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Text File | 1991-11-09 | 19KB | 369 lines

----------------------------------------------------------------- IFITS.EXE Batch file utility Conditional execution batch file utility, with virus checking. Part of the SETHware Grabbag, published by sThomas. ----------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IFITS DOES IFITS started out as an extremely flexible way to run hard disk backups from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Along the way, it's grown. An IFITS command typically looks like this: >>> ifits 9am do lotus This command would call up LOTUS.COM if the system clock reads somewhere between 9:00 A.M. and 9:59 A.M. Otherwise, it would simply exit. You can stack conditions. For instance, you could use this statement: >>> ifits THU FRI 12/25 EOM do simcity In this case, if it's Thursday, OR it's Friday, OR it's Christmas, OR it's the last day of the month, you'd play SIMCITY - otherwise, you wouldn't. Let's look at a file name. >>> ifits FRI file d:\store\accounts.dta do checking In this case, if the accounts.dta file was last updated on a Friday, ifits will execute the checking program (or perhaps, given the name, it's a batch file called CHECKING.BAT). >>> ifits today file appoint.doc do backup In this case, you want to do a backup if your appoint.doc file was updated today. (You might put this one in a batch file you call last thing before you leave the office.) Here are the basic rules: > If there's a FILE keyword, the next word on the command line should be the filename. > All the 'conditions' on the command line need to be LEFT of the DO keyword. (Otherwise, IFITS thinks it's part of the command to be executed.) > Normally, if ANY condition is true, the command is executed. > If you use the NOT keyword, the command is ignored if ANY condition is true. (It executes only if ALL conditions are false. IFITS NOT THU FRI DO SOMETHING will never execute SOMETHING.) > You can "stack" IFITS. (IFITS fri DO IFITS NOT 12am DO 123 will execute 123 if it's Friday and not between midnight and 12:59 A.M.) > IFITS uses a secondary command processor which overlays IFITS in memory. That means that the ONLY memory IFITs takes away from you application is an extra copy of the environment. (You can adjust that using the SHELL statement in your CONFIG.SYS file - see your DOS manual). It also means that if you run a batch file as the command, any SET statements do NOT affect the master environment; you need to use DEEPSET, available on the SETHware Grabbag utility disk. Here are the ifits vocabulary: 1 through 31 checks Day of month 1/1 through 12/31 checks Day of year EOM checks End (last day) Of Month 12am through 11pm checks Hour part of time TODAY checks using today's date (always true if no file) JAN through DEC checks Month of Year AM checks for before noon PM checks for after noon ASCII named file is ASCII text file (never true if no file) NOT all conditions must be untrue FILE check against file datestamp instead of against system date/time DO everything that follows is the command to be executed. ----------------------------------------------------------------- VIRUS CHECKING! IFITS tends to be used in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Programs that get executed a lot tend to be very susceptible to virii. As an added feature, IFITS inspects itself to check for viral infection. If it detects a change, it will report to you. While this does not take the place of a virus-scanning program, it will serve to give you early warning of many viruses. If you're not going to use IFITS for any other reason, put the line IFITS NOT TODAY DO DIR in your AUTOEXEC.BAT. Obviously, it is never "not today," and you'll never see a DIR, but you'll get the virus-checking anyway. ----------------------------------------------------------------- IFITS and MKMTFILE MKMTFILE is a program that creates files of zero length. For most people, a file of just 1 byte requires 4096 bytes of room on the hard disk. A zero-length file, however, requires no disk space at all - it just takes up another filename slot in your directory. MKMTFILE ("Make empty file") works nicely with IFITS, because you can use empty files in your batch files to flag whether something has happened or not happened. DOS gives you their "if exists" command that works nicely with MKMTFILE, but IFITS lets you examine the date or time the empty file was created. Of course, if you're creating empty files, you may need to erase those files. DELMTFIL searches out and erases all files of zero length, to keep your directories clean and easy to read. Both MKMTFILE and DELMTFIL are part of the SETHware Grabbag. ----------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IS SHAREWARE? IFITS is part of the SETHware Grabbag, a shareware package of utilities from sThomas. Shareware isn't a different type of software; it's a marketing technique with two big differences. The first is the shareware guarantee. We're so sure you'll love our products, we let you try them before you buy them. The second is the value difference. Ever notice that a $500 program only costs $100 for existing users to buy from the publisher? That's because retail and wholesale eats up 80% of the purchase price! Because we sell directly to the user at wholesale prices, we can give you a more valuable program at a fraction of the expense. Please try out IFITS for a month or two. If you find that IFITS is useful and handy, we ask you to do two things. 