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█ █ ▀█▀▀▄
██▄██ ████ █ █ █ █ █ █▀▀█ Version 1.00
█ █ █ █▄▄█ ▀█▀ █ █ █ █▄▄█
█ █ █ █ █▀▀▀█ ▄█▄▄▀ █ █ █▄ By Wayne Boyd, Fidonet 1:153/763
Internet Vswami@ship.net
FreeWare Software
(c) by the Hare Krishna Temple (ISKCON) of Western Canada
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Sorts your FILES.BBS files for SysOps of Bulletin Boards │
│ and also creates a sorted AllFiles list all in one pass. │
│ Creates a FREQ list, a NewFiles list, and also │
│ can be made to adopt "orphaned" files, │
│ and a bunch of other stuff too. │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Users Manual
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.2
Here's what some SysOps have said about MaxDir:
"MaxDir works great even with files on an HPFS drive."
Derek Rodger, The Corner Store BBS
Fidonet 1:153/255
"I've never seen a freeware program do so much, and so
quickly! It's cut our maintenance routine times in
half; three cheers for MaxDir!"
Tod Maffin, member support
VisionMedia Online Systems
Fidonet 1:153/817
"MaxDir's looking great. I was previously using Febbs
to do my maintenance but MaxDir is much faster and more
streamlined. Keep it up! :-)"
Don Dunlop, The Red Point BBS
Fidonet 1:153/7060
"The best utilities for a BBS are the ones you can
forget that they are there. MaxDir is one of those.
Just plug it in and let it run. But don't blink, or
you'll miss watching it run."
Karl Pollak, Canadian Infomaticon BBS
Fidonet 1:153/965
"Tried all the rest and went back to the best -
'MaxDir' by Wayne Boyd!"
Pat Reilly TimeLine BBS
Fidonet 1:140/89
And finally -- my favourite: :-)
"MaxDir - can't run a BBS without it.
(and if you could, why would you want to??)"
Derek Rodger, The Corner Store BBS
Fidonet 1:153/255
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.3
Table of Contents
MaxDir Echomail Support................................................ 4
What it Does ── A Summary.............................................. 4
MaxDir is a stable, tested program..................................... 5
FreeWare Notes......................................................... 5
Standard Disclaimer (I'm sure you've seen it before somewhere)......... 6
OS/2 Support........................................................... 7
Running MaxDir from DOS................................................ 7
Wildcards and Mecca Tokens in FILES.BBS................................ 8
Notes on Sorting....................................................... 9
Command Line Switches................................................. 10
Adopt Orphan Files.................................................... 10
Configuration File.................................................... 11
AdoptAvoid (All BBS users).......................................... 11
AdoptDescription (All BBS users).................................... 11
AllFiles (All BBS users)............................................ 12
Archive (All BBS users)............................................. 12
AreaNumbering (All BBS users)....................................... 12
Barricade (Maximus BBS only)........................................ 13
BBSHeaderFiles (All BBS users)...................................... 13
BBSName (All BBS users)............................................. 13
BotInclude.......................................................... 14
CapStyle (All BBS users)............................................ 14
ClrScr (All BBS users).............................................. 14
Colour Configuration................................................ 14
CountryCode and DateDelimiter (All BBS users)....................... 15
Exclude (All BBS users)............................................. 16
Exclude MaximusKey (Maximus BBS only)............................... 16
ExcludeWithout (Maximus BBS only)....................................16
ExpandHeader (All BBS users)........................................ 16
FileSize (All BBS users)............................................ 17
FlagChar (All BBS users)............................................ 17
FlagNew (All BBS users)............................................. 17
FLSEARCH (Non-Maximus BBS users).................................... 18
HeaderFlagChar (All BBS users)...................................... 18
LogFile (All BBS users)............................................. 19
KillOffline (All BBS users)..........................................19
MaxAreaFile (Maximus BBS only)...................................... 20
MaximusKey (Maximus BBS only)....................................... 20
NewFile (All BBS users)............................................. 20
NoAccess (Maximus BBS).............................................. 20
NoAccess (Other BBS users).......................................... 21
NoComments (All BBS users).......................................... 21
NoDescription (All BBS users)....................................... 21
NoDispSize.......................................................... 22
NoDispDate.......................................................... 22
NoOffline (All BBS users)........................................... 22
NoSort (All BBS users).............................................. 22
NoSound (All BBS users)............................................. 23
OffLine (All BBS users)............................................. 23
OLR (Maximus BBS only).............................................. 24
StripAreaName (All BBS users)....................................... 24
StripDescription (All BBS users).................................... 24
Style (All BBS users)............................................... 25
TopInclude.......................................................... 25
TopOfFile........................................................... 27
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.4
Totals (All BBS users).............................................. 27
Truncate (All BBS users)............................................ 27
Viewer (All BBS users).............................................. 28
Whirlygigs (All BBS users).......................................... 28
Wrap (All BBS users)................................................ 28
FIDONET FILE REQUEST LIST (All BBS users)............................. 29
AddFreq (up to 200 lines allowed)................................... 29
AddFreqFile......................................................... 29
Freq Everything..................................................... 30
Freq Public......................................................... 30
FreqFile............................................................ 30
FreqWildCard........................................................ 30
Notes and Quirks...................................................... 30
Reporting Bugs........................................................ 31
Acknowledgements...................................................... 31
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ MaxDir Echomail Support │
└─────────────────────────┘
There is a Fidonet support echo for MaxDir, called, appropriately
enough, MaxDir. This echo, as of writing, is not on the Fidonet backbone,
but may become a backbone echo in the future. If you are interested in
carrying this echo, you can netmail me at 1:153/763 and perhaps I can direct
you to someone near you who carries it. I also have a BBS, "Sita and the
Ring BBS" in Vancouver, Canada (604)431-6260 (1200-14,400 bps, v.32bis).
┌───────────────────────────┐
│ What it Does ── A Summary │
└───────────────────────────┘
MaxDir can be used with the Maximus BBS system by Scott Dudley as well
as many other popular BBS systems (like QuickBBS) that use (or can use)
FILES.BBS files for displaying available files for downloading to callers.
MaxDir reads your Maximus FILEAREA.CTL file in your BBS directory, or a
FLSEARCH.CTL file that you create for other Bulletin Board Systems, and then
sorts (if you want) each FILES.BBS file for each download directory so your
BBS users will see all your files in alphabetical order. (You can choose NOT
to sort specific FILES.BBS files if you don't want them sorted, or you can
choose not to sort any of them. You can also choose not to have your
AllFiles list sorted if you don't want it.) If there are files separated by
comment lines in your FILES.BBS listings, MaxDir will sort them, but not
move them outside of their commented area. It simultaneously produces an
AllFiles list (of any name you choose), which is a listing of all files
available on your BBS for downloading, as well as an optional NewFiles list,
a File Request List (for Binkleyterm, Frontdoor, etc.), and a NewFiles.dat
list (for your offline mail readers). You have complete flexibility to
select which file areas you do not want displayed in your listings based on
security levels, Maximus keys, FileBarricades and even those you name
specifically. Areas which, for security reasons, do not get displayed in the
AllFiles listing, will still be sorted in the FILES.BBS listing (if you
like). MaxDir can, if instructed by you, also create headers for your
individual FILES.BBS files, and, if instructed by you, put MECCA colours in
the headers so your BBS callers, when listing your files, will see a very
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.5
beautiful listing while on line. MaxDir can use an archive program like
PKZIP and archive your listings automatically when it's done. It does all of
this (and a bunch of other stuff too) in just one pass. And above all ──
it's fast!
