



    WHAT IS PRTSCR?
    
    PRTSCR is a small (less than 1500 bytes) TSR (Terminate and Stay
    Resident) program that modifies the PrintScreen routine in your computer.

    Normally, when you hit Shift-PrtScr (on an older computer) or PrtScr (on
    a newer computer), a copy of whatever is on the screen is sent to your
    printer.  When PRTSCR is installed in memory, a copy of the screen is
    sent instead to a file.  There may be many uses for a utility like
    PRTSCR, but I have found it very useful in one particular way - to
    transfer information between two programs.

    I don't know how many times I've wanted to transfer information between
    two programs that won't "talk" to each other directly.  This can be very
    frustrating, and it seems I need to do it all the time.  With PRTSCR, I
    have been able to get information easily between two programs that I have
    not been able to do any other way.

    First of all, I load PRTSCR into memory (see the next section for details
    on how to do this).  Then, I get into the program that has the
    information I need, and pull up on the screen what I want to transfer. 
    Then I hit the PrtScr (or Shift-PrtScr) key and an exact copy of the
    screen is sent to a file.  I keep pulling up screens and hitting the
    PrtScr key until I have sent everything I need to the file.  After I've
    gotten everything I need, I get out of the program and DISABLE or
    UNINSTALL PRTSCR so that future PrintScreen's won't accidentally mess up
    my work.

    Then I get into a text editor or word processor and edit the file to get
    rid of the extraneous stuff I don't need.  Then, I am able to import the
    file into the program I want the information to go to.  PRTSCR creates
    files in ASCII format, and I have never seen a program that will not
    import an ASCII file.

    As I said before, there may be other uses for PRTSCR.  But the ability to
    transfer information easily between two programs is something I have
    sorely needed for a very long time.
















                          PRTSCR 1.10        Page 1 of 8



    HOW TO USE PRTSCR
    
    The syntax for using PRTSCR is as follows:

      PRTSCR [?] [/?] [/H] [/D] [/E] [/U] [filename]

    The Options (/?, /H, etc.)  must be entered separately, and must start
    with a "/" (except "filename").  They can be upper or lower case, do not
    need to be separated by spaces, and can be entered in any order.  If the
    same Option is entered twice with two different settings, or conflicting
    Options are entered, the last one entered takes precedence.

    For instance, the following are equivalent:
      PRTSCR   /E  PrtScr.FIL
      PRTSCR /D/e  prtscr.fil


      ?  /?  /H
         Any of these Options will pull up a HELP screen which gives a quick
         summary of the possible command line Options for PRTSCR.


      /D
         This DISABLEs PRTSCR (turns it "off").  PRTSCR remains in memory
         with the /D Option, but doesn't do anything useful (hitting PrtScr
         will do whatever it did before you installed PRTSCR into memory). 
         PRTSCR can be UNINSTALLed from memory completely with the /U Option.


      /E
         This ENABLEs PRTSCR (turns it back "on") after you have DISABLEd it
         with /D.  When PRTSCR is initially installed in memory, the default
         is /E (PRTSCR is ENABLED, so copies of the screen are sent to a file
         when you hit PrtScr).


      /U
         This will permanently UNINSTALL (or at least try to UNINSTALL)
         PRTSCR from memory.  Effectively, the same thing can be accomplished
         with PRTSCR /D, but PRTSCR /U will free up around 1500 bytes of RAM
         on your machine to use for other things.












                          PRTSCR 1.10        Page 2 of 8



      Filename
         "Filename" is the name of the file that you want copies of the
         screen to go to when you hit PrtScr.  The "Filename" can be a simple
         file name ("PRTSCR.FIL"), or can include drive and/or path
         information as well ("C:\SCREENS\SCREEN.000" or "\AUTOEXEC.BAT"). 
         Be VERY careful about what Filename you tell PRTSCR to use.

         If the file name you tell PRTSCR to use does not yet exist, PRTSCR
         creates the file and starts putting copies of the screen into the
         file.  Each new PrintScreen appends itself to the end of the file,
         so that the file keeps getting bigger and bigger.

         If you give PRTSCR the name of a file that already exists, PRTSCR
         does something of which you need to be aware.  PRTSCR changes the
         file attributes so that PRTSCR can write to the file.  A small
         tutorial on file attributes seems appropriate here.

         There are four basic attributes a DOS file can have: Archive,
         Hidden, Read-Only, and System.  The Archive attribute is used mostly
         with Backup software and really isn't important to our discussion
         here.  However, you need to understand a little about the Hidden,
         Read-Only, and System attributes to be able to use PRTSCR
         effectively.

