Screen Utilities for DOS

Back to Front Page

global menu:


Some programs on this page might be better classified in other groups.


COPY AND PASTE SCREEN TEXT


1. Mousebuf -Copy/ paste screen text; save to file.
2. xPCMOUSE -Copy/ paste screen text; save to file, more.
3. Dosclip -Copy/ paste screen text; copy to Win clipboard.
4. Snipper -Copy/ paste screen text; save to file.

Mousebuf and xPCMOUSE are two similar TSR programs that allow a user to highlight, copy, and paste text from a text mode DOS screen or application using the mouse. Dosclip and Snipper, older PCMAG TSR utilities, also copy and paste screen text- but use the cursor keys rather than a mouse. These programs tend to work best when not run in a secondary shell- like Windows. These programs have a wide variety of uses and my description is necessarily insufficient. I use them infrequently to copy text from the screen and paste into a document. Others use these programs for more advanced purposes (e.g., grabbing text in terminal programs, manipulating text in editors).

I use Mousebuf most frequently because it suits my basic needs well- and it works in an application that already supports a mouse. Mousebuf may lock the mouse when exiting Windows- I use it only in plain DOS.

xPCMOUSE is clearly the most feature-rich of any of the available screen copy/ paste programs and was designed for a much broader range of use (e.g., terminal programs, VI / EMACS-like editors, SUNPC and LINUX DOSEMU DOS emulators, Windows clipboard support). See the comparison chart below for a small taste of XPCMOUSE's capabilities. Xpcmouse can append highlighted text to a file and it can recognize and grab e-mail addresses, URLS, or user-defined character classes. These features might come in handy for people who use DOS terminal programs, Lotus 123, etc.. XPCMOUSE also supports cursor positioning (e.g., in mouseless editors) and emulation of arrow keys (e.g., navigate menus in programs that lack mouse support). Included in the Xpcmouse package are XPCARROW and XPCPASTE. These perform only a subset of the functions of XPCMOUSE but also use less memory. I had some difficulty running XPCMOUSE under WIN31- but after installing a new DOS mouse driver, the problems disappeared.

Other freeware copy/ paste programs of interest:

Dosclip avoids some of the potential conflicts associated with using a mouse. Under Windows, DOSCLIP will also transfer copied text to the Windows clipboard (useful in full screen mode.) Online help screen. Snipper has useful features lacking in DOSCLIP: 1) the option to send marked text to printer or a file 2) the option to quote marked text first, e.g., for use in DOS communications programs. Although Snipper is not difficult to use, you'll need to memorize the commands- the online option menu is somewhat hidden (after marking text [Alt-W, ENTER, mark] press ENTER again to get a popup menu of available options.)

Features:
PROGRAM ================> DOSCLIP===SNIPPER==MOUSEBUF===XPCMOUSE
Version.................. [1.0] ....[2.6] ... [0.3B] ... [1.3]
Default memory use (K) ... 9 ........ 4 ...... 3 ....... 4
Adj. memory buffer ....... no ....... no ..... yes ..... yes
Uninstall option ......... yes ...... no ..... yes ..... yes
Mouse support............. no ....... no ..... yes ..... yes
Dormant in mouse programs  no ....... no ..... no ...... yes
Recognizes words, URLs ... no ....... no ..... no ...... define
Highlighting modes:
 double click (word, URL). no ....... no ..... no ...... yes
 stream................... no ....... no ..... yes...... yes
 rectangular (column) .... yes........yes......no........yes
PROGRAM ===============> DOSCLIP===SNIPPER==MOUSEBUF===XPCMOUSE
Cursor positioning ....... no ....... no ..... no ...... yes
Copy to Win clipboard .... yes ...... no ..... no ...... yes
Quote copied text ........ no ....... yes .... no ...... no
Save/append to file ...... no ....... yes .... no ...... yes
Swap mouse buttons ....... n/a ...... n/a .... no ...... yes
Arrow key emulation ...... no ....... no ..... no ...... option
Mouse handler settings.... n/a ...... n/a .... no ...... yes
overall rating ........... *** ...... *** .... *** ..... *****

download mouseb03.zip (7K, MOUSEBUF)
download xpcmou13.zip (73K, XPCMOUSE)
download v11n07.zip (43K, DOSCLIP)
download snippr26.zip (18K, Snipper)


SCREEN CAPTURE


1. TextCap- TSR text mode screen capture utility.

* * * *

TextCap represents an efficient method of quickly capturing single or multiple text mode screens to file(s). Handles screen sizes up to 132 columns and 50 lines. Modifiable hotkey (default is Ctrl-F9) and option to uninstall from memory. Requires about 14K RAM when resident. Captured raw files are automatically saved and named (scn0000x.txt) and must be converted to readable ASCII text using the included filter SCN2ASC.EXE. Author: Gisbert W. Selke. (1991).

