Dos Navigator

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Dos Navigator

DOS Navigator.gif
Basic data

developer RIT Research Labs /
Publishing year 1991
Current  version 2.31 (NDN)
(March 22, 2010)
operating system DOS, Windows
programming language Turbo Pascal / Delphi
category File manager
License freeware
German speaking No
ritlabs.com/dn

The Dos Navigator (short DN ) is a DOS - clone of the popular, designed also for DOS file manager Norton Commander in two-window technology. It was developed and distributed by RITLabs , a Moldovan company, from 1991 to 1999 . The Dos Navigator was one of the few programs that consistently and successfully used the object-oriented interface library Turbo Vision from Turbo Pascal . The basic operation of the program is very similar to its role model, Norton Commander (appearance, key assignments, etc.), but much more flexible, more configurable and more extensive. The integrated editor was one of the most powerful and extensive for DOS (editing columns and blocks). Using configurable links to file extensions and flexible menus, external programs such as viewers, packers and others can be easily integrated into the user interface, thus further expanding the program's functionality. A color differentiation of file types can also be set. A special feature is the support of various VGA video modes, which enables a display apart from the usual 80 columns and 25 lines. A simple Tetris game was also part of the program.

The Dos Navigator is no longer compatible with the NTFS file system, which is used by Windows XP , among others , but it is compatible with all versions of the FAT file system. By means of the DOS driver DOSLFN it is possible to carry out all file operations from a pure DOS environment (for example that of an emergency floppy disk ) without destroying the long file names of VFAT systems that are in the user interface itself, due to the text mode, can only be insufficiently represented.

Dos Navigator has been an open source project since 1999 and is being further developed by various groups. The first known offshoot of this project is Necromancer's Dos Navigator (NDN), which is available in versions for DOS, Windows NT / XP and Linux and is de facto the last current version of the Dos Navigator.

From 2002 to 2008, several versions of the project originally coordinated by RITLabs were available again. The last version of the program now mentioned in the interface DN / 2 had the number 2.14 on September 19, 2008. Both lines are very similar, although the Necromancer's Dos Navigator is more extensive and, with version 2.31 from 2010, also more up-to-date.

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