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Text File | 1992-02-04 | 13.9 KB | 330 lines

BKL.BAT A Batch File Using LHA as a Backup Program by Dan Goodell February 4, 1991 THE PREMISE This program came about from a desire for a cheap, quick, easy to use, easy to customize backup program that doesn't clutter the hard disk with massive, additional program files of its own, and takes up minimal floppy disk space for its backups while using a standard file compression method. THE IDEA This backup plan uses a minimum of floppy disk space for two reasons. First, the backup files are compressed using the free program LHA.EXE. If you don't already have that program, you'll need to get it. Second, backups are essentially "incremental" in nature -- not performed on the entire hard disk, but only on those files that have changed from a given program's original files since the time that you installed it. For example, if you've installed a wordprocessor, there's really no need to backup all the program files the word-processor uses to run. You only need to backup the program files that are customized for your use (such as a configuration file of custom settings, or a supplemental spelling dictionary), and of course the document files you create with the wordprocessor. (Your custom program files are easy to spot -- just scan the program files in the directory for any files dated on or after the date you installed that program.) If you ever need to reinstall your wordprocessor from backups, first install it using a copy of the original program, then use your backup files to add or overlay the custom files. BKL is designed around H. Yoshizaki's increasingly popular file archiving and compression program, LHA, which is widely available on BBS's without registration cost. BKL was originally written around the file compression program PKZIP (if you use PKZIP, try this original batch file - BK.BAT). However, PKZIP is shareware with a registration cost. LHA is free. Also, with version 2.13 LHA is fast gaining on PKZIP in popularity. Accordingly, the original BK.BAT file has been modified to work with LHA, version 2.13. It has not been tested and may not work with earlier versions of LHA. Since LHA costs nothing and BKL costs nothing, this backup method has zero cost, which certainly meets the requirement that it be cheap. It is quick because it doesn't backup everything. Backups are split among several .LZH files and/or disks. Since some types of files (e.g., batch files or configuration files) may change less frequently than others (spreadsheets, wordprocessing documents, etc.), they don't need backups as frequently. For example, you could backup data files daily and batch files weekly or monthly. Such selective backups can be done more often, in less time, and with less disk swapping. BKL runs from the DOS command line and avoids using a lot of switches or hard-to-remember codes. This makes it easy to use. Since BKL is a batch file, it's easy to modify with any text editor. The list files are also ASCII text files, so modifying them is easy when you want to change your backup list. Lastly, since this backup program adds only one small batch file, besides the LHA program itself, it doesn't take up much disk space and doesn't add to the clutter of mystery files on your hard disk. You will need to create some list files, but those are maintained on the floppies with your backups, not on your hard disk. THE METHOD You'll need to create one or more list files. A list file has the extension .LST and is merely a list of the files you want to backup together in the same .LZH (LHA's archive extension) file. Save the .LST file on the same floppy disk that will hold that backup archive. To perform a backup, insert the backup disk and call BKL.BAT with a command line parameter identifying which list you want to use. BKL will call your copy of LHA.EXE and instruct it to look for the appropriate .LST file on the floppy disk, compress and/or update the files in that list, and save the compressed .LZH archive on the floppy. BKL then updates the date and time stamp of a directory entry with the extension .UPD on the floppy. You can have any number of .LST files on your disk, subject to available space, though remember that the program will add the .LZH files and .UPD directory entries to the same disk. Here is an example of a directory listing of a backup disk. Directory of A:\ BATCH UPD 0 08-09-91 11:22a CONFG UPD 0 08-09-91 11:25a BATCH LST 49 11-06-90 9:57p CONFG LST 404 12-08-90 4:49p BATCH LZH 19420 08-09-91 11:22a CONFG LZH 61944 06-17-91 12:05p Issuing the command "BKL BATCH A:" at the DOS command line will cause the BKL program to look on drive A: for the file BATCH.LST. The file BATCH.LZH will be created or updated with the files you specified in the BATCH.LST file. When BKL is finished updating the .LZH file, it will update the BATCH.UPD directory entry with the current date. Similarly, the command "BKL CONFG A:" would update the CONFG.LZH file. If preferred, you can keep the .LST files (or even the .UPD files) on your hard disk; simply alter the BKL batch file accordingly. THE SETUP -- LIST FILES Here is an example of a file list in a .LST file. The .LST file is an ASCII text file consisting of a list of files that you want included together in the same .LZH file. Note that DOS wildcards can be used. c:\dbase\config.db c:\ato\*.dfn c:\ato\*.ppn c:\wp50\wp{wp}.set c:\wp50\wp{wp}en.sup c:\wp50\wpm\*.wpm Use a text editor to create or modify your .LST files as desired. For example, batch files could be grouped together, or utility files, or databases, or your wordprocessing document files, or