Netware Super Library/Netware Super Library.iso/file_mgt/gledit/gledit.hst

Text File | 1995-04-16 | 16.3 KB | 357 lines

GLEDIT Version 2.1 Modifications:

Please submit your ideas.  If you have problems that I do not encounter, the
only way to get them fixed is to let me know about them.


1.  Some uploaded descriptions of GLEDIT listed the version number as 1.0
    when, in fact, that version was 2.0, as reflected in the help screen.

2.  It has been requested that GLEDIT provide a way of making the changes
    without prompting so that the program can be executed unattended.

    Although this could be very dangerous, I have provided an option to
    accomplish this.  If you use it, please be very careful that the
    command line is entered correctly and that only the files you want
    modified will in fact be modified.  The only way to stop the program
    once it starts will be with CTRL-BREAK. Even then, a file could end
    up damaged, though not likely.  Make sure you have BREAK=ON in your
    CONFIG.SYS file.

    I have added a /Y switch which automatically replies Y to all prompts.

3.  So that a quote (") can exist in the search string or the replace string,
    I accept \q (not \Q) in place of the quote in within the string.

4.  Due to popular demand, I eliminated the wait time for the reminder menu.


Version 2.1a:

    Version 2.1a is identical to version 2.1 except fo the registration
reminder screen.  The reminder screen and documentation have been updated to
instruct users on how to register GLEDIT via CompuServe's SWREG section.

    The price has been increased to $12 to help recover more of the cost of
registering users.  International mail and CIS registration make it hard to
profit on a $10 fee. Parity Solutions still aims to keep the quality up and
the price as low as possible.


GLEDIT version 2.2 modifications:

1.  Added a /R switch which will allow GLEDIT to recurse through all
    subdirectories below the current or specified subdirectory.

2.  Added a [TEST MODE] indicator to the prompt when you are executing
    with the /T switch on.  Previous releases also automatically invoked the
    /Y switch when in test mode.  This no longer happens.

3.  Due to the fact that Borland C++ removes the quotes on a command line
    parameter before passing it to me, I interpreted an replace string that
    started with a forward slash as a switch.  I now check for the entire
    switch string (i.e. "/N") rather than assuming anything starting with
    a slash was a switch.  This still prevents you from being a ble to use
    a valid switch as your replace string.  You can use a valid switch
    within a replace string as long as it is preceeded or follwed by at
    least one other character or space.


GLEDIT versions 2.1 thru 2.2 were distributed under the name GEDIT.  The
GLEDIT name officially was added with release 2.3.

Modifications for version 2.3 of GLEDIT:

  1. Added the /D switch to allow a string to be deleted instead of being
     replaced with another string.

  2. Changed the program name from GEDIT.EXE to GLEDIT.EXE.  This was done
     at the request of Public Brand Software who discovered another program
     they distribute called GEDIT.  This will avoid possible confusion to
     people who may own both products.

  3. Formerly you were given no option to terminate the search/edit function
     other than to press CTRL-BREAK.  The "Press any key to continue..."
     message now reads "Press ESC to exit, any other key to continue...".
     The functionality is obvious from the message.

  4. For ease of conversion for registered users of GEDIT, the GEDIT.SER
     file is recognized as well as the GLEDIT.SER file.

Modifications for version 2.3a of GLEDIT:

  1. GLEDIT v2.3a is identical to version 2.3.  Only the documentation has
     been updated.  The documentation erroneously instructed users to
     use product #753 on SWREG for registration.  The correct product ID is
     754.

Modifications for version 2.4 of GLEDIT:

1.  Added the ability to abort searching at any time by pressing the ESC
    key, rather than having to use BREAK.

2.  If the directory was specified in the search file specification, the
    current directory was searched rather than the specified directory.
    This has been fixed.

3.  Due to user request, the following DOS ERRORLEVEL return codes are now
    returned from GLEDIT:

    0   - One or more matches found.  Replaced or not replaced has no bearing.
    1   - No matches found in any files searched.
    2   - No files found matching the search file specification.
    3   - Invalid path specified in serach file specification.
    4   - Directory recursion error.  Please report to Parity Solutions.
          Should never happen.
    255 - User abort.  ESC key pressed.  Does not detect BREAK key.


Modifications to GLEDIT version 2.5

1.  Under certain conditions, an erroneous "Invalid path" error message
    could appear.  Corrected.

2.  Sometimes the same file was edited twice in a single pass. Corrected.

3.  If you specified a root directory and filename (i.e. D:\*.TXT) as the
    target filespec, sometimes GLEDIT reported that D:\ was an invalid path.
    Also, if you specified recursion (/R), sometimes you would get a message
    saying "Unable to return to D:".  This problem with root directories
    has been corrected.

