Simtel MSDOS 1996 September/Simtel-MSDOS-Sep1996-CD2.iso/disc2/c/mv.doc

Internet Message Format | 1986-09-10 | 10KB

Date: Fri, 29 Aug 86 01:18:20 cdt
From: Peter Wu <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: info-ibmpc-request@mosis
Subject: wmv12doc.txt


MV - move/rename files or subdirectories for PC DOS 2.xx and 3.xx;
     version 1.20


SYNTAX

MV [source1] [source2] ... [sourceN] [destination]

Each [source] can specifies files or directories; wildcards are
accepted.

Typing MV without parameters will print a short help message,
the version number, and the author's email addresses.


OPTION

Each [source] can be followed by a file-type option. There are
three such options:

  /f - select files
  /d - select sub-directories (same effect as \.)
  /h - select hidden files/sub-directories
  /i - ask for confirmation to move for each file/sub-directory

Options can be combined, like /hf for hidden and visible files.
If neither /f or /d is specified, /fd (files and sub-directories)
is used. If /h is not specified, hidden files/sub-directories are
not moved. There should be no space between a source and its
file-type option. So "*.*/f" is ok, but "*.* /f" is not.


EXAMPLE

Assume your directory looks like this:

    TROUT   .CAT
    MOTHER  .
    BILLARD .COM
    MOVIE   .XXX <HIDDEN FILE>
    COMPUTER.TXT
    LITTER  .
    TRASHCAN     <DIR>
    DOS          <DIR>
    ANIMAL       <DIR>

Each of the following examples are independent from the
others:

  MV trout.cat cat.exe        -- renames trout.cat to cat.exe

  MV litter trashcan          -- moves litter into trashcan

  MV dos don'ts               -- renames dos to don'ts

  MV *.* animal               -- moves all five files, trashcan,
                                 and dos into animal.

  MV dos animal               -- moves dos into animal

  MV billard.com computer.txt animal -- moves billard.com and
                                 computer.txt into animal

  MV trashcan trout.cat dos   -- moves trashcan and trout.cat
                                 into dos

  MV *. trashcan              -- moves mother, litter, dos, and
                                 animal into trashcan. Trashcan
                                 itself is not moved to prevent a
                                 directory loop.

  MV mother animal\.          -- moves mother into animal. The
                                 "\." following animal says
                                 explicitly that animal is a sub-
                                 directory, and if mv doesn't
                                 find that directory, then you
                                 get an error message. This is a
                                 good way to move things into an
                                 existing sub-directory without
                                 accidentally renaming files
                                 if you mistype the destination
                                 name.

  MV mother litter            -- error. You cannot rename mother
                                 to litter because litter exists
                                 already. If you really want to
                                 do this, you have to delete
                                 litter first.

  MV */d animal, or
  MV *\. animal               -- moves trashcan and dos into
                                 animal. The "*/d" or "*\." says
                                 match all sub-directories with
                                 no extension. Animal itself is
                                 not moved to prevent a directory
                                 loop.

  MV *.*/f dos                -- moves all files (trout.cat,
                                 mother, billard.com,
                                 computer.txt, and litter) into
                                 dos

  MV *.*/h animal             -- moves all files and sub-
                                 directories, hidden and visible
                                 ones (trout.cat, mother,
                                 billard.com, movie.xxx,
                                 computer.txt, litter, trashcan,
                                 and dos), to animal

  MV *.*/hf animal            -- moves all files, hidden and
                                 visible ones (trout.cat, mother,
                                 billard.com, movie.xxx,
                                 computer.txt, and litter), to
                                 animal


MORE DETAIL

MV is like the mv program on UNIX (trademark of AT&T Bell Labs.)
It moves files/sub-directories within a physical disk. This is
done by manipulating directory entries and not by copying and
deleting files. The advantage is that it's fast and non-
recursive: moving a sub-directory containing six hundred files
takes the same amount of time as it takes to move an empty sub-
directory.

The disadvantage is that you cannot move files/sub-directories
from one physical drive to another. To do so you must copy and
then delete; MV doesn't help in this case.

In addition to normal physical disks, MV also works on

  1) 'Join'-ed disks; of course you still cannot move things
     across different physical disks.

  2) 'Subst'-ed disks.

The above 'disks' can be created in DOS 3.xx.

