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- BRUCE609.DOC 1 Revised: 09-29-96
-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Contact information
-
- For the following routines: AV, BFIND, COPSINCE, DATES, DIRCOMP, DIRTOTAL,
- EUMAIL, FILL, FIXTEXT, FORTUNE, HTMSTRIP, PAGINATE, READINIT, READMAKE-created
- files, and TXTABLE:
-
- Bruce Guthrie
- Wayne Software
- 113 Sheffield St.
- Silver Spring, MD 20910
-
- fax: (301) 588-8986
- e-mail: bguthrie@nmaa.org
- http://hjs.geol.uib.no/guthrie/
-
- For the following routines: CHANGE, CONVERT, FILUPDAT, READ, and READY:
-
- Bruce Guthrie
- Room H-4885
- U.S. Dept of Commerce/ESA/STAT-USA
- Washington, DC 20230
-
- fax: (202) 482-2164
- voice: (202) 482-3234
- e-mail: bguthrie@doc.gov
-
- Please provide an Internet e-mail address on all correspondence.
-
- Since these programs are typically "freeware" (with the exception of people
- trying to make money from them instead of me), they generate maybe $100/year in
- revenue for me. As such, my ability to afford wonderful customer support is
- somewhat restricted. Please do not leave messages saying "Call me long
- distance". Also, please be specific about what problems you encounter and
- include command-line inputs as well as any control or INI files that you're
- using.
-
- WIN/NT AND WIN95 USERS: All of these programs are DOS applications. This means
- that they expect 8.3 filenames, short paths, etc. If you use long paths or
- illegal characters in your file names or whatever, these programs may not work
- for you. This is not a "bug" in the software. That's just the way DOS apps
- are.
-
- Standard disclaimer in this society: Wayne Software disclaims all warranties as
- to this software, whether express or implied, including without limitation any
- implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose,
- functionality, data integrity or protection.
-
-
- BRUCE609.DOC 2 Revised: 09-29-96
-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Introduction
-
- This documentation provides some overview information on a number of utilities.
- All programs described herein were written by Bruce Guthrie. Most are
- distributed with a Wayne Software copyright. Others were written for the U.S.
- Department of Commerce. All are free for use provided relevant documentation is
- kept with the programs, no changes are made to the programs or documentation,
- and they are not bundled with commercial programs or charged for separately.
-
- CHANGE, CONVERT, FILUPDAT, READ, and READY are excluded from the
- commercial-packaging restriction. These programs are owned by the U.S.
- Department of Commerce and may be re-distributed without restriction.
-
- People who need to bundle AV, BFIND, COPSINCE, DATES, DIRCOMP, DIRTOTAL, EUMAIL,
- FILL, FIXTEXT, FORTUNE, HTMSTRIP, PAGINATE, READINIT, or TXTABLE in commercial
- packages other than shareware/freeware collections must pay a $50 registration
- fee to "Wayne Software" at the following address. READMAKE-created files are
- also subject to this limitation. I don't expect to make any money from these
- utilities but I don't want others to sell them instead.
-
- This collection of utilities were compiled using Microsoft's Visual BASIC for
- DOS 1.0 compiler. Thomas G. Hanlin III's excellent PBClone routines, release
- 2.3, provided additional functionality. Since Tom has dropped support for his
- PBClone routines, some things will are simply not possible for me to do so don't
- push! The basic routines should be able to be maintained indefinitely as long
- as DOS continues to exist; we'll see. Keep in mind that they are DOS-based
- routines so forget long Win95 file names and such. I keep thinking that I
- should be doing Windows programming but it's hard to get psyched up for that
- when you think of Windows as a computer virus.
-
- Documentation provided in appropriate ZIP files:
- * routine.DOC: Each utility is separately described in a like-named *.DOC file.
- * FILE_ID.DIZ: Standard Description In Zip file.
- * BRUCEymm.DOC: This file serves to summarize all of the various utilities.
- The "ymm" indicates the release date in year/month format. "601" means
- 1996, first month (Jan 1996).
- * BRUCEINI.DOC: Most of the routines have defaults that can altered by using
- initialization files (inifiles). These are referenced in the regular
- documentation and further described here. (One thing about *.INI files; if
- you don't have one, it's in your interests to specify the "/-I" parameter.
- Otherwise, the program searches your entire DOS path looking for the file.)
- * BRUCEHEX.DOC: Many of the routines allow you to enter parameters as either
- hexadecimal or decimal strings. This is referenced in the regular
- documentation and further described here.
-
- All program documentation was created using a text editor (PE2). The
- PAGINATE command (see below) was used to justify the text and create
- titles, page breaks, and (where provided) indexes.
