- FL is now available
in a version that supports long file names on the Windows 95 family of
operating systems (Windows 95/98/98SE/ME).
This new version also supports long file names on Windows XP, but with some
quirks.
Please note the following points:
- The Windows 95 version is an interim implementation that is actually based
on the DOS version of FL.
However, the Windows 95 version is not recommended for use on native DOS.
(Use the DOS version of FL on native DOS.)
- Because the Windows 95 version is based on the DOS version,
the maximum number of files that can be listed is limited.
The precise limit depends on the amount of memory available to a DOS program
running on Windows, but is likely to be around 1000-1500 files.
- Directories that are very-deeply nested cannot be accessed by the
Windows 95 version.
This occurs when the short-name equivalent of a directory path is still too
long for a DOS-mode program.
- On Windows 95/98/98SE/ME, error returns from commands issued to the
operating system cannot be detected by FL – all commands appear to
complete with a return code of zero.
This is a restriction of the command interpreter (COMMAND.COM) used by the
Windows 95 family.
Sadly, this restriction applies also to native Win32 applications when running
on the Windows 95 family, so a native Win32 version of FL will not solve this
problem.
On Windows XP, the Windows 95 version of FL does receive error returns,
and these are displayed in the usual way.
- On Windows XP, when you change directories within FL, FL uses the long
name of the new directory, but Windows XP changes this to the short name.
As a result, if you enter the command "#O CD" to see what Windows XP thinks
the current directory is, Windows XP displays the current directory using the
short name.
- On Windows XP, the FL keyboard response may appear unusually slow, and the
typamatic action erratic.
This is believed to be due to the overhead of the DOS emulation performed by
Windows XP.
- On Windows NT/2000, the 16-bit OS/2 version of FL should be used.
This version supports long file names, supports error returns from commands,
has a large limit on the number of files that can be listed (circa 16K files),
and has a "normal" keyboard response.
(Note: the OS/2 sub-system that is present in Windows NT/2000 has been removed
from Windows XP, so the 16-bit OS/2 version of FL does not work on Windows XP.)
- FLCUST is also available in a version for Windows 95, but the other tools
in the package have not been changed in this release – the versions in
"FLW95.ZIP" are identical to the ones in "FLDOS.ZIP".
[Back to Summary of Changes]
- The wildcard-matching algorithm
has been revised.
FL was written originally for 8.3 file names, and consequently its
wildcard-matching code was not expecting files with more than one dot in the
name+extension.
Starting with version 4.00, FL defined the extension as being that part of the
fully-resolved filespec that is to the right of the rightmost dot that is to
the right of the rightmost "\".
However, the wildcard matching code was not changed at that time.
In the new release, FL matches the name and extension separately.
If the filespec and the pattern each contain no more than one dot in the
name+extension, the new matching algorithm produces identical results to
previous releases.
But if two or more dots are present in the name+extension in either the
filespec or the pattern, the new algorithm can produce different results to
previous releases.
[Back to Summary of Changes]
- In version 4.03,
the checking of the "=" command was tightened up, but this subsequently
revealed an interesting usability problem, caused by the command just executed
being redisplayed on the command line.
The new release addresses this by implementing the following algorithm:
- If a character is typed when the first character in the field is the "*"
character, and the keyboard is in replace mode (not insert mode), the entire
field is blanked before the character just typed is placed in the field.
In most cases this should eliminate the need to clear the field explicitly
before typing the next command.
Use of this algorithm is controlled by an option in the FL profile.
In FLCUST, go to the "Other Settings" panel and set the "Overtyped commands
blanked" option as required.
The default for new profiles is YES; the value for existing profiles is NO.
[Back to Summary of Changes]
- The validation of the "=" command
that was introduced in version 4.03 has been extended to other FL commands.
As with the "=" command, the reason for this is to make it possible to
introduce new commands in the future, without affecting the behaviour of any
existing commands that are used validly.
If an FL command is not valid, an error message is displayed in the command
field.
(For the "=" command, this is different from 4.06 and earlier releases,
where the command would be passed to the operating system if not recognised
as a valid "=" command.)
[Back to Summary of Changes]
- In previous releases,
when more than one file pattern was specified, FL displayed the paths on the
righthand side of the mode-0 screen, and not the file dates.
When the files are from different directories (for example, the command
"FL A: C:"), displaying the paths is appropriate; but when the files are from
the same directory (for example, the command "FL *.C *.H"), the file dates
would be more useful.
In the new release, FL displays the paths if the list contains files from more
than one directory (or FL is operating in tree mode), and displays the file
dates otherwise.
Note that you can switch the display between dates and paths by using the
#MC (Mode Columns) command.
[Back to Summary of Changes]
- The behaviour of the intelligent
up-directory function ("#R ..") has been revised.
In previous releases, FL made the parent directory the current line in the new
list, but the positioning of this line was inconsistent.
If the parent directory was on the first page of the new list, FL placed the
first line of the list at the top of the screen, with the result that the
current line could appear anywhere on the screen; in all other cases, the
current line was placed in the middle of the screen.
This algorithm lead to the following usability quirk: down-directory from the
top line of page two of the list would result in a return to the bottom line of
page one of the list when up-directory was used.
In the new release, up-directory places the current line in the middle of
the screen.
The only exceptions are when the current line is near the beginning or the end
of the list, when the current line can appear above or below the middle of the
screen (FL auto-scrolls to show as much of the list as possible).
[Back to Summary of Changes]
- For the #C command to work properly
(that is, exit to the directory on display), FL must be invoked via the batch
file F.BAT on Windows and DOS, and via F.CMD on OS/2.
In addition, the environment variable FL_EXIT_FILE must already be set to an
appropriate value.
In previous releases, the user had to remember to define this environment
variable using the appropriate panel in Windows, or CONFIG.SYS in OS/2 and DOS.
In the new release, the setting of this environment variable is added to F.BAT
and F.CMD; this eliminates the need for the user to define this environment
variable.
FL uses the value "C:\FLEXIT.BAT" for the environment variable.
Most modern operating systems use disk cacheing for both reads and writes,
so the FL default should be suitable for most users.
In rare circumstances, a different value might be appropriate (for example, on
DOS where a disk cache is not being used, but a RAM disk is available).
A value other than the FL default can be used simply by defining the
environment variable prior to invoking F.BAT or F.CMD.
However, the value must not be enclosed in double quotes, and must not contain
any characters that would require the value to be enclosed in double quotes
(for example, the blank).
[Back to Summary of Changes]