| Screen
Utilities for DOS (screen savers, scroll buffers, screen text copy, ansi.sys utils) Ratings: [* fair] to [* * * * * excellent] |
Front Page PROGRAMS GROUPED BY FUNCTION
|
* * * reviewed 7-5-97
Have you ever entered a DIR command and watched the listing go whizzing by on your screen? Or have you used the TYPE command only to see the document flash before you eyes? Well, perhaps you need to read up on your DIR switches, or learn how to use the MORE command! But another way of "scrolling back" through the standard output is to use a scrolling buffer application. Peruse is a tsr that stores standard output in a memory buffer (amount of memory used is configurable). Using a hotkey you can then review what just flew by on the screen. This is also a useful tool for some comm programs that don't have their own scrollback buffer. Peruse can be unloaded from memory.
* * * *
Review in the works...
* * * *
Metamorf is a slick pseudo-screen saver for DOS. It runs on a 286 machine with EGA, but looks best on a fast machine with 256 color capability. Metamorf generates and rotates 3D "solid" geometric objects which are composed of points of color. Very cool. As a standalone program, Metamorf does not function as a memory resident screen saver- but like a screen saver, any keyboard or mouse input will terminate the program. (It will function as a true screen saver with menu programs that support external screen savers.)
* * * *
This program may be the oldest program I still use. CtrlAlt was released in 1986, but it still serves a very useful purpose if you're a DOS lover. Using a variety of mnemonic key combinations, you can pop up all sorts of charts from which you can paste special characters into a document. Includes ASCII, Hex, and Ansi code charts along with line drawing capabilities. Can also mark and copy screen text. Includes more exotic stuff as well. Note: CtrlAlt cannot unload itself from memory and there is no help switch. reviewed 6-4-97
Mousebuf *
* *
Xpcmouse * *
* *
Dosclip * * *
Mousebuf and Xpcmouse are two similar TSR programs that allow a user to highlight and copy text from a text mode DOS screen or application. Dosclip, an older PCMAG utility, can also cut and paste screen text- but it uses the arrow keys rather than a mouse. You can paste the copied text into the command line or a text mode application. These programs tend to work best when not run in a secondary shell- like Windows. Unfortunately Xpcmouse doesn't work at all when I run Windows (i.e., full or windowed dos box)- but that's a compatability issue with my hardware or mouse software- not a fault of Xpcmouse. Mousebuf often does work under Windows but then fails to function when I exit Windows. So I tend to use these programs only when I'm working in DOS- I'll unload them prior to starting Windows.
I prefer Mousebuf over Xpcmouse primariliy because it can work in an application that already supports a mouse. Xpcmouse is designed to become dormant in mouse compatible programs. If your favorite DOS editor supports a mouse- but you want to paste something from the command output into it, you'll want to get Mousebuf. Xpcmouse is very feature-laden- I'm not able to evaluate all it's options. It can write highlighted text to a file and it can recognize and grab e-mail adresses and URLS. This would come in handy for people who use DOS terminal programs.
Dosclip avoids some of the conflicts associated with using a mouse. Under Windows, DOSCLIP will also transfer copied text to the Windows clipboard (useful in full screen mode.) reviewed 6-5-97
download
mouseb03.zip (MOUSEBUF)
download
xpcmou12.zip (XPCMOUSE)
download
v11n07.zip (DOSCLIP)
[ Front Page ]
(c)1997 Richard L. Green