-
- Beta testers and suggestions are always appreciated. Contact me at
- bguthrie@nmaa.org Note that all beta releases are done via e-mail so if your
- gateway can't handle some pretty big mail attachments, you definitely do NOT
- want to be a beta tester for me! Modifications that are not of mainstream use
- can be contracted for.
-
-
- BRUCE609.DOC 3 Revised: 09-29-96
-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Finding the programs--Current version is 609
-
- The utilities are uploaded with a ZIP name that includes the year and month of
- the release in a "ymm" format ("609" is the Sept 1996 version). The files are
- posted directly by the author to two places. The following Web site, provided
- by Hans Schrader, has the current versions of *all* programs:
-
- http://hjs.geol.uib.no/guthrie/
-
- Major revisions are directly posted by the author to the following:
- * Simtel (Coast-To-Coast): ftp.coast.net (http://www.coast.net/Simtel)
- * Simtel (Keith Petersen): ftp.simtel.net (http://www.simtel.net/simtel.net)
- * ZDI Software Library: No idea where that is!
-
- Simtel locations and versions
-
- http://www.coast.net/SimTel/msdos/ ftp://ftp.simtel.net/simtelnet/msdos/
- ..arcutil/ ..arcutils/
- av607.zip Archive View: Free ZIP etc directory viewer
- ..batutil/ ..batchutl/
- dates609.zip Warns you in advance of birthdays etc
- fortn608.zip Fine-tunes DOS FOR command w/options
- ..dirutil/ ..dirutl/
- cops608.zip Copies files modified since given date
- dirco609.zip Updates files based on source directory
- dirto609.zip Directory lister and totaller
- filup607.zip Copy updated files based on a control list
- ..diskutil/ ..diskutil/
- fill609.zip Stuffs as many files as possible on disk
- ..offline/ ..mailnews/
- eumal607.zip Eudora utility for nicknames, boxes
- ..spredsht/ ..spredsht/
- convr609.zip Convert dBase, ASCII-delim, fixed, 1-2-3
- ..textutil/ ..txtutl/
- bfind609.zip Boolean FIND command (BFIND BEGIN & END)
- chang609.zip Change strings in text/binary files
- fixtx607.zip Translate text file characters en masse
- htmst609.zip Reprocesses HTML pages for humans to read
- pagin607.zip Paginates text (indexes, sorts, tables)
- read609.zip Free viewer, also make any text self-viewing
- txtab607.zip Generates text tables
-
- If you're using a version of the programs that's more than a year old, it's
- almost always the case that there's a newer version. Please check for an
- update. If you can receive binary attachments, contact me at bguthrie@nmaa.org
- for free updates. Alternatively, send $10 made out to "Wayne Software" to the
- Wayne Software address above and I'll send you everything on diskette. (If you
- need anything other than 3.5" high density, specify that too please.)
-
- The versions of each program posted on SimTel are documented below along with
- the directory information for this site. The *current* versions of *all*
- programs are posted on the Web site in Norway.
-
-
- BRUCE609.DOC 4 Revised: 09-29-96
-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Short program descriptions
-
- AV.EXE: Archive directory viewer. Presents list of files in archive (ZIP,
- ARC, etc) and lets you sort as desired. Also allows resetting of the file
- date based on the archive's contents.
-
- BFIND.EXE: Allows Boolean-type FIND requests. For example, find any line
- with one string AND another one, or any line with one string OR another.
- Also allows wildcarded input file names.
-
- CHANGE.EXE: Processes change commands in files. Files can be of any size
- and type (e.g. binary or text) and are processed quickly. Up to thirty
- change commands can be processed in a single pass. Also provides ability to
- remove trailing spaces from text files.
-
- CONVERT.EXE: Converts between data formats: FROM dBase, ASCII-delimited
- (typically commas between fields and quotes around strings), and fixed field
- TO Lotus WKS, ASCII-delimited, dBase, and fixed field.
-
- COPSINCE.EXE: Copies all files modified since a given date. Primarily used
- for making sure you have a back-up of files and also to copy updated programs
- to another place. Lets you define your own groupings of files if desired.
-
- DATES.EXE: Program that warns you in advance when an event like a birthday,
- anniversary, or holiday is coming up. The idea is to give you advance
- warning so you can send a card or get out of town in time.
-
- DIRCOMP.EXE: Similar in some ways to DOS's REPLACE command but adds ability
- to delete extra files in the destination subdirectory, copy hidden and system
- files, and prepare a report showing inconsistencies. Is frequently used by
- network administrators to update workstation files.
