Crawly Crypt Collection 1

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Text File | 1993-04-15 | 19KB | 306 lines

History: (If you haven't used -=Bad Ad=- before, please read the WHOLE file!) -=v1.0E=- Lucky you who never saw this one... -=v1.1E=- Supported LZH ZIP ARJ and ARC, though all the packers wrote directly to screen and made it impossible to have a nice looking user-interface... -=v1.2E=- First version to hit the beta-testers...very ugly interface and it couldn't repack archives containing subdirectories... -=v1.3E=- Finally made the routine for searching after subdirectories etc. - programmers should know what I mean... Found a way to keep the packers from messing up my screen, still no real interface ... added some routines making the problem with the commandline's length not enough smaller ... added the -=Bad Ad=- info to the advertisment, everyone's gotta know that this kinda program exists, no? -=v1.4E=- Tried to make a nice looking interface, although I'm ALWAYS working in ST-High I think it'll look Ok in ST-Med too. I can't say anything about TT or Falcon030 rez's as I haven't got any of those machines... -=v1.5E=- Speeded up the graphics a whole lot (got BITBLT to work right...) Added the automatic CNF maker, hope you'll be able to configure it a lot easier now...(I'm really proud of that Config program!) -=v1.6E=- Added support for ZOO (works like ARC and ARJ, repack to ZIP) Renamed the config file from BAD_AD.CNF to BAD_AD.16E, to be able to convert different version's config files easier. (The config program will update configfiles starting from 1.5E and upwards automatically, just be sure you don't have ANY file matching "BAD_AD.*" but the old config file in the same directory as the config program!) -=v1.7E=- -=Bad Ad=- now automatically configures itself according to what packers you have - meaning you DON'T have to have all 5 to use -=Bad Ad=-!!! (You should have ZIP support though, coz without ZIP -=Bad Ad=- can only rename .LHA to .LZH ...) To turn a packer off you should enter the config program and select that packer, but instead of inserting a filename using the fileselector you fill in "NONE" as filename. (No dot or extension, just "NONE") If you did that right the config prog will now display "NONE" instead of that packer and -=Bad Ad=- will not try to do things which needed it. Various small bugs fixed, no need to mention them. Added the option to choose if you want all repacks/packs to use ZIP or LZH, this is what you all have been waiting for, now USE it too! (I had LOTSA problems getting LZH to work, but I think it's Ok now, let me know if you have any problems!) -=v1.81=- Finally supports RATSoft! (Not an easy task!) Hopefully sorted out all small bugs from before...hopefully... -=Bad Ad=- won't work on a file already been worked on. (In RATSoft mode only) -=v1.82=- A pure bugfixxer! Somehow v1.81 could get the UPLOADS.DAT files really messed up, different files from different conferences could end up ANYWHERE ... I think I've got rid of this one ... Another thing was just a BIG ****-up by me ... I named -=Bad Ad=- BAD_AD.PRG, though I've written above that NO file named BAD_AD.* should be in the same directory as the configuration file ... sorry for that one, -=Bad Ad=- main program will from now on be named _BAD_AD_.PRG ... -=v1.83=- -=Bad Ad=- will now log its actions to a file named _BAD_AD_.LOG in the directory -=Bad Ad=- is run from. If the LOG file exists, -=Bad Ad=- will just append new information to it, if it doesn't exist, -=Bad Ad=- will create a new one. - Also a new feature ... since TOS is very kinky about its write- protected files, -=Bad Ad=- would report an AES-Error if there were any "read-only" files in the archive, same thing happened if an ad to delete was "read only". No problem anymore. If -=Bad Ad=- encounters any protected ads, it will delete them. If there are protected files in the archive -=Bad Ad=- will still have them protected in the new archive, but it will NOT bomb out 'coz of them. - Since PC, Amiga and Atari now can use deflate/inflate ZIP, I've changed from Imploding to Deflating, resulting in MUCH better ZIP-performance. (Beats the shit out of LZH) - Stupid bug removed in the configuration program. -=v1.84=- The VERY LOW limit of max 100 files/session has been extended to 1000 files, I hardly believe you need more. - Added some sort of "If error then clean up" routine .. not 100% yet though... - Fixed a bug in the "Delete Read-Only ads" routine. Previously if there was both a folder and a read-only ad in the archive the routine wouldn't work. It does now. -=v1.85=- Added an option to choose if you want your own ad to be write- protected or not. Will only be useful on those BBS:es which don't use -=Bad Ad=-. (Or a pure copy of it) - There's a KNOWN bug in this and previous versions. At VERY rare occasions it will mess up the UPLOADS.DAT, making it xxx35 bytes long, I don't know why this happens, and without YOUR feedback and bugtesting I can't find it! Help me!!! -=v1.86=- The bugfix you've been waiting for! I'm 99.99% sure that -=Bad Ad=- now handles the UPLOADS.DATs perfectly! No more "Error, reviving system" errors when validating uploads in RATSoft! - Removed a pause when -=Bad