China DOS Union

There are numerous software under DOS, and there are also various usage methods. To help novices get started quickly, it is very important to have the usage methods of these software. If everyone is relatively familiar with some software, you might as well share and post some usage methods and experiences of software here. All kinds of DOS software are okay. Thank you everyone.

I would like to make a small presentation first.

Softscape PC TOOLS is a tool software I wrote based on Zhongdian Company's PC-TOOLS 5.0. Everyone knows that the highest version of PC TOOLS for DOS is version 9.0, but it is rarely used now, while the outdated version 5.0 is still necessary for many people today. This is because it is small, flexible, simple, and has relatively strong functions. However, we should also see that with the popularization of Windows 95, PC TOOLS 5.0 has become less and less adaptable. We have to keep switching between Windows and DOS (pure DOS), Lock and UNLock, and even between floppy disks and hard disks to modify a file. If FAT32 is used, we have to solve it on a floppy disk. In order to completely solve this contradiction, I wrote this small software. It has almost the same interface as PC TOOLS 5.0, most function keys are compatible, and there are certain expansions. It cancels the disk service functions of PC TOOLS 5.0 and some file functions already available in high-version DOS, focuses on retaining the hexadecimal browsing and editing functions of files, the string search function, and is supplemented by several small tools, making it smaller in size, more convenient to operate, and fully compatible with Windows 95. We can be confident that Softscape PC TOOLS will become the best alternative to your PC TOOLS 5.0.

Softscape PC TOOLS is "shareware" (software for everyone to use together, not the "shareware" that can only be "shared" after paying money. I have always been skeptical about whether the translation of the term "shareware" was appropriate at the beginning). Here, you don't need to pay any fees or obtain any permission, and you can use it in any occasion and for any purpose (of course, it should be beneficial to society and the people). Just take it and use it, cool!

The following are the improvements of Softscape PC TOOLS 2.0 compared with version 1.0:

(1) The Chinese and English versions are combined into one.
It supports both Chinese and English in one file at the same time, and automatically selects according to whether the Chinese system has been started. Of course, you can also force it to be English through the /E parameter or force it to be Chinese through the /C parameter.

(2) Added copy function.
This function has the following characteristics:
Supports merging multiple files!
The DOS copy command can concatenate text files, but it is powerless for binary files. The copy function of Softscape PC TOOLS 2.0 supports concatenation of any files.
Automatically create directories.
The copy function of Softscape PC TOOLS 2.0 can automatically create non-existent destination directories, and supports automatic creation of multi-level directories.
Simultaneously supports two special formats of rename function: "*.EXT", "AAA???.EXT"
That is, the selected files can be renamed to the same suffix name or "series file names" while copying. (See the instructions for details)

(3) Combine browsing and editing.
Since Softscape PC TOOLS has realized continuous screen scrolling in any state in version 1.0, the two states are no longer necessary to be separate. The function keys need to be changed naturally. Please note!
After you select a file, press "E" to enter the browsing/editing state, which is essentially the editing state of version 1.0. The function key definitions at this time are as follows:

F1 Help
* F2 Jump to...
F3 First search/next search
* F4 ASCII code table
* F5 Save editing result
* F6/Enter Do not save editing result
F7 Full ASCII code window (equivalent to browsing/F1 in version 1.0)
* F8 Add or subtract one from the relative position
F9/Ctrl-F3 Search for string
F10/Ctrl-left and right arrow keys Switch editing area (equivalent to editing/F1 in version 1.0)
* Tab Next file (valid when multiple files are selected)
* Shift-Tab Previous file (valid when multiple files are selected)

* Indicates that the function of this function key is the same as or basically the same as that of version 1.0

Note: The search function in the editing state is different from the search function by pressing "F" in the file management window. The latter is a linear search for all selected files. The former only searches the file being edited and starts from the current cursor position. Moreover, before exiting the browsing/editing state or entering a new search string, the user can always search for the most recently searched string from the current cursor position through the function key F3. This greatly increases the flexibility.

F5, F6, and Enter actually pop up the same dialog box. Only F5 defaults to "Save", and F6 and Enter default to "Clear". Therefore, they can all complete the "Save" or "Clear" work of the editing result.

