOS, pressing F7 will insert it into your file. ============================================================================= Displaying the Date and Time Pressing F8 will display the current system time on the status line. Pressing Ctrl-F8 will display the current system date on the status line. Each will remain displayed for 2.5 seconds. ============================================================================= Nobody's Perfect Centiwrite is written to very high standards, particularly in terms of its error-handling capabilities. The program recovers most gracefully from almost all errors, especially the most common ones, such as "Drive not ready" and "Disk is write-protected." In fact, you might say it is "built like a tank." This is just part of what makes it an exceptional value and is what separates it from "weekend projects." However, in some rare cases, the program may abruptly terminate and display an error message such as: Runtime error 200 at 1A34:076F. If this occurs, you should report the problem to one of the electronic mail addresses listed earlier. In all cases, the screen will be cleared and the cursor restored. The one most likely to occur is #202, Stack overflow. If any other error occurs, the probable cause is either corrupted code or hardware failure. ============================================================================= Ready, Set, But Wait, There's More You now should know all that is necessary to operate Centiwrite intelligently. First, before you rush to use the program, you'll be interested in a few matters of business, which follow below. ============================================================================= Why Become a Registered Owner? Right now, you have Centiwrite, and that's not bad. Why stop with Centiwrite though? Registered owners receive a disk containing not only a copy of Centiwrite 1.10, but several well-written, easy-to-use utilities as well. These include CHATTRIB.EXE Allows you to change file attributes, including the hidden attribute, interactively. Lets you hide any file, including an entire directory, so that it does not appear in directory listings. Also allows you to unhide a file, particularly useful for "cleaning house" after deleting certain copy- protected software. BATTRIB.EXE Provides the functions of CHATTRIB for use in batch files. DIRALL.EXE Displays a directory listing like an ordinary DOS "dir" command, but also shows hidden files (which appear in boldface, so you can easily spot them). DIRHID.EXE Checks your entire hard disk for hidden files in all directories. Great for checking to see if any "viruses" (which might use hidden files to do their dirty work) have penetrated your system. Lists complete path name of all hidden files. LCURSOR.EXE Changes the size of the hardware-generated cursor to a full block character (similar to an ASCII 219). Useful for laptop owners and others who can hardly see the thin line which usually passes for a cursor. Just place in AUTOEXEC.BAT and forget. Now written in assembly language! XCURSOR.EXE Eliminates the blinking hardware cursor entirely. You don't need it at the DOS command level anyway, as you can't do anything other than backspace-- the cursor is always at the end of the line. All that blinking thing does is annoy and irritate. Also restores cursors which have been eliminated for any reason. TIME12.EXE Displays the current system time in 12-hour (AM/PM) format, unlike DOS, which uses 24-hour time. Also sets the current time interactively in 12-hour format. Note that NONE of these programs is offered through ANY other distribution channel. They are a special "thank-you", offered at no additional charge. "Not sold in stores" is the way it's usually put. You must register, however, in order to take advantage of this exceptional offer. If that's not reason enough to register, you'll also receive CWCUSTOM.EXE, which allows you to select your own screen colors, insert/overstrike, auto-save, screen write, and encryption defaults. Still not sold on licensing Centiwrite? Registered users are entitled to unlimited telephone, U. S. Mail, and electronic mail support. If such a user finds a bug within three months of purchase, it will either be fixed or the purchase price will be refunded. In addition, you'll receive the LATEST version of Centiwrite. A new version (such as 1.01) is not always uploaded to the on-line services if the changes are minor. This reduces the workload of the sysops, but it means that the version you have now may be slightly "stale." Plus, you'll receive notice if Centiwrite is upgraded. What more could anyone ask? ============================================================================= OK, So You Asked Although Centiwrite and the accompanying utilities are a very good buy, and many people will feel quite happy with them, it's possible that some may want an even better deal. That's why you may also choose to purchase an enhanced version of Centiwrite called Deciwrite. Whereas Centiwrite is so named because it has about 1/100 of the power of a complete text editor, Deciwrite has 1/10 of that power. Put another way, Deciwrite is ten times as powerful as Centiwrite. Even so-called "power users" may like to have a copy of Deciwrite available for certain small tasks. Deciwrite includes a number of features not found in Centiwrite, while preserving the same basic style of operation. Some of these "extra added attractions" include the following: 1. Automatic word wrap and text reformatting (can be disabled). 2. Ability to edit and create short program (binary) files. 3. Complete on-line help for every function. 4. Shell-to-DOS feature included-- lets you execute any DOS command or program from within Deciwrite (subject to available memory). 5. Ability to change file name when saving-- good for creating and saving multiple similar files without exiting. 6. Files can be loaded from within the program. (In Centiwrite, a file can be loaded only at the start of the program.) 7. Files can be saved with your choice of attributes-- even hidden! 8. Insert time or date with one keystroke. 9. Pull-down File menu. 10. Extra-strength encryption options, with password protection. These features were omitted from Centiwrite in the interest of keeping the program reasonably small. They are available to those who are interested, however, for not much more than the price of Centiwrite. Now here's another tremendous offer. If you're not sure about which of these two useful products to buy, get Centiwrite and its accompanying utilities right now. Then, you'll have a whole year to decide. If at any time in the next year you find the extra features of Deciwrite attractive, you can purchase Deciwrite, and the price of Centiwrite will be subtracted from the price of Deciwrite NOW. (Just add $1 for shipping.) So pay your $20.00 now, and six months from now you can still buy Deciwrite for just $11.00, regardless of the price of either product then. You really have little to lose with such a reasonable offer. Don't forget, too, that Deciwrite comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee no matter when you buy it. ============================================================================ Attention, Developers! The editor in