***************** DIREDIT V1.51 ****************** This document outlines the functioning of DIREDIT, a program which allows the restructuring of DOS directories, It is also used by the program itself as a "Help File" and should be kept either in the current directory or in one previously specified in a "PATH" command. The text may be edited, but the lines which commence with a "$" sign should be preserved intact, since they are used as index markers by the program. The lines which consist of single "%" signs are used as page breaks when the file is displayed by the program but have no other special significance. $Command Line The program is invoked with the command: DIREDIT [pathname] If a pathname is not specified on the command line, the program will default to the current directory. Any valid DOS path specification will be accepted (e.g. A:\; A:\SUB1\SUB2; \SUB1\SUB2 {referred to the root directory of the current device}; SUB3\SUB4 {starting from the current directory}), but note that the specification "d:" (where "d" represents any valid device name) will be interpreted as indicating the ROOT directory of the specified device, NOT the current default directory on that device. If the first file(s) in the directory has(have) the "System" attribute, as is normally the case for the first two files in the root directory of a bootable disk (IBMBIOS.COM and IBMDOS.COM on IBM systems), you will be asked whether you wish to exclude them from directory sorts - do not override the default (affirmative) answer to this question unless you are absolutely sure you know what you are doing! $Spreadsheet The upper 20 lines of the terminal screen display "identifier blocks", comprising a number (which initially corresponds (approximately) to the position of the directory entry in the directory) and the file name, for 80 entries, in two semi-independently controllable windows, each of which contains 40 blocks. If the directory happens to contain more than 80 entries, the two windows can be positioned (using the , , , and keys) anywhere within it, except that they cannot overlap and that the left hand window will always remain "below" the right hand one. % moves the current window up by twenty quantities. moves the current window down by the same amount. moves the current window as far towards the file top as possible. moves the current window as far towards the file bottom as possible. If a window move would cause the two windows to overlap (i.e. the other window is immediately adjacent in the direction of the attempted move) OR the windows have been [L]ocked together, both windows are moved. If a window move would cause either window to go beyond the top or bottom of the file, it does not take place. % The cursor can be moved to any identifier block by using the cursor keys, and the "Cursor->" display at the bottom of the screen then shows the full description of the file whose identifier is under the cursor. An entry is moved by positioning the cursor on its identifier block, "picking it up" by pressing the key, positioning the cursor at the point to which it is to be moved, and "inserting" it there by pressing the key. The full description of an entry that is in the process of being moved is shown on the "Moving->" display at the bottom of the screen. You may not exit (which normally causes the disk directory to be updated) while an entry is being moved - you must replace it somewhere first. If you attempt to move an entry which has the "System" or "Hidden" attribute, you will be asked to confirm the entry before the program acts on it. A number of other single-key commands are available - see the next screen for details. % Additional single-key commands: "D" - change the date stamp on the current file. "L" - toggle the "lock" which forces both windows to move together. "M" - display the next line of the single-line "aide-memoire" list of commands which appears on the 23rd line of the screen. "N" - edit a new directory (you are given the option of updating the current one first). "Q" - quit the program without updating the current directory. "R" - rename the current file. "S" - sort the directory (see next help screen). "X" - exit and write the output file. "?" or - display this help text again. % The directory display (and, ultimately, the directory on disk) may be sorted by date, filename, extension, or file size, in ascending or descending order. It may also be rearranged in any other order you care to specify. By default, files with the "System" attribute at the beginning of the directory are excluded from ALL sort operations. In fact, if you have moved one of these files "by hand", performing a sort will result in its being returned to its initial position. (continued...) % When you enter "S", you will be prompted to indicate (by responding to a series of questions) how you want the directory to be sorted. All the options after the first ("User-Specified Order?") should be self- explanatory - the first is the one that allows you to rearrange the file entries in an arbitrary order. If you respond to this prompt with a "Y", you will be prompted to enter two lists of file numbers (the numbers displayed next to the filenames on the upper part of the screen). The first list should contain the numbers of files which you would like to move to the top of the directory (in the order in which you want them to appear there) - the second should contain the numbers of files which you want to move to the bottom, also in the order in which they are to appear. Either list may be blank (just press ). The lists should contain only the file numbers, as decimal integers, separated by one or more spaces and/or tabs. Like all other sort operations, this will, by default, leave system files at the beginning of the directory untouched, EVEN if you specify their numbers in one of the lists you enter.