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Text File | 1995-04-25 | 82KB | 1,920 lines

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*% % % % BELEF II % % % % pronounced: BELL*EFF % % % % Uncle Carl's Famous Archive Shell & Converter % % =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= % % (C) Carl J. Hafner - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED % % Version 2.03d % % % *%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*% RELEASE DATE: June 11, 1994 Belef can best be described as a universal compression utility shell. It is universal in the sense that it should work with ANY compression utility, past, present or future ! ALL of the functions associated with your favorite parameter taking compression utility are available, as well as the ability to convert one form of archival storage file into another with a minimum of effort ! Belef works on all ST/STe/TT computers in low, medium & high resolutions. DISCLAIMER -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- The author cannot be responsible for any damage to your equipment, other software or hardware products, or physical or mental well being caused by the use, misuse, abuse or inability to use this program. The author also makes no guarantee as to the compatibility of this program with other software or hardware products. Using this program means that you completely understand AND agree with these terms. If you do NOT understand AND agree, DO NOT use this program. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- CAUTION -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- Belef works by allowing YOU to configure and save the interface settings. If an error occurs AFTER you have instructed Belef to carry out your instructions, it is POSSIBLE that you may have entered the commands incorrectly. PLEASE be certain to enter the correct command codes (available with your compression utility) and control codes (where applicable) on the configuration screen. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- INTRODUCTION 1) MAIN PANEL a) Command Buttons b) Option Buttons c) Execute Buttons d) Convert/Chain Button e) Arrows Identifying LZH formats f) Exit Button g) Low Resolution Support 2) PREFERENCES a) Confirmation prompts b) Pause after TOS Apps c) Confirm Overwrites d) Confirm Deletes e) Mouse Snapping UncleMouse support (.CUR files) f) Select Buttons 3) CONFIGURE a) Utility b) Commands c) Control Code commands d) Names e) Options f) Encryption g) TEMPorary work directory h) Scrolling Setups / Button i) Load Default files j) Save k) Paths l) Okay m) Cancel 4) COMMAND a) Buttons b) Command Line c) File d) TEMP e) Execute f) Convert/Chain g) Paths h) Exit 5) FILE a) Copy/Move file(s) b) Delete file(s) c) Rename file d) Disk space e) Create folder f) Delete folder g) Rename folder h) Exit 6) EXTRACTION OPTIONS a) All b) Folder c) Query d) Cancel 7) SELECTING TEMP DIRECTORIES 8) CREDITS 9) DISTRIBUTION 10) REGISTRATION 11) VERSION HISTORY 12) TROUBLESHOOTING Memory allocation (MALLOC) .ZOO compatibility Mouse snapping 13) OTHER STUFF a) Fileselector messages b) Fileselector paths c) About archive files d) RAM disks e) New form_do f) Sample session g) Group Extractions/Wildcards h) On screen help i) Wildcards j) Missing disk space k) Belef script indirection 14) CONTROL CODES ADDENDUM 15) INDEX INTRODUCTION ------------ The biggest problem I've personally encountered with archive shells was that most of them were too inflexible. That is to say that they either worked with only specific compression utilities or they didn't allow FULL access to ALL of the features available from within that utility. With that in mind, I designed Belef so that it worked like a command line interface box (the kind you get when you double-click on a .TTP program from the GEM desktop) with the ease of simply selecting buttons. Belef works by allowing YOU to enter commands and options on a configuration screen. You then add a descriptive name TO that function and Belef automatically passes YOUR name, command and options to the buttons on the front panel. Selecting that button registers YOUR commands and options ! This should allow Belef to be compatible with any parameter taking utility, past, present or future. If someone upgrades their compression utility, you need merely change your commands on the configuration screen (if necessary). Belef also holds the names, commands and options for 2 compression utilities AND allows you to save and load either complete OR individual setups ! For example, one setup can be for .ARC and .LZH files and another can be for .ZOO and .ZIP files (or any combination you like). While Belef DOES come with a basic setup file, configuring it to your OWN needs may require a little more "fine tuning". Take the time to read this text file so that you may take FULL advantage of the features, and flexibility, of Belef ! 1) MAIN PANEL ---------- [command] [option] [archive name] [disk name/directory/pathname] The first thing to appear when you run Belef is the Main Panel. This is the panel from which you will perform your archiving procedures. You will note 2 sets of 20 buttons each contained within a darker background. The set of 20 buttons on top are the commands and options for the first archive utility. The set of 20 buttons on the bottom are the commands and options for the second archive utility. a) COMMAND BUTTONS --------------- These are the first 10 buttons within the first set of buttons (on the top of the panel) and the first 10 buttons within the second set of buttons (on the bottom half of the panel). The command buttons are used, as the name implies, to select the "command" (or function) that you wish the archive utility to perform. The COMMAND buttons are "radio buttons", meaning that you may only select one command button at a time. These are like the old car radio buttons where the selected button becomes deselected when a new one is chosen (anybody remember them ? :-) . A "command" lets the archive utility know exactly what you wish to do with/to an archived file. A command can be something like EXTRACT (the archived file) or LIST (the contents of the archived file). Click on a command button to select it. When you eventually click on the execute button, Belef will pass your selected command on to the archive utility. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- The "Command" button in the center of the main panel has NOTHING to do with the aforementioned "Command Buttons". -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 3c =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= b) OPTION BUTTONS -------------- These are the last 10 buttons within the top set of buttons (on the top of the panel) and the last 10 buttons within the bottom set of buttons (on the bottom of the panel). You may select up to 10 options (buttons) at a time. When you eventually click on an execute button, the selected options will be sent to the archive utility. An "option" is used to complement the function of a command. An option can be something like INCLUDE FOLDERS (contained in the archived file when extracting) or SUPPRESS WARNINGS (which usually warn you if you are about to overwrite a file). An "option" will NOT perform a function all by itself. You must FIRST specify and execute a command. c) EXECUTE BUTTONS --------------- The BIG button on the top right, and the BIG button below the arrows on the right side of the main panel, are the EXECUTE buttons. The default configuration which comes with Belef has them labeled as ARC and LZH. Clicking on the TOP BIG button will execute (run) the compression utility assigned to it on the configuration screen. Any commands and/or options selected on the top half of the panel will be passed to the utility on the TOP right. Any commands and/or options selected on the bottom half of the panel will be passed to the utility (assigned to the bottom utility) when ITS button is selected. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- REMEMBER: Most archive utilities will NOT perform a function when just an option is passed on to the utility. You MUST issue a command. