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BrowserII.docE Copyright: __________ ParM and BrowserII are copyrighted; they may not be sold in or together with commercial software without written approval by the authors. They may be freely distributed for a fee which will not exceed the equivalent of French Francs 15.- (this includes the cost of the diskette and the postage); they cannot be made available for downloading from a server which is a commercial operation. The general principle is that it is forbidden to make a profit through the use or distribution of these programs without our written consent. DISCLAIMER: ___________ We accept no responsability for the use or misuse of these programs, and for the damage they could produce. Use at your own risks. Nevertheless, we think that after two month of intensive use by four persons, thay have been tested enough to say they are safe. History: ________ We wrote BrowserII after having used for 2 years the original Browser (version 1.6A) written by Peter Da Silva. We were not fully satisfied because of some of its limitations so, as soon as we felt capable of writing a program which would overcome those limitations, we made a decision to do it. So BrowserII was born ... The Return ! We felt the overall layout and display mode of Browser were very good, so we decided to keep them, as well as the name, so that actual users of Browser would immediately feel home with BrowserII. As we never had the sources of Browser at hand, we rewrote it from scratch. Installation: _____________ While you can put BrowserII in any directory, you must copy parm.library and req.library in LIBS:. If you want to take advantage of the parametrable menus of BrowserII, don't forget to build a BrowserII.menu file, and to put it in S:. Menus: ______ * BrowserII BrowserII -> Update menus reloads the parametrable menus file "S:BrowserII.menu". This file is an ASCII file with the same syntax as the configuration file of ParM. One option has been added: the name of a file which has been selected in one of the windows of BrowserII will be inserted at the []. Example: you have selected "S:" in the main window of BrowserII you have defined a menu item as follows: ITEM Sizer SHELL Sizer [] ; WaitReturn activating the menu item Sizer will be equivalent to executing the following script: Sizer S: WaitReturn Endcli > Nil: If there are no [], then the names of the selected files are simply appended to the command line. BrowserII -> Cmd Mode -> Simple BrowserII -> Cmd Mode -> Shell BrowserII -> Command same usage as with ParM BrowserII -> Screen -> Workbench BrowserII opens its windows in the Workbench screen BrowserII -> Screen -> Custom BrowserII opens its own screen and opens all its windows in that screen. However at this time the custom screen is a copy of the Workbench screen and this option is taken into account only at the startup of BrowserII. Consequently, if you want to have BrowserII to operate from a custom screen, you have to select BrowserII -> Screen -> Custom BrowserII -> Save Config then quit BrowserII and reload it. BrowserII -> Run Mode The submenu items of this item will determine the mode according to which the files on which you double-click will be opened. If other files were selected at the time of the double-click, their names become parameters for the double-clicked file. If the file has an icon, it will automatically be opened in Workbench mode. Also note that BrowserII does a CD to the active window before to open a file, wether you have double-clicked the file name, or activated it through a menu selection. This is often VERY useful. BrowserII -> Run Mode -> Runback Launches the program on which you have double-clicked as a background task. This mode is 100% safe only if you use the NULL: handler (as you know there is a well known limitation in the NIL: device, which BrowserII will use anyway if it can't find NULL:). BrowserII -> Run Mode -> Shell Launches the program on which you have double-clicked, via a SHELL which BrowserII opens for you. This mode is 100% safe but it requires that BrowserII can have access to your favorite shell, as well as to the EndCli command ; you have to specify this in your "S:BrowserII.menu" file (see the sample BrowserII.menu file). We recommend that you make these commands resident. BrowserII -> Run Mode -> Request If this option is activated, a requester will appear before the double-clicked program is actually launched, so you can confirm or cancel. (except for Workbench) Remember though, that a program which has an icon, will be launched in WB mode il all cases. BrowserII -> Copy Mode BrowserII -> Copy Mode -> Context If you move a file, BrowserII will in fact perform a rename if the source and destination files are on the same volume. Across volumes, BrowserII will perform a copy. BrowserII -> Copy Mode -> Always Copy BrowserII will systematically make a copy of the file. BrowserII -> Copy Mode -> Always Move BrowserII will copy the file to the destination directory and then delete the source file. BrowserII -> Copy Mode -> Update BrowserII will copy the file only if the source file is more recent than the destination file, or if the destination file does not exist. BrowserII -> Copy Mode -> Don't overwrite files BrowserII will not overwrite an existing file. If there exists a destination file with the name you gave for the destination, the copy will not be performed. BrowserII -> Copy Mode -> Ask before Overwrite BrowserII asks for confirmation before overwriting. This option is naturally mutually exclusive with the former one. BrowserII -> Copy Mode -> Copy Empty Dirs This option will enable to re-create empty directories