DoTil Revision 1.0   January 8, 1987

Directory utilities seem to be a popular item.  Many of us spend a
large proportion of our console time rooting through our disks
trying to maintain some semblance or order.  This means a lot
of typing of obscure file names and directory paths which end
up being wrong more often than not.  DoTil hopes, or at least
pretends, to make those file maintenance chores a little easier.

DoTil will list in alphabetical order, all files on any two
directories.  It will show the file size, creation date and
the amount of free disk space.  It will copy, rename and
delete files, create or delete directories and move one or
more files from on directory to another.  It will even do
some of the things it can't do itself using the COMMAND
feature.

DoTil can be used to run your editor, and could be used to
run a compiler although it is actually more trouble than
using CLI to do so.  It will not work well with programs
(such as FORMAT) which require entry from the current
standard input, and if run from WorkBench, it doesn't
understand what the 'current' directory is.  Most importantly,
it will not decide what you need to do next.  That remains,
as allways, the user's problem.

Most of the program is intuitively obvious like a good Amiga
program should be.  There are some points which require the
inevitable clarifications.

Getting Started...

Why does all documentation have to contain this tired old
subtitle?  Start the program from WorkBench or CLI.  The
RAM: disk is displayed in both 'windows'.  Notice the
Total and Space Available values.  Total shows the total
size of all files in the current directory, or the total
of all selected files.  Space Available displays the amount
of disk space available on the destination.  This value is
always zero for the RAM: disk.  If your RAM: disk is empty,
select another disk using the gadgets in the lower right hand
corner.  Click on a directory (displayed in orange on 'normal'
systems) and the directory will be loaded and displayed.
Select one file by clicking on it.  Notice that the directory
and file name is shown in the 'source' gadget.  This is
useful when using RENAME.  Now select some more files and
watch the Total value increase.  Copy the files to RAM: by
clicking the COPY gadget in the title bar, or by using the
COPY menu item.  Each file is displayed in the Message space
as it is copied.  The number of files copied will be shown
when the command is complete.  Play with the OPTIONS menu
(all non-destructive) and see the how file dates and times
may be displayed.  The DIR SELECT menu item allows a
directory to be selected rather than loaded.  This is the
only way to delete or rename a directory.  So much for
getting started.

DELETE, MAKE DIR, VIEW

These functions do not require a 'destination'.  A single
path is all that is needed, obviously.  Only the 'Source'
path is valid for these commands.  This is the main reason
for the WINDOWS menu list.  Want to delete a file on the
'Destination' to make room for the file you are about to
copy?  You must make that 'window' the 'Source' first using
the SWAP menu item.  Delete the file, and SWAP again.  You
are ready to copy.

Manual Input:

The Source and Destination string gadgets do not behave in
precisely the same way as in other directory utilities.  They
are used primarily for display.  The only input you should
need (or want) to provide are the names of new directories,
or the new file name when using RENAME.  You may for some
unknown reason be tempted to just type in the destination
path rather than wait for the directory to be loaded using the
gadgets.  Don't bother, it won't work.  Devices and paths
are not normally obtained from the string gadgets, but from
internal variables which are set when the gadgets are used.
This does NOT preclude coping a file to a new name by
entering the new name via the destination gadget.  This will
work just fine.  When in doubt, remember: if you can use the
mouse to select the name you want, do so.  Otherwise type
the new name into the string gadget.

Standard Output:

DoTil may be run either from WorkBench, or from the CLI.  If the
program is executed from CLI, it will use the CLI window for
standard output.  DoTil itself does not use the standard output
except for a few hopefully never to be seen error messages.
Any program executed using the COMMAND feature (see below) will
use the CLI window just as if it had been run directly from CLI.
If DoTil is run from WorkBench however, a little window is opened
for use as the standard output.  This window will be located behind
DoTil, and must be made visible using the depth gadgets if you want
to see what you are doing.  I had to access some Lattice data
structures (located in _main.c) in order to make this possible.

Commands:

This lets you EXECUTE the contents of the Command string gadget.
Type in whatever you want and select the Execute menu item.  It
probably won't work because this feature has no notion of what the
'current' directory is. The complete path must be specified.
The S TO COMMAND and D TO COMMAND menu items allow the Command
string gadget to be filled using the mouse.  Both will concatenate
the contents of the Source or Destination string gadget onto
whatever is already in the Command gadget.  Use it for INFO
or a printer utility.  Don't use it for FORMAT because there
will be NO standard input and you will not be able to
PRESS RETURN TO CONTINUE.

Limitations:

You can not select files in more than one directory.

The size of the 'source' and 'destination' string gadgets will limit
the utility of DoTil if you have very deeply nested directories and/or
very long file names.  This is a design error on my part.  String
gadgets may actually contain more characters than are displayed.
The arrow keys may be used the scroll through the undisplayed text.
I got lazy and didn't want to figure out a way to indicate that all
the text wasn't shown.  This may change in the next version.

The VIEW function is a bare-bones routine.  When viewing ASCII
files, it makes an assumption about the size of each text line.
Consequently, the proportional gadget is not entirely accurate.
Clicking in the select box will select the next page, more or
less.  The proper (and time consuming) way to correct this is
to count all the lines in the file before the first page is
displayed.  The proportional gadget could then be positioned
accurately and each click in the select box would produce the
next page, exactly.  The purpose of the VIEW feature is to
allow a quick look at the file you are about to copy or delete.
DoTil is already too big to justify the extra code.

My apologies to those of you who are fortunate enough to have a third
diskette or hard disk.  DoTil has left you out in the cold.  The next
version will fix this inexcusable limitation.

The GET PARENT menu item should be a gadget.  I just couldn't figure out
where to put it without changing the whole layout.  Once again, next
version.

Someone is going to delete a whole bunch of files sometime because the
files stay selected after the command is complete.  I have no intention
of changing this since I believe it is genuinely useful under most
conditions.  It would be easy to delete the wrong files accidently
especially if SWAP is being used and the source and destination
are jumping all over.  If it happens, too bad for you.  I'm sorry and
thats the only consolation you'll have.  The current plan is for the
source and destination 'windows' to stay put in the next version. SWAP
will cause the contents to move instead.  This may cause some problems
of its own, but I find myself staring at the screen sometimes trying
to convince myself that I'm about to do the right thing.  I think
it will help if things don't move around so much.

Contributions:

I live in a tiny room with no heat.  I work long hours at low wages
to support my sick mother.  I believe in the Amiga and the free
enterprise system.  Please send me the meager sum of $15 for my
efforts in producing a program of genuine utility.  It doesn't
come in a flashing box and the documentation isn't on slick paper
with little tabs but I put my heart into this program.  Please,
send your check or money order to:

               Dan Franki
               12306 Tomanet Trail
               Austin, Texas  78758

When I have the source in a condition I consider distributable, I will
make it available to all.  DoTil owes a lot to other peoples programs
from which I have borrowed shamelessly.  Send me a disk (and a little
money) if you just can't wait.  

Last but not least, this important announcement:

DoTil may be freely copied and used by anyone provided that:

   The party providing the copy recieves no fee or other
   compensation excluding club membership dues or media charges.

   This documentation file is included in its original form.

The author makes no claims as to the suitablity or accuracy of
this program.  Any damage resulting from the use of DoTil is
the sole responsibility of the user.