OVERVIEW

 This program is free.
 A.E. is a dual panels file manager that I have especially designed to be very easy
to use and intuitive.
 It allows to:
- Perform secured file management.
- View or edit texts.
- Display pure ascii manuals as hypertexts with outline! (This manual is an example)
  I have written a command line version also available on www.scriptol.net.
- Display HTML or formatted (DOC, HLP, etc...) files and use any file by
  associating its extension with a program.
- Display images and thumbnails.
- Manage ZIP archives:
  * Display content of archive.
  * View text (including html) or image inside archive.
  * Extract a tagged list of files or the entire archive.
  * Make an archive from a tagged list or files and dirs.
- Launch programs.
- View a directory with a filter for node or extension of filenames.
- Lot of built-in tools.
- Extended setup for user's preferences.

AE has these innovating features:
- Replacing annoying warning dialogs by crossing out files for deletion.
- Multiple associations for a same extension (with the Tools menu).
- Persistency. You start a session as you leave the previous one. No need to
  search again the path you have used yesterday or just previously.
- Converting a text manual into html with summary without any formatting.

 Under Windows, you can launch Explorer from within AE and so give the
memory of AE to Explorer.
 AE is a pure 32 bit cross-platorm program. It can't launch DOS program,
but that is achieved by opening Explorer as a Windows from within AE.

HOW TO INSTALL

 See at the install.txt for more details about installing.
 These files are required:
   ae.jar
   aexxx.txt     (see at Manual in the Menu section).

 These  files are restored by the program when not present in AE's directory:
   ae.init           always or at your request according to your setup.
   ae.memory    always.

 At the first run, click on the auto-setup button to set paths of commonly
used programs, including the navigator.
 Under Windows, if a drive letter is missing in the displayed list, simply type it
in the field above the directory list.    Ex:   a:
 You may change the programs called (iexplorer, etc...) from the "Associations" panel.
  

MANUAL

General rules

 Inside directory list the right mouse button opens a popup menu to select a command
on the currently selected file or directory. Perform a double-click as usually to open
a file.

 AE has a source and a target directories.
 Some function are unidirectional:
- copy,
- compare,
- unarchive.
 Files are always created in the target directory, but the file saved by the editor.

 The other general rule is that any command performs on selected files. If no file is
 selected, the command acts on the whole directory.
  In some case you are prompted to select a file instead.

 File are marked in two ways: outlined, ou inverted.
 Filenames are inverted when selected. On mays selects files inside
one window, source or target, and not in both the two windows.
 When it is required to marks file in both windows, the outlined marking
is used (for example, to copy into a not directory while not opened with ctrl+d).

The tool bar

 Usage of button in the tool bar, is given by tool tips displayed when the
mouse stays over a button.

Using the keyboard

 To select a panel, hold down the Alt key and press one of above:
 F     File Manager.  Alt+X  is provided also as a more accessible replacement.
 E     Editor.
 S     Setup.

The menu

 To select a menu item, click on the menu bar or press F10 or ALT and use cursor
keys to move. Press Enter to select.
 Sub-menues are contextual, they are enabled when they are functional.

The File menu

 The "compare" command allows to compare tagged file or dirs in source,
with corresponging ones in target. The function acts recursively inside
subdirectories. It works differently than compare functions of the Dir menu.

The Dir menu

 Here you have several functions to compare source and target directories.
 The functions are not recursive and act on the full list of files.
- Compare names:    select files in source not found in target directory.
- Compare versions: select same files with more recents dates (ignore size).
- Compare contents: select same files with different size or content.
- Compare any:          performs all of above (test if exists, date, content).

The Archive menu

 To manage zip, Pkzip compatible archive (other formats will be added further).
- View to display it's content meanwhile it doesn't have a zip extension.
- Extract to unarchive the compressed file into the target directory
  Archiving is processed from the Archiver panel according to selected items
inside the source directory.