There's more ── MaxDir doesn't mind if you have compiled MECCA tokens
(for Maximus BBS) in your FILES.BBS files, nor will it place the '/bt'
switches (if you have any) in your file descriptions into your AllFiles
list. MaxDir understands fully qualified paths\filenames in your files.bbs
lists.
But wait ── There's more ── MaxDir has a whole other "mode". Starting
MaxDir with the -A "switch" you can use MaxDir to adopt orphan files into
your FILES.BBS lists. An orphan file is a file that is on your disk but not
in your FILES.BBS. You can tell MaxDir what files to filter out so that it
doesn't think it is an orphan file. If MaxDir finds an orphan file, you can
"adopt it" it into your FILES.BBS (along with a description you are prompted
to enter), "kill it" (delete the file from your disk), "move it" (move the
file to a different directory and/or drive), "view it" (see the contents of
the archive file) or ignore it.
Previous to the days of MaxDir, you usually had to have at least two or
three programs to perform these functions (if at all). Now it's all combined
in one program. It's designed as a full-blown competitor to many other
similar utilities, yet MaxDir generally has more features than other
programs, is fast, stream-lined and efficient. MaxDir can be run in your
nightly batch file for producing an Allfiles list, or in Adopt Orphan Files
mode, you can manually use it to move files around on your computer.
Best of all ── MaxDir is NOT shareware or commercial. It's free. It
won't cost you anything, zilch. In French: Gratuit. In Sanskrit: Haribol.
Ain't that nice?
┌────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MaxDir is a stable, tested program │
└────────────────────────────────────┘
There's an old addage, never use something that says "version 1.00".
MaxDir is not like that. Previous to this public release version 1.00 there
were literally scores of beta test versions which were hashed over by some
of the best beta testers in the business (see acknowledgements at the bottom
of this document). So although MaxDir says "version 1.00", it's a well
tested and proven program, long before it ever was unleashed. It's also been
tested on gigabyte CD drives and works great even with such huge file bases.
┌────────────────┐
│ FreeWare Notes │
└────────────────┘
This program is FreeWare. That means it's free for you to use. I don't
expect or want any money from you, and you may freely distribute and use
unlimited copies of it as long as you distribute only the original archive
in it's unaltered state. It's OKAY to use MaxDir on commercial BBS's. This
is not one of those programs that are "Free unless you have a commercial
BBS". This is a free program. Period. Nice, huh?
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.6
FreeWare does not mean that you "own" the program. This program is
copyright by the Hare Krishna temple of Western Canada (ISKCON). All rights
are reserved. However, by "FreeWare" we mean that you don't have to pay
anything for the program, which is different from the concept of
"Shareware". (It's my answer to Joho Homrighausen for going Shareware with a
certain well-known mailer program.) So relax, and enjoy it.
I borrowed the following disclaimer from RABITLOC.DOC, a fossil unlock
program for RandomAccess BBS, which, by the way, you don't need with this
program and isn't relevant to this discussion in the least.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Standard Disclaimer (I'm sure you've seen it before somewhere) │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
This product is meant for educational purposes only. Any resemblance to
real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Void where prohibited.
Some assembly required. List each check separately by bank number. Batteries
not included. Contents may settle during shipment. Use only as directed. No
other warranty expressed or implied. Do not use while operating a motor
vehicle or heavy equipment. Postage will be paid by addressee. Subject to
CAB approval. This is not an offer to sell securities. Apply only to
affected area. May be too intense for some viewers. Do not stamp. Use other
side for additional listings. For recreational use only. Do not disturb. All
models over 18 years of age. If condition persists, consult your physician.
No user-serviceable parts inside. Freshest if eaten before date on carton.
Subject to change without notice. Times approximate. Simulated picture. No
postage necessary if mailed in the United States. Breaking seal constitutes
acceptance of agreement. For off-road use only. As seen on TV. One size fits
all. Many suitcases look alike. Contains a substaintial amount of
non-tobacco ingredients. Colors may, in time, fade. We have sent the forms
which seem to be right for you. Slippery when wet. For office use only. Not
affiliated with the American Red Cross. Drop in any mailbox. Edited for
television. Keep cool, process promptly. Post office will not deliver
without postage. List was current at time of printing. Return to sender, no
forwarding order on file, unable to forward. Not responsible for direct,
indirect, incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect,
error or failure to perform. At participating locations only. Not the
Beatles. Penalty for private use. See label for sequence. Substantial
penalty for early withdrawal. Do not write below this line. Falling rock.
Lost ticket pays maximum rate. Your cancelled check is your receipt. Add
toner. Place stamp here. Avoid contact with skin. Sanitized for your
protection. Be sure each item is properly endorsed. Sign here without
admitting guilt. Slightly higher west of the Mississippi. Employees and
their families are not eligible. Beware of owl. Contestants have been
briefed on some questions before the show. Limited time offer, call now to
insure prompt delivery. You must be present to win. No passes accepted for
this engagement. No purchase necessary. Processed at location stamped in
code at top of carton. Shading within a garment may occur. Use only in
well-ventilated area. Keep away from fire or flame. Replace with same type.
Approved for veterans. Booths for two or more. Check here if tax deductible.
Some equipment shown is optional. Price does not include taxes. No Canadian
coins. Not recommended for children. Prerecorded for this time zone.
Reproduction strictly prohibited. No solicitors. No alcohol, dogs, or
horses. No anchovies unless otherwise specified. Restaurant package, not for
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.7
resale. List at least two alternate dates. First pull up, then pull down.
Call toll free before digging. Driver does not carry cash. Some of the
trademarks mentioned in this product appear for identification purposes
only. Record additional transactions on back of previous stub.
This supersedes all previous notices.
┌──────────────┐
│ OS/2 Support │
└──────────────┘
MaxDir runs fine on OS/2 systems formatted either with FAT or HPFS.
Before releasing MaxDir on the unsuspecting public, I had a team of beta
testers screw around with it for weeks and months. Some of those beta
testers are OS/2 SysOps (I also run OS/2). Even the OS/2 fanatical purists <g>
among you will appreciate the usefulness of MaxDir. Try it in a DOS box.
You'll wonder how you ever got on without it. Future versions _may_ be
in native OS/2 code.
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ Running MaxDir from DOS │
└─────────────────────────┘
You can run MaxDir simply by typing from the DOS command line:
MaxDir
But before you do...
The MAXDIR.CFG configuration file is a plain ASCII file that you have
to edit with your favourite ASCII editor. You might as well look at it now.
Before you edit MAXDIR.CFG, however, be aware that MAXDIR.CFG does not
contain complete documentation. All of the features available in MAXDIR.CFG
are described more fully here, in MAXDIR.DOC (the one you are reading now.)
After you edit the configuration file, you can copy the configuration
file into any directory on your fixed disk that you like, as long as it is
within your DOS path. Or, if it's in the directory where you run MaxDir
from, it doesn't have to be in your DOS path. You can also have multiple
copies of the configuration file. Although MaxDir does not require any
command line parameters to run (it can be run just by typing MaxDir from the
DOS prompt), you can also specify a different configuration file from the
command line with the -C switch (case is not important). For example,
suppose you have two configuration files, one called MAXDIR.CFG and the
other SPECIAL.CFG. To cause MaxDir to read the SPECIAL.CFG file, you would
run MaxDir with the following DOS command line:
MaxDir -CSPECIAL.CFG
or if in a directory \DIR on your D: drive, then you would type:
MaxDir -CD:\DIR\SPECIAL.CFG
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.8
When you run MaxDir, if all goes well, it will process your entire file
base in fairly quick order, and upon completion the screen will clear and
MaxDir will archive the output allfiles list using whatever compression
utility you specified in MAXDIR.CFG.
