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╒════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ │ │ │ AvaiList Revision 1.10 │ │ 'A Master Files and New Files List Generator' │ │ Compiled: February 6, 1989 │ │ │ │ By: │ │ Andrew D. Farmer │ │ FidoNet 1:163/115 - AlterNet 7:483/1.0 │ │ │ │ │ │ AvaiList is Copyright (c) 1989 by Andrew D. Farmer │ │ All rights strictly reserved. │ │ │ ╘════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛ ╒════════════════════╕ │ THE LEGAL BUSINESS │ ╘════════════════════╛ AvaiList is guaranteed to do nothing except take up disk space. Use it at your own risk. No warranty is stated or implied. The author shall not be responsible for any damages resulting from it's use, directly or indirectly. AvaiList is distributed as a Freely Available Copyrighted Program, no fee may be charged for distribution and the distribution archive is not to be tampered with or altered in ANY way. AvaiList cannot be distributed in a modified form of any sort. Modified Source code, likewise, may NOT be distributed. If you are planning on porting the code to another operating system, or have code changes that you think are highly beneficial, then please contact the author directly for assistance or guidance. While AvaiList is freely available for use in non-corporate environs, donations to the author will always be gratefully accepted. The Author may be contacted at the 2 Network Addresses listed on the Mast Head, or by surface mail as follows: Andrew D. Farmer P.O.Box 11087 Station H Nepean, Ontario K2H 7T8 CANADA ╒═════════════════════════════════════════╕ │ THE DISTRIBUTION ARCHIVE (ALST_110.ZOO) │ ╘═════════════════════════════════════════╛ This archive should have included the following files: AVAILIST.DOC - The Documentation, formated for reading on screen. AVAILIST.PRN - The Documentation, formated for printing. AVAILIST.CFG - Sample Configuration File. AVAILIST.EXE - The Executable Program. ALST_SRC.ZOO - The Complete Source Code Archive. ╒══════════════╕ │ WHAT IT DOES │ ╘══════════════╛ AvaiList is a program to generate 'Master' file lists and 'New' file lists. It creates the lists based on information it finds in the files DIR.BBS and FILES.BBS in each of the file sub-directories. AvaiList DOES NOT need to be made aware of Opus style area numbers, it only requires the paths to the file directories to be listed in the Configuration file (AVAILIST.CFG by default) and the presence of the 2 .BBS files. AvaiList can, however, read the Opus System files if you desire. You may additionally have a 'Header' and 'Extra Info' file to be added to the Master List, please refer to the Sections "Support Files" and "Command Line Syntax" for more information. AvaiList's Screen output is in the form of Opus/Binkley Style Log Entries, output may be redirected to a file to create a Log File for later perusal, or to Nul to keep the screen clean. AvaiList needs about 64K of available memory, plus enough room to load your selected Archiving utility, if you are using the Archive switch. ╒════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ │ THE CONFIGURATION FILE (DEFAULT: AVAILIST.CFG) │ ╘════════════════════════════════════════════════╛ The AVAILIST.CFG is totally optional if you use the Opus System Files, otherwise, it must only contain the paths to the file directories. In addition you may place within this file commands that replace/simulate command line options. Every single option in the AvaiList.Cfg file may also be placed on the command line (except the Area Paths) and if an identical option is placed BOTH in the file and on the command line, then the value on the command line will be used. The presence and usage of this file simply allows you to pre-set your command line options in advance, thus allowing you to avoid 90 mile long command lines. If you use an AvaiList.Cfg in conjunction with a -R as the first command line switch, AvaiList will ignore the command line and run from pre-set Configuration only. You may additionally select a different name for your Configuration file by using the -R command line switch. Please Note: If you select a different config file using -R ALL OTHER COMMAND LINE SWITCHES WILL BE IGNORED. See the sample AvaiList.Cfg file for more information on its usage. ╒═══════════════╕ │ SUPPORT FILES │ ╘═══════════════╛ ■ DIR.BBS AvaiList will search for this file in each of the specified File Area Sub-Directories. The first line DIR.BBS is used for the Header fo r that block of Files. If the DIR.BBS file is not found in the directory, then the Drive:\Path is used as the title. ■ FILES.BBS AvaiList will search for this file in each of the specified File Area Sub-Directories. The FILES.BBS