The Tools menu

 Most of these tools come with the operating system.
 Under Windows, if these tools don't work, they are not included in the path.
 For example, the path for Windows' Explorer is c:\windows or the directory where
Windows is installed, and this directory must be included in the PATH= list,
in Autoexec.bat.

 To build a list of tools, for each program you want to add, select a 32 bit executable,
and click on the "Add to Tools" menu item in the popup menu (use the right mouse button).
 To run a program with a file, select a file and click in this menu.
  If you want to run a program with no file, type Escape to clear any selection,
or click on the green cross.

The Web pages menu

  Three tools are allowed to generate Web pages.
  The "Html page common" section of the setup allows to set some commonoptions.
  Other options are displayed at the command, inside a panel.
  The path is the target path, you can change it from the panel.
  Once the fields are filled, you have to click on the "Make" button to generate the
html page.

- Thumbnail

 Allows to make a page of graphic files selected in the source directory. This generates
an html file that you may use on an Internet site.
 If no file is selected,  images in source having format recognized by browsers (gif, jpg, bmp, png)
are displayed.
 If you want the image displayed directly, the target directory, where the html file is generated,
must be the source directory.
 Note: AE is not able to keep proportions of BMP images in this version.

- File list

 This function allows to create an html page of the whole current directory, or of
selected files...

- Help file

 This powerful function automatically converts a simple unformatted text file into an
help file with symmary, and you may also use the generated html file on the web!
 Simply select a file in the source directory and click on "Outlined text" in the menu.
 
 The parser that convert the text requires only 3 rules:
1) First and centered lines form the main title.
2) A no-blank line, that follows a blank line, and that is followed by a blank line, is a
 header.
3) The depth level of a header depends of the number of space starting the line.
   Until 5 depth levels are allowed.
   For example:
Title = level one
 sub-title = level two
  sub-title = level three
  (No blank line in this example because this text has to be converted also ;)

 Look at AEEng.txt for an example... This is the text used to produce AEEng.htm!
 As you have noticed, the body of a chapter never contains a single line.

The References menu

 This menu holds a permanent list of texts, and works as the Tools list at left.
  In addition, the currently displayed or edited text can be added to also.

The Recents menu

 The "Recents" list holds the last loaded document of various formats. Older
ones are removed to  make room when the list is full (see at setup for the size).

The Manual menu item

 This item displays a manual. The default is AEEng.txt or AEEng.html if generated
You can change it from the setup providing that a corresponding  AExxx.txt is placed in
the AE  directory.

The file manager

Icons

 Opened folder      opens  a file according to its extension and type:
 Folder                   displays the content.
 House                   go to root directory.
 Left array              go to parent directory.
 Opened sub-dir   make a new sub-directory.
                                In the target window, it is also opened or not according to setup.
 Striped sheet       delete a file/dir or the tagged list.
                               Click again to confirm deletion of crossed out entries.
 Green cross         cancel either selection or crossing.
                               Refresh if nothing is selected or crossed out.

 The Open button, (or a press on Enter) performs according to the extension:
- EXE    under Windows, run a program.
          MS-DOS program must be ran from within Explorer (Icon on the tool bar).
          Commands with exe or com extension must be called from the DOS window (Tools menu).
          You cannot launch a program inside an archive.
- GIF,JPG, PNG     are displayed on image panel.
- ZIP                          are opened to display the content.
- DOC/RTF/WRI/HLP   are viewed with the external editor or winhelp under Windows.
- Other                    are opened with the associated program if one, otherwise displayed as text.


Keyboard commands (source and target):
Tab:               change to source or target window.
Up, Down, Page Up/Down, Home/End keys:
                       move the cursor.
ctrl-up/down:  select and move.
Left key:         return to parent directory.
Enter:             process the selected file.
Space:           select and move down.
Delete:          delete the selected file(s).
Escape:        clear selection and cancel crossing out for deletion.
                       Press again to refresh the directory list.
a-z:                 select the next file of which it is the first letter.
ctrl-i                more infor for a file, disk occupation for a dir or a tagged list.
ctrl-l:               locate a file or dir.
ctrl-k:             make a sub-directory (ctrl-m also works).
ctrl-n:             rename.
ctrl-s:             swap source and target.