After MaxDir shells out and runs the compression program to archive the
allfiles list, MaxDir will again clear and restore the screen to complete it's
run and finish reporting to your screen what it did. And if you have logging
to file enabled in MAXDIR.CFG, it will also record what it did in a log file.
This quick clearing of the screen and restoring the screen happens very
quickly and some people incorrectly think that MaxDir did something wrong, but
actually it's all perfectly normal. If any errors were encountered, they will
be reported at the termination of MaxDir both to screen and to log file.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Wildcards and Mecca Tokens in FILES.BBS │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
This program supports the use of Wildcards (MAX*.ZIP, etc.) in your
FILES.BBS files. It also supports the use of compiled MECCA tokens in
your FILES.BBS files. For that matter, you can even have a fully qualified
file name with a different path\directory in your FILES.BBS file, and MaxDir
will handle it seemlessly. Therefore I have the following in one of MY
FILES.BBS files:
MAX*.ZIP /b MaxDir: Sorts FILES.BBS files for BBS's
This is displayed as follows in my AllFiles list:
MAXD098C.ZIP 36649 10-03-93 MaxDir: Sorts FILES.BBS files for BBS's
Notice how the wildcarded MAX*.ZIP" expanded to "MAXD098C.ZIP". Notice
also the funny little character "" next to the file date. This indicates
the file is a new file less than 30 days old. You can change this funny
little character to any character you like in the configuration file. Also
significant, is that in FILES.BBS there was a Maximus switch "/b". These
switches are discussed in MAX_OP.PRN which came with your copy of Maximus
and have to do with free download times for your callers. But obviously you
don't need to have this put in your AllFiles list, so it isn't. If you run
another BBS software other than Maximus, check your BBS documentation before
inserting wildcards in your FILES.BBS listings to see if your BBS supports
it in the same way that Maximus and MaxDir do.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.9
┌──────────────────┐
│ Notes on Sorting │
└──────────────────┘
In your FILES.BBS files, you have lists of files with descriptions. You
can also have COMMENT lines. Comment lines in FILES.BBS files begin with the
hyphen (-) in the far left margin. For greater usefulness, ── and this is an
important point ── in addition to a line beginning with a hyphen, MaxDir
will recognise a line as a comment line if the *FIRST* character of the line
is a space or a highbit ASCII character (as you might have if you drew a box
around some text). Blank lines are also counted as comment lines. Therefore:
-
- This would be a comment line in FILES.BBS
-
This is a Maximus convention, used also by many other BBS systems,
including QuickBBS, SuperBBS and others. Similarly:
This is also a comment line in FILES.BBS because
these lines begin with a SPACE. Blank lines are also
counted as comment lines. So the blank line above and
below this paragraph would also be counted as a comment if
included in a FILES.BBS listing.
It is possible to have files sandwiched between comment lines, and
separated from lists of other files by comment lines. As an example, see
the list below:
-
- NEW UPLOADS
-
FILES763.ZIP List of all files available for downloading on this BBS.
RUNFD.BAT My batch file that runs frontdoor.
-
- OTHER FILES
-
GOOSE.ZIP zaxxon clone. lotsa fun & good graphics
ISOPAN Sri Isopanishad. Describes the Supreme Proprieter of all things.
KRISHNA.ZIP All about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna.
NODISC.FIL
UTIL.ZIP Whereis and Hot Directory Util Pakage
WINCUBIC.ZIP Rubic's Cube for windows
XLAX_254.LZH Fidonet nodelist processor. Very good.
The above list is already sorted by MaxDir. Notice that the two files
between where it says "NEW UPLOADS" and "OTHER FILES" are sorted
alphabetically, as are all the files below where it says "OTHER FILES".
MaxDir sorts the files between the comment lines, without moving the file
name and description outside of the commented areas. Notice also the file
NODISC.FIL. This file has no description, but MaxDir will insert the string
"<<DESCRIPTION NOT AVAILABLE>>" in the AllFiles listing at the time of
running. What MaxDir puts as descriptions to files that have no descriptions
can be configured in MAXDIR.CFG.
When MaxDir completes running, it produces an AllFiles list, which also
has information about the file size and date of each file listed.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.10
┌───────────────────────┐
│ Command Line Switches │
└───────────────────────┘
Although you can run MaxDir with no DOS command line "switches" simply
by typing MaxDir from the DOS prompt, you can also cause MaxDir to function
in special ways with command line switches. A command line switch begins
with a hyphen (-) and is followed immediately by a letter of the alphabet.
There must be at least one space between where you typed MaxDir and the
command line switch. Each command line switch must be separated from other
command line switches by one or more spaces.
MaxDir -? or just MaxDir ?
Causes MaxDir to display a brief message about available options and
command line switches.
MaxDir -C<d:\path\filename>
Allows you to load an alternative configuration file other than the
default MAXDIR.CFG. Example: MaxDir -CSPECIAL.CFG will cause MaxDir to
read the configuration file called SPECIAL.CFG.
MaxDir -A
Causes MaxDir to enter in the "Adopt Orphan Files" mode. (see
below)
┌────────────────────┐
│ Adopt Orphan Files │
└────────────────────┘
You can also use the "-A" switch on the command prompt to cause MaxDir
to enter into the "Adopt Orphan Files Mode". Example:
MaxDir -a
Used in this mode, MaxDir will search all of your directories defined
in your FLSEARCH.CTL file (or FILEAREA.CTL file for Maximus users) and
display any file found on your disk, but not found in your FILES.BBS
file. You then have the option to insert this file into the FILES.BBS
file, ignore the file, or delete the file from your disk.
If you choose to adopt the file (insert it in your FILES.BBS file),
MaxDir will prompt you for a description of the file. You can leave this
blank if you like, or you can leave a description. This field
description takes up to 4 lines, and has word-wrap enabled. Do NOT press
ENTER at the end of each line that you type in the description. MaxDir
will wrap the line for you automatically. When you are done writing the
description, pressing ENTER will store the information you typed in your
FILES.BBS file.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.11
Another alternative to the "-A" switch is that you can specify a
specific directory to search for orphaned files, rather than search ALL
the directories. This is done by specifying a specific directory after
the -A switch. Example:
MaxDir -ac:\max\file\uploads
Whatever directory you specify here *must* contain a corresponding
FILES.BBS file for your BBS callers. Used in this fashion, MaxDir will
ONLY search the given subdirectory for orphan files, and no other
directory.
┌────────────────────┐
│ Configuration File │
└────────────────────┘
The configuration file is named MAXDIR.CFG. It is a straight vanilla ASCII
file, with no high-bit characters and each line ends with a hard carriage
return. You must edit it on your own with an ascii file editor of your
choosing. Most word processors support ASCII files. Many people in the BBS
world like to use Qedit by SemWare, available on most BBS's. The options in
the configuration file are explained in detail below.
The configuration file is not case sensitive and entries can be made in
upper or lower case or any combination thereof. This is very easy to setup,
and fun to "tinker" with to improve the way your AllFiles listing looks.
The configuration file contains "KeyWords" that cause MaxDir to behave in
different ways. They are explained below.
AdoptAvoid (All BBS users)
──────────────────────────
AdoptAvoid allows you to specify which files you do not want MaxDir to ask
you about in Adopt Orphan Files mode. For example, almost invariably you
will have a FILES.BBS file that you do not want to be asked about again
and again if you want to adopt it. You can specify up to 50 files that you
do not want MaxDir to ask you about using the AdoptAvoid keyword below.
