University of Vaasa, Finland, Sun SPARCstation IPX, node number
193.166.120.5 (garbo.uwasa.fi) has a large collection of PD and
shareware programs which are available by anonymous ftp (file
transfer program) or mail server. This /pc/ts/0news94.ts text
contains news about the programs in the /pc/ts directory (in
reverse order).
..................................................................
Prof. Timo Salmi Co-moderator of comp.archives.msdos.announce
Moderating at garbo.uwasa.fi anonymous FTP archives 193.166.120.5
Faculty of Accounting & Industrial Management; University of Vaasa
Internet: ts@uwasa.fi BBS +(358)-61-3170972; FIN-65101, Finland
N e w s o f 1 9 9 4
Tue 29-Nov-94: Started a collection of macros for the SemWare
Editor, v. 2.0. This is the editor that I use on MS-DOS most of
the time. The editor is an extension of the QEdit editor.
:
30296 Nov 29 21:28 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tstse10.zip
tstse10.zip SAL macro sources to extend The SemWare Editor, T.Salmi
Tue 11-Oct-94: I have updated the FAQ (Frequently Asked questions)
for Turbo Pascal. It is now
73948 Oct 11 12:38 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfaqp21.zip
tsfaqp21.zip Common Turbo Pascal Questions and Timo's answers
Added the items
69) How to detect if a drive is a CD-ROM drive?
70) How do I convert an array of characters into a string?
Added the source code for monochrome detection to item
31) How does one store, and then restore the original screen?
Wrote an alternative answer to
50) How can I write inline code?
Made some other, minor clarifications, and file reference updates.
Note that even if my FAQ is now very large there are many areas
it does not intend to cover. The most notable areas not covered are
TP for Windows, protected mode TP programs (BP), Turbo Vision,
objective oriented TP programming, linked lists. It is up to the
other comp.lang.pascal readers to cover these areas. Likewise,
graphics programming has only one item.
Tue 11-Oct-94: I have updated the index of my FAQ collections:
24896 Oct 11 15:05 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/pd2/tspost00.zip
tspost00.zip Index for Timo's FAQs and Information email + postings
Length Method Size Ratio Date Time CRC-32 Name
------ ------ ---- ----- ---- ---- ------ ----
88 Defl:X 86 2% 11-21-93 20:33 c43f2376 file_id.diz
A brief characterization of garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/pd2/tspost00.zip
43131 Defl:X 16974 61% 10-11-94 15:05 f150e598 tspost.idx
Index for /pc/pd2/tspost*.zip Garbo information email & postings
5100 Defl:X 2204 57% 06-13-94 09:45 909266db tsfaqn.idx
Index for Questions from UseNet and Timo's answers
5490 Defl:X 2209 60% 10-11-94 10:54 3368c210 tsfaqp.idx
Index for Common Turbo Pascal Questions and Timo's answers
2557 Defl:X 1240 52% 08-29-94 18:35 40daa24c tsbat.idx
Index for batricks.txt useful batch tricks and lore in tsbat*.zip
1998 Defl:X 957 52% 09-14-94 21:26 9dfc41a0 camfaq.idx
Index for comp.archives.msdos.(d/announce) Frequently Asked Questions
------ ------ --- -------
58364 23670 59% 6
Fri 7-Oct-94: Programmed "GFIND.EXE Garbo index searches for the PC"
and put it in the new package for Garbo utilities garbo.uwasa.fi:
/pc/ts/tsgarb10.zip. GFIND is the program that produces the familiar
Garbo file pointers like
12435 Aug 20 11:45 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/research/farewa.zip
farewa.zip Financial ratio analysis review A, abstract+references
It is also available in for Unix script as /unix/ts/gfind
Wed 5-Oct-94: I have updated RESET.EXE. The program resets the 80
column text mode either to the normal 25 lines or to 43/50 lines.
Useful after graphics and other programs leaving the screen in a
funny state. Useful for putting your PC to the 43/50 lines mode.
- Rewrote the entire program.
- Added the 43/50 lines text mode.
- Added the detection of an optional RESET environment variable for
altering the program's defaults.
- Added a batch mode to run the program without output.
- Added a simple help screen invoked by RESET ?
The program is in my consequently updated utilities collection
133762 Oct 5 10:18 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsutil41.zip
tsutil41.zip Timo's 1st utility set (sysinfo,dirw,dtetimal,timelog,...)
