SText Viewer (C)1990 NuEdge Designs By Arvin Castillo Revised Documentation by Noel Saw A Shareware Program by NuEdge Designs ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Documentation for version 1.1A - 12.14.90 at 11p.m. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Files ----- The files that should be included STEXT.LZH: STEXT.PRG STEXT.CFG STEXT.TXT UPDATE.TXT DESKTOP.INF SText is freely distributable as long as the files listed above are included. SText may not be distributed commerically without the author's permission. All rights reserved by NuEdge Designs. > Introduction ------------ The Atari ST is great machine with the great amount of public domain and shareware software available for it. Well after you deARC or UnLZH those PD or shareware files you download from the BBS you have to read the manuals... We all know the GEM desktop's text reader, frankly, sucks. You can't scroll back and there's no inverse text option. You can't jump around the document if you have to find something...There are other text viewers but they didn't cut it for us. That's why Arvin developed SText. SText was written to make reading text files (ASCII) a lot easier. This program has many features and was optimized to scroll up and down very quickly using the mouse buttons. SText has many advanced options: >Markers - Think of these as book markers (4 of them). You can place them anywhere within the text so that you can quickly go to them whenver you want. Use the keys F1-F4 to set them and press 1-4 to move where the marker is. >Block - SText allows you to mark a block of text. You can save, print, and delete this block (the block feature comes in very handy if you only wanted a portion of the text). >Topics - If you are viewing a document with a ">" symbol you can use the topics option. Pressing 'N' will automatically move you to the next topic from your current line. If you're writing a documentation file, just put a ">" on second column on each different topic and SText will recognize it. > Launch - If you are reading a document in SText and wished you could edit it, you can! SText will run a program and load in that document. This is similar to the desktop's Install Applicaton. SText will pass the filename to the program you want to execute. If the program reads the BASEPAGE (see GFA manual) for any incoming file, then it should automatically load the text file you were viewing. SText also has basic features that are extended...read on... > USING SText ----------- SText is very easy to use. Double click on SText on the desktop or execute it from your favorite shell program. SText will present you with a file selector and just click on the text file you want to view. > Basic SText keys ---------------- After selecting a text file SText will then load in the file. SText will start off at the top of the page. Here are some basic keys/commands to get you going... (Scrolling around) -Left mouse button: Scrolls up by line. -Right mouse button: Scrolls down by line. -RETURN Key (CR): Scrolls down by line. -Space bar: Page down. -Backspace: Page up. -Cursor up: Scrolls up by line. -Cursor down: Scrolls down by line. -Insert: Page up. -Clr Home: Page down. (Top and Bottom) -'T' Key: Go to top of document. -'B' Key: Go to botton of document. (Printer Options) -'P' Key: Print document. -'D' Key: Prints current text on screen. -ESC Key: Aborts printing. (Helping you get around) -'F' Key: Find text string. -'G' Key: Go to a specific line. -'*'(Asterik): Toggle status line on or off. (Launch application) -'L' Key: Launch application to edit text you are currently viewing. A file selector will appear. Double click on text editor or word processor you wish to use. -ALT + 'L' Key: Automatically launches default application. If none is assigned you can assign one. (Getting out of SText) -'Q' Key: Quits reading current document. Lets you select another text file to read. -Both mouse buttons: Quits reading current document. -UNDO: Quick exit from SText. Dumps you back to desktop or shell. (Other important keys) -'I' Key: Lets you view text using inverse video. -'C' Key: Save configuration. Lets you save status of inverse video, status toggle, and default launch application. For a more extensive help pressing the HELP key will bring up a HELP screen which has all the keyboard and mouse commands in order to use features of SText. The HELP screen will also give you a status of the current file you are viewing. > Block functions --------------- Defining a block is very easy. Just move the line, which you want to be the beginning of the block, to top of the screen and press 'F5'. Then move the line, which will define the ending of the block, to the bottom of the screen and press 'F6'. That's it. You have just defined a block. Pressing 'F7' will undefine the block and the HELP screen will inform you what lines are in the block. To print or save a block either press 'P' or 'S' key(s) respectively. > Installing SText on the desktop ------------------------------- SText can also be an installed application. This means that whenever you double click a text file from the desktop, SText will automatically load up and the text file you clicked will also be loaded. Just load up your trusty word processor or text editor and load the file 'DESKTOP.INF' from your disk and add the following lines to the end. #G 03 04 A:\STEXT\STEXT.PRG@ *.TXT@ #G 03 04 A:\STEXT\STEXT.PRG@ *.DOC@ #G 03 04 A:\STEXT\STEXT.PRG@ *.ASC@ #G 03 04 A:\STEXT\STEXT.PRG@ *.1ST@ The lines above informs GEM that whenever a file with the extenders 'TXT', 'DOC','ASC','1ST' are double clicked, to load STEXT.PRG from the folder STEXT. SText will then automatically load up the text file you chose. You can add other extenders by following the same format. Save your new 'DESKTOP.INF' and make sure you save it in ASCII format. Now, reboot your computer using the new file and SText will now be an installed application (I've included a 'DESKTOP.INF' file with the information above). > Shareware Plea from the author ------------------------------ Please understand that this is a shareware product. This means that if you use SText, please donate $15 (add another $15 if you want the source code). I've worked hard on this (my beta-testers will tell you that) and it would be nice to be compensated. That's all I have to say about that. Currently, I am working on fixing SText for ISAC and Moniterm users. I am also working on making found text appear to the middle of the screen so you can see what context it is being used in. So please send $15 (or more if you're in a good mood) to: Arvin Castillo 19509 Spinningwheel Rd. Walnut, CA. 91789 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SText has been tested and works on TOS 1.0x, TOS 1.2x, TOS 1.4x and TOS 1.6x. SText works properly with HotWire!(and MaxiFile), NeoDesk, DC Desktop, and properly written shells... If you find any errors in SText, write to us at the above address or send e-mail to Noel Saw through CodeHead Quarters BBS which is (213)461- Or you can reach me through FidoNet at Node #592 at Omayver V BBS. Special thanks to our beta testers for their great help and many suggestions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------