                                BOOK.DOC

                                   by

                         Robert Wallingford, P.E.
                         2338 N. McVicker Ave.
                         Chicago, IL  60639-2216

                         Ph.    312-889-1115


                              Purpose

     This pair of programs lets you make and display a "COMPUTER BOOK"
     that contains a maximum of  35  CHAPTERS with up to  99  PAGES in
     each  CHAPTER.  In this document a PAGE is a display  screen on a
     computer monitor with a maximum of 25 lines with 80 characters or
     less per line.

     To display a specially prepared file with any name like MYBOOK.ME
     simply enter  BOOK MYBOOK.ME  and press the enter key.

                             Reading

     In reading a BOOK the first screen  (after a brief, automatically
     advancing,  SHAREWARE  commercial message that doesn't  appear in
     the fully registered version), is the  INDEX  that the author has
     created just like any other page in the BOOK.  This  INDEX  shows
     the reader  which key to press to begin displaying any chapter in
     this BOOK.  Pressing that key instantly fills the screen with the
     first PAGE of that CHAPTER. When the reader wants to go on to the
     next  PAGE  he/she may do so by pressing  either the space bar or
     the  PgDn  key.  The display  doesn't scroll.  It simply replaces
     the old PAGE with the new PAGE.  At the end of the CHAPTER,  BOOK
     does not automatically go into the next  CHAPTER.  It returns the
     INDEX. The reader chooses the next chapter with another keystroke
     from the INDEX.

     If the reader want to back up any number of pages, the  PgUp  key
     does it, one  PAGE  at a time, with the restriction that it won't
     go back into a previous CHAPTER.

     At any  PAGE  in the  CHAPTER,  if you press the E key (in either
     the upper or lower case)  the INDEX instantly returns, and if you
     press the  E  key while  displaying  INDEX,  the program ends and
     returns control to DOS.

                            MAKING THE BOOK

     Technically, making a  BOOK  is almost as easy as reading a BOOK.
     The truly difficult part of becoming an Author is exercising the
     creative  talent of composition.  This  includes  everything from
     choosing the subject and style of  your masterpiece  to composing
     the content and appearance of each PAGE. If you can get past this
     stage and compose a simple INDEX  of your  CHAPTERS, MAKEBOOK.COM
     will do the rest, creating a single file called BIGBOOK.FIL  that
     contains all of your  creative  effort in the  proper  format for
     display by  BOOK.COM.

     The only restriction on your composing talent is that you can not
     use the character  $  in your text.  If you really  care why this
     requirement exists, read the TECHNICAL  section of this document.

     To make  your own  "BOOK"  you will need a  WORD  PROCESSOR  that
     makes ASCII FILES and MAKEBOOK.COM to combine the individual page
     files and insert the control characters. The INDEX DISPLAY should
     give each CHAPTER TITLE and an associated  character key for easy
     accessing. A page can include pictures made from the IBM extended
     character set. If enough interest is shown in this program, I may
     make an improved version capable of including the output of a CAD
     software package.  The program fully supports different paths for
     the COM file and the DATA file.

     After you  compose  each  PAGE,  make it into a unique file named
     CHAPTERx.Pxx.  The first  x  is a sequential  CHAPTER  IDENTIFIER
     and the  xx  following the  P  in  the filename  extension is the
     sequential,  decimal  PAGE  IDENTIFIER   in that   CHAPTER.   The
     sequential   CHAPTER   IDENTIFIERS   start  with  the numbers   0
     through  9,  followed by the characters  A  through  Z,  with the
     exception  of  E,  which  is  used  by  BOOK.COM  to exit  from a
     CHAPTER  to the  INDEX  or to  exit  from the program.  The  PAGE
     IDENTIFIER  for each chapter  begins with  01  and may go as high
     as  99.  These  IDENTIFIERS  must be sequential with no gaps,  or
     missing IDENTIFIERS because  MAKEBOOK.COM  assumes that a missing
     PAGE  IDENTIFIER  represents the end of a  CHAPTER  and a missing
     CHAPTER  IDENTIFIER  represents the end of the  BOOK.  CHAPTER  0
     was included to provide space for a dedication, Copyright notice,
     and an explanation of  SHAREWARE.