-
- DIRTOTAL.EXE: Prepares report showing files in subdirectory or drive.
- Allows restricting search based on date, size, attributes, etc. Works on
- networked and CD-ROM drives. Produces more formalized report than some
- utilities do. Also allows you to look for duplicate file names.
-
- EUMAIL.EXE: Eudora mail summarizer. Dumps your Qualcomm Eudora mailbook as
- well as summarizing the contents of all of your Eudora boxes and folders.
-
- FILL.EXE: Program designed to move files off to floppy diskettes, taking the
- biggest files first and skipping those that won't fit. Also provides option
- of splitting large files, creating a status report, and other features.
-
- FILUPDAT.EXE: Program which compares a selected list of files in a source
- path against those in another path and copies those that have been updated.
- Similar to DOS' REPLACE command but works from a stored list of files
- (controlled updates) and can handle any number of directories.
-
- FIXTEXT.EXE: Program which applies a user-definable character-translation
- table to a text file. Can allow you to convert graphics characters to their
- text equivalents, lowercase letters to uppercase letter, etc. Can also be
- used to translate DOS text files to Mac or Unix text files and vice versa.
- Can also expand tabs, remove trailing spaces, and remove backspaces.
-
-
- BRUCE609.DOC 5 Revised: 09-29-96
-
- FORTUNE.EXE: A tuner-upper for the DOS FOR command. Generates a batch file
- which does all those wildcard things you wished FOR could do (like "FORTUNE
- IN (*.BAS) DO RENAME %A %2*.*" to remove parts of file names). Lets you do
- all sorts of things including distinguishing file name roots from their
- extensions as well as incrementing file names by specified values.
-
- HTMSTRIP.EXE: Goes through downloaded pages from the Web and removes
- embedded HTML commands. Reflows paragraphs and tries to make it basically
- readable. Can function on individually-saved pages or else process your
- entire disk cache. Awarded a "Best" rating by "PC Computing" in their July
- 1996 issue. Includes MOZ.EXE which renames the files in your Web cache
- subdirectory so you can identify them more easily.
-
- PAGINATE.EXE: Reformats text files with embedded formatting codes. Handles
- things like titles, footers, indexes, alignment, justification, multicolumn
- listings, etc. Also provides support for embedding tabular data in
- ASCII-delimited or dBase formats which can be embedded and/or sorted in your
- reports.
-
- READ.EXE, READY.EXE, READINIT.EXE, and READMAKE.EXE: Text file browsing
- utilities. READ--Supports marking, copying text, reading Unix and Mac text
- files, etc. Handles files of 16,000 lines or less (approx 800,000 bytes).
- READY--truncates or wraps lines over 255 characters in length but handles
- files of an unlimited number of lines. READMAKE--Takes an ASCII-text file
- and makes it self-viewable (using a READ clone).
-
- TXTABLE.EXE: Program to generate text tables. Allows inputs to be
- HTML-based as well as one-record per cell.
-
-
- BRUCE609.DOC 6 Revised: 09-29-96
-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Revision history
-
- Detailed revision histories for the programs are only maintained for the last
- three releases. After that, you get the major revision summaries only for the
- next three releases or so. In any case, if your version of any of these
- programs is more than a year old, your version is definitely obsolete. Hop onto
- the Web or e-mail me or something and get the new version!
-
- -------------- (full detail; revisions made 1 to 3 releases ago)
- Release 96/09:
-
- BFIND: Fixed a bug with "BFIND NOT string" searches. [Replaces bfind607.zip]
-
- CHANGE: Fixed a bug where it would repeat processing of some files. This
- created some very flaky results and made the return codes worthless. Now
- forcing /BINARY mode if you include a /FROM with CR or LF in it. /V and /-V
- options did not work anymore; fixed them. Fixed a bug with "/IN NOT string"
- conditions not working. [Replaces chang608.zip]
-
- CONVERT: Fixed up a bug related to floating-point fields in dBase input
- files. Added /Qn parameter to control frequency of record-by-record status
- messages. [Replaces convr607.zip]
-
- DATES: Fixed a bug with respect to flashing foreground characters. New
- /ODATE=format parameter allows the dates to be displayed in a variety of
- formats. Program now requires a single character delimiter in the input
- dates; it probably did anyway but documentation specified otherwise.
