Arc help text generated at 17:16:43 on Monday, February 
07, 2011.
#1
1.00 General Information

This section gives information that is relevant to the 
entire Arc system.


1.01 Using Help

This is the help information window. From here, you can 
use the vertical arrow keys [Up] and [Down] to scroll the 
displayed information up and down. [Pg Up] and [Pg Dn] 
move the text up or down by a page, [Home] moves to the 
start of the text, and [End] moves to the end of the 
text.

Mouse users can click on the [Up] and [Down] icons in the 
scroll bar, or drag the page icon (press and hold the 
mouse button while on the icon, and then move the mouse) 
in the scroll bar to display a different page.

Pressing [I] or clicking on "Index" displays a help 
index. To select a new topic, use the same keys as above 
to highlight a new help topic and then press [Enter]. The 
required information will then be displayed. Press [Esc] 
to return to the help window without changing the help 
topic.

When you have finished reading, press [Esc] to return to 
Arc in the position you left off.


1.02 Help Index

Pressing [I] displays a help index. To select a new 
topic, use the same keys as above to highlight a new help 
topic and then press [Enter]. The required information 
will then be displayed. Press [Esc] to return to the help 
window without changing the help topic.

When you have finished reading, press [Esc] to return to 
Arc in the position you left off.


1.03 Login:User ID

Enter your User ID in the space provided. A User ID 
uniquely identifies each user when they log on, and is 
usually the user's initials or their first or last name.

If you enter the wrong User ID, press [Ctrl+Backspace] to 
erase the old entry and enter a new one.

If this is the first time you have used Arc after 
installing it, just press [Enter] for both the User ID 
and Password fields. The installation program configures 
Arc with a single Supervisor user with blank User ID and 
Password fields.


1.04 Login:Invalid Login

Arc accepts input for both the User ID and Password 
fields before validating them. If the login is incorrect, 
Arc displays the message "Invalid login", without telling 
the user which field is incorrect. This helps to maintain 
the security of the system, since the number of 
possibilities for the combined User ID and Password 
fields is much greater than for the User ID field alone.


1.05 Login:Password

Enter your user password in this field. If you have 
forgotten your password, talk to your system supervisor. 
Choose a password that you can remember!

Good Passwords             Bad Passwords
   FREX                        ^@!8/+(
   ZANTU                       1%B]{&


1.06 Login:Project

If a list of projects is available, pressing the down 
arrow will display the available list.

The project file is called PROJECT.TXT in Arc Menu's 
directory.


1.07 Using Arc

If an item has a highlighted letter (hot key), that key 
may be pressed to access that menu item directly (without 
moving to it and pressing [Enter]).

[Enter]
If the cursor is positioned over a MENU (a 
menu is indicated by an arrow to its 
right), this displays the next menu.
If the cursor is positioned over an OPTION, 
this EXECUTES the option under the cursor
[Esc]
Returns you to the previous menu if there 
is one. If there is no previous menu, you 
are given the option to exit
[Left]
Same as [Esc], except does not allow you to 
exit
[Right]
Same as [Enter], except it does not allow 
an OPTION to be executed
[Up]
Moves up one menu item (jumping over any 
dividers, and if at the top of the menu, it 
wraps around to the last menu item)
[Down]
Moves down one menu item
[Pg Up]
Moves up six items
[Pg Dn]
Moves down six items
[Home]
Moves to the first menu item
[End]
Moves to the last menu item
[F10]
Displays the Command menu. The commands 
allow you to customise the look and 
operation of Arc. Depending on your 
privileges, certain commands may be hidden 
- this means that they are unavailable
[F1]
Displays context-sensitive help for the 
operation you are performing
[Ctrl+F1]
If it has been defined, this displays user-
defined help for the item under the cursor
[Ctrl+Home]
Returns the cursor to the first menu


1.08 Field Editing

While editing, the following keys can be used :

[Left]
Moves the cursor left
[Right]
Moves the cursor right
[Home]
Moves to the start of the field
[End]
Moves to the end of the field
[Ctrl+Left]
Moves the cursor one word left
[Ctrl+Right]
Moves the cursor one word right


[Delete]
Removes the character under the cursor
[Backspace]
Removes the character to the left of 
the cursor
[Insert]
Toggles between insert/overwrite mode
[Ctrl+Backspace]
Clears the entire field
[Down]
If this field has an associated 
history, this brings up the history 
list.


1.09 Moving Between Fields

If there is more than one field to edit, the following 
keys may also be used:

[Tab]
Next field
[Shift+Tab]
Previous field
[Alt+letter]
Moves directly to the field with letter 
highlighted


1.10 Editing with a Mouse

Clicking anywhere on a field with the mouse moves the 
cursor to that field. Clicking in the text entry part of 
a text field moves the cursor underneath the mouse 
cursor.

Some fields have buttons beside them when focussed, a 
single down arrow indicates a history list, and an up and 
down arrow beside a numeric field can be used to increase 
or decrease the value. The buttons can be clicked on with 
the mouse.


1.11 Entering Extended Characters

If you wish to enter a character that is not accessible 
via the keyboard, first find its decimal equivalent from 
an ASCII chart. Then, while holding the [Alt] key down, 
type in the character's decimal equivalent on the NUMERIC 
KEYPAD, and then release [Alt].


1.12 Using User-Defined Help

This window displays user-defined help for the menu item 
currently under the cursor. You can use the vertical 
arrow keys [Up] and [Down] to scroll the displayed 
information up and down. [Pg Up] and [Pg Dn] move the 
text up or down by a page, [Home] moves to the start of 
the text, and [End] moves to the end of the text.

Mouse users can click on the [Up] and [Down] icons in the 
scroll bar, or drag the page icon (press and hold the 
mouse button while on the icon, and then move the mouse) 
in the scroll bar to display a different page.

If you have editing privileges or have supervisor 
authority, pressing [Alt+E] allows you to edit the help 
information.

When you have finished reading, press [Esc] to return to 
Arc in the position you left off.


1.13 No User Help

You have pressed [Ctrl+F1], and there is no user-defined 
help for the item under the cursor. If you have editing 
privileges, you can press [Enter] to create the help 
information. After you have done so, Arc will display the 
information for the item. Press [Esc] to not create user 
help.

#2
2.00 Edit

Edit allows you to change various attributes of menu 
items, such as their title and hot keys, password, 
authority level, short cut key, batch file or link path.

Each item type has different attributes:

Divider bars
Title (no hot keys allowed)
Options
Title (with hot keys), short cut, 
password, authority level, batch file
Menus
Title (with hot keys), short cut, 
password, authority level, maximum height
Links
Title (with hot keys), short cut, 
password, authority level, maximum height, 
link number and path, automatic link

To edit divider bars, you must choose Edit from the 
Command menu, as this method allows you to select the 
item to be edited. Otherwise, simply pressing [F9] while 
the cursor is highlighting the item to be edited is a 
much quicker method.


2.01 Selecting the Item to Edit

You have chosen Edit from the Command menu rather than by 
pressing [F9] directly. When you do this, Arc allows you 
to choose the item you would like to edit, rather than 
editing the item underneath the cursor bar at the time 
[F9] was pressed. This facilitates the editing of divider 
bars, because normally the cursor bar cannot move onto a 
divider bar.

All normal cursor bar movement keys can be used here, 
except [Esc], which cancels the editing process.

When the cursor bar is positioned over the item you would 
like to edit, press [F9].


2.02 Editing Batch Commands

When editing an option, pressing [F9] (a second time: the 
first press being to invoke Edit) causes Arc to invoke 
the text editor. The editor allows you to modify the 
batch file associated with the option. The commands in 
the batch file cause the option to be executed. Once 
these instructions have been edited and saved by the text 
editor, and you have exited from the text editor, Arc 
will be re-displayed.

If you made no changes to the batch file, the edit window 
will still be displayed, but if you did save the batch 
file from within the editor, all changes will be saved.


2.03 Title

The title of a menu item appears in the menu window, and 
is used to provide the user with a description of that 
item.

If you wish to exit without changing the title, press 
[Esc].

