
*NOTE* Please read the CHANGES.TXT file that should be with the distribution
       archive. I am finally starting to record all of the changes I make to
       the program (a daunting task, actually!), so take a look at this for
       info on any new things I may have put in.


     Always remember, you use this at your own risk. I will not be held
responsible with regards to data integrity, loss of data, abuse, failure
to read instructions, etc.

     64COPY supports *only* extended keyboards. I don't think a non-extended
keyboard will work. It uses scan codes which I think only extended keyboards
can generate. This is an unfortunate occurance, which effectively eliminates
XT's and many laptops, but I cannot get around this.

*** NOTE ***

The first beta release (pre-beta 3) does have a confirmed bug in the file
convert section dealing with .D64 copying. If you copy a file in a D64 archive
across to another D64 and back several times, you would lose 1 byte off the
end of the file each time you copied it. I would recommend not using that
version anymore.

Also, the P00 file creation had (has?) a bug in it where files will not get
converted at all, but a munched 26 byte file, with the correct name, gets
created. It was very hard to simulate, but I experienced it several times, and
I think I finally killed this one.

The multi-file T64 routines are NEW (as of 11/17/94, beta 4), so use with
caution. I have tried them for several days, and they seem stable. I also
changed the underlying code for most of the C64 file conversion area. Proceed
with caution! Testing is not complete yet.


*YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED*


Enjoy!   :-)


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


     Welcome to 64copy V2.0, a project which I started many moons ago, but
got severely out of hand, even moreso since V1.0 was released. This is the
first full release, the last being beta 5, and there are a few changes. Thanks
to all those who take the time out to give me hints and tips (you know who you
are), so if you are using this program, please send me email, telling me about
it, and any comments you have. That is where I get the list (at the end of this
document) for future enhancements.

     I modelled this version after Norton Commander 3.0, with very
similar features, key combinations, and feel. Press F1 to show you how to
use the keyboard. For those of you who do not like Norton Commander, oh well,
I am not going to change this program. I find the interface which NC uses to
be one of the better ones to do file operations (and of course I am very
familiar with it).

     Operation is very easy, and once you master the keyboard layout,
you will find that this program is also very useful for general DOS
operations as well. Here is a small list of the most useful functions...

     * creation/conversion of files to C64 file format (F11/F5/F6)
     * verifying the integrity of a D64/X64 archive (Alt-F3)
     * moving directories (F6)
     * deleting a directory and all contents (F8)
     * editing/viewing files (F3/F4/Alt F4)
     * changing attributes on dir's/files (CTRL-A)
     * showing sizes of directories (ALT-F5)
     * searching the drive for a certain file (ALT-F7)
     * full retention of last 10 command-line commands (Alt-F8)
     * 10 User-definable menus (F2)
     * Storage of defaults (ALT-F6 changes, F2 menu items) in .INI file

   Use the TAB key to switch between panels, ALT F1 and ALT F2 change
the drive for the corresponding panel. Keypad '+', '-', '*' and INS keys
are used to select/deselect files (for copying, converting, moving,
deleting etc). Use the cursor keys to move the hilight line around.

     When you press the ALT or CONTROL keys, the keybar at the bottom
of the screen will change to show what keys they support (at least, it
shows most of the combinations, there are a few which are on the help
screen, but are not listed on the keybar, due to space limitations).

     Use the ESC key to get you out of almost anything (cancels dialog
boxes, file copies/moves/deletes/conversions, etc).

     To convert or see the files inside T64's, D64's and P00's, hit return
when the hilight line is on the filename, and 64COPY treats it like a
directory, containing sub-files which you can copy out using F5/F6/F11,
and convert to other formats.

     One other handy feature is the ALT-F3 key, which when inside a D64/X64
archive will perform a Checkdisk, to verify integrity of a disk which
has been generated using X1541, Disk64e or Trans64. It looks for such things
as cross-linked files, illegal track and sector values, invalid directory
entries (such as separators, and illegal file start track and sectors). It will
also, on your ok, clear out unused sectors (by filling them with zero's). It
also does a few more things, so give it a try. It is a very fast way to see
if the disk transferred ok. Of course, it does not verify if the data in a
sector is valid (no easy way to do this). I found it very useful by checking
out the archives on Watson.