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- d) CONVERT BUTTON -------------- This button takes the commands and options from the top of the panel and passes them on to the first compression utility. It then takes the commands and options from the bottom of the panel and passes them on to the second compression utility. You can therefore set up the first utility to EXTRACT an .ARC file and the second utility to compress the extracted files into an .LZH file. The procedure will not stop until the file is converted (the process complete) or unless you select CANCEL in a fileselector. NOTE: Holding down the [CONTROL] key while selecting the Convert button calls up an alert which allows you to relabel this button as "Chain". This was done in the event the term "convert" tended to mislead you. This preference is saved to the configuration file. e) ARROWS ------ Selecting the "UP" arrow calls up a fileselector. It's search mask will be set to that of the top big button. In other words, if the top big button is ARC, the fileselector will open to *.ARC . The down arrow repeats this procedure for the button below it. IDENTIFYING LZH FORMATS ----------------------- This option also allows you to select files for identification. I added this so that I could properly identify .LZH files. Most of the older .LZH utilities are unable to work with the newer -lh5- format. They usually crash, ouch :-( . This option helps to ensure that you are using the correct archive utility. If you DON'T want to identify a file, select CANCEL in the fileselector. If you DO wish to identify a file, select that file in the fileselector. Belef will then read the first few bytes of that file and display that information on the top of the screen. Belef currently recognizes .LZH (-lh0-,-lh1-,-lh5-), .ARC and .ZOO files. CAUTION: It IS possible for Belef to misidentify a file. If you find such a file, please let me know. The only programs of which I am aware, which currently support -lh5- files (as of 7/27/93), are Thomas Questers !LHARC.TTP v.2.01 or newer and Roger Burrows LHA.TTP v.2.01 or newer. f) EXIT BUTTON ----------- Select this button to quit the program. g) LOW RESOLUTION SUPPORT ---------------------- Due to the severe size constraints imposed by lower resolutions, only the "low resolution main panel" is accessible from within ST/STe/TT low resolution. Any "setups" you wish to use IN the lower resolution should be configured from within a higher resolution. o The top 10 buttons to the left are the COMMAND buttons. The 10 buttons below it are the OPTIONS buttons. SEE: Sections 1a,1b. o The BIG button on the top right is the EXECUTE button. SEE: Section 1c o The IDENTIFY button below the big button performs the same function as the arrow buttons described in Section 1e . o The LEFT and RIGHT arrows below this allow you to scroll between your two archiving utilities. Since both utilities will not fit on the same screen, the CONVERT option is not available in low resolution. o The LOAD SET button allows you to load a new Belef .SETup file. The file BELEF.SET will still load by default in low resolution. o The LOAD SIN button allows you to load a new Belef .SINgle setup file. o The EXIT button quits the program. o The "Extract With Query" option is not available in low resolution. 2) PREFERENCES ----------- This is the panel on which you will set up some of your personal (user) interface preferences. It may be accessed by clicking on the name "Prefs" which appears in the center, and to the left, on the main panel. a) CONFIRMATION PROMPTS -------------------- This enables alerts which ask for confirmation before executing a procedure. Clicking within the box to the left of the function name will toggle this feature on and off. b) PAUSE AFTER TOS APPS -------------------- This allows Belef to pause after executing a TOS Application. Most TOS APPS just end without allowing you to see what they've just done. You can also use this feature as a substitute for a compression utilities "hold screen" option. This has the advantage of freeing up an "option" slot. Clicking within the box to the left of the function name will toggle this feature on and off. c) CONFIRM OVERWRITES ------------------ This option warns you if you are about to overwrite an EXISTING file. Note that once you execute a compression utility, control is taken away from Belef. Belef WILL NOT be able to warn you if the compression utility is about to overwrite a file. Clicking within the box to the left of the function name will toggle this feature on and off. d) CONFIRM DELETES --------------- This option warns you if you are about to delete a file. Clicking within the box to the left of the function name will toggle this feature on and off. e) MOUSE SNAPPING -------------- This option snaps the mouse cursor back to a selected button, after that buttons function is exited, ie: a fileselector, alert or panel button. It also "centers" the mouse over panels and GEM alert boxes when they appear. Clicking within the box to the left of the function name will toggle this feature on and off. This option also enables the mouse wrapping feature. When the mouse cursor reaches the edge of the screen, it will wrap around to the opposite side. I added this because Warp 9's wrap feature tends to turn horizontal wrap off when a right mouse button is clicked. This feature IS compatible with Warp 9's wrap feature, so both may be kept on at the same time. The wrap feature within Belef will also NOT work when a GEM object appears (ie: an alert or fileselector). This allows it to co-exist with memory resident mouse wrappers (ie: Warp 9). =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 12 =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= UNCLEMOUSE SUPPORT ------------------ Belef supports the UncleMouse .CURsor file format. If a file named BELEF.CUR is found in the SAME directory as BELEF.PRG, a custom mouse cursor (created with UncleMouse V.1.0a or newer) will be loaded ! f) SELECT BUTTONS -------------- This option allows you to select MOST functions with either the left, right or both mouse buttons. The CONFIGURE and COMMAND screens require a special selection to adapt to this function. Please refer to the the CONFIGURE or COMMAND section to find out how to set them -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- NOTE: If the "right mouse" function is selected and you wish to change it to "left mouse", you will have to select the "left mouse" box with the right mouse button (since you are currently in right mouse mode). -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- EXIT ---- Click in the box in the upper left hand corner of the panel to exit. 3) CONFIGURE --------- This is the screen which is used to configure the buttons on the main panel and to set up archive utility locations. This screen automatically opens to the FIRST archive utility. It may be called by clicking on the name "Configure" which appears in the middle of the main panel (just below the top 20 buttons and to the right of name "Prefs"). To allow this panel to adapt to your "mouse prefs", you must HOLD DOWN the [CONTROL] key when selecting the "configure" button on the main panel. An alert will appear which will allow you to select either the NEW "form_do" routine (which allows this panel to adapt to your "mouse prefs") or the OLD "form_do" routine (which returns the panels functions to the standard GEM left-mouse" mode). A check-mark will appear to the left of the name when it is in the NEW mode. This setting is also saved to BELEF.CNF. =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 13e: NEW FORM_DO =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= a) UTILITY ------- This is the line on which you will enter the FULL path and NAME of the archive utility. This is the program which will be executed when you select the EXECUTE button on the main panel. ie: UTILITY: F:\ARCSTUFF\ARC.TTP This information may be entered manually or by selecting the PATHS button. The PATHS button calls up an alert which, in turn, allows you to call a fileselector for finding the archive utility. =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 3k =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= b) COMMANDS -------- To the right of the letters CMND: are the lines on which you will enter the "COMMANDS" which are recognized by the compression utility. For example, most compression utilities recognize x as the command for extract. ie: CMND: x -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- PLEASE refer to the compression utilities documentation for a full list of available commands and options FOR that utility. