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---------------------------------------------------------------------------- FilePather 1.3 by Johan Torin Approved and endorsed by Users Standards Group ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The programs and files in this distribution are freely distributable, as long as the archive remains intact, but are also Copyright © Johan Torin. They may be freely distributed as long as no more than a nominal fee is charged to cover time and copying costs. None of the files can be included with commercial distributions without written permission from the author. This product is provided as is without warranties of any kind: the author of this program cannot be held liable for any defects in the executable nor in the documentation or in any other files contained in this package. Any damage directly or indirectly caused by the use/misuse of FilePather is the sole responsibility of the user her/him self. However, if you use this program you MUST send a message to me! Either through email, or by ordinary snail mail. This is in your own interest if you want continued development of this project. What it does ------------ FilePather will add a configurable line to a file called 'FilePath.lst' in archives or add the line in a textfile just before the '@End_FilePath.lst'. Repeated usage (BBSs, users) will create a list which will tell the history of the file, ie when it was where and by who. The name 'FilePath' has nothing to do with searchpath. Instead it is the PATH the FILE has taken to come to you. Features -------- · Processes both standard archives & text files. · Totally configurable. Easy to add new archivers. · Built in AdStripper for text files! · Creates a database over names found if used in conjunction with FPBase. · Throughport - run other fileprocessors directly from FilePather. · Pure! That is; it can be made resident! · 100% assembler. · Enforcer & Mungwall proof. · Requires 2.04 to run (V37). I have tried to make the utility suit both the normal user/bbs and the 'elite' trader/board. Why? ---- Don't you hate ads?! But in the same time you enjoy reading them since they might came from a new BBS or somewhere extremly far away like Asia, Australia or Säffle. FilePather was invented to provide a way of getting as much information as possible from as little bytes and files as possible. When you look in the 'FilePath.lst' file you can see all the steps the file has taken before it camed to you (provided all boards use FilePather =). It also makes it possible to add YOUR signature to a file without adding any extra files to an archive or more than 1 line of text to a textfile. And also, the AdDeleter for text files is extremly useful provided that FilePather has been used from the beginning. I took 20 random textfiles from my download directory and manually edited them so @Start_of_text and @End_of_text just enclosed the real text. After running FilePather the total size had decreased from 406946 to 297029 bytes, a decrease by 109917 bytes. And that was RANDOM files! Some where from PD boards and some had been in Lha archives. So the actual performace may be bigger, it's depends on if the file has been FilePatherized before. As an example I can mention that a file on 38k suddenly became 4k after FilePather... Installation ------------ The provided installation script uses Commodores Installer utility, which you can find in several modern commercial and PD packages. The reason why I didn't included Installer is the filesize, over 100Kb. Ask your sysop for it. The installation script will install the executable and ask you for information like your name, location, phonenumber etc. These will be stored as environment variables in ENV:, so you don't have to think about entering difficult command strings. The script will also help the ordinary user with installing of a simple method of getting all your downloaded files FilePathed. Template -------- FilePather [File] <file> Type <type> Name <name> [SysOp <sysop>] Location <location> Number <number(s)> [Custom <Custom_n=<string>>] [NextCommand <commandline>] [Workdir <workdir>] [SaveList <list>] [VarDir <dir>] Keywords can be typed in with any case mixture and can be entered in any order. Strings may be enclosed with double quotes (") OR single quotes ('), but it is only neccesary when the string contains spaces. Keywords enclosed with [] are optional. Explanation of keywords: [File] <file|dir> The file or directory to process. The switch 'FILE' are not neccesary, but then MUST the filename be first on the commandline. If a directory is specified, all files in that directory will be processed. Note! FP will not enter any subdirs! Type <type> The type of the person/program that started FilePather. ie. User,BBS,Trader,Board. Name <name> The