- [Replaces dates607.zip]
-
- DIRCOMP: Added ERRORLEVEL 249 for /UPDATE specified but nothing copied,
- moved, or deleted. Fixed some bugs in deleting empty files and empty
- subdirectories. [Replaces dirco608.zip]
-
- DIRTOTAL: Program would abort if a file had an invalid time stamp. Program
- ignored /D (date) range tests; fixed. None of the reverse sorting options
- (e.g. /O-S) worked; fixed. [Replaces dirto607.zip]
-
- FILL: Program ceases to blow up when it encounters read-only files that you
- want to "move". [Replaces fill608.zip]
-
- HTMSTRIP: Changed /-SPACES so it also removes blank columns and (most) rows
- in tables as well as blank lines within tables. Added "/" and "*" to the list
- of characters that are acceptable as numbers when the program's determining
- this for cell-alignment purposes. Fixed up some problems with translating the
- "&" string. Added support for <BASE HREF="site"> HTML command. [Replaces
- htmst608.zip]
-
- MOZ (included in HTMSTymm.ZIP file): Now adds a number of fail-safe options,
- usually requiring parameters to be passed in before renaming everything in the
- cache. Includes an option to create a graphic view page which, when loaded
- from your Web browser, displays all graphics in your cache and includes the
- links for where they came form. [Replaces htmst608.zip]
-
- READ, READY, READINIT: Allowed for blinking foreground colors (which I hate).
- Documentation already said they were supported but they weren't. [Replaces
- read607.zip]
-
-
- BRUCE609.DOC 7 Revised: 09-29-96
-
- Release 96/08:
-
- For some reason, several people chose this month to tell me that my programs
- had "bugs" in them because they were using long file and pathnames under
- Windows NT and the programs weren't handling them. All of these programs are
- DOS applications; they don't recognize anything other than short pathnames and
- 8.3 file names with valid DOS characters in the file names. If you want to
- branch out (literally) and use non-compatible names and structures, feel free.
- However, you give up the ability the use some DOS programs including things
- like DIRTOTAL and DIRCOMP. That's just the way it is. I can't provide
- support if you violate these rules. These programs are freeware and it's not
- worth my time (relearning) and expense (new compilers, new program libraries)
- to rewrite them from scratch. Sheesh!
-
- CHANGE: Fixed up some bugs involving the program not putting you into text
- mode all the time. More bugs fixed related to column positions and /IN string
- specifications. [Replaces chang607.zip]
-
- COPSINCE: Fixed a bug handling international date formats. Added support for
- 4DOS. [Replaces cops607.zip]
-
- DIRCOMP: Switched /R and /-R to /U and /-U (conflicted with other parms and
- didn't match DOS REPLACE command switches). Added the ability to specify up
- to 10 inclusion filespecs. Finally added the ability to remove destination
- subdirectories that are now empty. [Replaces dirco607.zip]
-
- FILL: Fixed a bug related to moving files in the non-default subdirectory.
- [Replaces fill607.zip]
-
- FORTUNE: Switched default to /WIPE (eliminate output batch file upon
- completion). [Replaces fortn607.zip]
-
- HTMSTRIP: More work on debugging tables. Added /INDENT and /-INDENT parms to
- allow <BLOCKQUOTE>...</BLOCKQUOTE> blocks to be turned off. More debugging
- for mostly foreign pages. [Replaces htmst607.zip]
-
- Release 96/07:
-
- Most routines: Added support for /MONO setting.
-
- AV: Revised ERRORLEVEL codes. Added /Tpath parameter. Added support for
- /MONO and related settings. Added support non-US date formats (program reads
- the system configuration settings). Modified Yes/No options so first letter
- hotkeys could be used. Now prompts for infile spec if not provided.
- [Replaces av605.zip]
-
- BFIND: Added support for /MONO and related settings. Added support for
- /LINES specification. Added column ranges (vs column start requirement) for
- the search parameter. Revised some ERRORLEVEL codes. [Replaces bfind605.zip]
-
- CHANGE: Added support for /MONO and related settings. If you escape during
- the verify option, the program no longer overwrites the input file. Added
- column ranges (vs column start requirement) in the /IN search parameter.
- [Replaces chang604.zip]
-
- CONVERT: Added handling for two-digit years in date fields. Revised
- ERRORLEVEL codes, adding several and checking more thoroughly for them. Fixed
- a problem some people were having running the program from some networks.
