MATCHDIR.TXT File ================= Documentation for MatchDir.exe, Version 1 Copyright Jack MacDonald, 1996 ======================================================================== This file has 4 parts: Part Title 1 Installing MatchDir 2 Using MatchDir 3 Reporting Bugs 4 Disclaimer, Registration, and Redistribution ======================================================================== Part 1: Installing MatchDir The Zip File You should have received MatchDir as a zip file, and the file you are reading is part of that zip file. The Individual Files MatchDir consists of three files in total. This file, MatchDir.TXT is the documentation and MatchDir.EXE is the program file. Register.txt contains instructions for registering with the author. Unzip all the files into any directory of your choice. Use Win3.x File Manager to drag MatchDir.EXE into one of your Program Manager groups, or make a shortcut on your Win95 desktop or Start menu. MatchDir is written in Visual Basic 3.0, therefore, it requires VBRUN300.DLL to be installed on your computer. In order to save space, VBRUN300.DLL has not been included with this distribution file, but you likely already have VBRUN300.DLL on your computer. If you have any difficulty running MatchDir, then look through your computer to locate VBRUN300.DLL. Move the file into your \WINDOWS directory (you need just one copy of this file). If you can't find VBRUN300.DLL on your computer, ask a friend or download it from one of the more popular shareware sites on the Internet, Compuserve, America Online, or other sites. To uninstall MatchDir, just delete the EXE and INI files. ======================================================================== Part 2. Using MatchDir Program Overview MatchDir is used to compare the contents of two directories and then to copy, delete, or move files from the source directory. You can copy files to a third directory if desired. The source directory is always on the left, and the target on the right. You can press the GoSource button to set the target directory to the same location as the source directory. Press Swap to swap the source and target directories. Press the Mirror button to go to an identical-named directory on the target drive as on the source drive. MatchDir will create the directory if it does not exist on the target drive. File Views MatchDir uses two different views to show the files. The first view shows the source and target directories in two lists, while the second view shows a single, matched-list view of the files. The source and target directories display the files in "dimmed" mode, and you cannot select the files from these lists. You can do file-management only when the matched-list view is displayed because the command buttons are hidden until the matched-list view is displayed. When a file in the source directory has an identically-named mate in the target directory, then both files are shown on the same line. When a file does not have a matching file in the opposite directory, it is shown on its own line. On slower computers or over a network connection, the matching process may take a few seconds -- that's why the two views were required. As you navigate through directories, MatchDir will display the files in the two-list view without the processing delay. When you settle on the source and target directories, MatchDir will automatically change to the matched-list view after a few seconds. You can also press the Match'Em button to switch to the matched-list view. You can press the Cancel File Matching button during the matching process. MatchDir will display the list of files to the point when you pressed Cancel. MisMatched File Extensions MatchDir has a special mode where it can match files between directories if they have the SAME NAME but DIFFERENT EXTENSIONS. To invoke this mode, just type a "*.ext" partial file name into the file-mask box (e.g. *.cdr). MatchDir will display a second file-mask box. When you enter a "*.ext" mask (e.g. *.wmf) into the second box, MatchDir will turn the second box red and disable the Copy and Move buttons. When using the MisMatched Extensions mode, MatchDir will match (for example) DEMO.CDR in the source directory with DEMO.WMF in the target directory. This can be quite handy if you process some files through various filters to create new files. You can easily check that all the source files have mates in the target directory, even if the file extensions are different. Managing Files After creating the matched-list view, MatchDir makes it easy to determine if the same-named file exists in both directories, and which version is newer. For identically-named files, a symbol is shown between the two names to indicate whether the source file is newer, older, or the same age as the target file. You can control whether the list includes all the files, files with same names, or files with different names. Press the All, Same, or Different buttons. For files with identical names, you can control whether all, same, or different dates will be displayed by using the appropriate radio buttons. Experiment... You will figure it out in a hurry. You select files using standard Windows techniques: click single files or Ctrl-click multiple files. Shift-click ranges of files. The Select button cycles between selecting the newer, equal, or older files in the source directory. Press the Copy, Move, or Delete buttons to perform the action. File movement is always from the source (left) to the target (right). To copy files from the target to another location, press the Copy To.. button. MatchDir will ask for the location of the target directory. Setup and the INI File The default symbols for newer, equal, and older files are +, =, and < respectively. I found that + is easier to distinguish for newer files than >. Your tastes may vary... Use the Setup button to enter the symbols of your choice. You can also determine the delay that MatchDir uses before switching from the two-list to the matched-list view. I find that a longer delay is better on slower computers in order to avoid the annoying processing delay while MatchDir compares the source and target directories, especially when the directories contain hundreds of files. MatchDir will write MatchDir.INI when the program exits. It will save the location of the source and target directories so you can start again in the same location for your next session. Command-Line Operation MatchDir will use an optional command-line parameter to determine the initial source directory. You can add a command-line parameter to the icon properties under Win 3.x or to the shortcut properties under Win 95. For example: c:\util\matchdir.exe c:\ will start the program in the root directory of c: You can make several icons or shortcuts to start the program in different directories. You can also use the command-line parameter under programs like Norton File Manager for Win95. For example, I have a custom command button on my Norton Toolbar that launches: c:\util\matchdir %dir% This starts MatchDir in the currently-selected directory in File Manager. Very handy.. Network Installation MatchDir looks for Matchdir.INI in the same directory as MatchDir.EXE, and MatchDir will create the file if it does not exist. If you want to share MatchDir on a network and allow each user to customize the MatchDir settings, then you should add the following lines to MatchDir.INI in the program directory: [matchdir] IniFile=x:\dir\matchdir.ini where x:\dir is a unique network location for each user, as controlled by their login script. You could even enter c:\windows\matchdir.ini if you wanted the INI file to be located on the individual computer instead of the server. Give all users read-only privileges to MatchDir.EXE and the shared copy of MatchDir.INI. MatchDir will create the INI file for each user as specified in the shared MATCHDIR.INI file that is located with MatchDir.EXE. ======================================================================== Part 3: Reporting Bugs If You Find A Bug In the event that MatchDir doesn't do what you have asked, try deleting the files and re-installing from the Zip file. Ensure that VBRUN300.DLL is available on your computer in a directory on your search path. If you are still convinced that MatchDir has a bug, please inform me by writing to macdonald@infomatch.com with the subject line MatchDir Bug. ======================================================================== Part 4: Disclaimer, Registration, and Redistribution Standard Disclaimer MatchDir is provided AS IS without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. In no event shall Jack MacDonald be held liable for any damages whatsoever including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, loss of business profits or special damages. Registration MatchDir is distributed as shareware. If you use MatchDir for more than a 30-day evaluation period, then you are obliged to register it with the author. Registration is $15. Send your $5 registration fee to: Jack MacDonald 5465 Maple Crescent Delta, BC Canada V4K 1G3 If you email me for registration, you will receive a registration code that removes the "nag" screen. Registration will also encourage me to continue to enhance MatchDir. I wrote MatchDir because the programs I was using failed to meet my needs in a few instances. I took inspiration from PC Magazine / Michael Mefford's DirMatch utility, a DOS program that I have used for years. PC Magazine updated DirMatch to a Windows version recently, but I found it somewhat limited. I tried some other programs with similar features, but I decided to write my own program. Redistributing MatchDir Pass MatchDir to all your friends and colleagues. MatchDir can be posted to newsgroups, or put on web pages, provided that the entire zip file is included and not just the program. You can find the latest version of MatchDir on my Web page: http://www.infomatch.com/~macdonald