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BRUCE403.DOC 03/30/94 This documentation provides some overview information on a number of utilities that have been posted by Wayne Software. All programs described herein were written by Bruce Guthrie. Most are distributed with a Wayne Software copyright. Others were written for the U.S. Department of Commerce. All are free for use provided relevant documentation is kept with the programs, no changes are made to the programs or documentation, and they are not bundled with commercial programs or charged for separately. CHANGE, CONVERT, FILUPDAT, FIXCHARS, and READ are excluded from the commercial packaging restriction. These programs are owned by the U.S. Department of Commerce and may be re-distributed without restriction. For these programs, I may be reached at the e-mail address BGU@CU.NIH.GOV (note--this address may change in the future). (BGU@CU.NIH.GOV reaches me for the other programs too but I'm not to use government resources for Wayne Software things even if they're free.) People who need to bundle AV, BFIND, COPSINCE, DIRCOMP, DIRTOTAL, FILL, FIXTEXT, FORTUNE, MULTICOL, NETSORT, READINIT, or READMAKE-created files in commercial packages other than shareware/freeware collections must pay a $50 registration fee to "Wayne Software" at the following address. READMAKE-created files are also subject to this limitation. I don't expect to make any money from these utilities but I don't want others to sell them instead. Comments and suggestions can also be sent to: Bruce Guthrie Wayne Software 113 Sheffield St. Silver Spring, MD 20910 fax: (301) 588-8986 Foreign users: Please provide an Internet address in all correspondence. The utilities are uploaded with a ZIP name that includes the year and month of the release. These names are: AVymm.ZIP AV program w/CONFIGWS BFINDymm.ZIP BFIND program w/CONFIGWS CHANGymm.ZIP CHANGE program w/CONFIGWS CONVRymm.ZIP CONVERT program w/CONFIGWS COPSymm.ZIP COPSINCE program w/CONFIGWS DIRCOymm.ZIP DIRCOMP program DIRTOymm.ZIP DIRTOTAL program w/CONFIGWS FILLymm.ZIP FILL program w/CONFIGWS FILUPymm.ZIP FILUPDAT program FIXCHymm.ZIP FIXCHARS program FIXTXymm.ZIP FIXTEXT program w/CONFIGWS FORTNymm.ZIP FORTUNE program MULCOymm.ZIP MULTICOL program NETSOymm.ZIP NETSORT program READymm.ZIP READ program w/CONFIGWS program w/READINIT program w/READMAKE program This collection of utilities were compiled using Microsoft's VisualBASIC for DOS 1.0 compiler. In each case, Thomas G. Hanlin III's excellent PBClone routines, release 2.2, provided additional functionality. Each of the utilities are separately described in a like-named *.DOC file. This documentation (BRUCEymm.DOC--the file release date is indicated by the "ymm" parameter) serves to summarize what the various utilities consist of. Several of the routines have defaults that can be changed by the program CONFIGWS.EXE which is included in the appropriate ZIP's. Wayne Software also writes programs, batch files, and sets up menu systems for people on a for-fee basis. If you desire this service, contact Wayne Software at the address specified above. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summary of programs: A summary of each routine follows. See the associated *.DOC files for fuller explanations: AV.EXE: Archive directory viewer. Presents list of files in archive (ZIP, ARC, etc) and lets you sort as desired. Also allows resetting of the file date based on the archive's contents. Syntax: AV filespec [ /-P | /P ] [ /Ox | /O-x ] [ /DATE ] [ /Q ] [ /? ] BFIND.EXE: Allows Boolean-type FIND requests. For example, find any line with one string AND another one, or any line with one string OR another. The syntax shown below is incomplete since "search" allows a lot of choices and allows the use of parens and Boolean operators. Syntax: BFIND [ /V | /-V ] [ /C | /-C ] [ /N | /-N ] [ /I | /-I ] [ /P | /-P ] [ /-HEADER | /HEADER ] { search } infile [ /? ] [ >filename ] CHANGE.EXE: Processes change commands in files. Files can be of any size and type (e.g. binary or text) and are processed quickly. Up to twenty-five change commands can be processed in a single pass. Also provides ability to remove trailing spaces from text files. Syntax: CHANGE infile [ ctlfile | /Cctlfile | /FROM string /TO string [ /IN search ] ] [ /LINES { line1-line2 | line1 linect } ... ] [ /V | /-V ] [ /I | /-I ] [ /Noutfile [ /OVERWRITE | /-OVERWRITE | /OVERASK ] ] [ /Fflagfile ] [ /Ttempfile ] [ /TRIM | /-TRIM ] [ /BINARY | /TEXT ] [ /VERIFY | /-VERIFY ] [ /Q ] [ /? | /?&H ] CONFIGWS.EXE: Lets you change some of the defaults for some of the programs. Is included in the ZIP file with whatever routines it supports. Syntax: CONFIGWS [ routine ] [ /MONO | /-MONO | /COLOR | /-COLOR ] [ /? ] CONVERT.EXE: Converts data between data formats: FROM dBase, ASCII-delimited (commas between fields and quotes around strings), and fixed field TO Lotus WKS, ASCII-delimited, dBase, and fixed field. Syntax: CONVERT infile [ outfile [ deffile ] ] [ [ /DEF=deffile ] [ /DEF | /-DEF ] [ /OVERWRITE | /-OVERWRITE | /APPEND | /OVERASK ] [ /FROM FIXED | /FROM ASCII | /FROM DBF ] [ /DELETED ] [ /TO FIXED | /TO ASCII | /TO WKS | /TO DBF ] [ /HEADER | /-HEADER ] [ /DELIMS=aroundstrings,aroundnums,betweenfields ] [ /BEEP | /-BEEP ] [ /INMISS=val ] [ /INMISSC=val ] [ /OUTMISS=val ] [ /OUTMISSC=val ] [ /SKIP | /MISSING | /ABORT ] [ /Q ] [ /? | /?&H ] COPSINCE.EXE: Copies all files modified since a given date. Primarily used for making sure you have a back-up of stuff and also to copy updated programs to another place. Lets you define your own groupings of files if desired. Syntax: COPSINCE [ from_dir | from_dir\filespec [ to_dir ] ] [ /TO to_dir ] [ mm/dd/yy | -n ] [ /ALL | /TEXT | /filetype ] [ /-I ] [ /REPLACE | /-REPLACE ] [ /BEEP | /-BEEP ] [ /Q ] [ /? ] DIRCOMP.EXE: Similar in some ways to DOS's REPLACE command but adds ability to delete extra files in the destination subdirectory, copy hidden and system files, and prepare a report showing inconsistencies. Syntax: DIRCOMP directory1 directory2 [ /S ] [ /CREATE ] [ /UPDATE ] [ /KILL ] [ /CLONE ] [ /MOVE ] [ /ATTR=[H][S][R] ] [ /NET ] [ /Frptfile | /-F ] [ /OVERWRITE | /APPEND | /-OVERWRITE | /OVERASK ] [ /ALL ] [ /Td: ] [ /Q ] [ /? ] DIRTOTAL.EXE: Prepares report showing files in subdirectory or drive. Allows some restriction requests (show only files with date greater than a certain value). Similar to Norton's FF and Ray Van Tassle's WIZ command (which is a great program but it doesn't work on network or CD-ROM discs) in some ways but presents a more formal report. Also allows you to look for duplicate file names and search by attributes or dates. Syntax: DIRTOTAL [ [ drive: ] ... [drive:][filespec] | [ drive: ] ... [drive:]\path[\filespec] ] [ /NORMAL | /WIDE | /THIN | /SPLIT ] [ /DUPS ] [ /CHILD ] [ /NL ] [ /-HEADERS ] [ /-FOOTERS ] [ /S { GT | GE | LT | LE | EQ | NE } value ] [ /D { GT | GE | LT | LE | EQ | NE } mm/dd/yy ] [ /ATTR=attr ] [ /Frptfile ] [ /Z | /-Z ] [ /SUB | /-SUB ] [ /Ox | /O-x ] [ /BEEP | /-BEEP ] [ /Td: ] [ /+DIR | /-DIR ] [ /Q ] [ /? ] FILL.EXE: Program designed to move files off to floppy diskettes, taking the biggest files first and skipping those that won't fit. Also provides option of splitting large files up, labeling output disks, and creating a status report. Syntax: FILL [ source-filespec ] [ dest-drive: | dest-drive:\path\ ] [ /MOVE | /COPY ] [ /PROMPT | /-PROMPT ] [ /OVERWRITE | /-OVERWRITE | /OVERSKIP | /OVERASK ] [ /Ox | /O-x ] [ /Xfilespec ]... [ /WIPE | /-WIPE ] [ /MULTI | /SINGLE ] [ /SPLIT ] [ /LABEL=label [ /START=n ] ] [ /Fstatfile [ /S+ | /S- | S* ] [ /CONTINUAL ] [ /BEEP | /-BEEP ] [ /Q ] [ /? ] FILUPDAT.EXE: Program which compares a selected list of files in a source path against