USAGE:

/?........display list of available arguments; do not install
/P<path>..Use the path given instead of the current directory.
/K<xxxx>..Use a different hot key specified by the 4 hex digits <xxxx>
/U........Uninstall

download txtcap20.zip (18K)


2. Capture- Capture text mode screens to file (non-TSR).

* * *

Capture is a non-memory resident program that can capture a text mode screen to a file. Note that this is not a TSR, so it's use is limited to the command line or batch files. Color screens can be captured either as special VID files (viewable with Capture) or as plain text files.

Syntax:

CAPTURE [play] mode
mode is either C (for colour), M (for monochrome), or T (for plain text)

Part of Jem Berkes' DOSUTILS package. Donationware.

Download DOSUTILS from: Jem Berkes' PC Utilities site.


3. Screen Thief- Captures Text, VGA+ screens to BMP, TIFF, PCX, TXT.

* * * * * [added 12-23-98]

Add description.

Excellent program. Formerly shareware. Freeware release (v2.01 ; 9-98) , GIF support removed. Author: Villa Software.

download st201f.zip (38K)


4. VideoThief- Captures VGA, X-mode, SVGA screens.

* * *

VideoThief (VT) is a recent (12-97) offering from Russia. Unlike some shareware VGA screen grabbers, VT requires the use of two programs to save a VGA+ screen to a common image format. The first program (vthief.com, a TSR) captures a screen to an intermediate file. This file must be subsequently loaded into a second program (vtfview.com) for the purpose of viewing or saving to a BMP-format image file. I've had mixed success viewing captured screens using vtfview, and that's likely a result of my specific hardware (even if an image doesn't display, you can probably still convert to BMP by remembering to press the B key). Requires: CPU- 80286; Video card- VGA; RAM- 128 Kb; OS- DOS 3.0 or higher. From the documentation:

VideoThief supports. . .

Syntax : vthief[.com] [key [key [...]]]

Keys:
/?, /H display a little help
/Kxx set hot key scan code to xx hex (default is 58h, F12 code)
/R release program from memory
/Ddir set directory for VTF files to dir

Syntax : vtfview[.com] <filename.vtf> [key [key [...]]]

Keys:
/I indirect video memory reading (for certain PCI-based machines)
/D set RGB-masks for direct color mode to default values

While viewing, you can try pressing the following keys: <G> gray palette (doesn't affect HiColor/TrueColor mode) <P> restore palette <N> restore all registers but palette <Q> decrease logical screen width <W> increase logical screen width <A> move screen split line up <S> move screen split line down <Z> move screen split line to the very bottom <R> re-read picture data <D> toggle double scan on/off <+> increase scanline scaling coefficient (font height in text mode) <-> decrease scanline scaling coefficient (font height in text mode) <B> save to BMP. Arrow keys move window (use Shift for fast moves) <PgUp/PgDn> up/down one screen <Esc> exit"

Known problems: (see documentation.)

download vthf006.zip (20K)


5. TCAP- TSR logs console text input/ output to file.

(Technically not a screen capture program) See extended description.


SCREEN MODE RELATED


VMODE- Display or set the current video mode and/or screen rows.

unrated [added 9-12-98; updated 1-7-99]

Usage: vmode [ mode /rows ]

mode = 0-7, 13-19, 99
rows=25,30,43,50 (or 2,3,4,5)
After setting, or if no arguments, will display:
current mode, rowsXcolumns, #colors, Text-or-Graphics: pixels
.

Special requirements: ANSI.SYS.

Part of the author's DOSPROGS package. Also included in package are CED (text editor), DD (directory lister with color coding), and other utils.

Update 1-7-99: No changes to vmode program- other programs modified/ added to package.

Author: Les Leist (1998).

download dosprogs.zip (130K)


ForcExt- TSR forces extended text mode display (43, 50 lines).

unrated

From the docs...

"This program will force extended textmode (50 lines on VGA or 43 lines on EGA) when other programs terminate. It can also be set to force extended mode when programs change textmode through the BIOS." Uses less than 1K memory. Option to uninstall. From Sverre H. Huseby.

Usage: FORCEXT [options]

options:

-a[-]... Enable [disable] always forcing extended mode.
-n[-]... Enable [disable] Norwegian letters oe/OE.
-off.... Temporarily disable program.
-on..... Reenable program.
-q...... Quiet. Don't show status messages.
-u...... Uninstall if possible.

download frcext31.zip


MONO- TSR forces B/W display of text mode screens.

* *

I have a subpar grayscale VGA display on my old 386 laptop. Text mode programs intended for color displays often appear muddled -and I'm too lazy to change color attributes in those programs that allow customization. MONO is an old PCMag TSR utility that transforms your screen into a mono (B/W) display. Doesn't work smoothly with some programs but a hot key (alt-M) can toggle mono mode on and off. MONO does not support programs that run in a graphics mode. The /U switch uninstalls MONO from memory. "...some loss in speed must be anticipated, though the amount of degradation will vary with the type and clock speed of the system microprocessor. "

Not an elegant solution- but neither is MODE MONO.

Author: Michael J. Mefford. (1989)

download v8n06.zip (32K)


SCREEN SAVERS and related. . .