A title may specify a hot key (a unique key which can be 
pressed to access the item directly from within the same 
menu window) by placing a carat ^ in front of the 
character to be the hot key.

eg.

  ^File Manager

The letter "F" of the title would appear in a different 
colour, and the associated program can be accessed simply 
by pressing [F], in addition to moving the cursor bar 
over the item and pressing [Enter]. Multiple hot keys may 
be defined simply by using more than one carat eg

  ^1  ^File ^Manager

has the hot keys "1","F" and "M".

Note:	The title of a divider bar is not allowed to have 
a hot key. If there is a carat ^ in a divider 
bar's title, it is displayed literally.


2.04 Short Cut

A short cut is a special key combination that will access 
a menu item from anywhere within the menu structure. If 
you press the short cut of a option, execution of that 
option will occur. If you press the short cut of a menu, 
the cursor bar will be positioned in that menu. If an 
item has a short cut, this is indicated either by a small 
circle in the left margin of the menu, or the short cut 
is displayed on the right hand side of the menu window 
(Depending on the setting of "Show short cuts" in the 
Options window). The short cut is always shown on the 
status line when you move the cursor bar over that item.

Pressing [Down] while editing this field brings up a list 
of available and used short cuts.

You can only utilise the short cuts of the items you have 
the authority to access.

Arc allows the following short cuts to be used :

F3..F8  Ctrl+Home
Ctrl+A..Ctrl+Z (except Ctrl+M), Ctrl+F2..Ctrl+F10
Alt+A..Alt+Z, Alt+0..Alt+9, Alt+-, Alt+=, Alt+F1..Alt+F10
Shift+F1..Shift+F10


2.05 Password

This field specifies the item's password. In order to 
access this item (run, edit, move, copy, delete) the user 
must know (and provide) the password. The supervisor may 
choose to bypass entering the password by pressing [F9]. 
This enables them to delete items that they have 
forgotten the password of, and access items given a 
password by other people.


2.06 Authority

This specifies the minimum authority level required 
before access to this item is granted. A user with an 
authority level less than that specified will not see the 
item ie it is totally removed from the menu window.

An authority level of 99 (the highest) indicates 
supervisor status. You cannot give an item an authority 
level higher than your own.

A new authority level can be entered directly or its 
value can be changed using [Up] and [Down]. Mouse users 
can click on the up and down buttons to increase or 
decrease the value.


2.07 Incorrect Authority Level

You cannot give an item an authority level higher than 
your own, otherwise you would not be able to access it in 
the future.


2.08 Pause After Execution

When enabled, this toggle field causes Arc to pause after 
running a program so that you can examine the program's 
output, and then press [Enter] to return to Arc.

Change the setting by pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y] to 
enable or [N] to disable.


2.09 Reset Recovery

When enabled, this toggle field causes Arc to take steps 
that will allow it to re-run this program if it does not 
finish because the computer loses power, is turned off or 
rebooted. This is very useful for BBS, fax machines or 
other systems that must remain running. The user is given 
20 seconds to abort the program before it is re-run. Note 
that programs that have "Don't return to Arc" flagged 
will actually return to Arc if they are forced to recover 
from a reset. This is because the normal action the user 
would take would be to return to Arc.

Change the setting by pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y] to 
enable or [N] to disable.


2.10 Prompt for Log Message

When enabled, this toggle field causes Arc to ask the 
user for extra information to be placed in the log file. 
This is very useful for identifying which project was 
being worked on for billing customers etc. This only 
occurs when logging is enabled.

Change the setting by pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y] to 
enable or [N] to disable.


2.11 Don't return to Arc

When enabled, this toggle field causes Arc to run the 
specified program and then exit, so Arc is not re-
displayed when the program finishes. This is useful for 
"logout" style options where particular actions must be 
performed before Arc exits. If Arc is re-invoked after an 
option of this kind is run, it will re-display with the 
cursor in the same position as the user left.

Change the setting by pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y] to 
enable or [N] to disable.


2.12 AutoBuild:Option

AutoBuild allows you to create an option simply by 
telling Arc the name of the program to run.

The highlight cursor is moved by pressing [Up], [Down], 
[Home], [End], [Pg Up] and [Pg Dn]. At the top of the 
list is the text "Select new drive", if you highlight 
this and press [Enter] the list changes to show a list of 
your system drives.

You may enter an executable file name directly by 
pressing [Alt+N] to move the cursor to the Name field and 
then typing in the file name.

Selecting a directory causes Arc to eliminate other 
directories at that level (eg all other first level 
directories), and shows subdirectories and files in the 
chosen directory.

Example:

Suppose that the AutoBuild Files Window is displaying 
what is shown below, and that the cursor is highlighting 
the directory D:\PHOTO.

-- AutoBuild Files Window ----------------------
Select new drive
 D:
 +--BACKUP
 +--GAMES
 +--ICONS
 +--MHUNI2
 +--PHOTO       <- Selected
 +--TURBO6
 +--VISIO
 +--ZIP
------------------------------------------------

Pressing [Enter] then eliminates all directories but 
D:\PHOTO and shows the contents of that directory only, 
as shown below.

-- AutoBuild Files Window ----------------------
Select new drive
 D:
 +--PHOTO       <- Selected
    +--IMAGES
    +--MAPS
    +--PALETTES
    +--PAPERS
    +--PHOTOLIB
    +--TEXTURES
    +--THUMNAIL
    +--TILES
    PHOTO.EXE
    SETUP2.EXE
    ZCAPTURE.EXE
------------------------------------------------

Selecting the appropriate executable file (a .COM, .EXE 
or .BAT file) completes the AutoBuild, and Arc assembles 
the commands necessary to execute that file. It will then 
save the option if there are no hot key conflicts.


2.13 AutoBuild:Overwrite Commands?

Using AutoBuild will replace any commands that were 
previously associated with this option. Press [Enter] if 
you wish to replace these commands with those created by 
the AutoBuild command, or press [Esc] to keep the old 
commands and cancel AutoBuild.


2.14 Maximum Height

This field specifies the maximum number of items that can 
be displayed in the menu's or link's window at any one 
time. A setting of zero corresponds to an automatic 
setting, where the window will grow to fit the number of 
items in it. If there are less items than specified, then 
this setting has no effect; the window will grow in size 
with each new item that is added. A setting greater than 
the number of lines on the screen will be ignored, 
although if the screen mode is changed (for example, to 
80x43 lines), then the setting may come into effect.


2.15 Link Path

This field specifies the directory in which the structure 
to be linked resides. For example, if you wished to link 
a structure in D:\LOTUS\DATA then you would place

	D:\LOTUS\DATA

in the link path field. The AutoBuild facility may also 
be used to fill in this and the following field. The link 
path may also contain environment variables such as 
%USER%.


2.16 Link Number

This field specifies which of the structures in the link 
path should be linked into the current structure. The 
link number can be any integer between 0 and 99, 
corresponding to structures M_STRUCT.D00 through 
M_STRUCT.D99. If this field is left blank, it is 
interpreted as a 0. The AutoBuild facility may also be 
used to fill in this and the previous field.


2.17 Automatic Link

When enabled, this toggle field causes Arc to 
automatically read in the structure specified by this 
link. When disabled, the linked structure is only loaded 
on demand ie when the user accesses the link. The short 
cuts of a linked structure without automatic link enabled 
are inaccessible until that linked structure is loaded.

Change the setting by pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y] to 
enable or [N] to disable.


2.18 AutoBuild:Link

Similarly to AutoBuild:Option (above), Arc allows you to 
choose the drive and directory that contains the 
structure to be linked. Instead of showing executable 
files, Arc shows all files matching M_STRUCT.D*.

Once selected, Arc will then save the Link if there are 
no hot key conflicts.

#3
3.00 Insert

Insert allows you to create a new item to put in the menu 
structure.


3.01 Positioning the New Item

This tells Arc where you want the new item to be placed. 
A new item "-- New Item --" is shown, and it moves with 
the cursor as you press the cursor movement keys. 