those in another path and copies those that have been updated. Similar to DOS' REPLACE command but works from a stored list of files and can handle any number of directories. Syntax: FILUPDAT ctlfile [ /Flist_file [ /OVERWRITE | /APPEND | /-OVERWRITE | /OVERASK ] ] [ /FULL ] [ /ALL ] [ /Q ] [ /? ] FIXCHARS.EXE: Program which removes non-standard print characters from a text file. Translates graphics characters into their ASCII equivalents. Also expands tabs and removes backspaces. Is primarily intended for people who have problems printing a file. Pretty much replaced by the FIXTEXT.EXE program. Syntax: FIXCHARS infile { outfile [ /OVERWRITE | /-OVERWRITE | /OVERASK ] | /REPLACE } [ /BINARY | /TEXT ] [ /Frptfile | /-F ] [ /-EJECT ] [ /Q ] [ /? ] FIXTEXT.EXE: Program which applies a user-definable character-translation table to a text file. Can allow you to convert graphics characters to their ASCII equivalents, lowercase letters to uppercase letter, etc. Can also be used to translate DOS text files to Mac or Unix text files and vice versa. Can also expand tabs, remove trailing spaces, and remove backspaces. Syntax: FIXTEXT infile { outfile [ /OVERWRITE | /-OVERWRITE | /OVERASK ] | /REPLACE } [ /Iinitfile | /-I ] [ /TEXT | /-TEXT ] [ /EJECT=str ] [ /CRLF | /CR | /LF | /-LINE ] [ /TO CRLF | /TO CR | /TO LF | /TO -LINE ] [ /WIDTH=n ] [ /Frptfile | /-F ] [ /Q ] [ /? | /?&H ] FORTUNE.EXE: Program which adds some fine-tuning to the DOS FOR command. Among other things, this lets you distinguish file name roots from their extensions as well as increment file names by specified values. Syntax: FORTUNE { IN (set) | IN filespec | /IN (set) | /IN filespec } [ /AS filename ] [ /OVERWRITE | /APPEND | /-OVERWRITE | /OVERASK ] [ /VAR=char ] [ /DELIM=chars ] [ /+n | /-n ] [ /S ] [ /Xfilespec ] ... [ /ECHO | /-ECHO ] [ /ABORT | /-ABORT ] [ /PAUSE | /-PAUSE ] [ /? ] { DO cmd | /DO cmd } MULTICOL.EXE: Program creates multiple column listings from straight ASCII text, ASCII-delimited text, or dBase files. Also does subtotalling. Can also be used to add headers and footers to standard one-column text. Syntax: MULTICOL infile outfile [ /OVERWRITE | /-OVERWRITE | /OVERASK ] [ /DELIM="string" ] [ /LINES=n ] [ /WIDTH=n ] [ /EJECT | /-EJECT ] [ /COLUMNS=n ] [ /-WRAP | /WRAP [ /INDENT=n ] | /REFLOW ] [ /Cctlfile ] [ /SETUP="string" ] [ /RESET="string" ] [ /{ TITLE | HEADER | FOOTER }[ R | C | L ][ 1 to 5]="text" ] [ /{ TITLE | HEADER | FOOTER }{ T | B }="string" ] [ /-TITLE ] [ /FROM FIXED | /FROM ASCII | /FROM DBF ] [ /DELETED ] [ /DEF=deffile ] [ /DEF | /-DEF ] [ /DELIMS=aroundstrings,aroundnums,betweenfields ] [ /BEEP | /-BEEP ] [ /SKIP | /MISSING | /ABORT ] [ /GAP=n ] [ /TALLY ] [ /INMISS=val ] [ /INMISSC=val ] [ /OUTMISS=val ] [ /OUTMISSC=val ] [ /SUM={ col_spec | var_spec } ] [ /BREAK={ col_spec | var_spec } ] [ /PRINT={ col_spec | var_spec } ] [ /? | /?&H ] NETSORT.EXE: Slow but effective method for physically sorting files in a directory on a Banyan Vines (and possibly other) server. Also works on DOS disks but Norton's DS command is better. Syntax: NETSORT [ path ] [ /S ] [ /Ox | /O-x ] [ /BEEP | /-BEEP ] [ /? ] READ.EXE: Text file browser. Supports marking, copying text, reading Unix and Mac text files, etc. Only works with files of 16,000 lines or less (maybe 800,000 bytes). Other text viewers are out there. This one has some advantage because it's free! Syntax: READ [ filespec | @flistfile ] [ /TITLE="title" ] [ /DATE=NONE ] [ /line ] [ /Pport ] [ /-I ] [ /DOS | /-DOS ] [ /MONO | /-MONO | /COLOR | /-COLOR ] [ /-MOUSE ] [ /? ] READINIT.EXE: Creates and maintains the READ.INI file which may be used by READ.EXE, READWK.EXE and any self-viewable file created by READMAKE.EXE. Syntax: READINIT [ /MONO | /-MONO | /COLOR | /-COLOR ] [ /-I ] [ /? ] READMAKE.EXE: Program which takes an ASCII-text file and makes it self-viewable. Provides same capabilities as the READ program. Syntax: READMAKE infile [ outfile ] [ /OVERWRITE | /-OVERWRITE | /OVERASK ] [ /DATE=FILE | /DATE=TODAY | /DATE=NONE ] [ /TITLE="text" ] [ /? ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Where to find them on the Internet: In general, I no longer copy utilities to regular computer bulletin boards. While users are encouraged to do so, it's a lot easier for me to post them using ftp on the Internet. I post them directly on the Simtel archives at oak.oakland.edu and they are available there using anonymous ftp. Subdirectory names have been undergoing some revisions out there of late but the directories should stay roughly the same. The version numbers (indicated by the three digits before the .zip extension) may change as they reflect the last release date of the program ("403" is March 1994). The versions listed below are current as of March 1994. Off pub/msdos/, look for: arcutil/av403.zip Archive view: Free ZIP etc directory viewer textutil/bfind401.zip Boolean FIND command (BFIND BEGIN & END) textutil/chang402.zip Change strings in text files spredsht/convr403.zip Convert dBase, ASCII-delim, fixed, 1-2-3 dirutil/cops401.zip Copies files modified since given date dirutil/dirco403.zip Updates files based on source directory dirutil/dirto403.zip Directory lister and totaller diskutil/fill402.zip Stuffs as many files as possible on disk dirutil/filup401.zip Copy updated files based on a control list textutil/fixch401.zip Replace non-printable ASCII codes textutil/fixtx401.zip Translate text file characters en masse batutil/fortn403.zip Fine-tunes DOS FOR command w/options textutil/mulco403.zip Multicolumn text with headers, dBase supported network/netso401.zip Sorts files in Banyan Vines directories textutil/read403.zip Free viewer, also make any text self-viewing Note that the versions above are subject to change. The last three digits before ".zip" indicate the last digit of the year and the two digit month. Depending on how often I've updated things, you might find something like a 402 version instead of 401 when you go to look. If you can't get all of the utilities from your own sources, send $10 to the address above and I'll send you everything. Please specify disk size/density. Another Wayne Software product, called The DEMO System, is released as a shareware program. The DEMO System is a unique system designed to create text-screen demos, tutorials, help screens, etc. Look for the file DEMOSymm.ZIP. On oak.oakland.edu, it's in pub/msdos/ as: screen/demos401.zip Create tutorials, demos, menu systems, etc. The following are other programs that I've written either as Department of Commerce or as Wayne Software. These programs are no longer officially updated but they would be if someone expressed interest in them. On oak.oakland.edu, look under pub/msdos/ as: textutil/add304.zip Adds a column of numbers fileutil/conct305.zip Concatenate files incl on multiple floppies spredsht/readw308.zip Free WKS/WK1 file viewer textutil/take1304.zip Takes first occurence of a record -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Beta-zoids... Thanks to: Beta testers are always desired for these utilities. You don't get a damned thing out of being one (which is about what I get for writing them) but it doesn't cost you much besides an hour or two and lets you have more of an impact on the future courses of the routines. In order to be a beta tester, you have to be able to receive uuencoded files via e-mail (so forget CompuServe and Prodigy people; sorry). If you're interested, drop a message to me at bgu@cu.nih.gov and tell me which routine(s) you're interested in being on the list for. Existing routines have gotten suggestions, comments, and even complements from all over the world (definitely something I *love* about the Internet). No money of course but the ego's a powerful thing to feed! (The flamers