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FIXBBS.DOC
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1990-04-23
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FIXBBS - a FILES.BBS maintenance utility for GT Sysops
Revision history
22/4/90 - v3.17 - minor bugfix for SETFBBS
20/4/90 - v3.16 - add "word highlight"
- fix minor display bugs
- fix new files problem
- fix descr problem
20/4/90 - v3.15 - fix comment bug
- fix "word wrap"
- add timeout date select
- add offline total option
- fix directory check
- add multiline descriptions on prompt
v3.10 11/4/90 - Add colours for NEW files
- add "timeout" for New files
- fix date bug(s)
- add OFFLINE option
- fix various minor nasties
- add more colour options
- fix space check bug
- made comment char configurable
v3.02 24/3/90 - cater for new FILES.BBS format
- add color to menus
- seperate configuration program
- add Total Files: line
- improved menus
- add /N parameter
- Fix bugs in v3.00
v2.01 24/12/89 - Cosmetic fix
- Fix command stack bug with < 20 file areas
v2.00 13/12/89 - Add sort overrides
- Add Dest change on "process"
- Modify GTDIR parsing
- add area # to heading
- fix multiple listing bug
- add "validate after edit option"
- add SHELL to DOS
- increase NEW files
- add file # stacking
v1.92 12/11/89 - Fix bug in BATCH mode if bulletins
ignored
v1.90 5/11/89 - Add command stacking
- Add "ignore bulletins"
v1.80 1/11/89 - Rewrite validate for speed increse
- Minor cosmetic bugfix
- Add /A parameter
v1.72 22/10/89 - Add check for destination room
- Add check for NO FILES.BBS
- Add L)ist command
- Add support for 4DOS
v1.71 21/10/89 - Add command aliases
- Add selection at pause line
- Add subdirectory verification
- Add interactive "mark offline" prompt
v1.60 18/10/89 - first NON-BETA release
v1.00-v1.50 - BETA test code
WHAT DOES IT DO?
This program is for maintenance of your files.bbs and cbs
some features -
1) automatically creates files.cbs when validating the .bbs
2) picks up the REAL file date and time during validation
3) allows you to break a files.bbs into "sub-groups" and sorts within
sub-group.
A "sub- group" is defined as a series of filenames between 2 comment
entries or between a comment entry and the end of the file
A comment entry is an empty line OR a line with a space in column 1
and NOT a multi-line comment (see multi-line comments).
4) batch mode operation - no need for macro commands - simply put a /B
on the command line and FIXBBS will validate ALL the areas defined in
your GTDIR.BBS (or the list of files you designate).
5) If a new file (not in the files.bbs) is found FIXBBS will, if in
interactive mode, prompt for a file description. If in batch mode
it will supply a default description of "No description entered at
upload". The upload date will be set to the current date
6) if you have a special "key line" in your files.bbs FIXBBS will insert
all NEW files (those moved/copied to the area or those NOT in the
files.bbs when validating) to a position after the "key line".
The key line has the following format -
" New files at"
followed by TWO blank lines.
*NOTE* - the "N" of new MUST start in column 2!!!!
FIXBBS will append the current date to the key line and insert all
new file descriptions after it (the insert is actually done
between the two blank lines).
7) sort files by DATE or FILENAME in either ascending or descending
order
8) optionally forces the current date into moved/copied files
9) optionally adds an archive comment to moved/copied ZIP, ARC, or PAK
files
10) FIXBBS allows you to have MULTIPLE LINE COMMENTS on any file.
11) If you are using the 4DOS command shell, FIXBBS will optionally
generate the DESCRIPT.ION hidden file that contains the
descriptions displayed by the 4DOS dir command using the
decriptions in the FILES.BBS
12) FIXBBS can be configured to IGNORE your system bulletins in the
DEFAULT directory.
13) If you have " Total Files:" in columns 1-17 of ANY line in
your FILES.BBS this will be replaced by the TOTAL number of files
and total size of files in the area (exculding files.bbs etc).