4.  Pressing the ESC key did not terminate execution if recursion (/R) was
    specified.  Corrected.

5.  Added the capability to terminate using the ESC key in response to the
    "Replace with the following line? (Y/N)" prompt.

6.  Instead of saying "n records replaced." after a test mode run, GLEDIT
    now reports "n records would have been replaced".  A little less scary
    to the user.

7.  Added escape sequences to allow substituion of another character for
    certain control characters.

8.  Modified slightly the screen output when /T and /Y are used.  Instead
    of the replace prompt, a string is displayed saying what was changed
    (/Y) or what would have been changed (/T).

9.  We are moving.  Added new address to registration screen and documen-
    tation.


Modifications to GLEDIT version 2.6

1.  Sometimes scroll mode was invoked when not requested.  Fixed.

2.  Sometimes, when recursing directories, you could not exit from the search
    with the escape key.  Fixed.

3.  Use of the /d switch instead of replacing with "" caused a lot of user
    problems because they want to use "" to delete a matching string and do
    not notice the function of the /d switch.

    The problem was that Borland's C++ input parser did not pass the ""
    parameter to me, so GLEDIT was unaware of it's presence in the command
    line.

    To remedy this, I have written my own command line parser that gets the
    raw command line from the Program Service Prefix (PSP).  I now see the
    cmmand line just as you typed it.  This allows me to process the "" replace
    string as a request to delete matching search strings.  This is more
    in line with comman practice.

    For compatibility with previous releases, the /d switch is still recog-
    nized and processed, but is no longer documented.  "" is now the accepted
    method for deleting a string.

4.  GLEDIT did not recognize the last record in a file if that record did not
    not end with a carraige return and line feed (CRLF) combination.  Fixed.

NOTE- Since version 2.6 contains an entirely new command line parser routine,
      please note an irregularities or errors and report them to me as soon
      as possible so that they can be corrected.  I have tried to test it
      very thoroughly, but something can always get by.  Thanks.

Version 2.6a:

    Modified to use pre-compiled subfunctions from a library, rather than
    included source.  This has no bearing on GLEDIT's functionality.


Modifications to GLEDIT version 2.7

1.  When the replace string contained the search string, GLEDIT would try
    again to replace the string just inserted.

2.  When /i was specified, GLEDIT did not allways find multiple occurances
    of the search string.


Version 2.7a

    GLEDIT v3.7a is functionally equivalent to v3.7.  The documentation has
    been updated to reflect a new address and phone for Parity Solutions.


Version 2.8 modification:

  Prior releases required GLEDIT.SER to be on the path or the current
  directory.  Now it will be found if it is in the same directory as
  GLEDIT.EXE regardless of whether or not it is on the path.  The path
  and current directory are searched first.  If not found it tries the
  directory from which GLEDIT.EXE was loaded.  If still not found, the
  "Not registered" prompt appears.


Version 3.0 modifications:

  1. The search string and/or the replace string can now be input from
     an ASCII file.  This overcomes the length restrictions imposed by
     the maximum length of the DOS command line.  Each parameter can now
     be up to 512 characters.

  2. When the /N option was used, the registration prompt did not show on
     the screen if output was routed to a file.  Changed to display the
     registration prompt regardless of the state of the /N switch.

  3. The price for GLEDIT was increased by $5 to $21 U.S.  The previous
     price barely covered order filling and was not allowing recovery of the
     development cost.  It is our goal to keep the price just as low as
     possible and still permit a small profit.

  Normally a change in the version number indicates major functional en-
  hancements or changes.  In this case, it was done to prevent going
  to two-digit modification level numbers, not because of major differences
  with version 2, even though inclusion of file referencing for input
  parameters could be considered a major enhancement.


Version 4.0 Modifications

  1.  Added the /D switch that will delete lines which contain the matching
      search string.  Prompts before deleteing unless /Y specified.

  2.  Added enhanced user interface which is invoked if GLEDIT is typed
      with no parameters.  The user interface includes context-sensitive
      help.

  3.  Previously test mode acted as though /Y were in effect.  It now
      acts like it normally would without /T, except that changes are not
      actually made.  To make it act like it did previously, you must
      specify both /T and  /Y.

  4.  In test mode, if the search string were found more than once on a
      record, the second time it was displayed would not refelct the
      change that would have occurred in an actual run.  This has been
      corrected.

