
I HAVE A DREAM (or two)
--------------

Wouldn't it be great if all software was distributed as shareware?
Anyone could try it out for a limited period of time, and then decide
if they would like to register their copy to obtain full functionality
and user support.

Another thing is the GUI (Graphical User Interface) most people are
using nowadays; I wish we had a CUI (Character based User Interface)
as an alternative for all those PCs with somewhat less than 486DX33
and 8MB RAM.  If the major software makers had agreed on some CUI
before that day back in 1990, Windows wouldn't have been all over us.

Many of us enjoy leisure software on our PCs.  This kind of software
seldom runs under Windows, which is just one of the cases where you
need TCutilities!

Send any feedback on TCutilities (or my dream) to this address:

Tore Christoffersen
Petedalsflaten 24
5049 Sandsli
Norway

Telephone: 47 - 55 - 228714
                   
Norway         
Sandsli     
Me 


INSTALLING TCutilities
----------------------

To install TCutilities, do this:

Unzip TCU31.ZIP in a temporary directory (e.g. C:\TMP).  Then run
INSTALL.EXE from this directory and follow the instructions.

The installation program will prompt you for three directories (startup,
program and work), and then copy the necessary files to run TCutilities.
Then it will launch TCeditor to show you this file.

M.BAT, TCM.BAT, TCF.BAT and ED.BAT will be placed in a directory which is
specified in your PATH.  You must select one of the directories in your
current path as the startup directory.

TCutilities consists of the following files;

     Name               Purpose
     ------------       --------------------------------------------------
     M.BAT              Batch file to start TCM.BAT
     TCM.BAT            Batch file to start TCmenu
     TCF.BAT            Batch file to start TCfiler
     ED.BAT             Batch file to start TCeditor
     TCMEND.BAT         Batch file called when you exit TCmenu
     TCFEND.BAT         Batch file called when you exit TCfiler
     TCMRUN.EXE         Main program for TCmenu
     TCFRUN.EXE         Main program for TCfiler
     TCERUN.EXE         Main program for TCeditor
     TCCRUN.EXE         Configuration program for TCutilities
     TC.TXT             Source screen text file
     TC*.NLS            Screen texts (generated using TCNLSGEN.EXE)
     TC*.HLP            Help files
     TCNLSGEN.EXE       Used to generate TC*.NLS (see below)
     TCLICENS.EXE       Used to burn license information into TCutilities
     TCTRUN.EXE         Time Consuming Game
     *.MEN              Sample menu files

Files generated by TCMRUN.EXE:

     Name               Purpose
     ------------       --------------------------------------------------
     TCMDO.BAT          Batch file containing commands for executing menu
                        selections, or starting TCfiler.
     TCM.INI            Configuration
     *.TML              Log files for menu items usage

Files generated by TCFRUN.EXE:

     Name               Purpose
     ------------       --------------------------------------------------
     TCFDO.BAT          Batch file for running programs, editing a file
                        or making backups of files.
     TCF.INI            Configuration
     TCF.WIN            Current state of windows within TCfiler
     TCF?.LOG           Log files for directory trees (TCFC.LOG = drive C:)

Files generated by TCERUN.EXE:

     Name               Purpose
     ------------       --------------------------------------------------
     TCE.INI            Configuration

Files generated by TCTRUN.EXE:

     Name               Purpose
     ------------       --------------------------------------------------
     TCI.INI            Configuration


HOW IT WORKS:
-------------

TC?RUN.EXE all accept one parameter, which is the directory where they
are allowed to write theis configuration and temporary files.

This is TCM.BAT:

     ECHO OFF
     C:\TCU\TCMRUN C:\TCU\WORK
     C:\TCU\WORK\TCMDO

TCM.BAT launches TCMRUN.EXE, which will generate TCMDO.BAT.  The next
thing TCM.BAT does is to call TCMDO.BAT, which completes the loop.
This architecture leaves all memory available when TCmenu launches an
application.

M.BAT is used to get TCM.BAT going:

     ECHO OFF
     C:\TCU\TCM

To run TCmenu, type M from the DOS prompt and press Enter.  M.BAT and
TCM.BAT must be placed in a directory which is included in your
current PATH.

When you exit TCmenu, TCMDO.BAT will search for TCMEND.BAT in the same
directory as TCMRUN.EXE.  If it exists, it will be called.  This allows
you to decide what happens AFTERWARDS.  A dummy TCMEND.BAT is supplied.

This is TCF.BAT:

     ECHO OFF
     C:\TCU\TCFRUN C:\TCU\WORK
     C:\TCU\WORK\TCFDO

TCfiler operates in a loop just like TCmenu.  To run TCfiler separately,
type TCF from the DOS prompt and press Enter.  TCF.BAT must be placed in
a directory which is included in your current PATH.

When you exit TCfiler, TCFDO.BAT will search for TCFEND.BAT in the work
directory.  If it exists, it will be called.  A dummy TCFEND.BAT is
supplied.

ED.BAT is used to start TCeditor.  Supply the name of the file(s)
you want to edit (e.g. ED C:\CONFIG.SYS C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT).