     Multi-file T64 support has also been added. I was very hesitant to support
this format, because of some perceived problems with certain T64 files. After
a very long time considering the possibilities, I decided (with some prodding
from other people as well) to write in the routines. They are very robust,
and somewhat forgiving as well. If an image contains more than 1499, this
program will only display the first 1499, but this will not cause any
problems with deleting or adding files to the archive. It just can't see more
than 1499.  Also, if an error happens during the conversion into a T64 image,
the T64 will not become corrupted, since I write the dir entry first. All the
important data is correct. It should also be compatible with most other
multi-file tape images, but we shall see.

     I have been working on the Checkdisk routine lately, and added some more
nice things, like undeleting files, truncation (rather than deletion) of files
with bad track/sector links, recovery of lost chains (sectors with links to
other sectors, but no corresponding directory entry), and better detection of
wrong sector links. The undelete/sector clear/lost chain recover routines are
all after the main checkdisk code. Once the program has checked the normal
files for integrity, the program will ask if you want to continue with a more
extensive scan of the disk. If you had any errors reported which you did not
correct, *DO NOT CONTINUE*. If you continue, you *could* cause severe disk
corruption, but only if you answer YES to any of the questions which would
follow.

     I can't think of too many other things to add to the Checkdisk function,
so I am likely finished with this routine. (It already comprises the largest
chunk of code in the program). If you have any more ideas for enhancing this
feature, I am all ears.

     You can use CTRL-C to emergency-quit from the program. It will close
off all the files, free all memory, and restore the screen. It will also
rewrite the INI file, so any changes you made to the configuration, such as
changing editor names and panel directories will not be lost.

     If, for some reason, the program looks weird (wrong screen colors) upon
startup, quit 64COPY, delete the 64COPY.INI file, and restart the program. It
it possible the INI file got corrupted, and the starting screen colors are
stored in the INI file. It is completely safe to delete the file at any time,
since if it cannot be found, it will be rewritten upon exiting.

     The program also supports file associations (see the 64COPY.EXT file).
What this does is allow you to execute a program/batch file when you hit
return on a filename. If you have set up an association for a .TXT file,
when you hit return on that file (docs.txt), whatever program you setup
as the association will be executed, with the filename as the argument.
See the included 64COPY.EXT file for the layout, and sample associations which
I use daily.

     If you want to force either COLOR of MONO mode when starting 64COPY, use
the /MONO or the /COLOR command-line switches. It will force 64COPY to display
using either black/white colors, of full color, but the video mode will not
be changed. This may be necessary when using this program on a monochrome
screen, or especially a laptop (like the Toshiba 5100, with the gas plasma
display). These switches also override the color setting stored in the
64copy.ini file. You can also use the /quiet switch to disable the "Welcome
To..." startup dialog box, if it annoys you.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Here are some details about 64COPY which might interest you...


* It creates filenames which will work on PC64 release 1.0 (but no longer
  for the C64neu beta's). Anytime a DOS filename is generated from a C64
  filename (D64, T64, P00), I use this algorithm. The author of PC64 uses an
  algorithm for generating DOS filenames from the C64 filenames, and he changed
  it from beta 11/12 to the release version. I have rewritten the filename
  conversion part of the program (from 64COPY beta 3 and on) to correspond to
  the new algorithm, but have not yet fully tested it. It works for the
  sample filenames I threw at it.

* You are limited to 1499 filenames in a directory or a T64 archive. If
  this isn't enough, you might consider splitting up the dir into smaller
  ones. I don't want to increase it any more than necessary. If you have
  this many files in a sub-dir, DOS operations are already crawling anyway.
  I realize you cannot have 1499 files in a D64 archive, but the program treats
  DOS dir's and D64 files as the same entity. I do all the internal checks to
  make sure you do not exceed the 144 filename limit for the 1541 drive.

* It will use the full length of the screen (either 25, 43 or 50 line
  modes are recognized), and allows mode switching (ALT-F9). It will
  also use MONO mode, at whatever number of lines mono supports.

* In order for a .D64 file to be a valid file (besides having the
  extension .D64), the file must conform to the 1541 DOS standard. At
  position 2 of track 18, sector 0, there must be a hex 41 ("A")
  character, which indicates this disk is a 1541/4040 format. If this
  byte is not there (and there are a few on Watson), you will get the
  error "Not a valid .D64 file".  You can correct this with a hex
  editor. I did this so that people can't try to fool the program
  into thinking another file was a D64 just by changing the extension, and
  thereby really mucking the program up.

* The same goes for .T64 files. If the file does not start with the
  characters "C64", then the tape file is assumed to be invalid, and
  this program will not process it.  If this is the case, you will
  receive the error "Not a valid .T64 file". Once again, you can correct
  it with a hex editor.

