System Booster/System Booster.iso/Archivers/ArchEdge/ArchEdge.doc

Text File | 1996-09-26 | 11KB | 224 lines

                                (Note: * means an update to V1.2 !!!
                                       ** means an update to V1.5 !!)

ArchEdge V1.5 - Robert Lang 10/6/90
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    "The Edge in Archiving"

Wow!  I've actually written something useful.  Many years of programming
have served ME well, but this is the first time I've actually taken the
plunge and let other people get the benefit from my coding.  Hope you like
it !  Earlier versions are pretty popular around my area, hence the reason
I made it neat and decided to release.  I'm calling my section of the PD
market "Edgeware" and so anything addressed perhaps should be addressed to
me because Edgeware is simply a nickname at the moment...and doesn't really
exist as anything in the legal world.

Rules, Disclaimers, and Where to find me:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm keeping all rights to this program, but allowing anyone to share it
around in the format in which it was supplied to them, meaning you can't
dissassemble it and change anything, or spread the code, or add your name,
or anything but use it and copy it really !  I don't take any responsibility
for any damage done when using ArchEdge..its PD, and so not guaranteed to
do anything really!  If you like it, then you can send $20 to me, and you'll
receive the latest version and docs on a bootable disk, and be put on my
soon-to-be-formed mailing list for notification of future releases.
Alternatively,  if that's too much, then just send $5 and a disk, and
I'll wack ArchEdge latest version on a disk with docs, and not put you on
the mailing list.  (I can be bribed easily, though, so buzz me and offer
anything at all that's not illegal or immoral [hahahahahaha] )
Also, please feel free to send comments, large unbouncable cheques made
out to me, large amounts of spendable-in-the-20th-century cash,
Porsches (REAL ones...), or anything else to me:

            Robert Lang
            (EDGEWARE)
            P.O. Box 127
            CARDIFF NSW 2285
            AUSTRALIA

You can also try and ring me for a chat....049-508189....but I'm usually
whizzing around from Uni to home, and so I'm hard to get hold off.  If you
leave a message with my Mum, then don't be assured of getting a return call
if you are long distance...sorry, I just can't afford it.  You can also
netmail me via:

Cybertron BBS (Ph: 049-602383 or FidoNet: 3:711/496 or SigNet: 28:2100/104)
(AUSTRALIA)

And I would expect that is about the best option.  Please send bug reports!
I will be updating ArchEdge slowly, and would love to make all who use it
happy, so if you find a glitch, then note it and tell me !

ABOUT ARCHEDGE and thanks:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ArchEdge is written in 68000 Assembly, using the DevPac II Assembler.
I use an Amiga 500 (7 or 14 Mhz switchable) with twin 3.5" drives,
1 Meg of RAM, a genius mouse, a Bit Blitzer 1234E modem (with GPTERMV4.0 -
another fine Aussie Product), a 1081 monitor and my Amy is pumped through
a 30 watt amplifier for nice ear-bashing sound.

Thanks to the writers of the three books, all bearing the ABACUS label:

        Amiga Machine Language
        Amiga System Programmers Guide
    and Advanced System Programmers Guide

These books are invaluable to me, and so if you haven't got them, then
there's a hint for you !

AND a special thanks to Suzanne Day, my girlfriend, who somehow puts up
with me and my computer.  (Falling asleep on a date for example, because
I was up the night before till 4 am programming!). ArchEdge is specifically
dedicated (well, they do it with books, don't they ???) to Suzanne...

I could go on with thanks to my parents for making me, and make a real long
Stevie Wonder speech....but I'll save you the hassle.....

ARCHEDGE V1.5 DOCS (wow...at last ???)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok.  ArchEdge can be started from the CLI (by entering its name when in the
relevant directory) or the Workbench (by clicking on its icon).  Either
way, at this stage it opens its own CLI output windows when doing DOS
stuff.  If this is a hassle for CLI users, then tell me, and I'll switch
off the CON: windows for the CLI execution case.

The first thing to notice is a lot of space which makes it look strange.
Hey ? Why write a program and leave so much space?  Believe me, with the
options I have in mind, that space will be filled quickly, and I'll
probably have to change the size of the window to fit more.....so be
patient and enjoy!

ArchEdge now wants you to enter or select a path.  Entering one involves
clicking on the path gadget, the box at the bottom of the file requester
(where the neat title screen is), and entering the pathname you want to
select.  You can select one by clicking on any of the device gadgets at
the bottom right of the window.  These are not disabled if certain devices
aren't available at the moment, they simply copy RAM: or DF2: etc into
the pathname box.

The AUTO-DIR gadget allows entry into directories by clicking them in the
file requester if it (the AUTO-DIR gadget) is on.  This is there to support
a later option of archiving whole directories.  For the moment,
a selected directory will produce unexpected results in an archiving
operation, most likely it will not archiver the directory...at least
that's what LHARC does.