Version 4.0a:

  Version 4.0 was originally distributed with the help file (GLEDIT.HLP)
  missing.  GLEDIT 4.0a contains the help file, but has no changes to the
  functionality.


Version 4.1 modifications:

  1. GLEDIT creates a file to which the edited file is written, eventually
     to replace the original file.  While it is being created, the work file
     is named GLEDIT.WK$.  When multiple users on a network try to run GLEDIT
     in the same directory, the fact that the GLEDIT.WK$ file already exists
     prevents the second GLEDIT run from operating.  The work file is now
     created as GLEDIT.000.  If it fails to open, it will increment the
     extension number until successful or 64 tries, whichever comes first.

  2. The file being edited was opened for read only while the work file was
     being created.  This could lead to multiple users updating the same
     file concurently.  Now GLEDIT opens the file in update mode which
     will lock it to other users until GLEDIT is finished with it.  If
     GLEDIT tries to scan an open or read-only file, it will display a
     message that the file could not be updated.  If the files are being
     searched with no replace string or delete option, the files are opened
     in read-only mode so that in-use and read-only files may be scanned.

     Actually, under DOS if another program has the file open for read-only,
     GLEDIT will still update the file.  This could cause some problems.
     Also, some network shells such as Novell Netware will intercept any
     attempt to open a file that is open (for output or update) by another
     session.  NetWare will display a message that the file is in use and
     your only options will be to retry the open or abort GLEDIT.

  3. In command line mode, the screen went totally blank while searching for
     the first matching file.  This could be disconcerting to the user. Now
     GLEDIT displays the phrase "Searching...".

  4. Test mode processing was modified to more closely resemble a "live"
     run.  Only a display at the end of the file and the "Searching..."
     prompt have been revised to remind the user that test mode is in use.

  5. If multiple occurrances of the target string appeared in the same
     line, and the user replied "N" to the replace prompt, then replied
     'Y' to a later prompt on the same line, the rejected change could
     be made anyway.  All but the first prompt for the line showed the
     changes as having been accepted, even though they were rejected.  This
     isn't too clear, but it's hard to explain.  Anyway, it's fixed.


Version 4.2 modifications:

   1. There have been some speed improvements and modifications to the
      program structure and error handling that will better lend itself to
      event-driven processing in anticipation of GLEDIT for Windows, which
      is under development.

   2. A feature was added that allows the S key to be pressed at a replace
      or delete prompt or at the "Press any key" prompt when a page is full.
      It discontinues processing on the current file (no changes made) and
      skips to the next file.  You can also press the K key to skip any
      further searching, but save any changes already specified for the file
      being processed.  The S(kip) and K(eep) keys are equivalent in search
      mode.  If K is pressed while a replace or delete prompt is displayed,
      the current prompted modification is not made to the file.

   3. Added an option to search for the string, but only display the file
      names and paths of the files containing the search string.  This is
      the NamesOnly parameter of the GLEDIT.INI file and the /P parameter
      on the command line.  It is also on the options menu when using the
      user interface.

   4. Added a GLEDITFilesPath= parameter to the GLEDIT.INI file to specify
      where the GLEDIT.HLP and GLEDIT.SER (registered users only) files are
      located if they are not on the path or in GLEDIT.EXE's home directory.

   5. Amazingly I just now discovered that the /R switch was not documented
      in GLEDIT.DOC.  It is now.

   6. The documentation incorrectly stated that you may search for line
      feeds, due to the i/o mechanism that GLEDIT uses, this is not
      possible.  The documentation has been corrected.

   7. Modified logic to not clear the screen when /s is used in command line
      mode.  This allows GLEDIT to be used in something susch as a login
      script without clearing what might have been valuable information
      from the screen.  Normally this would be when the output is piped
      to NUL or to a file, such as:

           GLEDIT NET.CFG ipx IPX /n /s /y >NUL

   8. When the command line was parsed, if the first parameter contained a
      question mark, the help screen was displayed.  This prevented the use
      of wildcards that used question marks.  Now the first parameter must
      be /? before the help screen is displayed.

   9. Expanded the verbage within the documentation file regarding the rules
      for using quotes as string delimiters and as part of the search or
      replace string body.  The rules are different when you are in command
      line mode than when you are using the interface.

  10. Considerable enhancement to speed when searching many files in edit
      mode.  In most cases, the process searches many more files than it
      actually modifies.  Thus I have optimized search processing at the
      expense of edit processing for a given file.  If a file is edited, it
      goes through a search pass.  Once a hit is made, a new pass begins that
      creates the modified file.  This increased the speed of a typical
      automated (/y and /s) edit run by a factor of 2 to 3 times as fast.