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                                  SALIAS.COM                                  

             Size (recs) CRC   Version    Author/Latest Issue      Disk
               8k (61)   F043  1.4b       Rob Friefeld 4/90        Z3COM8

  1- Syntax  2- File Mode  3- Edit Mode  4- Notes  5- Err Msgs  6- Examples   



   SALIAS creates and modifies alias files with the convenience of full screen
editing.  It requires  TCAP support for CLS, EREOL, and an addressable cursor.
The user's CRT must have  at least  79 columns by 6 lines.  Standout mode must
not use space on the screen.   The help  screen  will not appear if the screen
has less than 24 lines.  WHEEL status is required.
:1

    Syntax   SALIAS [[du: or dir:]aliasname[.COM] ]
	
   Everything  in [] is  optional.  SALIAS  always assumes  all files are type 
COM.  The specified alias will be loaded  for editing,  or created if  it does
not exist.  If no alias name is given on the command line,  it may be supplied 
on exit.   If you try to edit a file which is not an alias, SALIAS will refuse
to cooperate, rather than just give a warning.

   SALIAS uses  an internal alias template of the VALIAS1 type.  These aliases 
may  be  optionally  Normal  or Recursive.   A  recursive  alias  flushes  the 
remainder  of the command line when invoked,  giving a clean start each  time.
(Note  that nothing can follow the alias name on the command line.)  Use these 
to  loop through a sequence,  such as an edit-assemble cycle,  until  an  exit 
condition is satisfied.
:2

 File Mode 

    A   ADD    <-- Add the script of another alias to the current script.
    C	CLEAR  <-- Clear editor.  The alias is not changed.  (UNDO recovers)
    E	EDIT   <-- Enter full-screen editor.
    F	FORMAT <-- Reformat the script, one command per line.
    I	INDENT <-- Format and indent by IF level.
    L	LOAD   <-- Clear script and load an alias for editng.
    M	MODE   <-- Select Normal or Recursive mode (toggle).
    N	NAME   <-- Select a new name (or DIR:) for the script.
    P	PRINT  <-- Send the script to printer or to a text file.
    S	SAVE   <-- Format and WRITE the alias to disk.
    U	UNDO   <-- Cancel unsaved changes to script.
:3
 Edit Mode 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 CURSOR:                                |   INSERTION:
              ^R - top of screen        |      ^V - toggle insert/overwrite
              ^E - line up              |    <CR> - insert line               
                                        |      ^N - insert line
 ^S - char       ^       ^D - char      |   DELETION:
              <  $  >                   |      ^G - delete char at cursor   
 ^A - word       v       ^F - word      |     DEL - delete char left
                                        |      ^T - delete word right
              ^X - line down            |      ^Y - delete line
              ^C - first blank line     |     ^QY - delete to EOLN
                                        |   FIND/REPLACE:
                                        |     ^QF - find string
 ^QS, ^QD - SOLN, EOLN                  |     ^QA - find/replace string
 ^QZ - Clear (Zap) script               |      ^L - repeat find/replace
 TAB - Indent line                      |   CONTROL CHAR ENTRY:
 <ESC> - File mode   ^J - Help          |    ^P^n - ^n is ctl char          
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ^KN - Change Name   ^KR - Read (append) file.  ^KP - Print  ^KZ - Zap (clear) 
 ^KD - Save & Clear  ^KS - Save & Resume  ^KX - Save & Quit  ^KQ - Quit
 ^KF - Format        ^KI - Indent by IF level    ^KU - Undo  ^KM - Toggle Mode
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sample Screen:

SALIAS 1.0       Mode: Normal        Free: 148         Alias Name: A15:START
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROOT:
LDR SYS.ENV,SYS.RCP,SYS.FCP,SYS.NDR
PATH TOP ROOT




------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<ESC> - FILE MENU                 -- EDITING --                      INSERT ON

Editing the alias START.COM with commands displayed one per line.   This  is a
normal rather than recursive alias.   There is room for another 148 characters
in the command line buffer.   (The  character count includes  the  ";" command
separators although they are not shown.)   The  editor is in  "insert"  rather
than "overwrite"  mode.   Pressing  <ESC> key  will  show  the  single  letter
command options described for "File Mode".   (Another  <ESC> returns  to "Edit
Mode" and repaints the screen.)
:4
 SALIAS Notes - 1/4 

   a. Vs. 1.4b updates (4/30/90, Rob Friefeld):
      - Improved control key encoding scheme.   You can now assign the editing 
        keys to single control keys or to any one of 3 lead-in keys.  There is
        no need for "sub-menus".
      - SALIAS will now accept  a 79 character screen line setting in your ENV
        descriptor.   Although it only used 78 chars, it tested for an 80 char
        screen width.
      - Replace command now has a global option.
      - Fix to help-screen display when using "SALIAS //".