Wed 5-Oct-94: Many but not all applications store the original
screen and then restore it after the program has been run. But not
all programs do. If you use a program which does not have the
restoring capability, but would like to have it, you can achieve the
effect by putting the program call into a batch file with my
PUSHSCR.EXE and POPSCR.EXE programs. I have updated these two
programs:
POPSCR.EXE Pop screen from image file
PUSHSCR.EXE Push screen to image file
They can now handle also 43/50 lines text mode besides the noderl 25
lines text mode.
These programs are also useful after running programs that leave
with an exiting screen you don't wish to see time after time, or
programs that leave some garbage on exiting. Don't get me wrong. I
do *NOT* advocate defeating shareware reminders, but there are also
perfectly legitimate programs, which have this feature otherwise
immovable.
Added FILE_ID.DIZ "Brief characterization of tsutld". Some BBS
systems scan for a FILE_ID.DIZ in uploaded packages and if found use
its contents as the description in their annotated file list.
Rewrote parts of the documentation.
The updated package is
87038 Oct 5 10:37 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsutld22.zip
tsutld22.zip Timo's 4th utility set (bigcurs,keyrate,caps,today,warmboot,.)
Sun 4-Sep-94: I have a collection of useful batch files and batch
tricks, which I have updated. It is now
116131 Sep 4 05:12 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsbat46.zip
tsbat46.zip A collection of useful batch files and tricks.
Added the following item to DOSTRICK.TXT
4) Stepping trough config.sys and autoexec.bat command by command.
5) Getting rid of "Insert diskette for drive B:"
6) Conditional deleting of files
7) Selected Doskey macro examples
Tue 23-Aug-93: Updated for your peril ... and at mine
8911 Aug 24 1994 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tspun15.zip
tspun15.zip Timo's nauseating groaners (a collection of puns).
Mon 22-Aug-94: I have updated my SYSINFO.EXE system information
program by adding CD-ROM detection. I have also update the companion
SYSINF.BAT. If the batch detects the MsDos 5+ program MEM.EXE, the
batch records the information given by mem as well. These files are
in the updated
130228 Aug 22 08:29 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsutil40.zip
tsutil40.zip Timo's 1st utility set (sysinfo,dirw,dtetimal,timelog,...)
Sun 21-Aug-94: Updated again
PACE.EXE "Timer to pace your calisthenics"
In the last version I added sound to tick the passage of time. In
this version if you press S at any time during the program, it will
toggle the sound.
Added "JOGSUM.WKS Jogging for AsEasyAs spreadsheet"
It gives you a simple template for the
garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/spreadsheet/asa55c-[1/2].zip
As-Easy-As spreadsheet (a VP Planner spreadsheet shaeware clone)
The relevant updated package is
32649 Aug 21 11:12 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsjog16.zip
tsjog16.zip A simple calculator and pacer for a jogging enthusiast
Tue 16-Aug-94: Updated my Turbo pascal units collection to be
garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tspa34*.zip (*=40,50,55,60,70). Added to
TSUTNJ:
"OPENFLFN Is an assigned non-textfile still open or not"
TSERR (run-time error verbal listing):
Brought the error messages up to date with the TP 7.0 set.
Introduced a new unit for keyboard routines TSUNTM. In TSUNTG if
one of the routines below were called while that key is depressed
the program was suspended until the key is released. My thanks are
due to Angus March (ac_march@ECE.concordia.CA) who alterted me to
this problem. All these routines, together with the author keyboard
routines from TSUNTG have been corrected and transferred to a new
TSUNTM unit.
ALTFN Is the alt key depressed
CTRLFN Is the ctrl key depressed
LFALTFN Is the left alt key depressed
LFCTRLFN Is the left ctrl key depressed
LFSHFTFN Is the left shift key depressed
RTALTFN Is the right alt key depressed
RTCTRLFN Is the right ctrl key depressed
RTSHFTFN Is the right shift key depressed
SYSRQFN Is the SysRq key depressed
Added the following two detection routines to TSUNTG
CDROMFN Is a drive a CD-ROM with MSCDEX driver installed
MSCVERFN Get CD-ROM driver MSCDEX.EXE version
Sun 7-Aug-94: Updated my collection of TSR (Terminate and Stay
Resident) programs to be
86523 Aug 7 11:39 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tstsr20.zip
tstsr20.zip TSR programs (noboot,reslock,sordino,timedown,timeup ...)
