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1995-03-13
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DIRECTORY MASTER 1.0b DOCUMENTATION FILE
OR
A QUICK AND DIRTY APPROXIMATION OF A MANUAL
Directory Master is a shareware disk catalog program. Its features include:
Menu and Mouse driven interface
Multiple display modes
Input and output filtering
printer and file support
Customizable Input output and display
Quick record searches
Duplicate records search
Compare disk to database function
...and more
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SOME TERMINOLOGY
Record - a database file, directory, or disk.
DISPLAYED RECORDS - all records that are either currently visible or may be
made visible via the arrow or slider gadgets, or
keyboard arrows.
DISPLAY list - same as DISPLAYED RECORDS.
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MENU OPTIONS
Directory Master 1.0b has the following menu structure:
NOTE: The items in () are currently not implemented.
PROJECT EDIT UTILITIES DISPLAY CONFIGURE
About Add Disk Find Records Colors
Directory Master Update Disk Records Disks Drive
Shareware Append Database Duplicates Directories df0:
New All Compare Files df1:
Open No Extensions Resort Parent (Custom)
All Custom ASCII Custom (Page Length)
No Extensions Delete Numerical Utilities
Custom Records (Open)
Save Extensions (Save)
Save As Custom (Save As)
Print Type (Reset All)
to printer (Change)
to file (Define)
Help (Combine Type Files)
Quit (Assign Defaults)
PROJECT MENU
ABOUT
Directory Master - some general comments on current version.
Shareware - explains shareware policy.
NEW - erases current database from memory.
OPEN
All - reads in all records from a selected database.
No Extensions - reads in a subset of records from a selected database.
The excluded records are all FILES which are in the same
directory AND have the same name BUT different extensions.
The first FILE is read; the others are excluded. For
example, if a directory has the following files:
arc
arc.c
arc.o
then the only file (of these 3) read in to the database
would be arc . The included file is the alphabetically
first file in the list. This option allows machines
without extended memory to access more disks without
really losing that much information. For the Fish0 -
Fish90 disks, this "saves" about 2000 files. For the
Amicus1 - Amicus16 disks, this "saves" about 600 files.
Custom - reads in a custom FILE subset of a selected database. See the
description of the custom requester in the requesters section
for more details. Also deletes disk and directory records that
have none of the custom FILES.
NOTE: In order to fix a bug in version 1.0a, I had to change the database
storage format. This makes 1.0a databases incompatible with 1.0b
databases. -- SORRY.
SAVE - saves the current database in memory to the same database that was
last accessed or to "DirMaster.dbf" if no database was previously
used.
WARNING: DirMaster does NOT currently check to make sure there is
enough room on the disk before saving.
SAVE AS - same as above except saves the current database to a specified
file.
PRINT
to printer - prints the currently DISPLAYED RECORDS with the currently
displayed fields to the printer.
to file - same as above except to a specified file.
WARNING: DirMaster does NOT currently check to make sure there is enough
room on the disk before printing.
HELP - a one screen online help function.
QUIT - erases current database from memory and exits.
EDIT MENU
ADD DISK - reads the disk on the currently selected drive and adds it to the
database.
UPDATE DISK - first deletes the highlighted disk, then adds the new disk back
into the database.
APPEND DATABASE - adds an existing database file to the database in memory.
All - see the description for the OPEN option
No Extensions - see the description for the OPEN option.
Custom - see the description for the OPEN option.
DELETE - deletes records from the database in memory.
Records - deletes the highlighted record. If the record is a Disk or a
Directory, then all sub-records are also deleted.
Extensions - deletes FILES in the same directory that have different
extensions. See the OPEN section for more details.
NOTE: This option acts on the entire database in memory.
Custom - deletes a custom subset of FILES. See the description of the
Custom requester.
TYPE - NOT CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTED (Projected Version: 1.1)
Change
Define
Combine Type Files
Assign Defaults
UTILITY MENU
FIND
Record - brings up a special window which is used to locate specified
records. All of the located record's fields are showm in full.
The records which may be FOUND are ONLY those records which are
currently DISPLAYED. This window has the following functions:
string gadget - stores the name of the record to be found.
Wildcards are not allowed.
OK - begins search on the name in the string gadget.
CANCEL - returns to the main DirMaster display and to the same
position as before FIND was invoked. Also clears the
string gadget.
QUIT - returns to the main DirMaster display, at the position
of the last found record.
FIRST - shows the first record in the DISPLAY list.
Keyboard ALT-UP_ARROW does the same.
NEXT - shows the next record in the DISPLAY list.
Keyboard DOWN_ARROW does the same.
PREVIOUS - shows the previous record in the DISPLAY list.
Keyboard UP_ARROW does the same.
LAST - shows the LAST record in the DISPLAY list.
Keyboard ALT-DOWN_ARROW does the same.
NOTE: Keyboard SHIFT-ARROW will move through the list by 23
records at a time (this is the "Page Length" option).
Duplicates - DISPLAYS all duplicate records in the current DISPLAY list.
You may specify which fields (NAME,SIZE,DATE) are to be used
when searching for the duplicates.
COMPARE - Compares ALL the records on a disk to ALL the records in the
current database and outputs which records are NOT in the database.
A record is output if any of the fields (NAME,SIZE,DATE) are
different. The records are always output to the screen and may be
output to a file and or the printer as well. Records which scroll
off the screen may not be redisplayed.
RESORT
ASCII - Resorts the currently DISPLAYED RECORDS into alphabetical order.