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- c) CONTROL CODE COMMANDS --------------------- Belef now incorporates special control characters to call up certain options ! These codes are entered IMMEDIATELY after a COMMAND on the CONFIGURE screen. To enter them you need to HOLD DOWN the CONTROL key while typing in the corresponding character. For purposes of illustration (since your printer may not like control characters), <c> represents the control character. CONTROL-E - This "code" tells Belef to present you with an alert box which allows you to either extract ALL, TO FOLDER, W/QUERY or CANCEL. If you do NOT enter this code, the alert box will NOT appear. This allows non-standard commands to be interpreted as "extract" commands (as well as standard). ie: CMND: x<c> (The <c> represents control-e). CONTROL-I - Tells Belef that you wish to use file Indirection. This code consists of 2 characters. The first character is the "indirection" code used by the utility. The second character is the control code. Both of these codes FOLLOW the utilities command. ARC602STs "indirection code" is the "at", @ , symbol. !LHARC.TTPs "indirection code" is the "and", & , symbol. ie: CMND: a@<c> <-- For ARC602ST. ie: CMND: a&<c> <-- For Questers !LHARC.TTP. The control code instructs Belef to place the "indirection" code just before the "indirection" file. This "indirection" code instructs the archive utility to read the file instead of "add" it. ARC_IND.SIN and LZH_IND.SIN are sample (single) setups. INDIRECT.TXT is a sample "indirection" file. =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 14a =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= CONTROL-L - Tells Belef to execute the selected CMND as soon as a file has been selected. The alert box and second fileselector will NOT appear. This is useful for files you wish, say, "listed" or "tested". ie: CMND: l<c> ie: CMND: t<c> CONTROL-Q - Tells Belef to "scan" the archive file and then take you immediately to the Query screen. This option can be used for commands like "delete file" or "display file". ie: CMND: d<c> Select the file you wish "deleted" or "displayed" from the "query" screen and click on the "extract" button to act upon the selected file. =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 14b =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= CONTROL-R - Tells Belef to Redirect ALL "options" to the end of an argument. This is included so that you may use ARC.TTPs "print" command. This code MUST be entered AFTER an "OPTION". ie: CMND: p<c> <-(THIS <c> represents control-q) Name: PRINT OPTN: >prn<c> (The <c> represents control-r) Name: TO PRINTER The <control-q> COMMAND takes you to the "query" screen. Once there, select the file you wish "redirected" and click on the "extract" button. This is also referred to as "Copy To Standard Output". The final argument would then look like... p myfile.arc myfile.txt >prn The output of the file "myfile.txt" is, in this example, redirected to a printer. =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 14c =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= The Control Codes ONLY NEED to be entered on the CONFIGURATION screen. If you do not want the code "option", do not enter the code. Belef will NOT pass it's control codes on to the archive utility. WHY AND WHEN ------------ The reason for the control codes is that many programmers don't use the standard "commands" for executing instructions. For example, some may use j or t to extract instead of e or x . Some may use k or % to list instead of l or v . The control codes allow you to tell Belef what function a command performs. ie: If someone uses t as an extract command, enter CMND: t<c> (where <c> is control-e) to tell Belef that this is an extract command (and that you DO wish the second fileselector and alert to appear). ie: If someone uses % as a list command, enter CMND: %<c> (where <c> is control-l) to tell Belef that this is a list command ( and that the second fileselector and alert are UNNECESSARY). ie: If someone uses ) as a "test" command, enter CMND: )<c> (where <c> is control-l) to tell Belef that this is a "test" command (and that the second fileselector and alert are UNNECESSARY). d) NAMES ----- To the right of the name "Name:" are the lines on which you will enter the "name" of the button. The "name" corresponds to the CMND: button directly ABOVE it. The "name" you enter will appear on the appropriate button on the main panel. ie: CMND: x <-- The command. Name: EXTRACT <-- The name of the button on the main panel. e) OPTIONS ------- To the right of the letters "OPTN:" are the lines on which you will enter the "OPTIONS" which are recognized by the compression utility. Again, enter the name of the option "button" on the line directly below the "OPTN:" line. The "name" will appear on the appropriate button on the main panel. For example, most compression utilities recognize z as the "option" to include full directories (or folders). ie: OPTN: z <-- The option. Name: W/FOLDERS <-- The name of the "option" button. f) ENCRYPTION ---------- If you are using ARC.TTP, you can enter the option g (encrypt/decrypt) and then place the password directly after it on the option line. ie: OPTN: gcarl <-- The option plus the password carl . Name: PASSWORD <-- The name of the "option" button. ARC.TTP expects the password to be the LAST option, so be certain to set up your option buttons accordingly. Please refer to your compression utilities manual for a more detailed explanation (and guidelines). By the way, ARC_PW.SIN is an example password setup for ARC.TTP . -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- NOTE: Please refer to your compression utilities documentation if you are confused as to the difference between "commands" and "options". -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- g) TEMPORARY WORK DIRECTORY ------------------------ This is the directory in which all affected files will be placed. For example, if this line is J:\*.* , any files which are extracted will be placed on drive J . Any files which are being added to an archive will be taken from this directory. =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 13b =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= Because of peculiarities within various compression utilities, it is suggested that you make this directory an empty drive or a RAM disk when CONVERTING files. =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 7 =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= h) SCROLLING SETUPS / BUTTONS -------------------------- On the bottom left of the configuration panel is a box containing 2 arrows. These arrows are used to scroll between your utility setups. The "number" in the box will indicate your current setup number. Scrolling a setup will "set" the previous setup in memory. The "commands" and "options" for setup number ONE will appear on the TOP half of the MAIN PANEL. The "commands" and "options" for setup number TWO will appear on the BOTTOM half of the MAIN PANEL. To the right of this is the word BUTTON. Enter the archive files "mask" on this line. ie: If you are using ARC.TTP, enter the letters ARC . If you are using LHARC.TTP, enter LZH on this line. This sets the "masks" for the fileselectors and buttons. i) LOAD ---- When selected, an alert will appear which will allow you to LOAD a "setup" ,"single" or "configuration" file. DEFAULT FILES ------------- When Belef is first run it looks for the following files. The information within these files will be loaded automatically... BELEF.SET - A default SETup. BELEF.CNF - Belefs configuration file. BELEF.CUR - Belefs mouse cursor shape. These files MUST be placed within the SAME directory as BELEF.PRG in order for BELEF.PRG to find and load them. j) SAVE ---- When selected, an alert will appear which will allow you to SAVE a "setup", "single" or "configuration" file. .SET <- This type of file contains the 2 utility setups. .SIN <- This type of file saves a "single" utility setup (the one currently displayed on the screen). .CNF <- This file contains Belefs current configuration (prefs, all fileselector paths, button selections, etc...). k) PATHS ----- This button calls up a fileselector which allows you to select a UTILITY or TEMP path. =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 3a, 13b =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= l) OKAY ---- This button sets the current configuration in memory and returns you to the main panel. m) CANCEL ------ This button exits the configuration panel WITHOUT registering ANY changes. Remember, scrolling will "set" an entry in memory. Only information which is entered manually, and is NOT scrolled, will be ignored. 