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!Help

This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.

Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.

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Filename: !Help
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File contents
!Help file for ArcFS version 0.72c (Beta)
by M.Smith
16th Feb 1995 

The current full version is v2.52 - Details of how to get it are in the info
box.

Full information on ArcFS is available as part of the 'ArcFSExtra' package,
along with technical documentation and utilities.

This version of ArcFS is not P.D., but may be distributed subject to the
conditions in the 'Licence' file.

ArcFS has filing system number 56. My thanks to Acorn for the allocation of
this filing system number and for the allocation of the SWI chunk bases
(&437C0 and &48A00) and Filetype (&3FB).

ArcFS allows the loading and opening of files in archives as easily as files
on ADFS or RamFS. It has its own ArcFS filer which displays the root
directory in a filer window of any archive which is double clicked. From
then on files and applications may be loaded as normal by double clicking
them. Directories may be displayed also by double clicking them. ArcFS can,
of course, also be used from the command line. Facilities for loading
encrypted files are included, via a preferences window which can be obtained
by clicking on the ArcFS icon.

*New to v0.60 / v2.20*

Now *MUCH* Faster. Support for a new archive filetype (&3FB) so ArcFS
archive aren't loaded by SparkFS. Full version also now puts a second copy
of file catalogue information immediately before the file data to make
recovery of files from corrupt archives easier.

*New to v0.65 / v2.23*

Memory management has now been separated out into another module. Dynamic
area memory management included for RISC OS 3.5 in v2.24

*New to v0.70 / v2.50*

Improved RISC OS 3.5 memory management + Bug fixes. The read only version is
now smaller - some resources are stored compressed within the application &
the ArcFS module is compressed with Acorn's DDE Squeeze utility. This is the
release final version that does not need MessageTrans - Future releases will
be fully internationalised and on RISC OS 2 machines will need to load it
from !System. 

*****************************************************************************

All comments and suggestions for future improvement are welcome but please
note that I cannot reply to letters without A STAMPED, ADDRESSED ENVELOPE.

The address is:

    Mr. M. Smith
    Pen-y-dre,
    Riverside Ave.,
    Broxbourne,
    Herts.,
    EN10 6RD.

I would also, of course welcome details of any bugs discovered so
that I can correct them.

My JANET email address is:

ee91mds2@brunel.ac.uk

I can be contacted by this method until May 1995. Please do not send any
email to this address after that.

Also, during this period ONLY I can be contacted more quickly at the
following postal address:

    Room 266,
    Mill Hall,
    Topping Lane,
    Uxbridge,
    Middx.,
    UB8 2TL.