Adopt Avoid supports the use of wildcards as in the examples below:
Example:
AdoptAvoid FILES.* (Avoids FILES.BBS, FILES.DAT, FILES.BAK, etc.)
AdoptAvoid *.LST (Avoids NEWFILES.LST, ALLFILES.LST, etc.)
AdoptAvoid *.BBS For more information on wildcard use, consult your
DOS manual.
AdoptDescription (All BBS users)
────────────────────────────────
When you run MaxDir with the -A switch, it goes into Adopt Orphan Files
mode. When you use this mode, if there are any files on your disk that are
NOT in your FILES.BBS, MaxDir will ask you if you want to add it. If you
say yes, then MaxDir will prompt you for a description.
If you choose not to put a description manually, you can have MaxDir
automatically insert the string from NoDescription (see below) by enabling
the AdoptDescription keyword.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.12
Example:
AdoptDescription
(Use string from NoDescription if you do not bother to enter a description
manually yourself).
AllFiles (All BBS users)
────────────────────────
Specifies the name of the AllFiles list you want to create, which will
contain the list of all of the files for downloading on your BBS. You can
also specify a drive and path as part of the name, if you like, if other
than the directory from where MaxDir is run. Default name is
"AllFiles.LST"
Example:
AllFiles c:\max\file\FILES763.LST
Archive (All BBS users)
───────────────────────
You can tell MaxDir to archive your finished AllFiles and NewFiles lists
using the Archive keyword below. Make sure the archiver you select below
is within reach of your DOS path statement. Type the word "PATH" (without
quotes) from DOS to see your DOS path.
Example 1:
Archive Arj a -eiy
Example 2:
Archive LHA a /mn
Example 3:
Archive PkZip -a
Note: You should specify only one archiver. If you specify more than one,
only the last one will be used.
AreaNumbering (All BBS users)
─────────────────────────────
Sometimes areas are "numbered" with Alphanumeric letters of the alphabet
with Maximus in your FILEAREA.CTL file. Such as "AREA UP" or "AREA DOWN"
and so on. You can choose to replace this with either numbers or letters
of the alphabet. For example, "AREA UP" might become "AREA 1" with numeric
numbering, or "AREA A" with alphanumeric numbering. This is configured
with the keyword AreaNumbering as described below:
AreaNumbering SYSTEM <─── Inserts it from FILEAREA.CTL
AreaNumbering NUMERIC <─── 1, 2, 3 etc.
AreaNumbering ALPHA <─── A, B, C etc.
Only the first three letters of these words are significant, i.e.
AreaNumbering NUM is the same as AreaNumbering NUMERIC. As usual, case is
not significant, and it can be in upper or lower case letters.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.13
This option is automatically DISABLED if StripAreaName is active. The
first option, i.e. AreaNumbering SYSTEM, is not available if you are using
FLSEARCH
Example:
AreaNumbering NUMERIC
Barricade (Maximus BBS only)
────────────────────────────
If you are using FileBarricade in your filearea.ctl (see your Maximus
technical reference manual for details), do you want to not show this area
in your AllFiles listing? Put Barricade YES if you want to Barricade areas
listed as FileBarricade, put Barricade NO if you DON'T want to Barricade
these areas. Normally you would keep this set to YES. This works for both
the BARRICADE and FILEBARRICADE Maximus Keywords. It has no relevance
whatsoever to you if you do not use Maximus BBS. If you comment this out,
it defaults to YES.
Example:
Barricade Yes
BBSHeaderFiles (All BBS users)
───────────────────────────────
You can have MaxDir insert your area headers in your FILES.BBS files if
you so desire by setting BBSHeaderFiles to YES or MECCA. Options are YES,
NO and MECCA. The default is NO. Setting this to MECCA will insert some
MECCA highlight tokens in your FILES.BBS header to make it look pretty for
Maximus BBS. Compiled MECCA tokens are sometimes supported by other BBS
programs, and sometimes not. If it doesn't work with your BBS, just set it
to YES or NO and don't use the MECCA option here.
Examples: BBSHeaderFiles YES
BBSHeaderFiles NO
BBSHeaderFiles MECCA
Please note that if you have NoSort set for a particular area, MaxDir will
NOT write anything to your FILES.BBS, area header included. NoSort
overrides BBSHeaderFiles.
BBSName (All BBS users)
───────────────────────
You should put the name of your BBS below. This is only needed if you use
"Style Fancy" for the header boxes (see further down in the config file.)
Please note, this particular entry, AFTER the keyword, IS case sensitive
and will be used EXACTLY as typed. Note, if you comment this line OUT, then
"Style Fancy" will put the area title without the BBS name, which may also
be desirable, depending on your mood.
Example:
BBSName Sita and the Ring BBS
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.14
BotInclude
──────────
Whatever filename you specify after BotInclude (if any) will be inserted
at the END of your allfiles listing. The default is not to use BotInclude.
CapStyle (All BBS users)
────────────────────────
Inside the header boxes at the top of each file area, MaxDir inserts the
name of the area. You have three choices for the lettering in the headers
of your file areas in AllFiles as described below:
Available choices: CapStyle 1: ALL CAPS
CapStyle 2: "As Is" from FileArea.CTL
CapStyle 3: all in lower case
This affects only the titles in the headers for each file area in your
AllFiles listing.
Example:
CapStyle 2
ClrScr (All BBS users)
──────────────────────
When set to YES, this will put a clear screen character at the top of your
file headers in your FILES.BBS files.
Colour Configuration
────────────────────
MaxDir allows you to control the colours of the headers in your FILES.BBS
listings, the file descriptions, file size and date, and the file
descriptions, if you choose to do so and if your BBS supports the colour
codes that Maximus BBS does. These options have effect ONLY if you have
selected "BBSHeaders MECCA" in your configuration file. Otherwise they
will be ignored. Also note that if you have "BBSHeaders NO" in the
configuration file, MaxDir will not add a header to your FILES.BBS files.
The following are the colour keywords supported, compatible with Maximus:
ClrRazz ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
ClrBox ──────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
ClrTitle ────────────────────────────┐ │ │
ClrNum ───────────────────┐ │ │ │
ClrInfo ────────────┐ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │
╒════╤═════════════════ │ ════ │ ══════ │ ══════════════════════╤ ═╕
│░▒▓█│ │ AREA 1: New Uploads │█▓▒░│
╞════╧══════╤═══════╤══ │ ═══╤══════════════════════════════════╧════╡
│ File Name │ Size │ Date │Description │
╘═══════════╧═══════╧════════╧═══════════════════════════════════════╛
The above is an example for Style Fancy. Some header styles do not have
all of the colours available to Style Fancy.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.15
Each keyword is followed by a colour. Available colours are:
Colours: xxx or xxx on yyy. Blinking colours: xxx blink
black darkgray
blue lightblue
Foreground green Foreground lightgreen
and cyan only: lightcyan
Background: red lightred
magenta lightmagenta
brown yellow
gray white
Background colours are set as follows:
ClrBox Yellow on Blue
(This would cause the box to be yellow, on a blue background)
To get something to blink:
ClrTitle Yellow blink
As an example, you could use this in your configuration file as follows:
ClrRazz Magenta
ClrBox Cyan
ClrTitle Yellow
ClrNum White
ClrInfo BrightGreen
The following allow you to set the colour of your files areas in your
FILES.BBS if your BBS supports it. (Maximus does).
ClrDesc
ClrDateSize
ClrFile
CountryCode and DateDelimiter (All BBS users)
─────────────────────────────────────────────
CountryCode determines how the date for the files listing is displayed.
