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1990-12-30
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224 lines
FileBBS
Version 0.2, 30th December 1990
1. What does it do?
FileBBS reads in FoReM or ///Turbo board *.DIR files and
FILES.BBS files as used by other types of BBS (such as
QuickBBS), combines them, removes missing files, sorts them by
date and writes out new .DIR and FILES.BBS files.
Some uses that this might have are:
- Keep your file areas sorted by date so that new users see
the new files first.
- Use FidoNet FileEcho's using either Hatch and STick or the
FileEcho built into the ACS software.
- Use the same directories for QuickBBS and ///Turbo.
- Add new files by appending them to FILES.BBS in your
favorite text editor, instead of the clumsy ///Turbo sysop's
menu.
- Create human readable listings of the file areas.
2. Usage
FileBBS was designed to be run from batch files. Thus all
options are given on the command line. Usage is:
FileBBS [-options] [dirnames...]
Dirnames is a list of directories that you want processing, for
example D:\BBS\GAMES. You may put a trailing backslash at the
end if you want and you may put as many pathnames as you like
up to the maximum command line length imposed by the CLI.
Options are:
-V : Verbose mode
-D : Debug mode
If you use any of these two settings then they must occur
before other command line options. The default quiet mode will
be adequate for most people.
-F : Process all the directories in FILEECHO.BBS. This file
is used by the FileEcho processor built into Come_In
(part of the ACS software). FileEcho.BBS must be in
the current directory.
-S : Process the directories specified in STICK.CTL. This
file is used by Hatch and STick. STick.CTL must be in
the current directory.
-T : Process all of FoReM or ///Turbo board's directories.
FOREM.OPT or TURBO.OPT must be in the current
directory. CONFIG.DAT must also be aronud somewhere,
either in the current directory or the optional DAT
directory. FileBBS will also have a look for
PROMPT.TXT to obtain the SysOp's name.
-Q : Process all the directories specified in QuickBBS's
FLSEARCH.CTL file.
Normally you would use only one of these options. For example
when importing mail you might run it as:
FileBBS -S
Or perhaps in your daily maintenance you will run it as:
FileBBS -T
Or perhaps you have manually created a new FILES.BBS, then you
would run it as:
FileBBS D:\BBS\FILEAREA
3. How it works in more detail
For each directory that FileBBS is asked to process it will
firstly check that it hasn't already processed it this run and
then read in the .DIR file if there is one.
FILES.BBS is then read if it is present. Any filenames that
were not already included in the .DIR file will be added in,
with the description being taken from FILES.BBS and other
fields such as uploader, date, etc, being made up as best as it
can be guessed. The Area Tags specified with STick or FileEcho
will be used for the Application type. The uploader will be
STick, FileEcho, SysOp or the SysOp's name. All files are
added in at level 32767 to prevent files arriving via FileEcho
and being added wihout you having a chance to check them out,
so you will have to either use ///Turbo's sysop shell or Bill
Day's File editor to lower the access levels. The uploaded
date will be today's date rather than the file's datestamp.
The filesize will be the true size of the actual file.
The files are sorted by date as they are read in.
The .DIR file is rewritten. It is written to a temporary file
first (with a .TMP extension) and only if this is succesful is
the old one removed and the temporary file renamed.
FILES.BBS is then written out. It will have a heading
containing a description of the file area, worked out the best
way it can followed by all the files newest ones first.
4. File formats
FILES.BBS:
This is an Ascii file. Each line has the format:
FILENAME description
Any line not beginning with a character normally in a
filename (e.g. +) is treated as a comment. The description
may be quite long, but should be included all on one line.
Not all editors will let you do this.
e.g.
+-------------------------------------------+
| Atari Demo's area |
+-------------------------------------------+
MEGADEMO.LZH Yet another scrolly text and rasters demo
GIGADEMO.LZH Over one billion colours on screen at once
RASTERS.LZH Incredible demo by the Raster crew
STICK.CTL:
Control file used by Hatch and Stick. FileBBS looks at any
line beginning with the word "AREA" with the format:
Area path tag
e.g.
AREA E:\BBS\DEMOS\ ST_DEMO
1:234/56 FRED H *
Local desc ST Demo's
FILEECHO.BBS
This is very similar to STick.CTL, in fact FileBBS uses
exactly the same function to process it.
e.g.
Area e:\bbs\demos\ ST_DEMO
1:234/567.8 HIO
FLSEARCH.CTL
This is used by QuickBBS to specify file areas. Each line
has the format:
path security description
e.g.
e:\bbs\demos 10 Atari ST Demos
e:\bbs\games 10 Atari ST FreeWare Games
5. Other programs useful with this program
Hatch and STick is programmed by Joop Koopman of 2:281/202, it
will process *.TIC files used by FidoNet File Echos. It
is compatible with BinkleyTerm or The Box and QuickBBS format
message areas.
The ACS (Area Cleaner Software) is a shareware set of mail
processing software by Roland Bohn of 2:507/203, using
BinkleyTerm and QuickBBS format message areas. Come_In the
mail tosser has FileFix and FileEcho built into it.
QuickBBS is a shareware Bulletin board system programmed by Jon
Webb (DeltaVision system) of 282/301.2.
6. What it doesn't do, but could be worth doing sometime
Check for new files and automatically add them (without
descriptions).
Check for file existence and file size for all files. This was
actually implemented at one stage, but was far too slow doing
it on a file by file basis as the .DIR file was loaded. If it
is to be done quickly it will have to be done as a seperate
phase. Perhaps in a cleanup phase before rewriting.
Check for file dates and automatically update for new versions
of programs
Work out whether to take descriptions from FILES.BBS or *.DIR
files instead of assuming that .DIR descriptions.
Word wrap descriptions when putting into .DIR directory.
Encode other information such as uploader into the FILES.BBS
description.
Provide an interactive mode, where it would stop at any
ambiguities (e.g. FILES.BBS and .DIR descriptions differ) and
ask the user what to do.
Make the download level for new files configurable.
7. Credits
FileBBS was created by Steven W Green.
Copyright (C) 1990, Steven W Green, All rights reserved.
FileBBS may be freely copied and distributed under the
following conditions:
1. No charge is made for except for small handling costs or
normal on-line costs.
2. All files are included including the documentation, in an
unmodified form. They may be repackaged using
alternative archive formats providing that this does not
alter the resultant files in any way.
3. It is not included with any commercial software package
without the permission of Steven W Green.
This software is used entirely at the users own risk. No
liability for any damage will be held by the author.
Bug reports and suggestions are welcomed. Please include as
much neccessary information as possible with any bug reports.
Try to narrow it down if possible.
Steven Green,
My Little Phoney BBS, +44-865-773277, V32/HST
FidoNet 2:252/25
FNET 1004
NeST 90:1004/0
Voice: +44-865-748631
Post: 78a Church Way, Iffley, Oxford, OX4 4EF, ENGLAND.
8. Update History
0.1: 8th December
Initial release
0.2: 30th December
Added wordwrap when putting a long files.bbs description
into the .DIR file.