MV will not work on shared disk across the network. If you
attempt to use it this way, you will get the message 'sorry, mv
doesn't work on network disks.'

When MV is writing to the disk, it will ignore the break key.
This is to prevent you from messing up the disk. If you press the
break key while running MV, the program might not stop
immediately, but it will eventually -- after it's done writing to
the disk. However, you can still mess up your disk by rebooting
or turning off your computer while running MV. So be careful:
DO NOT STOP mv BY REBOOTING OR TURNING YOUR COMPUTER OFF; if you
must stop MV, use the break key.


WARNING

Since MV uses some undocumented DOS calls and also writes disk
sectors directly (three sectors per sub-directory moved), it is
potentially hazardous to your disks. However, I have compensated
for this by including some redundant checking in the program and
by doing a lot of testing with it.

MV has been tested on the following systems:

  1) DOS 3.20 on AT with floppy disks (double and high density),
     fixed disks, vdisk, and 'subst' disk.

  2) DOS 3.10 on Zenith 148, 158 with floppy disks (double
     density).

  3) DOS 3.20 on XT with floppy disks (double density and 3.5")
     and fixed disk.

  4) DOS 3.20 on PC convertible with 3.5" floppy disks.

  5) DOS 2.11 on Leading Edge model D with floppy disks.

  6) DOS 2.10 on PC with floppy disks.

  7) DOS 2.11 on AT&T 6300 with floppy disks.

  8) DOS 2.02 on Compaq with floppy disks.

At first, I regularly ran chkdsk to make sure MV did not screw up
the disks, but now I only run chkdsk occasionally because MV has
never screwed up any disk, ever since I started writing it.

If you have a system quite different from the above ones, test MV
on a floppy disk before using it on fixed disks. And for the
first few times you use MV, it's a good idea to run chkdsk right
afterwards. You should also run chkdsk once BEFORE you try MV, to
make sure you are starting with a 'clean' disk so you don't blame
MV incorrectly for messing up your disks.

I have tried my best to prevent you from getting internal error
messages. But if you do see one, don't panic, your disk is
probably not harmed, except when the message tells you to run
chkdsk, then panic. Hopefully this will not happen -- it has
never happened to me.


BUGS

Won't work on network disks.
Won't work on "E-disk" under DOS 2.02 on Compaq.

If you discover other bugs, please let me know.


ALGORITHM

Files move/rename are done with DOS function call 56H.

Moving sub-directories (say MV A B/A) involves the following
steps:

  1) mkdir "B/A"
  2) swap the starting cluster pointer of "A" and "B/A"
  3) make "B/A"'s parent directory pointer point to "B"


COMPILING

A make file comes with the source. To compile the source, simply
type "make mv". The sources are intended for the IBM C compiler
version 1.0 or Microsoft C compiler version 3.0. If you use
Microsoft C compiler version 4.0, you have to edit the front.c
module to reverse the order of the parameters to the "rename"
function.


GUARANTEE

This program comes with no guarantee. Standard disclaimer: use it
at your own risks; neither I nor my employer is responsible for
any consequence caused by the use of this program.

Since the program comes with source, it is up to you to examine
the source to determine whether you want to use the program or
not.


DISTRIBUTION

Please distribute this program for free and include all
unmodified source code.

I will put the latest version of MV on the following bulletin
boards (look for wmv??src.arc, wmv??exe.arc, and wmv??doc.txt.
?? is the version number):

  1) INFO-IBMPC at MOSIS (for Arpanet users). Sources and
     document only.

  2) CompuServe, in IBMSW's data library.

  3) MACC's public BBS (608-262-3057) under IBMUTL.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Many volunteers on Usenet have helped me tested MV on their
systems. The following ones are especially helpful:

  Scott Rose
  Mr. Video
  David Dyck
  John P. Nelson


AUTHOR

Peter Wu
Faculty Support Center, MACC
Madison, WI 53706

Arpanet: [e-mail]
Bitnet: WU at WISVMACC
CompuServe: 76377,1332
UUCP: ..{akgua|seismo|harvard|ucbvax|allegra}!uwvax!uwmacc!pwu

Suggestions, comments, and bug reports are welcome. I especially
like to know other ways to move sub-directories and tests to
prevent users from creating directory-loop.