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-
- DIRMAINT
- Searchlight BBS File Directory Maintenance Program
-
- Version 2.15, June, 1991
-
-
- Introduction
-
- DIRMAINT is a command-line utility program for Searchlight BBS 2.15 which
- allows you to maintain Searchlight file directories outside of the main
- FILES.EXE program. Dirmaint includes commands to add and delete files,
- update files (file size, date and/or description) and password protect (or
- unprotect) files.
-
-
- Syntax
-
- The syntax for DIRMAINT is as follows:
-
- DIRMAINT DirName Command [Options] FileName(s) ["Descrip/Passwd"]
-
- The first parameter, DirName, is the name of the directory file that you
- will be updating. This should be the actual name of the <filedir>.SL2 file
- on disk, and can include a path if the SL2 file is in a different directory.
- Note that DIRMAINT works directly with <filedir>.SL2 files, and does not
- process (or require access to) the Searchlight CONFIG file or FILEDIR.SL2
- file.
-
- The main commands are:
-
- A Add file
- K Kill files
- U Update files
- P Password protect files
-
- Options are:
-
- /D Use DOS system date when adding or updating
- /F Use file date when adding/updating
- /P Prompt for descriptions or passwords
- /R Perform record locking (for multiuser systems)
-
- Any combination of one or more single filenames or wildcards can be
- specified on the command line; wildcards are processed differently for the
- Add command than they are for the Kill, Update and Password commands (see
- below). Finally, one file description may be included in quotes (must be in
- quotes) for Add or Update commands or one password (also in quotes) with the
- Password command. Use the /P switch if you want to add or update several
- descriptions or passwords at once.
-
-
- Add Files
-
- DIRMAINT lets you add one or more legal filenames to the <filedir>.SL2
- file, whether or not the files actually exist. If a file does exist, its
- size is read from the DOS directory; otherwise, the size is set to zero and
- the file is marked as an offline file. DIRMAINT checks for files only in
- the current directory, so it should be run from the directory in which the
- <filedir>.SL2 file expects to find its files.
-
- If the /F command line parameter is used, DIRMAINT reads the file's last
- update date directly from the DOS directory and assigns that date to the
- SLBBS SL2 file entry. Otherwise, the current system date is used. New
- files added with DIRMAINT are owned by the SYSOP account.
-
- If /P was specified on the command line, DIRMAINT will prompt you to
- enter a description for each file added; otherwise, the description given on
- the command line (if any) is used. If multiple files are added and no /P
- switch is used, the description given on the command line is given to all
- files added. Since DIRMAINT reads the standard input stream when inputting
- descriptions, it is possible to redirect a list of descriptions to DIRMAINT
- with a pipe.
- Note that only one-line descriptions can be added via the command line.
- If multiline descriptions are needed, the /P switch must be used.
-
- Add Files supports the addition of multiple filenames in the following
- manner: for each WILDCARD specified on the command line, all files which
- exist in the current (DOS) directory that match the specification are added.
- Each single, non-wildcard filename is added regardless of whether a matching
- DOS file exists (the file is marked as offline if it cannot be found). You
- can specify any number of single filenames and/or wildcards on each command
- line (separated by spaces) with the only limitation being the length of the
- command line. See examples below.
-
- An attempt to add a file that already exists in the Searchlight directory
- will be ignored. Use the update command to change existing files.
-
-
- Kill Files
-
- This command deletes the specified entries from the SL2 file (the actual
- DOS files, if any, are not deleted or modified). No options or description
- need be included for Kill commands. A count of the number of files killed
- is printed on exit.
-
-
- Update Files
-
- This command updates the specified files by changing the file sizes to
- the actual DOS file sizes and, optionally, modifying the file dates and/or
- descriptions. If a DOS file exists, the Searchlight directory entry is
- updated to reflect the DOS file's actual size. Otherwise, the DIR entry is
- marked as an offline file (the old file size is not changed).
-
- If you include a description on the command line, DIRMAINT updates the
- file's description, replacing it with your command line argument. If you
- include the /P switch, DIRMAINT prompts you to enter a new description for
- each file updated (you can press Return to accept the default for each
- line). If you update multiple files and include a command line description,
- you will assign that description to ALL files being updated.
