Magnum One/Magnum One (Mid-American Digital) (Disc Manufacturing).iso/d2/timerun3.arc/TR.DOC

Text File | 1989-09-23 | 11.9 KB | 349 lines

TimeRun (c) Command Execution Facility, TR.EXE
 Version 3.0 September 22, 1989
 Copyright (C) 1987, 1988, 1989 Henry C. Clark

LICENSE INFORMATION

This program is NOT free.  It is copyrighted and protected under
the laws of the State of Texas.

My time, my computers, my compilers and my function libraries are not
free either.  The TimeRun (c) Command Execution Facility, Version 3.0,
may be distributed freely under the following guidelines ONLY :
  1) you do not alter the program
  2) you do not receive money for anything related to the program
     NOT EVEN THE DISKETTE ( they're so cheap nowadays )

If you personally are going to use TR.EXE, the TimeRun program,
please send a license fee of U.S. 20 Dollars along with the
registration form below to :

  Software Mechanics, TimeRun
  P.O. Box 832052
  Richardson, TX 75083
  U.S.A.

You MUST register and pay the license fee if you use this program in
a commercial environment or governmental organization.  Site licenses
are available; refer to the registration form at the end of this
document.

THERE IS NO WARRANTY IMPLIED WITH THE USE OF THIS PROGRAM.  THE
ENTIRE RISK OF USING THIS PROGRAM IS YOUR'S EXCLUSIVELY, OBVIOUSLY.


------ Table of Contents

TimeRun (c) Command Execution Facility, TR.EXE
 Version 3.0 September 22, 1989
 Copyright (C) 1987, 1988, 1989 Henry C. Clark

1.0  INTRODUCTION
2.0  INSTALLATION
3.0  USING TimeRun
3.1   COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS
3.2   RESULT MESSAGES
3.3   INCOMPATIBILITIES AND WARNINGS
4.0  THE TimeRun PROJECT
4.1   REGISTRATION FORM


------ 1.0  INTRODUCTION

TimeRun ( the program TR.EXE ) is a memory resident program which
causes execution of one to ten DOS commands at some specified time
in the future.

A good example of it's use can be found in a communications network
monitor which runs on a PC.  The network requires monitoring between
7:00 AM and 19:00 ( 7 PM ), the monitor program being a PC based
program.

TimeRun is used to start the monitor program at 7:00:00, and end the
program at 19:0:0, and also to perform some housekeeping on the PC at
19:05:0.

TimeRun will monitor up to ten target times, and is compatible with
all programs which use the DOS keystroke functions to get command
characters.

Besides time of day operation, TimeRun will execute commands at
specified intervals, and do so once or continuously.


------ 2.0 INSTALLATION

TimeRun is NOT copy protected.  Simply copy the TR.EXE file onto
your normal work disk.  You run TR.EXE just like any other DOS command.

TimeRun Version 3.0 requires approximately 10 kilobytes of memory as
a resident program.  When you install more than one target command,
a second copy of TimeRun modifies the first and then exits.


------ 3.0 USING TimeRun

You run TR.EXE just like any other DOS command.  TimeRun requires
parameters which are described in the following section.

TimeRun will always display an identifier message, and a result
message based on it's ability to perform your request.

In general, the keyword "successfully" is used in a result message
to mean that TimeRun has done something, as opposed to doing
nothing.

TimeRun may be called from with batch files.  TimeRun returns with
ErrorLevel = 0 upon successful operation, and ErrorLevel = 1 when it
has not performed anything.


------ 3.1 COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS

TimeRun Version 3.0 has four parameter formats, three to install target
commands, and another to request that TimeRun be removed from
memory.

The general format of the target command installation command is :

  TR hh:mm:ss command [n,c]

The target time field, 'hh:mm:ss', is composed of a one or two digit
hour ( 00 through 23 ) and a one or two digit minute ( 00 through 59
) and a one or two digit second separated by colons ( : ).  You may
install more than one command using the same target time, and they
will be executed in succession in the order installed.

The target command field, 'command', is any string up to 12
characters in length.  The command field may be a single word or
several words enclosed in quotes ( "command parm" ). If the command you
require is longer than 12 characters, use a batch file or similar
mechanism.  If you use "" with nothing inside,  TimeRun simply
executes an <ENTER> key press.

Two options are available which modify the calculation of the target
time for a command.  Either option may be specified, but not both (
only the first will take affect ).  When using an option, the time
field becomes an increment, not a time of day.

  'N' OPTION

The 'n' option causes the time field, 'hh:mm:ss', to become an
INCREMENT value from the current time. For example, suppose it is
exactly 8:00:00 when you enter the command :

  TR 0:1:0 dir n

TimeRun will execute the 'dir' command in exactly one minute, at
8:01:00.  Read the 'n' as 'IN', as in : execute a command IN so many
hours, minutes and seconds".

  'C' OPTION

The 'c' option also causes the time field to become an INCREMENT
value, but each time the command is executed,  a new target is
calculated using the same INCREMENT time value.  For example, suppose
you enter the command :

  TR 0:1:0 "" c

TimeRun will execute an <ENTER> in one minute, and once each minute
after that, until TimeRun is removed from memory.  Unlike the 'n'
option, which only installs a command to run once per day,  the 'c'
option provides a way to execute commands continuously at a given
interval.  Read the 'c' as 'CONTINUOUS', as in : execute a command
EVERY so often, CONTINUOUSLY.