When you have positioned the new item where you want it, 
press [Insert].

All cursor bar movement keys operate as normal - except 
[Esc], which exits without adding a new item.


3.02 Item Type

Select the type of menu item to add :

Divider
the item will become a horizontal line (with 
optional title) that can be used to divide your 
menu windows up into related items.
Option
the item will be capable of executing any 
command(s)
Menu
the item will be able to contain other items 
within it
Link
the item will become a link to another 
structure. This has the effect of placing an 
entire structure from another directory into 
the current menu, making it look like a menu.

To choose the item type, press [Up], [Down], [Home] and 
[End] to move the cursor next to the item type you want, 
then press [Enter]. Press [Esc] to exit without adding a 
new item.


3.03 Too many items

Arc can hold up to 250 items in each menu, and this menu 
already has 250 items. Add the new item to a different 
menu, or divide the current menu into sub-menus with 
logical functional groupings.

#4
4.00 Delete

Delete allows you to remove any menu item.


4.01 Delete:Selecting the Item

Use the cursor bar movement keys to highlight the item 
you wish to delete, and then press [Delete].

If you do not wish to delete anything, press [Esc].

Note:	When you choose to delete a divider bar, Arc will 
not ask for confirmation - it will remove it 
immediately.


4.02 Delete:Confirmation

Arc wishes you to confirm that you really wish to delete 
the item specified.

If you don't want to delete the item, press [Esc]. 
Otherwise, confirm your choice by pressing [Enter] (Or 
click on the appropriate button).

Note:	Since Arc requires at least one item per menu, it 
will create a blank option if you try to delete 
the sole remaining item from a menu.

#5
5.00 Move Item

Use the cursor bar movement keys to move the menu item 
under the cursor bar to a new position. The left arrow 
key will take you to the previous menu (or click on the 
offset left arrow on the status line).

To move into a menu, position the cursor bar ABOVE the 
menu's item in the menu window and press [Enter] or 
[Right]. You can also press the hot key of a menu.

When the item is in the correct position, press [F2] to 
save the changes. Press [Esc] to cancel the operation, 
and return the item to its original position.

Move can be used to change the position of entire menus 
(not just options), and it can also be used to move 
options or menus between structures.

Note:	Since Arc requires at least one item per menu, if 
you try to move the sole remaining item out of a 
menu, it will create a blank option within that 
menu.

#6
6.00 Move Window

Use the arrow keys to move the menu window to a new 
position.

                     [Up]
             [Home]    ^    [Pg Up]
                     \ + /
                      \+/
           [Left]  <---+--->  [Right]
                      /+\
                     / + \
              [End]    V    [Pg Dn]
                    [Down]

When you have done this, press [F2] to save the menu 
window in its new position, or press [Esc] to return it 
to its previous position.

If you are using a mouse, drag the window's title bar 
(the top line) to a new position. To do this, move the 
mouse pointer onto the top line of the window. Then, 
press AND hold down the mouse button, and move the mouse. 
This is referred to as dragging. When the window is in 
the desired position, release the mouse button.

#7
7.00 Scheme

The Scheme menu contains a list of screen elements whose 
attributes may be modified.

The Elements section contains a list of all of the screen 
elements you can choose the attribute of. Some screen 
elements have a colour attribute, while others have a 
texture attribute.

When you highlight an element, the Attribute region on 
the right hand side of the Scheme dialog will change to 
show you the current attribute of that element. To change 
the attribute, press [Tab] or [Alt+U] to move the focus 
to the Attribute region, and then use [Up], [Down], 
[Left] and [Right] to choose a new attribute. Arc's 
presentation will change dynamically to reflect any new 
attribute settings. This means that you can immediately 
see the result of your selection.

Other commands available from the Scheme window:

[F2]
leaves the Scheme menu, saving the changes with 
your user information
[Esc]
leaves the Scheme menu without saving. The 
current scheme will be used on a temporary basis, 
and when you exit Arc, you will be asked if you 
wish to save the changes


7.01 Attribute Region

This part of the Scheme dialog allows the element's 
attribute to be changed. Depending on the element chosen, 
this will be either a colour or a texture (character), 
and the Attribute region will display colours or textures 
accordingly, with the current selection shown. The 
current attribute's numeric value is displayed at the top 
right hand corner.

[Left] [Right]
alters the foreground colour 
independently of the background colour 
or, decreases or increases the texture 
value by one.
[Up] [Down]
alters the background colour 
independently of the foreground colour 
or, decreases or increases the texture 
value by 16.
[C]ycle
cycles the attribute. This has the same 
effect as pressing the right arrow key 
except that a two second delay is 
inserted between each colour change. 
Cycling ceases when you press [Space].

Cycle allows you to sit back and view 
every colour combination, stopping at 
the one you like best


Once you have found the selection that you want, press 
[Enter] or click on "[Ret] to modify" on the status line. 
If you want to discard any changes you have made, press 
[Esc].


7.02 Shadows

The way that Arc displays shadows may be chosen from 
amongst five different methods:

(a) None
no shadows are displayed
(b) Left,clear
characters in the shadow region 
(below and left of windows) are 
"dimmed"
(c) Left,[texture]
characters in the shadow region 
are replaced by the "shadow" 
texture
(d) Right,clear
as for (b), except the shadow 
region is below and right of 
windows
(e) Right,[texture]
as for (c), except shadow region 
is below and right of windows


7.03 Load Scheme

Load Scheme allows you to retrieve a complete definition 
of Arc's colours and textures.

If you have not saved your current scheme, you will be 
prompted to do so before loading a new one.

Once invoked, use the vertical arrow keys to select the 
Scheme you wish to load and then press [Enter] (or just 
press its number). As you move through the list, the 
presentation of Arc will change to show you what scheme 
you are loading.

Press [Esc] to exit without loading a scheme.


7.04 Save Scheme

Save Scheme allows you to save a complete definition of 
Arc's colours and textures.

Once invoked, use the vertical arrow keys to select the 
Scheme you wish to save over and then press [Enter] (or 
just press its number). As you move through the list, 
Arc's presentation will change to show you what you are 
going to save over.

Once you have pressed [Enter], you can give your scheme a 
name. Press [Enter] once you have done this to save the 
scheme.

Press [Esc] at any stage to exit without saving a scheme.


7.05 EGA/VGA Palette

This command allows you to alter the colours available in 
Arc. On a VGA (Video Graphics Array), this allows you to 
select 16 of 262,144 colours; on an EGA (Enhanced 
Graphics Adapter) you can select 16 of 64 colours. In 
addition, you may also select whether to use an extra 8 
background colours, or to have blinking enabled. The 
screen border colour can also be set.

At the left of the palette dialog is the Palette table, 
showing all possible colour combinations. One row of this 
table is selected at any one time, the colour being 
modified is shown by the background of the current row. 
Select which entry you would like to alter using [Up], 
[Down], [Home] and [End], and then move to the Red, Green 
or Blue colour sliders using [Alt+R], [Alt+G] or [Alt+B], 
or click on it with the mouse.

Each colour component can be manipulated individually 
using [Left], [Right], [Home] and [End], or by using the 
mouse.

[Alt+P]
moves to the palette region
[Alt+R]
modifies the red component
[Alt+G]
modifies the green component
[Alt+B]
modifies the blue component
[Alt+A]
allows the user to toggle (using [Space]) 
between blinking and extra background colours
[D]
uses DOS's default value for that palette entry
[R]
restores the previous value for palette entry
[Enter]
returns to the scheme dialog
[Esc]
returns to the scheme dialog, discarding any 
changes

Any changes to the palette are saved from within the 
Scheme dialog.

The normal DOS palette is restored after leaving Arc.


7.06 Save Current Scheme?

You have made changes to the current scheme, and Arc 
wishes to know if you want to save those changes before 
loading a new scheme. If you don't, the changes you have 
made will be lost (they won't be recorded with your user 
information).

#8
8.00 About

The About dialog provides information about your system 
and Arc.