CountryCode UK will show the date in DD-MM-YY format as is done in England
and many parts of the world. CountryCode USA will show the date in the
format of MM-DD-YY and CountryCode CANADA will show the date as YY-MM-DD.
DateDelimiter determines what single character is inserted between the
year, month and day.
Example 1: DD-MM-YY Example 2: YY.MM.DD Example 3: DD-MM-YY
CountryCode USA CountryCode CANADA CountryCode UK
DateDelimiter - DateDelimiter . DateDelimiter -
Default is CountryCode USA and DateDelimiter -
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.16
Exclude (All BBS users)
──────────────────────
In addition to access levels, file barricades, and similar methods, you
can also specify specific areas not to show in your AllFiles list using
the EXCLUDE keyword below. The proper method is EXCLUDE <path>, where
<path> is the drive and path to the area you do NOT want displayed in
FILES.BBS. You may have up to 100 areas that you can exclude in this way,
each listed on a separate line.
Example:
EXCLUDE c:\max\file\private
EXCLUDE c:\max\haribol
EXCLUDE c:\max\freeware\MaxDir
Exclude MaximusKey (Maximus BBS only)
─────────────────────────────────────
Exclude MaximusKey is another way to exclude areas, if you use Maximus and
filearea.ctl. Maximus allows you to put keys on the FILEACCESS line of
filearea.ctl, such as NORMAL/1 or DISGRACE/D or whatever, where the /1 and
the /D are the keys. MaxDir can detect these keys and exclude these areas.
You may have up to 10 MaximusKeys here. If MaxDir finds this key on the
FileAccess line of filearea.ctl, it will exclude this area from the
allfiles listing. If you do not run Maximus, ignore this and comment it
out. Examples are:
EXCLUDE MaximusKey /1
(this will exclude any area with /1 on the fileaccess line of
filearea.ctl)
EXCLUDE MaximusKey /D
(this will exclude any area with /D on the fileaccess line of
filearea.ctl)
ExcludeWithout (Maximus BBS only)
─────────────────────────────────
Another flavour for excluding areas is the ExcludeWithout keyword. This
allows you to exclude areas that don't have certain keys. Suppose, for
example, you want to exclude everyone from seeing an area EXCEPT if that
area has a NORMAL/1 key for the fileaccess level in FILEAREA.CTL. You
would use the following line in your configuration file:
ExcludeWithout /1
(this will exclude all areas EXCEPT those with the /1 key.)
ExpandHeader (All BBS users)
────────────────────────────
YES/NO Specifies whether or not to expand the file headers. At the top of
each file area in your AllFiles and NewFiles lists, there is a header with
a description of the area. Using Style 1 through 9 determines what kind of
box or decoration around the header you would like to have. Normally
MaxDir defaults to making the size of this box just slightly larger than
the description of the area it surrounds. However, if you enable
ExpandHeader YES, then MaxDir will expand the size of the header to reach
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.17
out towards the edges of the monitor. As an example, using Style 5
headers, with ExpandHeader YES, the header might look like this:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ AREA 10: Turbo Pascal Programs ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
With ExpandHeader NO, the same header displays like this:
╔════════════════════════════════╗
║ AREA 10: Turbo Pascal Programs ║
╚════════════════════════════════╝
FileSize (All BBS users)
────────────────────────
FileSize tells MaxDir in what format you want to list the size of your
files. Options are Bytes and Kbytes. Bytes will report the filesize in
bytes, and Kbytes will report the size in Kilobytes.
The default is Bytes. Example: FileSize Kbytes
FlagChar (All BBS users)
────────────────────────
Specifies what single ASCII character would you like to use to flag a new
file. You may have only one of these in your configuration file. The one
thing you must NEVER use, however, is a Ctrl-Z character, as this will
TOTALLY screw up the program You don't have to use the predefined ones.
You can use any ASCII character that you like.
Example 1: Example 2:
FlagChar FlagChar *
FlagNew (All BBS users)
───────────────────────
MaxDir can flag files who's DOS dates are newer than a certain amount of
days which you specify here. In other words, if you specify a value of 30
here, MaxDir will put whatever character you specify in the FlagChar
keyword before each description of every file newer than 30 days old.
This is useful to quickly inform your callers which are the newest files
on your system. The number must be a positive number between 0 and 120,
where 0 will disable flagging entirely. This is also used when creating a
NewFiles listing.
Example:
FlagNew 30
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.18
FLSEARCH (Non-Maximus BBS users)
───────────────────────────────
If you use another BBS system that uses FILES.BBS files for directory
listings, you need to use a FLSEARCH.CTL type file. Such a file MUST be of
the following format:
╒═══ field 1 ═══════ field 2 ═ field 3 ══════════╕╒══Optional field 4══╕
c:\max\file\uploads 10 New_Uploads
c:\max\file\modem\ 10 Modem_Related_Files d:\bbs\files.bbs
c:\max\file\Util\ 10 IBM_Utilities
c:\max\file\BBS\ 10 BBS_and_Fidonet
c:\max\file\games\ 10 Useless_Games
c:\max\file\private\ 30 Private_Area
c:\max\file\hamradio\ 10 Amateur_Radio
c:\max\file\yoga\ 10 Yoga_and_Reincarnation
Field one is the drive and path to your FILES.BBS files.
Field two is the "security level", which is arbitrarily chosen by you.
This must be a number between 0 and 32767.
Field three is the name of the area. Notice that field 3 must not contain
ANY spaces If you have an area called "Amateur Radio", for example, the
space between the words must be replaced by an underline character _. Thus
it becomes Amateur_Radio. This underline character will be replaced by a
space by MaxDir at runtime.
If you have a files.bbs file in a directory other than that where the
files are located then you can specify the location of the files.bbs file
in an optional 4th field.
Each field must be separated from the other fields by one or more spaces.
Comment lines are not permitted in FLSEARCH.CTL. It is not necessary to
have them in neat columns as in the example above, but it sure makes it
easier to read and look at later on if you do.
The FLSEARCH keyword in the configuration file identifies the file name
and location of your FLSEARCH.CTL file. This does not apply for Maximus
BBS users.
Example:
FLSEARCH c:\bbs\flsearch.ctl
Also, note that it is perfectly okay to setup a FILEAREA.CTL file rather
than a FLSEARCH.CTL file if you want, even if you do not run Maximus. It's
up to you.
HeaderFlagChar (All BBS users)
──────────────────────────────
If you have MaxDir put headers in your FILES.BBS listings (BBSHeaders MECCA
or BBSHeaders YES) then MaxDir must put a "flag character" as the last
character in each line of the header. This "flag character" informs MaxDir
where the header begins and ends so that you can change the header style
anytime you like. There are several options. The best choice is to choose the
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.19
NULL character for your "flag character" (ascii #0). This tells MaxDir to put
a null character at the END of each line in your FILES.BBS which is part of
the header that MaxDir creates. The other options is to use ASCII #250. The
advantage of the null character over ASCII #250 is that the Null character is
invisible and cannot be seen by your BBS callers when they view your file
listings. The disadvantage is that some TICK processors and EDITORS written
in the C language will see the null character at the end of the line and
strip it off. This will cause MaxDir to think that no header is present, and
MaxDir will then insert a double header. There have been known cases of
people using MaxDir to have many more than double headers for each area
processed by TICK. You can stop this problem in one of two ways: 1) Tell
MaxDir to use ascii #250 rather than ascii #0 to terminate the lines of the
header, or 2) use ascii #0 and tell TICK to put the description of the new
files in a temporary JUNK.BBS file. Then append the JUNK.BBS file to the end
of your FILES.BBS with the batch file command: "COPY /b FILES.BBS + JUNK.BBS".