     Your  INDEX  must also be present in a file named  INDEX.FIL  and
     it should include a table showing which key the reader should use
     to access each  CHAPTER.  There is no provision in these programs
     for  "creative"  key assignment.  MAKEBOOK.COM  assumes  that the
     CHAPTER  accessed  with key  H  immediately  follows the  CHAPTER
     accessed with key  G.  However,  BOOK.COM  permits displaying any
     sequence of CHAPTERS.  This  flexibility  combined  with  "dummy"
     CHAPTERS  containing only one page that says, "Press Space Bar To
     Continue."  gives the author a great  lattitude in the assignment
     of keys to CHAPTERS. There still must be no gaps or duplications.

     After  you  have  composed the  INDEX  and all of the  PAGES  and
     properly  named all of these  files in the active  directory, run
     MAKEBOOK.COM  and it will make a new file named  BIGBOOK.FIL. You
     should then  rename  BIGBOOK.FIL  to a name more fitting for your
     masterpiece. this is  necessary because if  MAKEBOOK.COM  finds a
     file  named  BIGBOOK.FIL  it assumes  that the file is  important
     and it will not overwrite it. While  MAKEBOOK.COM  is working, it
     makes frequent  comments on its progress.  These comments let you
     confirm  that  MAKEBOOK.COM  is including  each  chapter and page
     of your  masterpiece in the output file, BIGBOOK.FIL.

                             LEGAL STUFF

     Copyright (c) 1992    ROBERT WALLINGFORD,  2338 N. McVICKER AVE.,    
     CHICAGO, IL  60639-2216.  All Rights Reserved.                       

     You are free to use, copy and distribute BOOK.COM providing that:    
             NO FEE IS CHARGED FOR USE, COPYING OR DISTRIBUTION.          
             IT IS NOT MODIFIED IN ANY WAY.                               
     Clubs and  User Groups  may charge a nominal fee for expenses and    
     handling while distributing BOOK.COM and MAKEBOOK.COM.               

     Commercial licenses  or custom versions  of this pair of programs    
     are available. Write to the address below for more details.          

     These programs are provided AS IS without any warranty, expressed    
     or implied, including, but not limited to, fitness for particular    
     purposes.                                                            

     If you find  BOOK.COM  easy and convenient to use in creating and    
     distributing  your own  "Computer Book",  and becoming a  "Famous    
     Author", a contribution would be appreciated. With a contribution    
     of  Fifteen Dollars  or  more you will be registered to receive a    
     diskette with the registered version of  BOOK.COM.  Please  state
     the current version of BOOK.COM that you have.                 

     Send contributions to:                                               
                                                                 
                    ROBERT WALLINGFORD, P.E.     
                    2338 N. McVicker Ave.        
                    Chicago, IL  60639-2216      

                    Phone  (312)-889-1115        







                          TECHNICAL DETAILS

          (For those who need to know all of the awful stuff)

                                                                          
                              OVERVIEW                             
                                                                      
         This  Program lets a user display the contents of a specially
     prepared file, one page at a time, with the pages subdivided into
     chapters. The index display lists these chapters with their index
     keys.  When the index is displayed  you  can directly  access any
     chapter with a single keystroke. You can display successive pages
     within a chapter in sequence by pressing  either the space bar or
     the  PgDn key.  The  PgUp key lets you back up one page at a time
     to  the  beginning  of  the  chapter,  but  you  can't  enter the
     previous  chapter.  At the end of the  chapter  the  program will
     automatically  return to the index  display.  At  any  point in a
     chapter you may return  directly to the index display by pressing
     E  or  e   (not  shift  dependent).   Pressing   E  or  e   while
     displaying the index ends the program.                           
         There is a special  "password"  provision  in the  program to
     prevent the accidental  accessing of a file which was not written
     for BOOK.COM.  Except for a small  index section at the beginning
     of  the  file to be read,  BOOK.COM  contains all of the required
     logic.  This  index  section  contains three data words  for each
     chapter.  They are the number of pages in that chapter,  the high
     bit  address of the  beginning of the  chapter,  and the low  bit
     address of the beginning of the chapter.
         The formation of these data  words is described in the  INDEX
     section of this document.  The  BOOK  program reads a PAGE, which
     contains a maximum of  two  thousand  characters  terminated by a
     DOLLAR SIGN, ascii 36,  a  CARRIAGE  RETURN, ascii 13, and a LINE
     FEED, ascii 10. (If you use  MAKEBOOK.COM  to combine your PAGES,
     it will  automatically  add these  characters  with the corrected
     count.)  BOOK displays the  PAGE  up to,  but not including,  the
     DOLLAR SIGN.  This is a DOS convention, so don't blame me for it.
     Therefore you can't use the DOLLAR SIGN, ascii 36, as a displayed
     character in your  "BOOK".  The program  keeps track of where you
     are in the file and carries out your instructions such as PAGE UP
     or PAGE DOWN  or EXIT or  RETURN TO INDEX  or  CHAPTER SELECTION,
     each with a single key stroke.                                   
                                                                 