as in the example above, it could be a group of seldom changed setup or configuration files for a variety of programs. Since some groups of files don't change as often as others, some backups need not be done as often as others. You may want to run a "data" backup daily but only need a "config" backup weekly. Parameter names should be descriptive (BATCH, CONFG, UTIL, WP, LOTUS, BANK, etc.) to make them easy to remember. The parameter name is limited to no more than eight characters, and can include only characters legal for DOS filenames. Add the extension ".LST" for a list file, and save it on your backup disk. THE SETUP -- BKL.BAT The program file BKL.BAT should be ready to run in most cases. If necessary, it may be modified to accommodate your system. As supplied, the batch file will backup to drives A: or B:, which must be specified on the command line (there is no default for the drive parameter). You can change the drives that you will allow to be used for your backups by altering the lines following the label ":start" in the BKL.BAT file. If you prefer, you can also have the program use a default drive. For example, to default to drive A: when no drive parameter is specified on the command line, change the line: "if %drv%!==! goto noparm" to: "if %drv%!==! set drv=A:" Following the ":pack" label, include the path to the directory where your copy of LHA.EXE is, if necessary. The pathname is optional if LHA.EXE will be accessible on your DOS path. BKL makes use of another file, CHKDRV.COM, to bypass that annoying "Abort, Retry, Fail..." message if you forget to put a floppy in the drive. CHKDRV.COM is a slightly modified version of DTEST.COM, published in PC/Computing Magazine's April 1991 issue. If you don't use CHKDRV.COM you will need to remove two lines from BKL.BAT. If you do use it, include the path to it in BKL.BAT if necessary. MISCELLANEOUS DETAILS BKL uses the DOS environment to store variables. If you do not have enough environment space available, it may not run properly. If you get an "Out of environment space" message, check your DOS manual for instructions on increasing the size of your environment space. The .UPD entries are just directory entries; they don't use up any disk space. Since the .LZH files should also contain the date and time of the backup, the .UPD's may seem to be redundant. However, if a backup is run but none of the files need updating, the .LZH entry's date is not updated. Updating the .UPD entry in these situations records the fact that your .LZH file is still current as of the .UPD date, regardless of the date stamp on the .LZH file. (Hint: sort your directories so the .UPD entries are at the top so it's easier to see when the last backups were.) Once files are compressed into the .LZH file, this program updates only the files that have changed. It also stores the full pathname (but not the drive). This means that a file can be restored by moving to the root directory of the target drive and using LHA's ability to recreate subdirectories, if desired. Using the syntax "LHA x [archive] [file]" will extract the file named [file] from the .LZH file named [archive]. The "x" option will recreate the stored pathname in the current directory and extract [file] to the subdirectory. Using the "e" option, instead, will ignore the stored pathname and extract [file] to the current directory. BACKING UP MULTIPLE LISTS If you wish to back up multiple lists at one time, simply write a separate batch file with a series of "call bkl..." lines. Use the optional parameter, "chain", to facilitate summarization of errors. The "chain" parameter causes BKL to save the error summary and chain it to the next call to BKL. To run multiple backups at once, create a separate batch file similar to: call bkl chain [list1] [d:] call bkl chain [list2] [d:] call bkl chain [list3] [d:] ... call bkl chain [listY] [d:] call bkl [listZ] [d:] Leave the "chain" parameter off the last call. Upon finishing the last call, BKL will display a summary of any errors occurring on the earlier calls. The above multi-run sample batch file requires DOS 3.3 or later. Earlier DOS versions do not support the "call" command. BKL works fine with earlier DOS versions, but without the "call" command, BKL won't be able to summarize errors in a multiple- backup run. I have written an alternate version of BKL.BAT for multiple- list use with DOS 3.2 or earlier. This version, BKL-ALT.BAT, has the changes necessary to get a proper error summary at the end of the last call. To do a multiple-list backup, create a separate batch file as above, but change the "call bkl..." commands to "command /c bkl-alt...". Include the path before the "command /c..." if your copy of COMMAND.COM is not on your path. DISCLAIMER This is just a batch file. There are no fancy CPU tricks or machine-specific commands. I make no warranties except that it works for me. Basically, it is just a demonstration of how you can use routine batch techniques to write your own backup program around the popular LHA program. Therefore, it is not copyrighted and does not cost you anything. PKZIP is a trademark of PKWARE, Inc. I'm interested in feedback or comments from anyone. by Dan Goodell 1261 Hookston Road Concord, CA 94518 CompuServe: 71520,3116 ----------------end-of-author's-documentation--------------- Software Library Information: This disk copy provided as a service of Public (software) Library We are not the authors of this program, nor are we associated with the author in any way other than as a distributor of the program in accordance with the author's terms of distribution. 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