PARtoBAT                                        Version 3.1 / September 1994

   written by Michael Peters [CIS 100041,247] [Internet mpe@hop.dinoco.de]
   Copyright (C) 1992-94 The Stone Soup Group

 PARtoBAT generates batch files from FractInt PAR files.

 This program is freeware. It may be freely copied and distributed but
 may not be sold.


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 ³ Change history ³
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   2.1 introduced code names for GIF files
       (Suggestion by Jon Horner)
   2.2 checks Fractint errorlevel, plus: If the video mode is not specified,
       it can now be entered on the batch command line.
       (Suggestions by Timothy Wegner)
   3.0 this version features some more ideas by Tim (and some of my own).
       Batches now quits with errorlevel 2 (for Fractint v. 18 and above,
         has no effect if earlier versions are used)
       PAR files shown in alphabetical order
       Wildcard support, creates Newpars.Bat, reads SSTOOLS.INI
       Indirect @ files can be read (suggestion by Nelson Hinman)
   3.1 ignores {comments} and can handle very large PAR files.
       (Update suggestion by Timothy Wegner.)
       For technical reasons, the PAR filename display is now no longer
       sorted by PARtoBAT itself but utilizes the MS-DOS external SORT
       command (SORT.EXE must be in the path for this reason).
       PARtoBAT becomes a Stone Soup Group program with 3.1.



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 ³ Syntax ³
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  PARtoBAT [o[+|-]] [PAR files] [VIDEO=<mode>] [CODENAME=xxxxx[nnn]] [parms]

  where
    [-o[+|-]]             = Overwrite or don't overwrite existing batch files.
                            Enter -o or -o+ to enable overwrite,
                            -o- to disable overwrite.
    [PAR files]           = a Fractint .PAR filename (wildcards allowed).
                            An indirect filename (a file containing PAR
                            filenames, see below) can be entered instead.
    [VIDEO=mode]          = specify a Fractint video mode here
    [CODENAME=xxxxx[nnn]] = a codename for GIF files (see below)
    [parms]               = any number of other Fractint startup parameters

  e.g. PARtoBAT -o+ M*.PAR VIDEO=SF7 CODENAME=WOW027 SOUND=ON HERTZ=440


  PARtoBAT started without parms will prompt for the corresponding values
    unless they are specified in SSTOOLS.INI (see below).


  NOTE: In PARtoBAT version 1 and 2, the video mode could be entered without
        a leading 'VIDEO='. This is no longer possible - you now have to add
        the 'VIDEO=', e.g. VIDEO=SF7.

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 ³ SSTOOLS.INI support ³
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  PARtoBAT default values can be put into the Fractint file SSTOOLS.INI
  (a description for SSTOOLS.INI is contained in Fractint). You need to
  specify a [PARtoBAT] section in SSTOOLS.INI. Other sections will be
  ignored by PARtoBAT.

  One of the following parameter values can be put into SSTOOLS.INI:

     BATCHOVERWRITE=yes|no  = default value for batch overwrite
     VIDEO=mode             = specify a Fractint video mode here
     CODENAME=xxxxx[nnn]    = a codename for GIF files (see below)

  and any other default parameters for Fractint, like
     SOUND=ON
     HERTZ=440
  etc.


  If overwrite, videomode, or codename are specified in the command line,
  this will override the defaults from SSTOOLS.INI.

  If overwrite is not specified in SSTOOLS.INI or in the command line, and
  batch files for the specified PAR files are found, PARtoBAT will ask you
  if they can be overwritten.

  If the videomode is neither specified in SSTOOLS.INI nor in the command
  line, PARtoBAT will ask for it.

  If no codename was specified in SSTOOLS.INI or in the command line,
  PARtoBAT will ask for one *only when it is called without parameters*
  in the command line, that is, if you enter PARtoBAT on the C> prompt.


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 ³ Filename ³
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  You have to specify the name of the PAR file (wildcards can be used).
  The PAR files must be located in the current directory.
  Instead of a PAR filename, you can also enter an indirect filename,
  that is, the name of a file that contains PAR filenames (one per line).
  If you do this, use a @ to indicate the indirect filename, e.g.

    PARtoBAT @Indirect.Txt

  instead of

    PARtoBAT X*.PAR


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 ³ Overwrite existing batch files ³
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  If no overwrite option was entered on the command line or in SSTOOLS.INI
  and batch files for the PAR files are found, PARtoBAT will ask you if
  the batch files can be overwritten.


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 ³ Video mode ³
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  Enter a Fractint video mode (PARtoBAT does not check if the video mode
  you specify is valid) in SSTOOLS.INI or on the command line (in the
  format VIDEO=<mode> ), or on the PARtoBAT prompt.

  The video mode can be left empty. In this case, it will be included
  in the batch file as a %1 batch parameter: You have to specify the video
  mode as a command line parameter when you run the batchfile.


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 ³ Optional startup parameters ³
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  Enter any number of optional startup parameters for Fractint (e.g.
  SOUND=OFF SAVETIME=60 etc.) in SSTOOLS.INI, on the command line,
  or on the PARtoBAT prompt. Anything not recognized by PARtoBAT, e.g.

    BLAH=BLAH
    ABCDEFGHIJKLM

  will be transferred to the batch command and to Fractint.


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 ³ GIF code name ³
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  Each fractal in the PAR file has been given a name already. The
  corresponding GIF file will be named like in the PAR file. Alternatively
  you may specify a code name for the GIF files in this file. The new GIF
  files will be given this code name plus a 3-digit number (Code name EXAMP
  will produce the GIF names EXAMP001.GIF, EXAMP002.GIF etc.). If the
  specified code name already contains a 3-digit number, the new GIF files
  will start counting from there.

  If GIF files with the code name exist, the numbers will automatically
  increment from there.

  Maximum length for the code name (without trailing digits) is 5
  characters.

  If no code name is specified, the default names are used for the GIF
  files.


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 ³ The batch files ³
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  Each batch line containing a Fractint call is followed by an errorlevel
  check (errorlevel 2). If Fractint is aborted during the batch, the batch
  execution will stop.

  For each GIF file that already exists, the corresponding command line
  will be disabled by a 'rem'. This means that you can interrupt a PARtoBAT
  generated batch file anytime, and start it again later. Before you start
  it again, just run PARtoBAT (with overwrite enabled) to recreate the
  batch file. While creating the batch file, the lines that refer to GIF
  files which already exist will be disabled.

  If you use wildcards when specifying the PAR files, and more than one
  batch file is created by PARtoBAT, an additional batch file will be
  written (NEWPARS.BAT). This batch can be run to execute all new batch
  files at once.



  Michael Peters
  CIS 100041,247
  mpe@hop.dinoco.de