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1996-11-04
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┌───────────────────────────┐
Change Fast version 1.02d
Re-release
Programmed by D.Manders
(C) DMSoft 1995-1996
└───────────────────────────┘
1.......INTRODUCTION
1.1....Introduction
1.2....So what is CF ?
1.3....'Jumping' from one directory to another ?
2.......USING CF
2.1....Working with CF
2.2....Directories with the same name
2.3....Some more info
2.4....Usage (overview)
2.5....Examples
2.6....Tips/Hints
2.7....Notes
3.......GENERAL INFO
3.1....What's new in version 1.02d
3.2....History of CF
3.3....On CF
3.4....Copyright
┌──────────────────┐
─┤ 1 - INTRODUCTION ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
└──────────────────┘
1.1 - Introduction:
───────────────────
There are a lot of programs wich do quite the same as CF, so why CF ???
CF is very small, quite fast, easy to use and last-but-not-least FREEWARE !
1.2 - So what IS CF ?
─────────────────────
You might know programs such as NCD and TO_QUICK. These programs alow you to
'jump' from one directory to another by calling the program with the directory
you want to 'jump' to as parameter. To put it simple: CF is just another NCD
'clone' (but a good one).
1.3 - 'Jumping' from one directory to another ???
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Ok, an example:
Let's say you're in the C:\DOS directory and you want to goto C:\GAMES\MYGAME\B.
Normally you would type "CD \" - "CD GAMES" - "CD MYGAME" - "CD B". Yes, it's
also possible to type "CD \GAMES\MYGAME\B" but either way it's quite a lot of
typing. With CF you'll never have to type more than the directory you want to
go to (in this case "CF B").
┌──────────────┐
─┤ 2 - USING CF ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
└──────────────┘
2.1 - Working with CF:
──────────────────────
The usage of CF is quite simple, first you scan the current disk and then you
can just run CF with the directory to go to as a parameter (e.g. "CF DOS"). You
can also specify a drive in the directoryname ("CF C:DOS"), but the drive you're
refering to must have it's own datafile in the root directory. Pathnames are NOT
alowed (these won't work: "CF C:\GAMES\TETRIS", "CF DOS\UTILS" or "CF ..").
As said before, first of all you must scan the current disk, so CF can create a
datafile wich is used as a lookup table with all directories on the current disk
in it. CF uses this file to find the location of the directory you want to go
to. This datafile is easily created by running CF with the option /S (=Scan).
With CF it is also very easy to 'jump' back to the previous directory wich you
visited using CF. Just type: "CF /P". With this option you can also 'jump'
between two directories (just keep typing "CF /P").
Every now and then you should update the datafile because new directories might
have been created (you don't have to update the datafile if you only have
removed directories). To update just scan the current disk again with "CF /S".
It's possible to combine the scanning of a disk with going to a directory, e.g.
"CF /S DOS" will first scan the disk and than go to DOS.
2.2 - Directories with the same name:
─────────────────────────────────────
It's possible that you have more directories with the same name. Normally CF
will go to the first matching directory in the directory tree. If you want to
go to another directory in the tree with the specified name you can specify the
number of the directory to go to as an extra parameter. e.g. you have 4
directories with the name SOUND and you want to go to the second one, you type:
"CF SOUND 2". You can specify any number from 1 to 255, higher or lower numbers
are ignored and will make CF take the first directory.
2.3 - Some more Info:
─────────────────────
Wildcards are not (yet) supported because I didn't thought it would be very
useful due to the number of times that a wildcard specification will match more
than 1 directory, forcing you to still have to specify wich directory you really
meant in the first place. The ownly possible advantage of wilcards I can think
of is that you can specify 'difficult' directory names such as "SP#(PTZX" much
faster. But even than a better alternative would be renaming the directoryname !
The datafile wich CF creates when scanning a drive will be stored in the root
directory of the drive you're scanning. The name of this file is DIRFILE.DAT,
and will normally be hidden. Why 'normally' you may ask... Well, the minute you
start up CF, the file will be unhidden so CF can use it to read from it or write
to it. After CF is done with reading/writing the file will be hidden again.
However, it's possible that an error may occur while reading/writing this file
and CF might not be able to hide it. So if you see an unhidden file called
DIRFILE.DAT in your root directory, then you now know what it is and what it is
doing there....
2.4 - Usage Overview:
─────────────────────
global usage: CF <option> <directory> <nr>
options:
/S : Scan current disk
/P : Goto previous directory
You can run CF in these ways: - CF [this will give short help]
- CF /S [scan current disk]
- CF <directory> [goto specified directory]
- CF /S <directory> [combine scanning and goto]
- CF <directory> <nr> [goto nr matching directory]
- CF /P <directory> [goto previous directory]
Options may be placed anywhere on the commandline ("CF DOS /S 1" is possible).
Whenever /P is on the commandline, everything else will be ignored ("CF /P" will
do the same as "CF TEST 2 /S /P").
2.5 - Examples:
───────────────
"CF /S" - Scan the current disk.