This will append JUNK.BBS to the end of your FILES.BBS, and the null
characters will be untouched. An example of this follows:
If not exist JUNK.BBS goto continue
COPY /b FILES.BBS + JUNK.BBS
del JUNK.BBS
rem Simpler if you used "HeaderFlagChar ALTERNATATE" in maxdir.cfg
:continue
[... more stuff...]
The following keyword controls what flag character MaxDir uses to terminate
the headers in your FILES.BBS. Note, this has NO EFFECT if BBSHeaders NO is
set. Options are two only: NULL and ALTERNATE, where NULL will put an ascii
#0 and Alternate puts an ascii #250 (·).
HeaderFlagCharacter NULL
HeaderFlagCharacter ALTERNATE
These are the ONLY options presently supported.
LogFile (All BBS users)
───────────────────────
If you enable the LogFile keyword with a corresponding filename, MaxDir
will log all of it's activities to disk.
Example:
LogFile c:\max\file\MaxDir.LOG
KillOffLine
───────────
Sometimes you may have a situation where you have many files appearing in
your allfiles list which are listed as <<on floppy>> or "offline". These are
cases in which a filename and description was found in a files.bbs list, but
MaxDir did not find a corresponding file on disk. Inserting the keyword
KillOffLine (no parameters are used with this keyword) in your MaxDir.CFG
file will cause MaxDir to delete these useless filenames and descriptions
from your files.bbs lists. Therefore you can go on a deleting file frenzy
sometime, and the next time you run MaxDir with this keyword in the
configuration file, MaxDir will clean up all of the file descriptions from
files no longer on your disk.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.20
KillOffline is compatible with wildcards. In other words, suppose you have a
file listed as NODELIST.A* in your files.bbs. As long as a match is found on
your disk (i.e you have a file on your disk which matches NODELIST.A*) then
this description will not be deleted, because a match was found. So it's
sure that no file name and description will be deleted if a match is found
on the disk, even a wild card match. The only thing that KillOffline will
delete is file names and descriptions that are genuinely "offline" and no
longer present on your hard disk.
MaxAreaFile (Maximus BBS only)
──────────────────────────────
This is where you specify the location (and filename) of your FILEAREA.CTL
file (Maximus BBS only). This file is where you've defined your Maximus
file areas. This must be a fully qualified name, i.e. including the drive
letter, and path of the file.
Example:
MaxAreaFile c:\max\filearea.ctl
MaximusKey (Maximus BBS only)
─────────────────────────────
MaximusKEY is another way to exclude areas. Maximus allows you to put keys
on the FILEACCESS line of filearea.ctl, such as NORMAL/1 or DISGRACE/D or
whatever, where the /1 and the /D are the keys. MaxDir can detect these
keys and exclude these areas. You may have up to 10 MaximusKEY lines in
the configuration file. If MaxDir finds this key on the FileAccess line of
filearea.ctl, it will exclude this area from the AllFiles listing.
Examples:
EXCLUDE MaximusKey /1
(this will exclude any area with /1 on the fileaccess line of
filearea.ctl)
EXCLUDE MaximusKey /D
(this will exclude any area with /D on the fileaccess line of
filearea.ctl)
NewFile (All BBS users)
───────────────────────
If you have a NewFile line in your configuration file, MaxDir will create
a list of new files on your system since a given DOS date, and store it in
the file specified on the NewFile line. If you do not have a NewFile line,
MaxDir will not create a list of new files.
Example:
NewFile c:\max\file\NewFiles.lst
NoAccess (Maximus BBS)
──────────────────────
Provided you have placed a Maximus "FileAccess" level for your Maximus
file areas in filearea.ctl, MaxDir can screen out areas that you don't
want to be listed in your AllFiles listing. For more information on
"FileAccess", consult the Maximus technical reference file, called
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.21
MAX_REF.PRN that comes with Maximus. If you have a file area with a
FileAccess of SysOp, and you tell MaxDir that SysOp areas should not be
displayed in the AllFiles listing, they won't be. This is done with the
MaxDir NoAccess keyword. You can specify as many NoAccess keywords, one
below the other, as the access areas you want to restrict from displaying
in your AllFiles listing.
Access Levels NOT to be shown in the AllFiles listing should be
uncommented. Available options are as follows:
NoAccess Hidden
NoAccess SysOp
NoAccess AsstSysOp
NoAccess Clerk
NoAccess Extra
NoAccess Favoured
NoAccess Privil
NoAccess Worthy
NoAccess Normal
NoAccess Limited
NoAccess Disgrace
NoAccess Twit
NoAccess (Other BBS users)
────────────────────────
Non-Maximus BBS systems: If you are running a BBS other than Maximus, you
must use a FLSEARCH.CTL file. In your FLSEARCH.CTL file you have specified
a numeric security level for each of your file areas. By use of the
NoAccess keyword, MaxDir will not display any area which has that level or
HIGHER. For example, consider the following:
NoAccess 20
This single line will allow any area with level 19 or lower to be
displayed in the AllFiles listing, but any area 20 and above will not be
listed in the AllFiles listing. Security levels for each area is
configured in your FLSEARCH.CTL file for non-Maximus users. You should
only have one of these lines in this configuration file, and only if you
are using FLSEARCH.CTL.
NoComments (All BBS users)
──────────────────────────
Sometimes your FILES.BBS listings may have comment lines. You may not want
to have these comment lines put in your AllFiles listings. You can leave
out comment lines if you like. The default is to include the comment
lines.
Example:
NoComments
NoDescription (All BBS users)
─────────────────────────────
Sometimes a file may be listed in FILES.BBS which has no description, but
just the file name. The NoDescription line tells MaxDir what you would
like to put in the description for files like these.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.22
Example:
NoDescription <<No description available>>
NoDispSize
──────────
When uncommented, will cause MaxDir not to insert the file size in the
allfiles or newfiles listings. Why would you want to to do that? Beats me,
but one of the beta testers asked for it :-)
NoDispDate
──────────
When uncommented, will cause MaxDir not to insert the file dates in the
Allfiles listings. Note that even if this is uncommented, MaxDir can still
generate a Newfiles and newfiles.dat file.
NoOffline (All BBS users)
─────────────────────────
Tells MaxDir not to display missing or offline files. Normally MaxDir will
list files that are in your FILES.BBS list, but missing on your disk, in
the AllFiles listing. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Example:
NoOffline
NoSort (All BBS users)
──────────────────────
NoSort allows for not sorting areas. You have four options. Option 1: Sort
everything by commenting out any and all NoSort lines. 2) Sort the
AllFiles output, but do not sort any of your FILES.BBS files. 3) Do not
sort ANYTHING. 4) Sort your AllFiles listing, and some of your FILES.BBS
files, but do not ort specific areas from your filearea.ctl file. See the
comments on sorting in this documentation for details on sorting logic
used by MaxDir.
Options are:
(Don't use NoSort) <─── Sort AllFiles output and all FILES.BBS listings.