� Mark Smith, 1995
00000000  21 48 65 6c 70 20 66 69  6c 65 20 66 6f 72 20 41  |!Help file for A|
00000010  72 63 46 53 20 76 65 72  73 69 6f 6e 20 30 2e 37  |rcFS version 0.7|
00000020  32 63 20 28 42 65 74 61  29 0a 62 79 20 4d 2e 53  |2c (Beta).by M.S|
00000030  6d 69 74 68 0a 31 36 74  68 20 46 65 62 20 31 39  |mith.16th Feb 19|
00000040  39 35 20 0a 0a 54 68 65  20 63 75 72 72 65 6e 74  |95 ..The current|
00000050  20 66 75 6c 6c 20 76 65  72 73 69 6f 6e 20 69 73  | full version is|
00000060  20 76 32 2e 35 32 20 2d  20 44 65 74 61 69 6c 73  | v2.52 - Details|
00000070  20 6f 66 20 68 6f 77 20  74 6f 20 67 65 74 20 69  | of how to get i|
00000080  74 20 61 72 65 20 69 6e  20 74 68 65 20 69 6e 66  |t are in the inf|
00000090  6f 0a 62 6f 78 2e 0a 0a  46 75 6c 6c 20 69 6e 66  |o.box...Full inf|
000000a0  6f 72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e  20 6f 6e 20 41 72 63 46  |ormation on ArcF|
000000b0  53 20 69 73 20 61 76 61  69 6c 61 62 6c 65 20 61  |S is available a|
000000c0  73 20 70 61 72 74 20 6f  66 20 74 68 65 20 27 41  |s part of the 'A|
000000d0  72 63 46 53 45 78 74 72  61 27 20 70 61 63 6b 61  |rcFSExtra' packa|
000000e0  67 65 2c 0a 61 6c 6f 6e  67 20 77 69 74 68 20 74  |ge,.along with t|
000000f0  65 63 68 6e 69 63 61 6c  20 64 6f 63 75 6d 65 6e  |echnical documen|
00000100  74 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 61  6e 64 20 75 74 69 6c 69  |tation and utili|
00000110  74 69 65 73 2e 0a 0a 54  68 69 73 20 76 65 72 73  |ties...This vers|
00000120  69 6f 6e 20 6f 66 20 41  72 63 46 53 20 69 73 20  |ion of ArcFS is |
00000130  6e 6f 74 20 50 2e 44 2e  2c 20 62 75 74 20 6d 61  |not P.D., but ma|
00000140  79 20 62 65 20 64 69 73  74 72 69 62 75 74 65 64  |y be distributed|
00000150  20 73 75 62 6a 65 63 74  20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 0a  | subject to the.|
00000160  63 6f 6e 64 69 74 69 6f  6e 73 20 69 6e 20 74 68  |conditions in th|
00000170  65 20 27 4c 69 63 65 6e  63 65 27 20 66 69 6c 65  |e 'Licence' file|
00000180  2e 0a 0a 41 72 63 46 53  20 68 61 73 20 66 69 6c  |...ArcFS has fil|
00000190  69 6e 67 20 73 79 73 74  65 6d 20 6e 75 6d 62 65  |ing system numbe|
000001a0  72 20 35 36 2e 20 4d 79  20 74 68 61 6e 6b 73 20  |r 56. My thanks |
000001b0  74 6f 20 41 63 6f 72 6e  20 66 6f 72 20 74 68 65  |to Acorn for the|
000001c0  20 61 6c 6c 6f 63 61 74  69 6f 6e 20 6f 66 0a 74  | allocation of.t|
000001d0  68 69 73 20 66 69 6c 69  6e 67 20 73 79 73 74 65  |his filing syste|
000001e0  6d 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72  20 61 6e 64 20 66 6f 72  |m number and for|
000001f0  20 74 68 65 20 61 6c 6c  6f 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 20  | the allocation |
00000200  6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 53  57 49 20 63 68 75 6e 6b  |of the SWI chunk|
00000210  20 62 61 73 65 73 0a 28  26 34 33 37 43 30 20 61  | bases.(&437C0 a|
00000220  6e 64 20 26 34 38 41 30  30 29 20 61 6e 64 20 46  |nd &48A00) and F|
00000230  69 6c 65 74 79 70 65 20  28 26 33 46 42 29 2e 0a  |iletype (&3FB)..|
00000240  0a 41 72 63 46 53 20 61  6c 6c 6f 77 73 20 74 68  |.ArcFS allows th|
00000250  65 20 6c 6f 61 64 69 6e  67 20 61 6e 64 20 6f 70  |e loading and op|
00000260  65 6e 69 6e 67 20 6f 66  20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 69  |ening of files i|
00000270  6e 20 61 72 63 68 69 76  65 73 20 61 73 20 65 61  |n archives as ea|
