README.TXT: List of files and installation instructions 27-Jul-93 WINSINCE.EXE Version 2.1 Copyright 1993 Rob Hueniken 68 Fox Mill Crescent, London, Ontario, "The Batch Machine" Canada, N6J 2B4, 1-519-471-0333 Compuserve 70162,1521 Registration: $20 WINSINCE is a customizable Windows file processing utility that searches for files and performs definable actions on the list of files. It is able to run both DOS programs and commands as well as Windows programs. It is an excellent utility for power users, programmers, and network administrators. WINSINCE 2.0 can run minimized in batch mode, logging files found, performing an action on the files found, and then exiting when done. Because the action to be performed can be any Windows program, DOS command or program, you have complete flexibility in defining what gets done. Its relative date searching lets you search for files created a number of days from the current date. WinSince will find the files you want to work on. Full help is available within the program. An Ascii version of the help is available as WinSince.txt. WinSince runs unders Windows 3.1, and under OS/2 2.1 in WIN-OS/2 Full Screen in addition to Seamlessly on the OS/2 Desktop. Installation ============ *** To install, run the SETUP.EXE program. This will prompt you for the directory to put WINSINCE into, and copy the files to the appropriate directories. WinSince supports VGA and higher resolutions. If you are running an older version of WinSince (previously call Since version 1.01) you may need to delete the old Since.dll, Since.exe and Since.hlp files. The WinSince SETUP program will overwrite an old DLL in \windows\system. By deleting the older since.dll file you will avoid "sub or function not defined" errors. The version of Since.dll used by version 2.1 is new (dated 08-04-93 11:54 am, 31209 bytes). The older version also used Vbrun200.dll while you will need Vbrun300.dll for version 2.0. Vbrun300.dll can be found on the distribution disk or on your BBS, and should normally be in your \Windows\System directory. If you get an error when starting WinSince that says "The file c:\directory\SS3D2.VBX is out of date" then you need to delete that file: WinSince installs the latest version in your \Windows\System. You may need to exit and re-enter Windows to be able to delete the file, since Windows may say that it is using it. If the SETUP program does not install WinSince, you can run WinSince out of a directory containing all of the distribution files. Alternatively, the "Files needed" section below can show you where each WinSince file is normally copied to. WinSince requires VBRUN300.DLL. Norton Desktop Installation Notice ================================== A small problem in the MicroSoft Setup Kit with NDW can result in a DDE message following a successful installation: "An application using DDE did not respond to the system's exit command". If you see this message, click on the CLOSE button. This problem does not affect the installation or the running of WinSince. My apologies for this problem. Change to Actions in Version 2 from Version 1.2 =============================================== Any Actions from previous versions need to be examined for their use of the %P path substitution token. In the new version, %P has been split to allow %D to be the drive, separate from the path. This gives a lot more flexibility in moving files between similar paths. Old version: C:\WINDOWS\FILE.EXT : %P = C:\WINDOWS (no ending "\" ) %F = FILE.EXT Action: COPY %P\%F A: (copy files to A:) Result: COPY C:\WINDOWS\FILE.EXT A: New version: C:\WINDOWS\FILE.EXT : %D = C %P = WINDOWS (no leading or ending "\" ) %F = FILE.EXT (no change) Action: COPY %D:\%P\%F A: (copy files to A:) Result: COPY C:\WINDOWS\FILE.EXT A: (same as old version) Now you can do things such as copying files to other areas of a drive, or other drives, while maintaining the subdirectory nature: Action: XCOPY %D:\%P\%F A:\SAVE\%P\ (make directory if needed, then copy) Result: XCOPY C:\WINDOWS\FILE.EXT A:\SAVE\WINDOWS\ New features in version 2.1 =========================== Now handles multiple file types during the search, such as *.txt;*.exe (separate with semicolon). Can now have multiple instances of WinSince running at the same time. Shows the total size of selected files in the new List menu. The log file name can be automatically generated from the date to create unique log files. New features in version 2.0 =========================== WinSince is now able to run in batch with command line startup instructions. This will allow you to create specialized WinSince instances that automate your file management. Once you set up your WinSince Actions, you can create Program Manager WinSince icons to define each of your file tasks. The new start up commands include: /dir= Directory to start program in Example: /dir=c:\windows If /dir is left off, then WinSince will start in directory specified in the Startup Directory specified by the Windows Program Manager property. /filetype= Type of files to search for Example: /filetype=*.bat If /filetype is left off, WinSince uses *.