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FILEX.DOC
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1991-06-22
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FILEX Version 1.12
written by Bill Auclair, FidoNet 1:141/545
Copyright (C) 1990,1991 by XanSoft Development
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
DISCLAIMER-
FILEX is guaranteed to do nothing more than decrease your hard
drive space by one files' worth. The author shall not be held
liable for any damages resulting from the use or misuse of this
software program. You are cautioned to use this program at your
own risk.
DESCRIPTION-
FILEX is a software program designed to facilitate the maintenance
of file areas on Opus<tm> v1.0x ,1.1x and other compatible BBSes.
It was written to be used with a companion utility, a file area
management program called VersaFAM. Latest versions of both FILEX and
VersaFAM may be obtained from the author's BBS (FidoNet 1:141/545).
FILEX is used to add new files to file areas. Easily invoked from
the DOS command line, it transports specified files to target file
areas and automagically updates the list file for those areas,
optionally supplying a description to be used in the list file.
FILEX fully supports the use of DOS wildcards * and ?, allowing
for mass additions of files to file areas. FILEX can also be
invoked from a batch file, to handle the addition of periodic
files (FidoNews, nodediffs, etc.) into file areas.
FILEX versions 1.07c and later now use an optional configuration file,
named FILEX.DAT. FILEX.DAT can be used to exclude additional filenames
from update processing, and will be used for other purposes in future
updates. When invoked, FILEX will look for FILEX.DAT in the directory
pointed to by the FILEX environmental variable. If the FILEX variable
is not defined, FILEX will look for FILEX.DAT in the current directory.
If no FILEX.DAT file is found, processing continues normally.
The use of DOS wildcards (*) and (?) is NOT supported when using the
EXCLUDE verb in FILEX.DAT. A maximum of 256 filenames may be optionally
excluded from update processing.
The QUIET configuration file verb may be used to disable the display of
individual filenames during FILEX processing, reducing program execution
time by 30 to 70 percent.
List file names other than the default FILES.BBS are now supported by
FILEX. If you wish to process a list file other than FILES.BBS, simply
enter the list file name after the LISTFILE verb in FILEX.DAT.
The BIOS configuration verb can be used to choose between fast direct or
slower BIOS-based video output. When redirecting output to a file or
printer, BIOS must be chosen in FILEX.DAT.
FILEX Version 1.12 - 2 -
FILEX versions 1.05 and later now support the use of macros
within file descriptions. The following description macros
are available:
[DATE] gives current date in MM/DD/YY format.
[TIME] gives current time in HH:MM format.
[YEAR] gives verbose listing of current year.
[MONTH] gives verbose listing of current month.
[DAY] gives verbose listing of current day of the week.
[0]-[127] sets OEC (Opus Embedded Code) text colors
[B] enables blinking
To solve problems being experienced by some sysops using other utilities
which require the use of the [] bracket characters, FILEX versions 1.12
and above now accept alternate use of soft brace {} characters in macros.
This will hopefully eliminate problems with FILEX erroneously interpreting
anything enclosed in brackets as macro information. Usage of BRACES or
BRACKETS can be specified in the FILEX.DAT configuration file.
OEC COLOR CODES-
FILEX versions 1.05 and later now support the use of macro OEC
(Opus Embedded Codes) to change the color of file description text.
The key for these macros can be displayed by typing FILEX COLOR at
the DOS command line, then pressing ENTER. Output can also be redirected
to a printer or file if needed, using the DOS > redirection symbol.
Inserting a [B] after any macros will cause the text to blink when
the OEC codes are interpreted. Blinking will continue until another
color code is encountered.
INSTALLATION-
FILEX should ideally be installed in a subdirectory included in
your DOS PATH statement. This will ensure that the program can
be executed no matter which subdirectory you happen to be in.
FILEX Version 1.12 - 3 -
OPERATION-
FILEX accepts the following command line syntax:
------------------------------------------------------------------
FILEX [<source path>] [<target path>] [<description>]
------------------------------------------------------------------
EXAMPLES
Suppose you have the file PACMAN.ARC in subdirectory
C:\TEST. You want to add this file to a file area using
subdirectory C:\FILE\GAMES, with a suitable description. The
command line syntax used for this example is shown below:
------------------------------------------------------------------
FILEX c:\test\pacman.arc c:\file\games PAC_MAN_Arcade_Game
------------------------------------------------------------------
Note the use of underscores between the words in the description.
Underscores MUST be used, or the description will not be correctly
interpreted by the FILEX command line parser.
Suppose you've gotten in a bunch of programming files, all with
.ZIP extensions, that you'd like to transfer to your Programming
file area. You don't care about file area descriptions, you'll
use VersaFAM to fill them in later. You just need them included
in the list file with a "generic" description. The command line
syntax used for this example is shown below:
------------------------------------------------------------------
FILEX c:\test\*.zip c:\file\program
------------------------------------------------------------------
This transfers all files in C:\TEST with a .ZIP extension to
C:\FILE\PROGRAM, updating C:\FILE\PROGRAM\FILES.BBS. When a
description is not supplied on the command line, FILEX defaults
to a description of "<Description Unavailable>" for all files.
