      NeuralCommander
      Version 2.01
      Copyright 1997-1998 by Christophe Planet (a.k.a. Boss/NeuralTech)


NeuralCommander is a freeware  program. You may use it either for personnal
and  professionnal  purpose. You  may copy and distribute  this product, as
long as the author's  name (Christophe Planet) is mentionned  and all files
that come with NeuralCommander are shipped along with.

The sources, written in Delphi 3, may be obtained on request.

To get  information about  the  last  released version  of NeuralCommander,
e-Mail to Christophe Planet at NeuralTech@MindLess.com.

All products named in this document belong to their respective authors.

This document was updated 15 jan 1998.


Contents
--------

  1. Introduction
  2. Using NeuralCommander
  3. Archives handling
  4. Advanced features
  5. The future of NeuralCommander
  6. Credits/Thanks
  7. Files package
  8. Known bugs


1. Introduction
---------------

NeuralCommander is a file manager  running under Windows 95 and Windows NT.
Its  presentation is the same as the  one of Norton Commander : two windows
displaying each of them a directory's content.

All standard operations can be done on the files :
  - Select files from one window using wildcards.
  - Copy files from one window to the other.
  - Move files from one window to the other.
  - Delete files from one window.
  - Rename one or several files (using wildcards).
  - Running a program or a help file.

NeuralCommander brings up several tools to view data files :
  - Pictures (BMP, DIB, GIF, JIF, JPG, PCX, RLE, TGA).
  - Text files (several extensions, that can be modified by user).
  - Sound files (ADF, AU, WAV).
  - Music files (MID).
  - Music modules (IT, MOD, S3M, XM).
  - Internet files (HTM, HTML).

NeuralCommander  comes with  a text editor, not limited by the 32 kb of the
Windows' notepad.

In  addition, NeuralCommander  handles archive  files (ZIP) just as if they
were directories.

To install NeuralCommander on your computer, simply copy all the files in a
new directory.


2. Using NeuralCommander
------------------------

When you  launch  NeuralCommander, the main windows  comes up with to child
windows, each of them displaying a directory content.

At the top of each window, a combo-box  enables you  to change  the current
drive.

At  the  bottom,  you  find  information  about  the  currently   displayed
directory :
  - Total number of objects displayed.
  - Total size of the directory.
  - Number of selected objects.
  - Size of the selected objects.

The main part of the window lists all objects in the directory the same way
as  the Windows  Explorer does. You  may change  the sort  order  using the
[Sort] menu  or clicking directly on a column's header.

There are two differences between the NeuralCommander  directory window and
the Windows Explorer file list :
  - The ZIP files are listed just bellow the directories.
  - The whole line is selected (and not only the file's name).

To select files, you may use the standard  mouse manipulations : click with
the [Ctrl] and/or the [Shift] key.

Once files are selected, you may achieve one of the different actions  that
are proposed  in the  [File] menu :  copy, move, delete or rename. When you
copy, move or rename files, NeuralCommander  takes care of names conflicts.
If you wish to rename several files, you are asked to  enter a mask for the
new names, for example :
  - Selected files : TEXTFILE.TXT, PROGRAM.PRG, DATABASE.DAT

  - Rename mask    : ????NEW.*
  - Renamed files  : TEXTNEW.TXT, PROGNEW.PRG, DATANEW.DAT

  - Rename mask    : NEW*.M?D
  - Renamed files  : NEWTFILE.MXD, NEWGRAM.MRD, NEWATA.MAD
The copy and move actions may  be  performed  using the  drag&drop feature,
using the [Ctrl] key to copy.

You may  create a new directory, using the [Create directory] option in the
[File] menu.

If you double-click on a  directory, it will  become the new  directory and
the window will update.

If you  double-click  on a file, it  will be  opened if  it matches  any of
NeuralCommander's  viewer/player, executed  if it is  an application  or  a
help  file. You  may  change the  extensions  linked  to  NeuralCommander's
viewers (see chapter 4).

To  set  the other  window's directory  to the  current  window's directory,
select the [Synchronize windows] option in the [File]  menu. You may compute
the visible  directories' sizes by selecting  the [Directories sizes] in the
[File] menu.

Most of these options have a shortcut.

NeuralCommander comes  up with a full text editor, where you can manage all
your text files. It is called from the [Text editor] option in the [Window]
menu.


3. Archives handling
--------------------

As said in the introduction, archive files (ZIP extension) are treated just
like directories. When  you double-click on an archive file, its content is
listed in the window. You may then view the files or copy files from inside
the archive to a directory, the same way as with normal files.


4. Advanced features
--------------------

Using  the  [Properties] option in  the [Tools] menu, you get access to the
NeuralCommander's configuration. Here, you  may add or  suppress extensions
associated to  NeuralCommander's viewers/players. You may also tell if file
deletions should use the Windows bin or not.


5. The future of NeuralCommander
--------------------------------

These functionnalities are planned for a near future (no order) :
  - Bug-free version, if it is ever possible ;-).
  - Use of the registry instead of an INI file.
  - Better drag&drop.
  - Better HTML viewer (perhaps a full browser).
  - Better viewers / players (more options).
  - LZH archives support.
  - RAR archives support.
  - More files support (more pictures, RTF, Word, Excel,...).
  - File attributes modification.
  - Hexadecimal editor.
  - REAL help file, but I guess I am too lazy for the moment.
  - French version, just because I am french ;-).
  - Anything I haven't thought about yet...


6. Credits/Thanks
-----------------

  - Petteri Kangaslampi  and  Jarno Paananen (http://kalahari.ton.tut.fi/s2
    /midas/), for the MIDAS Sound System.
  - K. Nishita (KNishita@ibm.net), for the graphics library.
  - Eric W. Engler (EnglerE@Swcp.com), for the ZIP library.
  - Brad   Stowers   (BStowers@Pobox.com,    http://www.pobox.com/~bstowers
    /delphi/), for the file list management.
  - John Mertus (John_Mertus@Brown.edu), for the audio support.
  - Tan Qunzhao (Zhyu@Ecust.edu.cn), for the fire effect.
  - All people around the Net who have supported  NeuralCommander since the
    first released version.
  - Borland, for having developped Delphi (THE programming language).


7. Files package
----------------

The NeuralCommander package (NCmd_201.zip) contains the following files :
  - NCommand.exe
  - NCommand.ini
  - DelphiMM.dll
  - Midas11.dll
  - NViewLib.dll
  - UAFdll.dll
  - Unzdll.dll
  - Zipdll.dll
  - English.txt (this file !)


8. Known bugs
-------------

  - Some files keep selection when they should not.
  - Files in ZIP files do not have the real icon.
  - Multiple files rename does not work accurately.
  - Copying/moving directories to ZIP files does not work.


Christophe Planet (a.k.a. Boss/NeuralTech)

e-Mail  : NeuralTech@MindLess.com
ICQ     : 6202186
Web     : Not yet :-(

Address : Christophe Planet
          15, rue de la Revolution Francaise
          66000 Perpignan
          France
