
 Spectra Versions 




     ͻ
          Version 1.0     
     ͼ

1. Renamed the WinDOS project to Spectra. Sorry, but I was forced to do so
   by Microsoft.

2. Minor improvements.




 WinDOS Versions 




     ͻ
          Version 270     
     ͼ

1. Directory history size increased from 10 to 50 entries.

2. Drives can now be changed using ALT+DRIVE key combinations.

3. The copying process is now abortable with ESC.

4. The internal ZIP reading is now also abortable with ESC.

5. A BIOS 8x8 font is now read in a more compatible way in order to avoid
   printed "garbage" with some queer BIOS's.

6. Cleaned up code. Modularity improved, although still far away from
   being perfect.

7. The size of the package has been reduced.

8. Slightly decreased loading times of WinDOS and its utilities.

9. HTEDIT.EXE now supports the 50 line text mode.



     ͻ
          Version 265     
     ͼ

1.  The most powerful extension registration system ever! Now supports
    multiline script blocks (batch style and unlimited size) for every
    program entry. Wildcard '?' is allowed to be used in the description of
    any extension. Registration of directories is also now available, which
    is ideal to be used with antivirus programs. Plus many other new features.

2.  Added an option to run programs using COMMAND.COM (to solve some
    memory allocation and program location problems).

3.  Added an option to flush DOS buffers before program execution to
    prevent SMARTDRIVE from crashing and corrupting WinDos configuration in
    some cases (due to bugs in this Microsoft product).

4.  Created a utility to set a 50-line text mode (50LINES.COM). Very useful
    for use in the new extension registration system.

5.  Created a utility to restore the standard 25-line text mode
    (25LINES.COM).

6.  RUNNER.COM module was optimized. Disktop now takes up 4608 bytes of
    conventional or high memory.

7.  All internal WinDos utilities are now executed without graphics mode
    switching, which was slow and annoying.

8.  WinDos utilities are run differently to be fully compatible with
    PTS-DOS and DrDOS.

9.  Disktop now scans for every drive from A to Z to support "floating
    drives". For example, for disks A: C: D: E: F: Z:, earlier versions of
    Disktop would have missed Z:.

10. A colour in Disktop's HiTech skin was corrected.

11. Disktop now pauses after "Help - On Selected Program" is selected.

12. Properties displays drive information correctly on versions of DOS
    without FAT32 support or without appropriate drivers.

13. Code optimizations made to PRINT.EXE module.

14. Added the ability for PRINT.EXE module to display the number of lines in
    a document.

15. PRINT.EXE now sends a page feed instruction to the printer when necessary
    to avoid line-skipping on some printers (including Canon BJC-210 series).

16. Updated the screen savers to work on all systems without exiting at
    startup.

17. OPTIONS.EXE module was updated. Automatic extension editor was removed
    as it was much more difficult to use and was incompatible with the
    new extension registration system.

18. BUG FIXED - the preview button in OPTIONS-ScreenSavers didn't always work.

19. BUG FIXED - the compression tools returned an error when very long
                paths were used.

20. BUG FIXED - the compression tools became disabled if files were copied
                from ZIP using Disktop's internal ZIP.

21. BUG FIXED - if a ZIP file was zipped and placed at the end of an
                archive, Disktop's internal ZIP displayed empty
                contents of the parent ZIP when viewed.

22. BUG FIXED - ZIP files smaller than 512 bytes were not viewed correctly
                by Disktop's internal ZIP.

23. BUG FIXED - Disktop reported an error during copy if a directory name
                contained a dot and was cut and pasted onto another drive.

24. BUG FIXED - If COMSPEC environment variable followed variables that were
                less than 8 characters (name and data), RUNNER.COM
                reported an error.

25. BUG FIXED - Properties memory information was corrected.

26. Updated documentation.

27. Other minor changes.



     ͻ
          Version 250     
     ͼ

1.  Added capability of loading into upper memory, thus freeing ALL of
    conventional memory pool. If UMBs are not available, WinDos loads
    into conventional memory and takes up under 5 Kb of space
    Comparison with other popular shells:
    Norton Commander 5.0              13 Kb
    Volkov Commander 4.01             19 Kb

2.  Added ability to run TSR programs correctly.

3.  Faster program execution.

4.  New Disktop File Manager interface.

5.  New compression interface, optimized code.

6.  New properties interface, optimized code.

7.  Extended system, disk and file attributes information (properties).
    Disk information is now correct for drives > 2 GB.

8.  New print utility interface, optimized code.

9.  Colour schemes, or skins, can now be used with Disktop and its utilities.

10. <LIST:file.lst> flag for list file generation (extension editor).

11. <CURDRIVE> flag (extension editor).

12. Command line, passed to programs, is no longer capitalized.

13. Cut, Copy and MEM light indicators (Disktop).

14. Improved InputBox control (Disktop).

15. Commonly used keys (ENTER and ESC) are now functional in all information
    and input boxes (Disktop).

16. Faster execution of WinDos utilities.

17. BUG FIXED: In v220 the only resolution available in Desktop was 640x480.

18. BUG FIXED: If somefile.key didn't exist and a program containing
    <KEYS:somefile.key> as part of its command line in extension list was
    called, then Disktop would have exited with an error.

19. BUG FIXED: If changing icons was attempted (using SELICON.EXE) in
    resolutions other than 640x480, a visual bug occurred.

20. BACKSPACE - moves up directory.

21. Improved highlighting method in Disktop.

22. Other minor changes.

23. Updated documentation.



     ͻ
          Version 220     
     ͼ

1.  A very fast internal ZIP support in Disktop module. Now you can
    browse through ZIP files as through folders, perform various
    operations on files inside ZIP including cut, copy and paste.
    However, PKZIP and PKUNZIP are still required for some features to
    work.

2.  File associations are now functional inside ZIP files.

3.  "Create Empty File" option was added to the File menu.

4.  More hotkeys were introduced.

5.  Minor bug fixes in Disktop (theoretical bugs, the chances of them
    actually occurring are very small).

6.  Bug fixed: Incorrect directory as part of program path, recorded in
    Quick Menu, forced RUNNER.EXE to exit to DOS with an error.

7.  Bug fixed: If QUICK method was used to launch a program with a
    command line, the command tail remained in memory after execution,
    which resulted in incorrect execution of other programs after the
    event.

8.  Bug fixed: In some situations the command line passed to the
    double-clicked programs was not always a null string.

9.  ScreenSaver "Magic Squares".

10. ScreenSaver "Hyperbola".

11. ScreenSaver "Acid Rain".

12. Improved "XOR" ScreenSaver.

13. Improved "HiTech" ScreenSaver.

14. Source code released for all ScreenSavers.

15. A stupid limitation was fixed. BAT files can now be selected in
    OPTIONS in the screen saver list.

16. PRINT.EXE did not print in version 215 (sorry). Now it is fixed.

17. Minor bug fix in the compression tools.

