Erase 4.4 docfile - text format - created 07/21/93 by Steven M. Ryckman ERase 4.4 A replacement for the ever lame dos DEL command. Ever since the first versions of the DOS operating systems, users have been plagued by Microsoft's lack of user-friendly software and operating system(s). About five years prior to my writing the documentation for this version of ERase, I began working for a company who writes software for large business and does not use DOS or UNIX or any of the other "common" operating systems. This operating system was an off-shoot of a main-frame O/S and as such, did not clone the Microsoft world in any way. When I began working for this company I thought to myself that they wouldn't last a year. I mean, now-a-days, EVERYONE uses dos whether they know how to use it or not. But low and behold I was wrong and boy am I glad I was wrong. Over the years there I would like to think that I learned a thing or two about user-friendly programming. With this version of ERase being the ninth public release of it, evidently some of you feel the same way. I won't over-glorify ERase, I'll be the first to admit that it was created about 2am one morning because I accidentally erased some files off my computer at home (using dos) by a stray wildcard character, and this was before UNERASE commands were easily found. The first two versions of ERase never left my computer. They were written strictly for my own personal use and were clumsy and huge memory hogs. One day while a friend was over I happened to use ERase and gave him a copy who gave another friend a copy and the story is pretty simple from there. ERase is written using the Professional Development System (PDS) version 7.1 and several add-on libraries from Crescent Software in addition to several of my own custom in-house routines. It is modeled after the ERASE command for the Theos Operating System but it's similarity stops quick. Since I have already wasted a good page of space, why don't we just jump into the features of ERase and go from there. Allows entry of up to twenty filespec's on one command line, each with or without wildcards. different drives and different sub-directories. If any wildcards are in the filespec(s), ERase defaults to displaying the filenames matching the filespec and ask if it's ok to erase the file before it is deleted. If there are no wildcards in a filespec, ERase will delete the file without asking. ERase now looks for an environment variable called ER on your system when it is started. If found, it will use these options as well as any options on the command line. Useful if you want ER to always use a particular option without specifying it all the time. ERase shows you each filename it is deleting and after completing, gives the total number of files and bytes deleted from the drive(s). 'SECure' option prevents anyone with any un-erase utility from recovering the file(s) after they have been deleted. This option writes new data in the file(s) location on the drive before actually performing the erase, ensuring that none of the original data file contents can be recovered. 'VERify' option ensures the file is actually erased. Very useful for systems where background TSR's or other programs may leave files open. 'RMD' option instructs ERase to remove the subdirectory the files are in as well when it's done erasing the files. Note: The filespec you specify must erase ALL files in the subdirectory before it can be erased, otherwise ERase will give you an error. 'NOErase' option allows you to see what ERase would do, but does not actually erase any of the files. Command syntax: ERase [filespec1]... filespec1 a required entry of the file(s) to erase. this can include a drive and path if needed and/or standard dos wildcards. filespec20 up to twenty filespec's may be specified on one command line. only the first filespec is required however. separator the separator character is either a slash or left parenthesis. it is not required if no options are specified but at least one separator must be used if options are to following the filespec's. options none required, but definitely helpful. all may be abbreviated to their first three characters (upper case as listed) Options available: HELp or ? display brief summary of options available. NOQuery do not ask if ok to erase files, just erase them right away, QUEry * ask before erasing each file (even if no wildcards). NOType do not display filenames as they are erased. TYPe * display results of each task as performed. ERAse * erase the files specified. NOErase display what would be erased, but never actually delete. SECure over-write the file(s) before erasing them to prevent them from being un-erased by other utilities. NOSecure * erase the file, but do not do data over-writing first. NOVerify * don't check for file existence after erasing file(s). VERify ensure the file(s) are erased afterwards. RMDirectory after erasing the files, if the directory where the files were located is empty, remove the directory as well. (default options are followed by asterick above) Sample commands: ER *.DOC Ask if ok to erase all files with *.DOC extensions, individually. ER *.DOC (NOQ Erase the same files but don't ask any questions, just erase them. ER *.DOC APPLE.TXT C:\DOS\DEL.* Ask if ok to erase any files in the current directory matching *.DOC, erase the file APPLE.TXT in the current directory without asking, and erase all DEL.* files in the directory C:\DOS directory, but ask before actually erasing them. ER D:\TEMP\*.* /NOQ RMD Erase all files in the directory D:\TEMP and then remove the directory as well. ER SECRET.DOC (SEC Erase the file SECRET.DOC in the current directory after over-writing the file to prevent un-erasure. Environment variable ERase now supports the use of an environment variable to set default options for ERase to use. For instance, if you put this line: SET ER=/VER SEC In your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, every time you run ERase, it will use the VERify and SECure option - unless it finds a conflicting option on the command line. For instance, doing the following: ER *.ONE /NOQ With the environment variable set as above would cause ERase to use the VERify, SECure and NOQuery options, but doing: ER *.ONE /NOQ NOV Would cause it to use the NOQuery and SECure options only. Miscellaneous information Using the VERify and SECure options will greatly increase the amount of time it takes to delete file(s). ERase is 'Desqview aware' meaning simply that users who are running Desqview should have no problem with ERase locking the machine as DOS' delete command can do when running under a window. Disclaimer I hate to do this, but in today's world we have to. ERase is provided with no warranty either expressed or implied. I have tested ERase on a wide variety of equipment but by no means can I guarantee that it will work on all systems all the time. ERase is distributed as share-ware with the pretense of 'try before you buy'. Registration You are hereby granted use of ERase for 90 days to evaluate it. Upon expiration of the ninety day evaluation period, you must register ERase for continued peace of mind. Registration of ERase is only $10.00, payable in U.S. funds to Steve Ryckman. Technical Support to registered users of ERase is provided free of charge by one of the methods listed below. Registration will have sent to you, an official ERase diskette (5.25" double density unless 3.5" low-density is requested) and a printed copy of this documentation. Registration also allows you to register all future versions of ERase for free by download off BBS and entering your registration number. How to reach us by mail: Lakes Region Emergency Services 38703 North Sheridan Road #203 Beach Park, Illinois 60099-3981 by BBS: Lakes Region BBS (708) 872-8086 or (708) 872-8889 send message to STEVE RYCKMAN by RIME: Any R.I.M.E. network BBS around the world can reach me by routing a message to STEVE RYCKMAN at node ->LRBBS in the following conferences and several others. COMMON, FORSALE, ALARM/SECURITY, CONF.HOSTS or NETADMIN