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                                ATYPE 2.0

               ANSI/AVATAR file displaying utility for DOS.

                        Programmed 1992, Feb 1995
                            by Mark D. Rejhon.

            Updated June 1997 with new permanent email address:
                            <marky@ottawa.com>
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What is it?
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    ATYPE is a command that you can use to display AVATAR 0/0+ and
    ANSI/VT102 files on the screen, as a substitute to the TYPE command.
    Best of all, it's FREEWARE, provided you do not earn money selling
    this program.



Its Usefulness
--------------
    It has the following advantages:

      - Super fast ANSI processing.
      - Ability to display AVATAR 0/0+.
      - No drivers such as ANSI.SYS are required.
      - More ANSI/VT102 codes are supported in ATYPE than in ANSI.SYS.
      - Display speed can be specified at command line, in chars/second!

    Minor disadvantages worth noting include:

      - You cannot use pipes or redirection such as "atype text.txt | more"
      - Cannot display .MEC files used by Maximus.
      - Requires EGA/VGA or compatible due to direct screen access.

    This utility is extremely useful for sysops who makes menus/files in
    the ANSI and/or AVATAR format.



Instructions
------------
   You can bring up a command-line help screen by typing just "ATYPE"
   without any parameters, at the DOS prompt.  The command-line parameters
   to ATYPE are the following:

     ATYPE <filename> [speed] [/Hnn]

     <filename> ....... Required option, filename of the ANSI/VT102/AVT file.
     [speed] .......... Optional option, speed in characters per second.
     [/Hnn] ........... Optional option, screen height to limit displaying to.

   By default the speed will be set to maximum, and the displaying will
   be limited only by the screen height. The following are examples:

     ATYPE AUTOEXEC.BAT           - Display the textfile AUTOEXEC.BAT at
                                    maximum speed possible.

     ATYPE MAINMENU.ANS 240       - Display the ANSI file MAINMENU.ANS at
                                    240 chars per second, to see what it looks
                                    like over a slow 2400 baud modem.

     ATYPE BBSLIST.AVT 3840 /H23  - Display the AVATAR file BBSLIST.AVT at
                                    3840 chars per second, and limit the
                                    displaying to the top 23 lines of the
                                    screen.  This would be similiar to what
                                    it looks like over a fast modem to a
                                    23-line terminal screen.


   While ATYPE is displaying a file, you can hit the following keypresses:

     <Esc> <S> <Ctrl-Break> ..... These keys abort displaying the file.
     <Spacebar> ................. Pause display of the file.  Hitting any key
                                  again resumes displaying of the file.



History
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    ATYPE v1.x -> v2.0 changes includes the following:

    - Now in pure C language (with some Turbo C++ video display functions)
       instead of QuickBASIC for the original ATYPE 1.x

    - Executable file is smaller.

    - Speed is much faster.  This verison is in pure C language and is
       faster even though the original was partially in assembler (and
       the rest in QuickBASIC).  It was tested on my 486DX2-66 and managed
       to display a 250,000+ byte animated ANSI file in ONE SECOND!
       (provided there is not too much screen scrolling!)

    - Speed is more accurately controlled and more indepedent of CPU speed.
       You can see a file being displayed as if it was going through a 2400
       baud modem, if you specify a speed of 240 characters per second at
       the command line.

    - Compatibility with nearly any screen size, even 132 column text modes!



The Author
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    You can get into contact with Mark Rejhon at these Internet addresses:

    Email:   marky@ottawa.com
    Website: http://www.marky.com/