Included a new TSR program:
"ENOUGH.EXE Shutdown PC in so many minutes"
It is a program to limit the time your PC can be used at one go
before it locks itself. For example if you wish to allow only a
certain spell for your kids to play games on you PC, install ENOUGH
before you let them at it. Or you may wish to get a grip your own
computer addiction with an aid like this :-). Be realistically aware
that ENOUGH is a self-induced computer lock-up with all the same
potential ill-effects on the possibly open files as any genuine
crash.
I also updated
"TIMEDOWN.EXE Resident countdown timer"
"TIMEPEST.EXE Resident elapsed time alarm"
"TIMEUP.EXE Resident countup timer"
- They can now roll past midnight. They are not totally accurate for
a few seconds after the midnight, though, because of the fractional
nature of PC's clock tics. Nothing serious.
- Corrected the program names in the messages the programs display.
Wed 27-Jul-94: I have updated
PACE.EXE "Timer to pace your calisthenics"
- Added optional sound to tick the passage of time
- Corrected the bug in P (pause)
Basically PACE is a very simple program. It gives the elapsed time
in big characters changing color every minute. Somehow the program
being simple reflects the fact that I use it practically every day
for real for something that has nothing to do with computers. What
you would do with it is up to your own imagination and fitness
programs.
The other program in the package is JOG.EXE to perform basic
calculations for a jogging enthusiast. With the exception of
updating the email address in it, it has not been factually updated.
The updated package is
30691 Jul 27 19:20 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsjog15.zip
tsjog15.zip A simple calculator and pacer for a jogging enthusiast.
Wed 6-Jul-94: garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tscdar11.zip. One of the
earliest PC utilities I wrote was a simple perpetual calendar.
Nothing new in that, since similar programs abound, but I needed the
many calendar related subroutines I had to write to be used in my
later programs. I have now returned to this theme and written:
CALPAGE.EXE Calendar pages, optional sizes
It prints out monthly calendar sheet, which can be useful if you
need for some reason or the other to quickly get calendar pages with
customizable box size for the dates.
The updated package is
43338 Jul 7 04:47 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tscdar11.zip
tscdar11.zip Perpetual calendar in English and Finnish
Sun 26-Jun-94: I have updated the new users' collection of
Frequently Asked Usenet news questions. It is now garbo.wuasa.fi:
/pc/ts/tsfaqn41.zip. There is one new item:
23) I am having problem with canceling my posting. What to do?
Furthermore some of the material has been brought up to date and
augmented with additional information.
90136 Jun 26 20:57 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfaqn41.zip
tsfaqn41.zip Questions from UseNet and Timo's answers
Wed 15-Jun-94: I have updated my collection of Frequently Asked
Turbo Pascal questions at garbo.uwasa.fi to be
71507 Jun 15 20:21 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfaqp20.zip
tsfaqp20.zip Common Turbo Pascal Questions and Timo's answers
I appended the item
68) How much memory will my TP program require?
with a contribution from Duncan Murdoch.
Added the alternative with interrupts to the item
1) How do I disable or capture the break key in Turbo Pascal?
Added Jeroen Schipper's solution to
45) How to establish if a name refers to a directory or not?
Tue 31-May-94: I have updated my collection of useful batches and
batch tricks. It is now garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsbat45.zip.
- Added a list of user feedback to the TSBAT.INF file
- Added item 39) Getting the file basename
- Added optional batch enhancers:
BASENAME.EXE Extract file name from full name
BASEPATH.EXE Extract path name from full name
BASEXTEN.EXE Extract file extension from name
- Added
DOSTRICK.TXT Assorted MsDos tricks and tips
113768 May 31 18:19 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsbat45.zip
tsbat45.zip A collection of useful batch files and tricks.
Sat 21-May-94: You have probably have been sometimes annoyed by
accidentally hitting the CapsLock or the NumLock keys. I already
have written two TSR programs to counter this:
NOCAPSLC.EXE Disable the CapsLock key
NUMLOCK.EXE Force the NumLock key always on
The disadvantage of these program is, however, that they disable
these keys completely. I have now written two additional programs
that substitute Shift+CapsLock for CapsLock and Shift+NumLock for
NumLock. The idea that those substituting combinations are not
pressed accidentally as easily as the original keys. The new TSR
programs are
SHFTCAPS.EXE Shift+CapsLock instead of CapsLc
SHFTNUML.EXE Shift+NumLock instead of NumLock
The keys use the typewriter logic. That is to lock that capital
letters on you'll need to press Shft+CapsLock, but to release the
caps it will be sufficient to press CapsLock alone. Likewise to turn
off the numeric pad you'll have to press Shft+NumLock, but to return
it on, it is sufficient to press NumLock alone.