Licenced to
Who owns this copy of Arc
User ID
The User ID of the person currently 
logged on
User Name
The User Name of the person currently 
logged on
Current Directory
The path that DOS is currently using
Free Disk Space
How much space remains on the active 
drive
Current Structure
Where the currently displayed menu 
window comes from. In a system with 
linked menu structures, this is 
sometimes of help
Video mode
If video is in VGA, EGA, MCGA or CGA 
mode.
Network mode
If network mode is on.
Printer Status
The current status of the printer, 
from DOS's point of view (so the 
displayed information may not be fully 
correct)


Disconnected	not connected to the 
computer
Turned Off	has not been switched 
on
Online	ready to print
Offline	not ready to print
Paper Out	requires paper
Busy	already printing
Error	error of some 
description

Log file
The file where log messages are being 
recorded, if any. This item is only 
shown if you are a supervisor, so 
normal users do not know if their 
usage is being tracked. 


#9
9.00 Preferences

The Preferences command allows you to customise Arc's 
features. It is accessed by pressing [F10][P].

Select the feature that you wish to customise by pressing 
[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] or the feature's short cut, and then 
follow the instructions below.

To return to the Command menu, press:
[F2]
Saves any changes
[Esc]
Discards any changes
[Enter]
Continues with any changes, the option to save 
them is given before the user exits Arc


9.01 Date format

This controls the way in which the current date is 
displayed.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Date format field or press 
[Alt+D] to move to it directly. Change the date format by 
pressing [Up], [Down], [Home] and [End]. The date shown 
in the upper left corner of the screen will update 
automatically to reflect the new date format.


9.02 Time format

This controls the way in which the current time is 
displayed.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Time format field or press 
[Alt+T] to move to it directly. Change the time format by 
pressing [Up], [Down], [Home] and [End]. The time shown 
in the upper right corner of the screen will update 
automatically to reflect the new time format.


9.03 Show day of week

This controls whether or not the day of the week is 
displayed by Arc.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Show day of Week field or 
press [Alt+W] to move to it directly. Change the setting 
by pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to 
disable. The display in the upper left corner of the 
screen will update automatically to reflect the new 
setting.


9.04 Show user help dots

This controls whether or not menu items with associated 
user help are shown with a dot on their left. This makes 
it very easy to find menu items that currently do not 
have any user help (user help is accessed by highlighting 
a menu item and pressing [Ctrl+F1]).

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Show User Help Dots field or 
press [Alt+U] to move to it directly. Change the setting 
by pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to 
disable. The display of menu windows in the background 
will update automatically to reflect the new setting.


9.05 Swap mouse buttons

This controls the function of the mouse buttons. It 
allows the function normally associated with the buttons 
to be swapped. Normally the left mouse button is the same 
as [Enter] and the right mouse button is the same as 
[Esc].

This is useful if you are left-handed, or if you are used 
to having the buttons perform opposite functions.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Swap mouse buttons field or 
press [Alt+M] to move to it directly. Change the setting 
by pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to 
disable.


9.06 Screen save (mins)

This controls the amount of time that Arc will wait 
before activating the screen saver. The screen saver 
blacks out the screen to prevent the phosphor from 
"burning in" to a particular image which is displayed for 
an extended period of time.

If no key has been pressed and no mouse movement has 
occurred within the specified time period (1 to 99 
minutes), the screen save will be activated. Until a key 
is pressed or mouse movement occurs, a message is moved 
around the screen, indicating that a key should be 
pressed in order to re-activate the screen.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Show short cuts field or 
press [Alt+S] to move to it directly. Change the setting 
by typing in a new value or editing the one that is 
there, or by pressing [Up] and [Down] to increase or 
decrease the value.

A value of 0 prevents screen-save from occurring.

Note:	Screen save only functions while in Arc, and is 
turned off during cycling.


9.07 Exit short cut

The exit short cut is a quick way for you to leave Arc. 
It is very similar to a normal short cut that you might 
put on an option or a menu. When you press the exit short 
cut during normal menu operations (if present, it is 
displayed beside Exit in the Command menu), you will 
immediately exit Arc, bypassing the normal confirmation 
window. Of course, if you have changed your preferences, 
you will be asked to save them before exiting.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Exit short cut field or press 
[Alt+E] to move to it directly. To change the setting, 
simply press the desired key combination, or press [Down] 
to see a list of available and used short cuts.


9.08 Header line

The header line contains information that you specify. It 
may be your company or division name, or just some 
information that you want on-screen.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Header line field or press 
[Alt+H] to move to it directly. Edit the text as you 
would any other text field. The header line on the top 
line of the screen changes as you type so you can see how 
it is going to look.

#10
10.00 User Accounts

User accounts allows you to change the access privileges 
of Arc's users.

Only users with an authority level of 99 can access User 
Accounts. Before doing so, they must re-enter their login 
password. This is to prevent unauthorised access when a 
supervisor has left their machine unattended.

The User Accounts window displays each user's ID, name 
and authority level.

[Enter]
Edits the user's information
[Insert]

Inserts a record for a new user. The new 
user's scheme, preferences and access 
privileges are copied from the user 
highlighted by the cursor when [Insert] was 
pressed
[Delete]
Deletes the user shown if it is not the 
current user's (ie your own!)
[Up]
Moves up one user
[Down]
Moves down one user
[Pg Up]
Moves up one page
[Pg Dn]
Moves down one page
[Home]
Moves to the first user
[End]
Moves to the last user
[Escape]
Returns to the Command menu


10.01 Password

Before you access User Accounts you must re-enter your 
login password. This is to prevent unauthorised access 
when a supervisor has left their machine unattended.


10.02 Edit User:User ID

This field determines the unique ID that this user will 
use to identify themselves when logging on. It is usually 
the user's initials or their first name.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the User ID field or press 
[Alt+U] to move to it directly. Edit the text as you 
would any other text field. 

Note: This field must be unique.


10.03 Edit User:User Name

This field fully identifies the user, giving their full 
name.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the User Name field or press 
[Alt+N] to move to it directly. Edit the text as you 
would any other text field. 


10.04 Edit User:Password

This field specifies the user's password. Only those with 
the correct password can gain access to Arc. When the 
cursor is not on this field, it appears as a string of 
ampersands ("@") so that a casual glance will not reveal 
the password.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Password field or press 
[Alt+P] to move to it directly. Edit the text as you 
would any other text field. 


10.05 Edit User:Authority

This specifies the user's authority level. It controls 
which menu items are visible to them. If a user has an 
authority less than that of a menu item, that item will 
be removed from the menu window.

An authority level of 99 (the highest) indicates 
supervisor status, and controls access to the User 
Accounts command. It also prevents users who are not 
supervisors from saving schemes to the Scheme file.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Authority field or press 
[Alt+A] to move to it directly. Change the setting by 
typing in a new value or editing the one that is there, 
or by pressing [Up] and [Down] to increase or decrease 
the value.


10.06 Edit User:Allow Exit to DOS

When this field is unticked, the user will not be allowed 
to access DOS when they exit Arc. Instead, they will be 
returned to the log-in screen where a user with higher 
access privileges can log-off and exit to DOS, or someone 
else can log-in and start working.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Allow Exit to DOS field or 
press [Alt+D] to move to it directly. Change the setting 
by pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to 
disable.


10.07 Edit User:Allow Editing

When this field is unticked, the Command Menu items 
Insert, Edit, Copy, Delete, Move item, Move window and 
First menu name are removed, and the user is unable to 
alter the menu.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Allow Editing field or press 
[Alt+E] to move to it directly. Change the setting by 
pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y] to enable or [N] to 
disable.


10.08 Edit User:Allow Password Change 

When this field is unticked, the Command Menu item Change 
Password is removed, and the user is unable to alter 
their password.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Allow Password Change field 
or press [Alt+C] to move to it directly. Change the 
setting by pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y] to enable or 
[N] to disable.


10.09 Edit User:Allow Scheme and Preferences 

When this field is unticked, the Command Menu items 
Scheme and Preferences are removed, preventing the user 
from changing colour schemes or user preferences.