00000280  73 69 6c 79 20 61 73 20  66 69 6c 65 73 0a 6f 6e  |sily as files.on|
00000290  20 41 44 46 53 20 6f 72  20 52 61 6d 46 53 2e 20  | ADFS or RamFS. |
000002a0  49 74 20 68 61 73 20 69  74 73 20 6f 77 6e 20 41  |It has its own A|
000002b0  72 63 46 53 20 66 69 6c  65 72 20 77 68 69 63 68  |rcFS filer which|
000002c0  20 64 69 73 70 6c 61 79  73 20 74 68 65 20 72 6f  | displays the ro|
000002d0  6f 74 0a 64 69 72 65 63  74 6f 72 79 20 69 6e 20  |ot.directory in |
000002e0  61 20 66 69 6c 65 72 20  77 69 6e 64 6f 77 20 6f  |a filer window o|
000002f0  66 20 61 6e 79 20 61 72  63 68 69 76 65 20 77 68  |f any archive wh|
00000300  69 63 68 20 69 73 20 64  6f 75 62 6c 65 20 63 6c  |ich is double cl|
00000310  69 63 6b 65 64 2e 20 46  72 6f 6d 0a 74 68 65 6e  |icked. From.then|
00000320  20 6f 6e 20 66 69 6c 65  73 20 61 6e 64 20 61 70  | on files and ap|
00000330  70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f  6e 73 20 6d 61 79 20 62  |plications may b|
00000340  65 20 6c 6f 61 64 65 64  20 61 73 20 6e 6f 72 6d  |e loaded as norm|
00000350  61 6c 20 62 79 20 64 6f  75 62 6c 65 20 63 6c 69  |al by double cli|
00000360  63 6b 69 6e 67 0a 74 68  65 6d 2e 20 44 69 72 65  |cking.them. Dire|
00000370  63 74 6f 72 69 65 73 20  6d 61 79 20 62 65 20 64  |ctories may be d|
00000380  69 73 70 6c 61 79 65 64  20 61 6c 73 6f 20 62 79  |isplayed also by|
00000390  20 64 6f 75 62 6c 65 20  63 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67  | double clicking|
000003a0  20 74 68 65 6d 2e 20 41  72 63 46 53 20 63 61 6e  | them. ArcFS can|
000003b0  2c 0a 6f 66 20 63 6f 75  72 73 65 2c 20 61 6c 73  |,.of course, als|
000003c0  6f 20 62 65 20 75 73 65  64 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74  |o be used from t|
000003d0  68 65 20 63 6f 6d 6d 61  6e 64 20 6c 69 6e 65 2e  |he command line.|
000003e0  20 46 61 63 69 6c 69 74  69 65 73 20 66 6f 72 20  | Facilities for |
000003f0  6c 6f 61 64 69 6e 67 0a  65 6e 63 72 79 70 74 65  |loading.encrypte|
00000400  64 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20  61 72 65 20 69 6e 63 6c  |d files are incl|
00000410  75 64 65 64 2c 20 76 69  61 20 61 20 70 72 65 66  |uded, via a pref|
00000420  65 72 65 6e 63 65 73 20  77 69 6e 64 6f 77 20 77  |erences window w|
00000430  68 69 63 68 20 63 61 6e  20 62 65 20 6f 62 74 61  |hich can be obta|
00000440  69 6e 65 64 0a 62 79 20  63 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67  |ined.by clicking|
00000450  20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20  41 72 63 46 53 20 69 63  | on the ArcFS ic|
00000460  6f 6e 2e 0a 0a 2a 4e 65  77 20 74 6f 20 76 30 2e  |on...*New to v0.|
00000470  36 30 20 2f 20 76 32 2e  32 30 2a 0a 0a 4e 6f 77  |60 / v2.20*..Now|
00000480  20 2a 4d 55 43 48 2a 20  46 61 73 74 65 72 2e 20  | *MUCH* Faster. |
00000490  53 75 70 70 6f 72 74 20  66 6f 72 20 61 20 6e 65  |Support for a ne|
000004a0  77 20 61 72 63 68 69 76  65 20 66 69 6c 65 74 79  |w archive filety|
000004b0  70 65 20 28 26 33 46 42  29 20 73 6f 20 41 72 63  |pe (&3FB) so Arc|
000004c0  46 53 0a 61 72 63 68 69  76 65 20 61 72 65 6e 27  |FS.archive aren'|
000004d0  74 20 6c 6f 61 64 65 64  20 62 79 20 53 70 61 72  |t loaded by Spar|
000004e0  6b 46 53 2e 20 46 75 6c  6c 20 76 65 72 73 69 6f  |kFS. Full versio|
000004f0  6e 20 61 6c 73 6f 20 6e  6f 77 20 70 75 74 73 20  |n also now puts |