A time field value of 00:00:00 ( or 0:0:0 ) will mean midnight
execution with no options,  immediate execution of the command using
the 'n' option, and is an illegal time value for the 'c' option.

The format of the TimeRun remove from memory command is :

  TR -

Simply use the minus character ( - ), and TimeRun is removed from
memory, which implies that no targeted commands will be executed.

If you have installed memory resident programs after TimeRun,
removing TimeRun first will leave a hole in your memory map.
( So don't do that, remove them in reverse order ! )

Using the network monitor example from the introduction section,
the following commands are used in the autoexec.bat file for the
PC :

  TR 07:00:00 nminit
  TR 19:00:00 "end netmon"
  TR 19:05:00 nmclean

The command 'nminit' and 'nmclean' are batch files;  'end nm' is a
command to the network monitor program.  Note that these time values
will remain in effect for every day, until the PC is powered off
or TR is removed from memory.

Another example is the keep-alive for a communications program.
Using the command :

  TR 0:1:0 "" c

before executing your communications program will generally cause
the sending of an <ENTER> to the host computer.

------ 3.2 RESULT MESSAGES

The following messages imply that TimeRun has performed some
useful function :

  TimeRun successfully installed.   : TR resident and first target
  TimeRun successfully added target.: second through tenth target
  TimeRun successfully removed.     : '-' option, TR deinstalled

The following message is output when TimeRun is NOT called with
the proper number or type of parameters.  Issuing the command TR
with no parameters will generate this text as a help message :

     TR hh:mm:ss command [n,c]  installs a target command.

       hh hours, mm minutes, ss seconds must be specified.
       options : n is increment time, c is continuous increment.

     TR -  removes TimeRun from memory.


The following messages are TimeRun error reports and are self
explanatory :

  Use 00 through 23 for hour value.
  Separate hour from minute with a colon ':'.
  Use 00 through 59 for minute value.
  Separate minute from second with a colon ':'.
  Use 00 through 59 for second value.
  Unrecognized option.
  Can't specify continuous increment of 00:00:00.
  Max command length is 12 characters.
  Target slots exceed 10 entries.
  Can't install timer vector.
  No copy of TimeRun to remove.
  Can't remove TimeRun.

The following messages are run time errors, for which there are
several causes, not to mention a bug in TimeRun.  Over one hundred
tests have been performed with TimeRun, but your computer may be
different. Be very careful when you see a message such as :

  Null pointer assignment.
  Stack overflow.


------ 3.3 INCOMPATIBILITIES AND WARNINGS

TimeRun uses a technique called 'keyboard buffer stuffing' to send
the target commands to DOS for interpretation and execution.  This
method implies that programs which do not use the standard DOS
key buffer character input functions will not receive commands.
There were several applications programs that were not compatible,
or which affected a delay in the TimeRun commands in previous
versions of TimeRun.  I know of none at this time.  Send me a note
if you run across one.

Further, because earlier versions of TimeRun were developed under
earlier versions of DOS, this latest version may not be compatible
with your system.

  Version 3.0 of TimeRun works for MS-DOS 3.31.

A keyboard enhancement program, such as CED, will receive target
commands correctly, and TimeRun can issue a CED synonym.

TimeRun can call itself as long as the command is 12 characters or
less ( which leaves little room for a command ) :

  TR 10:00:00 "TR 1:0:0 m c"

This is a way to place your continuous target commands on a 'even'
time boundary.  Don't try to run a TimeRun command continuously
because you will quickly run out of target slots.

TimeRun will not correctly execute special keystrokes, such as alt-
or cntl- keys.  TimeRun is limited to pure character strings.


------ 4.0 THE TimeRun PROJECT

Version 1.0 - compiled with Microsoft C version 4.0 using Blaise C-Tools+
3.0, small model.

TimeRun is written entirely in C ( well, i didn't care to look at
any library source code, thank you ) and suffers from extreme
resident size because of the ordering of CODE and DATA segments by
the compiler and libraries.

Version 2.0 - added time increment and continuous options, used
Microsoft Asesmbler 4.0 to :
  a. remove dead code after exit calls
  b. use int 21 string output macro instead of puts()
     NOTE to programmers :  this saved 3000 bytes.
  c. replaced far memory library routines with ASM language code

Well, the result is two added features and a 6000 byte memory savings!

Version 3.0 - removed system idle checks to allow operation under
DOS 3.3.  Hopefully, all those folks who were trying to use the old
DOS 2.1 version will be statisfied.

Future :  It occurs to me that several new assembly language
techniques can be used to further reduce the size of TimeRun in
memory.


/*------------------------------------------------------------------*/
TimeRun Command Execution Facility
Registration Form and Payment Invoice

PLEASE PRINT :

Name    _______________________________________

Address _______________________________________

        _______________________________________

        _______________________________________

Phone   _______________________________________


Version ________________  Date Received ________________


(  )  Enclosed is U.S. ____________ Dollars for ___________ copies

      of the TimeRun Command Execution Facility at

      U.S. 20 Dollars each.

(  )  Enclosed is U.S. ____________ Dollars for ___________ copies

      of customized TimeRun Command Execution Facility at

      U.S. 50 Dollars each.

      Enter customization parameters : ___________________________

      ____________________________________________________________

(  )  Enclosed is U.S.  1000        Dollars for  50 or more  copies

      of the TimeRun Command Execution Facility, site license.


Send this form with check or money order to :

  Software Mechanics, TimeRun
  P.O. Box 832052
  Richardson, TX 75083
  U.S.A.

/*------------------------------------------------------------------*/