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1993-08-29
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QWKPRUNE can be used as a "preprocessor" for many QWK readers. If the
reader lets you replace the name of your unpacker with a batch file, you
should be able to use QWKPRUNE in this manner. If it doesn't, you may be
able to use PARM.EXE to call a batch file.
Create a prune file for each BBS you want to filter messages from. Each
prune file must be named BBSID.PRN. The files must be located in the
same directory as QWKPRUNE.EXE, unless you set the PRUNE option in the
configuration file, or specify a directory on the line that calls
QWKPRUNE. BBSID should be the name the board's mail door gives to QWK
packets. So if a BBS creates packets named ABC.QWK, the prune file should
be named ABC.PRN. QWKPRUNE reads the BBSID from CONTROL.DAT, so it can
find the correct prune file even if a packet has been renamed. If
there's no prune file for a BBS, (R) and Re: prefixes, user-defined
prefixes, and leading whitespace will still be stripped from the subject
lines of the messages.
Extract the correct batch file from the distribution archive, place it in
the directory where your reader is located, and edit it to fit your
configuration. If your reader isn't listed below, try using UNPACK.BAT.
Once you have the batch file working, delete the REM statements to speed
up processing. You should also extract PARMSCAN.EXE, and place it in the
directory where your reader is located, or a directory on your DOS path.
I've tested this with SLMR/OLX 2.x, EZ-RDR 1.37-1.39, DeLuxe 1.2x,
1stReader 1.01+, KingQWK 1.00 and 1.05, QWKMerge 1.05, Jabber 1.1+,
Session Manager 1.06, MegaMail 2.10, Power-QWK 2.14, Speed Read 1.20+,
Blue Wave 2.1x., and RoboMail 1.0.
SLMR/OLX 2.x
-----
Use UNPACK.BAT. SLMR and OLX change to their work directory, so there's
no need to specify its location in the batch file. SLMR and OLX can call
batch files directly.
EZ-RDR 1.37-1.39
-----
Use UNPACK.BAT. EZ-RDR creates a directory called WORK below the EZ-RDR
directory defined in its configuration. It changes to this directory, so
references to the work directory can be removed from the batch file.
EZ-RDR doesn't remember what directory it changed from, so you'll have
to give a path to UNPACK.BAT when reconfiguring EZ. EZ-RDR can call
batch files directly.
When EZ-RDR saves your place in a QWK, it alters the .NDX files and
re-archives them, but doesn't re-archive MESSAGES.DAT. As a matter of
fact, it appears to delete MESSAGES.DAT before inserting the bookmarks
into the QWK packet. If you want to have EZ-RDR save your place, insert
the line "copy messages.dat messages.bak" (without quotes) into
UNPACK.BAT just below the line that runs QWKPRUNE. You'll also need to
reconfigure EZ-RDR to use EZ-PACK.BAT to call your packer.
Running a batch file while swapped to EMS may interfere with the display
in EZ-RDR 1.37's DOS window. It appears that the QWK packet is still
processed correctly, you just can't follow the process.
DeLuxe 1.2x
-----
Use UNPACK.BAT. DeLuxe doesn't change to the Q-WORK directory, so you'll
have to specify its location in the batch file. DeLuxe can call batch
files directly. If you tell DeLuxe to insert a bookmark, it will
recreate the QWK, saving any changes that were made. Note: you can
represent the Q-WORK directory as %W\Q-WORK. If you do this, enter the
batch file name as "BAT:UNPACK.BAT" (without quotes) when reconfiguring
DeLuxe.
1stReader
-----
Copy FIRST.BAT to the directory where 1stReader is located and rename it
$$INTRO.BAT. If you already have an $$INTRO.BAT, insert the line
"qwkprune /m%2" (without quotes) into it. %2 represents the the work
directory defined in 1stReader's setup.
If the "Use Bookmark" switch in 1stReader's setup is ON, you can usually
save any changes by telling 1stReader that you want to insert a bookmark.
According to Mark Herring, 1stReader won't repack QWK packets that came
from a Qmail door with option #21 turned on. You can also use SAVEQWK
(see ADDON.DOC) to save the changes.
Note that, if $$INTRO.BAT exists, 1stReader automatically runs it after
the QWK is unpacked. There's no need to change 1stReader's setup.
KingQWK
-----
Use UNPACK.BAT. If you're using version 1.05, and KingQWK is not
configured to swap, you can enter the name as "UNPACK.BAT" (without
quotes). Otherwise, use COMMAND /C or PARM. If KingQWK is configured to
swap, enter these names as COMMAND.COM /C or PARM.EXE. KingQWK doesn't
change to its work directory when unpacking a QWK, so you'll have to
specify it in UNPACK.BAT. Users of version 1.05 can save changes by
killing a message in KingQWK, then unkilling it. It appears that this is
enough to get KingQWK to ask if you want to delete killed messages from
the QWK packet.
Versions of KingQWK prior to 1.05 will automatically re-archive
MESSAGES.DAT if it's been changed, even if it wasn't changed by KingQWK.
However, the changed .NDX files won't be re-archived. You should
reconfigure KingQWK to use KQ-PACK.BAT to call your unpacker.
QWKMerge
-----
Use QWKM.BAT. If you're using version 1.05, and QWKMerge is not
configured to swap, you can enter the name as "QWKM.BAT" (without quotes)
Otherwise, use COMMAND /C or PARM. If QWKMerge is configured to swap,
enter these names as COMMAND.COM /C or PARM.EXE.
Thanks to Mike King for mentioning that version 1.05 of KingQWK and
QWKMerge can call batch files directly under some conditions.