                              PASSWORD                           
                                                                 
         If you use BOOK.COM to access a file that is not a  BOOK
     file you would not  hurt  anything  but the result  would be
     meaningless and it could result in a loop requiring that you
     reboot the system.  To avoid that unpleasant, though remote,
     possibility BOOK.COM has a protective  feature that requires
     that the word "BOOK", in capital letters, must appear in the
     data file  beginning with the third byte.  If this  password
     isn't in your file, the program will give you an appropriate
     message  and return to  DOS.  When you use  MAKEBOOK.COM  to
     make your own BOOK, this step is automatically inserted.

                              OFFSET                             
                                                                 
         The OFFSET is the location of a byte in the file.  It is
     the number of bytes  from the beginning of the file  and you
     should always express it in hexadecimal numbers.  The 1989th
     byte in a file therefore has an OFFSET of 07C5.  A byte is 8
     binary digits, or 2 hexadecimal digits.  This OFFSET of 07C5
     requires  two  bytes,  which is a  WORD.  When you  enter an
     OFFSET  WORD  in a file for  DOS  to read,  it is even  more
     complicated.  You must put the last  two  hexadecimal digits
     first and the first two hexadecimal digits last.  In the DOS
     file this  OFFSET WORD  looks like  C507.  OFFSETS  that are
     larger  than  65535, or  FFFF  in hexadecimal,  require  two
     WORDS but DOS keeps them in the normal sequence. The 69002th
     byte therefore has an hexadecimal OFFSET of 00010D8A  but in
     the file it will be  01008A0D.  Don't get mad at me.  I just
     wrote the program, not the operating system.                
         If you use  MAKEBOOK.COM  to combine the file  INDEX.FIL
     and the page files named  CHAPTERx.Pxx  where  x  identifies
     the chapter and the page in that  chapter,  the program does
     all of this work.
                                                                 
                               CHAPTER INDEX                        
                                                                 
         Most books  contain  CHAPTERS, or subdivisions, in which
     one topic or theme is dominant.  CHAPTERS  contain PAGES, or
     physical units defined by space limitations. When I refer to
     a PAGE, I mean one screen of information. Since this program
     does  not  scroll, it is like a book  with the top of a page
     always at the top.  For books  like  Instruction  Manuals or
     Collections  of  Recipes  or  Poems  this is  the  preferred
     format. You can make your  BOOK  more artistic if the reader
     must always view it from the same perspective.              
         When you make your CHAPTER INDEX you will assign a digit
     or a letter of the alphabet to each  chapter.  The keys that
     evoke these characters are the control keys for starting the
     desired chapter.  These characters may be in any sequence on
     the INDEX MENU  but there must not be any missing characters
     except E (for exit).  This gives you a capacity of up to  35
     CHAPTERS of up to  99  PAGES  in each chapter.  Page numbers
     begin with  01  and chapter  numbers  begin with  0  with  A  
     following  9  and  E  reserved for <EXIT>.   A missing  page
     indicates the end of a chapter.  A missing chapter indicates
     the end of the book.                                        
         The  INDEX  section of the file  consists of a series of
     segments,  each containing  three digital  WORDS.  The first
     WORD  is the  OFFSET  of the last byte of the index section.
     The second and third WORDS make the password BOOK.  The next
     three WORD segment defines the  INDEX MENU.  In this segment
     the first  WORD  is a one signifying that the  INDEX MENU is
     only one  PAGE  long and it should  look like  "0100",  (see
     OFFSET).  The other two  WORDS  are the  OFFSET of the first
     byte of the INDEX MENU.                                     
         Each  following  three  WORD  segment  of  this  section
     defines a CHAPTER.  The first WORD is the number of pages in
     that CHAPTER and the other two  WORDS  are the OFFSET of the
     first  byte of the first  page of that  CHAPTER.  It is this
     sequence  of  three  WORD  segments  that  determines  which
     character will evoke the CHAPTER associated with its OFFSET.
     The sequence begins with 0 through 9,  followed by A through
     Z. Upper and lower case are the same.  Leave the segment for
     "E"  empty since "E" or "e"  ends the program.              
        MAKEBOOK.COM will take care of all sequencing and offsets
     and pages per chapter if all of the  page files  are present
     and properly named (CHAPTERx.Pxx) and INDEX.FIL  is present.
         After you organize your material and write it,  you will
     find  there are places in your  writing  that  you  want the
     reader to be  able  to access  directly  to  begin a reading
     session. These are the most natural places for your CHAPTERS
     to begin. The INDEX will evoke these sections.  The sequence
     of  OFFSETS  in this section determines which character will
     begin the display of each CHAPTER.  CHAPTERS in the file may
     be in any sequence, but  PAGES  in a CHAPTER  must be in the
     sequence that you wish to display them.                     
         Actually, the  CHAPTERS  don't even have to be adjacent.
     You can insert secret messages or notes between CHAPTERS and
     the reader will never see them unless he/she uses an  editor
     to view the file.  This might even be a good place to insert
     your copyright claims as an author.   MAKEBOOK.COM  does not
     support this possibility. If you do try it, you will have to
     change most of the OFFSETS  without the aid of MAKEBOOK.COM.
                                                                    
