Black Box 4/BlackBox.cdr/w3_disk/filer.arj/FILER.DOC

Text File | 1992-01-20 | 12.5 KB | 336 lines

Filer 1.1

Freeware from George Campbell

Copyright 1992, by George Campbell

INTRODUCTION

There are lots of File Finder utilities available for Windows 3.0
but most of them do just that--find files. Filer is a bit
different; it finds files, but does a lot more too. Here's what
you can do with this program:

1. Locate any file on any hard disk drive or partition, using
normal DOS wildcard search criteria.

2. Search the current drive or all hard drives and partitions.

3. Display just the files found, or the files along with the
complete directory structure of the disk(s).

4. Display just the tree structure of your drive or drives.

5. Print a formatted copy of your search results on any
Windows-compatible printer. You can even print a list showing the
directory structure of your disk(s) for future reference.

6. Examine files found by filer. If they are .BMP or .ICO files,
you'll see the image itself on the screen. All other files display
as text characters.

7. Delete a single file, or the complete list of files found by
Filer. A confirmation box prevents costly errors.

8. Remove individual files from any list of files found by Filer.
Use this feature when deleting files, to protect files you want to
save.


LICENSE INFORMATION

Filer is FreeWare. There is no registration fee for use by anyone
for this program.  However, you may not sell the program or use it
as part of any other program or package. Shareware distributors
and BBSes, however, can distribute the program using their normal
fee structure. If you distribute Filer, you must include the
files, FILER.EXE and FILER.DOC.

Filer and its documentation are protected under U.S. and foreign
copyright laws. All rights are reserved.

The author of this program has made every effort to make it
error-free. However, he takes no responsibility for its use by
others.

For information on other programs by George Campbell, please see
the end of this documentation.


INSTALLATION

Filer was written in Visual Basic 1.0, so you need the
VBRUN100.DLL library to use the program. If you don't already have
a copy, you can download one from Compuserve, in library 5 of the
MSBASIC forum. You can also download a copy from my mini-BBS at
[phone].

Here's the installation process.

1. Copy VBRUN100.DLL to your Windows 3.0 directory.

2. Copy FILER.EXE to its own directory or to any other directory
you want to use.

3. Start Windows 3.0, then use the File/New menu in the program
manager to add the Filer Icon to your desktop. NOTE: If you use
another program, such as Norton Desktop for Windows, as a program
manager, you'll need to consult that program's documentation for
instructions on adding a new program.

4. Once the Filer Icon is on your desktop, don't forget to check
the Save Changes box when you exit Windows.

RUNNING FILER

To start Filer, double-click on its icon.


Finding Files with Filer

You'll see the Filer interface on your screen. In the upper left
of the screen is a text box for entering your search
specification. Just click inside the box and type your own search
to replace the *.* default entry. Use any normal DOS wildcard
criteria for your pattern. Now, click the [Search Current Drive]
button or the [Search All Drives] button to begin your search.

Filer will look for matching files, giving you a count of those it
finds as it goes. Once the search is done, a list box will appear
containing all the matching files. Above the list box, you'll find
a count showing the number of files found. You can use the scroll
bar to view more files. If you want to change drives, just use the
drive selection list box.


Viewing Files with Filer

Once you have a list, you can view individual files. Just double
click on a filename. You'll see the first 256 characters of the
file in the text box to the right. If you're viewing a binary
file, such as an .EXE file, some characters will appear as - or +
characters. These are unprintable characters. Text files will
appear normally, wrapped to fit inside the text box.

If you've chosen a graphic with the extension .ICO or .BMP, you'll
see the image contained in the file.


Manipulating Files in the List Box

You can clear any file from the List box. To do this, click once on
the filename, then click the [Clear] button. The file you selected
will disappear from the list.

If you click the [Clear] button when no file is selected, the
entire list will be cleared. This clearing affects only the list,
not the files themselves.

NOTE: When you start a new search while files still show in the
list box, you'll be asked if you want to clear the box before the
search proceeds. If you answer [Yes] the box will clear. If you
answer [No] your new search will be added to the current list.


Deleting Files

You can also delete files from the disk itself. Start by clicking
on a file to select it, then click the [Delete Selected] button. A
confirmation box will appear, and if you click [Yes], you'll
delete the file from the disk.

The [Delete All] button does just that...it deletes all the files
in the list box from your disk(s). You'll be asked to confirm this
before the files are deleted.

CAUTION: Make sure you really want to delete a file or all files
before clicking [Yes] in the confirmation box! Once you've deleted
the files, you will be able to get them back only with an Undelete
utility!

If you want to delete just some files from the list, delete them
one at a time, or use the [Clear] button to remove the files you
want to keep from the list. Use care with this feature...you could
easily delete files you want to keep if you don't watch yourself.


Your Directory Tree

By default, Filer shows only the files found during the search.
However, you can modify this process. Two check boxes appear just
above the list box.  If you check the [Show Directories Only]
check box, Filer will ignore your search specifications and list
your drive(s) directory structure instead. This is a very useful
tool. Printing a list of your computer's directory structure can
help you find directories later.

In addition, the [Don't List Directories] check box, which is
normally checked, can be disabled. If you do this, Filer will find
the files, but will also list all your directories as well.