4) COMMAND ------- This panel is the equivalent of 2 parameter taking panels (the type of panel which appears when you double-click on a TTP program from the GEM desktop). It may be accessed by clicking on the name "Command" which appears in the center of the main panel (to the right of the name configure). To allow this panel to adapt to your "mouse prefs", you must HOLD DOWN the [CONTROL] key when selecting the "command" button on the main panel. An alert will appear which will allow you to select either the NEW "form_do" routine (which allows this panel to adapt to your "mouse prefs") or the OLD "form_do" routine (which returns the panels functions to the standard GEM left-mouse" mode). A check-mark will appear to the left of the name when it is in the NEW mode. This setting is also saved to BELEF.CNF. =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 13e: NEW FORM_DO =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= a) BUTTONS ------- On the left side of the panel are buttons representing your compression utilities (2 on top, 2 in the middle). Any parameters specified on the top half of this panel will be sent to the utility selected in the top set of buttons. Any parameters specified on the bottom half of this panel will be sent to the utility selected in the bottom set of buttons. The archive utilities "mask" MUST be entered on the "configure" screen along with the utilities path and name in order for the masks to appear within the buttons and for Belef to find and execute the utility. The TEMP path is used by BOTH utilities. =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 13b =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- NOTE: Most compression utilities interpret "no command" as an instruction to list their options. If ALL lines are blank, clicking on EXECUTE will run the selected compression utility. You should get a list of commands and options. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- b) COMMAND LINE ------------ These are the lines on which you will specify the COMMANDS and OPTIONS to be sent to the selected compression utility. A command typically follows the form... {COMMAND} {OPTIONS} {archive name} {disk name/directory/pathname} c) FILE ---- These are the lines on which you will enter the FULL path and name of the archived file to be affected. ie: F:\FOLDER\MYFILE.ARC = {archive name} The top files PATH and NAME will be sent to the top selected utility. The bottom "files" PATH and NAME will be sent to the bottom selected utility. d) TEMP ---- This is the directory in which any affected files (such as extracted files) will be placed. Think of it as a temporary work directory. ie: J:\*.* = {disk name/directory/pathname} =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 7 =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= e) EXECUTE ------- This button takes ALL information on the FIRST command lines, ALL information on the FIRST FILE line, ALL information on the TEMP line, and passes it on to the utility represented by the TOP selected button. ie: [ARC] Command Line: x File: F:\MYFILE.ARC TEMP: J:\*.* If the ARC button is selected, the following command is sent to the selected compression utility... x F:\MYFILE.ARC J:\*.* f) CONVERT ------- This button "executes" the instructions on the top half of the panel and then "executes" the instructions on the bottom half of the panel, without stopping. This can be used if you want to EXTRACT say, an .ARC file, and then recompress it into an .LZH file. ie: [ARC] Command Line: x File: F:\MYFILE.ARC [LZH] Command Line: m File: F:\MYFILE.LZH TEMP: J:\*.* Belef instructs ARC to eXtract MYFILE.ARC to J:\*.* . Belef then tells LZH to Move ALL files found on J:\*.* into the file MYFILE.LZH . =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~ SEE ALSO: Section 7 SEE ALSO: Section 1d) CONVERT BUTTON =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~ g) PATHS ----- This button calls up a fileselector from which you may select either the "files" you wish to affect or the TEMP path. =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 13b =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= h) EXIT ---- This button returns you to the main panel. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- NOTE: You can also use the TOP "command lines" alone if you so wish. All other lines should be BLANK. You need merely enter information in the same way that you would after clicking on a TTP program from the desktop. Clicking on Execute would execute the entire command line. ie: Command Line: xz F:\MYFILE.ARC J:\*.* -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- 5) FILE ---- Selecting the "file" button from the main panel calls up "File Options" panel. a) COPY/MOVE FILE(s) ----------------- This button (box) allows you to specify files to copy. Holding down the [CONTROL] key while selecting this option temporarily toggles this function to "move files". Source files will only be deleted IF a successful copy HAS been made ! Fileselector prompts appear on top of the screen to help guide you through the process. You may also copy or move files using the wildcards "*" asterisk and "?" question mark. This allows you to copy or move more than one file at a time. EXAMPLE: Source Fileselector: C:\*.* Destination FSelector: J:\*.* This example copies all FILES found in the root directory of drive C to the root directory of drive J . EXAMPLE: Source Fileselector: C:\NEODESK3\NEODESK?.IN? Destination FSelector: J:\FOLDER\*.* This example copies files like NEODESKM.INF and NEODESKL.INX from within the NEODESK3 folder into the folder found on drive J . EXAMPLE: Source Fileselector: G:\*.PI? Destination FSelector: J:\*.* This example copies any file with endings such as PI1, PI2 or PI3 (ie: DESKTOP.PI1) from the root directory of drive G to the root directory of drive J . --------------------- SEE ALSO: Section 13i for further information on the implementation --------------------- of "wildcards". b) DELETE FILE(s) -------------- This button (box) allows you to specify files to delete. Here again, fileselector prompts appear on the top of the screen to help guide you through the process. Multiple files may also be deleted using the wildcard method described in the previous section. Both wildcards "*" and "?" are supported. EXAMPLE: Source Fileselector: C:\*.INF This example deletes all FILES ending in INF (ie: DESKTOP.INF) from the root directory of drive C . EXAMPLE: Source Fileselector: C:\NEODESK3\NEODESK?.IN? This example deletes files like NEODESKM.INF and NEODESK2.INX from the NEODESK3 folder on drive C . --------------------- SEE ALSO: Section 13i for further information on the implementation --------------------- of "wildcards". c) RENAME FILE ----------- This button (box) allows you to specify files to rename. Fileselector prompts will guide you on your way. d) DISK SPACE ---------- This button (box) calls up a fileselector. Select a drive and click on OKAY in the fileselector. The program will then tell you how much free "disk space" remains on the selected disk/drive. -==================- SEE ALSO: Section 13j -===================- e) CREATE FOLDER ------------- This button (box) allows you to create NEW folders. A fileselector prompt will guide you on your way. f) DELETE FOLDER ------------- This button (box) allows you to delete folders. A fileselector prompt will guide you on your way. If ANY paths within the program are set to open to a folder which has just been deleted, those paths will be reset to the root directory in which the folder used to exist. g) RENAME FOLDER ------------- If you have TOS 1.4 or newer, this button (box) allows you to rename folders. Fileselector prompts will guide you on your way. If ANY paths within the program are set to open to a folder which has just been renamed, those paths will be reset to the root directory of the newly renamed folder. h) EXIT ---- Click in the box in the upper left hand corner to exit this panel. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- NOTE: If you have a version of TOS with the mouse-doubling bug and are using the mouse "snap" feature, you MAY wish to select options with the RIGHT mouse button. This will keep TOS from clicking on say, OKAY, in the fileselector before you get a chance to do anything. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- 6) EXTRACTION OPTIONS ------------------ When Belef receives a specific "extract" command (refer to section 3) it will present you with an alert box. This box wlll NOT appear if you are extracting with wildcards. This is because most archive utilities employ their own wildcard extraction options. -===================- SEE ALSO: Section 13g -===================- a) ALL --- This button will execute ALL of your "on screen" commands immediately. b) FOLDER ------ This button will first create a folder with the same name as the archive file (minus the file mask). It will then extract all of your archive files INTO that folder. c) QUERY ----- ####################################################################### DO NOT select this button unless you are extracting an .ARC file or an .LZH file. ####################################################################### This option will scan the archive file and list the file names on a seperate screen. You can then select as many files as you wish to extract and click on the EXTRACT button. All selected files on the current screen will then be extracted from that archive. If there are more than 81 files within the archived file, the "Next" button, which is usually disabled, will become selectable. Selecting the "Next" button lists up to 81 more files ! -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- NOTE: You can abort the extractions by holding down the <CONTROL> key. It will ONLY take affect AFTER control has been returned to Belef. In other words, you can't abort a file currently being extracted. Before Belef starts on the next file it checks for the <CONTROL> key. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- d) CANCEL ------ This button aborts the extraction process. 7) SELECTING TEMP DIRECTORIES -------------------------- One of the BIGGEST problems I've encountered was the variety of ways in which compression utilities handle folders. This section mainly covers possible solutions of moving folders into archives. If you only use your compression utility to extract files, you probably don't need to read this section. Some utilities won't recognize a folder unless you "open" the folder. Some utilities interpret folders as files when they are in the root directory and some don't. Some utilities interpret the ENTIRE path name as part of the path, even if you open a folder and tell it to ONLY include the contents in the current directory. I COULD go on, but I think you get the idea ! The EASIEST solution I've found to this was to specify "include folders" in the command and to specify a drive in which ONLY the folders/files which you wish to be affected, are contained. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- This is NOT a law and you are free to manipulate the files in any way which works best for you. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- ANYWAY...when converting, I like to eXtract ALL files to an EMPTY RAM disk, and then instruct the second compression utility to take ALL folders and files it finds ON that RAM disk and move them into the new archive. ie: mz MYFILE.LZH J:\*.* For me, this solves the problem of trying to remember which utilities do what with folders. It also makes the conversion MUCH faster ! NOTE that if you specify "include folders" and the archive file doesn't contain any folders, the compression utility will just ignore it. In other words, it won't hurt anything. 8) CREDITS ------- Belef (C) Carl J. Hafner Thanks, always, to Larry D. Duke for his plethora of GFA knowledge NeoDesk (C)Gribnif Software GEM is (was?) a trademark of Digital Research LGSELECT, BUTTNFIX (C)Charles F. Johnson SilkMouse (C)Mark Slagell 9) DISTRIBUTION ------------ You are free to copy and distribute the BELEF DEMO as long as the files BELEFDEM.PRG - The program BELEF .CUR - Belef mouse CURsor file BELEF .SET - Sample SETup file TXTFILES.LZH - Belef text files SINFILES.LZH - Sample .SIN files INDFILES.LZH - Sample .IND files READ_ME .1ST - READ ME text file READ_ME .2ND - Listing of extra archived files OTHERTTL.LZH - Latest versions, update/registration policies are included, are NOT modified in ANY way and NO FEE of ANY type is incurred upon the recipient for the files _themselves_. You are also free to create and distribute your own Belef .SET and .SIN files as long as they are NOT included along with the original Belef files and NO FEE of ANY type is incurred upon the recipient for the files _themselves_. You ARE free to recoup any fees which represent a financial expenditure on your part (cost of disk, postage). Please refer all recipients to this section of this text file if you feel further explanation is required. 10) REGISTRATION ------------ As a REGISTERED user you are required to ensure that NO copies of your licensed version are distributed beyond your own home (or work environment). Making copies of your LICENSED version for ANYONE other than your self or immediate family members will result in the instant revocation of ANY and ALL registrations you may have made with the author. You will NOT receive ANY future support and will NOT be eligible to register ANY future versions of ANY program by the author. By sending in your registration form you are stating that you agree completely with these terms. The suggested registration fee for BELEF is only $15.00 (fifteen U.S. Dollars) plus $3.50 (U.S. & Canada - $4.50 other) for materials, shipping and handling. If you cannot obtain U.S. funds than please feel free to contact me with alternate proposals. All inquiries are welcome. Send all registrations to... Carl J. Hafner RR 2, Box 184C Hawley, PA. 18428 U.S.A. ATTN: Belef Please feel free to include any suggestions for new features or any bugs you may have found. 11) VERSION HISTORY --------------- 2.03d - Swapped menubar & copyright buttons to allow easier access to Gribnif Software's GENEVA. 2.03c - Added custom indirection. Special "shift" keys now register even if you've forgotten to turn off the CAPSLOCK. 2.03b - Added x/y/w/h mouse wrap to mouse snap feature. 2.03a - Extended timer event to prevent extra clicks over GEM objects. 2.03 - FSEL headers take names from command buttons, added confirm deletes preference. Added wildcard copies, moves and deletes. Added limited low resolution support. Aesthetic enhancements... 2.02d - Now deletes folders with contents. 2.02c - Aesthetic enhancements, on screen help. 2.02b - A few aesthetic enhancements. 2.02a - Added new form_do routine for configure and command screens. 2.02 - Added more mouse snaps. Special exit buttons can be cancelled by moving the mouse off the button and then releasing it. Cancel now works properly in second "rename" fileselectors. More paths memorized. Added control codes for commands. Expanded Query screen to hold 162 files. Now uses system colours. 2.01 - Added Extract W/Query option for .ARC and .LZH files. Extended "option" line to 10 characters so that longer passwords may be used. Improved .ZOO compatibility. Expanded "folder" alert. 2.0a - Fileselectors now adapt to ALL path changes. Adjusted "Configure" mouse snap. Added abort option to folder alert. Aborting aborts the entire extraction (not just folder create). 2.0 - Completely new interface. File Options added. Expanded preferences. Re-re-wrote text file. SETup and SINgle files added. Improved memory allocation. 1.5 - Aesthetic graphical enhancements. Improved error routines. Merged .RSC file. Added .CUR file support. Rewrote text file. Expanded .DAT file contents. Generally made it ALOT easier to use. Also fixed a minor bug WHICH THE COMPILER MISSED ! (undefined label). TT support. 1.0 - Original version. 12) TROUBLESHOOTING --------------- MEMORY ALLOCATION ----------------- Belef uses a MALLOC command for certain procedures. If you have a version of TOS with the MALLOC bug (ie: 1.06) you MAY need to use either POOLFIX3.PRG or POOLFIX4.PRG . I understand that POOLFX92 (I think that's the name) creates more problems than it solves. .ZOO COMPATIBILITY ------------------ In the event you are using a utility which does not support extraction redirection, you can do the following. When the second fileselector appears, select CANCEL. This will enable an alert which will allow you to either proceed WITHOUT a "temp path" or abort the entire procedure. If you are using Rahul Dhesi's ZOO.TTP v.2.1, select CANCEL and then CONTINUE. This will make ZOO.TTP happy by allowing IT to select a "temp path". MOUSE SNAPPING -------------- If you have a version of TOS which has the "mouse-doubling bug", snapping the mouse onto a button may cause that button to become selected. If this is a persistent problem you can either turn the snapping feature off, use a keyboard equivalent on the problem button or think about using Charles F. Johnson's BUTTNFIX.ACC . I HAVE made allowances for it, so hopefully you'll never see it. The mouse snapping feature does NOT get along with SilkMouse and LGSELECT if they are both in use at the same time. The program will freeze right after the mouse is snapped. The only solutions are to either turn the snapping feature OFF, or to remove either SilkMouse OR LGSELECT from memory. I'm using COMPLETELY legal methods to "snap" the mouse, so it seems the problem is elsewhere...!-) 13) OTHER STUFF ----------- a) FILESELECTOR MESSAGES --------------------- Whenever a fileselector is called, a brief message appears at the top of screen. This message is designed to remind you of the procedure taking place. If you have TOS 1.4 or newer, the message will also appear within the fileselector. b) FILESELECTOR PATHS ------------------ Belef will memorize the fileselector paths used when working with archived files and save them to BELEF.CNF . Additional fileselector paths (such as file copying) are also memorized, but ONLY the source drive (ie: J:\) is saved to BELEF.CNF. Fileselector paths are quite flexible, meaning that you can change them at any time. The last accessed path is the path which will be memorized by the fileselector. So, if you configure J:\*.