[Tab] or [Shift+Tab] to the Allow Scheme and Preferences 
field or press [Alt+S] to move to it directly. Change the 
setting by pressing [Space] to toggle, [Y] to enable or 
[N] to disable.


10.10 Confirm:Delete User

Confirm that you really do wish to delete this user. 
Press [Enter] to confirm deletion, or press [Esc] to 
cancel.


10.11 Cannot Delete Current User

You are not allowed to delete the user record that you 
are logged in as.


10.12 No Supervisor Account

Arc requires that there be at least one supervisor 
account. It may be that you have accidentally removed 
your own supervisor status.

You must set up at least one user (usually yourself) as 
the supervisor.


10.13 Duplicate User ID

No two users are allowed to have the same User ID. You 
must choose a unique ID for each user.


10.14 Invalid User Accounts Password

The password you entered was incorrect.

Before you access User Accounts you must re-enter your 
login password. This is to prevent unauthorised access 
when a supervisor has left their machine unattended.


10.15 User file truncated

The last record in the user was invalid. It has been 
removed.


10.16 LOGIN_USER

A special user LOGIN_USER is maintained by Arc to 
determine how the Login screen is displayed. The colours, 
textures, palette and preferences of this user are used 
to produce the login display. If this user name is not 
found before the Login screen is displayed, the scheme 
and preference settings of the last user in the user file 
are used.

To modify the settings, login as the LOGIN_USER, modify 
the settings and then save them.

If you do not wish anyone to alter the LOGIN_USER's 
settings (by logging in as the LOGIN_USER), give the 
LOGIN_USER a password that only you know. Arc ensures 
that the LOGIN_USER always has an authority of zero, and 
cannot edit or exit to DOS.

#11
11.00 Shareware

The user supported software concept (also known as 
"Shareware") is an attempt to provide quality software at 
a low cost. Both the user and the author benefit from 
this plan. The user will benefit by being able to "test 
drive" software thoroughly before purchasing it. The 
author benefits by being able to enter the commercial 
software market while avoiding the high cost of 
commercial distribution.

This concept helps many independent authors and small 
companies that otherwise would be discouraged from 
developing and promoting their ideas. It can only work 
with your support. If you obtain a user supported program 
from a friend and are still using it after a few weeks, 
then it is obviously worth something to you, and a 
registration fee should be paid. The fee entitles the 
user to an electronic manual (which may be shared across 
a network, viewed/printed via the Web etc), product 
support and upgrade deals.

This software is distributed under the user supported 
software concept. Though Arc is copyrighted, you are 
encouraged to copy and distribute this program to others. 
You are granted a 30-day limited licence to test drive 
Arc. If AFTER THIS PERIOD you continue to use the 
software (which indicates your satisfaction with the 
product) you are OBLIGATED to register yourself as a 
legitimate Arc user. If after 30 days, you do not wish to 
register, you MUST remove and destroy any copies of Arc 
in your possession.


Why Register?  

We have spent an immeasurable amount of time developing 
Arc; it is only fair that if you opt to use it that we be 
paid for our efforts. This is a legal obligation of the 
user that cannot be avoided. There are other reasons to 
register. All registered users of Arc receive the latest 
commercial version, which includes extra utilities and 
does not include reminder messages. They are also 
entitled to free product support and additional 
information and specials on other DataMystic products and 
upgrades.


11.01 Order Form

This screen is where you enter the details required to 
get a copy of Arc to you. You can get a hard copy of this 
information by printing to LPT1, or by printing it to a 
file and then using DOS or another program to print that 
file.

The registered version of Arc can be purchased and 
received immediately on the Internet, eliminating 
shipping and handling costs.

Direct URL: http://www.datamystic.com/buy.html

Please see the file ORDER.TXT for the latest prices.


11.05 Print To:

To determine where the order form is sent when printed, 
enter one of the following in the "Print to" field:

LPT1
printer 1
LPT2
printer 2
COM1
serial port 1
COM2
serial port 2
COM3
serial port 3
COM4
serial port 4
filename.ext
saves the order in the file 
filename.ext (usually ORDER.TXT). 
This can be used to email the order 
directly, or allow it to be faxed.

Send your order (don't forget to fill out the "comments" 
section!) to the address below:

Email:
  mail@datamystic.com

Web:
  http://www.datamystic.com

Mail:
  DataMystic
  5 Bond Street
  Mt Waverley
  Victoria 3149
  AUSTRALIA

Phone:
  +61-3 9913-0595

Fax:
  +61-3 8610-1234


11.10 Welcome to Arc!

Arc is shareware and may be used free of charge for a 
limited trial period (30 days). If you find Arc useful 
and intend to continue using it, you must register it.

Registration entitles you to:
- the latest version of Arc (smaller and faster)
- an 80+ page electronic PDF manual (searchable and 
printable)
- extra features and additional programs
- removal of reminder notices

You will:
- not be breaking the law
- have a clear conscience
- be supporting Australian software
- ensure continued development of Arc

#12
12.00 Command Menu

The Command menu shows the facilities that are available 
for customising Arc to the user's preferences, modifying 
the menu structure, and changing security details.

Some commands may not be visible if they have been 
disabled in User Accounts. Only users with an authority 
level of 99 can access User Accounts, and only users that 
are allowed to edit can see the commands Edit, Insert, 
Delete, Move, Copy, Move Window and First Menu Name.


12.01 About

This command displays general information about Arc and 
your system.


12.02 Order form

This command allows you to enter your details to order 
Arc, and send the order form to a printer or a file.


12.03 Change password

This command allows the current user to change their 
login password. They must enter their current password 
first, then enter a new password and confirm it by 
repeating it exactly. 


12.04 Preferences

This command allows Arc to be customised to the user's 
preference, such as the date and time format, mouse 
configuration, screen save time-out, exit short cut, 
header line etc.


12.05 Scheme

The Scheme command allows you to modify the colours and 
textures in which Arc is presented. It also allows the 
EGA/VGA Palette to be modified.


12.06 Edit

Edit allows you to edit an existing option, divider, menu 
or link. Position the cursor bar over the item you wish 
to edit, and then invoke edit by pressing [F9]. 

Alternatively, by selecting edit from the Command menu, 
Arc allows you to select the item that you wish to edit. 
This enables you to edit the text of divider bars.


12.07 Insert

Insert allows you to create new items: options, menus, 
dividers and links. It can be invoked by pressing 
[Insert] when the Command menu is not displayed.


12.08 Delete

Delete allows you to remove any menu item. Delete can be 
invoked by pressing [Delete] when the Command menu is not 
shown.


12.09 Move current item

This option allows you to move an item to anywhere else 
in the menu structure. Position the cursor bar over the 
item you wish to move, and then invoke Move through the 
Command menu. Move works equally well on options, menus 
or links, and can even move items across linked 
structures.


12.10 Copy current item

Copy duplicates the item under the cursor bar. With it 
you can duplicate entire menus, links or just options. 
Invoke Copy after positioning the cursor bar over the 
item you wish to copy.


12.11 Move window

This command allows you to reposition a menu window 
anywhere on the screen. Invoke Move Window when the 
window that you want to reposition is active.


12.12 First menu name

This command allows you to change the name and short cut 
of the first menu that appears on the desktop. The 
authority level of the first menu cannot be modified from 
0 otherwise some users would not be able to see any menu 
at all.


12.13 User accounts

User Accounts allows you to add, delete and change user 
information.


12.14 Exit

This command is used to leave Arc.

If an exit short cut is defined (it is displayed beside 
Exit in the Command menu) it may also be pressed to leave 
Arc.

#13
13.00 Warning/Error Dialogs #1

The following section contains more information for the 
various warning or error dialogs (windows) that Arc uses.


13.01 Save Settings?

You have changed scheme or preference settings, and have 
not yet saved them. If you exit without saving, the 
changes you have made will be lost.


13.02 Confirm Exit

Do you really wish to exit?

[Y] Exit
leave Arc
[L] Log-in
return to log-in screen
[Esc] Cancel
don't exit


13.03 Short Cut Reserved

Arc reserves some keys for its own exclusive use. Please 
choose another short cut.


