Date:  19-Oct-90 12:19 EDT
From:  Chris Barr [PC MagNet] [72241,13]
Subj:  PCSORT.DOC

PCSORT, by Michael J. Mefford, is a multi-line, multi-field text file 
sorter, that does everything SORT.EXE can do--and plenty more.

USING PCSORT
The syntax for PCSORT is:

     PCSORT [filename] [options]

PCSORT COMMAND-LINE SUMMARY 
/Sn			n=size of record in lines (1-9) 
			Default=1
/Pn			n=sort priority (1-9) 
			Default=1
/R			Sort current priority in reverse order 
			Default = ascending
/N			Numeric sort current priority 
			Default = Alphanumeric
/L[n]			Line sort: 
			n=record sort line (1-9) 
			default=1
			default sort is a line sort
/[B][+] nn [xx [y]]	Block or column sort:
        		nn=start column 
			xx=width 
			y=sort line (1-9)
			defaults: nn=1; xx=start column to end of line; y=1
/W [+|-] n		Word sort: 
			n=word count
			default = plus 1
			minus = count from end of record 
/C      		Case sensitive sort 
			Default = Case insensitive

Shown above are the many switches you can use, either at the command 
line or within batch files, to configure PCSORT for your own needs. 
The options listed need be used only if you're using PCSORT as a 
filter--in combination with the DOS redirection characters |, <, and >. 
A common example is piping DOS directory's output to a filter and 
redirecting the filter's output to a file. 

PCSORT MENU COMMAND SUMMARY

PgUp/PgDn       Next page
Arrow keys      Cursor
Home(1)	        Beginning of column
Home(2)	        Top of page
Home(3)	        Top of text (the third time you press Home)
End(1)	        End of column
End(2)	        End of page
End(3)	        End of text (the third time you press End)
Ctrl Home       Beginning of text
Ctrl End        End of text
Enter	        Beginning of next line
F1	        Displays all sort fields at a glance
Alt-F1	        Resets all the sort variables to their defaults
F2	        Save file
F3	        New file
F4	        Sort text
F5	        Increase lines per record (1-9)
Shift F5        Decrease lines per record
/F6	        Select next key priority (1-9)
Shift F6        Select previous key priority}
F7	        Sort order (de/ascending)
F8	        Alphanumeric or Numeric sort
F9	        Select next Field type: Line, block, word or none
Shift F9        Select previous Field type
F10	        Mark the record line for line sort
	        or mark block sort field
	        or select sort word count
Shift F10       Reverse selection of word count
Esc	        Exit PCSORT

This listing of PCSORT's navigation keys demonstrates the program's 
versatility in sorting in up to 9 priority orders. Each priority can 
be set independently of the others. Key commands, in general, operate 
as you might expect. Note, however, the varied uses of the Home and 
End keys for traveling throughout the file; each key's role, here, 
depends on the number of times you press it.

CUSTOMIZING PCSORT
            by Michael J. Mefford

Some systems, especially laptops, do not display color contrasts very 
well. If you find PCSORT hard to read, you can force PCSORT to use 
black-and-white attributes by entering the command MODE BW80 before 
running PCSORT. The best way to do that is from a batch file, as shown:
    MODE BW80
    PCSORT %1 %2
If you have a color system and PCSORT is using black and white attributes, 
chances are some other application has changed the video mode. To encourage 
PCSORT to use color, issue the DOS command
     MODE CO80
before running PCSORT.
	The following instructions will enable you to customize the colors 
used by PCSORT. Start by making a backup copy of PCSORT.COM and then enter
     DEBUG PCSORT.COM
You are now ready to modify PCSORT.COM. If at any time you make a mistake, 
you can abort the editing process by entering Q. The last two commands that 
you enter after entering any modifications are
     W
     Q
for Write to disk and Quit DEBUG.

COLOR SCHEME
Enter the following Debug instructions, replacing the xx with a hexadecimal 
color value. The default color values for the menu color, the text, and the 
block marker, and their respective descriptions, are shown as comments to the 
right of the semicolons. Do not type in the comments.
     E 106 xx  ; 71  Blue on light gray 
     E 107 xx  ; 17  Light gray on blue          
     E 108 xx  ; 31  Blue on cyan 
Alternate colors may be selected from the following list. The background color 
number is entered for the first x and the foreground color for the second x. 
Do not use a light color for the background, or the display will blink.
     Dark        Light
     0 Black     8 Dk. gray
     1 Blue      9 Lt. blue
     2 Green     A Lt. green
     3 Cyan      B Lt. cyan
     4 Red       C Orange
     5 Magenta   D Violet
     6 Brown     E Yellow
     7 Lt. gray  F White
For example, to change the Block marker color from blue on cyan (31) to 
blue on light gray (17), you would enter
     E 108 17
PCSORT turns on the border, and some monitors can not handle that. To 
disable the border, enter
     E 10C 1
Replace the 1 with a 0 to re-enable the border.
	Finish the DEBUG session with
     W
     Q