















                                                                       
                                                The Silicon Frog, Inc. 
                                                                       
                                               The VU Text File Viewer 
                                                                       
                                                           Version 1.0 
                                                                       


































            (c) 1988-92 The Silicon Frog, Inc.
                All Rights Reserved







            Table of Contents


            Introduction...............................................1
            Memory Requirements........................................1
            Screen Colors..............................................1
            Extended Video Support.....................................1
            Text Files.................................................1
            Starting VU................................................2
            The VU Screen..............................................2
            Scrolling through the file.................................2
            The Help/Status Line.......................................3
            Loading a new file.........................................3





                                                        VU Text Viewer 1

            Introduction

            VU is a small, quick, and easy to use text file viewer
            distributed with other Silicon Frog programs for your
            convenience.  In a nutshell, VU is an unreasonable
            substitute for Vern Buerg's excellent LIST/LIST Enhanced
            file viewer.


            Memory Requirements

            VU requires approximately 54K to operate.  Although the
            VU.COM file is barely 12K, the program requires over 40K of
            dynamic DOS memory for its file buffer.


            Screen Colors

            VU operates on any standard display adapter.  On a color
            monitor, VU will display the text in white on blue, and its
            title and help/status lines in inverse video.  On a
            monochrome monitor, the program displays the text in
            standard video and the title and help/status lines in
            inverse video.


            Extended Video Support

            VU passively supports adapter/monitor combinations and video
            enhancers (e.g., Personics' UltraVision) which can display
            more than 25 screen lines.  Most recent video adapters
            include utilities which allow you to switch video modes
            (i.e., 80x43, 80x50, etc.)  VU will not internally change
            the existing text mode, but it will adapt to any mode as
            long as the screen width is 80 columns.


            Text Files

            VU will accurately display standard CR/LF-delimited ASCII
            text files such as Silicon Frog .DOC or .TXT documentation
            files, .BAT files, Windows' .INI files, etc.  You will get
            unpredictable results if you attempt to view binary files or
            most unformatted word processor document files (these files
            seldom use CR/LF line delimiters).  TAB characters, by
            default, are shown as four contiguous spaces.





                                                        VU Text Viewer 2

            Starting VU

            To start VU, type the following command at the DOS prompt:

            C:\>VU [D:\PATH\FILENAME.EXT] [/BW]

            The filename parameter, if specified, must conform to DOS
            coding standards.  For example, if you do not specify a
            path, the file must be in the current directory.  You may
            not use the ? and/or * DOS wildcards in the file name.  If
            you do not specify a file name when starting VU, the program
            will prompt you for one.  When the program is running, the
            file name is shown at the right of the Help/Status line.

            The /BW parameter tells VU to force monochrome operation.
            Use this parameter if VU is unable to recognize your monitor
            type or if the screen text is difficult to read (VU may not
            be able to correctly identify monochrome monitors attached
            to some EGA or VGA adapters).


            The VU Screen

            VU displays its name and copyright on the top screen line.
            Summary help information is shown on the bottom Help/Status
            line.  File text occupies the area between the two.


            Scrolling through the file

            VU features horizontal scrolling to allow viewing of lines
            which exceed the 80-character screen width.  To scroll
            through the file, use the following keys:

                             Key   Action
               -----------------   ------------------------------------
                            <Up>   Scroll up one line
                            <Dn>   Scroll down one line
                          <PgUp>   Scroll up one page
                          <PgDn>   Scroll down one page
                         <Right>   Scroll right 1 character
                          <Left>   Scroll left 1 character
                          <Home>   Top of file
                           <End>   End of file
                           <Esc>   Quit VU, return to DOS





                                                        VU Text Viewer 3

            The Help/Status Line


            The left half of the Help/Status line displays the program's
            help reminders (scroll keys, <F2> to load a new file, <Esc>
            to quit).

            The right half of the Help/Status line displays the current
            file status:

            1. The line number (the line at the top of the file viewing
               area), followed by the total number of lines in the file.
               VU displays (TOF) and (EOF) indicators when you reach the
               top or the end of the file.

            2. The horizontal offset, expressed as a positive number.
               This value is displayed only if you scrolled horizontally
               and the first file position is no longer at the left edge
               of the viewing area.

            3. The file name and extension.


            Loading a new file

            To view a new file, press <F2>.  VU will display a file name
            prompt on the bottom line.  The name of the file being
            viewed, if any, will appear in the edit field.  The
            following keys are active while editing the file name:

                             Key   Action
               -----------------   ------------------------------------
                   <Right Arrow>   Move 1 character to the right
                    <Left Arrow>   Move 1 character to the left
                           <Del>   Delete character at cursor
                     <Backspace>   Delete character at left of cursor
                           <Ins>   Toggle Insert/Overstrike mode
                        <Alt><C>   Clear field
                        <Alt><R>   Restore original field
                         <Enter>   Accept edit
                           <Esc>   Cancel edit or Quit VU

            If VU cannot find the file, it will display an error message
            on the bottom line and will re-display the file prompt.

            If the file prompt is displayed when the program starts
            (i.e., you did not specify a file when you started VU),
            pressing <Esc> will immediately terminate the program.  If a
            file is already loaded, pressing <Esc> cancels the new file
            request and returns you to the file viewer.





                                                        VU Text Viewer 4

            Quitting VU

            To terminate VU and return to DOS, press <Esc> while in the
            file viewer.