XDOS\XDOS.DOC ·
DOC ·
13.8 KB ·
1991-10-01 ·
from WhatPC_Issue-27_Oct-1991-FluxEngine-360KB
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xDOS UTILITIES
Version 1.0
Extended DOS Utilites
for the
IBM Personal Computer and Compatibles
Copyright (C) 1985, D. M. Whittaker
4898 N. Vagedes, Suite A
Fresno, CA 93705
xDOS is user-supported software. If you find xDOS useful,
you are encouraged to send $10.00 to D. M. Whittaker at the
above address. As a registered owner, you will be notified
of any revisions, additions or enhancements which will be
available to you for a nominal charge.
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xDOS UTILITIES USER'S GUIDE AND REFERENCE MANUAL
xDOS (eXtended DOS) is a set of utility programs designed to
provide additional or enhanced PC- or MS-DOS capabilities. This disk
should contain the following files:
ALARM.COM An alarm clock function
CAT.COM An alternative to DOS's DIR command
HELP.COM Assistance with DOS commands
LOCK.COM Provides the ability to lock and hide files
NOPRINT.COM Re-directs printer output to the screen
ZAP.COM Two methods for securing sensitive files
XDOS.DOC This reference manual
PRINTMAN.BAT A batch file to print this manual
README.TXT A greeting file
I suggest that you copy each of these files to a blank disk
for safekeeping, then pass along another copy to a friend or
associate. Files such as CAT.COM and LOCK.COM should be copied
to any disk where you intend to use them. To copy all of the
applicable files, you can use the command COPY *.COM B: where
B: drive contains the target diskette.
The following pages provide a description of each of these
programs. If you have any comments, suggestions or criticisms,
please address them to the author:
D. M. Whittaker
4898 N. Vagedes, Suite A
Fresno, CA 93705
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ALARM.COM
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ALARM.COM provides an on-screen alarm clock function. If you
are like me, I sometimes get engrossed at what I am doing at the
keyboard and forget to watch the clock. Consequently, I am sometimes
late for appointments, lunch, etc.. ALARM is a memory resident
program, i.e., once you have installed it, it stays in memory until
the computer is reset.
To use ALARM, just type ALARM. You will be asked to enter the
time you wish the alarm to go off. You can enter the time in either
the 'standard' format such as 08:30 pm or in the 'military' format of
20:30. When the set time arrives, a small box will appear in the
upper right-hand corner of the screen telling you the time (as well
as a couple of beeps). You can now enter a new time or enter zero or
just press ENTER to turn the alarm off. Of course, once you turn the
alarm off, you cannot call it back to enter a new time. You must
re-install ALARM by typing ALARM and entering the desired time.
One other minor caveat: The computer tracks time down to
hundredths of a second. Because of a rounding algorithm used in
ALARM, it will not go off exactly at the time specified, but rather
several seconds after the minute specified.
As a short-cut, you can enter the first time when you install
ALARM. For instance, the following command will install ALARM with
the time set for 08:30 am:
ALARM 08:30
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CAT.COM
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CAT (CATalog) is similar to DOS's DIR command, i.e., it displays
a list of the disk's files. The differences are as follows:
CAT displays the files in a more aesthetically pleasing manner.
CAT will automatically pause at the end of each screen. You
can terminate the listing by pressing the ESC key or continue by
pressing any other key.
CAT will automatically list the files in any sub-directories
(including sub-directories within sub-directories to five levels).
CAT will display all files, including system and hidden files.
Because of this feature and displaying files within sub-directories,
you may notice a difference between the file counts provide by CAT
and by DIR.
CAT displays the file's attributes. Attributes? Yes, each
file has several attributes that DOS uses for various purposes.
The abbreviations for these attributes are:
Arch (archive) This attribute is used by PC-DOS to
determine if a file has been changed
when doing a hard disk backup.
Subd (sub-directory) This attribute indicates a
sub-directory file which contains
additional directory entries. See
your DOS manual for a discussion of
the tree structure directories.
Volm (volume) This is the volume label.
Syst (system) This indiciates a system file, i.e.,
DOS itself.
Hide (hidden) A hidden file will not show in a
normal DIR listing. You can change
this attribute with LOCK.COM.
Lock (locked) This file is marked read-only. See
the description of LOCK.COM for more
details.
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To use CAT be sure that CAT.COM is on the disk in the default
drive then type CAT and press ENTER. (If drive B: is the default
drive and CAT.COM is in drive A:, you can type A:CAT which will
result in cataloging drive B:, the default drive.) You can tell CAT
to catalog a different disk by typing a space then entering the drive
designation. For example, 'CAT B' will display the files in drive
B:. Upper and lower case are not important and the colon after the
drive name is optional.
You can also instruct CAT to display the files in a particular
sub-directory. The command, 'CAT \LEVEL1' would list the files in
the sub-directory named LEVEL1. You can combine this with a drive
designation such as 'CAT B\LEVEL1.' In general, you can specify any
path as you would with DIR.