name of the person/BBS etc that started the fileprocessing. ie. Mitnick, John Smith, Inside Out. [SysOp <sysop>] The sysops name if applicable. Location <location> Either the geographic location or the group. Number <number(s)> Number to the Person/Board. Should look like this: +Country code-(MIGHT be unneccesary digits)Areacode-Number_1| Number_2|Number_n ie. +46-0346-58697|59245 If there are no number or you doesn't like to leave it out, set it to 'UNPUBL'. [Custom] This is an extension of the normal fields. For example: Size_of_HD=30Gb Amount_of_RAM=56Mb Processor=68060 ClockFrequency=66Mhz Geographic_location=Säffle,Sweden Legend="As faster as better!" These are placed last on the 'FilePath.lst' line and are optional and totally up to you to decide about. However should you try to follow existing standards and not invent new fields if it already exists an appropriate one. See the file 'Custom_fields.txt' for more information. [NextCommand <commandline>] FilePather can spawn a new command which can be of interest in some BBS systems, which are only able to start ONE filechecker. Specify the command you want to be execute, putting '%f' (lowercase!) there you want the filename, and it will be started when FilePather is done. Use single quotes to enclose the NextCommand string. ie. NextCommand 'Echo "The file %f has been processed!"' ). If you want to redirect the command to a file, eg NIL:, then use the '%«' and '%»' instead of '<' and '>' [Workdir <workdir>] The directory there temporary files will be placed. Default is 'T:'. Must have either a ':' or a '/' appended on it. [Savelist <savelist>] Specifies the temporary file there the extracted 'FilePath.lst's will be appended. FilePather checks if FPBases public port can be found. If so, this filename will be passed for ASYNCRONOUSLY processing! ie: FilePather may (and will) quit before FPBase does. It might be be a good idea to use separate files if FilePather somehow is runned in multiple copies, as in a multinode BBS. (See the FPBase documentation for more information). [VarDir <dir>] If specified, FilePather will load its environment variables from this directory, thus make it possible to store them on disk instead of your precious memory. Note that the path MUST end with either ':' or '/'. [Notify] This keyword will enable Notify mode, ie FilePather will use FileSystem notify to autodetect files in a directory. This can be used to autoprocess up- or downloaded files if not a better solution exists. In this mode you can exit FilePather by sending it a Ctrl-C or D. Ctrl-C will immediately abort and quit FilePather, while Ctrl-D will tell FilePather to quit when there are no more files left. This trick can be used if the process number is unknown: Break D `Status com=C:FilePather` [TaskPri <taskpri>] This keyword sets the taskpriority for FilePather. Normally you shouldn't use values higher than 10 or lower than 10. It might be a good idea to check the priority of other tasks running at the same time as FilePather to make sure that they don't supress FilePather from running. This keyword is provided to be used in conjunction with NOTIFY, but may be used as wanted. Entering no arguments will show the template. Environment variables --------------------- Almost all command line keywords have a corresponding env. variable. This way it's possible to easy load the settings, and you doesn't have to struggle with the commandline each time you want to execute FilePather. These env. variables are used by FilePather 1.3: Type Name SysOp Location Number Custom SaveList NextCommand FP_PrefsDir The last one, 'FP_PrefsDir', must reside directly in ENVARC:/ENV:, as it holds path to the directory where all other variables are loaded from. Thus it's possible to store the env. variables on another device than the ram disk. This variable is shared with FPBase. If the variable isn't found, FPBase will default to 'ENV:FilePather/'. Be careful to NOT enter any linefeeds in the variables that are used for the FilePather line! These are also put on the line, forcing the FilePather line to actually be two or more lines! _Always_ check the line output after editing the variables! Furthermore, FilePather tries to load environment variables with names based on the files suffix, to use when extracting/updating the FilePath.lst. Se 'Configuration of (un)packers' for more information. The information provided in that section applies for the NextCommand variable as well. Example command lines --------------------- FilePather "Data:Download/Coolness.lha" Type "Board" Name "Inside Out" SysOp "Cateye" Location "Insane^Reflex" Number "+46-0346-58697|59245" NextCommand 'IStrip "%f"' Workdir "Dh0:Temp/" To run it from DirOpus (%f = insert filename here (for Dopus!)): FilePather File "%f" Type "User" Name "Mitnick" Location "Reflex" Number "+46-035-UNPUBL" Or, when using the environment variables: FilePather "Data:Download/Enf3762.lha" Custom 'Legend="As faster as better!"' Notice the use of single quotes since the string itself contains doublequotes! To autoscan a directory for files: FilePather DATA:Tmp_DL/ Notify NextCommand 'Rename "%f" DATA:Download/' NOTE! Don't forget to move the file after the processing! Look in 'Tricks.txt' for more information! Finally, if you want to add some more custom fields to the string in the env. variable, use this 'trick': FilePather "Enf3762.lha" Custom '${FilePather/Custom} Node=8' The contents of the environment variable 'ENV:FilePather/Custom' will be inserted on the command line before 'Node=8'. The text ad deleter -------------------- When FilePather process a text file it will strip all text before '@Start_of_text' and all text after '@End_of_text'. If not found it will add them so that next time the file is processed, FilePather (or any other tool supporting this) will strip eventual ads. Also, the FILE_ID.DIZ text will be moved to the top of the file. For example, if the file looked like this: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ > FrontBanner! < \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ @Begin_FilePath.lst Board Inside Out Cateye/Insane 03:24 27-08-94 +46-0346-58697|59245 Size_HD=500Mb Legend="As faster as better!" @End_FilePath.lst @Start_of_text Text 1 @BEGIN_FILE_ID.DIZ---------------------------------- | Einstein rules relatively ok! | ---------------------------------- @END_FILE_ID.DIZ Text 2 @End_of_text /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ > BackBanner!! < \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- It will look like this after FilePatherizing: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- @Begin_FilePath.lst Board Inside Out Cateye/Insane 03:24 27-08-94 +46-0346-58697|59245 Size_HD=500Mb Legend="As faster as better!" User Mitnick Reflex 18:26 28-08-94 +46-035-UNPUBL @End_FilePath.lst @BEGIN_FILE_ID.DIZ---------------------------------- | Einstein rules relatively ok! | ---------------------------------- @END_FILE_ID.DIZ @Start_of_text Text 1 Text 2 @End_of_text ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you like to add the strings to the textfiles you write yourself, I suggest that you make a macro in your texteditor that: Jumps to the beginning of the file. Inserts '@Start_of_text'. Jumps to the end of the file. Inserts '@End_of_text'. This is easier and safer (no spell errors). Other archive formats --------------------- But DMS when?! Well, as long as not anyone else write support for it, you have to live without it! I had thoughts about adding internal support for DMS archives, but after looking at the fileformat for DMS I dropped that project. LhA 3.0 is said to have track compression, and will probably (hopefully) take DMS's role as the main track compression program. DMS really sucks... For various file oriented archives I have already prepared for the implementation of those. Configuration of (un)packers ---------------------------- (The information provided in this section more or less applies for the NextCommand variable/keyword as well.) When FilePather examines a file it tries to get two environment variables with the names '.(suffix)_extract' and'.(suffix)_update'. For example: '.Lha_extract' and '.Lha_update'. The extract string may look something like this: Lha e -q "%f" FilePath.lst "%t/" and the update string: Lha u -q "%f" "%t/FilePath.lst" '%f' will be expanded to the archive filename and '%t' will be expanded to the work directory looking like; (Workdir)(Random dir name), for example: 'T:090fe93a'. T: is the default but may be changed with the 'Workdir' option. An complete expanded string: Lha e -q "Ram:intel.lha" FilePath.lst "T:090fe93a/" Here is a list of all percent strings used in FilePather. Note that some of them are probably only useful internally. '%%' may be used instead of '%' if neccesary. Char String ------------------------------------------------------------------------ f The object filename as entered on the command line. t Temporary work directory. Workdir+Random, ie 'T:900ec120' v Environment variable directory. s The suffix of the file (eg. '.lha'. « The '<' sign. » The '>' sign. = Nothing. Specifying this will force FilePather to put the return code from the executed command through to the Dos. This way a filechecker may be used in the the Nextcommand OR the extract/update strings. Currently there is one internal mode. Setting the extract string to 'INTERNAL_TXT' forces FilePather to treat the file as text. Note that the suffix might be longer or shorter than 3 characters. For example: '.guide' or '.h8'. NOTE! From FilePather 1.3 is it possible to more or less use the environment variables as script files. Making it resident ------------------ Well, for you out there with no idea how to make a command resident I will show you how: Resident C:FilePather PURE (Put it in your User-Startup or likewise) PURE incase the P bit isn't set in the protection mask. FilePather will now run much faster since it doesn't have to reload from disk each time. Speed ((have you seen the movie? Quite cool!)) will also increase if you make LhA and other archivers resident. History ------- 1.0 - 9 Sep 1994 · Wrote it. Many betatests and changes. The FP line was redesigned a few times. 