-
- BRUCE609.DOC 8 Revised: 09-29-96
-
- Added support for /MONO setting. [Replaces convr605.zip]
-
- COPSINCE: Added support for /MONO setting. Added support for internatioanl
- date formats in the passed-in parameters. Dropped /Q parameter. Dropped
- /REPLACE parameter and replaced with /A, /R, and /CLONE parameters. Added
- ERRORLEVEL codes. [Replaces cops605.zip]
-
- DATES: Added /FUTURE and /-FUTURE parameters. By default, now skips events
- which are to take place in the future beyond your normal /days window. Also
- now respects four-digit years. Added /MONO and related parameters. [Replaces
- dates605.zip]
-
- DIRCOMP: As far as I can tell, /Iinitfile wasn't being read at all; fixed
- that. Added ERRORLEVEL codes. Switched program to use /MONO instead of
- /-COLOR. Cleaned up some of the coding around the temporary output files; now
- uses TEMP environmental variable if specified. Added support non-US date
- formats (program reads the system configuration settings). Added /A and /R
- parameters. [Replaces dirco605.zip]
-
- DIRTOTAL: Cleaned up some of the coding around the temporary output files;
- now uses TEMP environmental variable if specified. Revised ERRORLEVEL return
- codes. Added support non-US date formats (program reads the system
- configuration settings). Added ability to specify both a size and a date
- restriction to the files selected. [Replaces dirto604.zip]
-
- EUMAIL: Added /FORMAT=n handling for header information when you dump the
- message files; /FORMAT=1 is the new default whereas the old default used to be
- roughly akin to /FORMAT=2's output. /FORMAT=3 gives one line per message but
- dumps the sender and date/time. Added support non-US date formats (program
- reads the system configuration settings). Fixed a bug regarding e-mail
- address entries in the form "email (name)". Added /MONO and related
- parameters. Added ERRORLEVEL return codes. Added /Tpath parameter.
- [Replaces eumal605.zip]
-
- FILL: Added /MONO and related parameters. Modified Yes/No options so first
- letter hotkeys could be used. Changed the default to /COPY if no parameters
- are passed in, and /MOVE if any are. [Replaces fill605.zip]
-
- FILUPDAT: Added /MONO and related parameters. Added ERRORLEVEL return codes.
- Dropped /ALL parameter and replaced with /A, /R, and /CLONE parameters.
- Replaced /ERROR and /-ERROR parameters with /ABORT, /SKIP, and /CREATE (new
- option which allows the program to try to create the output subdirectory if it
- doesn't exist already.) [Replaces filup605.zip]
-
- FIXTEXT: Added /MONO and related parameters. [Replaces fixtx605.zip]
-
- FORTUNE: Added /RUN and /PROMPT parameters. Added /MONO and related
- parameters. [Replaces fortn605.zip]
-
- HTMSTRIP: Heady times after an endorsement from PC Computing in their July
- and August 1996 issues! (When's the last time they endorsed a DOS product?)
- Added /MONO and related parameters. Bug fixes for embedded tables. Program
- now automatically dumps the table as straight text whenever the size of a
- given cell exceeds the maximum allowed for the program. Added /TABLE and
- /-TABLE parameters. Added /Tpath parameter. Now prompts for infile spec if
- not provided. Expanded the maximum number of columns for tables from 15 to
- 20; make sure you change the default page width though or they'll be teeny
- tiny. Added MOZ program to the ZIP file. [Replaces htmst605.zip]
-
- BRUCE609.DOC 9 Revised: 09-29-96
-
-
- MOZ: New program. Is included in the HTMSTRIP ZIP file.
-
- PAGINATE: Added WRAP marker command. Added /MONO and related parameters.
- Added support for non-US date formats in the header variables. Added /Tpath
- parameter. Now prompts for infile spec if not provided. Fixed an error
- involving passing in marker commands. [Replaces pagin605.zip]
-
- READ, READINIT, READY, READMAKE: Added support for non-US date formats.
- READMAKE now prompts for an input file specification if none is provided.
- READ now accepts the /PROMPT parameter. READINIT and the others support /MONO
- setting. [Replaces read605.zip]
-
- TXTABLE: Dropped XWPTABLE.EXE (the temporary program that tried to handle
- WordPerfect 5.1 tables). Added /Tpath parameter. Now prompts for input file
- specification if none provided. [Replaces txtab605.zip]
-
- -------------- (kind of terse; revisions made 4 to 6 releases ago)
- Release 96/05:
-
- AV: Added ability to delete the archive.
-
- CONVERT: Program skipped the first record in DBF files; fixed this.
-
- DATES: Added the ability to do weekly reminders.
-
- EUMAIL: Added /SPLIT and /SCAN options.
-
- HTMSTRIP: Added /A=spec, /IMG=spec, and /IMGALT=spec parameters.
-
- Release 96/04:
-
- FORTUNE: Added /WIPE parameter.
-
- HTMSTRIP: Added /ALT parameter.
-
- ISAMMAKE/ISAMFIND: Dropped.
-
- Release 96/03:
-
- EUMAIL: New program.
-
- HTMSTRIP: Added /SITE, /FSITE, and /-SITE options.
-
-