The World of Computer Software/World_Of_Computer_Software-02-385-Vol-1of3.iso/q/qfud.zip/QFUD.DOC

Text File | 1989-10-06 | 11KB | 204 lines

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                       Quick FILES.BBS UpDate Utility
                    By Alan Graff, Cross Connect Software
                    Version 1.00b, released October 1989.
                                 BETA VERSION

               For use with QuickBBS Version 2.04 and earlier.

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<< DISCLAIMER >>

QFUD is a FREEWARE program!  You are under no obligation to pay me one thin
dime for using it, nor do I expect it.  I issue NO GUARANTEES on QFUD!
Hey! What do you expect for free?!?  If it trashes your system, all I can
say is "That wasn't what it was SUPPOSED to do!"  I will not be held liable
for anything it does.  That's a chance you take with ANY program that is on
the BBS circuits these days.  Known bugs in this program are noted below,
please read them carefully.  There are no serious system threats to the best
of my knowledge.

<< HOW TO USE QFUD >>

Put QFUD in a directory that is locatable by your system (use a PATH command
in your autoexec.bat file).  Now, go to the file directory that you are
wanting to create (or update) a FILES.BBS listing for and enter: QFUD
Simple so far, isn't it?

QFUD will look for a file named "FILES.BBS" in the current directory. If
the file is found, you will be given the options to QUIT, DESTROY, or
UPDATE it.

If you QUIT, QFUD ends.

If you DESTROY it, you have one last chance to change your mind before
the file is erased permanently. Once the file is destroyed, you will be
given the option to create a new one.  See the notes below on creating
a new file in this case.  Your file can not be recovered once it is
destroyed since it will be over-written by the new version of FILES.BBS.

If you UPDATE the file, QFUD will scan the existing file and notify you
if any entries are not actually in the directory, giving you the option
of keeping the entry or deleting it.  You will then will be shown a list
of the files that are in the directory that do not appear in FILES.BBS.
The entry of these parallels the creation of a new file shown below.
If your FILES.BBS listing has additional comment lines in it, they will
be kept.  Your original file will not be saved if you choose to UPDATE.

If FILES.BBS does not exist, you are given the options to CREATE a new
file or QUIT.

If you QUIT, QFUD ends.

If you CREATE a new file, QFUD lists the programs in your directory one
at a time and gives you the chance to enter a file description for each
one.  If you just press the enter key, you will be given the option to
include the file with a description of "Unknown" or to not include the
file at all.  Descriptions may be 45 characters in length.  Entering a
longer description will cause QFUD to display the same file over again
for a new description line until you enter one that is the right size.

<< KNOWN BUGS >>

A buggy program?  Yeah, well maybe you're perfect.  I'm not and there are
a few wrinkles in my code that I haven't ironed out yet.  The title above
says "BETA VERSION" which means to me that the program creator felt that
the program worked well enough to release it bugs and all. I will do some
work on them and try to get them exterminated before I release another
version of QFUD.

Bug 1 - QFUD will not work correctly in a root directory.  I think this
        comes from the MS-DOS use of the "\" mark and how it relates to
        finding stuff in the root.  Since most sysop's aren't foolish
        enough to put their download files in their root directory, this
        shouldn't be much of a problem anyway.  QFUD will TRY to work in
        a root, but you'll get some pretty odd file names. I'll work on
        it if I get the time.

Bug 2 - Trying to use QFUD in an empty directory will cause the program to
        lockup.  How do you expect it to find files when there aren't any?
        Use CTRL-ALT-DEL to escape this one.  I have noticed lockups on
        directorys with only 1 or 2 files also.  I don't know about this,
        I'm trying to locate the bug...with only 2 files, what do you need
        QFUD for anyway?  Use a text editor for Pete's sake!

Bug 3 - QFUD sometimes tries to put a file name in FILES.BBS twice. Normally
        this occurs on the last file in the directory when doing an UPDATE.
        Watch the file names as you are updating and tell it "NO! Bad QFUD!"
        if it displays the same file name twice. If this fails, you might
        want to try threatening QFUD with a rolled-up newspaper.
        Seriously, if you just tap return and then select to not include
        the file name, the duplicate listing should not occur.  If it does
        manage to sneak past, you will need to use a text editor to remove it.

Bug 4 - On rare occasions QFUD locates one or both of it's work files (which
        are named CC201.WRK and CC202.WRK) and tries to put them in FILES.BBS
        even though they were supposed to have been deleted.  I'm not sure
        this is really a problem, it may just be a glitch in my debugging.
        If it truly does exist, I will try to correct it before the next
        release of QFUD...if there is one.  Use a text editor to remove them
        from FILES.BBS if they manage to make it in there.