1.1ß - Never released · Fixed silly bug that supressed the output of the filename. The file was processed though. · Added the 'SaveList' keyword and interfacecode for FPBase. · Fixed text output speed which was REALLY slow. Still more to do in that area... · Lost count on things added. Lots of stuff where fixed. 1.2ß - 29 Jan 1995 - Betarelease · Made the fields wider by adding more TABS. · If an archive didn't exist, FP would create a new one! Now fixed. · FP would crash if a textfile was too small! (Only in FP 1.1) · Added workaround for bug in ParNFS (ParNet). 4 bytes long :) · Added code for processing whole directories. · Fixed silly mistake in the GetVar() code. Now possible to have strings with more than one line. Thanks to NeuroDancer for this one! · Added the VarDir keyword and the FP_PrefsDir env. variable. Another NeuroDancer idea, although I had planned for it. · Rewrote the installation script. (OPS! Major bugs in that one!) · Finally fixed the scriptfile. Still stuff to do there! · Fixed various bugs. 1.3ß - 20 Feb 1995 · Fixed bugs in installation script. (NeuroDancer & Peter Bornhall) · Added break CTRL-C code when processing whole directory. · Added Notify code, to autodetect (down/uploaded) files in a directory. · FP would insert a TAB in the line, even if there was no Custom field. · Added the %=, %«, and %» strings. 1.3 - 8 April 1995 · Changed the Lha & Lzh update variables to default to non-recursive collecting. Discovered by the one and only: Kent Larsson! :) · FilePather would return weird returncodes. (Henric Andersson) · Edited the guide file from Dreamer (sorry! :) Thanks! Bugs ---- · The same date and time will be used on all files in a directory. · The FilePath.lst file is not always deleted from the temporary directory on some systems. Looks to have something to do with the phase of the moon... To do ----- · NextCommand environment variables for each suffix - like extract/update. · Safe saves in text mode? · More help on installing it on a BBS. · 'Previous Lines Format Checker' - Delete illegal lines! · Extract FileId.diz and FileDesc and add them together with the filename to a file, thus creating a list over all files downloaded. · Possiblity to recognize files by their contents (ie. pictures, modules, etc.) and add the FilePather line in the file. Should be no sweat for IFF files. This will probably require external extractors/updaters. · The notify code isn't really that nice. Ok, it works, but... FP Utilities I want to see/make ------------------------------- For BBSs: Name checker - Warn about a specific BBS/User who have touched the file! For users: FilePath.lst viewer - Present all information from each line in a nice way Text file ad deleter - Delete ads and set @Start/End_of_text (user control) Other BBS utils: SuperNuker - Give 10*(total sum of _unpacked_ ads) in minus credits! That will show them! Acknowledgements ---------------- Disclaimer stolen from some PD archives. (WHO has written that text orginally?) Icons stolen. Layout of doc stolen. Source NOT stolen! First, a big thanks to my beta testers (random): Anders Gustafsson NeuroDancer/Abyss (German support and clever suggestions) Kent Larsson Peter Bornhall (Lots of ideas and brainstorming) Daniel Celion Vicente Nicola (My support board! :) John Hertell AKA Chucky/Virtual (For almost writing the AmiX help! :) Magnus Johnson Henric Andersson Martin Larsson Micke Persson I KNOW I have forgot someone here! :) Mail me if you want be in the list! Some hi and ho to (random): Xerxes/FLT^RLX - A shame I don't call more often! Franky/Purple Turtle (Belgium) - Hope to see you at the next Party! Anti-g/Sht!/Unl. (Germany) - For the Tempest installation text. dReamer/sHoot!/1oo%! - For the .Guide file! It's really nice! Sorry for ruining your layout! :) All the sysops on the boards I call and all I have forgotten... All nice people that have emailed me and I have forgot... My faithful Amys... How to contact me ----------------- Preferably you send e-mail to: Fido: 2:203/804.13 Email: JTorin@Academy.Bastad.se or JT@p13.f804.n203.z2.Fidonet.Org Try calling Wedlock BBS - +46-(0)35-186514 - 2:203/807.0@Fidonet Or (last chance) SnailMail: Johan Torin Fotstad S-313 03 Åled Sweden