of course should be burned at the stake or maybe start writing their own programs instead of criticizing other people's.) Thanks to (and sorry for screwing up some of these addresses and for forgetting to put in others)... CHANGE: mcardleb@cosy.uml.edu CHANGE: zazovsky@scrsul.sinet.slb.com CHANGE: rainer.wuerlaender@statistik.uni-muenchen.d400.de CONVERT: haapanen@niini.metla.fi CONVERT: rausch@rz.uni-frankfurt.de CONVERT: leono@uiuc.edu DIRCOMP: mcclell@julian.uwo.ca DIRCOMP: ornstedt@it.kth.se DIRTOTAL: longr@qus102.qld.tne.oz.au DIRTOTAL: westg@rintintin.colorado.edu DIRTOTAL: saracen@cix.compulink.co.uk FILL: beezer@cc.utah.edu FILL: dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil FILL: djtooley@undergrad.math.waterloo.ca FORTUNE: thth@forsci.ualberta.ca READ: ferch@cca.ubc.ca READ: mossako@asterix.uni-muenster.de -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revision history: Detailed revision history is only maintained for the last two or three releases. After that, you get the major revision summaries only. After six months or so, you get only earth-shattering stuff and after a year you get nothing. No one reads this junk anyway, right? Programmer types like to put in it in just to justify what they've been doing over the last couple of years. -------------- Release 94/03: AV: Removed system limits on number of members (and sped things up a bit) if you specify the /Q (no display, fix date/time stamp). CONVERT: Fixed up some bugs in /-DEF option as well as for files that are found in the root directory. Added /INMISS=var, /INMISSC=var, /OUTMISS=var, /OUTMISSC=var options. Dropped /SAS option (temporarily supported still but can be replaced with /INMISS=. /OUTMISS=0). Some bug fixing. Increased the maximum number of fields from 100 to 150. DIRCOMP: Fixed a bug with doing comparisons involving root directories. Also fixed bug in /OVERWRITE, /APPEND, /OVERASK, and /-OVERWRITE options. Modified program to accept drives with nine (vs six) levels of directories. Added /Td: parameter. Added /MOVE parameter which lets you do pruning and grafting operations. Changed the default report file spec to be C:\DIRCOMP.TXT instead of C:DIRCOMP.TXT. Minor bug fixing. Increased path allowance to 67 characters. /ALL didn't work as promised before; fixed. DIRTOTAL: Added /+DIR and /-DIR options which may be of use to Novell users. Increased path allowance to 67 characters. FORTUNE: Added /S option to process subdirectories as well. Added support for up to ten exclusion (/Xfilespec) specifications. Switched it so that %A and %a did the same thing--providing full path information for the file. This became important once the /S option was introduced. You can use %R.%E or %1*.%X* to get what %A used to get you. Found out that 4DOS processes commands with % in them differently; you *have* to use /VAR=x under 4DOS. MULTICOL: Added /INMISS=var, /INMISSC=var, /OUTMISS=var, and /OUTMISSC=var options. Some bug fixing. Added /DELETED option. Increased the maximum number of fields from 100 to 150. READMAKE (part of READ): Didn't work if the text file to be compiled had more than about 8000 lines. -------------- Release 94/02: CHANGE, CONVERT, FIXTEXT, and MULTICOL: Documentation left off four hexadecimal codes. Fixed it this time. CHANGE: Fixed a problem with passing in the control file as the second parm. Also added /Cctlfile parameter (which does the same thing). Fixed a problem with "/LINES linenum linect" parm (took one too many lines) and fixed up the "/?" information for the /LINES parm. CONVERT and MULTICOL: When the routine displayed exclusion filters, it accidentally showed them as inclusion ones instead. DIRCOMP: Added /-F parameter as replacement for /FNUL: and /SKIP to make it more consistent with FIXCHARS and FIXTEXT. FILL: Added reformatting options if /WIPE was specified for the output disk. FORTUNE: New program. Definitely