Commands usable from the source dir only:
ctrl-c:            copy selection to target.
ctrl-d:            copy selection inside a not opened directory.
ctrl-p:            compare source and target recursively.
ctrl-u:            unarchive in target.
ctrl-z             make an archive from the selection.

Mouse
Click on a file to select it (all others will be deselected).
Press Control and click on files to select several file together.
Press Alt and click on file to select a block of files.
Double-click the left button or click the right button to open a file.

The drop-down lists of paths

 They are displayed above directory lists. They are parts
of the memory of the program and have multiple functions :
- Displaying the current directory.
- Allowing you to type directly a path.
- Selecting a path in the drop-down list.
- They can include a zip filename to display its content.
- They can include a mask to filter the directory's content .

 They have a permanent part  that is sorted out.
 If the operating system is Windows, this permanent part will contains
the list of drive units in order, otherwise its size is user-defined from the
Setup panel.
 
Entering a path
 When you have typed a path in the edit box, press Enter to display this
directory. See below for how to add this path to the permanent list.
 Use control+x or the popup menu to clear the edit box.

Selecting a path
 Click on the button at right of the edit box and select one.

 The right mouse button allows to manage the lists of paths.
- Add the current path to the list.      Ctrl+a is the shortcut.
- Remove the current path from the list.     Ctrl+d is the shortcut.


Filtering
 You may add a filter to the path of the source directory.
 These examples are correct:
    *.jpg
    myfile.*
 Filtering is not allowed in the target path.
 Filtering concerns only files and not directories or archive's content.

Clearing a list
 You may clear a list of paths by reducing the size (for the two lists) from the
General Setup panel. You may also delete the AE.Memory file, at the cost of a new
Auto Setup to perform.
 You may erase an entry with the Control and y keys pressed.

 You may manually edit the disk image of the two lists, stored in a file named
AE.Memory, with another text editor for example, but only when A.E. if not
running.

The text editor

 Keyboard commands are these:
- Home/End:                   go to start/end or line.
- Control-Home/End:     go to start/end of text.
- Up/Down:                     scroll up or down a line.
- Page up/down:            scroll up/down a screen.
- Control-D                     display current line and column.
  If editing is enabled (the default) more keyboard commands also work:

Selection
  Hold down the SHIFT key and use cursor to select a portion of text.
  You may also select a part of text with the mouse.

Editing
- Control-E:      clear until end of line.
- Control-Y:       clear the line.
- Control-Z:       can undo the effect of ctrl-E, ctrl-Y, backspace, del (not ctrl-X).

Searching
- Control-F:      open a dialog box to find a string.
- F3:                  find the selected string if one,  or find the previous searched string again if
                         one. Otherwise, open the dialog box.
- Control-R:      find and replace a string.

File functions
- Control-S:      save the text in the original file (a backup is made with BAK extension).
- Alt-W:             write the selected block of text as a file.
- Alt-I:                insert a text file at cursor location.

Cut, copy, paste
- Control-X:     move the selected text to the clipboard.
- Control-C:     copy the selected text to the clipboard.
- Control-V:     copy the clipboard's content to the cursor location.
  You may also use the right mouse button.
   

The tree panel

 Keyboard commands:
- Up key           move up one folder.
- Down key      move down one folder.
- Right             open a folder/go to sub-folder.
- Left                go to parent folder.
- Home            jump to first folder.
- End                jump to last folder.
- Page Up       display previous screen.
- Page Down  display next screen.
- Space           open/close the selected folder.
- Enter              select the folder as source and go to the File Manager.

 You can use the buttons "Source" and "Target" to open the selected directory
either in the soure or target window.
 A double-click on a folder sets it also the source directory.
 The "Rebuild" button is useful to update display of removable disks.
 