"CF EXAMPLE" - Go to directory EXAMPLE.
"CF /S DOS" - Scan current disk and go to DOS afterwards.
"CF SOUND 3" - Goto the thirth directory matching the name SOUND.
"CF /S SOUND 3" - Scan current disk and goto third directory matching SOUND.
"CF SOUND" -> "CF GAMES" -> "CF /P" - Go back to directory SOUND.
2.6 - Tips/Hints:
─────────────────
In order to use CF from any directory, you must put CF in a directory wich is in
your DOS PATH. (e.g. C:\DOS).
CF will be faster if you put it in the first directory in your DOS path.
Run SMARTDRV, it will make CF a lot faster.
2.7 - Notes:
────────────
Each disk has its own datafile (DIRFILE.DAT) after scanning. Deleting this file
will simply result in a "Datafile not found..." error and will do no harm.
CF works on floppy drives but I don't recommend this due to the slow speed of
floppy drives. CF should actually work on any writeable media and won't work
on read-only media such as a write-protected diskette or a CD-ROM. CF has not
been tested on a network drive, so results can not be predicted...
You can abort a scan by pressing Ctrl-Break, but use this in 'emergency' cases
only, because when you do interrupt the scanning the datafile will be
incomplete, forcing you to rescan the disk. You'll also will have no DOS cursor
anymore (just type "MODE co80" to get it back).
┌──────────────────┐
─┤ 3 - GENERAL INFO ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
└──────────────────┘
3.1 - New in version 1.02d:
───────────────────────────
- Added "/P" option, wich will change back to the previous directory wich was
visited while using CF.
- Much better commandline parsing is done. Options can now be anywhere on the
commandline. More detailed errors are reported when an error was found while
parsing the commandline.
- CF is an EXE-file again.
- Some small stuff: Better (easier to understand) error messages.
Much much better manual.
* RE-RELEASE: - Fixed some errors in the manual (no modifications to CF itself).
- Added buglist file (bugs.doc).
- Added registration form (register.doc).
3.2 - HISTORY of CF:
────────────────────
06/23/1995 version 1.00ßⁿ - First version.
06/25/1995 version 1.00 - Implemented CFSCAN inside CF ("CF /S").
- Now shows usage of CF when running CF without
parameters.
08/10/1995 version 1.01c - Scanning and going to is much faster.
- DIRFILE.DAT is much smaller.
- Now fully DOS' CD compatible.
- Scanning and going to can now be combined.
- Fixed some small bugs.
- Exact directory choosing now possible.
10/07/1995 version 1.02 - CF is a COM file instead of an EXE.
- Exact directory selecting can now be combined
with scanning.
- Now able to go to another drive.
08/06/1996 version 1.02d - CF is an EXE file again.
re-released 11/04/1996 - Added "CF /P" wich will take you back to the
previous directory visited with CF.
- Better commandline parsing. Options can now
be anywhere on the commandline.
- Better error messages.
(ⁿ - unreleased version)
3.3 - On CF:
────────────
Change Fast is programmed for 95% in Pascal, the rest (some small routines) is
done in assembler and machinecode.
I've been working on CF 1.10 for about half a year but due to some technical
difficulties (a lot of bugs in the source) I decided to release this optimized
version of version 1.02. The commandline parsing routine was copied from v1.10
(no bugs in there), and most of this manual was also copied from the CF 1.10ß
manual.
I'm currently working on CF 1.30, it is a total re-written version with some
new powerful options. Because CF 1.30 is far from finished and CF 1.02d works
pretty fine I might decide to discontinue working on CF. If you really want a
new version of CF then please let me know ! Knowing that people like your work
surely gives a man the motivation to continue doing what he is doing !
Please fill out the Registration Form ! This will not only make you feel better,
it will also give me an overview of the users of CF. Don't get me wrong here:
Registering is on a voluntary basis only, you don't have to register if you
don't want to. But since registering is free I really see no reason why you
shouldn't register ! Registering can be done via e-mail only, registration form
is included (REGISTER.DOC).
3.4 - Copyright:
────────────────
Change Fast v1.02d is Copyright (C) D.Manders 1995-1996, All rights reserved.
D.Manders Software
Dorpsstraat 46
5758 AS, Neerkant
Holland
DMSoft is a shortening of D.Manders Software, and is NOT an official registered
Company-name or something like that. If any software company wich uses DMSoft
as it's name disagrees to the shortening of D.Manders Software to DMSoft than
please let me know !
Anyone is free to use, copy, download and distribute CF as long as you agree to
these next terms:
- No fee may be charged for copying or distributing CF in any way.
- This manual has to be distibuted along with CF !
- Both CF.EXE as CF.DOC may not be modified in any way (that includes renaming)
- The programmer is NOT responsible for any damage to your hard- or software
wich may be (but is unlikely to be) caused by CF.
- You are free to distribute CF on any media (CD-ROM, BBS, Internet, etc.)
Any suggestions, questions, bug reports ? - please drop me an e-mail at:
dms@via.nl
Please register (it's FREE !)
────DM'96───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────