-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-===-=-=-=---=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-===-=-=-=-=-= =-=- QL the QUAKE launcher v1.2 created by Bas Hooijbergh. bash@epsilon.nl =- =--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=--=-==--=-=-==-= INTRODUCTION: ------------- Most likely you'll know what this program does, so i don't have to write some info about it... New in this version: Smart deleting. Smart editing. Map descriptions. Speed increase. For details see the UPDATE HISTORY section. Features : QL handles upto 1250 Quake C mods and 1250 maps. QL has a good description ability. ( 930 characters per QC ) QL searches dirs for PROGS.DAT and PAK0.PAK files. QL now has an ini file for the config. QL is small. (about 19 kb). Edit descriptions with the touch of a key. Can use other description formats, currently only from QCPL. Create or edit config.cfg files for every QC patch Smart file management ============================================================================== KEY FUNCTIONS: -------------- KEY LEFT, RIGHT - move MAP selector up and down KEY UP, DOWN - move PATCH selector up and down. PAGE_UP, HOME - moves PATCH selector up. PAGE_DOWN, END - moves PATCH selector down. ESC - exists the program at any time. DEL - deletes the current patch. when you delete a patch it will say [deleted] in the menu. this speeds things up, because QL doesn't have to read the directory structure again. DEL only deletes patches, no maps, you will have to do this manualy for now. F1 - edits the INI file. after you have edited the INI file, ql will reload it, so that you don't have to restart the program. ENTER - executes QUAKE with the selected patch and map. A - adds a single impulse command to your config. E - edits map or patch description. C - edits the config.cfg of that particular patch. M - edits the config.cfg of your ID1\ directory. SOME OTHER INFO: ---------------- I would like to thank Henry Gansel (author of QCPL) for some help on things which i havn't implemented yet, but they will be soon. We have traded some tips and tricks.. :) Also i've thought about the idea of making a graphical interface for QL, but right now i don't have the knowledge nor enough resources for that, so it will have to wait. I could use some routines other people wrote, but they just don't work good enough for me. If YOU are a QC programmer then please include a file called PROGS.ID in your archive (Just copy your readme.txt to PROGS.ID or something). And try to make the file max 62 chars and 15 lines long, only the description of the modification please. The future improvements section doesn't exist anymore due to not having enough knowledge to implement the things that were listed here. ============================================================================== UPDATE HISTORY: --------------- * - bug fix / program change. ! - some info. + - new feature. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V1.2 (08/10/96 euro) - (10/08/96 usa) + Added smart deleting: when a map and a patch are both selected QL will query you for what to delete, but if no map has been chosen ql will delete the patch, also when a patch has already been deleted it will delete the chosen map + Added smart editing: see above. (hope it makes things clear, and if not, just try it). + Added map description, these descriptions have the same name as the map, but have .txt as extension. + Descriptions will only be updated when changed. + Added a message window, from now on when you hit 'E' to edit a describe a patch, you will be asked what to describe: 'P' for patch, 'M' for map. + When you press DEL, you will be asked what to delete, 'M' for current map and 'P' for current patch. * Replaced READKEY routines with SCANKEY routines. This also speeds up QL. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V1.0 (08/10/96 euro) - (10/08/96 usa) ! This version should be stable and able to run on any system which can run QUAKE due to rewriting some procedures and optimizing others. * Oops.. V0.9Z had a little bug in it. When you pressed END and there were less then 15 patches, it would screw the screen up.. fixed! + Maps are now available. (descriptions are yet to come..) Maps should be located in the ID1\MAPS directory. + when you press ESC while adding an impulse to your cfg the impulse will not be written to the config.cfg . + fixed the ability to delete patches. Stupid error: QL tried to delete the '.' and '..' directory. + press 'M' and you are able to edit the main config.cfg in the ID1\ dir. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.9Z (02/10/96 euro) - (10/02/96 usa) ! Rewrote the whole source.. You won't notice this very much... accept that there should be some increase of speed. + Ability to add a single impulse command to your config.cfg. Press A for that one. + QL will instantly show the description, you don't have to edit it it first now. + Press F1 and you can edit the INI file. + When you quit QUAKE, you will return to QL. * QL will search for descriptions in this order: PROGS.ID, QCPL description, readme.txt and finaly ANY text file. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.9H (25/09/96 euro) - (09/25/96 usa) ! Fooled around with the idea of rating the mods, but if you want to give your mods a rating isn't it much easier to put that in the progs.id? + Found yet another way to find a description: First QL searches for a PROGS.ID, then README.TXT, then [dirname].TXT, then QCPL descriptions and finaly it searches for ANY textfile (*.txt) and if found it will use that one for the description. ! QL now has a 98% chance of finding some way to describe a QC mod. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.9G (24/09/96 euro) - (09/24/96 usa) ! Wow that new description thingy works even better then expected, so far i've had a 90% succes rate, if there isn't a readme.txt then it will copy the [dirname].txt if it exists, most of the time one of these WILL exist! ! It might look stupid those version numbers but I won't release a V1.0 until i've got the sort routine in. + Added a lightbar routine. (menu looks much better now). * 12 character dirs will be displayed and executed correctly. * Changed the way the menu looks. * Updated this text file somewhat. ! Smartdrive seems to speeds things up a bit, try it and you will see.. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.9F (23/09/96 euro) - (09/23/96 usa) ! Well.. most things I wanted are implemented now, still want to sort directories, but that one could take some days. + Added support for the HOME and END keys. + If no progs.id exists in a QC dir and you press 'E' then QL will search that dir for a readme.txt or [dirname].txt and when found copies that file to progs.id so that you can edit it. * When having less then 23 qc pathches and pressing PAGE_DOWN QL would screw the screen up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.9E (22/09/96 euro) - (09/22/96 usa) ! Qlaunch renamed to QL. Due to conflict with qlaunch.exe included in quake. + config will only be written if changed. + Implemented support for the page_up and page_down keys. * changed the SAFE_MODE into the LISTEN parameter, LISTEN is used much more then SAFE. * QL does! work with dirs over 8 chars long. but it will screw the menu up, so don't make dirs over 8 chars. Maybe I'll change the menu next weekend. Nine character dirs are ok. ( 12345678.9 <- will work ) * Changed the [ ] into þ þ, so you can see it better. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.9D (22/09/96 euro) - (09/22/96 usa) ! every new release will be available at FTP.CDROM.COM + Qlaunch now also uses the descriptions created by QCPL. + Hit the 'C' and you are able to edit the config file for that particular QC patch, if no config file exists, qlaunch will copy it from the ID1\ directory. + Cant press CTRL_BREAK anymore, just exit by pressing ESC. * Changed the menu a bit, you'll see. * started work on compiling qc patches in qlaunch. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.9C (21/09/96 euro) - (09/21/96 usa) + Pressing 'E' now calls edit.com, so you can edit the progs.id for that particular qc patch. * Qlaunch didn't pass commandline parameters: NOCDAUDIO, NOJOYSTICK, SAFE. Fixed that one.. * Qlaunch can now be compressed. Not that it would matter in size. X I just can't seem to delete qc patches from qlaunch without crashing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.9B ! First NET release. * Qlaunch didn't pass a command line to quake.exe... fixed! + Wanted support for more Quake C dirs? 2500 enough? you got it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.9A + Added support for upto 1000! Quake C mods. * when you got to the end of the menu and then back up the menu would scroll 1 choice to far down, thus creating an empty field. Fixed now. * Description format checking is now working. if a textline exceeds 60 chars it will be indicated by 2 green stars, only the first 60 characters of that line will be shown. * Had a look at this txt file and deleted some spelling mistakes. (not all ;) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.99 ! first public release. + config (nocdaudio, nojoystick etc.) will be saved to the qlaunch.exe. + description format will now be checked. * menu color changed. * better menu handling. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.98 ! never released * fixed the menu scrolling up and down. * changed something. * fixed some of the major bugs I was speeking of. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.93 ! private release. (delete it if you have it, it contains some MAJOR bugs). + added the options of nocdaudio, nojoystick and safe_mode + added the # of mods thingy. * ? can't really remember what else I've done.. fixed some bugs or something, and added some new things. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V0.92 + made the whole beta thing.... first version, never released. ============================================================================== Ql was created using Borland Pascal V7.0 running on a Pentium 166. Ql is only being tested on this same machine running DOS V7.0, 4DOS V5.52 and 578k free conventional memory. So if QL doesn't work on your machine, sent me a bug report at BASH@EPSILON.NL BTW: QL assumes that you are running DOS in 25 screen lines. If you are running 43 or some other exotic screen mode lines then create a batch file or something that sets the mode in 25 lines and then runs QL. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thanks to: ID Software its all their fault. Henry Gansel (author of QCPL) ( If you don't like QL then give his QCPL a try). All Quake C programmers.. keep those patches coming.