Short:    FQuery the Complete FileFInd for the Amiga
Author:   robert_williamson@p0.f104.n167.z1.fidonet.org (Robert Williamson)
Uploader: robert_williamson@p0.f104.n167.z1.fidonet.org
Type:     comm/fido

    In  1991,  the  msdos  program ALLFIX, by Harald Harms,
     "introduced the idea of searching for files via echomail. The term
     applied to this function is 'FileFind'. The FileFind system allows
     BBS USERS to search for files by placing a message to 'ALLFIX' and
     wait for a reply.  Each  BBS system, running an  ALLFIX compatible
     FileFind  processor,  will  reply to that  USER if there any files
     matching their requested filespec."
                    Quote from ALLFIX.DOC v4.20 by Harald Harms

  FQuery is the only _COMPLETE_ FileFind system for the Amiga, with ALL
  the  user and operator features of AllFix as well as many, many more.
  FQuery  processes  either PACKETS or MSG type echomail bases.  FQuery
  accepts  messages addressed to FQuery, FileQuery, FileFind or AllFix.
  FQuery ALSO processes NetMail messages addressed to FQuery.

  FQuery  supports  multiple networks and may be configured for as many
  scan and reply echos as you need.  FQuery features _extremely_ strict
  query processing and full file descriptions in the response.

  Two  versions  are  included,  for  either PACKET or MSG scanning.  A
  keyfile  is  required to enable the posting of response messages.  At
  this time there is NO CHARGE for the keyfile.

    Features:
    *  indicates  a  standard  AllFix  feature.  Note that in some cases,
       these items may be global only in AllFix.  
    @  indicates item is configurable on a per-echo basis.
    -  indicates feature introduced by FQuery

      * does NOT require a FREQ list
     @* can respond in SCANNED ECHO or in a DESIGNATED FILEFIND REPLY ECHO
        for the network if responses are disallowed in the scanned echo.
     @- DESIGNATED REPLY ECHO can be in a differnt FTN.   
     @- can respond via NETMAIL ONLY if preferred.
     @* user can request a SECOND REPLY by replying to the response.
     @* maximum  length  of matches and length of match list per message
     @- limit of number of response messages.
      * exclusion of LOCALLY generated query messages from processing.
     @* search exclusion based upon AGE of MESSAGES.
     @- KEYWORD and single word DESCRIPTION search exclusions based on
        certain KEYWORDS defined as illegal.
     @* search exclusions based upon lengths of FILESPECS and KEYWORDS
     @- search exclusions based upon number of words and length of single
        word DESCRIPTION queries.
      - user can request that the response be returned via NETMAIL.
      - processes and responds to NETMAIL QUERIES and COMMANDS.
      - can send system ABOUT/MAGIC and NEWFILES via NETMAIL on request.
     @- can be set to send response via netmail if response exceeds a 
        preset size or number of messages.
      - an echo MODERATOR can request a copy of the CONFIGURATION for
        any echo via netmail.
      - options to display GLOBAL configuration, ECHO configuration
        and TEST queries with either the  defaults or the configure for
        any particular scan echo.
  
  FQuery  has  an  FTSC  product  code  (DAx)  and is the ONLY FileFind
  utility for the Amiga that is FULLY compliant with the following FTSC
  specifications and proposals:

  FTS-0001  Format of packets and MSGs. FMPT, TOPT and INTL, dupe detection
  FTS-0004  Transmitted form of EchoMail. PATH, SEENBY and ORIGIN.
  FTS-0009  Message identification and reply linkage.  MSGID:, REPLY:, dupe detection
  FSC-0039  Type 2+ packet extension proposal. 4d packet format.
  FSC-0046  Proposed product identifier.  PID: and TEARLINE.
  FSC-nnnn  Implementation and Usage of FileFind Utilities 

  Requirements:
        o a volume assignment of CFG:
        o Amiga OS Release 3 (may work with 2.04 and 2.1, not tested)
        o A filelist with filename entries starting in column 2, that is;
          each is preceeded by a single space.  This seems to be the most
          common format. Utilties are included to check and convert
          non-compliant filelists.

  Optional:
        o MSG version:
          The Tosser must not modify file attributes, nor strip message
          attributes of imported .MSGs while exporting.
          A configurable netmail management utility to call FQuery with
          the  fullpath  and host address of the netmail FQuery message
          if one is received.
          NetMail messages can  still be processed manually if this  is
          not  available.
          The Packet version does not require a NetMail Manager.
        o PKT  version:
          The  ability to call FQscan either before importing, or after
          backing up inbound packets.