Archiving / Unarchiving

 Unarchiving a ZIP file is done by a press on the ZIP button in the main toolbar.
 Options are available from within the File Management of the setup.
 Archiving  is done by the special Archiver panel.
 You have to select file or dirs you want to archive from the source directory, and select
also the destination directory as target or type it in the textfield.
 Then type a filename for the archive in the input field, and press the Make button.

Image panel

 When you open a file with a supported graphic format (the icon of which being a picture),
it is displayed inside this window.
 Click on the image to display it full screen. Click on the full screen image to exit it.

The Locate dialog box

 This window is used to locate a file from the file manager or from the setup panel.
 Type the name of the file to find. If the operating system handles drive units, type
the drive letter, example:
  c:wordpad.exe
 The file is searched for, and occurences are listed with full paths.
 Click the one you want to select.
 Then push the "Go to path" button to enter its directory or "Open" to directly process the
 file, according to its extension.

Setup

 You must click on the "Save" button (with a disk image), to save your settings
into the AE.init file and retrieve them at next session. This is always
performed if the Auto Save option is checked on in the Desktop section.

Auto Setup

 This allows to automatically recognizes drives units and paths of necessary
programs.
 If removable disk units are present, a disk must be inserted in the drive to it
be recognized. To avoid searching of common program on removable disks, insert
them only after the searching is achieved.
 If multiple navigators or other tools are found, select one in the list. Otherwise they
are already selected for you.
 Then press the Accept button.
 You can select "First found only" to stop the searching when a program is found,
otherwise the engine will browse all drives to find all occurences of them.

Desktop

 This panel allows to configure
- The desptop.
- The setup itself.

Style

  Select an item in the second list and set its style with the choice lists.
  There are special colors for the component:
  - control: color of any control objets, toolbar for example.
  - window: color of background for containers.
  - controlText and windowText.

File management

 Option for security.
 Archive  options.
 Label of special button above the source directory. Type a label, a path (under
 Windows this may be a drive letter followed by :) and click on the Set button.

Editor / Html

 From this panel you may select an external  editor as replacement for the text editor
(it is required for formatted or big text files.) and the browser.
 You may either use the Browse button or type the path directly.
 Thanks to the checkboxes:
- You may choose to display any text files with the selected editor and ignore the buit-in one.

Image

  Settings for the image panel.
  Check if you want the image scaled.

Associations

 A.E. allows associations in various ways:
- Selecting a file and launching a program previously added to the "Tools" menu.
- Built-in association of
   RTF,  Doc (Word), Wri (Write)  files with the editor entered in setup.
   HTM or HTML  files with the navigator entered in setup.
   Windows' HLP files with Winhelp.exe.
- Any association defined from within the setup panel.

 Select the Association panel.
- To add an association, type the extension and the program to launch into the edit fields.
  For example:
  Into the first field:          wav
  Into the second field:    c:/windows/mplayer.exe
  Then don't forget to click on the Add button...
- To suppress one, select either the extension or the program and click on the Clear button.

Web pages

  For the three kind of generated pages, you can choose a background color.
  And more in further version.

AE.config

 This file holds the name of programs to associate with extensions. It is used only
by the AutoSetup command. It can be edited from the built-in editor before you to
press the AutoSetup button.
 With the Windows exe version, this file may be missing in the archive,  it is useless.
 With the Java version, the file should be filled according to the programs available on
the operating system.

 

AE.init

 This is the setup file.
 Most components of the GUI are defined by a style, which includes a background,
a foreground, police and font style and size.
 You may edit this file. If this causes the program to don't properly work erase it, and from
within the Setup panel, press the "Save" button to generate a new one.

AE.memory

 
 This is the file image of the program's memory.
 You can't edit it when A.E. is running, because it's content is loaded at start and saved
 at exit.

LICENCE - NO REGISTER

 You don't need to register this program.
 However you may send me a postal card to suggest any improvement or signal a bug
 Before that, look at the "Problems" section below in this document.
Take in mind that this program is free and that I can't afford the cost of answer to each
user. This will be made instead by the changes in the program and a special FAQ
added file.
 My current address is in the Vendor.txt file.

