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QCat V 2.0b8 by Richard De Luca 7/19/91 All rights reserved. GEnie: M.BUSSIERES CompuServe: 72567,3634 QCat is not a demo. It is a fully functional application with all features available and no limit of date or else on use. I rely solely on your integrity to encourage further development of QCat and other applications. So, if you own a Mac and need to use this program then surely you can afford to send only $25.00 shareware fee to: Richard De Luca 501 Chemin Witty Ste-Christine, Qc. Canada J0H 1H0 Thank you for your much needed support! Ñ What it is. QCat is a utility for cataloging disks, files and certain resources. It creates ╥TEXT╙ files that can be imported into databases, word processors or other applications that support TEXT files. If you have used QCat before, you will notice many new features and improvements. QCat is MultiFinder compatible and can operate in the background, but for better performance I suggest using it from the Finder. The idea behind QCat was not to reinvent the wheel. QCat concentrates on gathering data. There are many very good applications you can use to print labels, view, search, sort and format this data. In order to make QCat much more flexible, some choices had to be made. I hope they won't discourage you from using QCat. Comments, suggestions and, yes, bug reports will be appreciated. Although easy to use, a little effort from the user is required to keep the catalogs up to date. When you need that ╥I know I've got it but where is it?╙ file you will find it very much worth your while. You can freely distribute QCat as long as it's not altered in any way. I hope QCat will be as useful to you as it is to me. Ñ The Commands ╫ File Menu Show/Hide Settings Shows or hides the settings' window. When this window is visible, you can click items in it to change settings. Save Settings╔ Command+S Brings up the Save Dialog box and lets you save a file containing the current settings. Such files can later be opened to retrieve those settings. In the Finder, you can also double click on a settings file's icon to launch QCat and use those settings. Load Settings╔ Brings up the Open Dialog box and lets you select a previously saved settings file. The saved settings are made the current settings. Register╔ This command brings up the QCat registration form. Just fill it in, print it and mail it in with your shareware fee. You can use the ╥Tab╙ key or click in a field to move from field to field. The ╥Where did you get QCat╙ and ╥Comments╙ fields are optional. In the fields, you can use the standard edit commands (Cut, Copy, Paste, Clear). When its filled in, click on the ╥Print╔╙ button to print it. To exit after printing click on the ╥Thanks╙ button. If you're not ready to register yet, click on the ╥Not yet╙ button. Quit Command+Q Well, what can I say. ╫ Edit Menu QCat uses the standard edit commands only in the QCat registration form, but makes them available for desk accessories. ╫ Action Menu Since you can catalog three different types of data (disk data, file data, resource data), one of the choices mentioned above has to do with opening files. A file must be opened or created for each of the desired data types, allowing you the flexibility of adding to an existing file or creating a new one for each type. The cataloging processes can be aborted by clicking on the ╥Stop╙ button that appears in the lower pane of the main window. Catalog -> Floppies╔ Command+F Brings up the Open Dialog for each of the desired data types. Since all QCat data files are ╥TEXT╙ files, pay attention to the prompt phrase at the top of the window telling you what type of file to open. (ie. : ÑÑ> FILE <ÑÑ ). Open an existing file or create a new one by clicking on the ╥New╔╙ button or <Option+Command+N>. This weird combination is used to prevent interference with other utilities like ╥Boomerang╙. If you create a new file then the standard Save Dialog appears with a file name included and selected. I won't bore you with the details of how to use the standard file dialogs. Then, just feed floppies in any drive until you're done. Catalog -> Hard Disks╔ Command+H Brings up a dialog with a list of all available Hard Disks. You can use the ╥Catalog╙ button or double click on the item you want cataloged. For the rest see ╥Catalog Floppy Disks╙ above. Catalog -> Removable╔ Command+R NOTE: This feature was implemented without the actual use of a removable. It was tried with a PLI 45MB SyQuest cartridge drive and seemed to work fine. Notices of success or failure will be appreciated. Brings up a dialog with a list of all available Removables. You can use the ╥Catalog╙ button or double click on the item you want cataloged. For the rest see ╥Catalog Floppy Disks╙ above. See ╥Another (Hard Disk/Removable)╙ below for ╥Mount╙ and ╥Unmount╙ instructions. Catalog -> Masters╔ Command+M My rule #1 : Masters should ALWAYS remain locked. This feature allows you to serialize master floppies without actually modifying the disk. Just specify a starting number in the dialog. QCat will insert a serial number in the ╥Path╙ field of the catalog. Cataloging ╥My Master 1╙, ╥My Master 2╙, ╥My Master 3╙ with a starting number of ╥129╙ will produce ╥My Master 1\129╙, ╥My Master 2 \130 ╙, ╥My Master 3 \131 ╙ for disk names in the catalog but the actual disk name remains unchanged. An example file path would be: ╥Master 2 \130:Folder 1:Folder 2:╔╙ Place a sticker with those numbers or write them on the disks, and store them in that order. It will now be very easy to locate any cataloged file. Another (Hard Disk/Removable)╔ Command+N Usually dimmed, this choice is available only after a hard disk or removable has been cataloged. Selecting it lets you choose and catalog another Hard Disk/Removable to the current catalog files. To swap removables, select the one to eject and click on ╥Unmount╙, remove it and insert another one. When ready (follow your hardware instructions ie: wait for green