* Any files found by a search are selected within the file list box. /subdir Search down the subdirectory tree from the directory specified in /dir. If /subdir is left off, then WinSince only searches the startup directory. /drives= Search the entire selected drives for the file type. Example: /drives=cdf would search drives C, D and F. Non-existent drives are ignored, which can be handy on networks where drives come and go. It will give an error though if no drives are found to be valid. If both /drives and /subdir are left off, WinSince searches the startup directory. /cleardate Ignore the creation date when finding files If /cleardate is left off, WinSince searches for files created today. /since= Creation date of files to find since. Files created on or after this date will be included. Absolute date method; handy when you know the date to check: Example 1: /since=01-30-1993 (find files created since Jan 30 1993) (ie. format is /since=mm-dd- yyyy) Relative date method; handy for automating searches to run each day: Example 2: /since=-5 (find files created since 5 days ago) (ie. today - 5 days) /archive Search for files with the Archive file attribute set. These are files that have not yet been backed up. If /archive is left off, WinSince ignores the files' Archive flag setting when searching. /search Search for files when WinSince starts, even if Option is set to not get files when starting up. Usually you'll want to include this so that WinSince finds selected files on startup. You should leave /search off if you are using /dir and/or /filetype to specify startup values but don't want a file search to delay the startup of WinSince. /action= Action number (1 to 10) to perform on the files. The action be any of the 10 actions defined by you within the WinSince Edit screen. Example: /action=10 performs action number 10 on any files found. If /action is left off, WinSince searches for files but does not perform an action on the files found. If /min is present, then the Action run will run in a minimized window, even if the Action is defined to run full size, etc. All other aspects of the defined Action are run as defined, so be sure to NOT include any Pauses between or at the end of DOS actions, and to NOT have the Confirm before run option set in Edit. The reason is that the Action will run minimized, and you will not see the request for keystrokes ("Press return to continue"). The program would sit idle waiting until you maximize the screen and click on OK. /exit Exit WinSince once the initial file search is done ("batch mode"). This allows you to set up WinSince to perform a single task and then exit. If /exit is left off, WinSince will remain active on the screen when it completes any task you assigned for it("interactive mode"). /min Run minimized. This is handy for running WinSince as a batch job with /exit when you don't want to see it running. /Min overrides the Window Format defined in the Action, so that even if you have the Action defined to run Notepad.exe full screen, the /min qualifier will run it minimized. /log= Name of log file to write files found by WinSince. Example: /log=c:\winsince.log WinSince will write the type of search and the file details of all files found during the current session. This can be used in batch mode to show what files were found, and in interactive mode to create a list of files, for later printing or analysis. If free disk space falls under 500,000 bytes the log file is automatically closed, so pick a drive with lots of space for the log file: it uses about 80 characters for each file found during the searches. Note: errors occuring during a search are usually written to the log file, preficed with ">> ". /append Append to an existing log file, as specified in /log qualifier. If the log file does not exist it is created. My personal preference for interactive file management is to always specify /log on the command line but without the /append. It barely slows things down and is often very handy for checking details. To set up WinSince to use the command line switches, use the File | Properties menu item in the Program Manager to modify the WinSince command line. Ie. instead of running C:\WINSINCE\WINSINCE.EXE you might change it to show C:\WINSINCE\WINSINCE.EXE /DIR=C:\ /FILETYPE=*.BAT /SEARCH The command line switches can be combined to do a variety of tasks that range from customizing the startup file type to automatically copying files between directories. ******************************************************************************* Warning: You have complete flexibility in creating and running your Actions. This also means that you must exercise care in using them. Testing your Actions in interactive mode on copies of files is a good way to be sure that the /Action and other command line qualifiers do what you want on the right files. Be mindful of how many files may be found in a search: you could run out of memory or disk space. ******************************************************************************* Setting up multiple icons for WinSince on the Windows desktop ============================================================= As you come up with your own list of file tasks that you would like to automate, you can add copies of the WinSince icon within its Windows group. To do this, hold down the Ctrl key while you click and drag the WinSince icon to a free spot within its group. Modify its File Properties with the command line qualifiers, and change its title to show the meaning of the task it does. For example, I