A good question! Detective is essentially an application designed to give
information on a selected file. The information is split up into four blocks
1)File Type (in Hex)
2)File Type Name
3)File Name
4)File Length
The main use for this program is to identify files that have been stamped
with a non system stamp, and therefore are not recognised unless the relevent
application has already been seen. If you make a habbit of not marking your
disks (myself being the worlds worst example!) you will find this program
exceedingly useful when trying to clear (weed) disks.
----->Directions for use
Ingredients:-
1 Freshly squeezed Dectective Application Disk
1 Finely Chopped Archie
1 Hard Boiled Monitor
1oz Intelligence
8oz Fresh White Mouse
1 Cup
1 Jar of Coffee
Take the finely chopped Archie and fold in the freshly squeezed disk. Take
the mouse, locate the poimter above the Detective application in the filer
mixing bowl (window) and beat the mouse vigarously about the head to load the
application (double click will surfice). To taste, use the mouse (by the
tail) to drag a file onto the detective icon that will have by nourrent file, after which it will ask you if
you would like to add to the file, yet again the answer to this question
should be yes or no (y/n). If 'n' is typed the program will end, otherwise
you will be asked to enter the number of items you wish to enter. A prompt
will then appear asking you for the file type (in hex), there is no need to
preceed the value with a `&', after this a prompt will ask you for a file
type name, this name must not be more than 11 characters long, please keep to
this as neither of the programs check for error in the file. If you manage to
create a file that has more than approx 1000 entries you will have change the
wimpslot size in the !Boot file. The main reason for this is that I do not
envisage anybody using much more than 1000 entries, as there are over 3000
unused file types. If I receive enough encouragement then I will produce a
version with a dynamic wimpslot which will allow any number of file types to
be defined without any redimensioning of the wimpslot.
Upon a file being dropped onto the Detective icon the application is notified
of the file name, and the file type, from this information the length and
file type name can be found. You may have noticed that if you drop a
directory onto the icon the length given is the space the folder itself
occupies on the disk (normally 2k) rather than the size of the contents of
the directory, which can be obtained using *COUNT. The main reason I decided
to give the size of the folder rather then the size of the contents was
because for one reason or another the *COUNT routine does not include the
space directories occupy on a disk.
If you drop an entire directory onto the icon (ie by selecting all, and then
dragging 'all' to the icon) then multiple windows will be opened on top of
one another, one for each file dropped.
----->Versions
-> !Detective v0.31 (First version, originally called `!FileType?')
This was the very first version, which was originally just designed for
finding the file types of a file that was dropped onto it. Filled with bugs
and buglets (baby bugs), naff sprite and about as entertaining as `Space
Raiders' for the ZX Spectrum (mispent youth - or what?).
-> !Detective v0.71
This was the first fully working version, this version included the execution
address and the length of the file in the window. Due to a failiure of an
SCSI drive interface at school, somehow my floppy disk was corrupted, but
more than this only the !runimage file was destroyed (it had been a bad day
anyway!)
-> !Detective v1.00
This is the latest version of the utility, and displays the file type, file
type name, file name and the length of the file. I decided not to included
the execution address as this only made the display less understanderble.
If you would like to use the version with all of the above features, and the
execution and load address then please send a S.A.E. and a blank disk to the
address below.
*************** THIS PROGRAM IS SHAREWARE ****************
The copyright of this program remains with the author. You may copy
this program as many time as you want, and give away copies of it, but
you must only charge for the media it is on. You may not modify this program,
or any of the supporting files, or distribute it in a modified form. However
you may modify the DataFile file but please include a copy of the old version
in the directory so that if your modified version goes wrong, the person who
you gave it can get it working again by renameing the old file 'FileData',youmay also alter the wimpslot size in the !run file, but please leave a copy of the original in the directory. I suggest that when/if you alter the file
data you save a backup copy of the original in the directory, in case you
make a mistake in entering the data, as at the moment there is no amend
option, although I intend to release this on later versions.
If you find this program useful, please send a contribution to the
author.
If you would like to make an enquiry about this program, report a bug,
recomend any alterations or send a contribution to the author, please contact
me at the address below. If you would like a reply, please enclose as SAE.
If you would like to receive the latest version of this program that will
include the load and execution address of the file dropped onto it, then
please send a S.A.E. and a blank disc (contribution to the author?) to me at
the address below.
Z D Mace
Thursford Old Hall
Thursford
Fakenham
Norfolk, NR21 0BW
P.S. I hope the program is useful.
If this flashed past too quickly for you to read try loading up edit first.
