Thank you for trying TOEXPAND

Personally (and I hope many people, too), have to try some windows programs
that need to be installed by their custom setup utility. They usually
contain a SETUP.EXE executable and multiple *.??_ files. What do you do
if you want to expand the compressed .??_ files, without running the
SETUP utility? (for example, you don't want the setup to fill your
windows directory with another 10-pack of useless DLLs). You can use
DOS EXPAND.EXE utility, but unfortunately, this is program must be given
only one input and one output file at a time.

Here comes TOEXPAND. TOEXPAND finds all the .??_ files in the current
directory and writes to the standard output a DOS batch file that
runs EXPAND.EXE for each compressed file.
For example, in directory C:\SOUND you have the files:
        TARA.DL_
        RUN.EX_
        HELP.HL_
Change to this directory and run TOEXPAND > LALA.BAT. You will then have
to run LALA.BAT and three new files will be created, ready for you to test:
        TARA.DLL
        RUN.EXE
        HELP.HLP
You can always edit or view LALA.BAT, before you ran it.

TOEXPAND uses a configuration file, TOEXPAND.INI which can be located in
the current directory, or in the same directory TOEXPAND.EXE is located.
That way it is not necessary for TOEXPAND.EXE to be in you long path.
A batch file which calls it in its own directory is just fine. You can
also put TOEXPAND.EXE and TOEXPAND.INI in a utilities directory in your
path. The first line of this TOEXPAND.INI states the full pathname for
DOS 6.X EXPAND.EXE. All the remaining lines have the form
        .XY_ .XYZ
i.e.
        .DL_ .DLL
        .HL_ .HLP
etc, so the program knows in what name to expand each compressed file.
Please avoid the blank lines in the configuration file, because they
confuse the program.

There is a chance that running the program, an unknown .??_ extension
will be met. You can always add a line to TOEXPAND.INI. If you have
a much larger configuration file, it would be nice to send it to me
(see at the end of the file).

TOEXPAND does not have any command line parameters. I would like to keep
this program as simple as possible, because it is so easy to build it.

You can find the latest version of this program using WWW, at
        http://www.softlab.ntua.gr/~akav/toexpand

This program will be in the Public Domain status. I admit that any moderate
programmer can build such a program, but I think none will just sit an
build it if he needs it immediatelly. You can freely distribute this archive,
better without any modifications in the files it contains.

Anyhow, if you like this program, please send me a postcard and/or 1$
with your e-mail address. I will send you back the huge C source listing.

My snail-mail address is:
        Antonis Kavarnos
        Kazantzaki 33
        15772 Athens
        GREECE

e-mail: akav@softlab.ntua.gr
www:    http://www.softlab.ntua.gr/~akav