00000500  61 20 73 65 63 6f 6e 64  20 63 6f 70 79 0a 6f 66  |a second copy.of|
00000510  20 66 69 6c 65 20 63 61  74 61 6c 6f 67 75 65 20  | file catalogue |
00000520  69 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74  69 6f 6e 20 69 6d 6d 65  |information imme|
00000530  64 69 61 74 65 6c 79 20  62 65 66 6f 72 65 20 74  |diately before t|
00000540  68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 20  64 61 74 61 20 74 6f 20  |he file data to |
00000550  6d 61 6b 65 0a 72 65 63  6f 76 65 72 79 20 6f 66  |make.recovery of|
00000560  20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 66  72 6f 6d 20 63 6f 72 72  | files from corr|
00000570  75 70 74 20 61 72 63 68  69 76 65 73 20 65 61 73  |upt archives eas|
00000580  69 65 72 2e 0a 0a 2a 4e  65 77 20 74 6f 20 76 30  |ier...*New to v0|
00000590  2e 36 35 20 2f 20 76 32  2e 32 33 2a 0a 0a 4d 65  |.65 / v2.23*..Me|
000005a0  6d 6f 72 79 20 6d 61 6e  61 67 65 6d 65 6e 74 20  |mory management |
000005b0  68 61 73 20 6e 6f 77 20  62 65 65 6e 20 73 65 70  |has now been sep|
000005c0  61 72 61 74 65 64 20 6f  75 74 20 69 6e 74 6f 20  |arated out into |
000005d0  61 6e 6f 74 68 65 72 20  6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 2e 20  |another module. |
000005e0  44 79 6e 61 6d 69 63 0a  61 72 65 61 20 6d 65 6d  |Dynamic.area mem|
000005f0  6f 72 79 20 6d 61 6e 61  67 65 6d 65 6e 74 20 69  |ory management i|
00000600  6e 63 6c 75 64 65 64 20  66 6f 72 20 52 49 53 43  |ncluded for RISC|
00000610  20 4f 53 20 33 2e 35 20  69 6e 20 76 32 2e 32 34  | OS 3.5 in v2.24|
00000620  0a 0a 2a 4e 65 77 20 74  6f 20 76 30 2e 37 30 20  |..*New to v0.70 |
00000630  2f 20 76 32 2e 35 30 2a  0a 0a 49 6d 70 72 6f 76  |/ v2.50*..Improv|
00000640  65 64 20 52 49 53 43 20  4f 53 20 33 2e 35 20 6d  |ed RISC OS 3.5 m|
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00000660  20 2b 20 42 75 67 20 66  69 78 65 73 2e 20 54 68  | + Bug fixes. Th|
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00000700  44 45 20 53 71 75 65 65  7a 65 20 75 74 69 6c 69  |DE Squeeze utili|
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00000720  72 65 6c 65 61 73 65 20  66 69 6e 61 6c 20 76 65  |release final ve|
00000730  72 73 69 6f 6e 20 74 68  61 74 20 64 6f 65 73 20  |rsion that does |
00000740  6e 6f 74 20 6e 65 65 64  20 4d 65 73 73 61 67 65  |not need Message|
00000750  54 72 61 6e 73 20 2d 20  46 75 74 75 72 65 20 72  |Trans - Future r|
00000760  65 6c 65 61 73 65 73 20  77 69 6c 6c 0a 62 65 20  |eleases will.be |
00000770  66 75 6c 6c 79 20 69 6e  74 65 72 6e 61 74 69 6f  |fully internatio|
00000780  6e 61 6c 69 73 65 64 20  61 6e 64 20 6f 6e 20 52  |nalised and on R|
00000790  49 53 43 20 4f 53 20 32  20 6d 61 63 68 69 6e 65  |ISC OS 2 machine|
000007a0  73 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 6e  65 65 64 20 74 6f 20 6c  |s will need to l|
000007b0  6f 61 64 20 69 74 0a 66  72 6f 6d 20 21 53 79 73  |oad it.from !Sys|
000007c0  74 65 6d 2e 20 0a 0a 2a  2a 2a 2a 2a 2a 2a 2a 2a  |tem. ..*********|
000007d0  2a 2a 2a 2a 2a 2a 2a 2a  2a 2a 2a 2a 2a 2a 2a 2a  |****************|
*
00000810  2a 2a 2a 2a 0a 0a 41 6c  6c 20 63 6f 6d 6d 65 6e  |****..All commen|
00000820  74 73 20 61 6e 64 20 73  75 67 67 65 73 74 69 6f  |ts and suggestio|
00000830  6e 73 20 66 6f 72 20 66  75 74 75 72 65 20 69 6d  |ns for future im|
00000840  70 72 6f 76 65 6d 65 6e  74 20 61 72 65 20 77 65  |provement are we|