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HELP.COM
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HELP is mostly text containing brief descriptions of DOS
commands and syntax examples. If you type HELP, you will see
the first screen of commands. At this point you can press the
PgDn key to see the other screen or use the up arrow and down
arrow cursor keys to position the cursor next to a command and
press ENTER to see a more complete description of the command.
At any point, you can press the ESC key to exit help and return
to DOS.
If you remember the name of the command you want to use, but
want to review its usage and syntax, you can include the command
when you invoke HELP. For instance, the following command will
take you directly to the second level (more complete description)
for the CHKDSK function: HELP CHKDSK
At the second level of help, Int and Ext refer to Internal
and External commands. Internal commands can be executed any
time DOS is running while External commands are actually programs
that must be on the disk before they can be used.
Xref is a means of linking commands that are related.
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LOCK.COM
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LOCK enables you to change two of a file's attributes: locked
and hidden. A hidden file will not be displayed by the DIR command.
This can be useful if the file contains sensitive or confidential
information. (For more protection, see ZAP.COM). Of course, CAT
will display these files.
Locking a file is a more useful function. (This is available in
DOS 3.0 and higher.) When locked, a file is marked read-only which
means that it can be viewed or printed, but not changed or deleted.
This is very important for permanent files. (Sub-directory, volume
or system files cannot be locked or hidden.)
To change a file's attributes, type LOCK. You will be asked
to 'Enter drive and file name: .' Type in the drive (if the file
is not on the default drive) and name of the file you wish to
lock/hide. (If the file is in a sub-directory, you will need to
provide the path.) The program will find the file in the directory
and display the current attributes.
Indicate whether you want the file locked and/or hidden by
typing L or H (or both separated by a comma). You can unlock or
unhide a file using UL or UH. A typical procedure would look
like this:
A> LOCK
Change file attribute(s)...
Enter drive and file name: B:TEST.TXT
The file attributes are: Not Locked Not Hidden
L = Lock UL = Unlock
H = Hide UH = Unhide
Enter your choices (e.g., L,H or L,UH): L,H
The attribute(s) has been changed.
A>
The file, TEST.TXT is now locked and hidden.
There is an easier method. You can include the file name
and attribute changes when you invoke LOCK. The above example
could have been accomplished by typing: LOCK B:TEST.TXT,L,H
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NOPRINT.COM
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NOPRINT is a small program that grabs data being sent to the
printer and displays it on the screen instead. Why do this?
Many programs (especially BASIC) will crash if the printer is not
ready when you try to print something. NOPRINT will prevent this
from happening. NOPRINT is also useful if you are developing a
program and want to test the printed output without using the
printer or for those times (lap-tops and portables!) when a printer
is not available.
NOPRINT is a memory resident program that only needs to be
run once. Just type NOPRINT and it is installed. In fact, nothing
will go the printer unless you re-start the computer.
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ZAP.COM
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This program provides two methods of protecting files from
prying eyes, i.e., it is designed for use on confidential or
sensitive information. For either method, you must supply the
file name and a password. The password must begin with an alpha
character and be no longer than 8 characters. ZAP will automatically
zap or un-zap the file as needed.
The first method changes the file name into a sub-directory
name. The file must be in the root directory and no path names are
allowed. This is the simpler, faster method and should be sufficient
for most purposes. This may not sound like much protection, but
this method makes it extremely difficult for anyone to access the
file. Even some of the other file utilities (including CAT) get very
confused. I recommend this method for all but the most sensitive
data for two reasons: (1) it does not actually alter the file, and
(2) it can be used on text or binary files.
The second method can ONLY be used with standard ASCII text
files and actually scrambles (encrypts) the file. (I cannot reveal
how this is done without defeating the purpose.) If something should
happen (such as a power fluctuation or failure) during the
processing, the file may be irreversibly damaged. Consequently, I
STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU KEEP A BACKUP COPY OF THE FILE HIDDEN
AWAY. But on the other hand, this method is suitable for
transmitting confidential information by mail or by electronic means
(use a binary protocol -- all eight bits). If the receiver has a
copy of ZAP.COM and you supply him/her with the password (separately,
of course), then he or she can reconstitute the file. (You can also
use the first method with mail.)
ZAP-ing a file is very similar to running LOCK.COM. A sample
process would look like the following:
A> ZAP
Enter drive and file name: B:TEST.TXT
Enter the password for this file: SECRET
Enter level of protection desired (1 or 2):
(1) File name only.
(2) Scramble the file.
1
Processing the file...
** DO NOT INTERRUPT **
Processing completed.
A>
B:TEST.TXT will now be a sub-directory. As with LOCK, you can
enter the parameters at the time you invoke the file, e.g.:
ZAP B:TEST.TXT,SECRET,13É
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