13.04 Short Cut Used

A menu item has already been assigned the short cut that 
you have pressed. Duplicate short cuts are allowed but 
are not recommended.


13.05 Is Exit Short Cut

The short cut that you have pressed has already been 
assigned as your exit short cut. You must choose another 
short cut key for this item.


13.06 Short cut used by hidden item

A menu item that you do not have the authority to access 
has already been assigned the short cut that you have 
pressed. You must choose another short cut for the item.


13.07 Hot Key Used by Hidden Item

The hot key that you have given this item has already 
been used by an item that you do not have the authority 
to access (a hidden item). You must choose another hot 
key for this item.


13.08 Hot Key Used

The hot key that you have given this item has already 
been used by another item. You can use duplicate hot 
keys, but be aware that only the first item found with a 
matching hot key will be run. By pressing [C] or [Esc], 
you can return to editing and modify the hot key, or by 
pressing [F2], you can choose to use the duplicate hot 
key.


13.09 Create Structure ?

You are attempting to link a structure that doesn't 
exist. If you wish, Arc can create the new structure from 
scratch for you, just press [Enter]. If you have entered 
the link path or link number incorrectly, press [Esc].


13.10 Create User File ?

The user file either does not exist, or is too small to 
contain one valid user record. A new one can be created 
if you press [Enter]. Pressing [Esc] will cause Arc to 
exit, because it cannot continue without user 
information.


13.11 Out of Environment Space

Arc uses a small amount (typically 30 characters or 
bytes) of environment space to return the user to the 
correct menu after running an application. The available 
environment space can be increased by minimising the 
length of your path statement. Adding the following line 
to your CONFIG.SYS can increase the amount of environment 
space you have:

	shell=c:\dos\command.com /e:512

This ensures that 512 bytes is available for the 
environment. You can view the contents of the environment 
using the DOS "set" command.

If you are using Windows 95, modify the properties of the 
shell you are using (eg MS-DOS, 4DOS, NDOS etc). Under 
the Memory tab, increase the Initial Environment setting. 
If it is set to Auto, change it to 512.


13.12 Couldn't Find Environment

Arc uses a small amount (typically 30 characters or 
bytes) of environment space to return the user to the 
correct menu after running an application. Arc was unable 
to locate the environment in the standard manner. This 
only happens when ARC.EXE is run directly (by Windows or 
Windows 95) without its necessary batch file ARC.BAT. Arc 
requires the shell (COMMAND.COM, 4DOS.COM, NDOS etc) to 
be present to provide an environment.

#14
14.00 Warning/Error Dialogs #2

The following section contains more information for the 
various warning or error dialogs (windows) that Arc uses.


14.01 Item Password

Enter the password to access this item. If the password 
you type is incorrect, access will be denied. The 
supervisor may choose to bypass entering the password by 
pressing [F9]. This enables them to delete items that 
they have forgotten the password of, and access items 
given a password by other people.


14.02 Structure Already Linked

The structure that you are trying to link has already 
been linked elsewhere, and another link would be 
redundant.


14.03 Error Creating Directory

Arc was unable to create the specified directory. The 
drive you specified may not exist, there may not be a 
disk in it, or the disk may be full.


14.04 Unable to Locate User

This error should only occur on a network. It occurs when 
the supervisor removes a user while that user is still 
using Arc - Arc cannot find the information in order to 
update it.


14.05 Undefined Option

The option that you have tried to execute has not yet 
been edited to tell Arc how to execute it. Rectify this 
by editing the option in question.


14.06 Contains Higher Authorities

The menu that you tried to delete/move/copy contains 
hidden items with an authority level greater than your 
own, and you are therefore refused permission to perform 
an action that affects those items.


14.07 Insufficient Free Memory

There is not enough memory available to run the text 
editor. If you are not using Arc's editor BEDIT.EXE, try 
using it, since it is fairly small. Otherwise, try using 
a smaller editor, or free up some memory by unloading 
TSRs etc.


14.08 Unable to Rename File

Arc was unable to rename the specified file. This could 
be because the file is marked read only, or because a 
file of the new name already exists (this can only happen 
if that file is read only also- it could not be deleted).


14.09 Unable to Delete File

Arc was unable to delete the specified file. This is 
usually because the file is marked read only.


14.10 Incorrect Password

Your attempt to access/edit/move/copy/delete this item 
has been denied because you do not know its correct 
password.


14.11 No Visible Items

The menu/link that you are trying to access has no items 
in it that are visible to you. Under normal circumstances 
the menu item itself should not be visible to you either, 
however this is at the discretion of the supervisor.

#15
15.00 Used Short Cuts

This window shows a list of all the short cuts, and 
whether they have been used or not. An unused short cut 
has nothing printed on its right, otherwise it has the 
name of the item (the menu, option or link) that uses it. 
A duplicate short cut will have multiple items listed 
after it. Duplicate short cuts can be easily located by 
looking for a blank entry in the left hand column.

The exit short cut, if specified, has the words EXIT 
SHORT CUT on its right.

Items that you do not have the authority to see are 
listed as -- HIDDEN ITEM --.

Use [Up], [Down], [Pg Up], [Pg Dn], [Home] and [End] to 
move through the list. You may select a short cut by 
pressing [Enter] while it is highlighted.

Pressing [Esc] returns to the previous window.

#16
16.00 Parsing Errors

This section describes all possible errors that can occur 
when Arc is trying to interpret (parse) the batch 
commands associated with an option.


16.01 Expecting statement or ]

Arc allows several special batch statements: Verify, 
MustExist, EditField, CommandButtons, RadioButtons and 
CheckBoxes. The command section is not allowed to contain 
any statements but these, and the command section must be 
terminated by a right square bracket ].


16.02 Remainder of batch file

After reading the closing ] of the command section, Arc 
expects to read at least one more character


16.03 More option information

Arc was expecting to find more option information.


16.04 EditField statement

The EditField statement is used to prompt the user with a 
text field. The maximum length of the field can be 
defined, as can the initial value, a prompt to tell the 
user what the field is for, and a string identifying the 
history list associated with the field.

The syntax of the EditField statement is as follows:

'EditField('
  <variable name (must start with a letter)>
  [ '[' <maximum length, 1..255> ']' ]
  [ '="' <initial value string> '"' ]
  [ ',"' <user prompt string> '"'
    [ ',"' <history list ID string> '"' ]
  ]
')'

The variable name is a placeholder for the value of the 
variable later in the batch file (even later in the 
command section). To use the variable's value, place the 
name of the variable in percent signs e.g.

  %variable_name%

The variable name must start with a letter, and after the 
initial character can contain both letters, digits,  
underscores _ and ampersands @. 


The maximum length is a number between 1 and 255 that 
controls the maximum length of the string. No strings 
longer than this value can be entered, and longer strings 
taken from the history list will be truncated.


The initial value is the value the string will take 
before the user has a chance to edit it, and is the 
default value if they choose not to edit it.


The prompt tells the user the purpose and use of the 
field being edited. You can specify a short cut key by 
preceding a letter character of the prompt with a tilde 
~. Pressing Alt+<letter> will then take you directly to 
the edit field.


The history list ID string associates a particular list 
of history strings with the field. The history list 
records previous values for the field, and allows them to 
be displayed, selected and deleted. If there are any 
history entries, an arrow will appear on the right hand 
side of the field. Arc's history lists are:

Option parameters
Default value for any EditField 
that does not override the history 
list ID
Item title
Edit\Title
AutoBuild option
AutoBuild option\Name
AutoBuild link
AutoBuild link\Name
Link path
Edit link\Link path
Title box
Preferences\Title box
Save scheme
Scheme\Save scheme
User ID
User accounts\User ID
User name
User accounts\User name
Log message
The log message provided by the 
user when prompted by an option 
with Prompt for Log Comment enabled


Example:

[EditField(view[127]="%current_dir%",
  "View which ~file:",
  "View files"
  )
]
more < %view%


16.05 CommandButtons statement

The CommandButtons statement is used to provide a group 
of buttons for the user to choose from. Only one button 
can be selected, and doing so closes the window and 
proceeds to the next (if any). The leftermost button is 
always selected initially, so it should contain the 
default response. A prompt is used to tell the user what 
the buttons do, and each button can have an associated 
value string which is the value the variable takes when 
that button is selected.