* as your temp path and then change it in the fileselector, Belef will ignore the "configured" path and register your new path as the temp path. NOTE that the old path will still remain in the panel display. The "saved paths" are used so that you don't need to set a path every time you use Belef. The ONLY path which NEEDS to remain the SAME is the path indicating the location of an archive utility. c) ABOUT ARCHIVE FILES ------------------- An archive file is a file which contains one or more files which have been compressed into a single file. These files are created with archive utilities (programs capable of performing this function). The archive file is generally much smaller than all of the files in their uncompressed state. Files are generally compressed in this manner not only to maximize storage capacity (to allow you to keep more files on a disk using less space) but to allow collections of files to be distributed on Bulletin Board Systems. d) RAM DISKS --------- A RAM disk can best be described as a disk/drive which resides in memory ONLY. It does NOT "physically" exist. A RAM disk is installed through the use of a RAM disk program. The program is generally installed by way of the AUTO folder at bootup. Some RAM disks are also available as desk accessories, but these kind are NOT recommended. Changing a RAM disks size from within an accessory can severely fragment your computers memory (and lead to some VERY memorable crashes). The RAM disk, once installed, acts just like an additional disk drive. It has the advantages of quicker reads and writes and absence of physical wear and tear on a "real" disk/drive. The disadvantage is that the RAM disk allocates memory away from your system, leaving you with less RAM for other applications. e) NEW FORM_DO ----------- FORM_DO is a function which takes over the management of an object form, until an object with EXIT or TOUCHEXIT "status" is selected (or clicked). The NEW form_do routine is actually an EVNT_MULTI (a function which waits for the occurrence of various events) routine masquerading as a form_do routine !-). The NEW form_do routine has been set up to look for all of the functions a normal form_do routine performs, plus more. The new routine allows you to select a button, or editing field, using the mouse button selected in the "prefs" panel. Since evnt_multi is in essence, "scanning" the panel to check for functions, you may find that it's response time is _slightly_ slower than a form_do routine. This is also due, in part, to limitations in GFA which sometimes make you "run all around the houses" to perform a simple function. If you find the slightly slower response time unbearable, you can switch back to the standard form_do routine using the method described under the appropriate section of this text file. NOTE: Alert boxes are called by GEM and use the standard form_do routine. There is no way Belef can affect them (meaning you'll have to use the left mouse button within alert boxes :-( . f) SAMPLE SESSION -------------- Place the copy of the file BELEF.SET which comes with Belef in the SAME directory as BELEF.PRG and run BELEF.PRG. CONFIGURING ----------- Click on the CONFIGURE button to call up the configuration screen. Select the PATHS button. When the alert appears, select UTIL. This will call up a fileselector. Locate and Select ARC.TTP. The FULL path and name of this utility should then appear on the top line of the panel. ie: F:\ARCSTUFF\ARC.TTP Select the PATHS button again and Select TEMP. Set the fileselector to the drive/directory in which your archived files will be located. Click on OKAY in the fileselector WITHOUT selecting a file. The TEMP path should then appear on the bottom of the panel. ie: J:\*.* If you wish to assign an alternate utility to this setup, select the LOAD button. Select the SIN button from the alert which appears. Locate and select one of the SIN files which comes with Belef. Repeat the procedures from the previous two paragraphs to set the utilities path and temp directory. Click on the "right" arrow on the bottom of the panel to scroll to setup number 2. Repeat the procedures from the last 3 paragraphs to setup your second utility. Once done, click on the "right" arrow to set setup number 2 in memory. Click on the SAVE button. Select SET from the alert. When the fileselector appears, enter the name of your SETup and click on OKAY in the selector. The SETup file contains your 2 utility setups. A SIN file contains a SINgle setup (the one currently displayed on screen). Click on the OKAY button on the bottom of the configure panel to return to the main panel. For the purpose of demonstration we'll assume you're using ARC.TTP (which uses the extender .ARC) and XLHARC.TTP (which uses the extender .LZH). EXTRACTING AN ARC FILE USING ARC.TTP v.6.02 ------------------------------------------- Click on the EXTRACT button on the top of the panel. Select any options you wish from the top half of the panel, ie: W/FOLDERS and/or OVERWRITE. Click on the BIG button labeled ARC on the top right. When the selector appears, select the ARC file you wish to extract and click on OKAY. When the second selector appears, select the drive/directory to which you wish the files extracted and click on OKAY in the selector. DO NOT select a file from the second selector. ie: 1st selector: F:\MYFILE.ARC 2nd selector: J:\*.* When the alert appears, select either ALL (to extract all files), FOLDER (to have Belef create a folder and extract into IT), QUERY (to call up a query screen which allows you to select individual files within the archived file to extract) or CANCEL (to abort extraction). Belef will then send your instructions to the archive utility. CREATING AN LZH FILE USING XLHARC.TTP v.2.01 -------------------------------------------- Click on the ADD button on the bottom half of the panel. Select any options you wish, ie: W/FOLDERS and/or OVERWRITE. NOTE: If you're planning on adding folders you MUST select the W/FOLDERS button. Click on the BIG button labeled LZH which appears below the arrows on the right side of the main panel. When the selector appears, select the drive/ directory in which you wish your new LZH file to be created. Enter the name of the new LZH file you are creating and click on OKAY in the selector. ie: I:\NEWFILE.LZH When the second selector appears, select the drive/directory in which the files you wish added to the archived file are located. ie: J:\*.* =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= SEE ALSO: Section 7 =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= If you wish to add EVERY file on a selected drive TO the new archived file, select the drive and click on OKAY in the selector (WITHOUT entering ANYTHING on the selectors "selection" line). ie: J:\*.* If you wish to add files one at a time, select the SINGLE file you wish added so that its name appears on the "selection" line and click on the OKAY button in the selector. ie: J:\FILENAME.INF If you wish to add the entire contents of a folder, open the folder and click on OKAY in the fileselector (WITHOUT selecting any files). ie: J:\FOLDER\*.* If you wish to add the folder AND its contents, enter the name of the folder on the selectors "selection" line and click on the OKAY button in the fileselector (the W/FOLDERS option MUST be selected). ie: J:\FOLDER Belef will then send your instructions to the compression utility. LISTING EITHER FILE ------------------- Select the LIST button and click on the corresponding compression utility button. Select the appropriate file and click on OKAY. Belef will then instruct the utility to list the contents of that file. OVERVIEW -------- This is just an overview of how to perform these functions. In order to make FULL use of a compression utilities features you should really read the documentation which comes WITH the compression utility. It will more fully explain the purposes of all of its abilities. g) GROUP EXTRACTIONS/WILDCARDS --------------------------- While Belef itself does not directly support the extraction of more than one archived file at a time, MOST archiving utilities DO ! Simply follow these steps (for this example we'll assume you're using Quester's !LHARC.TTP). Instead of selecting an individual file to extract, enter *.LZH on the selection line of the fileselector. Then proceed as you would normally. That's it ! !LHARC.TTP will extract ALL files in the selected directory ending in .LZH. If you only wish to extract files starting with the letter C , enter C*.LZH on the selection line. A