in the destination directory. It is particularly useful in its disabled mode, so empty directories are not copied. BrowserII -> Copy Flags BrowserII -> Copy Flags -> Clone All attributes of the file will be copied (date, comment, protection bits). BrowserII -> Copy Flags -> Date The destination file inherits the date of the source file. BrowserII -> Copy Flags -> Protect The destination file inherits the protection bits of the source file. BrowserII -> Copy Flags -> Comment The destination file inherits the comment of the source file. BrowserII -> Display BrowserII -> Display -> Devices BrowserII -> Display -> Volumes BrowserII -> Display -> Assigns BrowserII 's main window shows the appropriate list. BrowserII -> Options -> BrowserII -> Options -> Keep Selected After an action ( copy, delete, etc ) the selected entry is not automatically deselected. BrowserII -> Options -> Toggle selection If this option is activated, clicking on a name will alternately select and deselect it. If this option is not activated, the selected entry will not be deselected. BrowserII -> Options -> Move files into subdirectories Once this option is set, BrowserII will put the selected entries in the subdirectory un which you release the left mouse button. Otherwise it will put them in the window which contains this directory. BrowserII -> Options -> Ask before moving into subdirectories BrowserII asks for confirmation before moving the entries. BrowserII -> Options -> Asynchronous Action You will love that one or I'll eat my tie (as I never wear one, the risk is limited). When this option in on, any action requested executes in the background, and the next action can be started without a delay. Like for the multitasking, you will wonder how you could live without it before! Switching it off has been made possible mainly for debug purpose. BrowserII -> Save Config Saves all your options in the file "DEVS:BrowserII.cfg" (don't confuse it with the file "S:BrowserII.menu" which contains the definition of your personal menus). Saves the content of the Filter of the current window and Selection requesters as well. BrowserII -> Quit We did not plan for implementing this option, but a few crazy guys screamed for it, so there it is... Anyway, you won't be surprised to read that you won't be able to quit BrowserII as long as one of the Asynchronous Actions is still running. * Window Window -> Rescan BrowserII rescans the content of the directory which corresponds to the active window. Window -> Open Parent Opens a window for the parent directory (if any). Window -> Open Dir ... Opens a particular directory, for which you type the full pathname. Window -> Select Match Selects, in the current window, the entries which match criteria which you have given. See below the paragraph on the Requesters. Window -> Select all Selects all entries in the active window. Window -> Filters Another important feature of BrowserII. Only the files which match the criteria you set will be displayed, but all will be counted (look at the bottom string on the lower border of the window). Window -> Filters -> Set... Calls the filters requester and enables you to set your filters. Window -> Filters -> Prefs Set the filter that was saved in "DEVS:BrowserII.cfg" . Window -> Filters -> No .info Hides the icon files. This filter comes on top of the other filters. Window -> Filters -> Clear Removes all filters, all files and dirs will be visible. Window -> Filters -> Invert Reverses the action of all filters, so all visible files will be hidden and vice-versa. Useful for checking wether a file which you expect to be there has not been hidden through the action of one of the filters. Window -> File info Window -> File Info -> Size in Bytes Gives file sizes in bytes. Window -> File Info -> Size in blocks Gives file sizes in blocks. Window -> File Info -> Protection Shows protection bits. Window -> File Info -> Date Shows date according to Amigados idiosyncrasies. Window -> File Info -> Disk Key Sows the disk key of the entry (i.e. the block number of the file header block). Window -> Sort by -> Window -> Sort by -> Name Window -> Sort by -> Date Window -> Sort by -> Size Window -> Sort by -> Key Sorts entries by name (alpha), date (most recent first), size (smallest first), disk key. Window -> Sort by -> Type This does not really refer to a sort type. If this option is set, files and directories are listed separately (directories first). Window -> Affect all The preferences set for the active window will be active for all windows. * Actions Actions -> Rename Renames the selected entry. If several entries are selected, you can rename them with jokers "à la ARP". If you are not familiar with this, exercise on some files of no value before using this action for good. Actions -> Makedir Creates subdirectories in the active window. You can create several of them by separating the names with a space. Example: Work Games Work/Src Warning: Games Work/Src Work would not be valid because you attempt to create a subdirectory of Work before having created Work itself. Actions -> Duplicate Makes a copy of a file, you will be prompted for a new name. Actions -> Touch Changes the date of the selected entry (entries) to the actual date. Actions -> Set Comment Will enable you to write a new comment for the entry. If there was already a comment, it will be displayed. 