   b. With version 1.3,  the help screen reads  the current command  key  set.  
      Any patches will automatically  be reflected.   SAINS13.COM installs new
      command key set.

   c. Alias script  can be entered in upper or lower case.  Version 1.3 leaves
      the script in lower case if entered that way.
 SALIAS Notes - 2/4 

   d. TAB  is intended for visual indentation of IF levels.   TAB looks like 3
      blanks, but is not actually added to the script.   A  command  line  may
      start with a REAL blank in order to invoke the extended command process-
      or.   Note that tabs are  not  counted in  the  "Free" display.   FORMAT
      strips tabs out.  

   e. Control character entry  uses  the ^P trigger.  Lower case  letters  can 
      also  be  deliberately  entered  this  way.  The  character  entered  is 
      displayed in standout video mode.

      Example:  To enter ^P, use ^P^P (or ^PP).  To enter "a", ^Pa.
      ^P@ (null) is not accepted because it is used as a string terminator.

   f. Find/Replace can be used to replicate a string.

      Example: < ^Q^A, <cr>, IF ~NU > sequence will put string "IF ~NU" at the
      cursor.  Every ^L will produce another copy.
 SALIAS Notes - 3/4 

   g. ^J gets a help screen if running the help version of SALIAS.  Otherwise,
      it is used as a convenient toggle to end-of-line/start-of-line.

   h. ^P+ at  the start  of  a line appends it  to the previous line without a 
      command separator (";").  Use this to  build long single commands.  When 
      SALIAS reads  a file  with long commands, it  automatically formats them 
      this way.
                 Example:  MCOPY WORK:=FILE1,FILE2,FILE3,FILE4
                           +,FILE5,FILE6

         would load as...  MCOPY WORK:=FILE1,FILE2,FILE3,FILE4,FILE5,FILE6

   i. The display format  is  one command  per line.  When there  are  no more 
      lines, the last line is filled.  If there are  still more commands, they 
      will be lost.
 SALIAS Notes - 4/4 

   j. Commands longer than  the screen  width are indicated with  a ">" at the
      apparent  end of the line.   The line  will scroll horizontally when the
      cursor reaches the screen boundary.   If  you prefer,  use  ^P+  at  the 
      start of a line to keep the entire script visible.

   k. The "PRINT" function will send  the alias script to the printer or to  a
      disk file (with type .TXT).   The latter can use separate lines for each
      command (as in the screen display),  or create a single command line for
      importation into a CMD file.

   l. The following sequence will "clone" SALIAS10 with new default modes.  It 
      is distributed in insert mode, normal alias.
      >SALIAS		        ; call it up
      ^V		        ; toggle insert
      ESC		        ; exit edit mode
      M		                ; toggle mode
      X		                ; exit SALIAS
      >SAVE 28 SALIAS10.COM	; keep the change ... OR
      >SAVE 32 SA10-HLP.COM	; help screen version
:5
 Error Messages - 1/2 

   Messages which require no response go away when any key is pressed.


CL OVERFLOW n CHARS	<-- The command line is too long by n characters.   If
  SAVE ANYWAY?:             SAVE is not aborted, the alias probably won't run.
                            If you have used  script  parameters  such  as  $U 
                            which will require  fewer  characters when "expan-
                            ded", you can choose to over-ride this reminder.

NOT AN ALIAS            <-- The specified file is not  an alias  at all.   The
                            name is ignored and replaced with a blank.

ALIAS CHOPPED     	<-- The alias file has too many commands to fit on the
                            screen.   Could happen when using a smaller screen 
                            or with an alias created with another program.
 Error Messages - 2/2 


DESTINATION DISK FULL/  <-- Unable to SAVE alias on full disk.  QUIT or RENAME
 DIRECTORY FULL             to a new disk.

... xxxx? (Y/n):        <-- The letter in caps is  the  default  choice.   Any
... xxxx? (y/N)             response other than the  alternate choice  will do 
                            xxxx.
:6
 Examples of Use 

   a. SALIAS            <-- Program comes up with blank alias.  On SAVE, a 
                            filename is demanded.

   b. SALIAS ROOT:START <-- Edit the START.COM alias in the ROOT: directory.

   c. SALIAS A*         <-- On command line only, can load ambiguous file with 
                            leading letter.