WORD OF CAUTION ----------------- As mentioned earlier, most LZH utilities (as of 12/26/93) do NOT work with all .LZH formats. Therefore, such a utility could conceivably crash when attempting to say, extract, an unfamiliar format ! Because of this it is generally NOT a good idea to perform a group extraction unless you are certain the utility you are using will work on all of the archived files formats. It is the archive utilities responsibility to check for this, but unfortunately, most don't. h) ON SCREEN HELP -------------- To receive additional on screen help simply hold down the [ALTERNATE] key when selecting a button. An alert will appear with a brief explanation of the function of the button. NOTE: Buttons whose function is obvious (ie: Okay, Exit, Cancel) or which call up selection alerts will NOT contain help alerts. i) WILDCARDS --------- Wildcards are characters which are used to replace characters in a filename which are not known. The wildcard * asterisk replaces any group of characters while the wildcard ? question mark replaces only one character. For example, the search string PICTURE.PI? finds files with names like PICTURE.PI1, PICTURE.PI2 or PICTURE.PI3. In this case, only one character of the filename was not known. The search string *.PRG finds files with names like BELEF.PRG, PROFILE!.PRG or COLOR.PRG . In this case we knew the extender of the file and merely wanted to know how many of these we had. You can also use these wildcards in any combination you like. For example, the string NEODESK?.* finds files like NEODESKM.INF, NEODESKL.MAC or NEODESKH.NOT . j) MISSING DISK SPACE ------------------ If you've ever wondered why 716,026 "file bytes" won't fit on a disk formatted to 716,026 bytes or why 1024 bytes of disk space disappear when the only thing on the disk is a 21 byte file, read on... Formatting a disk basically sets up an "indexing" system (like a file catalog) on the disk. This is how your computer finds files... The disk is broken into "clusters" (or storage areas) with each cluster consisting (usually) of two 512 byte "sectors" (or one 1024 byte cluster). Any files written to a disk are stored in these clusters. Once a cluster has been written to, it is marked as belonging to a specific file. When a new (or different) file is written to the disk, your computer bypasses this cluster (since it's "in use") and writes to the next free cluster it can find (even if there are still bytes available within the "in use" cluster). This is where your "disk space" seemingly disappears ! You may have noticed something similar to this... Your computer says you have 840,704 bytes of free disk space available. This is true. You then copy a 21 byte file to that disk and discover that you now only have 839,680 bytes of disk space left. 840,704 minus 21 certainly doesn't equal 839,680 (at least in this universe :-). What happened..? Your 21 byte file is occupying the 1024 byte cluster (even though it is only using 21 bytes out of 1024). This cluster has now been marked as "in use" and those 1024 bytes have been subtracted from the disk totals. 840,704 - 839,680 = 1024 . No other files can be written to this sector as long as it is "in use". Since only 21 bytes are being used within this cluster, 1003 bytes of disk space are now doing nothing. If you increase the size of this 21 byte file, the extra bytes WILL be used by THIS file in THIS cluster. When the file size exceeds 1024 bytes the computer "appropriates" the next free cluster, marks it as belonging to this file and continues writing the file to disk. This is where "disk fragmenting" comes in (we'll get to the point in a minute, I promise :-) . Say the 21 byte file occupies "cluster 1" . Now you write a second 21 byte file to the disk (which occupies "cluster 2"). Then you increase the first file to 2000 bytes. File number 1 now occupies clusters 1 and 3. The file is not "contiguous" on disk, which is why it is referred to as "fragmented". Your computer needs to move around the disk to find all of the "pieces" belonging to this file. Imagine this on a larger scale and you can see why it takes longer for your computer to access a fragmented file. Okay, the point ! If your computer says that there are 716,026 bytes available on the disk, it doesn't usually mean that you can fit 716,026 bytes worth of files ON the disk. Remember, each file occupies "1024 byte" clusters, whether it uses all of the bytes in that cluster or not. To find out how much actual "disk space" that file is using, do the following. Get the size of the file (ie: 11259) and divide it by 1024. 11259/1024 = 10.995 . Round it up to 11 . Multiply 11 by 1024 to get the "actual" disk space used ( 11 x 1024 = 11264 ) by this file. "Borderline" file sizes can be determined this way. Get the file size (ie: 30725) and divide it by 1024 (answer: 30) . 30 x 1024 = 30720 . If this number is LESS than the file size, add 1024 to get the "actual" disk space used ( 1024 + 30720 = 31744 ). This file is "borderline" because only 5 bytes of the file are occupying the 1024 byte cluster. The extra 1019 bytes within this cluster are essentially "lost" to you (unless you increase this specific files size, as mentioned above). By the way, folders use up 1024 bytes of disk space, not 0 (as implied by your computer). The folder occupies a cluster. Hopefully this gives you a "basic" idea of what is happening to all of that disk space you thought you had. k) SCRIPT INDIRECTION ------------------ To use Belef's custom script indirection you will need a word processor capable of saving text in ASCII format. As described earlier, file indirection allows you to specify files to affect through the use of an ASCII text file. Although similar in principle to standard indirection, Belef indirection is sufficiently different to warrant a slightly varied approach. Standard indirection files and Belef indirection files are therefore NOT interchangeable !!! Belef indirection files allow you to perform up to 30 different archiving procedures by simply selecting a Belef indirection file ! A common use of this is to back up files and/or folders on your hard disk (although you can use it to do most anything). The file MUST follow some simple rules of organization in order for Belef to utilize it... B20.IND <- The first line identifies this as a valid BELEF.IND file. It MUST be followed immediately by a carriage RETURN. Y <- The 2nd line can be either a Y (for yes) or N (for no). When this line is Y, fileselectors set to the paths specified in this file will appear. This gives you the opportunity to both confirm your intentions and/or to change your script "on the fly". When this line is N, the fileselectors will NOT appear. The remaining lines specify the paths and names of the files which will be sent to your archiving utility. You may specify up to 30 operations (or lines)... J:\MYFILE.LZH C:\DESKTOP.INF The first part of this line contains the full path and name of a file. It is followed by ONE blank space (this is important). After the ONE blank space you will enter the full path and name of the second file. ALL lines MUST be followed IMMEDIATELY by a carriage return ! The file MUST then be saved with the extender IND, ie: DRIVE_C.IND. Let's try some examples... B20.IND Y J:\MYFILE.LZH C:\DESKTOP.INF Run Belef. Select the ADD command button. Hold down the [CONTROL] key and select the LZH (execute) button. Select your .IND file from the fileselector. Select YES from the alert. Belef will then instruct your archive utility to ADD the file C:\DESKTOP.INF to the archive J:\MYFILE.LZH. Okay...now you're probably thinking, so what. I can do that without a script. True...BUT...you can also use this method to add multiple files or folders WITHOUT having to select the files or enter a folders name. This is the indirection file I use to back up drive C of my hard disk... B20.IND N I:\AUTOFLDR.LZH C:\AUTO I:\ROOTACCS.LZH C:\*.AC? I:\MULTDESK.LZH C:\MULTDESK I:\ACCESORY.LZH C:\ACCS I:\NEODESK3.LZH C:\NEODESK3 First I turn OFF the "pause after tos apps" option. I then select the ADD command and the W/FOLDERS option. I then hold down the [CONTROL] key while clicking on the LZH execute button. When the fileselector appears I select DRIVE_C.IND and select YES from the alert. I then go downstairs and make a cup of tea..! While I'm gone, Belef instructs the archive utility to add the contents of C:\AUTO to I:\AUTOFLDR.LZH, to add all accessories in drive C:\ to I:\ROOTACCS.LZH, to add the contents of C:\MULTDESK to I:\MULTDESK.LZH, to add the contents of C:\ACCS to I:\ACCESORY.LZH and to add the contents of C:\NEODESK3 to the file I:\NEODESK3.LZH ! When I return, all 6 files are finished and waiting for me ! You may use Belef indirection for any procedure which requires two paths. For example, you can also enter... I:\ARCHIVES\A*.LZH J:\ This allows you to extract all files starting with the letter A and ending in LZH to drive J:\ . You MAY need to consult your archiving utilities documentation to determine the exact filename syntax expected by that utility. For example, some utilities may not allow J:\ as a drive specification. You MAY need to enter it as J:\*.