The syntax of the CommandButtons statement is as follows:

'CommandButtons('
  <variable name (must start with a letter)>
  ',"' <user prompt string> '"'
  ',"' <button description> '"'
  [ '="' <button value when selected> '"' ]
  [ ',' [additional button descriptions/values] ]
')'

The variable name must start with a letter, and after the 
initial character can contain both letters, digits,  
underscores _ and ampersands @. 


The prompt tells the user the purpose and use of the 
command buttons.


The button description is the text that is displayed on 
the button on the screen. Each button description can 
specify a short cut key by preceding a letter character 
with a tilde ~. Pressing Alt+<letter> will then take you 
directly to that command button, and pressing [Enter] or 
[Space] will then select it.


The button value is the value assigned to the variable 
name when that particular button is selected. Button 
values can be up to 255 characters in length. If no 
button value is given, it gets set to the number of the 
button, with the first button being 0.


Example:

[CommandButtons(drive,"Copy to which ~drive:",
  "  A:  "="a:\",
  "  B:  "="b:\",
  "  C:  "="c:\",
  "  D:  "="d:\"
  )
]
copy *.* %drive%


16.06 Verify statement

The Verify statement is used to force the user to 
acknowledge that the program they are about to run could 
damage the system or take a long time to complete. This 
is useful for options like FORMAT, FDISK, BACKUP, DEFRAG 
etc. A prompt may be given to tell the user the exact 
nature of the program being run. If the user presses 
[Enter], the option proceeds, if the user presses 
[Escape], the program aborts.

The syntax of the Verify statement is as follows:

'Verify('
  [ '"' <user prompt string> '"' ]
')'


Example:

[Verify("This program can screw up the hard disk!")]
compress c:


16.07 MustExist statement

The MustExist statement is used to get Arc to check that 
a file exists before trying to run an option. This can be 
used to avoid annoying "Bad command or filename" messages 
if the file has been deleted, or if the file server 
volume that the file is on is down or has not been logged 
in to.

The syntax of the MustExist statement is as follows:

'MustExist('
  '"' <filename> '"'
')'


Example:

[MustExist("c:\arc\xmartin.exe")]


16.08 RadioButtons statement

The RadioButtons statement is used to provide a group of 
items for the user to choose from. Only one item can be 
selected, and doing so closes the window and proceeds to 
the next (if any). The leftermost button is always 
selected initially, so it should contain the default 
response. A prompt is used to tell the user what the 
buttons do, and each button can have an associated value 
string which is the value the variable takes when that 
button is selected.

The syntax of the RadioButtons statement is as follows:

'RadioButtons('
  <variable name (must start with a letter)>
  [ '=' <initial value, 0 to #options-1> ]
  ',"' <user prompt string> '"'
  ',"' <item description> '"'
  [ '="' <item value when selected> '"' ]
  [ ',' [additional item descriptions/values] ]
')'

The variable name must start with a letter, and after the 
initial character can contain both letters, digits,  
underscores _ and ampersands @. 


The initial value is the number of the radio button to 
initially select. By default this value is 0 (ie the top 
item). This provides the default value if the user 
chooses not to edit it.


The prompt tells the user the purpose and use of the 
items. You can specify a short cut key by preceding a 
letter character of the prompt with a tilde ~. Pressing 
Alt+<letter> will then take you directly to the radio 
buttons group.


The item description is the text that is displayed on the 
radio button on the screen.


The item value is the value assigned to the variable name 
when that particular radio button is selected. Radio 
button values can be up to 255 characters in length.


Example:

[RadioButtons(which=2,"~Drives to scan for virii?",
  "All local drives","/ADL",
  "All network drives","/ADN",
  "All local and network drives","/ADL /ADN"
  )
]
scan %which%


16.09 CheckBoxes statement

The CheckBoxes statement is used to provide a group of 
on/off items for the user to toggle. Each item can be 
toggled individually. Each item requires a separate 
variable name, description and on/off value.

The syntax of the CheckBoxes statement is as follows:

'CheckBoxes('
  <variable name (must start with a letter)>
  [ '=' <initial value, 0 or 1> ]
  ',"' <check box description> '"'
  [',"' <on value> '"' 
    [',"' <off value> '"' ]
  ]
  [ ',' [additional check box variables] ]
')'

Each variable name must start with a letter, and after 
the initial character can contain both letters, digits,  
underscores _ and ampersands @. 


The initial value sets the check box to on (1) or off 
(0). The default is to set it on.


The description tells the user the purpose and use of the 
check box. You can specify a short cut key by preceding a 
letter character with a tilde ~. Pressing Alt+<letter> 
will then take you directly to that check box.


The on value is the value assigned to the check box 
variable when that check box is turned on. If no value is 
provided, the variable is set to "1".


The off value is the value assigned to the check box 
variable when that check box is turned off. If no value 
is provided, the variable is set to "".


Example:

[CheckBoxes(
  quick   ,"~Quick format","/F",
  five  =0,"~Format 360K","/4",
  system=0,"~System files","/B",
  copy_s=0,"~Copy system files","/S",
  one   =0,"~One side only","/1"
  )
]
format a: %quick% %five% %system% %copy_s% %one%


16.10 Expecting ..

A single period "." has been found without another 
following it. The only time Arc expects a period is with 
the range symbol "..", used to extract part of a 
environment string eg

    %current_dir[3..17]%
                   ^


16.11 String Exceeds Line

Arc was expecting a string, but a double quote " was not 
found before the end of the line. Strings may not exceed 
one line. You can embed double quotes within strings by 
using two successive double quotes "".


16.12 Expecting Variable Name

Arc has found a percent sign % in the command section 
(the section enclosed in square brackets [ and ] ), and 
is expecting it to be followed by a variable name or by 
the name of an environment variable e.g.

    %current_dir%
     ^


16.13 Expecting Variable Name or %x Symbol

Arc has found a percent sign % in the normal batch 
section, and is expecting it to be followed either by a 
variable name (eg %current_dir% ) or by those symbols 
normally allowed by DOS, namely, %0 - %9 and %%0 - %%9.

Arc also accepts the 4DOS extensions to symbols normally 
allowed by DOS -

  %0 - %127,  %#   %0& - %127&,  %&
  %_variable  eg %_COLUMNS   %@function

  eg %@DISKFREE[d:,k]


16.14 Expecting % or [

Arc has read the variable name, and is now expecting a 
percent sign % indicating the end, or a left square 
bracket [ to extract a substring of the variable eg

%current_dir%
            ^
%current_dir[3]%
            ^


16.15 Sub-string

Arc has found the left square bracket [, and is now 
expecting a sub-string statement. This can take a number 
of forms:

  %var[4]%       just character 4
  %var[..4]%     from character 1 to 4
  %var[4..]%     from character 4 to the end of string
  %var[4..6]%    characters 4 to 6
  %var[4..-3]%   characters 4 to length(var) - 3

String indexes start from 1 and have a maximum value of 
255. A negative or zero value can be used to indicate an 
index relative to the length of the string. You can also 
include multiple sub-string sections by separating each 
with a comma e.g.

  %var[4,3..7,-3..0]%


16.16 Expecting %

Arc is expecting a percent sign % to end the variable 
sub-string expression eg

%current_dir[5..]%
                 ^


16.20 Log message

This option has been flagged so that it records a message 
associated with your running of it. This information may 
be used to keep track of project information and times 
for billing and accounting.


16.30 Edit field

This window is provided so that you can enter and/or edit 
the parameters (also know as arguments) that will be 
passed to this option when it is run. Use the editing 
keys to enter the parameters, then press [Enter]. If a 
default response is already shown, you can press [Enter] 
to accept it. Press [Ctrl+F1] for user-defined help for 
this option.