Directories appear as a separate colour to the files in the file requester,
The file requester doesn't sort the directory into alphabetical order yet,
so what is read is what you see.  I may alphabetize later...but I don't
see a hassle or need at the moment.

Archiving is done by simply clicking on the files you wish to archive, and
selecting LHARC, ARC, or ZOO.  You will then be asked to enter the archive
name, so click on the box and change it to the desired name or push return.
Be sure to include full pathname, so ArchEdge knows where to put the
archive.

And away it will go !  Creating the archive with the first file, and then
adding each successive file to the archive.  Easy as that.  Very little
error-handling is done at the moment, but in the event that you wish to
stop archiving, click on the close gadget of the ArchEdge Requester and
wait for the current command to finish and ArchEdge will return to its
own window.

The procedure is the same for ZOO, ARC, and LHARC.  My suggestion is to
use LHARC, as it is most effective and slowly becoming most popular.

** ArchEdge now doesn't use the UNDO option.  I've added all my own
routines, there may be bugs.  It works the same as before, you simply
give it a path (remember to end with a : or a /) and away it goes.
The routines I've added will allow me to let the user select the undo
command, so that you can use PKAX or UNZOO or something like that, and
that will be a future feature (sounds cool...future feature...)....

ArchEdge unarchives by making a directory with the archive name, and
unarchiving into that directory, to ensure that files don't get mixed.
For example, if you choose to unarchive two files "Robert.Arc" and
"Suzanne.LZH" then two directories will be created in the destination
path, Robert and Suzanne, and the relevant archive contents will be in
the separate directories.  Neat, huh?
** In 1.5 I removed the need for the Makedir command, using inbuilt
creatdir() function!

** ZIP was getting no attention, except problem causing, so its not in
my UNDO routines....complain if you use it and I'll add it back in!

Well, that leaves LHWARPing.  Clicking the LHWARP gadget brings up all the
options, and BEGIN starts it....so be warned...have EVERYTHING ready before
you click begin.  Notice that I put a
                    rename FILENAME.LHW to FILENAME.LHW.BAK
                                        command before the LHWARP command,
this is because it locks up if it finds an existing archive of the name
and path you told it to make one, so I rename your old one to protect it.
* Note: In 1.2, I removed the need for the RENAME command when doing this!

The options are best explained in the documents....but they are all there.
You select the drive, and the compressing options (quick is quickest, but
worst, and Freeze is best) and the bitmap options (use the bitmap for
most efficient), and enter the name with full path, and away it goes !

ArchEdge adds a textfile as a neat little advertisement, and note that it
adds this file to the Archives created with LHARC, ARC, or ZOO as well,
adding it last to work as a PAD file, which allows protection against
something important getting cut off during communications via modem.
* This, of course, is now selectable.  If the AUTO-PAD gadget is on, then
it will add this pad to the archive, but if off it won't !  Note that it
still always adds it to an LHWARP file.....at least let me have that much
advertising !

ArchEdge also UNLHWarps, and does this by letting you know if you click
on a file with a .LHW extension!  It is straight forward from there, just
select the output drive and BEGIN, but again BE WARNED!  The process
starts immediately the BEGIN is clicked...so have everything ready.

That's all I can think of.  Most things can be cancelled by clicking the
requester close gadget I think, and the program itself can be exited
(why would you wanna do that ?) by clicking its close gadget.

I don't know of any bugs existing, but then that's because of what is
classically called "Programmer's Prejudice".  You see, because I wrote
the program, I am less likely to do something "wrong" in the views of the
program than someone who knows zilch about the program.

WHAT YOU NEED:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the C: directory, you MUST have RUN, MAKEDIR, and RENAME.
* 1.2 no longer needs RENAME!
** 1.5 no longer needs MAKEDIR!

You also need the relevant archivers you are using, which for a full set
are LHARC, ARC, ZOO, UNZIP, and LHWARP.
** And of course PAK...


** You no longer need the UNDO command.

I do this by copying these commands and a few others to a created directory
ram:c and assign c: ram:c so I can use both drives in my archiving work.
If you want to know exactly how to do this, then ask me !

THE END!
~~~~~~~~

Well, there it is!  Thanks to Bruce Paine for the actual idea
of ArchEdge, and I hope you like it Bruce !   My intention is for ArchEdge
to become invaluable to modem users, and I know it will with my work for
TOPIK PUBLIC DOMAIN, as I frequently receive piles of archived disks, and
so now I can select a batch unarchive and go and do something else while
the computer works for me.

Keep in touch, and have fun with Archedge !

     Robert Lang.

Programmer for hire :-> Feel free to let me know if you have a good idea
for a PD program, if I like the idea, I'll probably do it !  Also let me
if you would like to pay for a program to be written....I'm open to
reasonable offers.