(4) Improved fault tolerance performance.
Although the fault tolerance of Softscape PC TOOLS 2.0 still cannot be all-inclusive, it has been improved a lot compared with version 1.0. Version 2.0 has allowed browsing and searching of CDs or write-protected software in read-only mode. At this time, the words "Only-Read" or "read-only mode" will be displayed in the upper left corner of the browsing window. In addition, the code has been added for whether the floppy disk is ready, whether there is a CD in the optical drive, etc.

(5) Cancel many "functions"?!
Canceled some unnecessary dialog boxes in the file management process of version 1.0. Only a PC speaker beep is used to prompt for forbidden operations, making file management more convenient and smooth.

(6) Fixed many bugs.
I won't list them one by one.

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Softscape Studio http://softscape.yeah.net
Forum moderator: Niu Yunfei E-Mail: softscape@yeah.net

Ah Hai is Niu Ge. My respects, my respects!

I like the Link function in nc 5.0 the most,
but I've surfed the Internet for several years, but I never saw it mentioned anywhere.
I don't know if you have ever used it.

### Cursor Movement
^E, ↑: Move cursor up
^X, ↓: Move cursor down
^S, →: Move cursor left
^D, ←: Move cursor right
^QE: Jump cursor to first line of file
^QX: Jump cursor to last line of file
^QS, Home: Jump cursor to start of line
^QD, End: Jump cursor to end of line
^Home: Jump cursor to first line of screen
^End: Jump cursor to last line of screen
^QR, ^PageUp: Jump cursor to start of file
^QC, ^PageDown: Jump cursor to start of file
@F5: Shift screen left by 8 columns
@F6: Shift screen right by 8 columns
^A, ^←: Move cursor to the first character of the previous word or to the end of the line
^F, ^→: Move cursor to the first character of the next word or to the end of the line
^QB: Jump cursor to start of block
^QK: Jump cursor to end of block
^I, Tab: Jump cursor to next tab stop
^R, ^QP: Jump cursor to previous position
^J: Jump cursor to specified line number
Shift+Tab: Move cursor left by one tab column
@F3: Jump cursor to next parenthesis or matching closing parenthesis

### Line Operations
#F3: Sort lines (sorts characters at the start of the block in rectangular mode and swaps the positions of corresponding lines)
F4: Copy current line
^Y, @D: Delete current line
^-: Copy characters from current column in previous line ("-" is not the "-" key on the numeric keypad)
F6, ^QY: Delete from cursor position to end of line
^U: Undo deleted lines, can undo up to 30 lines
F5: Move current line to first line of current window
#F5: Move current line to middle line of current window
@F2: Insert a blank line before current line
#F7: Delete first character of current line
#F8: Insert space at start of current line
@S:, ^N: Keep cursor position, wrap line to the right of cursor
@J: Merge current line with next line into one line, keeping cursor position
^OT: Center text in current line

### File Operations
**Save file**:
^KS, F2, @Y: Save currently edited file
**Edit other file**:
^KE, @E: Keep currently edited file in memory and edit another file
^KX: Automatically save currently edited file and exit, then edit another file
^KD: Exit currently edited file and edit another file, choose whether to save when exiting
^KN, @N: Edit next file in memory, enter next edit window
^KP: Edit previous file in memory, enter previous edit window
^]: Edit file with the same name as the word the cursor is on or with the block start string in the clipboard
**Exit**:
^KQ: Exit currently edited file from memory, ask to abandon unsaved changes if any
F3: Abandon unsaved changes and exit all edited files in memory, i.e., exit AEdit advanced full-screen editor, ask to abandon unsaved changes if any
@X, ^KD: Save and exit all edited files in memory, i.e., exit AEdit advanced full-screen editor, ask to save unsaved changes if any
**Block read/write file**:
@R, ^KR: Read another file in block mode
@W, ^KW: Write defined block to specified file, if file already exists, can choose "Append to file" and "Overlay existing file"
**Note**: If no block is defined, write currently edited file
**Change file name**:
@O, ^KF: Change file name of currently edited file
**Delete file**:
^KZ: Delete currently edited file from disk, original file remains in memory

### ★Text Block Operations
**Block definition**: ^KB, F7: Define block start
^KK, F8: Define block end
^QB: Jump cursor to start of block
^QK: Jump cursor to end of block
@A: Define character mode block MarkAnchor
@K: Define rectangular mode block MarkColumn
@L: Define line mode block MarkLine
**Block move**: @M, ^KV: Move block to current cursor position
**Block copy**: @C, ^KC: Copy block to current cursor position in insert mode
@Z: Copy block to current cursor position in overwrite mode
**Block delete**: @G, ^KY: Delete defined block (can undo line by line with ^U)
**Block cancel**: @U, ^KH: Cancel defined block