                             PAGES                               
                                                                 
         A full page would contain 25 lines with 80 characters in
     each line. Carriage returns and line feeds could add another
     48 characters,  but if your line has 80 printable characters
     the display will automatically "wrap around". Therefore, the
     maximum  number of  characters  required  for a full  screen
     display is  80 X 25 - 1, or  1999.  To make sure  that  this
     program recovers a full page, it reads  2002 characters into
     a buffer from the specified file that it has opened only for
     reading.  The  program  then  displays  the contents of this
     buffer memory until it finds a  DOLLAR SIGN,  ascii 36, that
     tells it to stop displaying.  A display  PAGE  must  contain
     less than  2000  characters and must end with a DOLLAR SIGN.
     MAKEBOOK.COM  automatically adds this  DOLLAR SIGN  and  the
     carriage return  and line feed for you.  You should add your
     name, or at least three blank spaces at the end of the file.
     This is because the subroutine  that  moves the file pointer
     does not always back up properly when this character is the 
     EOF character.                                              
         While you are reading the display  BOOK.COM  counts  the
     number of characters  displayed,  stores that number plus  3
     (for the  DOLLAR SIGN, carriage return and line feed).  Then
     it subtracts  this  number from  2002  and backs up the file
     pointer  that many  spaces so it is ready to go for the next
     page if you press  either the space bar or the PgDn key.  If
     you press the PgUp key,  BOOK.COM  checks to make sure  that
     you are past  the first  page of a chapter.  If you are,  it
     checks it memory to find out how many characters were in the
     last two pages and backs up the file pointer that many bytes
     and then reads the previous page again.  During this process
     it is also  checking the number of characters  read from the
     open  file.  Backing up requires  this information since the
     read function stops at the EOF (end of file) character.     
         In summary,  BOOK.COM  requires a good  deal of logic to
     give you the functional versatility that it provides.       
         If you find these instructions confusing you can learn a
     lot more by using a good editor and examining the data files
     included in this  package.  You can  also  look at the  .BAT
     files for the proper syntax.               
         Don't forget to make a back up copy for extra safety.   
                                                                 
                            DOLLAR SIGN                             
                                                                 
         The DOLLAR SIGN,  ascii 36,  is a special  character for
     the DOS display function.  It is like a STOP sign.  DOS will
     continue to fetch  characters  from its memory  and  display
     them until it finds a  DOLLAR SIGN.  I am just the opposite.
     it takes a DOLLAR SIGN to start me and the lack of a  DOLLAR
     SIGN  will stop me. I am distributing this program under the
     shareware concept. It costs you nothing to try it but if you
     continue  to  use  it  and you  think  that it is a good and
     useful product, you should send me a reasonable contribution.
     If  I  receive  enough  contributions  I  will produce  more
     and better  program for you to use and enjoy. It is a mutual
     responsibility  based on the honor system.  If we both honor
     our responsibility,  the whole  computer  community  will be
     better off.  I  have taken the first step by producing  both
     MAKEBOOK.COM  and BOOK.COM for your use and pleasure. If you
     think it is a  good and  useful set of programs,  won't  you
     consider giving your financial support to future programs of
     the same or better quality.  The experience that I gain from
     each program  insures that all future  programs will be even
     better.                                                     
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