Cream of the Crop 3/Cream of the Crop 3.iso/disk/locate40.zip/LOCATE.DOC

Text File | 1993-12-17 | 6KB | 117 lines

                             LOCATE (version 4.0)
                            (C) 1993 Ray Dittmeier

     LOCATE is a utility that locates any file or files you ask for and gives
a listing that includes, for each matching file, the entire path name, file
size, time and date.  Hidden files are indicated by the letter "H" after the
file name, and directories by the letter "D".

     Simply type LOCATE, followed by a space, then the name of the file or
files you want to find.  You can give the program up to ten file
specifications; merely leave a space before each name.  LOCATE accepts the DOS
wildcard characters ? and *.

     Therefore, typing LOCATE LETTER.TXT will give you a listing of all
instances, if any, of files named LETTER.TXT.  If you type LOCATE *.TXT, the
program will list all .TXT files.  If you type LOCATE *.DOC *.TXT, you will
get a combined list of all your .DOC and .TXT files.

     If the file specification you want ends in .* you don't have to add the
.*.  For example, typing LOCATE LOCATE will give you LOCATE.EXE and LOCATE.DOC.

     If you don't give a file name when you run LOCATE, the program will ask
you for a file name or names.

     By default, this version of LOCATE searches the current drive only.  If
you want it to search all drives on your system, include the switch /A or /a
on the command line when you run it.  The /A switch, as well as /S (explained
below), can be placed anywhere on the command line -- before or after the
file names, or even in between them.  The following are all valid:

     LOCATE *.DOC /A
     LOCATE /A *.DOC /S *.TXT
     LOCATE *.BAK /A /S *.TXT
     LOCATE /A BUDGET.*

     The number of files LOCATE will list for any given search is limited by
the amount of available memory, up to 64K, which it can find to store the
information.  This will likely be around 800 file names.  I wouldn't expect
this limitation to be a problem unless you ask it to find *.* on a hard drive
system.

     LOCATE will display, at the bottom of the list, a message indicating the
number of files it found.  If this is the maximum number of files it can list
with the available memory, the number will have (+?) after it, meaning there
may be more.

     Also, to make room for the above-mentioned info about each file (size,
time, date), LOCATE limits the length of each full path/file name to 55
characters.  If the full path name is too long, LOCATE will shorten it by
replacing one or more subdirectory names with an ellipsis ( . . . ).  This
shouldn't be a problem, either, unless you have an unusually elaborate
subdirectory setup.

     By default, if there are 23 or fewer files in the list, LOCATE will
display the list and then give you your DOS prompt under it.  But if the file
list requires more than 23 lines, LOCATE won't go back to the DOS prompt.
Instead, it'll display the first 23 lines of the file list.  You can scroll up
and down through it with your up and down arrow keys, and press Escape to exit
to DOS.

     LOCATE offers you several options for sorting the file list; these
options are explained below.  If you want to sort the list, include /S or /s
as a switch on your command line when you run the program.  This will cause
LOCATE not to return to the DOS prompt after displaying the file list;
instead, it will allow you to enter the following commands:

Press:
Esc to return to the DOS prompt.
R to sort the list by disk drive.  All files contained on the same drive
  will be grouped together.
N to sort the list by file name.  The entire list will be displayed
  alphabetically, according to the file name--the path name will be
  disregarded in the sort.  Files with the same primary name will be grouped
  together and "sub-sorted" by extension.
E to sort the list by extension.  This will allow you to group all the same
  types of files together in the listing.
S to sort the list by file size.
T to sort the list by time of day.
D to sort the list by date.

     These options are also displayed on a line at the bottom of the screen.

     All sorts are performed in ascending order.  So, for example, a sort by
date will put the oldest files at the top, and the most recent at the bottom.
A sort by size will put the smallest files at the top.

     After LOCATE displays the sorted list, you can perform another sort if
you want.

     Sorting options are automatically enabled if the file list is large
enough to scroll through -- ie, 23 files or more.  So if you want to sort the
list, and you know it will contain more than 23 files, you don't need to use
/S.  The purpose of /S is just to make sure you will be able to sort the list
if it's not long enough to scroll through (in which case, LOCATE normally
returns to DOS after displaying the list).

     (Note:  If the file list contains exactly 23 files, LOCATE will not
return to DOS until you press Escape.  The entire list will fit on the screen
all at once, but returning to the DOS prompt would cause the first line to
scroll off the top.)

     Press Escape at any time to return to your DOS prompt.

     LOCATE is distributed as shareware.  Copy it and give it to your friends.
Upload it to bulletin boards.  If you're a distributor, put in your catalog
and send me a copy.  In exchange for a registration fee of $7.00, I'll send
you a disk with more programs--the one payment covers registration for the
entire collection, so you may use any or all of the other programs on the
disk with no further obligation.  Also, I would be happy to receive any
comments, suggestions, etc., and to answer any questions (I'm happier to
answer questions if you're a registered user, but anyone's welcome to write).
Send all correspondence to:

     Ray Dittmeier
     P.O. Box 4724
     Louisville, Ky.  40204