If the directory from which FILEX is invoked and the target
subdirectory are the same, the target subdirectory need not be
specified on the command line:
FILEX Version 1.12 - 4 -
------------------------------------------------------------------
FILEX *.arc
------------------------------------------------------------------
will add all files in C:\FILE\MUSIC with an .ARC extension to
C:\FILE\MUSIC\FILES.BBS, supplying a generic description, if FILEX
is called from C:\FILE\MUSIC. If a non-generic description is to
be supplied to the files in this example, the hyphen (-) character
should be used as a "placeholder" to indicate that the current and
target subdirectories are the same:
------------------------------------------------------------------
FILEX *.arc - New_Music_Files
------------------------------------------------------------------
will add all files in C:\FILE\MUSIC with an .ARC extension to
C:\FILE\MUSIC\FILES.BBS, using the description supplied on the
command line, if FILEX is called from C:\FILE\MUSIC.
------------------------------------------------------------------
FILEX fnews???.* d:\newsletr FidoNews,_rec'd_[DATE]_at_[TIME]
------------------------------------------------------------------
will add any existing FidoNews files to D:\NEWSLETR\FILES.BBS,
using macros to insert a date/time stamp corresponding to when
the file was processed.
------------------------------------------------------------------
FILEX blah.exe c:\newstuff [15][B]New_Files_[3]as_of_[DATE]
------------------------------------------------------------------
will add the file BLAH.EXE to C:\NEWSTUFF\FILES.BBS, with the words
"New Files" blinking white in the description, and the rest of the
line shown in non-blinking cyan.
When FILEX is run, the first thing it does is check each target
file against files already listed in the list file for the target
subdirectory. If it finds the target file(s) already listed
in the list file, it does NOT add the target file(s). If the specified
list file is not found in the target subdirectory, one is created.
Based on feedback from users, use of the FILEX.OPS log file has been
discontinued in FILEX versions 1.08 and later. The FILEX environmental
variable may still be used to point to the FILEX.DAT file.
A typical environmental variable listing is shown below:
set FILEX=c:\utility
FILEX Version 1.12 - 5 -
NON-PROCESSABLE FILES-
Certain file names and extensions are ignored by FILEX when it is
processing target files. These filenames include:
DIR.BBS
DIR.BAK
FILES.BBS
FILES.BAK
FILEX.DAT
FILEX.EXE
COMn
LPTn
PRN
CON
SCRN
NUL
REVISION HISTORY-
1/4/90: Version 1.03
First public non-beta release
3/22/90: Version 1.05
Added description macros [DATE],[TIME],[YEAR],[MONTH],
[DAY],[0] thru [15] and [B]. Also added support for
the FILEX environment variable, and changed FILEX.OPS
log file to append, rather than rewrite the log file
each time the program is run.
7/4/90: Version 1.06
Fixed bug that caused FILEX to duplicate existing file
entries when those entries did not have a file
extension. Changed blank padding between filenames
and descriptions from 1 space to 2 spaces, in order to
conform with Opus/Maximus norms. Increased list file
read capacity to 1024 lines to conform with VersaFAM
file area manager specifications.
11/28/90: Version 1.07a (beta)
Fixed a glitch that was generating "Invalid Command Line"
errors for those running 4DOS by replacing the " placeholder
character with the hyphen (-) character instead.
FILEX Version 1.12 - 6 -
12/5/90: Version 1.07b (beta)
Revised handling of filename string to avoid duplication of
FILES.BBS info when processing lowercase filenames.
12/29/90: Version 1.07c (beta)
Added FILEX.DAT configuration file, with EXCLUDE verb, to
allow users to specify additional filenames to be excluded
from processing.
1/13/91: Version 1.07d (beta)
Added code to configuration file routines to change TAB
characters to spaces when encountered.
2/24/91: Version 1.08
Added QUIET configuration file verb and functions. Added
variable listfile name option. Removed FILEX.OPS log file
option. Added BIOS configuration file verb. Generally
cleaned up code, optimizing for speed.
6/22/91: Version 1.12
Cleaned up come problems experienced with some undocumented
beta versions. Expanded support of OEC text/background color
codes from 15 to 127 color combinations. Added color code
chart subroutine to executable file. Added BRACES/BRACKETS
configuration verbs to FILEX.DAT configuration file. Cut down
on code size, squashed a few bugs and tightened things up.
Please address all comments, criticisms and bug reports to:
Bill Auclair
1:141/545.0
Thanks a lot. Hope you get as much enjoyment out of this program
as I got in bringing it to you....
6/22/91
Bill Auclair