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zs.EXE PROGRAM INFORMATION
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Zs is a text editing program for DOS & Windows. It has room
for 8,000 file records and/or around 300,000 file bytes,
depending on how much DOS memory is available. Zs never
turns down a file - it will read in only a section of the
file, if there is not enough room. Its record file lines are
80 characters.
If the records are longer than 80 characters, zs chops
them up into segments. These are numbered, are flagged in
the edit mode. When the file is output, the segments are
put together and the segment bunches are written as
individual records. This chop and glue technology may be
different and sound strange, but works.
Zs is used to upkeep general text and log files. It has
several non-standard functions that help it do this. These
include a sort, extra move functions, data shifts, and a
directory scan report.
There is some limited binary file processing, for gathering
data from, and viewing non-text files.
For processing, zs uses three different screens: edit,
browse, and graphics. The graphics need a VGA monitor, and
put a compact picture of zs's file area on the screen.
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DOS Based
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zs is a DOS based program that runs under Windows 95/98 and
can run in a MS-DOS only environment. Under Windows, it runs
in a DOS window, defined by a PIF (program information file).
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..........Operating zs ............
The Option Table
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There is an options table that springs up on the lower
part of zs's main screen. It appears whenever the Enter
key is pressed; its purpose is to make zs easier to use:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
| Input Edit Position Directory scan Lines move |
| Output Swap Even page Sort recs Max len move |
| Save & exit Delete Search Reformat String move |
| 1st record Shift rght Line nmbrs Graph recs Min len move |
| Last record Shift left Lines/screen Clip portal De-seg lines |
| Exit Prev edit Info bar Command Seg lines |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Main Screen Options
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Key Functions
======== ==============================================================
arrows move screen thru data by paging or scrolling
b defines 1st record of output file
c defines last record of output file
Space turns on/off record numbers on right edge of screen
m moves intervals of lines to region, starting at target line
w moves only lines of given length, or shorter
W moves only lines of given length, or longer
S moves only lines having a given character tring
a forces lines to be non-segmented
A forms a segment bunch (segs 1->n), from an interval of lines
d deletes intervals of lines
i inputs files, changes current directory
o outputs files, changes current directory
x exits program, with no warning
e edits into a line
l defines how many records will be displayed on screen
= temporarily displays info line
r searches file area for requested strings or special characters
s swaps character strings in intervals of lines
p positions screen onto page with selected line number
f displays graphical image of file area
D dos command entry
R re-formats text - changes lengths of file lines
\ squares up screen on an even screen page boundary
/ enters edit on last line edited
F12 enters edit on last line edited
) shifts all info in interval to right
( shifts all info in interval to left
F10 saves defined file into current file path & exits
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Special Functions From Main Screen
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Key Function
===== =======================================================
v runs a scan of a disk directory; accepts the directory
and a target, for options; puts scan report into the
file area starting at target line. Accepts '*.*'
type notation, for specific files; puts the directory
list into chronological order.
u sorts an interval of lines; sort options are sub-string
position, and sub-string length. There can be up to
four of these fields, 1st one hightest priority, & so
forth. Then the routine asks to reverse the sort,
for descending order. This option can be used for
un-sorted intervals, also, and can reverse the order
of the records in an interval.
R changes line length of records - takes an interval and
produces a new interval of lines, with different
lengths. Also condenses multiple blanks. Paragraphs
when encounters empty lines.
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The File Input Routine
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On file input, several things happen. First, the number
of zs file lines, to be chopped off the front of the file, is
requested. The program will skip these many zs file lines of
the input file, where a zs file line is up to 79 characters
of a file record, but is often simply a file record.
Then the file is checked for having binary characters; if
so, it is flagged as being a binary file. Always, text
formated input is treated as text data & text records.
Finally, the file is checked to have been all read in. If
not, including any data skipped by request, a lost data
report box appears on the main screen. A binary file warning
box can also appear on the screen.
For binary input, some special characters are converted to
blanks; these are the char(7), char(8), char(10), char(13).
Binary zero's are converted to char(249)'s, the 'ù'. These
conversions make binary file updating unadvisable.
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Editing Screen
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Key Functions
======== ===============================================================
arrows moves pseudo cursor up, down, left, right on file lines.
Home moves pseudo cursor to front of line edited.
End moves pseudo cursor to end of line edited.
F12 saves changes in line and exits edit.
Delete puts into delete mode - move pseudo cursor & press Enter key.
Insert puts into insert mode - key in string & press Enter key.
Enter puts into Option Mode:
m merges another line onto edit line at pseudo cursor.
e jumps edit to requested line; doesn't save current chgs.
c chops off line at point of pseudo cursor.
y chops off line, copies chopped off part onto next line.
r inserts, into line, last deleted line section.
Enter saves changes that have been made to line.
i starts input, using 1st word of line for filename.
D changes current directory to 1st word of line.
x exits edit, does not save changes.
z copies contents of line to other lines.
k copies character string to key memory.
l inserts an empty line after edited line.
j adds/changes line segment number - '0' nulls seg nmbr.
Space moves line and its contents to never-never land.
s swaps character strings in line.
g puts edit into mode to accept ansi codes.
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Graphics Screen Options
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Key Functions
======== =======================================================
left moves graph pointer 24 records to left
right moves graph pointer 24 records to right
comma compresses graph, in steps
dot expands graph, in steps
space brings graph to zero position, max compression
1-9 moves graph pointer to digit hundred: 100, 200, etc.
F1-F9 moves graph pointer to digit thousand: 1000, 2000, etc.
x exits graph, but does not exit program
others exits graph, enters browse screen, uses key as option code
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Key Memory
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Several of the keyboard input functions use a memory of previously
keyed in strings. The memory uses the regular cursor movement keys:
Left, Right, Home, End, Backspace. It uses other keys, as well:
Key Function
------- ----------------------------------------
Up scrolls backward thru key memory
Down scrolls forward thru key memory
F5 deletes memory entry & scrolls backward
Enter enters the keyed input
F4 moves scroll to the blank entry
Tab same as Down key
Esc same as Up key
F1 same as Enter key
F2 same as Left key
F3 same as Right key
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Key Memory does not work for key input of line numbers.
If full, no new strings can be added.
Capacity is around 18 entries.
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Main Screen Information Bar
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Running clock is on top of the bar.
Left to right, field contents:
File name
File size
First line number in file --> Last line number in file
[ max nmbr of lines X max nmbr of chars/line ]
Program name
Line number of top line on present screen
Number of lines on screen pages
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Other Notes
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* An odd message appears during an i/o use, when the first record
of the file is not 1. This is to lessen operator errors.
* The program does not ask questions during:
delete, exit, swap, and some others.
* Most operations can be stopped by pressing the Enter key.
* You can use the full path name for the file name to over-ride the
current directory in the input and output functions.
* The 3rd parm of the delete option is for where to truncate reocrds.
* zs.exe accepts a file name as an input parameter - it will attempt
to open and read in the file, when executed. Zs can be used for
the default program for text files, under Windows.
* Be carefull with move, it is a tricky function.
* The 's' in zs stands for short.
* The F10 option of the main screen is not for everyday use - be
very careful.
* The line segments, if any, are re-numbered automatically,
starting at one for the first segment of each bunch.
* The sort routine recognizes no line segments.
* Segments can be in file, un-noticed - check periodically.
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