1. Pass copies along to your friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers, so they can try it, too. Tell them what you like about IFITS (and what you dislike, too - we're happy to stand or fall on our merits.) 2. Buy a license for IFITS. . You see, that way, we get stuck with a BIG income tax bill, and we just love to send money to the IRS. Please ensure that the copies of IFITS or of the SETHware Grabbag that you pass along are complete with all related files. ----------------------------------------------------------------- LICENSING IFITS is part of the SETHware Grabbag. You can license the complete SETHware Grabbag or license any individual SETHware Grabbag program by itself. We have 'single' licenses, 'WAN/LAN' licenses, and site licenses. Single licenses follow the Borland 'like-a-book' principle: as long as you can be sure two people aren't simultaneous users, a single license is adequate. Single licenses for individual programs are $15, or the complete SETHware Grabbag is $40. ( Please note that the SETHware Grabbag is considered one license, not a bundle of individual licenses. You can't have different people using different utilities in the Grabbag at the same time on a single license. Network license fees are based on the number of fileservers serving the network (NOT the number of fileservers loaded with copies of our programs.) As a rule, people use bridges, routers, and brouters define the boundaries of a network, and you can license a subnetwork without licensing the entire network. With a network license, every user on the network can use any licensed program simultaneously. Site license fees are based on the number of 8086-compatible computers used in connection with a site. A site is defined as one company in one building or at one location, plus all workers based out of that site. A site worker may use these programs on a substitute computer while the covered computer is unused. (That is, don't let this license make you a stranger to your family.) If these licenses don't meet your needs, tell us what will. We can be very accomodating. ----------------------------------------------------------------- UPGRADE POLICY Frequent upgrades are a PAIN to users. We get unhappy having to learn new versions of old reliables. We restrict major upgrades to once a year, except in case of MAJOR problems. However, we make minor changes to our programs continually, and always ship the best product we can produce. For instance, if we would find that Plantronics monitors roll when EASTER runs, we'd fix that - but we wouldn't stick a new version number on it, so that people make the phone company rich downloading software that looks and acts the same as their present software. Anyone - registered or not - can always get an evaluation copy of our software for a nominal charge. At present, we charge $10 for the first disk and $5 for each additional disk. (Please indicate whether you want 5.25 or 3.5 inch size.) If you need a bug fixed, and you are a registered user, there is no charge to mail you the disk. If you feel our software is not performing as it should on your computer, please contact us. ----------------------------------------------------------------- PRODUCT "BRANDING" The danger of viruses is very small if you follow two rules. 1. Stick to shareware. Statistically, you're much more likely to get a virus from a shrink-wrap package. There are two reasons for this. First of all, most BBSes and disk vendors run tight inspections to ensure that no viruses infect the product they distribute, while shrink-wrap distributors do not. Second of all, shareware typically is produced by a very small company without underpaid, disgruntled employees. 2. Stick to PC-compatibles. Viruses are easier to hide in the extremely complex, extremely standardized Mac environment than in the PC world. We have a product in the SETHware Grabbag - IFITS - that helps in the early detection of viruses, but we don't recommend that you stay awake nights worrying, even if you use shrink-wrap software on a Mac. However, just to make sure that SETHware stays secure, we have begun a branding operation. We offer to every legitimate and reputable disk vendor and BBS a especially-branded copy of any SETHware program that displays the distributor's name when you initially use the program, along with the program name and version, etc. If you get a SETHware program from Brand A and it says Brand B, you can be sure they did NOT receive the program directly from us. (ASP vendors may distribute