### ★Operations Related to Clipboard and Buffer
**Numeric keypad function key introduction**:
-: Move defined block to clipboard
+: Copy defined block to clipboard, defined block is canceled after copy
*: Copy block in clipboard to current cursor position (insert mode)
**Note**: Flexibly using "-" as block delete and "+" as block cancel can greatly improve operation efficiency

### ★Other Functions
^PrintScreen: Paste block in overwrite mode, copy block in clipboard to current cursor position in overwrite mode
^BA: Add defined block to specified buffer
^BS: Load defined block into specified buffer
^F1: 25-line and 50-line switch
@Q: Enter exit operation window
^P: Input control code function, e.g., ^P^M for entering carriage return
F1, @H: Activate online help screen
^QF: Request find
^QA: Find and replace
^L: Continue to find next character(string) that matches the condition. Find conditions are as follows
I: Find whole word
B: Find in whole document
G: Find in current block
L: Ignore case
W: Do not ask for confirmation when replacing
N: Find next
F9: DOS Shell function, press EXIT to return to AEdit
@F9: Execute DOS command function
@F: Enter file operation window
@P: Enter print window
^OR: Set right margin of text
^OL: Set left margin value for printing
**Case conversion**:
@1: Change letters in block to uppercase
@2: Change letters in block to lowercase
@3: Invert case of letters in block

### ★Table Operations
#F1: Enter/exit drawing state, use →←↑↓ cursor keys to draw lines (overwrite mode), character "B" is displayed in top status line when in drawing state
@F1: Select drawing type, there are "Single (single line), Double top (double top line), Double side (double side line), Double (all double lines), Eraser (erase line)" five types for selection

### ★Window Operations
**Window open and close**:
^OH: Split horizontally to open a window and edit another file, AEdit can have up to 8 horizontal windows
**Note**: When editing English in English state and pressing "^F1" to display in 50-line mode, can split into up to 16 horizontal windows (note: this operation may conflict with some Chinese systems)
^OO: Close other windows, keep only current window
^OZ: Close/open other windows, window transfer operation switch
^OC: Close current window
**Window size adjustment**: ^OS, ^OG: Adjust size of current window, where ^OG is to enlarge window
**Window jump**: ^OP: Jump to previous window
^ON: Jump to next window
**Screen/window move**: @F5: Shift screen left by 8 columns
@F6: Shift screen right by 8 columns
^W: Move screen up by one line, i.e., move text down by one line
^Z: Move screen down by one line, i.e., move text up by one line
^R, PageUp: Turn up one screen, i.e., display previous page of text
^C, PageDown: Turn down one screen, i.e., display next page of text

### ★Delete and Undo
^G, Delete: Delete character at cursor position
^H, Backspace: Delete previous character at cursor position
^Backspace: Delete previous word or previous character at cursor position
^T: Delete next word or next character at cursor position
^Y, @D: Delete current line
#F7: Delete first character of current line
^V, Insert: Switch between insert and overwrite mode
^QY, F6: Delete from cursor position to end of line
^U: Can undo lines or strings deleted by the following operations -- ^Y, ^KY, F6, @D, @G
^QL: Restore current line to original state before change

NIUYUNFEI Niu Yunfei, hello!
I downloaded your SOFTSCAPE PCTOOLS 2.0. At first I thought it was PCTOOS.
PCTOOS 9.0 only supports FAT12, FAT16. Is yours the same?
Now it's all FAT32, NTFS, and even some are HPFS (linux)...
Can you make it recognize FAT32, NTFS?

The following is the statement by Ah Hai on June 27, 2003 at 23:11:54:
I'll make a detour to present flowers first
Softscape PC TOOLS
……
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Softscape Studio http://softscape.yeah.net
Moderator: Niu Yunfei E-Mail: softscape@yeah.net

Using NE? The functions of NE are not as good as PCT5 in appearance? I have used yours, it's not easy to use, there is no hexadecimal in the ASCII table, now a fact
http://home.cfe21.com/firststep/download/ne.zip

Nice

Please post some applicable ones~ To help newbies get started quickly

That's great. Thanks to all my friends.

I also think it's appropriate to post some posts suitable for beginners

It's just that the things are too old, right?