================================================================
		Dufford's Fast-Fix for the DiskCat Slow-Sort
================================================================

	Such a nifty program like DiskCat deserves a faster sort. Here it is!

Main Features:

	1. SPEED:   This program sorts the output file of the DiskCat program 
		in a few seconds (compared with a LOT of minutes for larger 
		catalogs).

	2. VERSATILITY:  The sort may be on any combination of the fields:
		filename,diskname,directory,date,icon(y/n),extension. 

	3. ASCII OUTPUT: The sorted output file may be an ascii disk file
		which in turn may be scanned with MORE, or edited via EDIT 
		(or TEXTCRAFT) or dumped to print.  The default output simply
		overlays the original file with the new sorted order, so that
		DiskCat may still read it.

To Use:

	After having created and saved a Disk Catalog using DiskCat,
	click on the similar icon with the word "sort" added to it.

	The program needs two things:

		1. the name of the catalog file created by DiskCat (specified
		in the upper box of CatSort) 

		2. the fields you want to sort on (in the order you want)
		specified by clicking on the button gadgets with the appro-
		priate field names

		OPTIONALLY, you may also request that the output file be in
		simple text format (ASCII), specified in the lower of the two
		string input boxes at the top.

	Notes:

		"Catalog Name" is the name given to DiskCat when the
		requester for SAVE CATALOG appeared.  Those of you that use
		CLI will notice that the catalog has actually be stored in
		two disk files, on with a ".cat" extension and one with a
		".dsk" extension.  CatSort works only with the ".cat" file,
		and will automatically add the extension ".cat" when it opens
		this file. (Example: if under the DiskCat program you gave 
		the name OurLib to the catalog file, then you would type in 
		OurLib in the "Catalog Name" box under CatSort.)

		"Ascii FileOutput" is the name of the optional output file.
		It will be placed in the same directory as Catalog File un-
		less a full pathname is given. (cf. Version 1.4 notes below)

		"Available" sort fields are those fields maintained by
		DiskCat upon which CatSort orders its data. There are many 
		more possibilities here that the few in DiskCat though 
		DiskCat has the most useful. The order of the sort fields 
		(seen in the Active Field list) determines the sorting order
		for the output file.  From 1 to 6 fields may be used. 

		When you click on the Sort button, the Sorting begins.  The
		program creates a new window to report its progress so that 
		you won't get bored.  It signal the end with that memorable
		line from Porky Pig, "That's all, folks."  Any error messages
		are reported at the bottom.  The rest you should get with
		intuition.

By the way,... 
	
	1.  The sort ignores the case of the various fields.

	2.  The sort takes place in core and requires about 88 bytes for 
		each entry (84 for the data, and 4 for the pointer).  
		The memory required will vary with the size of the CatFile.

	3.  You will find that most of the time is spent in reading and
		the files from disk.  It takes about 9-12 seconds to sort
		1700 filedata items on 2-3 fields

	4.  The date sorting is first on year, then month, then day.


						Enjoy...

						Bob Dufford, S.J.
						Creighton University
						Omaha, NE  68178
						(402) 280-2779

Version 1.4 Addition --- Database format output

	The ASCII Output filename may contain additions to set up the output
	for transfer to a format readable by a database program. The filename
	may be followed by "-d" plus two optional delimiters (field and 
	records).  The examples should explain most quickly:

	filename		-->regular output for viewing on the screen or
			   printing on paper, fields padded with blanks for
			   nice columnar appearance
	filename d	-->fields ended by a default delimiter, the vertical
			   bar ("|"); records ended by a default carriage 
			   return
	filename db @	-->fields ended by the specified delimiter '@'; re-
			   ended by the default carriage return
	filename dink # $-->fields ended by the specified delimiter '#'; re-
			   cords ended by the specified delimiter '$'.
	filename dumb | '-->fields ended by the vertical bar ('|') and re-
			   cords ended by the single quote mark.

	Notice:
	1. that the d-code is any word beginning with a 'd' (lower case).
	2. that with the fields are NOT padded with blanks in the 'd' output.
	3. that the codes are all separated by EXACTLY ONE BLANK.

		======= revision history =======

Version 1.1 --- 1/29/87 ---
	added snazzy intuition front-end
Version 1.2 --- 2/3/87
	added color check to return to Preferences' colors
Version 1.3 --- 2/4/87 ---
	fixed bug in string comparison routine which had (e.g.) evaluated the
	strings "Amicus1" and "Amicus11" as equal
Version 1.4 --- 2/14/87 ---
	added special feature for transferring fields into database files
Version 1.5 --- 3/10/87 ---
	message now for "no input file named"
	pointer no longer occasionally turns black
	date sorting now works properly