00000850  6c 63 6f 6d 65 20 62 75  74 20 70 6c 65 61 73 65  |lcome but please|
00000860  0a 6e 6f 74 65 20 74 68  61 74 20 49 20 63 61 6e  |.note that I can|
00000870  6e 6f 74 20 72 65 70 6c  79 20 74 6f 20 6c 65 74  |not reply to let|
00000880  74 65 72 73 20 77 69 74  68 6f 75 74 20 41 20 53  |ters without A S|
00000890  54 41 4d 50 45 44 2c 20  41 44 44 52 45 53 53 45  |TAMPED, ADDRESSE|
000008a0  44 20 45 4e 56 45 4c 4f  50 45 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65  |D ENVELOPE...The|
000008b0  20 61 64 64 72 65 73 73  20 69 73 3a 0a 0a 20 20  | address is:..  |
000008c0  20 20 4d 72 2e 20 4d 2e  20 53 6d 69 74 68 0a 20  |  Mr. M. Smith. |
000008d0  20 20 20 50 65 6e 2d 79  2d 64 72 65 2c 0a 20 20  |   Pen-y-dre,.  |
000008e0  20 20 52 69 76 65 72 73  69 64 65 20 41 76 65 2e  |  Riverside Ave.|
000008f0  2c 0a 20 20 20 20 42 72  6f 78 62 6f 75 72 6e 65  |,.    Broxbourne|
00000900  2c 0a 20 20 20 20 48 65  72 74 73 2e 2c 0a 20 20  |,.    Herts.,.  |
00000910  20 20 45 4e 31 30 20 36  52 44 2e 0a 0a 49 20 77  |  EN10 6RD...I w|
00000920  6f 75 6c 64 20 61 6c 73  6f 2c 20 6f 66 20 63 6f  |ould also, of co|
00000930  75 72 73 65 20 77 65 6c  63 6f 6d 65 20 64 65 74  |urse welcome det|
00000940  61 69 6c 73 20 6f 66 20  61 6e 79 20 62 75 67 73  |ails of any bugs|
00000950  20 64 69 73 63 6f 76 65  72 65 64 20 73 6f 0a 74  | discovered so.t|
00000960  68 61 74 20 49 20 63 61  6e 20 63 6f 72 72 65 63  |hat I can correc|
00000970  74 20 74 68 65 6d 2e 0a  0a 4d 79 20 4a 41 4e 45  |t them...My JANE|
00000980  54 20 65 6d 61 69 6c 20  61 64 64 72 65 73 73 20  |T email address |
00000990  69 73 3a 0a 0a 65 65 39  31 6d 64 73 32 40 62 72  |is:..ee91mds2@br|
000009a0  75 6e 65 6c 2e 61 63 2e  75 6b 0a 0a 49 20 63 61  |unel.ac.uk..I ca|
000009b0  6e 20 62 65 20 63 6f 6e  74 61 63 74 65 64 20 62  |n be contacted b|
000009c0  79 20 74 68 69 73 20 6d  65 74 68 6f 64 20 75 6e  |y this method un|
000009d0  74 69 6c 20 4d 61 79 20  31 39 39 35 2e 20 50 6c  |til May 1995. Pl|
000009e0  65 61 73 65 20 64 6f 20  6e 6f 74 20 73 65 6e 64  |ease do not send|
000009f0  20 61 6e 79 0a 65 6d 61  69 6c 20 74 6f 20 74 68  | any.email to th|
00000a00  69 73 20 61 64 64 72 65  73 73 20 61 66 74 65 72  |is address after|
00000a10  20 74 68 61 74 2e 0a 0a  41 6c 73 6f 2c 20 64 75  | that...Also, du|
00000a20  72 69 6e 67 20 74 68 69  73 20 70 65 72 69 6f 64  |ring this period|
00000a30  20 4f 4e 4c 59 20 49 20  63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 63  | ONLY I can be c|
00000a40  6f 6e 74 61 63 74 65 64  20 6d 6f 72 65 20 71 75  |ontacted more qu|
00000a50  69 63 6b 6c 79 20 61 74  20 74 68 65 0a 66 6f 6c  |ickly at the.fol|
00000a60  6c 6f 77 69 6e 67 20 70  6f 73 74 61 6c 20 61 64  |lowing postal ad|
00000a70  64 72 65 73 73 3a 0a 0a  20 20 20 20 52 6f 6f 6d  |dress:..    Room|
00000a80  20 32 36 36 2c 0a 20 20  20 20 4d 69 6c 6c 20 48  | 266,.    Mill H|
00000a90  61 6c 6c 2c 0a 20 20 20  20 54 6f 70 70 69 6e 67  |all,.    Topping|
00000aa0  20 4c 61 6e 65 2c 0a 20  20 20 20 55 78 62 72 69  | Lane,.    Uxbri|
00000ab0  64 67 65 2c 0a 20 20 20  20 4d 69 64 64 78 2e 2c  |dge,.    Middx.,|
00000ac0  0a 20 20 20 20 55 42 38  20 32 54 4c 2e 0a 0a a9  |.    UB8 2TL....|
00000ad0  20 4d 61 72 6b 20 53 6d  69 74 68 2c 20 31 39 39  | Mark Smith, 199|
00000ae0  35 0a                                             |5.|
00000ae2