NoSort ANY <─── Don't sort anything. (ANY and ANYTHING both work)
NoSort FILES <─── Don't sort any FILES.BBS (FILES and FILES.BBS work)
NoSort AREA xxx <─── Don't sort area xxx (up to 250 areas allowed)
Example:
NoSort files
Note: NoSort AREA xxx is used only with Maximus BBS.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.23
Suppose, for example, you have a Maximus area 61 with a FileInfo line
called OLD Ham Radio Electronics, and you have decided that you don't want
to sort it. In your filearea.ctl file it might look like this:
Area 61
FileAccess NORMAL/1
FileInfo OLD Ham Radio Electronics
Download t:\oldhelec
Upload P:\UPLOADS
End Area
If you do not want MaxDir to sort Area 61, then you would put the
following:
NoSort AREA 61
It is important to note this is the area name in your Maximus FILEAREA.CTL
file and will not work for FLSEARCH.CTL. Also, this is NOT the name that
MaxDir gives to the area. This MUST be the name that YOU gave to the area
in FILEAREA.CTL. MaxDir may change the name of "UPLOADS" to "1" with
"AreaNumbering NUMERIC" set (see above). However, still, you must not use
the name MaxDir artificially creates for your AllFiles list, and must use
the FILEAREA.CTL name. Got it?
Note that use of NoSort in this last way will cause this area not to be
sorted in FILES.BBS and also this one area not to be sorted in AllFiles
even if you have AllFiles configured to sort all areas. We talked about
this a bit with our beta testers, and this is what we decided. The other
option was to have it not sort the FILES.BBS, but to have the area sorted
in AllFiles, but this didn't seem to make sense.
Some notes about NoSort: If you choose not to sort your FILES.BBS files,
but do sort your AllFiles list, on the whole, MaxDir will run slower on
bigger systems than if you have everything set to sort. The reason for
this is that MaxDir can detect if your FILES.BBS has already been sorted,
and therefore there's no need to sort it again. However, if you never sort
your FILES.BBS files then MaxDir will have to sort them each time it runs
to produce a sorted AllFiles list. MaxDir's sort routines are fairly
sophisticated and safe, and I would recommend you not to use "NoSort ANY",
especially if you have a lot of files on your BBS, as this will cause
MaxDir to run a little longer.
NoSound (All BBS users)
───────────────────────
When enabled, turns sound off in the Adopt Orphan Files Mode.
OffLine (All BBS users)
───────────────────────
Tells MaxDir what you want to insert in the decription in place of the
file date and size if the file listed in FILES.BBS cannot be found on the
disk. You have a MAXIMUM of 16 characters in length for this field. Spaces
before and after are not counted. This has no effect if NoOffline is
enabled.
Example: OffLine <<On floppy>>
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.24
OLR (Maximus BBS only)
──────────────────────
Tells MaxDir to create a NewFiles.DAT file for your QWK offline readers.
Example: OLR c:\max\olr\NewFiles.dat
This file is displayed to a QWK user (by the off-line mail reader) when
that user requests a new file listing from your BBS. Please see the
section entitled "QWK Mail Packer" in your Maximus MAX_OP.PRN
documentation for more information. This file should be located in the
\MAX\OLR directory.
StripAreaName (All BBS users)
─────────────────────────────
Each file area in Maximus's FILEAREA.CTL file has a name beginning with
the word AREA. Usually you define these as AREA 1, AREA 2, etc. MaxDir
precedes the description of the file area for each area with the area
NAME. For example, a normal header might look like this (using style 9
boxes, CapStyle 3):
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
AREA 1: new uploads
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
Where "AREA 1" is the name of the area, and "new uploads" is the
description. MaxDir can leave out the "AREA 1:" (the name of the area) and
only put the description, if you want. Uncomment the line below to have
MaxDir leave out the area name. Comment it out if you want MaxDir to PUT
the area name before the description. The default is that it puts it.
If you are using another BBS program and the FLSEARCH.CTL file format,
MaxDir will automatically put the word "AREA x:" before the name of each
area, where "x" is a number for the area. This can be disabled with the
StripAreaName keyword.
Example:
StripAreaName
StripDescription (All BBS users)
────────────────────────────────
An alternative to StripAreaName (where MaxDir removes the "AREA x" and
leaves only the description of the area) is StripDescription, which
removes the description of the area entirely and leaves ONLY the "AREA x"
message in the box at the top of each file area in your AllFiles listing.
NOTE: If you have BOTH StripAreaName AND StripDescription enabled at the
same time, then MaxDir will not put ANY boxes or descriptions at the top
of your individual file areas in your AllFiles listing.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.25
Style (All BBS users)
─────────────────────
You can choose the style of boxes that MaxDir draws at the top of your
file areas in your AllFiles and NewFiles listings. There are several
varieties to choose from to make your AllFiles look pretty. You must
choose a style type from 0 to 9.
See the next page for examples of box styles.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.26
"Style 0" header means NO box or decoration at all
░▒▓██████████████████████████████▓▒░
░▒▓█ This is a "STYLE 1" header █▓▒░ <<── default
░▒▓██████████████████████████████▓▒░
┌────────────────────────────┐
│ This is a "STYLE 2" header │
└────────────────────────────┘
╒════════════════════════════╕
│ This is a "STYLE 3" header │
╘════════════════════════════╛
╓────────────────────────────╖
║ This is a "STYLE 4" header ║
╙────────────────────────────╜
╔════════════════════════════╗
║ This is a "STYLE 5" header ║
╚════════════════════════════╝
+----------------------------+
| This is a "STYLE 6" header |
+----------------------------+
--==<< This is a "STYLE 7" header >>==--
--------------------------
This is a "STYLE 8" header
--------------------------
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
This is a "STYLE 9" header
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
Below is the "STYLE FANCY" format
╒════╤═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╤════╕
│░▒▓█│ SITA AND THE RING BBS : New Uploads │█▓▒░│
╞════╧══════╤═══════╤════════╤═════════════════════════════════════════╧════╡
│ File Name │ Size │ Date │Description │
╘═══════════╧═══════╧════════╧══════════════════════════════════════════════╛
Style Fancy is a dynamic, or "intelligent" header which changes if you
enable NoDispDate or NoDispSize or both. So it will always look good, even
if you tell MaxDir not to display the size of your files or the date of
your files.
Example:
Style 9
or
Style Fancy
TopInclude
──────────
Any file name that you specify after the TopInclude keyword will be
inserted at the top of your AllFiles list. If you use BOTH TopInclude and
TopOfFile, TopInclude will be inserted above what's under TopOfFile.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.27
TopOfFile
─────────
Anything following the MaxDir TopOfFile keyword will be centred and placed
at the TOP of your AllFiles list. This should be the LAST thing in your
configuration file, as everything BELOW the word TopOfFile will be
inserted into the top of the AllFiles file. Again, you don't need to
centre anything here as it will be centred automatically by MaxDir.
There *IS* a way NOT to have MaxDir centre a line. If the first character
on the far left margin is an asterisk (*), then the asterisk will be
deleted and the rest of the line will be inserted without centering.
Example:
TopOfFile
Sita and the Ring BBS
A Fantastic Place
(604) 431-6260
Totals (All BBS users)
──────────────────────
MaxDir offers you three options for displaying the total number of files
and bytes in your AllFiles list. They are as follows:
Totals ALL
(Shows subtotals in each area, and grand totals at bottom)
Totals BottomOnly
(Shows grand totals only at the bottom of the AllFiles list)
Totals None
(Don't show any totals or sub-totals in the AllFiles list)
The default is Totals ALL
Example:
Totals NONE
Truncate (All BBS users)
────────────────────────
The Truncate keyword, when uncommented, tells MaxDir to truncate the
description at the 79th column, regardless of whether or not you have
enabled Wrap. Truncate over-rides Wrap, and when this is uncommented, the
program will NOT wrap, but will Truncate the description.
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.28
Viewer (All BBS users)
──────────────────────
If you have a program like SHEZ (or equivilant) you can enter the
drive:\path\filename of your viewer program. This will allow you to view
archive files before adopting them in Adopt Orphan File Mode. You MUST use
a fully qualified name here, including the drive and path of the viewer.
