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Chapter 5 Using the Online Documentation
The DRDOS online manual is called DOSBook. It contains detailed reference information about all aspects of the operating system, such as detailed descriptions of the DRDOS command set. This chapter explains how to start DOSBook and use the online documentation.
Note that some commands, such as DISKOPT and EDIT, have a full-screen interface that includes a Help menu; this provides detailed help text about how to use the utility, and you may find that you do not need to refer to DOSBook for these commands.
Starting DOSBook
To use a mouse in DOSBook, you need to load a suitable mouse driver first: DRMOUSE.COM, for example.
Start DOSBook by entering the following at the system prompt:
DOSBOOK
A Welcome screen is displayed that lists five options you can choose to find the information you need in
various ways. Table 5-1 describes
these options.
NOTE: If you have a monochrome monitor, you may need to type DOSBOOK /B to force the DOSBook display to be black and white rather than shades of gray, which can be difficult to read.
If you require information about a specific topic, you can enter the following at the system prompt:
DOSBOOK topic
where topic is the name of the subject you want to find, for example, a
command name. This takes you directly to the index if a match is found, where you can select it to read the information about the topic.
Select one of these options by clicking on it with the mouse or, if you are using the keyboard, highlight the option by using the <Tab> key and press <Enter>. Repeat this selection procedure to select other highlighted items in DOSBook, for example, chapter titles from the contents list or items from the index.
Help on DOSBook
After you have started DOSBook, press the <F1> key for detailed help about how to use DOSBook. This help fully explains how to move around DOSBook by using either the mouse or the keyboard. It also explains the concept of keywords, and demonstrates how they work in DOSBook.
There is also a Help menu at the top of the DOSBook screen; display this menu either by selecting it with the mouse or by pressing
<Alt> H. The menu enables you to access the DOSBook Glossary, Contents, and Index, and lists the short keys associated with these functions. It also lists the short keys for moving between sections of DOSBook.
Searching for Information
You can search for a topic in DOSBook by searching the index for words, or searching for a specific word in the text. To search the index in DOSBook, start typing a word that you wish to find and a search dialog box is displayed. This shows the word that you are typing in. Press <Enter> or click on the <Search> button to search the index. If a match is found, you are taken to that entry in the index where it is highlighted. To read the information about it, press <Enter> or click the mouse button. If no match is found, you are left in the index at the letter that the word started with.
To search for a particular word in the text, open the Search menu by clicking on it with the mouse or by pressing <Alt> S, and select Search text. A dialog box displays in which you type a word and then press <Enter>, or click on the <Search> button to search for that word.
When you search the index for a topic you can press <F3> to repeat your last search. Use this to find another entry in the index, because there may be more than one match to the word you are trying to find. You can also use <F3> to repeat your last text search.
Keywords
This section introduces you to the concept of keywords, which are central to the way that you use DOSBook.
In DOSBook, certain words or groups of words are defined as keywords, and are highlighted to distinguish them from the rest of the text. There are two types of keyword, each highlighted differently:
The form the highlighting takes depends upon the type of monitor and upon the color configuration of your computer; refer to the DOSBook help (press <F1>) to see how they appear on your computer.
Reference Keyword
A reference keyword represents a link to another part of DOSBook. If you move the mouse cursor to a reference keyword and click on the keyword, you jump to a point in DOSBook where there is more information related to that keyword. If you are using the keyboard rather than the mouse, use the <Tab> key to select a reference keyword, and then press <Enter>.
To go back to the screen from which you jumped, use the mouse to select the <Backtrack> button at the bottom of the screen, or press
<Alt> B.
Glossary Keyword
A glossary keyword enables you to display a short note that provides further information about the keyword. If you move the mouse cursor to a glossary keyword and click on the keyword, a new window is opened with a short note about the keyword. If you are using the keyboard rather than the mouse, use the <Tab> key to select a glossary keyword, then hold down the <Enter> key. The note clears from the screen when you release the mouse button or the <Enter> key.
How to Move Around DOSBook
The following tables summarize the buttons you can use to move around DOSBook.
Table 5-2 explains the function of the buttons at the bottom of the DOSBook screen. You must use the mouse to select a button; refer to Table 5-3 for the keyboard alternatives.
The table below lists the keys you use to move around DOSBook, and to invoke the various features provided within DOSBook.
Printing from DOSBook
You can print the section of DOSBook that is currently displayed or print the whole chapter that you are in. Select the Print section option from the Window menu. The Print dialog gives you the option to either print to a device or specify a filename. If you enter a filename, the text is saved to that file. Instead of a filename, you can specify an output device, such as LPT2. You can then choose the <Print Section> or <Print Chapter> buttons.
Note that DOSBook outputs the text in non-PostScript* format. If you want to print on a PostScript printer, you must first run the SCRIPT command. For example, to print to a PostScript printer on LPT1, enter the following command before you run DOSBook:
SCRIPT LPT1
SCRIPT will intercept the text that DOSBook sends to LPT1, convert it to PostScript, then pass the PostScript text onto LPT1.
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