* The Copy(F5) and Move/Rename(F6) do not work *exactly* as Norton Commander
  does. When copying individual files, the filename must be included (if
  you type in your own pathname). If it is not, you will get an error).
  However, when copying/moving multiple files (tagged), no filename should
  be specified. If one is, you will get an error.

* This program was tested on a 486/40 (clocked at 50Mhz) running OS/2 Warp
  3.0, with an ATI Ultra Pro video card. If it works under those
  conditions, it will work anywhere :-)   It works on my ATI card in
  mono mode, but I have not tested it on an MDA card (or Herc...). I also
  use it at work on another 486/50, ATI Graphics Vantage, running OS/2 2.1.
  In the shop where I work, we repair many PC compatibles, and any chance I
  get, I try this program out. This method has caught many wierd video and
  drive bugs (like network drives, plasma screens, strange video modes, etc).
  So far, anything that is found wrong, I fix.

* If you encounter a C64 filename which does not convert to P00 format
  properly (you will know when the PC64 window cannot find the file,
  even though you know it is there), send me the filename (the C64 filename,
  not the DOS name), and I will try to fix my program. I had to guess at
  how he converted filenames, so I hope I got the conversion algorithm
  right. There are too many combinations to test, but all the ones I
  converted out of the .D64 and .T64 files worked ok.

* The text editor (F4), hex editor (ALT-F4) and viewer (F3) use external
  programs to do their dirty work. I use QEDIT for the text editor, FED
  to do the hex editing, and the DOS MORE command to view. I have not
  included these with the release of 64COPY, since you can download them
  from OAK.OAKLAND.EDU. I might put in a text/hex editor, but this is
  sometime in the far future (since I really have no idea how to do this
  yet). You can use the ALT-F6 command to change the defaults for the
  editors. When you quit (ALT-F10) these changes will be saved.

* The INI file (64COPY.INI) must be located where the program is executed
  from. If it is not, the program will use internal defaults, and when you
  quit, the INI file will be re-created (if possible). When the program quits,
  the program will tell you where it is saving the INI file, and if it was
  successful or not. This means if you use this program from a floppy, and
  quit with the floppy ejected, the .INI file will not get created.

* If you have just replaced an old version of 64COPY with a newer version,
  you may find that the defaults have disappeared. This will happen when I
  change the layout of the INI file (for more settings). 64Copy checks the
  existing INI file for the proper version number, and if it does not match,
  it uses its internal defaults (just like the INI file didn't exists). I
  do this to prevent possible problems with mixing and matching version
  of the files. When 64Copy exits, it will replace the older version of
  the INI file with the proper one.

* The windowing routines are mine, all mine! If you don't like 'em, oh well.
  I developed them, just to see if I could. You know, the mountain was there,
  so I climbed it.

* The minimum DOS version that 64COPY can operate under (that I am aware of)
  is 3.1.  This might actually be higher, but I don't think so. I only use
  the most basic of BIOS calls.

* I will not be supporting the encoding that Miha used on the T64's and D64's
  under C64s 1.0e. It has been removed under 1.1b, and hopefully it is gone
  for good.


  Thats all for now.  Enjoy the emulators...


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Here are some of the improvements I have already in mind (in order of general
importance)

  * CheckTape T64 integrity checker
  * Color configuration
  * More user configuration options
  * Enhance ALT-key search (better matching options)
  * D64/X64 BAM display/sector editor
  * Support for Zipcode files (I need info/specs on these, source code etc.)
  * Mouse control (part-way done already!)
  * Allow changing disk/tape labels on T64's and D64's
  * Extended D64 format (supported by PC64, sector error bytes)
  * Other extended D64 formats (like 40 track disks), used by C64s
  * C64 file compares
  * D64 defragmenter
  * Built-in Hex/Text viewer/editor/lister
  * De-Isepic
  * Detokenize BASIC programs
  * Petascii-ASCII conversion
  * Inclusion of Trans64 conversion routines
  * Improve DOS file search routine
  * Directory Tree (F10)
  * Pull-down Menus
  * Add a keyboard handler to trap CTRL-C, CTRL-P, CTRL-BRK (I already tried
    this and failed miserably!)


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


    If you need to contact me, my email address is...

    schepers@dcs1.uwaterloo.ca

    and my present snail-mail address is...

    Peter Schepers
    4-1227 Nellis Street,
    Woodstock, Ont., Canada
    N4T 1N8

    Remember, I accept all donations and suggestions but money is the most
    interesting. :-)