Note that SHFTCAPS.EXE will initially turn CapsLock off, if you
happen to have it on when installing the program. Likewise
SHFTNUML.EXE will initially turn the NumLock on, if you happen to
have it off. (These are your likely defaults).
The new programs require an enhanced keyboard, that is at least
an AT PC.
The new programs are part of my updated TSR collection
77854 May 21 14:12 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tstsr19.zip
tstsr19.zip TSR programs (noboot,reslock,sordino,timedown,timeup ...)
Mon 16-May-94: As usual on Monday mornings, prepared
7411 May 16 06:40 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/filelist/ftpts19.lst
ftpts19.lst Ftp statistics of Timo's files week 19 1994
The back issues of this statistics are available in
56453 May 16 06:40 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/filelist/ftpts94.zip
ftpts94.zip Downloads of Timo's files in 1994
Sat 7-May-94: I have updated my educational flag game and flag quiz
by adding 29 new flags bringing the total up to 129 flags.
FLAGGAME.EXE is the familiar memory game using flags. FLAGQUIZ.EXE
is a multiple choice test of your knowledge of flags.
At least an EGA video adapter is required.
Added FILE_ID.DIZ "Brief characterization of tsgmed". Some BBS
systems scan for a FILE_ID.DIZ in uploaded packages and if found use
its contents as the description in their on-line file list.
No new features were added.
The package is
86746 May 7 03:34 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsgmed13.zip
tsgmed13.zip Learn national flags as educational games
Thu 5-May-94: Brace yourselves dear Garbo users (said the dentist).
I have updated my collection of puns to ruin the rest of your
day(s?).
8186 May 5 19:01 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tspun14.zip
tspun14.zip Timo's nauseating groaners (a collection of puns).
Sat 12-Mar-94: I have updated the Turbo Pascal Frequently Asked
questions to be garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfaqp19.zip by adding the
following items:
65) How can I detect if the shift/ctrl/alt etc key is pressed?
66) How do I get a base 10 logarithm in TP?
67) If Delay procedure does not work properly, how do I fix it?
An index of my FAQ answers is available as /pc/pd2/tspost00.zip.
:
68063 Mar 12 12:43 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfaqp19.zip
tsfaqp19.zip Common Turbo Pascal Questions and Timo's answers
:
22832 Mar 12 14:35 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/pd2/tspost00.zip
tspost00.zip Index for Timo's FAQs and Information email + postings
Sat 12-Mar-94: I have updated my collection of Frequently Asked
Questions for the new UseNet users in particular. It is available
from Garbo MsDos archives as garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfaqn40.zip. An
index of my FAQ answers is available as /pc/pd2/tspost00.zip.
:
88080 Mar 12 12:43 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfaqn40.zip
tsfaqn40.zip Questions from UseNet and Timo's answers
Thu 24-Feb-94: Wrote the following two programs and added them to
the update garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsutlf14.zip.
DELEDIR.EXE Generalized delete directory
MAKEDIR.EXE Generalized create directory
Contrary to the MsDos rmdir and mkdir these programs allow using
blanks.
Thu 10-Feb-94:
47099 Feb 12 23:18 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tskerm25.zip
tskerm25.zip Keypads, .bats, logging, and file transfers for MsKermit.
It is about three years since I last looked into MsKermit scripts in
my tskerm collection. Since then MsKermit has been updated several
times and at the time of writing this is garbo.uwasa.fi:
/pc/termprog/msker313.zip. I have consequently made an update
/pc/ts/tskerm25.zip "Timo's MsKermit utilities". I had in it
several batches for calling MsKermit with different configurations.
I replaced them with a single batch
KERM.BAT "A flexible batch to call Kermit"
This batch has many features including configuration selection, PC
dependent variation, and call logging. Since I use several PCs,
with the modem located at different ports, it is very handy to get
by with one single batch.