in need of beta testers and suggestions! MULTICOL: Changed it so that blank lines wouldn't be ignored when /COLUMNS=1 was specified. If anyone wants this configurable in CONVERT or MULTICOL, let me know. Added some checking for confused /COLUMNS, /WIDTH, and /DELIM requests. Fixed /GAPS=n option. Allowed /FROM FIXED and /DEF=deffile to work together and added an example of this. (This capability added the ability to essentially eliminate undesirable columns in text tables and other things.) Added /LINES=0 and /-TITLE options, both of which were done to provide continuous pages in cases of /COLUMNS=1. -------------- Release 94/01: Had a lot of use-or-lose leave at work so had some time to fart around with these utilities. I'm sure this release probably includes some bugs which is a good time to remind people who can accept binary files mailed to them via the Internet that I'd like beta tester volunteers. See the note above on this. AV: Found that the program couldn't handle any archives with more than 820 members (you'd get a message about exceeding the string space). Will now turn off all sorting and non-name display options once that number is reached but it will still display all member names. Furthermore, the program will now skip any members beyond 1200. Who'd exceed those numbers? Well, I do since I keep all of my Windows icons as little ICO files (not being a Windows fanatic, I can view the ICO files outside of Windows so I don't put them into DLL's). Changed AV /? so it shows what the the current CONFIGWS-able defaults are. Added return codes. BFIND: Changed BFIND /? so it shows what the current CONFIGWS-able defaults are. Added return codes. CHANGE: Allowed use of &Hxx and \ddd in any case where the program accepts special codes. Added decimal values to the expanded help table. Added /?&H option which shows you just this table. Fixed up some inconsistencies in the documentation as well as errors in the program (well, the features *used* to work the way I documented them before...). Modified CHANGE /? so it shows what the current CONFIGWS-able defaults are. Added return codes. CONVERT and MULTICOL: Both of these routines (which share a lot of subroutines) shared the following changes: Allowed use of &Hxx and \ddd in any case where the program accepts special codes. Added reference table to the on-line help which shows you the hexadecimal and decimal equivalents to characters. Added /?&H option which shows you just this table. Added /DELIMS=aroundstrings,aroundnums,betweenfields parameter which allows you to specify in one place the delimiters to be used around string fields, around numeric fields, and between fields for ASCII-delimited input and output records. The first two options are new. Removed support for specifying delimiter in /FROM ASCII=char or /TO ASCII=char; use the new convention instead. Added ability to specify up to 10 accept (process only those lines which contain this string) and reject (delete any lines which contain this string) flags and allowed the user to specify where the character string should appear (beginning of record, end of record, within a record). Dropped support for X= and Z= specifications in the field-definition file (although both still work for now); use the /DELIMS= option in the command line and the new /+S, /-S etc options. Modified /? parm so it shows what the current CONFIGWS-able defaults are. Currently, filters don't apply to dBase input files. Should they? Let me know if you care. Added return codes. CONVERT: See "CONVERT and MULTICOL" write-up above. Improved some of the display information. Dropped the automatic exclusion of lines beginning with "_ (X="_)--use /S-="_ if you need this. Changed status (input/output count) indicator to show status every 10 input lines instead of every one and also now show percentage completed. Added /DELETED option. COPSINCE: New program. I