-
- If the /D or /F options are given, DIRMAINT updates file dates. As with
- the Add command, the /F switch loads the file dates from the DOS directory
- entry, whereas the /D switch loads the current system date. If /F is used,
- but a file does not exist, then the system date is used by default. If
- neither /F nor /D are given, the date is not changed.
-
-
- Password Protect Files
-
- This command allows you to change the password of the specified files.
- You can enter a password on the command line (in quotes) or use the /P
- switch to have DIRMAINT prompt you for a password. To remove a password
- from a file, either give no password on the command line, or press Enter
- when prompted for a password.
-
- Note that if you specify a password on the command line and multiple
- files, all files are assigned the same password.
-
-
-
- Directory Issues
-
- DIRMAINT should be run from the DOS directory which contains the
- downloadable files for the specified Searchlight directory; in other words,
- the same directory as the "Path To Files" specified in the SETUP program.
-
- If your <filedir>.SL2 file is not in the same directory, you need to
- specify its path when providing the "DirName" parameter. For example, if
- you have a directory called UPLOADS for which the UPLOADS.SL2 file is
- located in "C:\DIRS" and the data files are located in "C:\FILES\UPLOADS",
- you would use a command such as:
-
- DIRMAINT c:\dirs\uploads ...
-
- You should be positioned in C:\FILES\UPLOADS before running this command.
-
-
-
- Record Locking
-
- On multiuser systems, record locking should be enabled if DIRMAINT is
- used to update directories which may be in simultaneous use by another node.
- To enable record locking, add the /R switch to the command line. Note that
- record locking requires that DOS 3.3 or later be running and SHARE.EXE or
- its equivalent is loaded.
-
-
-
- Examples:
-
- DIRMAINT Uploads A ALLFILES.ZIP "List Of Available Files"
-
- This command adds the file ALLFILES.ZIP to the Uploads directory
- (UPLOADS.SL2 should be present in the current DOS directory). The file is
- added with the description "List Of Available Files", and the current system
- date.
-
-
- DIRMAINT Uploads A /F SL*.ZIP "Searchlight support file"
-
- This command adds to the Uploads directory all files that match the
- wildcard SL*.ZIP which are not already listed in the directory. Each file
- is added with the file's actual date, and the description "Searchlight
- support file".
-
-
- DIRMAINT c:\dirs\Uploads A /P TEMP.ZIP UPDATE.ZIP
-
- Adds the files TEMP.ZIP and UPDATE.ZIP to the Uploads directory,
- prompting for descriptions. The filenames are entered into the uploads
- directory regardless of whether they actually exist.
- In this example, we assume that the upload directory (UPLOADS.SL2) is in
- C:\DIRS. The command should be executed from the directory in which the
- files TEMP.ZIP and UPDATE.ZIP are expected to be located if they exist.
-
-
- DIRMAINT Uploads K TEMP.ZIP SL*.ZIP UPDATE.ZIP
-
- Deletes TEMP.ZIP, UPDATE.ZIP, and all files matching the wildcard
- SL*.ZIP. A count of the number of files deleted is displayed.
-
-
- DIRMAINT Uploads U /F ALLFILES.ZIP
-
- Updates the entry for ALLFILES.ZIP to reflect the current file size and
- file date for that file.
-
-
- DIRMAINT Uploads U /P SL*.ZIP
-
- Updates the file sizes for all files matching the wildcard, and also
- prompts for new descriptions for the files. The file dates are not
- changed.
-
-
- DIRMAINT Uploads U ALLFILES.ZIP "Master file directory list"
-
- Changes the description of ALLFILES.ZIP to "Master file directory list".
- The file size is also updated.
-
-
- DIRMAINT Uploads P MYFILE.TXT "Tornado"
-
- Changes the password on MYFILE.TXT to "Tornado". Passwords are not case
- sensitive.
-
-
- DIRMAINT Uploads P MYFILE.TXT /P
-
- Prompts for the password for MYFILE.TXT. Note that passwords are entered
- once only and are displayed as entered (unlike the FILES program which uses
- a dots-echo input routine and double checks entries).
-
-
- DIRMAINT Uploads P *.*
-
- Removes passwords from all files in the Uploads directory.
-
-
-