iOS! Documentation

• Freeware License
• About Compatibility
• Introduction
• Key Elements
• Help and Options
• Integrated Programs
• Other Features
• About Development
• Credits

This program is subject to Kristopher's Freeware License Version 1.0

iOS is a DOS application. It will run in DOS, Windows, and Windows NT through the NT Virtual DOS Machine (NTVDM). However, it is not compatible with Windows Vista without a DOS emulator such as DOS Box. If you are not using NT, you will need to configure iOS in the Options program.

iOS is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) with a dual purpose. Its full name is The Innovative Technologies Interactive Operating System. For DOS, the file browser and text editor can make print text files or editing batch files much easier. Additionally, and also for Windows users, it has several built-in applications and games. It features many all-new capabilities and formats, including the font, menus, and overall style. It also features an error-free upgrade handler, which deletes old files when a new version is installed, and keeps older versions from running.
One major advantage to iOS over other QuickBasic GUIs is the instant and minor installation. All of the graphics are real time rendered, so there are no graphics files to install. This is one reason why the downloadable ZIP file is so small. iOS installs the necessary settings files automatically to the current drive, without an entire setup program.
Another major advantage is the recent development of iOS. The result is full compatibility with Windows Xp.

iOS uses menus for most navigation. In addition to clicking with the mouse, you can also press [1] to select the first choice, [2] for the second, etc. You can click and drag the title bar to move the window.

Desktop
	The iOS Desktop contains up to 125 icons, which are shortcuts to built-in programs, folders, and external files. The original icons link to "My Computer", You can add a shortcut by right-clicking on the original in the file browser, and you can remove a shortcut from the Desktop by right-clicking on it. The Desktop is not a folder, like the Windows desktop; it is actually a list of shortcuts all stored in a single text file. If you have iOS installed on Drive C, you can click here to see the list of Desktop icons.
File Browser
	The File Browser can be opened through a Desktop shortcut to a folder, or through the "Browser" button in the Taskbar, and is located on the right side of the screen. You can open and close it by pressing [B], and you can open it to the "Programs" folder by pressing [Space]. (The "Programs" folder lets you launch the internal programs.) To navigate through the File Browser to another location, click on a folder or drive in the File Browser or Desktop, or click on the "Up" icon at the top left of the File Browser. Also, you can click the File Browser's title bar to manually type a path. If you navigate to an empty folder, an iOS.dat file will appear, so you have a file to right-click for the menu, but it is not really there. The file browser than load up to 128 files and folders at once. You can click the left and right arrow buttons at the top right of the screen to scroll through the files if they do not all fit on the screen at once. By left-clicking on a file, you can run executible or batch files, QBasic programs (This is for Windows NT and newer only, and you need to place QBasic.pif in the iOS folder), or open a text file with Jotit. Right-clicking opens a menu for cutting, copying, pasting, renaming, and deleting files and folders. You can also create a new folder, or create a shortcut to be placed in the Desktop. If you are using DOS and Windows 95, 98, and ME, you need to configure iOS in the Options program. You will also not be able to run large EXEs (not even 150K), or delete a folder if there are other folders in it.
Start Menu
	The Start Menu contains links to the internal programs and the Programs folder, and has an option to exit iOS. It allows quick access to iOS's programs. You can open it by pressing [S] or [Z], or by clicking on the "Start Menu" button in the Taskbar.
Taskbar
	The Taskbar at the bottom of the screen displays the current time, and has buttons that will open and close the Start Menu and File Browser. You can left click on the clock, or press [C] or [T] to see the current date and time (in seconds). You can adjust the date and time by right-clicking on the clock at the bottom right of the screen. A menu will appear asking if you want to change the date or time. You must enter the date and time changes with the correct syntax (i.e. 12:34:56). On certain, older Operating Systems, such as Windows 98, this will change the computer's actual date and time settings. On newer computers, it will only affect iOS.