HISTORY

 Any thing in the world has an history.
 Unfortunaly, when you read the history file that comes along with a software,
you got a list of bugs and when they have been discovered.

 I have written the first MS-Dos version of this program at the (far) time of the
success of a little program named "List" that simply displays a text with commands
to  scroll it. I was needing for a version of List with a directory window to pick text by
filename with no any typing and I wrote my own.
 When CD-Rom and BBS archived files became common, I was expecting to read texts
directly inside zip archive and I improve my program to do that. I named it CD-List.
 I added then a lot of functions to manage the files on CDs.
 I never found a Win 95 program with its ease of use and I have continued to use this
Dos program until the current Windows (and other OS) version was achieved.
 The present  version keep all the functionalities of the DOS version and extends
them with memories, text editing, image display and so one...

FAQ, PROBLEMS, TIPS

Problems with colors

 Colors are made of three RGB values allowing to create 256 * 256 * 256 colors.
 The system performs adjustments for lower display, with limitations.

Why is Worpad directly loaded sometimes for text viewing?

 On Windows, the text editor uses a Windows' component that displays only small texts
(less than  38 to 64 Kilobytes depending of its humour. When AE can't display a text file
with  its built-in component, it chains by loading  Wordpad or your editor.
 Look at the setup panel for path setting of your editor.

Texts contain garbage characters.

 Importing a Dos text with accents is not performed with conversion to Windows' format.
You have  to import it from Wordpad or the editor by using its import command.

Why is the AExxx.html file missing?

 The message  "Enable to load AExxx.html" is not an error or a missing file.
 AExxx.html files have to be written at this day. AEEng.html is provided as
standard and generated from AEEng.txt also provided.

How to have the units recognized?

 The program can only distinguish removable units from fixed ones, when the
user remove or insert disks into the units. This is a drawback of a
machine-independent  programming language. This can be achieved during
the auto-setup process.

Some archives are not handled.

 Zip archives made with PKZip 2.0 (c) and compatible programs are managed
by AE.  Archives made with PKZip 1.1 are not recognized.
 To overcome this drawback I suggest you to download either PKZip or a free
compatible program (Info-Zip, Zip Central), and either add it to the association list
or add it to the "Tools" menu.

Program want not run.

 If you cannot launch a program with a file, either the path of the program is missing either
 this program can't be ran with a file as parameter.
 In the first case, use the Find option from the Association panel in setup to set up the
path of the program associated with this extension. Otherwise, nothing to do, but to use
the loading command of the program to load the file.

Reference document can't be displayed

 If you cannot display a document by associated programs, their paths are missing.
 Display the Setup panel and select the Editor/Html panel.
 Browse the disk to found the path of the program: iexplore.exe, netscape.exe, wordpad.exe
etc...

Internet Explorer stops to work.

 AE may launch several programs together. But I have noticed that if Internet Explorer
cannot load a script and stop, I can't launch it again with another page until the stopped
task is killed from the task manager (ctrl+alt+del).

The program hangs up.

  I have not tested A.E with all Windows versions. If launching a program fails and
AE is stopped, you have to use the task manager (ctrl+alt+del)  to kill the task of this
program.

How to play a wav file from a control panel?

 I you want a control panel to play a wav file, you can thick "priority"   in the association
 setup panel to use default or user association rather than built-in process.

Sound problems

 I noticed some problems with the Windows' wav player that is sndrec32.exe. Nothing to do
again that, but restarting the computer! To avoid that, use the option "association first" as
Mplayer.exe used for association is more stable.

 If the sound player hang up, you will be enabled to use it until the computer is restarted. To continue
 sound playing without to restart it, you have to set associations priority over buit-il tools.

Gif image not displayed

 The runtime doesn't display gif image without global colormap. If you are the creator of the
animation, change your setup.

CREDITS AND LEGAL STUFF

 PKZip and PKUnzip are trademarks of PKWare Inc.
 Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corp.
 Java is a programming language made by Sun Inc.
 Linux is an open source software.