  How to get it:

    FREQ or DL the MAGIC NAMES:    FQ or FQUERY
    From:       FIDONET#1:167/104.0 or AMIGANET#40:600/104.0.

  You  will  receive  an  archive  containing FQueryP, FQueryM, FQscan,
  FQCheckList,  FQFixList, the documentation, specification and example
  config files.  

  You must be sure that FQuery WORKS for you.  The unregistered version
  does EVERTHING except create outgoing packets.  The outbound response
  messages  are displayed in the CLI instead.  You may capture these to
  a file and examine them to be sure that the messages are proper.

  You  can  also  use  the TEST function to test various queries and be
  sure that your filelist is in the expected format to produce properly
  formatted response messages.

  FQuery  expects that file entries in your filelist start in column 2,
  in other words, each filename is preceeded with a space.  FQuery will
  treat ALL text lines that are preceeded with a single space as a file
  entry.  It will ignore lines that have a character in column 1 or are
  not  description  continuation  lines  as defined by the DESC_NUM and
  DESC_COL entries in your config.

  The  utility  FQCheckList can be used to scan your filelist.  It will
  output  some statistics with which you may determine if your filelist
  is  compliant  with  FQuery  requirements.  It takes as arguments the
  fullpathname   of  your  filelist,  the  start  column  of  the  file
  description and the word number in the line of the description.

  Another  method  to  test  for  filelist compliance is to issue the
  commands:

        SetEnv FQSEARCH DESC_COL-1,DESC_NUM ;use the actual values
                                            ;not the variable names    
        FQsearch FullPathNameOfFileList #? -f
 
  The  output  should  display all the file entries from your filelist,
  properly formatted.
      
  IF  and  ONLY  if,  you  find that FQuery meets your needs, request a
  keyfile   via   ROUTED   or  crash  netmail,  including  your  TESTED
  configuration  in  the  message.   If you are accepted as a user, you
  will  be  notifed  by ROUTED netmail.  Your keyfile will be placed on
  hold for you in an archive with your name.

  Whenever  the source is changed a new FQuery archive will be created,
  containing  the  current version.  Updated archives are automatically
  placed on hold and a netmail message sent to each registered user.

  If  you  have  any  additional  questions on the requirements, either
  NETMAIL  them  to  me  at  either address or post them in the FidoNet
  echos  AMIGA_FIND  or FALCON_CBCS or the AmigaNet echos NETDEV_AMY or
  FIND_AMY.


============================= Archive contents =============================

Original  Packed Ratio    Date     Time    Name
-------- ------- ----- --------- --------  -------------
   13080    4879 62.6% 16-Feb-95 21:38:38 +find.txt
    1678     900 46.3% 01-Apr-95 13:35:04  about.txt
   12201    4419 63.7% 20-Apr-95 11:52:50  FQ.CFG
   28052   14485 48.3% 08-Sep-92 22:01:16  rexxplslib.library
    9960    6200 37.7% 17-Mar-95 14:02:48  FQSearch
  227828   79318 65.1% 20-Apr-95 13:06:08  FQUERYM
  193156   68937 64.3% 20-Apr-95 12:56:44  FQUERYP
    4135     913 77.9% 20-Apr-95 13:06:46 +MyShowCfg
    8787    3086 64.8% 11-Apr-95 16:50:54 +FQscan.rexx
     184     136 26.0% 31-Mar-95 14:06:42 +ScanPKTS
   17488    8740 50.0% 23-Jun-92 23:27:54  RPStart
    1108     279 74.8% 23-Dec-92 00:24:02  RPStart.info
    7414    3269 55.9% 01-Apr-95 14:08:06 +FF.policy
   17690    6646 62.4% 20-Apr-95 12:35:20 +FQ.doc
    2204     981 55.4% 06-Apr-95 17:09:44 +FQ.hlp
    2148    1029 52.0% 17-Mar-95 18:10:18 +FQ.keyfile
    7473    3264 56.3% 20-Apr-95 13:50:04 +FQ.readme
    8951    2791 68.8% 14-Apr-95 00:20:50 +History.FQuery
   22964   11473 50.0% 17-Mar-95 16:16:34  FQCHECKLIST
   22732   11430 49.7% 20-Mar-95 22:46:38  FQFIXLIST
    1530     556 63.6% 17-Apr-95 12:21:10  START-AREXX
-------- ------- ----- --------- --------
  610763  233731 61.7% 28-Apr-95 10:04:04   21 files
