file: MSDOS.TXT G. Moody 6 February 1995 Last revised: 25 May 1997 Notes on installing and using the DB Software Package and WVIEW under MS-DOS and MS-Windows For general information on the DB Software Package and WVIEW, see the file `software\README.TXT'. Compiling the DB Software Package (optional) ============================================ Both sources and MS-DOS binaries for the DB Software Package are provided on this disk (in `db' and in `msdos'). The `db' directory contains the DB Software Package, version 9.7, in C source form. The files within the `db' directory are in UNIX text format (newlines are marked by ASCII line feed characters only). Most MS-DOS C and C++ compilers and text editors can process UNIX-format text files without difficulty; if you wish to convert these files to MS-DOS native text file format, however, first install `msdos\bin\u2d.exe' into a directory in your PATH, copy the UNIX-format files to a writable directory, change to that directory, and type u2d *.* (You may name individual files to be converted if you prefer. `u2d' does not modify binary files or files that are already in MS-DOS text format.) If you wish, you can compile the sources using Microsoft or Borland C or C++ compilers, or using the free djgpp MS-DOS port of the GNU C/C++ compiler (http://www.delorie.com/djgpp/) without modification; see `db\MSDOS' for details. Installing the DB Software Package and WVIEW ============================================ To simplify typical installations, a complete set of MS-DOS binaries for the DB Software Package (version 9.7) and for WVIEW (version 1.03 alpha) is included in the `msdos' directory. In order to use WVIEW, you must also have installed MS Windows, version 3.1 or later, MS Windows for Workgroups, MS Windows NT, MS Windows 95, or OS/2. To install the MS-DOS and MS Windows binaries from within MS Windows, locate the `software' directory within File Manager or Explorer, then double-click on `install.exe'. (If you prefer, you can run `install' from the MS-DOS prompt.) Follow the on-screen instructions to choose the directories for the installation, to set up your DB path, and to calibrate your display. WVIEW uses a DLL version of the DB library in order to read the recordings on our CD-ROMs and others in a variety of supported formats. Since the sources for the library are provided (in `db\lib'), you can modify the library, for example to add support for additional file formats, without the need to recompile WVIEW itself, or other MS Windows-hosted DB applications that you may create. Sources for WVIEW are not included; if you wish to install WVIEW, you must do so from the binaries provided. These binaries were compiled using Borland C/C++ 4.52; if you replace the DB library DLL, be sure to use a compatible compiler to generate the replacement. Using the DB Software Package under MSDOS ========================================= Refer to the ECG Database Programmer's Guide (../html/dbpg/dbpg.htm) and the ECG Database Applications Guide (../html/dbag/dbag.htm) for details on using the applications provided and on writing your own applications to read the recordings on this disk. With the exception of `sample.exe', `view.exe', and `wview.exe', all of the DB applications included in executable form are 32-bit binaries. You will need at least a 386 to run these binaries, and you will also need DPMI services. All recent versions of MS Windows (3.1, 3.11, 95, and NT) provide DPMI services in DOS windows, as do DOSemu (xdos, etc.) under Linux, and DOS windows under OS/2. If your PC runs DOS only, you will need to load a DPMI server such as 386Max, QDPMI, or the free CWSDPMI server (included here in source and precompiled form; see msdos/cwsdpmi). Visit http://www.delorie.com/djgpp/ for further information about all of these options. The DPMI servers built into MS Windows 95 and NT have a bug that may result in the error: Load error: no DPMI selectors after a very long DOS session (involving around 2000 processes under NT, fewer under Windows 95). If this happens the DOS session will crash. The workaround is to exit the DOS session occasionally and restart it, or to use a more robust operating system such as Linux or OS/2. Using WVIEW under Microsoft Windows =================================== For general information about using WVIEW, refer to its on-line help. There is also a UNIX-style `man page' (`../html/dbag/wview-1.htm'); the on-line help is more complete, however. WVIEW is under construction, and many planned features do not exist yet. At present, WVIEW is quite usable for viewing the recordings on this disk and others in a variety of formats, but it lacks facilities for control of external analysis programs and for annotation editing such as are provided by WAVE. If you need these facilities on an Intel PC, see `UNIX.TXT' in this directory.