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1987-11-25
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NFD utility
Version: 1.00 - 07 Mar 86
********** revision 1.04 25 Nov 87: revised GetPath for explicit filename use
********** revision 1.03 28 Oct 87: revised "Usage . . ." to add switches
********** revision 1.02 20 Oct 87: revised GetArgs to allow "Usage . . ."
revised for MASM 4.0 assembly
********** revision 1.01 ?????????
The NFD utility allows setting the date and time stamps for a
disk file. NFD was developed out of a sort of a combination of
two other programs; FDATE and TOUCH. Since the result looks a
little more like FDATE, the name NFD, signifying New FDATE was
selected (in fact, this document is little more than a
modification of the original FDATE document.) The major
differences between NFD and FDATE are:
1. NFD can use ambiguous file name; i.e. file names
containing DOS 'wild cards'.
2. NFD, by default, gives a console display of its actions.
3. NFD, by default, will query the operator for confirmation
before changing the Date/Time of any file.
USAGE:
The syntax of the command is:
NFD [filename] [date] [time] [switches]
Where the filename must be specified and may be any standard
DOS path name and the File Name element may contain DOS 'wild
cards'.
The date, time, and switches are optional and can appear in
any order.
Date can be mm/dd/yy or mm-dd-yy.
Time is hh:mm:ss with the seconds optional
The switches are either '\n' or '\s' or both. The '\n'
switch indicate No Query; the normal mode of operation is to
query the operator prior to changing the Date/Time for each file.
If the '\n' switch is used, the change will be made without
querying the operator. The '\s' switch indicates Silent
operations. By default, for each file changed, the file name,
the old Date/Time, and the new Date/Time will be displayed. If
the '\s' switch is used, this display will be suppressed.
If either the date or time or both are specified, the
respective date and time information in the directory entry for
the file is set appropriately. If only one is specified, the
other is left with its original value. If neither the date or
time is specified on the command line, then the file's date and
time stamps are set from the current date and time in the DOS
clock.
The filename can include normal drive and path
specifications.
Warning: Although most cases of illegal date and time formats
will be detected, it was not deemed worth the effort or
memory to try and detect all possible pathological
cases, so trying to fool it will not lead to happy
directory entries.
Note: The time recorded by DOS in the directory entry is kept in
TWO second intervals, so the second specified is truncated
to an even value.
EXAMPLES:
1. The following command would change the Date/Time of every
file in the DOS 'current' directory the the current date
and time:
A>NFD *.*
For each file, NFD would display the file name, the old
time and date, and the new time and date and request
confirmation of the change from the operator before
making the change as shown below (the display has been
shortened slightly to fit the page format:)
NFD Version: 1.00 - 7 Mar 86
NFD.000
From: 03-07-86 17:38 To: 03-07-86 17:51 Change? y
NFD.ASM
From: 03-07-86 17:38 To: 03-07-86 17:51 Change? y
NFD.COM
From: 03-07-86 17:38 To: 03-07-86 17:51 Change? y
NFD.DOC
From: 03-07-86 17:50 To: 03-07-86 17:51 Change? y
2. The following command would change the Date/Time of every
file in the DOS 'current' directory to 02/23/84 at 11:45:
A>NFD *.* 02/23/84 11:45
again, before making the change for each file, NFD will
request confirmation from the operator as shown below:
NFD Version: 1.00 - 7 Mar 86
NFD.000
From: 03-07-86 17:51 To: 02-23-84 11:45 Change? y
NFD.ASM
From: 03-07-86 17:51 To: 02-23-84 11:45 Change? y
NFD.COM
From: 03-07-86 17:51 To: 02-23-84 11:45 Change? y
NFD.DOC
From: 03-07-86 17:56 To: 02-23-84 11:45 Change? y
3. The following command would change the Date/Time of every
file in the 'current' directory to the current time and
date without requesting operator confirmation:
A>NFD *.* /N
NFD Version: 1.00 - 7 Mar 86
NFD.000
From: 02-23-84 11:45 To: 03-07-86 18:00
NFD.ASM
From: 02-23-84 11:45 To: 03-07-86 18:00
NFD.COM
From: 02-23-84 11:45 To: 03-07-86 18:00
NFD.DOC
From: 03-07-86 18:00 To: 03-07-86 18:00
4. The following command would change the Date/Time of every
file in the current directory to the current time and
date without requesting operator confirmation and without
showing the changes being made:
A>NFD *.* /NS
I believe that an example of the output for this form of
the command is unnecessary.
5.··Finally, NFD can also change just a specific file:
A>NFD NFD.DOC
NFD Version: 1.00 - 7 Mar 86
NFD.COM
From: 03-07-86 18:00 To: 03-07-86 18:37 Change? y
All of the options for dates, times, and switches apply
regardless of the form of the file name.
COMMENTS:
I am dubious of the general utility of NFD, I don't believe
that many people have a frequent need to change the Date/Time
stamping of their files, however, NFD was developed because I did
have a very real need to change them on my system and other
people may well encounter similar circumstances. Someone, I
believe that it was Sol Libes of MicroSystems/Journal, once
referred the the Public Domain software collection for CP/M as a
"spare parts bin for hackers". I believe that his assessment was
valid if you use the term "hacker' in its older sense, most of
the work that I did on CP/M contained portions removed from other
Public Domain programs. Neither FDATE nor TOUCH carried any
copyright notices, either in the documentation or in the code
itself, a rare circumstance in the 16-bit world of PC/MS-DOS!
This program, which contains pieces of both as well as some of my
own original code, is NOT copyrighted!
Don A.Williams