use this all the time to copy files that I modify at home and bring them to work. I don't know if anyone else has a use for this but what the heck. DIRCOMP: Maintenance release. Revised documentation somewhat. DIRTOTAL: Added return codes. Maintenance release otherwise. FILL: Fixed a minor bug which prevented the program from copying files that were exactly as many clusters as the destination had. Normally, an unlikely occurrence until /SPLIT was added. Fixed up a bug that ignored the /START=n parameter. Added return codes. FILUPDAT: Maintenance release. Revised documentation somewhat. FIXCHARS: Added /-F option. This program is pretty well replaced by the FIXTEXT program which has more functionality but FIXCHARS will still be supported (as it's used at U.S. Dept of Commerce). Added return codes. FIXTEXT: Added this. A much more functional version of the FIXCHARS program. If you previously used FIXCHARS, you can use the same syntax with the new command unless you used FIXCHARS' /BINARY option (which is somewhat akin to the new /-LINES option). FIXTEXT reads the data in large blocks so it's considerably faster than FIXCHARS in any mode plus FIXTEXT offers lots of new features. Still free of course (under normal provisions). MULTICOL: See "CONVERT and MULTICOL" write-up above. Fixed up some inconsistencies in the programming. Added ability to process regular fixed-field files (ala CONVERT). Added support for filters which never worked before. Added /BEEP and /-BEEP options. Added support for MULTICOL in the CONFIGWS.EXE program. Switched decimal-character reference codes from "\ddd" to "/ddd" for printer set-up codes in order to keep in step with the other programs; so "\027" is now "/027". NETSORT: Maintenance release. Added return codes. Modified /? parm so it now shows what the CONFIGWS-able defaults are. Modified docs a bit too. READ: Added ability to handle Mac and Unix text files (lines ending with, respectively, CR and LF). Sped up mouse operations a little bit (previously, you had to to repeatedly click on the scrollers to get it to move; now you can just keep the button pressed down). Added /TITLE="title" and /DATE=NONE options. Added titles in the @flistfile file. Added /-MOUSE option. Changed the ERRORLEVEL codes: 0 now means no problems, 254 means file not found, and 255 means there was a syntax error or /? was requested. Fixed a bug which dropped the last line of the file if it didn't end with an expected EOL character (and blew up if you had only one line in the file and that didn't have one either). READMAKE (included in READ): Added /DATE=NONE option. READ's Mac/Unix and most other new capabilities were added also. Added return codes. -------------- (kind of terse) Release 93/12: DIRTOTAL: Many changes. Added /-HEADERS and /-FOOTERS options. FILL: Made /BEEP (instead of /-BEEP) the default. Added options when /WIPE requested. Added /CONTINUAL option. Release 93/11: CONVERT: Fixed a problem with DELIM as passed-in parameter. FILL: Fixed a problem with /SPLIT when wildcards were specified and more than one large file was in the source specification. Added /LABEL=label, /START=n, /Ffilespec, /S+, /S-, and /S* options. MULTICOL: Fixed a problem with DELIM as passed-in parameter. Release 93/10: DIRTOTAL: Added output formatting and /DUPS options. Dropped: CONCAT and READWK Release 93/08: AV: Added /DATE and /Q options. DIRCOMP: It's back! Added /CLONE, /ATTR=[R][H][S], and /SKIP options. FILL: Added /SPLIT option. Release 93/07: READ: Added F9 (backward search for text). Fixed a bug in READMAKE-- searching didn't work at all. -------------- (real terse) Release 93/05: New: NETSORT and READWK. Dropped: ADD, DIRCOMP, and TAKE1ST. DIRCOMP returns in 93/08 version. Release 93/03: New: AV and READINIT. Release 93/01: First release posted on SIMTEL (Internet). New: The DEMO System (shareware and not part of normal package).