Screen Saver
	iOS has three different screen savers, two of which were previously released as separate programs. The third screen saver exits iOS. You can specify the wait until the screen savers come on with the Options program.
My_Docs
	iOS creates a My_Docs folder in the iOS folder for placing miscellaneous files, and creates a Desktop shortcut to it. You can click here to view its contents if iOS is installed on Drive C.
The Hidden Mission
	The hidden mission tests your ability to master iOS. It will ask you to do several things throughout iOS and all of its games and applications, in an effort to prove your mastery over iOS. Press [K] to start your mission or to see your progress.
Auto Clicks
	iOS runs a list of tasks when started, which are listed in auto.txt. By default, iOS automatically changes the browser path to Drive C, and runs an empty BAT file. You can edit autoexec.bat to have iOS run real DOS commands when it starts up. Auto.txt processes the tasks exactly like it would if you left-clicked on it. However, none of the menus or messages will appear because the auto clicks are run before iOS is started. If you run Incoming when iOS starts, you will not have a menu to quit, and there will be no way to exit Incoming. You can edit/modify/expand the auto clicks file with Jotit or an external text editor to run up to sixteen commands. If the auto clicks file becomes corrupted, it will prevent iOS from starting. You can then modify or delete auto.txt. The following table lists examples of what auto.txt can do. Notice the syntax identical to the list of Desktop icons. Run the iOS autoexec batch file "AUTOEXEC","BAT","C:\ITECH\MISC\IOS" Open "My Computer" with the file browser "My Computer","<AB","" Open the list of Programs with the file browser "Programs","<AB","" Open Drive C with the file browser "DRIVE C","<DR","C:\" Open the iTECH folder with the file browser "ITECH","<DI","C:\" Run an external program (this runs The Incredibles) "LAUNCHER","EXE","C:\PROGRA~1\THQ\DISNEY\THEINC~1" Run an integrated program (the program will not work properly, but it is good for beta testing new programs) "Incoming","<IN","Programs" Open a text file (this will open the file in Jotit, which will stop iOS from starting) "AUTO","TXT","C:\ITECH\MISC\IOS"

Help
	iOS has a built-in Help program, which should answer the FAQ. It also lets you access the "Introduction to iOS," which appears when iOS is first installed. You can launch Help like any other program, or by pressing [H] or [F1].
Options
	iOS has an Options program that lets you select colors, screen savers, and which Operating System you are using. The settings are applied instantly. If you are in the options program selecting colors and can no longer read the menus because of the color scheme, press [6]. This will select "Done", and the old color settings will be restored. When selecting a screen saver, you can preview it, and change the wait before it comes on. If you are not using Windows NT, you will need to select "Compatibility," and then click "DOS and Windows 95, 98, and ME."