light) click on the ╥Mount╙ button. When it appears in the list, select it and click on ╥Catalog╙ or double click on it. Please keep in mind the note on removables above. Done Command+. When you're done, this command closes all data files. You can then start over or quit. ╫ Options Menu In order for version data to be gathered, the files must comply with Apple guidelines on resources of type ╥vers╙. I've noticed that ╥vers╙ resources while present are often not accurate. The computed version would be the most accurate but is the least reliable. Disk Catalog File Catalog These menus let you specify in a submenu, the level of data to gather for disk and file catalogs (None, Basic, Technical or Custom). None If you select ╥None╙, no file will be opened for that type and no data will be gathered. Basic For disk catalogs, the included fields in order are: Volume Name Free Space For file catalogs, the included fields in order are: File Name Size Date (Last Modification) Path Technical For disk catalogs, the included fields in order are: Volume Name MFS/HFS Number of Files Number of Folders Free Space Date (Last Modification) For file catalogs, the included fields in order are: File Name Version (Short) Type Creator Size Date (Created) Date (Last Modified) Path Custom╔ If the choices above don't meet your needs, you can specify what fields to include and in what order in the following dialog. On opening, the lists represent the last selection for that type of file. To have an empty ╥Selected Items╙ list, select ╥None╙ from the menu before selecting ╥Custom╔╙. To add an item, select the item in the ╥Available Items╙ list, either by clicking the item and pressing the ╥>Select>╙ button or double clicking the item. To remove an item, select the item in the ╥Selected Items╙ list, either by clicking the item and pressing the ╥<Remove<╙ button or double clicking the item. Custom lists can be saved and loaded by clicking the appropriate button. When you're done click the ╥OK╙ button. File Filter╔ Command+1 This command lets you filter, in or out, some types of files. Selecting an option, will include it in the catalog. Deselecting an option will exclude it. The following options are available: Folders, Applications, Desktop files, System files, Invisible files and All Others. If ╥Folders╙ is selected, two passes are required to calculate the ╥Size╙ field for folders, performance is thus impaired. The ╥Save as default╙ option lets you keep those settings for future sessions. Catalog Resources╔ Command+2 This command let you specify resources to be cataloged. The included fields, in order are: Type Name ID Size Path The size field is the size of the resource itself and for DAs, the sum of the sizes of all owned resources and itself. If you select ╥None╙, no file will be opened for resources and no data will be gathered. As usual, the ╥Save as default╙ option lets you keep those settings for future sessions. Set Creator╔ Command+3 This command lets you specify the ╥TEXT╙ file Creator (ie: MacWrite = MACA, Edit = EDIT, etc.). If you don't know the creator you want, use the ╥Get╔╙ button. In the Open Dialog, select the application or document you want, its type will be inserted in the dialog. You'll then be able to open a file from the Finder by double clicking on its icon. If you use the ╥Save as default╙ check box it will become the default creator and you won't need to set it again for future sessions. Set Delimiters╔ Command+4 This command lets you specify the characters that separate fields and records in the catalog files. Most databases support the import of files using a tab character (ASCII 9) between fields and a carriage return (ASCII╩13) to separate records, this is the default setting. For custom applications or programs in BASIC who use a comma to separate fields, you can change this. The common choices are available in pop up menus but you can set any character you want by using the ╥Other╙ radio button. Just type in the ASCII code of the character you want (ie: code 59 for semicolon, code 36 for the dollar sign, etc.). Valid codes are in the range 0 to 255. When ╥Other :╙ is selected, the ╥Codes╔╙ button becomes active. Clicking on it will display a list of all ASCII codes. Select the code you want by clicking it and pressing ╥Select╙ or by double clicking on it. It will be inserted for you. NOTE : You may get unwanted results if you use the ╥Colon╙ (ASCII 58). QCat uses it to separate the folder names in the ╥Path╙ field. The ╥Space╙ (ASCII 32) character is not such a good idea either. If you use the ╥Save as default╙ check box, these settings will be kept as the defaults for future sessions. Serialize╔ Command+5 This option lets you serialize your floppy disks as they are cataloged. Disks must be unlocked to serialize. WARNING: This operation changes the name of the disk. ie: ╥myFloppy╙ becomes ╥56\myFloppy╙. You can choose to continue from the last session or set a new starting number. The state of this option is saved at quitting and will be in effect at your next session. If you're serializing, and insert a locked disk, a dialog will prompt you for the action to take. If you choose ╥Unlock and Serialize╙, the disk is ejected for you to unlock and reinsert. Choosing ╥Don't Serialize╙, the disk will be cataloged normally but not serialized. ╥Don't Catalog╙ simply ejects the disk. I suggest you NOT serialize original master disks since the operation writes to the disk to change its name. Use ╥Don't Serialize╙. See ╥Catalog->Masters╙ above. Include Header Command+6 This command lets you include the field names as the first record in a new catalog file. The state of this option is saved at quitting and will be in effect for your next session. Revert to Defaults Command+7 This command lets you cancel all setting changes and revert to the default settings. If you've used the ╥Save as default╙ option, that change will be kept. Center Window Command+8 This command centers the main window just below the menu bar.