For example:
Fish 1
Fish 10
Fish 11
Fish 2
Fish 20
Fish 21
Fish 3
Fish 4
NUMERICAL - resorts the currently DISPLAYED RECORDS into "numerical"
order. For example:
Fish 1
Fish 2
Fish 3
Fish 4
Fish 10
Fish 11
Fish 20
Fish 21
NOTES:
1. By default DISPLAYED DISKS and RECORDS are sorted numerically, and
DISPLAYED DIRECTORIES and FILES are sorted alphabetically.
2. Multifield sorting will probably be provided in Version 1.1.
CONFIGURE MENU
COLORS - NOT IMPLEMENTED (Projected version 1.1).
DRIVE
df0: - sets df0: as the default drive.
df1: - sets df1: as the default drive.
Custom - NOT IMPLEMENTED (projected version 1.1).
PAGE LENGTH - NOT IMPLEMENTED (projected version 1.1).
UTILITIES - NOT IMPLEMENTED (projected version 1.1).
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GADGETS AND REQUESTERS
MAIN SCREEN
UP ARROW - scrolls the DISPLAY list up as long as the arrow is selected.
Keyboard UP_ARROW does the same.
DOWN ARROW - scrolls the DISPLAY list down as long as the arrow is selected.
Keyboard DOWN_ARROW does the same.
NOTE: Keyboard ALT-UP_ARROW moves to the beginning of the DISPLAY
list and keyboard ALT-DOWN_ARROW move to the end of the
DISPLAY list.
SLIDER - moves the current DISPLAY position to anywhere within the DISPLAY
list. The current DISPLAY limits are continually calculated and
DISPLAYED as long as the slider gadget is selected. Clicking in
the slider box above or below the "target" will move the DISPLAY
list one screenful.
NOTE: Keyboard SHIFT-ARROW does the same as clicking.
CUSTOM REQUESTER
This requester is used by the following options:
Open - Custom
Append - Custom
Delete - Custom
Display - Custom
The custom requester allows you to specify a subset of the database to be
used in the selected option. It has the follwing structure.
-------- ------- ----------- ---------------------- --------- ---------
|BEFORE| |AFTER| |INCLUDING| | | |INCLUDE| |EXCLUDE|
-------- ------- ----------- ---------------------- --------- ---------
-------- ------- ----------- ---------------------- --------- ---------
|BEFORE| |AFTER| |INCLUDING| | | |INCLUDE| |EXCLUDE|
-------- ------- ----------- ---------------------- --------- ---------
-------- ------- ----------- ---------------------- --------- ---------
|BEFORE| |AFTER| |INCLUDING| | | |INCLUDE| |EXCLUDE|
-------- ------- ----------- ---------------------- --------- ---------
-------- --------
| OK | |CANCEL|
-------- --------
The 3 string gadgets (in the center) allow you to type in record names which
are then parsed according to the custom options you have selected. The
"*" and "?" wildcards are allowed for the two columns of options on the right
and are parsed as follows:
"*" = 0 or more occurrences of any character.
"?" = 1 occurrence of any character.
The "*" and "?" are treated as regular characters by the options on the left.
BEFORE - Selects all records before the specified record.
AFTER - selects all records after the specified record.
INCLUDING - includes the specified record.
INCLUDE - includes the specified records in the OPTION list.
EXCLUDE - excludes the specified records in the OPTION list.
NOTES:
1. When specifying more than one custom string, the order is important.
The first EXCLUDE, if selected, excludes all records that do not match
the specified record. The second and third excludes, if selected, will
exclude records from the list selected by the first row of options.
2. The INCLUDE gadgets are cumulative (order should not matter).
3. The custom Display and Delete option work only on the current DISPLAY
list.
4. BEFORE and AFTER are mutually exclusive. INCLUDING may be selected
with either.
5. INCLUDE and EXCLUDE are mutually exclusive.
WARNING: This does not corretly parse a combination like:
*.c - INCLUDE
BEFORE - g
This SHOULD mean: include ALL *.c files AND ALL records before "g". It
is currently interpeted as: include ALL records before "g".
However, specifying
BEFORE - g
*.c - INCLUDE
gives the expected results.
DISPLAY FIELDS REQUESTER
Double clicking on the right mouse button allows you to select which fields
you want to DISPLAY. NAME is always displayed. You may select any
combination of the other fields (SIZE, DATE, PATH).
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MOUSE
The following special mouse functions are implemented:
1. Double clicking the left mouse button on a disk or directory will DISPLAY
all of the sub-records in that disk or directory. Double clicking on a
file will bring up the FIND window.
2. Single clicking the left mouse button on a record will highlight that
record. Some of the menu options use highlighted records.
3. Double clicking the right mouse button brings up the Display Fields
requester.
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SOME APPROXIMATE STATISTICS
TOTAL RECORDS
MEMORY RECORDS
512K 5000 (for partial functionality. Full functionality = 4500)
1.5M 22000
2.5M 38000
SORT AND SEARCH TIMES
RECORDS SORT TIME SEARCH TIME (worst case)
10000 30 sec 2 sec
38000 2min 30 sec 4 sec
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SUGGESTIONS ?? CRITICISMS ??
I have received many excellent suggestions, bug reports, etc. Most of the
known bugs have been fixed and many of the suggestions have been implemented
or will be implemented. I appreciate these inputs as they help make
Directory Master a better product.
If you have any comments, suggestions, criticisms, etc., or would like to see
other features implemented in DirMaster, please let me know. I am hoping to
make version 1.1 the final version and be finished in December 87. So, if
you have some inputs, please try to get them to me by the end of November.
Thanks.
Greg Peters
1032 Middy Drive
WPAFB, OHIO 45433
BIX: gpeters
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