Centiwrite is written as a Turbo Pascal unit. That means that you can paste it into your program and not be bothered with writing your own text editor for short notes, memos, etc. All you have to do is purchase the Centiwrite Developer's Kit. This contains the file CENTWRIT.TPU plus the complete instructions on how to integrate Centiwrite into your program, including a sample calling program. (CENTWRIT.TPU is less than 20K in length, so including the editor will require substantially less space than the entire length of CWRITE.EXE.) It may be easier than you think! What's more, the Centiwrite Developer's Kit comes with the same great offer that the stand-alone version has: If, at any time in the next year, you decide you need the power of Deciwrite, you can upgrade to the Deciwrite Developer's Kit for the difference between what you paid for the Centiwrite Developer's Kit and the price of the Deciwrite Developer's Kit NOW (plus $1 for shipping). Better still, no royalties are charged for programs created using either Developer's Kit. Plus, even if you decide not to use the editor itself, both these packages come with routines you may have been looking for. One example, from Deciwrite, is a function that converts a decimal number to a hexadecimal number (represented as a string). This is the same routine used in Deciwrite's binary mode. It could be quite useful in a program which uses hex numbers. Order today! ============================================================================= Special Service Many of you may be understandably upset at not being able to erase all your backup files with a command such as "erase *.bak" on account of Centiwrite's use of the ".OLD" extension. Here's an extra-special offer. Send a check for $10 and copies of up to three programs that make ".BAK" files. You'll get the programs returned to you patched so that they make ".OLD" files instead. For each additional program you want patched, the charge is $2.50. (As this is a service, NY residents need not add local sales tax.) In addition, registered users of Centiwrite may send up to five programs for just $7.50. This is another special "thank-you" for your registration. Just think. You'll have solved two problems at once-- no incompatibilities, and no more erased ".BAT" files. The author has done this with all the programs on his own hard disk and has resolved never again to allow any program to be so "ill-behaved" as to create a ".BAK" file. (In the event that you have a stubborn program that will not patch easily, your program and fee will be returned to you.) Scratch one more reason not to use Centiwrite. ============================================================================= Down to Brass Tacks As of July 1, 1989, this is the Centiwrite/Deciwrite price list. Individual License Site License *# Centiwrite 1.10 $20.00 $250.00 # Deciwrite 1.10 $30.00 $500.00 Deciwrite 1.10 Demo Disk $ 4.00 ******* *# Centiwrite 1.10 Developer's Kit $32.50 $550.00 Upgrade to later version $ 5.00 $ 60.00 # Deciwrite 1.10 Developer's Kit $75.00 $950.00 Disk replacement fee $ 3.00 none Shipping & handling $ 4.00 $ 4.00 * These items can be ordered through the Public (Software) Library; others must be ordered directly from the author. # Shipping & handling charges must be added to these items. When ordering the Developer's Kit, please specify which version of Turbo Pascal you are using (4.0, 5.0, and 5.5 are supported). New York State residents and businesses MUST add their local sales tax or provide proof of exemption. Send electronic mail if you are uncertain of your local tax rate. Shipping and handling is not included in the calculation of the sales tax. Residents of other states will in most cases be required to remit the appropriate tax directly to their state tax department. The Deciwrite Demo Disk includes one $3.00 discount toward the purchase of Deciwrite 1.10. An individual license permits the user to operate the program on a single computer at a time, while a site license permits unlimited use within the confines of a contiguous area of the owner's property. These prices are guaranteed not to increase through October 1, 1989. Custom implementations of these programs are also available on request for modest additional fees. Send electronic mail to one of the addresses listed earlier. If you would like to use your Visa or MasterCard to register Centiwrite, you may order through the Public (Software) Library. The number to call for orders is 1-800-2424-PSL (1-800-242-4775). Information and questions about orders is available from the PSL at 713-665-7017. You may also write to the PSL at P.O. Box 35707, Houston, TX 77235-5705, or send electronic mail via CompuServe to 71355,470. When writing, you should sign your letter, include your card number and its expiration date, and specify that you want to register Centiwrite, (CWRITE.ARC), by Andrew M. Saucci, Jr. Please note that the PSL is not equipped to answer questions about Centiwrite itself. Such questions are best directed to one of the electronic mail addresses listed earlier. Also note that no surcharge is imposed on credit card orders. Make checks payable to Andrew M. Saucci, Jr. 641 Koelbel Ct Baldwin, NY 11510-3915. Please specify the disk size you require. You may wish to check one of the electronic mail addresses to verify that the above address is current. Please use this "physical" address ONLY for orders, unless you lack a modem. All other correspondence, including technical support questions, should be directed to one of the electronic mail addresses whenever possible. ============================================================================ Before Going to the Highest Court in the Land This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006 or send a CompuServe message via EasyPlex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. ============================================================================ Boilerplate Liability in the event of defects in Centiwrite 1.10 is expressly limited to replacement of the disk on which Centiwrite was originally provided. No other liability of any sort is either implied or assumed. The user is wholly responsible for making duplicate copies of all data sufficient to protect against loss. Also, the user is responsible for any consequential damages that may result from using this program, such as loss of data, loss of income, pain and suffering, etc. ============================================================================= To All Those Who Helped Thanks to all those who gave their assistance toward the completion of this program, especially Michael Day, Neil Rubenking, Scott Bussinger, and all the other helpful people who frequent Borland's Programming Forum A (BPROGA) on CompuServe. It's truly amazing! ============================================================================ Even if you've decided that none of these products is for you, your comments are appreciated. Send a message to one of the electronic addresses listed earlier, and explain what you don't like about the products. Perhaps some of the deficiencies can be corrected in future releases. Thanks for trying Centiwrite! ==============================END OF FILE===================================