1. Blackout- TSR screen blanker permits background processes.
2. Metamorf- Screen saver (non-tsr) displays rotating 3D objects.
3. Acid Warp- Hallucinogenic pattern cycler (usable as non-tsr scr. saver).
4. Stary's Screen Savers- 5 non-tsr screen savers.


Blackout. [updated 12-18-98] * * * From the docs: "Blackout (2K) has a couple of unique design features that give it capabilities that are beyond any other screen saver's: namely, the ability to co-exist with troublesome applications such as games, and the power to always fully restore the screen. Blackout also allows applications to run while the screen is blank. The program occupies very little memory and can be completely configured and uninstalled from the command-line." Free for personal use. (1998) New in v2.0: Total re-write.

Download Blackout from: Jem Berkes' PC Utilities site.


METAMORF: * * * * [added 9-97; upd 3-16-98] 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 objects composed of points of color. As a stand-alone 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. v. 2.1: bug fixes, additional features.

download mtmrf21.zip (109K)


Acid Warp: * * * * [added 8-16-98]. Hallucinogenic "eye-candy" program displays a variety of interesting VGA patterns. To exit use CTRL-Break. Authors: Noah Spurrier and Mark Bilk (1993). My source: http://www.hyperreal.org/tools/msdos/. Also see: TOUECCANS for a large selection of similar animated programs.

download aw406.zip (26K)

Similar VGA pattern and color cycling programs which I rate better than average:


Stary's Screen Savers: * * * * [updated 8-16-98]. This package includes 5 non-TSR VGA screen savers with better than average effects. Key or mouse action will abort. Includes: BULGE (distortion effect, use your own pcx image)...FURNACE (average) ... FLAMES (who needs a fire place?)... STARFIELD ( starfield with directional changes)... DOTTY (3d sphere rotation- similar to Metamorf). Compiled as *.ss files for DOS Navigator, but an included utility will convert the screen savers to EXE files which can be run directly from the command line. Requires 386+, DPMI provider, and VGA. From Wojciech Dzierzanowski. New in version 1.1 (3-98) Conspicuous improvement of bulge movement algorithm --> ran faster --> bulge made bigger. Furnace now works faster due to a couple of optimizations. Dotty begins with a random color. Better S logo in `BULGE'"

download strss11.zip (206K)


ASCII CHARTS and related.


1. CtrlAlt- TSR pops-up ASCII charts, Hex table, ANSI codes, mark/paste, more.
2. ASCIITab- TSR, mouse compatible ASCII chart.
3. T-CHAR- Non-TSR ASCII chart.

1. CtrlAlt. * * * * This program may be the oldest program I still use. CtrlAlt was released in 1986, but still serves a 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, key scan codes, line drawing characters. Can also mark and copy screen text. Includes more exotic stuff as well. Note: CtrlAlt cannot unload itself from memory. This is one program that requires a thorough reading of the documentation- there are no help screens. Authors: B. Simon and R. Wilson.

download ctrlalt.zip (53K)

2. ASCIITab. unrated [added 4-28-98]: A nicely enhanced TSR ASCII chart symbol picker; especially useful in editors. Allows creation of a multiple character string on the chart's editing line (up to 255 symbols). Requires about 4.1K RAM with a default 128 character buffer. Other features:

download ascii350.zip (34K)

3. T-CHAR. unrated [added 4-28-98]: A slick non-TSR ASCII chart which displays ASCII, HEX, and BIN values of selected characters. Returns all values for selected character. Author: Strathrory System Limited. (1995); Suggested by Robert Bull.

download t-char.zip (16.3K)


OTHER


ANSI.SYS replacements/ enhancers

1. NNANSI- Fast ANSI.SYS driver replacement.

* * * * * [added 1994]

"NNANSI (70k) is a fast and powerful ANSI.SYS replacement, perhaps the best available. Works as a device driver or uninstallable TSR." Free for non-commercial use. Author: Tom Almy (1993)

download nnans593.zip (67K)

2. Warp- Device driver speeds up standard output.

* * * * * [added 06-01-99]

From the docs: "Warp is a [config.sys] device driver for speeding up standard output. Additional features include auto-pause, a shortened BIOS beep, and partial ANSI support...Warp's ANSI support is limited to clear screen, move cursor, and set color...Warp will NOT work with other ANSI drivers (like ANSI.SYS)...Warp requires a PC/XT/AT compatible and DOS 3.0 or higher. " Author: Eric Tauck (1995)

download warp231.zip (10K)


PERUSE- TSR scrollback buffer utility.

* * *

Peruse is a tsr that stores standard output in a memory buffer and allows you to scroll back and forth through multiple recent screens of text. The scroll lock key functions as the hot key. Peruse is also a useful tool for some comm programs that don't have their own scrollback buffer. Peruse can uninstall itself from memory. Requires XMS or EMS memory. Authors: Bob Flanders and Michael Holmes/ PC Magazine (1994)

/En  tells PERUSE to use nK of EMS memory *
/Xn  tells PERUSE to use nK of XMS memory
/U   removes PERUSE from memory
n must be in the range 16 to 8192.

download v13n07.zip (133K)


[ Go to Top | Front Page ]

© 1994-1999. Rich Green