The configuration programs for KingQWK and QWKMerge don't allow the
command lines for packers and unpackers to be very long. You may want to
give the batch files shorter names. If you use PARM, you should be able
to fit the command lines for most unpackers into the allotted space, though
you may need to give PARM.EXE a shorter name. If you can't fit the name
of an unpacker into the available space, make a copy of the batch file,
and place the name of the unpacker, along with any needed switches in
front of the "%1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9" line.
Note: On some systems, KingQWK and QWKmerge may lock up when swapping in
from EMS. Swapping to disk or XMS works OK. This doesn't appear to be
related to QWKPRUNE. At least, it happens whether or not QWKPRUNE is
being run while KingQWK or QWKMerge is swapped.
If you have this problem, turn swapping off and try using a third-party
swapper. I've gotten SHROOM to work with the "-t *" switch provided that
packers and unpackers are entered without extensions. I've also had
success using SWAPDOS to swap to EMS.
Jabber 1.1+
-----
Use UNPACK.BAT. When editing the unpacking commands in Jabber's
configuration file, enter the name as "UNPACK.BAT" (without quotes).
Note that the .BAT extension must be given, or Jabber won't know that
it's to call a batch file. Thanks to John Erickson for pointing this
out. (According to Lawrence Johnstone, 4DOS users may use the .BTM
extension. Thanks, Lawrence.)
Also, the command lines for unpackers must not contain slashes or
backslashes. It appears that confuses Jabber, and causes the parameters
to be passed incorrectly.
Jabber changes to its work directory when unpacking a QWK, so references
to the work directory can be removed from UNPACK.BAT.
Session Manager 1.06
-----
Use SMAN.BAT. Session Manager can call batch files directly. Its basic
configuration routines don't accept parameters for the programs it runs
to pack and unpack QWK files. If you have SMQINST, you can use it to
edit the Decompression program filespec. Place the full filespec for
SMAN.BAT, including path and extension, in front of the contents of that
field. Thanks to Dennis McCunney for telling me that SMQINST allows
Session Manager to pass parameters to an unarchiving program.
If you tell Session Manager to save the current session, it repacks the
.NDX files and MESSAGES.DAT, so you can save the changes. If an entire
conference is pruned out, and you didn't delete the QWK after unpacking
it, the old .NDX for that conference will be kept. While that conference
will be garbled, the rest of the packet should still be readable. Still,
I suggest manually deleting the QWK file if you plan to save the session
and think all messages in a conference were pruned out.
MegaMail 2.10
-----
Use MEGA.BAT. The MegaMail reader can't use a batch file to call an
unpacker, nor can it pass parameters to an executable file. However, its
/nozip and /import switches will let you import messages from a packet
that's been unpacked. To import all packets in your download directory,
create a batch file containing this line:
for %%f in ([down_dir]\.qw*) do call mega %%f
Replace [down_dir] with the full path of the directory your QWK packets
are stored in, and remove all occurrences of [down_dir] from MEGA.BAT.
Note: call wasn't present in DOS versions earlier than 3.3. Users of
these versions use COMMAND /C instead.
Power-QWK 2.14
-----
Use PARM.EXE and UNPACK.BAT. In Power-QWK's configuration, put
"PARM.EXE ..\UNPACK" (without quotes) in front of the name of your
unpacker. Power-QWK's configuration program will locate PARM.EXE, and
expand the filename to include the full path.
When unpacking a QWK, Power-QWK creates its work directory under the
program directory and changes to it. While you don't need to include the
work directory in UNPACK.BAT, you do need to say where UNPACK.BAT is when
reconfiguring Power-QWK.
Speed Read 1.20+
-----
Use UNPACK.BAT. Speed can't call batch files directly, use COMMAND /C or
PARM. Speed Read changes to its work directory, so there's no need to
refer to the work directory in UNPACK.BAT. You do have to tell Speed
Read where UNPACK.BAT is. Be sure to keep the "if exist messages.dat"
line, as Speed Read calls unpackers at other times than when it unpacks
QWKs.
Note: On some systems, Speed Read may lock up when swapping in from EMS.
Swapping to disk or XMS works OK. This doesn't appear to be related to
QWKPRUNE. At least, it happens whether or not QWKPRUNE is being run
while Speed Read is swapped.
If you have this problem, turn swapping off and try using a third-party
swapper. SHROOM appears to work well. If you're using Speed Read 1.30
or above, change to the other swap code. (SWAP to SPAWNO, or vice
versa.)
Blue Wave 2.1x
Use UNPACK.BAT. When editing the unpacking commands in Blue Wave's
configuration, enter the name as "UNPACK.BAT" (without quotes). Note
that the .BAT extension must be given, or Blue Wave won't know that it's
to call a batch file. Blue Wave doesn't change to its work directory, so
you'll have to specify it in UNPACK.BAT. Be sure to keep the
"if exist [work_dir]\messages.dat" line, as it should keep QWKPRUNE from
being run if a Blue Wave packet is being unpacked. You may want to check
for .NDX files instead.
RoboMail
-----
Use UNPACK.BAT. RoboMail doesn't change to its work directory, so you'll
have to specify it in UNPACK.BAT. By default, RoboMail configures itself
to use a directory called T_E_M_P, and locates it under the directory
RoboMail is located in. RoboMail can call batch files directly.
-----
Some readers have substitution variables that can be used in function key
definitions or menu entries. If your reader is one of these, you can use
them to add entries to a prune file from within the reader. The output
can be generated either by DOS's ECHO command and output redirection, or
by MKPRN.EXE (see ADDON.DOC). For example, a function key in SLMR could
be configured as: NOSWAP:echo @CONFNUM@,F:@FROM@ >> e:\@BBSID@.prn.
Redirection is slightly faster than MKPRN, but doesn't work right if
the text being echoed contains the DOS redirection or pipe characters
<, >, and |.
When setting up such commands, you should give a path to the prune file,
so as to say where you want it to be.