Printing Lists

Filer's [Print] button will send whatever's in the list box to
your printer. Printouts have a 1-inch left margin, but top and
bottom margins are whatever your printer supports as its default.

Errors

Filer handles most errors you'll encounter. However, if you try to
search all your drives for all files, using the *.* search
criteria, you'll overload the list box's capacity. Filer will tell
you about this and suggest that you limit your search. Normally,
the program can handle over 2000 files, so this shouldn't be a big
problem for most users.


OTHER PROGRAMS

I offer a number of other Shareware Products you may find of
interest. These are listed below. You can find the latest versions
of these programs on Compuserve, in various forums. To find all my
files, use Compuserve's IBM File Finder, searching for my CIS ID:
71571,222.

You can also download these programs from my mini-BBS at (805)
528-3753. Anyone may log on to this system and download files
immediately. Just follow the screen prompts.


BurnIn 4.3

This program, which runs under DOS, is a complete system
exerciser. By running BurnIn, you can thoroughly test every part
of your PC in a continuous series of tests. I recommend running
BurnIn for 48 hours on all new systems. If there's an intermittent
problem, BurnIn will find it. This program is used by many systems
houses and clone builders for product testing. It has been
reviewed in a number of publications and has proven trouble-free
and useful. Registration is just $15.

MicroText 4.0

If you use shareware, you know how much paper you use printing out
the doc files. MicroText lets you crunch your docs, printing the
equivalent of 4 pages on every sheet of paper. It also
removes excess white space for even more savings. It works with HP
LaserJets and most dot-matrix printers, and offers customized
settings and even a page preview feature. It has been called "The
best way to print shareware documentation," by one reviewer.
Registration is only $10.

Fonter 4.0

A Windows 3.0 program, Fonter lets you view all your Windows fonts
and print lists in various ways. You can print a list of all your
fonts, complete with samples, or print character set charts for
any font. Finally, you can print a complete book of all your
fonts. Fonter lets you cut and paste special characters to other
Windows applications as well. Designed for HP LaserJet printers,
it also supports most other Windows 3.0-compatible printers. It
supports Adobe Type Manager, Bitstream's FaceLift, and TrueType,
but does not work with SuperPrint. If you do complex word
processing or desktop publishing in Windows, this program is a
must.

PC Computing magazine called Fonter one of "The 15 Best Low-Cost
Windows Utilities" in their January, 1992 issue. Registration is
just $15.

Rockford! 1.5

Need some business cards? Rockford! is the tool for you. This
Windows 3.0 program makes designing business cards a snap. You can
create horizontal or vertical card designs, using all your Windows
fonts. Options include 5 different border types, graphics drawing
tools, and direct import of clip art images into your card. All
elements can be sized and moved to suit your artistic eye.
Rockford! offers custom text placement, plus sizing and scaling of
all graphical elements.

You can print your cards on any HP LaserJet-compatible printer in
one of two ways. First, you can print sheets of ready-to-cut cards
on heavy card stock, then cut them out for instant business cards.
Or you can print a card in 200% magnification to take to a print
shop for 600 DPI resolution. Either way, crop marks make the
trimming job easy.

Rockford! is not only useful, it's fun to use! A simple,
button-driven interface speeds your work. Use it to create comic
cards and membership cards as well as normal business cards. The
$15 registered version comes with lots of clip art, and there's
even a $30 professional version which supports four-up printing,
reverses, and has an even larger clip art library.

WinClip BMP 1.0

If you use .BMP files as clip art, this program is an absolute
must. It displays your .BMP files on screen, and prints catalog
sheets of your files, complete with path information to help you
find a particular image quickly. Print one or an entire disk full
of images.

WinClip is so useful, you may just decide to convert all your clip
art images into BMP format, just so you can use WinClip's unique
cataloging tools. WinClip requires Windows 3.0 or later, and
registration is just $15.

MORE IS COMING!

I'm currently working on several more Windows programs, and you'll
want to know about each of them. The easiest way to do that is to
order one of the current crop.

You can download the programs and test them, or just send a check
for the programs you want to the address below. Naturally, I'll
return your money if you don't find a program to suit your needs.
It's totally risk-free! All registered users get telephone and
on-line support.

George Campbell
1472 Sixth Street
Los Osos, CA  93402

All checks must be made out to George Campbell, and drawn on a
U.S. Bank in U.S. Funds. Canadian users may send Canadian Postal
Money Orders in U.S. Dollar amounts. Postage and any sales tax
fees are included in the price of the program.




ORDER BLANK

George Campbell
1472 Sixth Street
Los Osos, CA  93402

Please send me the following programs:

PROGRAM                         PRICE

______BurnIn 4.3                $15.00

______MicroText 4.0              10.00

______Fonter 4.0                 15.00

______Rockford! 1.5              15.00

______Winclip BMP 1.0            15.00
                                =======
                TOTAL

I'm enclosing a check or money order for the programs checked above.

NAME_______________________________________________________________

ADDRESS____________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

CITY______________________________STATE_____ZIP CODE_______________

[ ] 5.25" Disks   [ ] 3.5" Disks