have a WinSince icon set up to look at the log file. Its command line reads: WinSince.exe /dir=c:\ /filetype=WinSince.log /cleardate /action=3 /exit This launches the Notepad editor to edit the log file, then exits, to leave you to browse the log. I have the Title set to Edit Log If you have multiple WinSince logs for various purposes, you can use /subdir or /drives= to search for them all and to pop up edit sessions for each of them. Example 1: You are interested in seeing a list of all TXT files in particular areas: WINSINCE.EXE /DIR=C:\MYWORK /FILETYPE=*.TXT /SUBDIR /CLEARDATE /SEARCH This tells WinSince to look down in all subdirectories starting from C:\MYWORK for files with the extension TXT, and to ignore the creation date, ie. find all .TXT files regardless of creation date. Since no /ACTION is given, WinSince will display the list of files when it appears, leaving it up to you to view the list and possibly choose an Action at that time. Example 2: You want to review or edit TXT files changed since yesterday, and create a log file showing the list of the files found: WINSINCE.EXE /DIR=C:\MYWORK /FILETYPE=*.TXT /ACTION=3 /MIN /EXIT /SEARCH /LOG=C:\MYWORK\CHECK.RPT /SINCE=-1 This tells WinSince to look only in the C:\MYWORK directory for files with the extension TXT that have been created since yesterday. The /SINCE=-1 tells WinSince that you are using a relative date of -1, ie. one day in the past. On each of these TXT files, WinSince will run Action number 3, which in the distribution version of WinSince runs the Windows NOTEPAD editor on the selected file. (You may customize all Actions to do whatever you want if you don't like the defaults). Since /MIN is specified, each Notepad session will appear as an icon, ready for you to work on when ready. Since /EXIT is specified, WinSince itself will never appear to you: it will just start up the Notepad sessions and then exit. The list of files found, along with their dates and sizes, will be put into C:\MYWORK\CHECK.RPT, as requested in the /LOG command. This is an Ascii file suitable for later editing or printing. Example 3: You want to copy TXT files changed since January 2nd 1993 to a safe directory, and create a log file showing the list of the files found. This is a similar example to Example 2 except that a specific date has been selected, and the Action is 7 (Xcopy): WINSINCE.EXE /DIR=C:\MYWORK /FILETYPE=*.TXT /ACTION=7 /MIN /EXIT /SEARCH /LOG=C:\MYWORK\CHECK.RPT /SINCE=01-02-1993 This tells WinSince to look only in the C:\MYWORK directory for files with the extension TXT that have been created since January 2nd 1993. The /SINCE=01-02-1993 tells WinSince that you are using an absolute date. Action 7 is defined in the distribution kit as XCOPY %D:\%P\%F C:\SAVE\%P\ . If we use C:\MYWORK\HELLO.TXT as one of the files found, it would be copied to C:\SAVE\MYWORK\HELLO.TXT . In the Edit screen you can set the Window Format to Minimized if you don't want to see the copying occur on the screen. Features introduced in version 1.2 ================================== Quick Start tutorial help section. Point and click file button assignment; it's fun and easy! Double click on file name to run associated program. Options for getting files when starting, and warning before running double clicked files. The action definition can be cleared by double clicking. Two-size edit screen (summary and editing details). Screen layout modified slightly to allow for use under VGA. Saves last position of program for next session. Files needed ============ There are 8 files required for running WinSince.exe: 1) WinSince.exe 2) WinSince.hlp (must be on the path, or in the working directory) 3) Since.dll (usually in the \Windows\System subdirectory, must be on the path, or in the working directory) 4) Since.ini (usually in the Windows subdirectory, on a network this can be in the same directory as the end user's version of win.ini) 5) Sincerun.bat (must be on the path, or in the working directory, is put into the \Windows subdirectory) 6) Sincecls.pif (must be on the path, or in the working directory, is put into the \Windows subdirectory) 7) SS3D2.vbx (usually in the \Windows\System subdirectory, must be on the path, or in the working directory; this is the Sheridan 3D Widget Runtime) 8) Vbrun300.dll (usually in the \Windows\System subdirectory, must be on the path, or in the working directory; part of Visual Basic 3.0 runtime) There are three additional files: 9) WinSince.txt (Ascii version of the WinSince.hlp) 10) WinSince.doc (a Word version of the WinSince.hlp) 11) Readme.txt (this file) Distribution disk setup versus Bulletin board setup =================================================== The SETUP.EXE program uses SETUP.LST to check which special files are needed for Setup. The supplied SETUP.LST (a copy of SETUP.DSK) is for distribution by disk and expects to find and install VBRUN300.DLL. The version of SETUP.LST needed for a bulletin board or for computers that already have VBRUN300.DLL is in SETUP.BBS. If you are planning to upload WINSINCE to a bulletin board then copy SETUP.BBS to SETUP.LST. This will avoid needing to upload VBRUN300.DLL (which the BBS has already) and avoid an error when SETUP.EXE tries to find VBRUN300.DLL. WinSince is already on Compuserve as WINSNC.ZIP, in the WINSHARE File Utilities area.