If this option has been run before, a history list icon 
(a down arrow at the right of the field) will be 
displayed. Pressing [Down] or clicking on the icon will 
display the history of entries for this parameter. 

Pressing [Esc] cancels execution of the option.


16.31 Command buttons

A list of choices displayed on buttons is shown. The 
default response is the button on the left. To change the 
selected button, press [Tab] to move right or [Shift+Tab] 
to move left. When the button you want is highlit, press 
[Enter] to select it. You can also press the highlighted 
letter of the button. 

Pressing [Esc] cancels execution of the option.


13.32 Verify Execution

The option about to run may have some harmful side-
effects, or it may take considerable time to perform its 
task. Press [Ctrl+F1] for user-defined help for this 
option.

If you are sure that you wish to continue and run this 
option, press [Enter].

Pressing [Esc] cancels running the option.


16.33 Program doesn't exist

The program about to be run does not exist or could not 
be found. This may be due to either the file not actually 
being present, or the program directory may be on a 
network volume that is not currently accessible (for 
example, if you haven't logged in to the network yet). 

Press [Ctrl+F1] for user-defined help for this option. If 
you wish to continue anyway and run this option, press 
[Enter]. Pressing [Esc] cancels running the option.


16.34 Radio Buttons

The dialog box shows a list of alternatives, of which 
only one may be chosen. Use the [Up], [Down], [Home] and 
[End] keys to make a selection, and then press [Enter].

Pressing [Esc] cancels running the option.


16.35 Check Boxes

The dialog box shows a list of toggle options; each may 
be turned on or off independantly of the others. Use 
[Tab] and [Shift+Tab], [Up] and [Down] to move between 
check boxes (or press [Alt]+<the check boxes' highlighted 
key>), and press [Space] to toggle their value, [Y] to 
tick it or [N] to clear it. Once they are set correctly, 
press [Enter].

Pressing [Esc] cancels running the option.

#17
17.00 History

The history records fifty of the strings that you have 
previously entered in response to the execution of a 
command. You can select an item by highlighting it and 
pressing [Enter], this string will then be copied to the 
parameters window where you may then edit it.

Use [Up], [Down], [Home], [End], [Pg Up] and [Pg Dn] to 
move through the history list. You may delete old entries 
by highlighting them and pressing [Delete].

The history list will not appear if there are no history 
entries.

#18
18.00 .INI File Errors

This section is for errors encountered reading ARC.INI.


18.01 ARC.INI Not Found

Arc could not find its configuration file ARC.INI in the 
specified directory. Arc expects this file to be in the 
same directory as ARC.EXE, unless it is passed a command-
line parameter giving it another directory for ARC.INI.

Arc will attempt to continue with standard defaults, 
which usually will allow it to run.


18.02 Only One Parameter...

Arc's main program, ARC.EXE, only accepts one parameter- 
the directory where ARC.INI can be found. This allows you 
to have a number of different configurations stored in 
different directories.


18.03 Unknown ARC.INI Directive

The directives allowed in the configuration file ARC.INI 
are as follows:

  LogFile=logfilename
  OnNetwork=[True | False]
  PrevShellEnvStr=environment string
  PrimaryStructure=[pathname][\number]
  ReStartInfoEnvStr=environment string
  ScreenSaver=command
  TemporaryBatchFile=pathname.BAT
  TextEditor=text editor
  TextEditorFlags=@ROW @COL
  UserToLogin=user ID
  VideoMode=[Detect | VGA | MCGA | EGA | CGA]

The directive names must begin in the first column, and 
be immediately followed by an equals sign =. Remember 
that comments can be included by beginning a line with a 
semi colon ;. 


18.04 Badly Structured Environment String

Although ARC.INI allows environment variables to be used, 
they must be in standard DOS form- enclosed in percent 
signs with no spaces between the percent signs and the 
name of the environment variable eg.

	UserToLogin=%USER%
NOT
	UserToLogin= % USER%


18.05 No /Z Parameter

Arc requires the command-line parameter /Z in order to 
run. This tells Arc that it is being run from Arc's 
special batch file (usually ARC.BAT or A.BAT).

Arc will not run correctly if it is run from the DOS 
prompt directly by typing ARC. When an option is chosen, 
Arc will simply return to the DOS prompt and nothing will 
happen. This is where the batch file ARC.BAT would 
normally take over by running the temporary batch file 
$TEMP.BAT.

If you need to run Arc without its special batch file 
ARC.BAT, just type  arc /z  at the DOS prompt.

#19
19.00 Change password

This allows you to change your user password.

Firstly, enter your current password so that the system 
can confirm that you are who it thinks you are (the 
current user).

Then type your new password. After entering it the first 
time, you will be asked to re-enter your new password to 
confirm that you have entered exactly what you think you 
have entered.

Your password will then be saved automatically.


19.01 Incorrect Password

You did not enter your login password correctly. Before 
changing your password you must confirm your identity by 
correctly entering your login password. You will now be 
returned to the Command menu.


19.02 Incorrect Confirmation

When you confirmed your password by re-entering it, the 
original and the confirmation did not match, indicating 
that you couldn't repeat the key sequence. Try entering 
your password again. You will now be returned to the 
Command menu.

#20
20.00 Structure Changes

This section deals with error messages for all kinds of 
consistency and locking problems.

These problems readily occur when more than one copy of 
Arc is using the same data files, such as on a network or 
under a multi-tasking environment such as Windows or 
OS/2.


20.01 Structure Has Changed, Resetting

While you were running an application, someone else 
changed Arc's structure files. This means that your 
location in the menu structure (i.e.  which menu you were 
in, and which item you were on) could now be invalid, 
since that item may have been moved or deleted or new 
items may have been added. 


20.02 Structure has changed, Reload?

Someone has altered the menu structure stored on disk. 

If you are running an option:
The option you are running may not have the most 
up-to-date commands associated with it. You may 
choose to run the option regardless by pressing 
[N]. To reload the structure (and reset the cursor 
position), press [Y]. To cancel running the option, 
press [Esc].

If you are about to edit the structure in some way:
The structure that you have in memory does not 
include the changes that they have made, and so 
saving your modified structure to disk will 
obliterate their changes. You must reload the 
structure so that you have access to their changes. 
Press [Esc] to abort the editing operation, or 
press [Enter] to reload the structure (and reset 
the cursor position). 


20.03 Couldn't reload structure

Arc was unable to load the new version of the structure 
that had changed. It will revert to the previous version.


20.04 Structure Read-Only

The structure that you want to edit has been marked as 
read-only. Even though you have editing rights within 
Arc, you must also have write permission to the file in 
order to change it. If you need to edit the structure, 
speak to your supervisor, or try the following while in 
the structure's directory:

attrib -r m_struct.d00


20.05 Structure Already Locked

The structure that you want to edit has already been 
locked for editing by someone else. 

If you are a supervisor:
You have the option of overwriting their lock, but 
you should only do this if a considerable time has 
elapsed (at least 30 minutes).  

If you are not a supervisor:
You must wait for the lock to be removed before you 
can edit the structure. If a considerable time has 
elapsed, speak to your supervisor, or type the 
following in the structure's directory:

del m_lock.d00


20.06 Lock Overwritten

Someone else has overwritten your lock. Changes that you 
have made may not be committed into the saved version 
(depending on whether the other user saves their 
changes).


20.07 Lock Rewritten

Another session (or another terminal) with the same login 
name as you has overwritten your lock. Changes that you 
have made may not be committed into the saved version 
(depending on whether the other session saves their 
changes).


20.08 Can't Create Lock 

Arc can't create the lock for some reason.


20.09 Can't Remove Lock 

Arc can't remove the lock for some reason. It may have 
been made read-only.


20.10 Lock Already Removed

Your lock file has been removed by someone else. Changes 
that you have made are committed.

#21
21.00 Reset recovery

This option was flagged for Arc to take special steps to 
re-run this program if it does not finish because the 
computer loses power, is turned off or rebooted. 

Pressing any key before the 20 second countdown ends will 
prevent running the program again, otherwise it will be 
re-run when the countdown reaches zero.

#