         Normally, you cannot "see" files that have either the Hidden or
         System attributes turned on (that is, if you do a "DIR" command you
         cannot see the files, even though they are really there).  Also,
         under normal circumstances, you cannot edit or modify files that
         have either the Read-Only or System attributes turned on.  For
         PRTSCR to be able to append copies of the screen to the end of the
         file, the file cannot have either the Read-Only or System attributes
         turned on - so PRTSCR turns them off (if the file already exists). 
         PRTSCR also turns off the Hidden attribute (so that you can tell
         whether or not the file is there with a "DIR").

         Some programs have a habit of creating Hidden or System files and
         leaving them in various places on your hard drive.  Normally, you
         never know that they are there (you cannot see them with a DIR
         command).  In my opinion, programs should never create "hidden"
         files like this behind your back, but some of them do.  If you
         happen to tell PRTSCR to write to a file that already exists, but
         you didn't know was there, PRTSCR will happily go on and modify the
         file anyway.  The program that uses that particular file may or may
         not work correctly the next time.  Be careful.









                          PRTSCR 1.10        Page 3 of 8



         Another issue related to the file name you give PRTSCR is whether or
         not you give a simple file name ("SCREEN.000") or put a drive and/or
         path in front of the name ("C:\SCREENS\SCREEN.000").  PRTSCR uses
         DOS to create and/or modify the file, so all of the usual rules
         about creating and editing DOS files apply.

         Let's say you type "PRTSCR SCREEN.000".  You are in C:\ (the root
         directory of the C: drive), and there is no file yet called
         "C:\SCREEN.000".  You hit the PrtScr key on the keyboard.  A file
         C:\SCREEN.000 is created and whatever is on the screen is copied to
         this file.  You then move to the C:\DOS directory, and there is
         already a file called "C:\DOS\SCREEN.000".  When you hit the PrtScr
         key on the keyboard, a copy of the screen is appended to the end of
         C:\DOS\SCREEN.000.

         In determining which file to create and/or modify when you hit the
         PrtScr key, it doesn't matter where you were when you installed
         PRTSCR.  All that matters is where you are when you hit the PrtScr
         key.  PRTSCR will create files all over you hard drives and your
         floppy drives if you let it, which may in fact be what you want it
         to do.  Usually, however, that is NOT what you want PRTSCR to do. 
         Make sure you give PRTSCR enough drive and/or path information in
         front of the file name so that PRTSCR uses the file that you want it
         to use.

         The bottom line on all of this discussion about file attributes and
         drives and paths is that PRTSCR assumes you know what you are doing
         when you give it a file name.  PRTSCR assumes you know what files
         are already on your disks, that you are giving it a legitimate file
         name, and that you in fact want to add on to the end of it.  PRTSCR
         also assumes that you have given it enough drive and/or path
         information that the file will be where you want it to be when you
         get done.

         You can change the file name any time you desire.  Let's say you
         type "PRTSCR C:\SCREENS\SCREEN.000".  You hit the PrtScr key a few
         times, and C:\SCREENS\SCREEN.000 keeps getting bigger and bigger. 
         You then type "PRTSCR C:\SCREENS\PRTSCR.$$$".  The next time you hit
         the PrtScr key, the file C:\SCREENS\PRTSCR.$$$ will get bigger.  You
         can keep changing file names as often as you like.

         If you do not give PRTSCR a file name, it uses the default file name
         of "SCREEN.000".  This would be equivalent to "PRTSCR SCREEN.000".










                          PRTSCR 1.10        Page 4 of 8



    PRTSCR sets the following ERRORLEVEL's after it executes to keep you
    informed of what is happening.  If you don't know what ERRORLEVEL's are
    or how to use them, I suggest you read about them in your favorite DOS
    book.

     ͻ
      ERRORLEVEL                       MEANING                            
     ͹
           0      No problem - PRTSCR was installed or modified OK        
           1      Couldn't understand one or more of the Options          
           2      Memory problem with the computer                        
           3      You tried Uninstall before you installed PRTSCR         
           4      Your DOS version is too old - you need DOS 3.0 or later 
     ͼ







































                          PRTSCR 1.10        Page 5 of 8



    CAVEATS
    
    In addition to the "warnings" above regarding file attributes and file
    names, there are a couple of other things of which you should be aware. 
    First of all, just like a regular PrintScreen to the printer, PRTSCR only
    works when your screen is in a "text" mode.  PRTSCR cannot reliably
    obtain text (ASCII) information from a screen that it is in a "graphics"
    mode.  Therefore, if your screen is in a "graphics" mode, PRTSCR just
    beeps at you when you hit the PrintScreen key.