Ad=- exits. - Removed the mystic "blank-line-in-the-end-of-the-config-file" bug. (That one's been annoying me since v1.5E...) - Added .MSA to the files-to-pack list. (Thanx Zaphod B) -=v1.87=- Splitted the config-file into one file ONLY containing configs and one ONLY containing ads-to-delete. Meaning that you can have ONE file with the ads-to-delete but TWO different configs. - Fixed a MAJOR bug concerning the UPLOADS.DATs ... it had nothing to do with lousy programming on my side but a pure mis- understanding between me and Rat Master on the format of them. (The bug caused files with a long description of more than one line to mess up the AREA.x when you validated them!) - Another bugfix .. the routine that checked if a file had been "bad-added" already (RATSoft mode only) wasn't 100%.. it is now. -=v1.88=- (Never released v1.87 officially) - New feature! If you want you can have -=Bad Ad=- to insert the date and time when the file was "bad-added" on the last line in the advertisment! - You can now choose if you want -=Bad Ad=- to use Fast/Normal or Best version of Deflate when Zipping. (Before -=Bad Ad=- used normal) -=v1.89=- Shit ... I released v1.88 too fast ... it will NOT upgrade the config file correctly... Those of you who tried to use v1.88 and didn't make a backup of your configfile MUST write a new one (or edit the one in this archive) to get -=Bad Ad=- working correctly again. You other ones who still use v1.86 can just run this version, it upgrades the config file correctly. - Added some idiot-proofing routines in the config program. -=v1.90=- The first Advertisment in the DELETE.ADS file wouldn't be deleted when repacking .. sorry for that one, it will now. - -=Bad Ad=- still used Medium compression when repacking to ZIP, it will now use the format you specified in the config-file. - You can now choose if you want to use the new way to add BBS-Advertisments (Invented by the author of RATSoft - Steve Hughey) called "BBS_ADS.TXT". (All new advertisments append to the end of that file.) In "Own file" mode -=Bad Ad=- will add your ad as an external file and NOT bother with the BBS_ADS.TXT file. In "BBS_ADS.TXT" mode it will create a BBS_ADS.TXT file and append your ad to it, and if there already existed a BBS_ADS.TXT file -=Bad Ad=- will just append the ad... If you have chosen the option "Both" -=Bad Ad=- will still add your ad as an external file as usual, but it will also append your ad to an existing BBS_ADS.TXT - but it will NOT create one! (Unnecessary!) (-=Bad Ad=- can only use the "BBS_ADS.TXT" mode when REPACKING!) - The config program checks for blank lines when saving the config, this should forever cure that bug that never happened to me after 1.86, but happened to some others... - Removed a stupid bug in the ZOO-repacking technique which made the file to be unpacked the same size as the ZOO-packer itself... (The ZOO-repacking didn't work that is .. ) ! When I repacked a ZOO file containing 298 MiNT sources the ZIP- file created contained 299 files with Bad-Headers according to STZip v2.1. (The 299:th file was my advertisment naturally) I don't know if this is a bug in STZip or not, but I can't see any possibility for it to be a bug in -=Bad Ad=-. If you have any problems with ZOO-archives, contact me! -=v1.91=- Improved Error-handling, if -=Bad Ad=- detects any old cnf files it will delete them instead of bombing out ... ->+ TT support! Many thanx to "Dawn Patrol" who made my graphics routines much more resolution independant! I haven't got a TT myself though, if something's wrong, contact me! + When the LOG file exceeds 50Kb, -=Bad Ad=- will shrink it to 40Kb, and so on ... (The reason for shrinking it 10Kb is that otherwise it would need to be shrunk every time -=Bad Ad=- runs.) If anyone would like the ability to set the max-length by them- selves, tell me. + -=Bad Ad=- will now pack .MOD files too ... this is great actually, users can now upload pure .MOD files, making it possible for RATSoft to fill in the brief description, but when the SysOp validates the .MOD, it's already packed! + If -=Bad Ad=- finds a file called "MINI_AD.TXT" in the same directory as the "normal" ad, it will append that file (maximum 10 lines long!) to the end of all files ending with TXT, DOC NFO and ASC when it packs them. Use this with caution as it can be VERY irritating! (I haven't included an option to remove these "mini-ads" yet, but be sure it will come ...) - When -=Bad Ad=- packed files ending with TXT, DOC, NFO or ASC to ZIP, the file would "disappear" from the ZIP archive if the name was 8 characters long. Fixed. + Pressing "T" in the config program will now let you input your own extensions of which files you want packed. Files specified as textfiles will also be used by the mini-ad technique. (Ex: TXT,DOC,ASC,NFO = textfiles, MOD,MSA = normal) + Extended the use of the "MINI_AD.TXT" option. -=Bad Ad=- will now append the mini-ad to the the FIRST file it can find in an archive to repack, fitting the extensions choosed in the config-program. (I know, it IS annoying!) I will *NOT* extend this to append to ALL files fitting the extensions in an archive!!! + Massive changes ... you now choose all work-paths etc in the "K" setting part in the