Documentation for Conch Shell and Carpet Bag --


Let me start by pointing out that this is not freeware.  Please refer to the
shareware message (produced by the SHARE command) in the Prodos shell for
further information.

Now that your check is in the mail let me describe the program you are paying
for.  The perminent init file SHELL.SETUP contains all the code originally in my
separately available programs to provide a menubar clock, an NDA that would load
other desk accessories (like the popular Macintosh product that shall remain
nameless), and would display a picture stored in a type $C1 unpacked super-hires
picture file (*/SYSTEM/SYSTEM.SETUP/SCREEN.0).

But wait, there's more!  SHELL.SETUP also adds a desk accessory to the CDA menu
which gives you constant access to an MS-DOS/UNIX-like command line.  Just
imagine the usefulness of being able to CAT a docs file (such as this one) while
running the program the docs are for!  No more exiting in order to copy files! 
Simple and easy access to directory information!  Change file/auxtypes!  And
even more!


How to use these inexpensive gems --

Carpet Bag (the desk accessory loader) is accessable from any program which
supports NDAs.  Just open the Carpet Bag NDA from the apple menu, select an
NDA/CDA file from the Standard File Operations dialog box, and that's all there
is too it!  Carpet Bag will load the desk accessory and it will be instantly
available to you.

There are of course things to watch out for, however.  First of all, some NDAs
have important code in their NDAInit routine, which is not called by Carpet Bag.
 For this reason, certain NDAs will not begin full functioning until you have
run another desktop application.  Rest assured, though, that this is a problem
that is limitted to a very few desk accessories, and which may be corrected in a
later release (provided that user re$pon$e warrents the attention).  The other
thing to bear in mind is that Carpet Bag will not correctly load NDAs under
GS/OS system 5.0.  Whether you believe it or not, the problem is with the new
system, not my program.  When more information becomes available to me, I will
do my best to work around this incompatibility.

The Menubar Clock functions automatically when the desktop is started up.  The
only incompatibility I know of is with the TML Pascal pseudo text screen used by
programs that begin

Program Whatever(Input,Output);

Once again, a fix for this may be available to you in the future.

As to the Startup Screen, just put a 32k unpacked picture called SCREEN.0 in the
same folder with the inits (SYSTEM.SETUP) and next time you reboot, you'll see
something more interesting appear on the screen than the usual amount of
thermometer boredom.



Stuff just about the Shell --

Now, about the Shell.  First, let me tell you how you can run the shell on
startup rather than as a CDA:

1.   rename START in the SYSTEM folder to something else (FINDER for instance);

2.   copy the small START.SETUP file into SYSTEM and rename it START;

3.   optionally include an AUTOEXEC text file in the SYSTEM folder.

What will happen is that if you do not have an AUTOEXEC file is that you will be
greeted by a message identifying Conch Shell, followed by a prompt.  If instead
you opt for the AUTOEXEC file (which must be in the SYSTEM folder) it will be
executed as a batch file a la MS/DOS.

Note that while using the Shell as an actual program it is unavailable from the
CDA menu.  It is also unavailable when GS/OS (or Prodos 16) is not running.  A
Prodos 8 version may appear in the future, if there is any demand.


Commands --

#                             install extra ROM CDAs
CAT                           does a directory of the current prefix
CAT <FILENAME>                does a directory of FILENAME
CAT <FILENAME>                does a unix-like CAT of FILENAME
DIR                           same as CAT
DIR <FILENAME>                same as CAT <FILENAME> (first kind)
FILES                         same as CAT
FILES <FILENAME>              same as CAT <FILENAME> (first kind)
TYPE <FILENAME>               does a unix-like CAT of FILEMAN
RENAME <FILENAME> <FILENAME>  renames FILENAME
DELETE <FILENAME>             deletes FILENAME
RM <FILENAME>                 deletes FILENAME
RMDIR <FILENAME>              deletes FILENAME
KILL <FILENAME>               deletes FILENAME
ERA <FILENAME>                deletes FILENAME
ERASE <FILENAME>              deletes FILENAME
DEL <FILENAME>                deletes FILENAME
COPY <FILENAME> <FILENAME>    copies FILENAME
CP <FILENAME> <FILENAME>      copies FILENAME
FILETYPE <FILENAME> [FTYPE]   changes the filetype of FILENAME
AUXTYPE <FILENAME> [ATYPE]    changes the auxtype of FILENAME
CHANGE <FILENAME> [ATYPE]     changes the auxtype of FILENAME
SLOAD <FILENAME>              loads SHR graphics screen FILENAME
SSAVE <FILENAME>              saves SHR graphics screen FILENAME
GRAPHON                       turn on SHR graphics
GRAPHOFF                      turn off SHR graphics
CD                            display the current prefix
CD <FILENAME>                 change the current prefix to <FILENAME>
PREFIX                        display the current prefix
PREFIX <FILENAME>             change the currect prefix to <FILENAME>
CD..                          back up one level of directories
CDUP                          same as CD..
CD ..                         same as CD..
CREATE <FILENAME> [FTYPE]     create FILENAME of type FTYPE
MKDIR <FILENAME> [FTYPE]      same as CREATE

notes:

<FILENAME> is any legal filename
[FTYPE] is one of many supported three letter file types
        or a hex constant beginning with $
        the default value is DIR
[ATYPE] is a SRC subtype (CCOM, etc.) or a hex constant starting
        with a $


Furthermore, when not being used as a CDA, Conch Shell can launch S16 and SYS
files just by you typing their name.  It searches the root, system, and current
directories for the file you want and gives an error if it isn't found or is of
an inappropriate class.

Other file types can be made executeable by following the protocal implimented
in the SHELL folder (supplied with the rest of SHELL.SETUP), which must be moved
into the SYSTEM folder as a sub-directory.  In the SHELL folder (which is
currently empty but will be used in future releases), their is another folder
called FILETYPES.  That folder has batch files whose names indicate the
filetypes they service.  For example, a batch file to execute a basic program
would be called FTFC0000, in which the first two letters "FC" are an ID code
shared by all filetype files, the FC is the hexidecimal file type (for BAS), and
the last four digits is the hexidecimal auxtype to be serviced ($0000 matches
anything).  What happens is that Conch Shell puts the name of the file to be
opened into the message center and then executes the batch file which in this
case would hold something like:

               prefix */
               basic.launcher.

Batch files to impliment Applesoft and binary files are included with the SHELL
package.

Wildcards, by the way, are legal.  More precisely, the use of the = sign as a
wildcard is allowed.  Do not use the Unix *, as it has a different meaning in
the GS/OS environment.  You should only use the * to mean the boot volume name.

Also, in the CD and PREFIX commands, you can use the double dot (cd ..) form,
though normally its use will lead to an error.

Other than that, experiment.  Bug reports are appreciated.  Also, remember that
in the future I will be releasing new and better versions of Conch Shell, but
only if you send me monetary incentives.  Otherwise, I will write the new
versions, and give them to my friends, but I sure as hell won't distribute them
among the general public.


Note to major software houses --

This product is currently Shareware.  However, if you are interested in
including it in any bundled software package, you must first contact me and
agree on a one-time-only fee or a percentage of profits deal, perhaps both. 
Please remember that more and more current and powerful versions of this
program, with more and more unix-like commands, will be forthcoming.  If you
would like to market my program commercially under your label, I could provide
you with a substantially improved version than that that is generally available,
thus making the product saleable.  If the price is right, of course. I'm not
greedy, but....