    There are also many different sizes of "text" screens.  I have seen
    screens with anywhere from 12 to 63 rows, and from 40 to 132 columns of
    characters.  PRTSCR correctly handles any size of screen.  If your screen
    is 50 rows by 132 columns when you hit the PrintScreen key, PRTSCR adds
    50 rows of 132 characters to the end of the file.  If your screen later
    changes to the standard 25 rows by 80 columns, PRTSCR will add 25 rows of
    80 characters to the end of the file.

    PRTSCR copies the screen just like it sees it.  You can end up with
    various combinations of row and/or column sizes in the same file.  This
    shouldn't cause problems, but is something of which you need to be aware.


    There may be times when PRTSCR just beeps at you when you hit the PrtScr
    key.  This happens when, for some reason, PRTSCR is unable to do what is
    supposed to do.  If PRTSCR beeps at you, it usually for one of four
    reasons.

    The first reason PRTSCR may beep at you is that your screen is in a
    graphics mode rather than a text mode, as described above.

    The second reason PRTSCR may beep at you is that it is still in the
    process of doing the last PrintScreen you had it do.  The last
    PrintScreen must be completed before you can do a new one.

    The third reason for the beep is that the computer is already doing
    something with a disk when you hit the PrtScr key.  DOS can only do one
    "disk thing" at a time.  For example, if you are doing a DIR command, and
    DOS is in the middle of looking at the disk when you hit the PrtScr key,
    PRTSCR will beep at you.

    The last reason that PRTSCR may beep at you is because it cannot write to
    the file you want it to.  If you told PRTSCR to write to a floppy disk,
    for instance, and you have pulled the disk out of the drive, you will get
    a beep.  If the disk is already full, you will get a beep.  Etc., etc.,
    etc.

    PRTSCR has no good way to tell you exactly what the problem is when it
    beeps at you.  With a little investigation, however, it is usually not
    too difficult to figure it out.



                          PRTSCR 1.10        Page 6 of 8



    A WORD FROM THE SPONSOR
    
    PRTSCR is a free program.  If you like it and use it, do something nice
    for someone else in return.  I will accept niceties to myself in the form
    of $.

    You can freely copy and distribute PRTSCR.COM, as long as it is
    distributed along with this PRTSCR.DOC, and neither file has been
    modified in any way.  You cannot charge anyone in any way for PRTSCR,
    except to recover your actual costs for disks and shipping (you cannot
    charge for "handling").  You do need my permission to distribute PRTSCR
    as a "companion" to some other program.


    OTHER PROGRAMS
    
    If you find PRTSCR useful, I have written some other programs you may
    find even more useful.

      CLOCK
         Shows a clock on your screen all the time.  Also has two alarms that
         beep at you when it's time for an appointment.

      JOYKEYS
         Lets you use your joystick(s) with any program.

      MOUSKEYS
         Lets you use your mouse with any program.

      PRTSCRFF
          Modifies your PrintScreen so that each new PrintScreen gets put on
          a new sheet of paper (especially useful if you have a Laser
          printer).

      SCANCODE
         Lets you simulate keystrokes from batch files.  Helpful in getting
         past the "starting screens" of most programs.

      SERIAL
         Shows the status of your serial (COM) ports on screen.  Shows the
         bit rate, parity, status of the leads (DTR, DSR, etc.).  An
         excellent way to troubleshoot modem problems.

      SLOWDOWN
         Slows down a fast computer so you can run older programs that
         require a PC/XT or PC/AT.







                          PRTSCR 1.10        Page 7 of 8



    WARRANTY
    
    There is no warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, supplied
    with PRTSCR.  As with any software, especially TSR's, it may or may not
    work with other software that you may have.  I have done my best to make
    sure PRTSCR won't screw anything up, but, again, there is no guarantee.

    If you find any "bugs" in this program, or see something that you wish
    were different, please let me know.  I can only improve PRTSCR if I know
    what you think needs to improve.


    HAVE FUN!

    Bret Johnson
    6775 South Logan Street
    Littleton, CO  80122-1249
    (303) 795-5084

    bretjohn@aol.com


    REVISION HISTORY
    
    03/21/95  v1.00
    02/27/96  v1.10
       * PRTSCR sometimes thought certain extended text screen modes (some
         with 132 columns) were graphics modes.  PRTSCR is now able to
         recognize these as text modes.
       * PRTSCR would sometimes lock up the computer if you hit the
         PrintScreen key at the wrong time (such as if you had an empty
         floppy drive).  PRTSCR now is much more aggressive in testing for
         when it is safe to write from the screen to a disk.




















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