In connection with the two articles I contributed on CD-ROMs (MacDonald, 1993, 1994), the coordinator asked me how I went about browsing through the really big files one finds on these devices.
I use two approaches when I want to get a look at a certain part of a big CD- ROM file and I do not want to write a little FORTRAN program. Wordprocessing packages cannot handle the file sizes, and the same applies to DOS Edit. If I am using FORTRAN I use the WatEdit from Waterloo FORTRAN. However, this does have some maximum file size, and then it dumps you out. However you can use it to have a look at most files. Second, I use the shareware LIST.COM. I have a really old version (late 1980's!) that works fine for the few times I used it.
MacDonald, G.M. 1994. CD-ROM data sets: Part 2, Global ecosystems database version 1.0. INQUA - Commission of the Holocene Working Group on Data-Handling Methods. 11, 8-10.
(NOTE from the Coordinator: Glen mentioned LIST.COM, a utility by V.D. Buerg which is by far the most useful DOS utility I have ever used. I have put a copy of shareware version 7.3d in the INQUA File Boutique in the self-extracting file LISTZ.EXE. Typing List gives you a directory tree. You can always press F1 to get a help screen. An even more powerful version can be purchased from the author: Vernon D. Buerg, 139 White Oak Circle, Petaluma, CA 94952.)