Bug 5 - Not actually a bug unless you want your files in alphabetic order,
        QFUD lists the files in the order that they appear in the directory
        if you are creating a new FILES.BBS.  If you want alphabetical
        ordered files, you can circumvent this when making a new listing
        by creating a FILES.BBS with 0 bytes in it.  This tricks QFUD into
        thinking that a legitimate FILES.BBS exists and it then adds all
        of the "new" files in alphabetical order.

Bug 6 - Another of those "semi" bugs, if your FILES.BBS listing has the
        same file name in it more than once, QFUD will tell you that the
        second, third, etc. occurance is a MISSING file when doing updates.
        Just tell QFUD to keep the entry and stop bothering you.

<< ABOUT THE "QFUD" NAME >>

QFUD?  Yep.  Well, I don't know of any other programs called QFUD, if
you wrote one by that name, you have my sympathy.  The name stands for
[Q]uick [F]ILE.BBS [U]p[D]ate.  I thought it sounded unusual enough to
cause folks to check it out.  Plus, it reminded me of Elmer Fudd.
Anyway, I like it and will probably keep it for future versions if they
are forthcoming.

<< AND NOW A WORD ABOUT SHAREWARE VERSUS FREEWARE >>

Except for some OUTSTANDING programs (like QuickBBS and Telix), it appears
to me that the shareware horse has been ridden hard and put away wet.
There are just too many shareware programs to honor every request for my
hard earned money.  Some of them are good programs and I use them pretty
regularly, but I just can't afford to register all of them.  To do that
would take all of my paychecks for the forseeable future.  I DO register
the programs that I use on a regular basis and are well-written productive
programs that I couldn't write given a month of Sundays.
Whatever happened to the free exchange of programs?  Is PUBLIC DOMAIN a
dirty word?  Come on, people! Give this SHAREWARE farce a rest!  Let's see
some programs that their writers aren't trying to squeeze money out of!

QFUD is freeware.  You are under no obligation whatsoever if you use QFUD
to do anything I ask.  I would appreciate your including this doc file with
QFUD if you pass it on...people sometimes need to read doc files to reassure
themselves before they run a new program.  I would also appreciate a call to
my BBS to let me know if you like QFUD and what improvements you would like
to see if I decide to update it.  Other than that, you are free to do with
QFUD as you like, use it, abuse it, hit it with a fungo bat, just don't let
it sneak up behind you in a dark alley.
QFUD's SOURCE CODE is NOT freeware.  It took a fair amount of time to write
QFUD, and I'm not about to release it so someone can hack my name out of it
and claim it as theirs.

<< THE HISTORY OF QFUD >>
(You've got to be kidding!)

October 3, 1989 - The idea for QFUD was born as QCAUF, [Q]uick [C]reate
                  [A]nd [U]pdate [F]iles.  A short version which created an
                  uncommented listing with no user options was written to
                  test out the concept.  (Version 1.00a, not released)
October 4, 1989 - Programming was begun in earnest.  Name was changed
                  to QFUD for no apparent reason.
October 5, 1989 - Most programming on QFUD was completed.
                  Most of the doc file was written.
October 6, 1989 - QFUD 1.00b was tested and debugged.
                  Final polish was applied to QFUD and the doc file.
                  Uploaded to several southern and central Ohio BBS'es.
                  Uploaded to GENIE.
October 7, 1989 - The author took a break and waited for a the flood of
                  phone calls praising his work.

<< CREDITS >>

        Program author: Alan Graff

He can be contacted at: Cross Connect BBS  [phone]
                        24 hours/day - 300/1200/2400 - 8N1

         Or GENIE MAIL: A.GRAFF1
                        Don't use this one if you want a QUICK reply, it's a
                        long distance call for me out here in the boondocks!

     U.S. Mail address: Cross Connect Software
                        P.O. Box 131
                        Wheelersburg, OH 45694

QFUD was written in Turbo Pascal 4.0 on an ARC Turbo PC with a monochrome
graphics board and tested on a Laser Turbo XT with a CGA board. Both computers
were equipped with 640 Kb of main memory.

<< LEGAL STUFF >>

The words QuickBBS, ARC Turbo, Laser Turbo XT, Turbo Pascal, MS-DOS, Elmer
Fudd, Telix, and GENIE are registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Warning!
Although "QFUD" is not a registered trademark and "QFUD" is not copyrighted,
I will say nasty things about anyone who uses the name "QFUD" for their
program!