* . The enclosed .IND files are designed to help you over most of the rough spots. 14) CONTROL CODES ADDENDUM ---------------------- The control codes may seem a little complicated and confusing at first. Once you start implementing them, however, you will see that they are really quite simple. This section will give you a more in depth look at what some of these codes are doing. a) INDIRECTION ----------- Since the documentation which comes with ARC.TTP and !LHARC.TTP is vague on this subject, I thought I'd explain it here in a little more detail. File indirection basically allows you to specify files to affect through the use of an ASCII text file. This file contains the full paths and names of the files you wish, say, added, to your new archive file. If you have a specific set of files and/or folders which you regularly compress into an archive, the "indirection file" saves you the trouble of wading through countless directories to select them. The contents of one of these files would typically look like this; C:\DESKTOP.INF C:\AUTO\GDOS.PRG C:\CONTROL.INF The archiving utility reads the contents of this file and then adds any of these files it can find into the new archive file. ie: a myfile.arc @indirect.txt instructs ARC.TTP to add any files listed in "indirect.txt" to the archive file myfile.arc. ie: a myfile.lzh &indirect.txt instructs !LHARC.TTP to add any files listed in "indirect.txt" to the archive file myfile.lzh. ###################################################### The "indirection" file MUST be saved in ASCII format ! ###################################################### The control code, control-i, instructs Belef to place the "indirection code" in front of the filename selected in the second selector. Now if you're getting confused, don't ! Just try it out to see how simple it is. First, create an ASCII text file containing the paths and names of the files you wish added to an archive. You can refer to INDIRECT.TXT for an example. Next, enter the character @ (if using ARC.TTP) or & if using !LHARC.TTP) after the ADD command, a , on the configuration screen. Last, enter the control code, <control-i> right after the @ or & character on the configuration screen. ie: CMND: a@<control-i> Now return to the Main Panel. Select ADD from the main panel buttons and click on the appropriate EXECUTE button. When the first fileselector appears, enter the name of the archive file. When the second selector appears, select the "indirection file". The archive utility will then read the "indirection file" and add any files listed within it to the archive file you specified. If the code has been entered properly, the prompt "select indirection file" will appear on the top of the screen when the second selector appears. If the correct codes ( @ or & ) plus the control code ( control-i ) have NOT been entered correctly, the archive utility will add your indirection file itself to the new archive. NOTE: If you have a file which begins with the "at" symbol, ie: @MYFILE.TXT, you MUST preceed this files name with a forward slash "/" so that ARC.TTP doesn't misinterpret it as an indirection file. You can do this from the "command" screen. b) DELETING/DISPLAYING FILES WITHIN AN ARCHIVE ------------------------------------------- The control code, "control-q" instructs Belef to scan the archive file and then take you to the "Query" screen. From this screen you may select a file to "delete" or "display". After selecting the file, click on the "extract" button. The utility will then act upon the selected file. ARC.TTP documentation states that if no "redirect" command is issued, ie: >prn , then display is automatically sent to the screen (when selecting the "p" (print) option). However, every copy of ARC602ST I've encountered sends output to the printer, no matter what you tell it. It is for this reason that you may not be able to "view" a text file from within an ARC file. If someone knows a way around this I'd appreciate hearing about it ! c) OPTION REDIRECTION ------------------ This option was implemented in an attempt to find a way around the ARC problem mentioned in the last paragraph. In order to redirect output from within an ARC file, using ARC602ST, you must place the "redirection path" at the END of the command line (argument). This is a feature of ARC.TTP, not a "hack". ie: x myfile.arc mytext.txt >prn This is the way the command line must look in order for ARC.TTP to redirect the file output to the printer. <Control-r>, Belefs redirect code, takes the "option" from the main panel and places it at the end of the argument. It would normally appear immediately after the command. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- NOTE: Belef will take EVERY selected option and place it at the end of the command line. For this reason you must be CERTAIN to ONLY select the option which specifies the redirection path. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- In order to make use of it you MUST use it in conjunction with ARC.TTPs "print" command. I don't know of any other utility which redirects information in this way, but if you run into one, the feature's here. Incidentally, when I select "print" alone from ARC.TTP (even from the desktop), ARC.TTP posts the message "printing file" on the screen. When I use the >prn option, it STILL sends the file to the printer, but doesn't print ANYTHING on the screen. At first I thought my computer had locked up ! 15) INDEX ----- ALERTS Confirmation .......... 2a,2c Extraction ............ 1g,6 Load .................. 3i Save .................. 3j ARCHIVE FILES About ................. 13 ARROWS Main panel ............ 1e,1g Configuration screen .. 3h BUTTONS Chain ................. 1d,4f Command (execute) ..... 1a Command (configure) ... 3b Convert ............... 1d,4f Masks ................. 3h Options (select) ...... 1b Options (configure) ... 3e Select (prefs) ........ 2e CNF FILES ................ 3j CUR FILES ................ 2d,3i COMMANDS Command line .......... 4b Entering .............. 3b Executing ............. 1c,4e Options (using) ....... 1b,4b CONFIGURING .............. 3 CONTROL CODES ............ 3c DISK SPACE ............... 5d Clusters .............. 13j Fragmenting ........... 13j DISPLAY FILES ............ 3c,14b ENCRYPTION ............... 3f EXECUTE .................. 1c,4e FILE Clusters .............. 13j Command screen ........ 4c Copying ............... 5a Fragmenting ........... 13j Moving ................ 5a Deleting .............. 3c,5b,14b Renaming .............. 5c FILESELECTOR Command (PATHS) ....... 4g Configure (PATHS) ..... 3k Masks ................. 3h Messages .............. 13a Paths ................. 5f,5g,13b FOLDER Creating .............. 5e Deleting .............. 5f Extract to ............ 6b Renaming .............. 5g GROUP Extractions ........... 13g Wildcards ............. 13g HELP (on screen) ......... 13h HOLD SCREEN .............. 2b INDIRECTION .............. 3c,13k,14a LOAD Default files ......... 3i LOW RESOLUTION ........... 1g LZH Identifying formats ... 1e,1g MALLOC ................... 12 MEMORY ................... 12 MENU BAR ................. 5h MOUSE Buttons ............... 2e Cursor ................ 2d Snapping .............. 2d,12 Wrapping .............. 2d NAMES Configure ............. 3d OPTIONS Buttons ............... 1b Configure ............. 3e OVERWRITE ................ 2c PASSWORDS ................ 3f PATHS Command screen ........ 4g Configure screen ...... 3k PREFERENCES Pause ................. 2b Prompts ............... 2a PRN: ..................... 3c QUERY .................... 6c RADIO BUTTONS ............ 1a RAM DISK ................. 7,3g,13d REGISTRATION ............. 10 SAVE ..................... 3j SCROLLING SETUPS ..........3h SET FILES ................ 3i,3j SIN FILES ................ 3j STANDARD OUTPUT .......... 3c,14c TEMPORARY DIRECTORIES Command screen ........ 4d,4g Configure screen ...... 3g Selecting ............. 7 TEMP .................. 4a TOS APPLICATIONS Pause after ........... 2b TOS TAKES PARAMETERS ..... 4h UNCLEMOUSE ............... 2d UTILITY Command screen ........ 4g Configure screen ...... 3a,3k WILDCARDS ................ 13i Copy/Move File(s) ..... 5a Delete File(s) ........ 5b Extractions ........... 13g ZOO FILES ................ 12 FGCFBA 122793