Reduced the number of initialization files to only the two
essential files:
KERM80FI.INI VT102 keyboard, 80cols, scandies
KERM132.INI VT102 keyboard, 132 columns
Rewrote the file transfer command scripts:
GETBIN.CMD Automatic file transfer to PC
GETTEXT.CMD Automatic file transfer to PC
PUTBIN.CMD Automatic file transfer from PC
PUTTEXT.CMD Automatic file transfer from PC
Rewrote the command scripts combining the different command sets:
INIT.CMD Use memacs keys + zset extras
Sun 13-Feb-94: Updated
28784 Feb 13 09:43 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsans080.txt
tsans080.txt Answers to some recurring questions about TS-packages
Sat 12-Feb-94: I have updated my additional text-file filters for
binary and text files to be garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfltc16.zip by
adding a /f switch (force overwrite if source = destination) to
DETAB.EXE "Expand tabs properly into blanks"
:
70440 Feb 12 20:03 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfltc16.zip
tsfltc16.zip More filters: dump,col,concat,cut,detab,rep,rot13,undump
Fri 11-Feb-94: If anything can go wrong, it will. I recently
released updates of my filters, but unfortunately several bugs were
still found. In particular my thanks to Dave Kapalko
medik@attme.att.com Hence update garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfilt21.zip.
- Corrected the /k keep date option. It did not work at all in
LOGFILT "Filters backspaces from logfiles"
- It refused process backspaces. Corrected that.
:
116426 Feb 11 22:56 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfilt21.zip
tsfilt21.zip Programs for filtering messages, log files, Unix-PC, etc.
Mon 7-Feb-94: I recently released updates of my filters, but
unfortunately several bugs were still found in the switches both by
helpful users and myself. Hence I have updated the tsfltb collection
again. It is now tsfltb17.zip. The following corrections and
improvements have been made to FILBIN.EXE and FILTXT.EXE.
- Corrected the /f force overwrites of existing files. It worked
only for files with the same name as the original.
- Corrected the /k keep date option. It took its cues from the
translation table, not from the original file.
- Added file date to the output message, which gives the directory
entry for the original and filtered file.
Honestly, there are so many possible combinations of translations
and switches that I cannot guarantee that everything would now have
been corrected. That would require a more extensive beta testing
than I have time for.
:
65394 Feb 7 20:19 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfltb17.zip
tsfltb17.zip Easily customizable general filters, for text or binary.
Mon 7-Feb-94: I renamed /pc/filelist/ts94.zip accumulation of
downloads to be
15082 Feb 7 06:37 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/filelist/ftpts94.zip
ftpts94.zip Downloads of Timo's files in 1994
Sun 30-Jan-94: Wrote KEYCOUNT.EXE "Keystroke counter" and updated my
TSR collection to be garbo.wuasa.fi:/pc/ts/tstsr18.zip. I got the
idea to write such a tsr from a posting on the UseNet news by James
Ian McGowan ian@netcom.com. He was asking whether anyone knew of
such a utility, so I decided to write one for fun. Just think of it.
It is a really natty measure of your computer addiction. What will
be your daily dose. Gee, I'll have to adopt it also myself.
Tue 25-Jan-94: I have updated my user definable filters for binary
and text files to be garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfltb16.zip by adding a
/f switch (force overwrite if source = destination) to the following
individual programs. My thanks to Antti Virjo avirjo@tays.fi for the
suggestion.
FILBIN.EXE "General filter for binary files"
FILTXT.EXE "General filter for text files"
Also added
FILE_ID.DIZ "Brief characterization of tsfltb"
Sun 23-Jan-94: I have updated by filters for text files to be
garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsfilt20.zip by adding a /f switch (force
overwrite if source = destination) to the following individual
programs. My thanks to Antti Virjo avirjo@tays.fi for the
suggestion.
LOGFILT.EXE "Filters backspaces from logfiles"
TOASC.EXE "8bit ibm to Scandinavian 7 ascii"
TOASCI.EXE "8bit ibm to International 7ascii"
TOIBM.EXE "7 ascii to Scandinavian 8bit ibm"
The first of these has become somewhat obsolete in the sense that
modems now tend to be error-correcting.
Sat 15-Jan-94: I have updated my collection of useful batches and
batch tricks. It is now garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/ts/tsbat44.zip. Added the
following items to batricks.txt:
37) Traversing a directory tree
Added an related demonstration batch SWEEP.BAT.
38) Echoing the redirection symbol
Rewrote and added material to
24) Redirecting a batch file's output
30) How to obtain the MsDos version into an environment variable
Updated
PATH.TXT "How to beat the 127 byte limit"
SCANZ.BAT "Scan for viruses (incl. execomp)"
Mon 10-Jan-94: Started
3382 Jan 10 09:06 garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/filelist/ts94.zip
ts94.zip Downloads of Timo's files in 1994
Mon 10-Jan-94: The 1993's garbo.uwasa.fi news concerning the files in
the /pc/ts directory (the directory of Timo Salmi's packages) has
been moved to 0news93.ts. The older news are also available in the
same /pc/ts directory.