REVUE User's Manual Welcome to REVUE ================ Congratulations you now have a copy of REVUE - a journaling utility for the word processor AlphaVUE*. This utility will save you hours of re-typing in VUE files that were never saved to the disk due to system power failure, JOB crash, accidental quit, or system crash. With REVUE installed on you system, you will never again lose your file "to the wind". Loading Your New Software ========================= Loading your new software is very simple. All files should be placed in the system account, DSK0:[1,4]. To load the software, perform the following: 1) .LOG SYS: 2) .VCRRES =ALL:[] This will place the following files on your disk: 1) REVUE.SYS - the actual routine that saves VUE keystrokes 2) RVINI.LIT - a program to initialize REVUE.SYS during bootup 3) RV.LIT - the pre-processor for VUE and REVUE restoration Understanding How REVUE Works ============================= REVUE runs concurrently and transparently with your version of VUE. For each keystroke entered from within VUE, REVUE will "capture" the keystroke and write it to a file while remaining within the VUE program. The actual writing is on every 16th keystroke, so the most that will ever be lost is the last 16 keystrokes entered before the "crash". The keystroke file created by REVUE is located in the PPN where the user was running the VUE program when the "crash" occurred. The "first name" of the keystroke file matches the "first name" of the filename the user was VUEing. The extension of the keystroke file is " .RV ". At the end of the VUE session, the keystroke file is erased from the PPN (details soon to follow). If a system crash, JOB crash, accidental Q uit, or power failure occurs before the user FINISH es from VUE, the user may recover their lost work. With REVUE installed, VUE will find the corresponding keystroke file and act like an invisible expert typist and literally "re-type" your keystrokes in one-by-one right on the screen by consulting the keystroke file. Once your file has been recovered, you may continue with your editing session right where you left off. It's that simple! Setting Up REVUE Journaling =========================== In order for REVUE.SYS to work concurrently with VUE, the following system configuration is required: 1) VUE.LIT is located in System Memory. 2) REVUE.SYS is located in System Memory. 3) RV.LIT is located in System Memory. 4) RVINI is executed from within AMOSL.INI. This may sound complicated, but it is actually very simple! The total setup requires the following simple step: indirect modification of your AMOSL.INI (AMOS32.INI) file. NOTE: Never modify AMOSL.INI directly - always make a copy! The steps for the modification are listed below: 1) .LOG SYS: 2) .COPY RVTEST.INI=AMOSL.INI (or .COPY RVTEST.INI = AMOS32.INI ) 3) .VUE RVTEST.INI Now, within the RVTEST.INI file, add the following lines (if not already present): 4) where you see many lines starting with SYSTEM, include SYSTEM VUE.LIT SYSTEM REVUE.SYS SYSTEM RV.LIT 5) after the final line that just contains SYSTEM, add in RVINI You are now ready to test your new initialization file. To do this, perform the following: 6) .LOG OPR: 7) .MONTST AMOSL.MON , RVTEST.INI If the system does not boot with this new file, you have probably made a typing error. Pressing the reset button will have your system come up under the old initialization file. Once up, start over with step 3 and see if you can't find your type-o. 8) If your system did perform the MONTST with no errors, you are ready to perform the following: .COPY AMOSL.INI=RVTEST.INI The final step will cause REVUE to be established on your system each time your system boots. Some Examples ============= Let's look at a few sample sessions. Suppose you would like to edit a file called TEST.BAS and have REVUE record your every keystroke. Further assume TEST.BAS has not been created. Here is what your session would look like (words in BOLD represent user input): .VUE TEST.BAS REVUE has been initialized for JOBNAME - keystrokes will be recorded. BolderBITS (c) 1987 AlphaVUE 2.##(....) TEST.BAS does not exist, do you wish it created? Y > F INISHing from VUE After you are through using VUE and you chose to FINISH , the remainder of the session would look like this: > F If you FINISH from VUE, your keystroke file will be automatically deleted (the same goes for GO ). The session described above is what will occur "9 out of 10 times" you use REVUE journaling. > Q UITing from VUE Note that if you accidentally enter > Q from VUE command mode, you will see the following: Confirm deletion of your keystroke file by entering in a 'Y': You would want to respond to the confirmation with any key except the Y . This response would leave the keystroke file in your PPN and allow for REVUE restoration to take place. Reconstructing a Lost File with REVUE ===================================== If there comes a time when you lose your work from within VUE, you may easily reconstruct your file as long as the corresponding keystroke file is present. To REVUE your file, perform the following: 1) .LOG any JOB to the PPN where the user was in VUE at the time of the "crash". Filename.RV should be present. 2) Enter in .VUE filename from the dot. You will then see: TEST.RV that was created by REVUE has been found in this PPN. Would you like this file REVUEd? Simply answer with a Y and REVUE will reconstruct the file right before your very eyes. The file will be restored back to its original contents (less a few keystrokes). Following reconstruction, REVUE will "beep", at which time you may continue with your editing session. If more than one JOB was in VUE at the time of the crash, repeat steps one and two again for the JOB(s). Notes and Hints 1) VUE will always act "just like VUE". Feel free to use VUE at any time with no side effects. 2) There is no limit to the number of JOBs that may be employing REVUE.SYS at any one time. There is also no limit to the number of files that REVUE may restore after a system failure or.... 3) There is a chance that you may "fill" your keystroke file. When this happens (after approximately 10,000 keystrokes!), a warning message will inform you that you are just about out of room in your keystroke journal. When this happens, simply FINISH from VUE and then enter in .VUE filename again. This will save all of your changes to the disk and provide you with a fresh keystroke file. 4) NEVER SAVE from within VUE. You shouldn't worry about SAVE ing from within VUE if you are employing REVUE journaling. 5) To "test" REVUE , all you need to do is .VUE filename , enter in some data, Q uit from VUE and answer N to the keystroke file confirmation. Be wild! YANK in a few files, mark and UNYANK some blocks of text, center a few lines. Now "simulate" your crash and then follow the steps to REVUE a file and watch the fireworks! It's lots of fun! 6) AMUS appreciates any bug reports, hints, or suggestions to make REVUE a more valuable tool and to help squash any known bugs. Please feel free to call AMUS with any positive criticism or comments. .