               Freeware CD-ROM Software and Organization


** The CD-ROM disk will be referenced as  CDROM:  in this discussion **

** To test, you can just define a rooted logical of CDROM: by:
       $ define/process cdrom mydisk:[cdrom.]/trans=conc


To active the FREEWARE menu system:
-----------------------------------

  $ @cdrom:[freeware]freeware.com


This command file will:

  o  set up the FREEWARE$CD:   logical to point to this disk drive
  o  set up the FREEWARE$LOC:  logical to point to cdrom:[freeware]
  o  set up logicals used by the menu system
  o  active the menu system


The menu system
---------------

The INTOUCH 4GL base menu system will use a small database called
  FREEWARE$LOC:MENU_INFO

This database will have previously been built using the TTI supplied
procedure BUILD_MENU_INFO.INT.



BUILD_MENU_INFO.INT
-------------------

This INTOUCH 4GL based procedure should be run *prior* to burning the
master CDROM disk.  The procedure scans the directory structure as
follows:

     Scan CDROM:[000000...]FREEWARE_README.TXT  -- if found, stores the
     directory name into MENU_INFO database.  Opens the
     FREEWARE_README.TXT file and reads the FIRST text line.  It expects
     the first line to look like:

        PACKAGE_NAME, CATEGORY, ONE_LINE_DESCRIPTION

     for example:

        INTOUCH 4GL, LANGUAGE, High-performance 4GL for VAX and AXP systems

     The one-line descriptions will be truncated to 60 characters.  This
     will allow them to display nicely on the selection menus later on.

     The PACKAGE_NAME, CATEGORY and ONE_LINE_DESCRIPTION are all stored
     into the MENU_INFO database.

     Any additional lines of text in the FREEWARE_README.TXT file will 
     be displayed to the user from the MENU SYSTEM, if they choose this 
     package from the menu.  

     Lines preceeded by a "!" are ignored as comments.

     If there is a FREEWARE_DEMO.TXT file, this is noted.  If there is a
     FREEWARE_DEMO.COM file, this is also noted.

     The FREEWARE_DEMO.TXT file is text that can explain how to try this
     software...or explains what the FREEWARE_DEMO.COM file will be
     showing the user.

     If the user selects this package from the menu system, 
     the FREEWARE_DEMO.COM file will be executed.


MNEU_INFO database
------------------

The MENU_INFO database is an INTOUCH data structure that consists of
these three RMS file types:

   MENU_INFO.DAT  -  index file based on package name and category

   MENU_INFO.DEF  -  INTOUCH data dictionary

   MENU_INFO.STR  -  INTOUCH specific structure information


Data elements are:

   PACKAGE   name of this package  (INTOUCH, or BLISS, ...)
   CATEGORY  software category (language, tool, application, ...)
   DESC      short description of the package (<60 characters??)
   DIR       directory location of the package
   DEMO_TXT  is a FREEWARE_DEMO.TXT available to display?
   DEMO_COM  can a demo be run by the user using a FREEWARE_DEMO.COM file?



Misc Files
----------

In [FREEWARE] is the file  FREEWARE_HELP.TXT.  When a user chooses HELP
from the Freeware menu, this is the file that is displayed.

FREEWARE.DOC is this file that you are reading now.

FREEWARE_COPYRIGHT.COM contains Digital Copyright information and the
FREEWARE CD-ROM version number (for software tracking).