RUN TCutilities ON A NETWORK
----------------------------

To run TCutilities on a network, install TC*.EXE, TC*.NLS and TC*.HLP in
a directory on a network drive (e.g. Y:\UTIL).  Assuming each user has a
personal network drive called P:, TCM.BAT must be changed like this:

     ECHO OFF
     Y:\UTIL\TCMRUN P:\
     P:\TCMDO

To run TCfiler on a network, edit TCF.BAT to look like this:

     ECHO OFF
     Y:\UTIL\TCFRUN P:\
     P:\TCFDO


CONFIGURING TCutilities
-----------------------

This is how TCutilities configure themselves;

1)   Search for INI file in the work directory.
2)   If not found, search for INI file in the program directory.
3)   If not found, use default values.

This allows you to configure TCutilities before you install them
on a network by placing modified INI files together with the EXE
files.  To generate your own INI files, run TCutilities locally.


CONFIGURATION USING ENVIRONMENT TCFLAGS
---------------------------------------

The environment variable TCFLAGS is used to determine certain features:

SET TCFLAGS=
A-  = user cannot modify menus in TCmenu
D-  = user cannot use the DOS Shell function
S-  = user cannot edit the system configuration
X-  = user cannot exit from the main menu in TCmenu

For example, to prevent users from exiting to DOS or editing the
system configuration (C:\CONFIG.SYS and C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT), specify

     SET TCFLAGS=D-S-


TRANSLATE INTO YOUR OWN LANGUAGE
--------------------------------

The English text elements for TCutilities are listed in TC.TXT, which is
used as a source file for generating files with extension NLS (National
Language Support).  The NLS files are named like this;

TCMNO.NLS
    
     extension
   language, e.g. NO=Norway, UK=England, US=USA
   M=TCmenu, F=TCfiler, E=TCeditor, T=TCtetris, _=system

To translate TCutilities into your own language, follow these steps:

1)   Edit TC.TXT to include entries for your own language (use the
     English sections as guides and replace UK with your own two-letter
     language abbreviation (e.g. SP for Spanish).
     DO NOT add, delete or rearrange lines within the sections !!

2)   The character on line 0 (default ^) in each section is the highlight
     character.  If you wish to use another character (e.g. "@") as
     highlight character, a section in your TC.TXT could look like
     this:

          @
          @Nei
          @Ja

3)   To generate NLS files, run TCNLSGEN.EXE from the directory
     where TC.TXT is located.

4)   Copy the NLS files to the program directory of TCutilities.

5)   To translate the help files, make copies of TC?UK.HLP (e.g.
     COPY TC?UK.HLP TC?NO.*) and then edit the copies.

     DO NOT change the lines that start with an asterisk (*) !!


DISCLAIMER
----------

In no event will the author be held responsible for any damages to you or
any person or any equipment from using TCutilities, regardless of any form
of the claim.  (So there;-)


VERSION HISTORY
---------------

Version  Date       Remark
-------  ---------  ------------------------------------------------------
1.x      88 - 91    * Lots of work...

2.0      27 AUG 91  * First official release (Beta tester: Vegard Bakke)

2.01     17 SEP 91  * Improved mouse control, onscreen license information

2.02     19 NOV 91  * Uses 43/50-lines mode on EGA/VGA video adapters
                    * TCfiler: User can decide which drives to log
                    * TCfiler: Association between programs and data files

2.03     31 MAR 92  * First release to include TCmenu, TCeditor and TCtetris
                    * Improved help function with scroll bar
                    * Improved mouse control (function key area)
                    * TCfiler: Compare files in two directories
                      (Feedback: Carl Bretteville)

2.04     30 JUN 92  * Configuration more accessible
                      (Feedback: Truls Soebstad)
                    * Color palettes common for all the programs
                    * TCeditor: Improved mouse control
                    * TCeditor: Cut and Paste text
                    * TCmenu: Place menus anywhere on the screen
                    * TCmenu: Cut and Paste menu items

2.05     07 SEP 92  * INSTALL.BAT replaced by TCINST.EXE
                    * Mouse buttons with 3D effect in dialog boxes
                    * TCmenu: Improved mouse control (drag'n'drop menus)
                    * Drag'n'drop cursor in pulldown menus

3.0      12 DEC 92  * First release of TCutilities (one license for all)
                    * True slider box functionality
                      (Feedback: Carl Bretteville)
                    * TCmenu: Single click on menu items to enable
                      positioning of the cursor using the mouse;
                      click again to activate
                      (Feedback: Jon Harald Dunstroem)
                    * Support for left handed mouse
                    * TCfiler + TCeditor: Drag select using the mouse
                    * OK/Cancel used instead of Yes/No/Cancel where
                      appropriate

3.1      22 MAR 94  * KISS=KeepItSmallandSimple
                    * TCmenu: Configuration of DOS prompt
                    * TCfiler: Available drives accessible at all times
                    * TCconfig: better mouse control in selecting colours
                      (Feedback: Karin Berthels)

REGISTRATION & FEEDBACK
-----------------------

Distribute TCutilities like crazy.  If you want to register your copy of
this fine product, send your name and address and 300 NOK to me, whereupon
I will send you a license number and a code to be used with TCLICENS.EXE
(and of course include you in my database of registered users for future
product info and user support).

To register, run TCLICENS.EXE from the program directory of TCutilities.
When a dialog box appears, you must type your name, license number, and
code.  Press Enter to burn the license information into TCutilities.

Honor me by sending me your comments and feedback on TCutilities, and I
will honor you by mentioning you in the version history of future releases.

*** END OF FILE ***
