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1993-05-25
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DFAT 2.2
[short for Directory FAT]
Shows file clusters in directory groups
by
Bob Eyer
Compuserve [73230,2620]
INTERNET: 73230.2620@compuserve.com
May 25, 1993
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ Like the idea of a BBS program that works at a basic │
│ level with no configuration at all--a miniature BBS │
│ which can be made as sophisticated as you like, but │
│ which can be run as a simple utility if you forget how │
│ to use it? Try HOSP. Lots of people like it. And you │
│ can have a copy for only $25 (the basic shareware │
│ charge plus $5). That contribution pays for HOSP as │
│ well as some four dozen plus additional utilities, many │
│ of which cover territory nowhere else reviewed. See │
│ SHARE.TXT for details. For preview, try most recent │
│ version of HOST in Library 1 of Compuserve's IBMBBS │
│ Forum. (Search for MINIATURE in Lib 1) │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
WARNING: This program is not intended to be used in drive
partitions defined with capacity exceeding 32 megabytes.
Syntax
------
DFAT [path] [cluster] [/P] [/S] [>file]
Parameters
----------
path Drive/subdirectory on which to run DFAT.
The default is the local directory. This parameter
requires the use of the colon in the drive name if
DFAT is to recognise a different drive. If you want
the root directory and are not in it, just use the
drive name without any backslash.
If a subdirectory is mentioned as a part of the path,
it must begin with a backslash. DFAT suppresses path
defaults on other drives. Do NOT include filenames
or wildcards in the path (DFAT will interpret them
as directories, and so not find them).
A little experimentation will show how this
parameter is used.
If DFAT is made to operate on a nonexistent or
unready drive, it will simply flip back to the local
drive and present the appropriate disk report. If
the user's subdirectory does not exist, DFAT will
report that fact.
Examples of syntactically valid paths:
D:
d:\sys
\SYS\CIS\
c:\util\a
cluster The first cluster number of the subdirectory to be
viewed. If not entered and if only drive information
appears on the command line, DFAT simply presents the
root directory from which the cluster numbers for
subdirectories can be obtained.
Use of a value for cluster that does not actually
correspond to any actual subdirectory causes DFAT to
abort with an appropriate error message.
This parameter is ignored where the user enters a
path containing valid subdirectory information.
/P Pagination switch.
/S Short form.
Where activated, this switch suppresses all video
output except the final disk summary. Useful for
including DFAT in AUTOEXEC.BAT.
[>file] If the directory is very long, you might redirect
DFAT output to a file and view the result using your
lister or editor.
Note: parameter order is important. If a path is mentioned, it
must be listed first on the command line. Switches must be
mentioned last.
Changes in DFAT 2.2
-------------------
- Tests for total space on given logical drive; if in excess
of 32 megabytes, DFAT aborts to DOS with an appropriate
error message.
Changes in DFAT 2.1
-------------------
- Addition of pagination and short-form switches
- Cosmetic changes to effect briefer displays
- If neither path nor cluster number entered,
DFAT defaults directory to local directory
instead of root
- Increases subdirectory capacity
- Fixes bug which caused erroneous fragment counts
on small drives
- Largely fixes bug which caused string-allocation
hangs on some machines
Discussion
----------
The primary purpose of this program is to measure file
fragmentation on given disks taken as a whole, as well as to
show it in the user's selected directory.
The initial cluster of each file is not a fragment; where a file
is fragmented, its fragments consist of those parts which are
not physically contiguous on the disk's tracks with that file's
initial cluster, or with other fragments of the same file.
Thus, a file which is physically integrated by DOS from two
discontiguous media images is said to have one "fragment".
Where a file has fragments, they are separated by a single space
in DFAT's listing.
DFAT counts all fragments on the disk (as recursively defined
above) and prepares a percentage evaluation shown on the last
line of video output. This percentage is injected to DOS as an
errorlevel for batch file processing.
Generally speaking, it's time to defrag your disk, if DFAT shows
fragmentation percentages approaching 10%, especially on disks
which show relatively little free space. Always do a complete
backup before defragging. Failure to respond appropriately to
the buildup of file fragmentation is one of the most common
causes of drive failure.
The inspiration for DFAT was Chris Dunford's excellent FAT 1.09
(appearing in IBMSYS's Library 1 as FAT.ARC). However, I needed
a program whose output looked more like a DOS directory. I also
wished to extend the program to provide errorlevel output on the
percentage measure of fragmentation, much as does PC Mag's
interesting program CHKFRAG by Bob Flanders et al.
I thought others would appreciate such revisions, as well.
An important difference between CHKFRAG and DFAT is that the
former defines fragmentation in terms of the number of
fragmented files. DFAT, however, counts fragments as such
without regard to how they are distributed among files and
subdirectories. For this reason, DFAT arrives at slightly
different results.
-------------------------
End of documentation