*NOTE* the format of this line is CRITICAL - columns 1-5 MUST be
spaces, ONLY the initial letters can be uppercase and there MUST
be a colon at the end!!!
14) In v3.10 (and later) there is a NEW "key line" -
" Files older than xx days"
Again the format is CRITICAL - the "F" *MUST* start in Col 2. and
there must be TWO blank lines after it to denote the "sub-group".
When a NEW file is older than the number of days specified in the
configuration it will be moved to between the 2 blank lines.
If this line is NOT specified FIXBBS will append these "expired"
files to the LAST "sub-group" in the FILES.BBS
15) if you add a list of words to the end of your FIXBBS.CFG
and one of them is found in a file description it will be highlighted.
The words are NOT case-sensitive.
*NOTE* this feature works on WHOLE words ONLY!!!
e.g. putting "cat" the FIXBBS.CFG will ONLY match with "CAT" not
"catalog" or any word which contains the FIXBBS.CFG word
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
FIXBBS is BIG!! - you will probably need at LEAST 300k to run it.
This is mainly due to the fact that it calls the various archive
programs (PAK, ZIP, ARC) and your choice of editor.
You will also need to have your GTPATH set and a valid GTDIR.BBS in
the GTPATH directory.
All archive programs, and your editor, must be in the DOS path.
FIXBBS will create a FIXBBS.CFG in your GTPATH - DO NOT alter this
file!
******************** W A R N I N G W A R N I N G *******************
DO NOT USE *ANY* OTHER PROGRAM TO VALIDATE YOUR FILES.BBS AFTER USING
THIS PROGRAM!!
DOING SO WILL DESTROY *ALL* YOUR HARD WORK AS OTHER PROGRAMS WILL NOT
RECOGNISE THE FORMATTING CONVENTIONS USED BY FIXBBS AND WILL REMOVE
COMMENT LINES ETC.
PROGRAM LIMITATIONS
There are some INBUILT limitations to FIXBBS. These are -
maximum of 800 lines per FILES.BBS
maximum of 800 files per move/copy/erase operation
maximum of 200 file areas
*NOTE* - the figures quoted above are MAXIMUMS!! - depending on how
long your file descriptions, comments etc. are you may NOT be able to
get the 800 line figure.
**NOTE** - If you are using DOS4.xx the "Check Diskspace on Move"
option may not work!
COMMAND-LINE PARAMETERS
FIXBBS has THREE optional command-line parameters (REGISTERED users only)
/B - Batch mode.
If FIXBBS is run with this parameter it will validate
ALL file areas as defined in your list of file areas
(normally the GTDIR.BBS).
/Axxxxxxxx.yyy - use a different list for the file areas.
If this parameter is used FIXBBS will use the file
named xxxxxxxx.yyy as the list of files it will work
with. The file must be in the same format as the
GTMDIR.BBS (that is contain a list of drive\pathnames)
and must be located in the GTPATH.
If not specified the list defaults to the GTDIR.BBS.
/N - no CBS creation
If specified NO FILES.CBS file will be created/updated
RUNNING FIXBBS
The program is fairly self-explanatory but a few aspects of operation
need to be elaborated on.
MENU SELECTION.
At the Main Menu and the Move sub-menu you may use either
the number or first letter of the selection you desire.
Note that "Q" and "X" are internal aliases for "R".
COMMAND STACKING.
For safety purposes MOST commands are NOT stackable - this
is to prevent accidental erasure/moving of files. However,
there are FIVE commands that MAY be stacked -
1) you can stack an area number after the
C)hange Area command
2) you can stack an area number after the
S)ource Area selection command
3) similarly you can stack an area number after the
D)estination Area command
4) you can stack a line number after the
L)ist area - the listing will start from the
specified line.
5) a SERIES of file numbers may be stacked in the
move/copy/erase command. Numbers are separated by
any NON-numeric character, with the exception of
the "-" character which is used to designate a
range of numbers to mark/unmark.
e.g.