Whirlygigs (All BBS users)
──────────────────────────
Whirlygigs are little spinning and pulsating characters that let you know
MaxDir is doing something. This is a nice feature, but may slow the
program down by a few seconds too, because of all the extra writing to the
screen. You can disable this by setting Whirlygigs NO (default is YES).
However, although MaxDir may run slightly faster, you may not like it
without the Whirlygigs (especially on big systems) because you can't tell
if the program is hung or not. It's up to you, but we recommend you keep
Whirlygigs going until you see how MaxDir behaves. When you get used to
it, if you want, come back here and turn them off.
Example 1: Example 2:
Whirlygigs NO Whirlygigs YES
Wrap (All BBS users)
────────────────────
If the descriptions of the files are very long, you have several options
for your AllFiles listing. 1) You can have the description scroll off to
the far right up to 255 characters in length, or 2) you can have the
description "wrap" to fit on the monitor screen when viewing the AllFiles
listing, or 3) You can truncate the line at a certain length.
If you want MaxDir to wrap the line, then use the Wrap keyword.
Example:
Wrap
You may optionally specify an offset for Wrap in the range of 1 to 9. This
means you can follow the word WRAP with a number, and this number is
called the offset. If you set an offset of 6, for example, MaxDir will
indent the second, third, and subsequent lines an additional 6 spaces.
This is quite useful if you have a download stats reporter that inserts
data into your FILES.BBS listings. For example if you have a program that
inserts "[ 3] " (without the quotes) at the begining of each FILES.BBS
line, you could use the offset value of 6.
Example:
Wrap 6
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.29
FIDONET FILE REQUEST LIST (All BBS users)
─────────────────────────────────────────
The next section deals with Fidonet File Requests. If you do not run a
"mailer" program such as Binkleyterm, Frontdoor, D'Bridge, Portal of
Power, Intermail, etc., then you can ignore this section and leave the
area commented out on all the lines in the configuration file.
AddFreq (up to 200 lines allowed)
─────────────────────────────────
Specifies what lines you would like to ADD to your request list
FreqFile. You may specify up to 200 lines. These will go at the
beginning of your request file. Note that MaxDir will NOT append *.* to
these lines even if you have FreqWildCard enabled.
Example 1: (Frontdoor style)
AddFreq c:\fd\file\
AddFreq c:\fd\nodelist\
AddFreq c:\max\file\
Example 2: (Binkleyterm style)
AddFreq c:\bink\files\*.*
AddFreq c:\bink\games\*.*
You can use this option to identify "Magic File" name requests with
Binkleyterm. Binkleyterm uses @ to identify "MAGIC FILE" name requests.
Frontdoor requires a separate file for Magic File names (ALIAS file).
Consult your Binkleyterm documentation for details.
Example:
AddFreq *D:\MAX\MAXFILES.IDX
AddFreq @RUSH f:\rushnet\info\rushnet.zip
AddFreq @RUSHNODE f:\network\rushnode.zip
AddFreq @SLAVEDRIVER f:\mom\slv_demo.zip
AddFreq @POWERCHORDS f:\pccompat\midi\powcho.zip
AddFreq @NODELIST f:\network\nodelist.zip
AddFreq @NODEDIFF f:\network\nodediff.zip
AddFreq @BGFAX f:\suprafax\bgfaxb05.zip f:\suprafax\zfax223.zip
AddFreqFile
─────────────
There are some programs that you can run independently of MaxDir which
will generate a file request list, and you may not want MaxDir to
destroy what that program creates. So, you can have that program create
a different file name and "read it in" with MaxDir using the AddFreqFile
keyword. Follow this keyword with the path and filename of a file which
has your FreqList (file requestable list).
Example: AddFreqFile c:\bink\myfreq.lst
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.30
Freq Everything
───────────────
All file directories File Requestable, even the ones that did not
display in AllFiles because of being too high a security level, file
barricaded, or whatever.
Example:
Freq EVERYTHING
Freq Public
───────────
Only those directories listed in your AllFiles list should be
Requestable.
Example:
Freq PUBLIC
FreqFile
────────
The name and path of your OKFILE request file to be used by your mailer.
Example:
FreqFile c:\fd\freqlist
FreqWildCard
────────────
In your FreqFile, Binkleyterm generally uses the format of a directory
name, followed by *.* such as c:\bink\*.* whereas Frontdoor usually has
simply the directory name, but no wildcards. If you want MaxDir to
append *.* to the end of each line in your request file, use the
FreqWildCard keyword.
Example:
FreqWildCard
┌──────────────────┐
│ Notes and Quirks │
└──────────────────┘
The MaxDir beta testers found that you should not attempt to have an
area NAME (In Maximus this is your FileInfo line in filearea.ctl) more than
about 70 characters long. Now who's going to have a file area name THAT
long, right? Anyway, just thought I'd mention it. If you have a really long
file area name, MaxDir doesn't handle it well, so don't do that either :-)
70 characters or LESS. Usually it should be like: NEW UPLOADS or IBM UTILITIES
and stuff like we all have :-)
If you want to do something really dynamic with MaxDir and you are a
Maximus Sysop, try this for fun: 1) Go into all of your FILES.BBS files, one
by one, and if you have put a header at the top of it, remove it (Let MaxDir
put it in for you!) and make sure there are no BLANK lines above the first
file description. 2) In the configuration file for MaxDir, enable the
following two lines:
MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation p.31
Style Fancy
HeaderFiles.BBS Mecca
What you should NEVER do: Never put an ASCII #250 (·) [small dot] as
the first character of any line in your FILES.BBS or MaxDir will delete this
line. I doubted you would ever do this. That's why I use it as a MaxDir
control character used in the generation and removal of headers in your
FILES.BBS files.
You will also notice, if you have MaxDir create headers in your
files.bbs, it also puts an ASCII #250 (·) as the first character of each
line of the header. This is unavoidable, unfortunately, and is used by
MaxDir as a marker to know the size of the header for changes in colour and
style.
┌────────────────┐
│ Reporting Bugs │
└────────────────┘
If you find a bug, I would like to know about it. Please report all
bugs and suggestions to me personally at Fidonet 1:153/763, my BBS at (604)
431-6260, or Internet e-mail at Vswami@ship.net. Thanks.
┌──────────────────┐
│ Acknowledgements │
└──────────────────┘
I had this idea to write this program on my own, because I didn't have
a program that did the job that I needed. However, I could not have developed
the program to it's present state without help from the following SysOps
who acted as beta testers in the many pre-release versions of MaxDir. They
found the bugs, tolerated minor mishaps to their systems in the early stages
of development, and relentlessly "twisted my arm" (in a friendly sort of
way) to get me to keep adding features. Many of the features of MaxDir are
there because of the direct participation of these persons.
Dallas Hinton, Fidonet RC17 1:17/0, 1:153/715
Tod Maffin 1:153/817 (604)244-7456
Matt Ion 1:153/7040 (604)732-4446
Derek Rodger 1:153/255 (604)464-0231
John Otsuka 1:153/410 (604)929-6183
Ken Kavanagh 1:153/7070 (604)944-6479
David Bowerman 1:153/290 (604)469-0264
Karl Pollak 1:153/965 (604)275-9579
David Nyquist 1:153/959 (604)930-0715
Shanta McBain 1:353/375 (604)545-8068
David Appleby 1:153/970 (604)597-4990
Dale Becker 1:124/2126 (214)821-7732
The above list was NOT sorted by MaxDir
(It would have done a better job of it.)
-Wayne Boyd, author
[END of MaxDir v.1.00 Documentation]