config-program, and "A" now states which file -=Bad Ad=- will log to. (Some wanted the ability to have -=Bad Ad=- log to RATSOFT.LOG) This included lots of re-writing .. there HAS to be new bugs, help me find them! + -=Bad Ad=- will not append the mini-ad to the BBS_ADS.TXT file anylonger, it will look for the next file fitting the extension list instead. (Unnecessary to append 2 ads to the BBS_ADS.TXT!) + -=Bad Ad=- will now report when it can't find any files from the archive it just unpacked. This has to do with a bug in Lharc I think - sometimes when it unpacks, all files end up in the root instead of the subdirectory! If you have any solution to this problem, contact me! + -=Bad Ad=- will NOT skip my own advertisment (HOTWAREZ.NOW) when deleting ads anylonger. Noone complained, but it isn't fair of me not allowing you to delete it. Happy deleting ;) - If -=Bad Ad=- was set to repack to LZH, and the archive was unpacked to the root (no files to pack that is) -=Bad Ad=- would hang. LHarc doesn't create 0-length files as ST-Zip does... -=Bad Ad=- will now create that 0-length file instead. + I've too discoveried that LHA v2.01 is alot faster than LHarc (No, they're not the same program!) ... and I've tried to make -=Bad Ad=- compatible with LHA .. but .. it's LHA that's NOT compatible with LHarc! LHA always need the "x" or "e" switch to depack, whereas LHarc assumes that no switch means depacking! (And since the commandline-length is critical, I can't add that switch!) The simple solution is that the author of LHA makes it fully compatible with LHarc .. - Fixed a bug with the MINI_AD.TXT having to be in the DELETE.ADS folder instead of the same folder as the advertisment. +++++++++++ MEGA-BIG-MASSIVE-CHANGES!!! -=Bad Ad=- now has the long-awaited "Always Repack" feature!!! This means that -=Bad Ad=- will repack ALL kinds of archives into the one you want. (Ex. All ARC,ZOO,ARJ,LZH,ZIP will be repacked to LZH (or ZIP)) .. this way -=Bad Ad=- can use all the features like MINI_AD and BBS_ADS.TXT on ALL archives! (Ofcoz you can still set the MAXIMUM size of an archive to be repacked. Only valid for LZH and ZIP archives though, let's get rid of all stupid ZOO,ARJ and ARCs!!!) + Made the finishing touches to the "Never Repack" routine ... If you set -=Bad Ad=- to "Never Repack", it will try to ADD your advertisment to as many files/archives as possible. At the moment it's capable of adding ads to LHA,LZH,ZIP,ARC,ZOO and textfiles. (Note, there's no ARJ packer on the ST!) If you're using this feature instead of "Always Repack", you'll not have the ability to DELETE other ads though! Note that -=Bad Ad=- will add your "own" ad-file, regardless of which mode you're in. (Own file, Both or BBS_ADS.TXT) ->->->->->(In this mode -=Bad Ad=- is compatible with *ALL* BBS-programs, as it won't change the name of the archive/file) + There's a way to "protect" your textfiles from having Mini-Ads in them ... -=Bad Ad=- will look for a special magic-string on the first line of the textfile. If it's there, -=Bad Ad=- will skip that textfile when searching for Mini-Ad suitable files. (I'm planning to release this magic string to registered users only.) + -=Bad Ad=- will now skip the file-description standard file "FILE_ID.DIZ" when searching for Mini-Ad suitable files, even if .DIZ is entered as a valid textfile extension in the config. + Added QuickBBS support .. choose QUICKBBS mode in the config- program, and choose your UPLOAD.LOG and FILES.BBS (I assume everybody has a special "uploads" area). -=Bad Ad=- will change the filename in FILES.BBS if the repacked file is different from the old one, but not in UPLOAD.LOG. (Changing in the UPLOAD.LOG will come in the future) This QBBS mode is completely new, contact me for bugreports. ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡ Things to Come!!! This is a list of things my beta-testers want me to include in -=Bad Ad=- (I will include them, and hopefully in this order too...) Sheduled for: (Not a definite list!) 1.92 - Random ad-name! Want your own ad to never be deleted by someone else? Then this is it! You specify what characters -=Bad Ad=- can play with, then -=Bad Ad=- will put them at random places in the filename, making it impossible for someone else to have them in their ads-to-delete list! (Ex. HOTWAREZ.NOW could be shifted to anythihg from HOTWAREZ.001 to HOTWAREZ.999 or just SRGERGG.ER to 23ER34.NOW!) - Zip-Comment adding. 1.94 - Two different ads for different filesizes! (Ex. If archive>500Kb, add a "readme-demo", if it's <500Kb, add a normal textfile) 1.96 - Support for RATSoft's AREA.x files, making it possible to run -=Bad Ad=- on whole fileareas! 1.98 - //Turbo support! Might be impossible to do since there's no way Turbo can tell me what files's been uploaded! (Or?) 2.00 - Smart ad-deleting. Since some stupid SysOps call their ads "Read_Me.Txt" it's hard to put them in the ads-to-delete list, something valuable might disappear in some archives! The "Smart" routine will actually look through the ads-to-delete filenames and search for keywords like the BBS name or something similar. (Checksums?) 2.50 - GEM support .... I've been trying to make -=Bad Ad=- MultiTOS compatible, but ... well ... it's sheduled for the future ..