is used as the list of Files to place into the Master List. If a FILES.BBS file is not found in the directory, then 'No Files' is placed into the Master List. Each Line of the Files.Bbs file is analyzed separately, if the character in Column one (1) is a Hyphen (-) or a Space ( ), and you have NOT used the -C command line switch, then the line is simply copied wholesale into the Master List. Otherwise the 1st contiguous block of characters is assumed to be the File Name and the Rest of the line is assumed to be the Description. The lines will be Output to the Master List in the form: FileName Size-in-bytes File-Date-Stamp Description You can disable the listing of File-Date-Stamp by using the -D command line switch, see the section "Command Line Syntax" for more information. If the FileName does not exist in the directory, then STORED will appear in the Size-in-bytes area and OFF-LINE will appear in the File-Date-Stamp area. If you are using -D to suppress the File-Date- Stamp, then non-existent files will be listed with the word OFFLINE in the Size-in-bytes area. I have also coded support for those that like to use wildcards in Files.Bbs files. If more than one file in the directory matches the FileName listed in Files.Bbs, then the Master List will contain separate entries, including FileSize and DateStamp, for each file matching the FileSpec. The single Description will be used for ALL the matching entries. ■ AVAILIST.HDR AvaiList will search for this file in the default directory. If found, the entire contents of the file will be placed at the Top of the Master and NewFile Lists. You may select a different name (or directory) for the file by using the H command line switch, or the HEADER Configuration keyword. ■ AVAILIST.EXI AvaiList will search for this file in the default directory. If found, the entire contents of the file will be placed into the Master List between the the AvaiList.Hdr Information and the Directory-by-Directory Listings. This file can be extremely handy for listing such things as magic file names or password restrictions. You may select a different name (or directory) for the file by using the E command line switch, or the EXTRA Configuration keyword. Please note that this file WILL NOT be placed into NewFile Lists. ╒═════════════════════╕ │ COMMAND LINE SYNTAX │ ╘═════════════════════╛ Usage: AvaiList <-R> or <-Ooutfile plus Optional Switches> The command Line switches may be placed in any order as long as they are prefixed with either a / or a - symbol. Switches Listed in angle brackets are optional. If no switches are used, a Syntax Summary will be presented to you. Any Switch, except -R, may be pre-set in the Configuration File. Switches: ■ -A<arc_cmd> This turns Archive Mode On, it will cause the finished Master List, and NewFile list if selected, to be Archived into an Arc file using the same trunk name as the Master File, and the Extention of the Archiver Used. The modifier 'arc_cmd' is one of the following: ARC, DWC, PKARC, PKPAK, PAK or ZOO. If no 'arc_cmd' modifier is specified it will default to using ZOO. ■ -B Allows you to selct what sort of Box will be used in the Output lists. BoxType's 1 through 4 use IBM-PC characters, therefore to disable the use of the IBM Extended Character set you must use a BoxType of 0. The default BoxType is 4. BoxTypes are: 0 1 2 3 4 0 = Hatches (Non-IBM) --- ┌─┐ ╔═╗ ╓─╖ ╒═╕ 1 = Single Rule │ │ ║ ║ ║ ║ │ │ 2 = Double Rule --- └─┘ ╚═╝ ╙─╜ ╘═╛ 3 = Single Top, Double Sides 4 = Double Top, Single Sides ■ -C Comment Control Switch. If this switch is used, then all of the comments in Files.Bbs will NOT be copied to the Master List, but instead will simply be ignored. Note: Comments lines will NEVER be included in the New File List. ■ -D This switch turns OFF the listing of the Date for each file. If this switch is not used, then the DOS Date for the file will be automatically placed in the Master and NewFile Lists. Use this switch to disable that automatic addition. ■ -Efilespec Allows you to override the default 'Extra Info' File Name. ■ -F<days> This switch turns NewFile flagging on. If this switch is used, all files less than 7 days old will have an asterix (*) placed beside its entry in the Master List. If you plan on using the -N switch to create an output list of New Files, it should be noted that this (-F) switch is a pre- requisite for use of the -N switch. The Optional modifier 'days' can be any number between 1 and 99. This sets the maximum number of days old a file can be and still get flagged as new. As stated above, the default value is 7 days, use this modifier to change that default. ■ -Hfilespec Allows you to override the default 'Header' File Name. ■ -K By