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GRPFILES.DOC
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1990-01-30
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How to Use GroupFiles
with
GROUP 2.17
GROUP version 2.17 implements GroupFiles as well as GroupMail. This is an
automated file distribution system in the same way the GroupMail is an
automated message distribution system. In exactly the same way, in fact.
GroupFiles are always associated with a GroupMail conference, and the files
are distributed inside the GroupMail archives.
For anyone other than the topstar, receiving GroupFiles is simplicity in
itself. For any given conference you receive that distributes group files,
simply create a directory to receive the files and add a "/F<dirname>" to
your definition for that conference. For example, if your AREAS.DOG entry
for the BLATZ conference looked like this:
GROUP\BLATZ Gzorniblatz Forum ;520/1015
and you wanted gzorniblatz-related files to go into your D:\FILES\BLATZFIL
directory, you would simply change it to:
GROUP\BLATZ Gzorniblatz Forum ;520/1015 /fD:\FILES\BLATZFIL
If the directory you specify contains a FILES.CAT (Kitten), FILES.DIR
(TBBS), or a FILES.BBS (Fido/Opus) directory listing, then it will be
automatically updated as you receive new group files. (If you don't have
any of the above, then GROUP will automatically create a FILES.CAT for
you.)
For the topstar of a conference, distributing group files is only slightly
harder. You must designate a file directory to be associated with the
conference in exactly the same way as anyone else in the conference. Then,
when you want to distribute one or more files, you must create a
PACKING.LST file in that directory.
For example, if you were the topstar of the BLATZ conference, and you had
associated the D:\FILES\BLATZFIL directory with it (as in our earlier
example), then to distribute files you would create a file named
"D:\FILES\BLATZFIL\PACKING.LST".
The format of this file is very simple. If the first character of a line
is a double quote, then the rest of the line is a comment. Otherwise the
first word on the line must be the name of a file to distribute and the
rest of the line is a one-line description. The file must be located in
the group files directory, and it may not be specified with a drive or
path.
Also, comments are in some ways associated with the previous file entry
(they are used that way for creating messages in the conference, and for
making linked comments on TBBS systems). You should not make comment lines
longer than 40 characters, or the results will not look right on a TBBS
system.
Here is an example of a possible PACKING.LST file:
GROUP.EXE Version 2.17, includes GroupFiles
"This is the version that introduces
"GroupFiles for easy automatic
"distribution of programs and files.
GROUP2.EXE GROUP version 2.17 for OS/2
"Runs in protected mode, no penalty box
"required.
We've indented it here, but in practice everything should be "flush left"
with NO leading spaces.
As of version 2.17 GROUP does NOT update a file directory for the topstar
like it does for everyone else. We may add that in a future version.
That's pretty much it. As usual, we're open to comments and suggestions if
anyone has any ideas on how to improve this. As it stands, it's simple yet
powerful. We have great hopes for it.