XCom v2.73 ============ written by Mauro Panigada General Index ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Introduction ......................................... 1 Requirements ......................................... 2 Using XCom ........................................... 3 Brief: using XCom .................................... 4 XCom and Ordering .................................... 5 History .............................................. 6 Author ............................................... 7 THIS PROGRAM IS FREEWARE. THIS MEANS YOU CAN USE AND COPY IT FREELY. IT CAN BE INCLUDED IN FREDFISH OR WHATEVER FREE. IT AND ITS CODE CAN NOT BE USED FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCT. - 1 - Introduction ============== An Introduction to the problem ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ordering is a great program, which does (almost) anything you want. But a little problem you can see using it, if you use it, when you want to set the same comment to all selected file (or directory). I am doing an example: You have in dh1: four files that belong to a main program, eg named MickyMice. You want to set this comment to all files: "this belongs to MickyMice". Through Ordering, you select all file, then click on gadget. It asks for a string of comment, then you say OK, then it sets the comment to the first selected, and asks again for the next and then the next ones. But... The comment, yes it, it is the same for all files. How can you solve this problem (if you need solving it)? Using XCom, because it has multiple files, filenote haven't. XCom is a cli program, but we know, Ordering can call extern tools. It can be useful, very useful and powerful, in scripts and from cli you can use it more powerfully. But it solves that problem, too. XCom can clone, show and set a comment. Supports pattern-matching and multiple files. So you can trash your long filenote command! XCom does everything it does and more. - 2 - Requirements ============== Requirements ~~~~~~~~~~~~ You need an Amiga, of course, with at least OS3.0 (V39). It is tested on an Amiga500 ROM 1.3, OS3.0 installed, 4 Mb RAM, 512 kb CHIP (OCS, FatAgnus), 68000. You do not need special processor (as 68020) only because of odd addresses... (they are slower than even) That's all. - 3 - Using XCom ============ Its features and its use ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Very short * Multiple files with pattern-matching * (Of course) pure It is written in 100% assembly by Mauro Panigada (This is a very important feature!) Using XCom is very simple. The TEMPLATE is: FILE/A/M,C=COMMENT/K,QUIET/S Now I am going to show you how XCom can "understand" what you want. In fact it can do three different actions, it dipends how you teach it. Set comment mode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you want to set a comment (the same for all) to several files, you only must write the C or COMMENT keyword, the comment follow. 1> xcom df4:#? C "" This command line will set a null comment to all files in df4: It is the same of 1> filenote df4:#? The ALL switch you can see in filenote template is not implemented in my own XCom. I think it makes XCom command longer and it is not so useful. When do you need to set a comment recursively? So 1> filenote dh0: ALL is not available on my XCom. But, be careful, it will delete all comments of all files of your hd partition. When do you need it? Probably I will never do it, if you think it can be useful, keep filenote AND XCom... both. Attention, the pattern will match also the directory, and will set that comment to the directory, but not to what it contains. 1> xcom dh0:jch df2:dog df3:god df0:goddog C "greek" This line will set "greek" comment to all specified files, in the different device... With filenote: 1> filenote dh0:jch "greek" 1> filenote df2:dog "greek" and so on... Clone mode ~~~~~~~~~~ This is the main function, and for this this program was written. Simply not specifing C or COMMENT keyword and giving two or more files, it will clone the comment from the first to the second, the third and so on... 1> xcom dh0:file df4:#?kk#? df2:mice df1:ux/hpux/#? Only a note: the pattern matching has no sense for the first argument, which must be a file that exists, or an error will be showed. Get comment mode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Time ago (two or three days ago, see "History"), XCom was named clcom (clone comment) and it cloned from a file to one or many files. Near it laid getcom, which got a comment from a file and wrote it. Now XCom do it. 1> XCom df0:mouse In this mode, pattern matching has no sense. So QUIET switch. This mode can be used also to fill a var with the comment of a file. See "XCom and Ordering" to know more. - 4 - Brief: using XCom =================== For those that haven't time... Set comment ~~~~~~~~~~~ xcom FILE1 FILE2 [...] FILEn C "a comment" where FILE can contains wildcards Clone comment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ xcom FROM TO1 TO2 [...] TOn where only TO can contains wildcards Get comment ~~~~~~~~~~~ xcom FILE where FILE is a file, no wildcards - 5 - XCom and Ordering =================== Using it with Ordering ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Load edit preferences program. Click on button. Select a gadget, where you want put this function. It dipends on your taste. In the system I use it is inserted in the first bank, the last gadget of the second line. Now you will give me a name, eg "XComment". The search and click on "External tools". Fill the string gadget: C:XCOM C "%sr" %ase QUIET And make on/off what you want, about runback, output window (in this case you won't specify QUIET)... Useful: reread source directory. Through Ordering the cloner mode is not usable. A bypass: On the same gadget (if you want), in the right mouse button function, you will choose external tools, and write this string: C:XCOM >ENV:comment %ase ATTENTION, even if %ase, you MUST select only ONE file, otherwise it will go in cloner mode, and it will clone the first to the others, and ENV:comment will be filled with the standard output while it does that operation. %ase is specified to permit Ordering to pass directory, too, and get comment from them, too. Now, save and reread preferences. Test it: choose a file, rmb on the XComment gadget, choose one or many files, lmb on XComment, $comment as string, the game is done. - 6 - History ========= History ~~~~~~~ 1997.04.10 v1.0 finished. Only comment cloner and comment setter, but without pattern matching but only multiple files 1997.04.11 fixed the behavior when QUIET switch is specified 1997.04.11 v2.0, multiple pattern matching only for the second argument(s) (). Cloner and comment setter, but (!) at least two files! 1997.04.14 v2.73, clones; sets also to a file alone; now also shows a comment 1997.04.16 mainly fixed (twice!) QUIET behavior and fixed little bugs (2) that do not ruin its work. 1997.04.16 first guide file - 7 - The Author ============ Information about me ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Address: Via e-mail: Mauro Panigada linoascione@hotmail.com via del Fringuello, 26 00169, ROMA ITALY