default, any files that are listed in the Files.Bbs, but do not reside in the directory are listed in the list along with a comment that they are off-line. If this switch is used, those 'missing' files will simply be ignored, and not placed into the list in any form. ■ -M When this switch is used in conjunction with the -A command, it will cause the finished Master List to be Moved to the Archive instead of simply being added. In other words it deletes the original after Arcing. ■ -Noutfile When this switch is used in conjunction with the -F switch, it causes an Output List of New Files to be created along with the Master List. If this Switch is used, the 'outfile' is NOT optional and must be provided for execution to occur. The modifier 'outfile' can be either a simple filename or a [drive:]\path\filename. ■ -Ooutfile This is the name of the file to use for generating the Master List. This Switch is NOT optional and must be provided for execution to occur. The modifier 'outfile' can be either a simple filename or a [drive:]\path + filename. ■ -Q Causes AvaiList to shut-up and be quiet. If used, the 'Runtime Configuartion' screen will NOT be presented to you. ■ -R<config> Causes AvaiList to ignore the command line and run based on Configuarion File information only. If used, this switch MUST be the first command line switch & ALL OTHER COMMAND SWITCHES WILL BE IGNORED. By default AvaiList will search for AvaiList.Cfg in the default directory, you may over-ride this by selecting a Configuration File directly following the R switch. ■ -S Causes AvaiList to search the Opus System.Bbs Files for the Path Information. It will use ALL the areas it finds. AvaiList will NEVER read Area 0, and will only search through the System files until it detects a gap in the files (ie: it will only read the System files one by one until it hits a number that doesn't have a corresponding System??.Bbs file), this allows you to 'Hide' an area, by placing a 'dead' area before it. NOTE: The use of this switch will over-ride any 'Area' keywords in the Configuration file. WARNING: This feature only suports Opus 1.03 style System files, it should also support Opus 1.10 'decimal' system files. It will NOT support Opus 1.10 Hexadecimal System Files. ■ -T Causes the total number of Files & Bytes in each area NOT to be reported at the end of that area's listing in the Master List. Default action WILL report these totals. This switch has no effect on any NewFile list being produced. ■ -Z Allows you to select what identification character to use for flaging of NEW files. Default action is to use an asterix (*). ╒══════════════════╕ │ EXIT ERRORLEVELS │ ╘══════════════════╛ There are 6 possible ErrorLevels that AvaiList can return to DOS upon program completion or abortion. They are: ■ ErrorLevel 5 - Can't Open the Opus System Files ■ ErrorLevel 4 - Unable to Write to NewFile Output File. ■ ErrorLevel 3 - Unable to Write to Master Output File. ■ ErrorLevel 2 - No File Area Paths were Specified. ■ ErrorLevel 1 - Bad Command Line/Config File Syntax usage. ■ ErrorLevel 0 - Successful Completion of AvailList. ╒═════════════════════════════╕ │ CREDIT, WHERE CREDIT IS DUE │ ╘═════════════════════════════╛ I would like to thank my Beta Team for AvaiList, they offered up thier Hard Disks as sacrifice to this software! Alphabetically they are: Scott Dudley ....... Kingston, Ontario ........ 1:148/314 Stephen Hendricks .. Perry Hall, Maryland ..... 1:261/1049 Tom Hendricks ...... Lutherville, Maryland .... 1:261/662 Bruce Miller ....... Ottawa, Ontario .......... 1:163/201 Dan Thomson ........ Ottawa, Ontario .......... 7:483/103 Ken Wilson ......... Ottawa, Ontario .......... 1:163/211 A special thanks to Dan "Sam" Thomson for all his timely reports and ideas on all my projects, they always came when I was ready to throw in the towel. Thanks, Sam ... for everything. ╒════════════════╕ │ CLOSING NATTER │ ╘════════════════╛ I believe I have outlined everything in this documentation. I may have left something out, and probably have. I expect I'll remember an important one as soon as this release is on it's way through Software Distribution ;-). If you have any problems you can't fix or questions you can't answer then please contact me via NetMail or surface mail. I will always do my best to support my software, but it is, by definition un-supported. I will answer queries as time allows, please be patient when awaiting a reply. Thank You......and congratulations for reading all the way through the documentation <Grin>. Andrew D. Farmer Ottawa, Ontario, Canada February 6, 1989 ╒════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ ╘════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