Box Blaster
	Box Blaster is a simple version of Breakout, in which you have to keep the ball bouncing by moving the paddle with the mouse or arrow keys for it to land on. This version features paddles at the top and bottom, for a Pong effect. Boxes appear on the playing field, and you must break them with the ball to get points. Breaking the boxes will usually give you a bonus: it will change your paddle size, shrink the ball, or change the ball's velocity. The game speeds up when the ball shrinks, and eventually the ball becomes uncontrollably fast, ending the game. A good score is 600 points.
Bounce 2
	Bounce 2 is a top quality, iOS exclusive game with ten levels to master and a hidden bonus mode. The object is to get yellow points without losing all of your lives or running out of time. The bouncer bounces on the green mounds, while being moved left or right with the arrow keys. Timing is essential because some of the mounds move and shrink, and the bouncer could die if he misses. You can press the up and down arrow keys to change the speed if the game runs too quickly. The game may seem difficult at first, but it is easy to master the short levels. The day quickly passes as the game continues until the bouncer is lost in the middle of the night, and must face his final challenge: outscoring his evil Arch Nemesis. Beating him will unlock the bonus mode, which is free play at its finest. In the bonus mode, you can press [K] to change the bouncer's size. You can also replay the mission once you have beaten it to get record times for each level.
Calendar
	Featuring an exclusive set of algorithms, this calendar is acurate from the initiation of the Gregorian Calendar until the year 3264. This calendar lets you schedule daily events, and allows fast month-by-month scrolling. To scroll through the calendar, click on the "Last Month" and "Next Month" boxes, or use the left and right arrow keys. To add a task, click on a day of the month, and a text box will appear. Leave it blank to cancel. An orange rectangle will appear to the left of the day-of-the-month-number to indicate a task is due on that day. You can see the tasks due for any day by hovering the mouse over it. A list of the tasks due that day will appear below the calendar. To remove a task, position the mouse on the day it is due, and right-click on it. This will position the mouse below the calendar. You can then click on a task to remove it. The Calendar program also has an options menu, which you can open by clicking the "Options" box. It lets you remove all of the tasks, or go to the current date. If you have iOS installed on Drive C, you can click here to see a list of all the tasks stored in the Calendar program. The Calendar program is made to work with the "DueToday" program. "DueToday" is a simple utility that will display all the tasks that are due on the current date when you click on it.
Incoming
	Incoming was originally developed two months before iOS began, but the game was modified to run faster and support the mouse, and became a classic addition to iOS. The goal in Incoming is quite simple: move the spaceship up and down with the keyboard or mouse to avoid the incoming missiles and hit the enemies. The enemies won't shoot at the beginning of the game, so you should try to get as many points then as possible. When they start shooting, you will have five lives. When the spaceship gets hit, it will turn white for a few seconds; it cannot get hit again in this time. The enemies are not only spinning in circles, they are orbiting in a circle. This is why the enemies will frequently be grouped together in the same orbit. The orbits change every game, so some games will be harder than others. An exceptionally easy game will give over 150 points, although 60 is an average score.
Jotit
	Jotit is a text editor for text and batch files, web pages, and program source code. It can load up to 384 paragraphs of text, but large paragraphs can cause it to crash. You can open a file ("BAS", "BAT", "CPP", "CSS", "DAT", "HTM", "SYS", "TMP", "TXT") with Jotit by clicking on it in the file browser. Once the file is open, you can edit it, using the mouse to position the cursor. You can scroll through the page with the arrow keys, or click, drag, and hold the cursor at the bottom of the page. To access the menu, click at the top of the Jotit window, or press [Escape]. You can save the file, create a new blank page, or load a file (even one that is not a text file). You can also create a new web page, which adds paragraph tags and titles the page. iOS creates a Jotit folder in the iOS folder when Jotit is run. When you use the menu to create a new file or web page, or open Jotit by clicking on the Jotit logo, a new file will appear with an autonumeric name. These files will be saved in the Jotit folder unless you use the "Save As" menu option. You can exit Jotit from the menu.

The i-TECH Operating System was written with Microsoft QBasic versions 1.0 and 1.1, and was compiled with QuickBasic version 7.1 (PDS). Version 1.19 was the last version that QBasic could run. Later versions can only be compiled with PDS. The source code is about 100K, and was developed within four months. A working version (50K) was developed in April 2006, but the program was not compiled until July. It was written entirely by Kristopher Windsor, except for the mouse drivers and the drive testing for the "My Computer," which were in the public domain. It was also designed entirely by Kristopher Windsor
The program runs in SCREEN 12, which is VGA (640x480x16). It uses real time rendered graphics, instead of bitmaps for the icons or font, which lets iOS run without installing any large files.
The mouse drivers are approximately 2.25K of the 95K of source code. They were written by Alipha, and are posted at network54.com. They use CALL ABSOLUTE, which runs assembly code. They allow the line MouseStatus x, y, lb, rb, 0 to store the status of the mouse to variables.

Kristopher Windsor Main idea, style, developement, and documentation Mennonite Finding the bug in Incoming Antoni Disk drive testing for "My Computer" Mikrondel Finding the bug causing iOS to crash QB PDS The Network54 QBasic Team, including Pete Burg, Moneo, Mac, TheBOB, London, and others Answering my questions regarding DOS SHELL commands, among other things, and for making this possible