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OS/2 Shareware BBS: 18 REXX
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18-REXX.zip
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randomz4.zip
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readme.txt
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2001-07-29
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┌┬────────────────┬┐
││ Randomizer 4.0 ││
└┴────────────────┴┘
┌┬─────────────┬┐
││ WHAT IS IT? ││
└┴─────────────┴┘
Randomizer is a lightweight database built with the specific intention of
selecting random items from lists (fields, arrays, etc). The Randomizer.cmd
script is accompanied by DataInput.cmd which acts as the database creation
and editing tool. Other front-ends could be easily coupled with DataInput.cmd
but thus far no others are known to exist.
This could be useful for many things such as developing quick characters for
a story or role playing game, the basis of a lottery number picker, or
theoretically scientific work involving random data.
┌┬──────────────┬┐
││ INSTALLATION ││
└┴──────────────┴┘
Installation of Randomizer is as simple as unzipping randomizer4.zip to any
directory which appears in your PATH= statement in CONFIG.SYS. Of course you
can unzip it to any directoy at all and then add that directory to the PATH=
statement. Randomizer will look for a data file (by default randomdata.txt)
in whichever directory you are in at the time you invoke either randomizer.cmd
or datainput.cmd. Therefore it is possible to keep multiple data files in
multiple directories and work with them simply by issuing a CD (change directory)
command and then typing "randomizer" or "datainput" (without the quotes).
┌┬────────────┬┐
││ WHAT'S NEW ││
└┴────────────┴┘
Randomizer 4.0 is powered by Pun Technology. "Pun is a play on words()."
To make a long story short, Pun Technology is a replacement for OS/2's Rexx
words(), word(), and delword() functions which allows Randomizer v4 to use
non-space characters as field delimiters in the data file. This allows more
effective handling of fields which contain spaces without the need for special
place holder characters as in previous versions of Randomizer.
The format of Randomizer 4.0's data file (RandomData.txt) is different from
earlier versions of Randomizer. I have now chosen to standardize on the
traditionally accepted tab-delimited text format, thereby allowing items within
each field to contain ordinay spaces within their names.
WARNING: Editing RandomData.txt with any text editor which does not respect the
tab character (ASCII 009) will cause Randomizer and DataInput programs to fail.
TEDIT.EXE which comes with OS/2 is an example of such a bad editor. I recommend
using E.EXE, EE.EXE, or FTE as your text editor, though others may work as well.
┌┬──────────────┬┐
││ FUTURE PLANS ││
└┴──────────────┴┘
* Development of a PM (graphical) version of DataInput.cmd.
* Ability to specify low and high values for random # of multiple selections.
* Ability to make specified multiple item selections be mutually exclusive.
┌┬─────────┬┐
││ SUPPORT ││
└┴─────────┴┘
Making changes to the source code of Randomizer.cmd and DataInput.cmd can be
neither condoned nor prevented by the author. Therefore there is absolutely no
guarantee or warranty of any kind on this software. If you edit the code and then
experience problems, I am in no way responsible for any loss or damage. However,
if you experience problems with Randomizer as-released by myself, then please
contact me as I would like to make the program useful to as many OS/2 users as
possible.
If you report a bug, please tell me the version of OS/2 as well as any pertinent
steps to recreate any errors you get when running Randomizer.
Under no circumstances should this software be used in a mission critical
environment as it is guaranteed to be neither bug free nor 99.9% reliable.
┌┬─────────────────────┬┐
││ COPYRIGHT & LICENSE ││
└┴─────────────────────┴┘
Randomizer is copyright 2001 by Don Eitner
Randomizer is donation-ware. If you find it useful and appreciate the work the
author has done, you are asked but not obligated to send the author a small
donation of US$5 to help encourage continued development and more advanced
features. Donations may be made via PayPal (http://www.paypal.com) to the
e-mail address shown below.
┌┬─────────┬┐
││ CONTACT ││
└┴─────────┴┘
As of July 2001, the author can be contacted at:
Don Eitner (freiheit@syntheticdimension.net)