80 chars only, this is a limitation of AmigaDos. Actions -> Set Protect Enables you to change the protection bits of the selected entry. You cannot set the C bit, as it is not really a protection bit, it just tells you that the selected entry has a comment, but you can set this pseudo-C bit to " - ", this will delete the comment. Handle with care, it is easy to get a lot of comments gone forever in no time. Actions -> Delete Deletes the selected entries. You will (fortunately) be asked to confirm. If at least one directory is selected, "Delete" will delete only empty dir, "Delete All" will delete the selected directories as well. The Requesters: _______________ * Filters: BrowserII tests all files against the criteria set in this requesters, and shows those for which the test is positive. Files: if Y is shown, if an entry is a file, the result is positive and the entry is displayed. If N is shown, the files will not be displayed. If ? is shown the result will depend on the pattern defined. Dirs: same thing for directories. Pattern: you can use ARP and/or AmigaDos conventions. examples: *.doc shows only the xxxx.doc files ~*.(o|dbg) hides the xxx.o and xxx.dbg files Min Size: if the file is smaller, it is hidden Max Size: if the file is bigger, it is hidden Newer Than: shows files with more recent date than the date entered ( Amigados Date format ) Older Than: same thing in the other direction Protection bits: shows only the files with the specified bits. Example: C H S P A R W E D - hides files which have the hide bit set + shows only files with the archive bit set * Select Match: This requester is the same as precedent one, but with one gadget more, "Affect subdirs". This enables you to virtually select files in selected directories. As we say in french, a good example is better than a long speech. Suppose you want to clear archive bit of all files you have in a disk. 1. Open volume's window. 2. Call Select Match. 3. Put Files to ? and Dirs to N. 4. Clear all protection bits and set A to +. 5. Switch on Affect subdirs. 6. Validate the requester. Result: All files which have their archive bit set are selected, but any directories are selected since you set Dirs to N. Now: 7. Hold <Shift> key while selecting all dirs of this window. 8. Call Set Protect. 9. Switch protection bits to: C H S P A R W E D _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ 10. Validate. Et voilà! Each time you click left mouse button over a BrowserII window, if you DON'T hold <Shift> at the same time, the file under the mouse pointer, if any, becomes selected, all others are deselected, and Affect subdirs bit is cleared. That is to say after each operation with affect subdirs, this option is reset (except if you allways hold shift key), and must be set again if you want to do another action with this option. Within actions with affect subdirs, if a directory pass through the filters, the action will take place also on the directory itself once it has been examined. But even if the directory doesn't pass through the filters, it will be entered, and files within this dir may be affected by the action. This is a bit different for Copy action. If a directory doesn't pass through the filters, it won't be entered, and files within this dir will never be copied. But read carefully: Empty directories may be considered useless. So you can decide not to copy them by switching off this option. But Copy process is even more powerfull. If for example, you decide not to copy empty dirs, if you copy a directory with affect subdirs and any entries of this dir pass through the filters, the directory will be considered as empty and won't be created in destination path. This makes it possible to make selective backups, without useless directories in destination volume. Buffer size for copy: _____________________ BrowserII will test wether destination and one of source concerned volumes are mounted, i.e. one of source and destination volume are simultaneously present to the system (a diskette with a given volume name may not be in a drive), in which case BrowserII will make use of a 200 K max buffer. If any source or destination volume is mounted (you have only one drive for instance), BrowserII will use 880 K max for buffers if enough memory is available. This way, in order to copy some files from a diskette into another one, you don't need to go through the RAM DISK. Buffers are allocated during copy, and in any case BrowserII will not use more than 80% of the available memory for its buffers. Hints and tips: _______________ * If you hold the shift key down while closing the window corresponding to a volume, all windows corresponding to directories of that volume will close at once. * To validate and quit a filter/select requester, press shift-return. * The unmounted volumes appear in boldface. * Files which have just been deleted appear in italic and are unselectable parm.library: _____________ Programmers are free to use parm.library, and to read the parmbase.h file to use it. Sorry, there is is no doc available at this time, look into the sources of ParM and BrowserII for further details. Shareware / distribution : _________________________ BrowserII and ParM are both shareware. If you use them consistently, you ought to send us a contribution or your conscience will itch. Any contributor for more than 50 French Francs (about $ 10) will become a registered user and will automatically receive one update. Don't fail to mention the version number of your copy. If there is no newer version, you will be put on a list and receive one update whenever it becomes available. Many thanks to the donators: Philippe Rey (France) Marcel Hennion (France) Craig L. Blackman (U.S.) Christian König Dr H. Schneider (to both of you, the beer in ParM V1.6 was a joke). and also to: ASDG for CED (a fantastic editor) Pierre Ardichvili for his kindness and his support to the Amiga Lymann Epp for the excellent QMouse V1.6 W.S. Hawes for AREXX. Sylvain Rougier and Pierre Carette.