Introduction: CDIR is a utility for DOS to print a sorted directory in color
     the way you want it, with many options for changing its appearance.  It
     allows for up to four file specifications to be inputted.

       This .TXT file is meant to be supplementary to the help screens
     (available by typing "CDIR" plus the "/H" option and a number corresp-
     onding to the screen which is to be viewed).  Please view those for
     general help.

     Order of topics:

          Saving options as defaults ................ 1
          Using file specifications ................. 2
          Error messages and their meanings ......... 3
          My address/credits/disclaimer ............. 4

       If after reading this .TXT file and the help screens in CDIR you
     still don't understand a feature, are having trouble getting the
     program to work, or have a comment or bug report, write me.  My
     address is in section 4.



Section 1 - Saving options as defaults

  If you wish to save certain options to the executable file (CDIR.COM or
whatever you chose to rename it), put those options on the command line with
the /X option.  CDIR will then give you a screen asking whether you're sure,
followed by another asking if you wish to reset the options to their original
defaults and save that.  If you choose to not reset the options, it will give
you yet another menu asking if you want to make it so any file specification
passed on the commandline to CDIR will overwrite the filespecs you saved, or
if instead it will fill in the next open filespec slot, if any.  The original
defaults for filespecs are "*.*" in the first slot and the other three empty,
and to overwrite that "*.*" if you specify your own on the command line.

  Example: Let's say you wanted the defaults to be to separate file lists w/
headers, to clear the screen before each page, and to make the line color
brown.  After finding the options in the help screens, you would type this as
your command line: "CDIR /F /T /3:blue /X", the "/F" for separation, the "/T"
for clearing the screen, the "/3:blue" for setting the lines to color blue,
and the "/X" telling CDIR to save the options.  CDIR would then ask if you're
sure (and you would type "Y"), if you wanted to reset to orig. defaults (type
"C"), and if you wanted filespecs to overwrite ("O").



Section 2 - Using file specifications

  A file specification is a string of text which is a reference to a file or
group of files in DOS.  (Example: "CDIR.COM" would refer to one file and
"CDIR.*" would refer to all files starting with "CDIR").  A wildcard is either
a * or a ?.  The asterisk means any file which can be found.  A question mark
means any file with a letter in that spot.  (Example: The filespec "C?IR.*"
would tell DOS to look for all files starting with a C, ending in an IR, and
with any extension.  If there was a file called "CAIR.LLP", it would find it.)
A file specification may include a directory before the file(s) to find, or it
could be just a drive letter.  (Examples: "C:\UTILS\CDIR.COM" and "C:",
respectively.)

  Turbo Color Directory supports just typing a directory as a filespec.  What
it does is adds a "*.*" to the end of it, after making sure it exists.  If
it isn't actually the name of a directory, CDIR interprets it as the name of
a file to search for.  This may lead to a problem in rare cases.  If you
typed "C:\UTILITY", hoping to find a file named that, and UTILITY was the name
of a directory, CDIR would change it to read "C:\UTILITY\*.*".  To get around
this, you'll have to type the name of the file with wildcard(s) as extension.



Section 3 - Error messages and their meanings

This is a list of all error messages which CDIR may output.  For use in
batch files, an errorlevel of the error number is generated with the error.
Zero is outputted if there are no errors.

ERROR #1: Invalid commandline option
  You have specified a commandline option (a forward slash followed by a number
or letter) which CDIR does not recognize.  Check the help screens for valid
options and their meanings.

ERROR #2: Only four file specifications allowed
  You have typed more than four file specifications, which CDIR assumes
text without a slash in front is, on the commandline.  The maximum is four.

ERROR #3: Invalid file specification
  A invalid file specification was placed on the commandline.  See DOS manual
for details.  Note: some file specifications supported by DOS are not recog-
nized correctly and some not at all by CDIR (such as "..", denoting a listing
of the parent directory, which works but is not parsed correctly).

ERROR #4: File specification too long
  A file specification of over 100 characters was specified on the commandline.

ERROR #5: Invalid number
  You either used an option requiring a number to be placed after it on the
commandline and didn't specify one, or put an invalid number after one.
An invalid number to CDIR is one with leading zeros or spaces, or outside the
range of 1-254.

ERROR #6: Too many files to load
  More than approximately 2,600 files were to be loaded by CDIR at once.  Try 
toggling the /F option to split up file lists if you had more than one file
specification on the commandline and it was set to one list.

ERROR #7: Video mode not supported
  A video mode besides the BIOS one identified as 3 / 2 (80 column color text)
or 7 (80 column monochrome text, the only one supported by MDA monitors)
is currently being used, or there are more than 25 lines being currently
displayed.  After giving you this message, the program will ask if you would
like to change to a supported mode.  Note that if you choose "Y" it will NOT
be changed back when CDIR is finished.

ERROR #8: User-defined extension too long or contains a 255 or 0
  Your user-defined extension was over three digits long, or somehow
contained a 255 or a 0.  Try retyping it.

ERROR #9: DOS Version 3.0+ required
  The version number reported by DOS is less than 3.0.  CDIR uses DOS
features that are only available in newer versions.

ERROR #10: Internal error!  Report to author
  There was an overflow or other such unexpected error within the CDIR
module.  Please send a message to me describing the situation, and I'll
try to include a fix in the next version.

ERROR #11: Invalid color
  A color string was specified after a color-changing option which was not
recognized by the program, or a bright background color was listed.
  NOTE:  It is legal to shorten a color name, as in specifying "brb" for
"brblue", but the colors cannot be lengthened or replaced by synonomous ones
not listed in help screen 2.

ERROR #12: Colon separator required
  When specifying colors or user-defined extensions, a colon must be placed
between the option and what it should be modified to.

     Errors 13-19 are assorted DOS ones, colored purple to show that they are.
     See your DOS manual for details.

          ERROR 13: Drive not ready
          ERROR 14: Data error
          ERROR 15: Seek error
          ERROR 16: Unknown media type
          ERROR 17: Sector not found
          ERROR 18: Read fault
          ERROR 19: General failure

ERROR #20: External error!  Report to author
  There was an overflow or other such unexpected error outside the CDIR
module, which was reported to the utility.  Please send a message to me
describing the situation, and I'll try to include a fix/handler in the next
version.



Section 4 - My address/credits/disclaimer

Address:

 For questions/comments/bug reports or for directions on where to send in
     money to encourage me to update the program, use this address:

      johnweekes@hotmail.com

Credits:

     I'd like to thank Edward Groth, Race Roberson, Linda Weekes, David
     Williams, and Jason "Jazzy" Moy for beta-testing this version of CDIR
     and making suggestions on how it could be improved.

Disclaimer:

       This program is released as freeware.  It carries
     no warranty, expressed or implied, of merchantability or fitness for
     a particular purpose.  It can be used by both individuals and
     businesses with no payment required, as long as all files are
     destributed together and without modification, and no more
     than a nominal fee to cover distribution costs is charged for it.

       The author of this software will not be responsible for any
     loss, damage, and/or injury caused by using this software.
     The user of this program bears all risk as to the quality and
     performance of the software.

This document was last updated on Friday, June 27, 1998.
