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1993-11-11
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QDEL version 0.33 Instruction Manual
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(C) Konrad Budych 1991-93
What is QDEL ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
QDEL is the program which deletes all files and sub-directories starting
from the specified directory (or directories). It may skip specified
sub-directories and/or leave files in specified sub-directories intact. It
may show you the number of directories deleted, amount of disk space freed,
and time of the activity. It is extremely easy to use and configure.
Starting from version 0.30 QDEL is almost as fast as 'DEL *.*' and much
faster than ever before! This can be noticed when QDELing diskettes --- in
some tests QDEL v0.30 was 30 times faster then QDEL v0.22 and all other
programs that use find-one-delete-one scheme! This is because QDEL now uses
obsolete, but very fast Delete-via-FCB DOS function.
QDEL does not ask any questions by default. This can be changed with
switch 'P' (one question for each tree to be deleted) or 'p' (two question for
(almost) each directory in each tree to be deleted). See below for details.
QDEL cannot remove current or root directory of any drive. This cannot be
changed.
QDEL removes *all* files including read-only, hidden, and system files.
No warning is given when deleting these files. Also no filename mask may be
specified, '*.*' is always used. So please be careful --- the command 'QDEL
C:\' will delete ALL your files on drive C: (including system files) without
any prompt.
QDEL is ideal tool if you want to delete an application which is located
in many subdirectories of a directory, clear a ramdisk or diskette very fast.
QDEL is a game of some kind --- the more you delete the more points you
get! See below for details.
Keep this program away from babies and children! It may be dangerous.
You have been warned.
And have fun using this program!
How to use it ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To install QDEL, copy QDEL.EXE to a directory listed in your PATH.
Use QDEL as follows:
QDEL [switches] dir [dir...]
'dir'
This is a directory name like 'A:\', '.', 'D:..', 'C:\OLD', and so on. A
'\' at the end of 'dir' is not allowed unless it means root directory.
'switches'
Switches can be placed anywhere in command line, but they are effective
from the place they occur. They cannot be joined together. They can be
followed by '+' or '-' to set explicitly their value, otherwise their
state is toggled each time they are used. See below for detailed
description of all switches.
Switches description
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Switches may be placed anywhere in command line but they are active from
the place they occur. There are three possible uses of each switch: '-x'
toggles state of a switch, '-x-' turns a switch off, and '-x+' turns a switch
on. Most switches are off by default unless you turn them on in QDEL variable
(see next section).
You may precede switches with either '-' or '/'.
Here is a detailed description of all switches.
'?' - help screen
This displays help screen. 'QDEL A:\ /?' works as expected --- first
clears A: then displays help screen. But 'QDEL /? A:' works the same way
--- help screen is always displayed after everything else is done. Help
screen is not displayed if either 'q' or 'Q' is on.
'-' - disable a '-' as switch prefix
Use this if you want to delete a directory with the name beginning with a
'-' (eg. 'QDEL -- -DIR-') or if you always use '/' to precede switches.
'P' - prompt before processing each given directory
QDEL will ask one question before processing each directory you specify
in command line:
"Dir DIRECTORY to be cleared. Are you sure (Y/N/Q)?"
If you answer <N> nothing happens to your disk. This switch is good for
beginners. Pressing <Q> or <ESC> aborts QDEL.
'p' - prompt before processing each directory in tree
QDEL will ask two question before processing any directory in tree:
"Proceed to DIRECTORY (Y/N/F/Q)?" and
"Delete files in DIRECTORY (Y/N/Q)?"
If you answer <F> ('Fast') for the first question, QDEL will automatically
proceed to all DIRECTORY's sub-directories and will not ask the second
question assuming 'Yes'. <ESC> or <Q> quits in all cases. Answers <Y>
and <N> do expected things. This switch is very annoying.
'q' and 'Q' - quiet work modes
If 'q' is on, QDEL will display only prompts, and errors. If 'Q' is on,
QDEL will display only prompts, and statistics. Prompts are displayed
only if 'p' is on. Use both 'q' and 'Q' and turn 'p' off for no messages
(in batch mode for example).
'e' - abort on first error
Normally QDEL ignores all errors (displays messages and goes on). If this
switch is on, QDEL will abort after first error occurs. Many QDEL-like
programs act that way.
