July 13, 1993

Notes:
  
WINFILE.SCR was designed under UNICOM 3.1, to get me onto Compuserve, collect just the file information that I wanted from multiple forums, and then log off with minimum cost and fuss.  I've found UNICOM scripts to be more efficient for repeated activities than WinCIM, (which I love, by the way), - such as keeping up with the new files in CIS:WINSHARE et alia.  On the other hand, the Windows' navigators that I looked at went beyond my needs (too many options, too slow), but gave me ideas.

This script evolved out of one of my standard search patterns. 

Basically, it accepts two variables, that are entered during its run - the number of days to search back in the libraries, and an optional keyword,  then (hopefully) it will merrily skim through the preset list of forums, dumping the information into a log file, which it opens before closing UNICOM.  You are given the option to delete, append to, or backup any previous log file.

Just enter your account code and password in place of the XXXXXX's, and perhaps CHECK THAT ANY PATHS LISTED IN IT ARE CORRECT FOR YOUR SETUP, then link it to a  CIS dialing directory entry as the log on script.  (It should be able to fish your current text editor path out of "win.ini".)

(The script does NOT join a new forum for you.  Visit first, join, and then the script should work properly on subsequent runs.)

Each forum is a module at the end of the file:  add, subtract, or modify as desired,  but you'll get the best returns if you keep the forums in any particular version of the script on a relatively consistent topic.

This was fun to do, and a learning experience.  Hope you get some use out of it!

. . . and let me know if I made serious mistakes. <grin>

 - Jim:  72351,661

P.S.  Many thanks to David Gan for his work, and for UNICOM over many versions.  It's been a source of endless pleasure.

July 15, 1993

. . . well, one little bug found and fixed:  "FileRename" doesn't overwrite an existing file, which I should have expected.  If you elect to save an existing log file, rather than append to it, it should now work.  - J