The program is probably one of the all-time easiest to use, requiring, for the most part, nothing more complex than dragging a file(s) onto an Icon that floats wherever you place it in File Manager. This updated version also allows you to replace the File Manager toolbar with its far more intuitive buttons, and/or to have a Drive Bar float on top of Windows at all times as a master control similar to MSOffice or Bookshelf.
I wanted to review this software package because I already had a copy of Drag-N-Zip, which I registered last year. So perhaps that is as good a place to start as any. The updated version of this incredible program not only allows you to view, scan for viruses, scan and try out, and finally, unzip, zip or convert to self-extracting (EXE) files, it works seamlessly with many WEB Browsers such as Mosaic and Netscape. (Programs other than the included PKZIP 2.04 routines must be present on your hard disk.) When you download a ZIP, LHA or GZ file from the Net, you can have the Drag -N-Zip file manager pop up and allow you to extract, view or scan the compressed file for viruses.
Another extremely useful Icon tool, Drag and View Gold, allows you to view the contents of a file or files without having to run the program that created them, as is the case with File Manager's "associate" option. In addition, it will display files in ASCII or hexadecimal, open multiple windows to compare files, search for text in any file or hex strings in the Hex viewer, go to any cell in a spreadsheet, any record in a database, and any address in the Hex view of a file. After the first viewing window is opened, the Icon remains active and will open another window for each file dropped on it. Clicking on the Icon itself opens a toolbar of additional options such as play (.WAV files), print (selected files/areas) and copy to Windows Clipboard .
The main Drag and File program has been left until last because, as the very clearly written Manual states (Yes! A written Manual!), Drag and File works at several levels of sophistication. The result is an uncommon degree of flexibility. It is also a degree of flexibility that cannot be completely covered in less than the Manual! I'll try to hit of the high spots, then, and whet your appetite!
Again, I'll start from the outside in, so to speak; from the floating Drive Bar mentioned above. Once set up as an "always on top" Icon bar with the appearance of the file manager drive bar, it allows you to access and run the entire program, all components, with a single mouse click. Drag and File displays a window complete with toolbar (configurable) and menu choices for each drive selected. You may open up to 12 drive windows simultaneously. Next you'll want to configure the program(s) for your personal style. First you may (and probably should!) enable overwrite warnings, because what comes next is mind boggling to a virtual neophyte in file manipulation (in Windows!). You can, finally, set operations on tagged files in more than one window. These choices include all file Copy operations on a highlighted file or the tagged files from all open Drag and File windows. The same applies to Move, View files, View directories, Drag and Drop, and ZIP!
In short, virtually everything is configurable or customizable, if you prefer. The program even includes icons for disk formatting and diskcopy; and if you get unhappy with it at any time it has its own build-in uninstaller! I know this works, because I did get confused and decided that it was easier to start from scratch . . . besides, I preferred Dragon as a directory name instead of the default!
I installed the program on my Micron P100 Pentium (16 MB RAM), where I run DOS 6.22, 4DOS, WFW3.11 and several utilities such as PlugIns for Windows, SmartDate, and Remove-Its Log-It as virtual "TSRs" in Program Manager. I had no problems with Drag and File and am totally delighted with it. The program is available in WIN95 versions for those who have taken that path! The program is designed to run on IBM PC-compatibles, using 80286 or higher processor and a minimum of 2 MB (4 recommended) of RAM. The program requires 2.5 MB of disk space for a typical installation. Installation consists of the usual "setup" command and allows you to bail out at about any point.
Canyon Software, 1537 Fourth Street/Ste. 131, San Rafael, CA 94901
(415)453-9779, FAX (415) 453-6195