'r' - repeated deleting
This switch when active causes QDEL to repeating processing each directory
given as parameter if a user wishes to do it. In detail: after a
directory tree deleting is finished QDEL asks a question like:
"Repeat deleting DIRECTORY (Y/N/Q)?"
This can have one no-nonsense purpose: clearing a lot of diskettes --- you
just change them when QDEL asks and press <Y>.
'f' - report free space left on disk
This switch is on by default. QDEL displays the amount of the free disk
space left.
's' - statistics and more...
This switch is on by default. It makes QDEL display a number of
directories processed, amount of disk space freed, activity time, and
scores. Directories processed with 's' off are not counted.
Amount of disk space freed is calculated as follows: before and after
processing a directory QDEL finds disk free space. They are subtracted
and this is the result. It may be inaccurate or even false on network
drives and/or in multitasking environments.
If 'p' or 'P' is on the idle time (waiting for key press) is also
displayed.
You get 1 point for each 4 kB of disk space freed, 20 points for each
directory removed. Bonus: 5 point for each read-only file, 10 points
extra for each directory, if you deleted more than 40 of them, and 1 point
extra for each 2 kB of disk space freed, if more than 4 MB was freed.
This is very useful to estimate the results of QDEL's work.
Unfortunately high scores are not stored.
You may disable this switch to spped up QDEL's work slightly.
Configuring QDEL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you wish always start QDEL with certain switches, put them in QDEL
environment variable using SET command. These switches will be read before
any command line parameters. For example, you may want to add this to your
AUTOEXEC.BAT.
SET QDEL=-P -e -s-
Switches must not be joined together, as usually.
Examples
~~~~~~~~
QDEL -p+ C:\
You will be asked what to delete on drive C:.
QDEL -Q A:\
Clears diskette quietly, show statistics and nothing more.
QDEL -Q -q -s A:\ B:\
Clear two diskettes very quietly: no screen output.
QDEL . -p
Delete ALL in current directory and deeper WITHOUT prompts. '-p' has NO
effect --- it is turned on after '.' is cleared.
QDEL -q . -q
Same as above, print errors and statistics only.
QDEL -r A:\
Clear a box (or two, or ten) of diskettes.
SET QDEL=-s- -f- -P
No statistics and confirmation required by default. 'Ok.' will be printed
after work is done.
There will be more examples in the next version of QDEL.DOC.
Where to buy
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nowhere. QDEL is free. You may give it away to friends and enemies. But
you are not permitted to sell or modify it. If you distribute QDEL, please
distribute original, unmodified archive file.
If you think this program is great, please send something to the author
(money, diskettes, postcards, your programs, etc.). You can contact the
author via e-mail or via snail mail using the following addresses:
Konrad Budych Internet address:
os.Boh.Wrzesnia 24/67 kbudych@ii.uj.edu.pl
31-621 Krakow, Poland
Very strange things often happen to ii.uj.edu.pl host so do not give up
easily when you get no answer!
Disclaimer
~~~~~~~~~~
QDEL is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or
implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and
of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for any damages,
direct or consequential, which may result from the use of, or inability to use
QDEL.
Revision history
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
0.33 'r' and 'f' switches added
Some messages and prompts changed.
More info displayed.
Write protected disk now detected.
A couple of minor changes.
0.32: 'P' switch added.
0.31: Test-only version. Never released.
'Q' and 'q' bug fixed and meaning changed.
Activity time added to statistics.
'e' switch added, 's' switch changed.
DOS critical error handler added.
Documentation and messages modified.
0.30: Fast '*.*' deleting.
New statistics and scores; bonuses added.
'N', 'Y', 'S' switches removed; 's' now on by default.
New command line scanning procedure.
Documentation and messages modified.
Version number increased by 0.08 because of many changes.
0.22: '-' switch added.
New command line scanning procedure.
Some messages changed.
0.21: 's' and 'S' switch added.
Scores added.
Documentation rewritten.
0.20: First version of Second Edition of QDEL.
Rewritten from Turbo Pascal to Turbo C++.
Oldest switches ('?', 'q', 'Q', 'p', 'Y', and 'N') added.
Multiple directories allowed.
256-characters-long paths added (for Novell NetWare volumes).
Cosmetic changes.
Version number incresed by 0.12 because of many changes.
0.08: Released within QKit 1.00.
Documented for the first time.
0.0x: Minor cosmetic changes, no severe bugs found.
0.01: First release of QDEL: no switches, one directory allowed.