5,7,8,11-15 would mark files 5 7 8 11 12 13 14 15
Overlapping ranges WILL cause strange effects
e.g.
1-4 3-7 will NOT mark files 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
but will mark files 1 2 5 6 7!!
The reason for this is that the 1-4 DOES mark
files 1 2 3 4 but the 3-7 toggles files 3 4 and
marks files 5 6 and 7.
(remember the the mark/unmark is a toggle - if
you mark a file TWICE the second mark negates the
first)
If an out of range value is specified it will be ignored.
ARCHIVE COMMENT. (REGISTERED users only)
The Archive comment will be added to ANY ZIP, ARC, or PAK
file that is moved to another area.
If the FIRST TWO characters of the archive comment are
"=F" (no quotes and uppercase F) the characters following the
=F are treated as the Drive\path\filename.ext of a file that
contains the archive comment.
EDITOR NAME.
This entry defines the NAME of the editor you wish to use
for your FILES.BBS. *NOTE* your editor MUST be capable of
accepting the filename to be edited as a command-line
parameter.
FIXBBS will automatically create a FILES.CBS when
you exit from the edit function. Also, if required, FIXBBS
will validate the area.
NEW FILES. (REGISTERED users only)
If a special keyline is included in your FILES.BBS FIXBBS
will handle all NEW files (those currently not in the
FILES.BBS) in a special way -
FIXBBS will append your REGISTERED NAME and the current date to
the key line and insert all new file descriptions after it.
The key line has the following format -
" New files at"
followed by TWO blank lines.
*NOTE* - the "N" of new MUST start in column 2!!!!
The TWO blank lines are used to define a SUB-GROUP within
the FILES.BBS.
To convert a NEW file entry to a normal entry simply move
it to the appropriate area somewhere else in your FILES.BBS
with the Edit function.
MULTI-LINE COMMENTS. (REGISTERED users only)
Any file may now have more than one comment line associated
with it. These multi-line comments are identified by the
presence of a period (.) in column 26 of the FILES.BBS.
All lines with a period are "glued" to the preceding file
entry (which must NOT have a continuation mark!). A
multi-line file may be manipulated (moved/copied/deleted)
by FIXBBS as if it were a single entry.
*NOTE* this "gluing" does NOT apply to EDITING a FILES.BBS
- use the "block move" command of your editor to accomplish this.
OFFLINE FILES.
If an asterisk (*) is placed in column 26 of the FILES.BBS
no check is made for the presence of the file in the
directory.
IGNORE BULLETINS.
If the "ignore bulletins" mode is selected in the
configuration FIXBBS will NOT check for the presence of the
system bulletins in the FILES.BBS.
A system bulletin is defined as a file with a file name of
1 through 99 and either NO extension or an extension of
.CBS.
*NOTE* if IGNORE mode is used and there ARE existing
descriptions in the FILES.BBS FIXBBS will NOT remove the
description - this will have to be done manually, but no
NEW descriptions will be generated.
VALIDATE AFTER EDIT.
Normally FIXBBS will NOT validate a FILES.BBS that you have
edited but merely re-writes the FILES.BBS/CBS.
You can, however, elect to have FULL validation performed
after an edit (as a safety measure).
REGISTRATION.
This program MUST be registered to be fully operational.
Batch mode, multi-line comments, new file maintenance,
alternate area lists, and archive commenting are disabled
in unregistered copies.
Please read the enclosed README.NOW file for registration
information.
FURTHER INFORMATION.
May be obtained from the author -
Ken Thompson
164 Lyons Rd.
Drummoyne N.S.W.
Sydney Australia 2047
+61-2-81-4751
or I may be contacted via my BBS
The Black Hole
GT Net/Node 302/003
Modem +61-2-719-8161 (9600 CRASH!able)
Modem +61-2-819-6971 (2400 NO CRASH!mail)
Modem +61-2-719-8491 (2400 NO CRASH!mail)