a version that says ASP; you can trust those copies, too, IF you get them from an ASP member.) When you register a program, the copy we mail you will be branded with your name. If you order disks from us in the future, be sure to remind us that you are registered, so that your new disks are properly branded. There is one additional benefit of this branding, we are told. If your computer is stolen, and resold, no thief is going to erase all that valuable software, although he will attempt to erase all the data. When someone uses the computer and your name pops up on a SETHware program, it could lead to recovery of your property. ----------------------------------------------------------------- LICENSE FEES Single utility SETHware Grabbag Single user license 15.00 40.00 Network, per 10 nodes 30.00 80.00 Site, First 100 80x86s 120.00 320.00 Site, Additional 50 80x86s 30.00 80.00 You can trade in any license towards a more expensive license for $5 plus the difference in license fee. We pay state sales tax for Ohio customers. All licenses include the latest copy of the SETHware Grabbag utilities diskette (please specify size). Licensing for the complete SETHware Grabbag includes printed documentation as well. Network and Site licensees are allowed to reproduce documentation for any licensed utility, for internal use, without charge. ----------------------------------------------------------------- PHONE SUPPORT The SETHware Grabbag programs are so easy to use that we offer unlimited free support. This is a consulting firm as well as a software development firm. Many of these programs in the Grabbag were originally built to solve problems for our clientele; otherwise, we could never give such good value to our users. The downside of all this is that sometimes, you're going to get an answering machine. We have a REALLY short announcement, so you don't have to wait long to talk, and there's none of this "if you blah, blahblah, press 3, unless your mother's maiden name is blah, blah, blahblah, in which case you should press 5" stuff. You just get an opportunity to explain what's up and let us know how to get back to you. Of course, if we have to call you back, that means the phone charges are on us. ----------------------------------------------------------------- BBS SUPPORT You can contact us on CompuServe at 70573,2305 for support. CompuServe isn't cheap. Consequently, we've made arrangements with Grendel's Lair to support you there. It has USR HST/DS support, a sharp sysop, and not too many users (although that will probably change soon...) so that you can get in easily. And it's a free BBS. We check with Grendel's Lair frequently, and you'll get the fastest response there. The phone number for Grendel's Lair is (419) 523-3818. ----------------------------------------------------------------- WHO WE ARE The SETHware Grabbag is published by sThomas 14617 CR 138 Paulding OH 45879 (419) 399-3927 (800) 624-8602 ----------------------------------------------------------------- INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS For Australian customers, we have made arrangements with Mr. and Mrs. George Margelis at Budgetware to accept Australian orders. He will contact us via CompuServe so that we can send you a user's license package immediately, and will forward funds to us periodically to minimize the cost of handling foreign funds. Through this arrangement, our fees are approximately the same as in the US, although we adjust local fees to be a round figure. We would be interested in making arrangements with local reps in other countries, especially non-English-speaking countries, as we have some rather spectacular software under development. ----------------------------------------------------------------- YOUR COMMENTS I'd appreciate receiving your comments. Steve Thomas ----------------------------------------------------------------- ASSOCIATION OF SHAREWARE PROFESSIONALS We have applied for membership in the ASP. Programmers in the ASP have agreed to a code of conduct which amounts to treating customers as if they are important to the future of their business. (Things like not distributing crippled software, or incomplete versions of their documentation.) ASP members also have an ombudsman for solving disputes between customers and shareware publishers. Nothing in the ASP itself guarantees that the software is going to meet your needs. That's the reason for the shareware guarantee: try it before you buy it. Never the less, the ASP membership impresses me. Most of the best and the brightest shareware publishers are in the ASP. With few exceptions, the mediocre programmers don't bother joining. However, it's extremely important to look for ASP associate membership in disk vendors, because disk vendors are required to update disks in their library within 90 days of receiving an upgrade. That means that you aren't stuck with old bugs and missing features. Like we said, the ASP offers the customer a lot of benefits. That's why we've applied for membership.