Program: FileFind Versoin: 1.64 Date: 11-4-1994 Author: Glenn J. Schworak (503) 399-7518 (Weekends and after 5pm Pacific time) 1710 Lee St SE -*- Salem, OR 97302 BBS: Glenn's World (503) 581-6524 (FidoNet 1:3406/32) >>> You can FREQ many files from here! <<< ShareWare: $10.00 Purpose: Access messages in FidoNet type networks where file searching is preformed. Such as the echo FILEFIND on the Fido BackBone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ UPGRADING --------- Upgrading may require a partial or complete reconfiguration of your FileFind.cfg file. Please read these documents!!! INSTALATION *** FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY *** ----------- NOTE: The address FileFind will expect to see in the OUTBOUND directory is developed from your network address and the point address you supply! For example. If your network address is 1:3406/32.31 (line #1 in the config) and you supply the point address 9999 (line #7 above), the address that FileFind will be expecting to receive mail at will be 1:3406/32.9999 so that is the address you will export mail to and be sure to password protect the session level for that address. 1) Define a session password for the site you have defined. I will use the address 1:3406/32.9999 for example. (see note above) You wouldn't want someone getting into your system under FileFind's account. IE. SetPasswd 1:3406/32.9999 "" 2) Create an account for site 1:3406/32.9999 for exporting your desired echos to. How you do this depends on what software you use. I am using XMAIL to take care of this for me so I won't give an example here. Check your manual/documentations for the program you use. Set the site name to "Amiga FileFind". (remember, the actual address depends on your config) 3) Have all mail that is sent to FileFind placed on HOLD or you will have some problems. 4) Make sure you have the packets archived with LHA in either .lha or .lzh format. This is usualy done by your mail tosser/scanner program(s). 5) Turn on the echos you want to have FileFind processing. Usualy this is the echo FILEFIND in the Fido backbone. You can also set any other echos you like. This may be other networks, or local nets only. What ever you need. Any area you turn on will be monitored by FileFind. 6) Place FileFind in any directory you like. Makes no differance. Just be sure it can be accessed when you need it. 7) Place FileFind.cfg in your S: directory. (MUST MUST MUST) 8) Create a banner to have added to the top of each out going message. 9) Edit S:FileFind.cfg to fit your system's needs. There are comments in the file. Just be sure that you don't have spaces in your paths or file names. The first space will mark the end of the value and start the comments. 10) If you are already registered, place FileFind.key in your S: directory. This will unlock all the power of the program. SPECIAL NOTES ------------- You may notice that when FileFind replys to a message that the packet is imported to your system as if it came from your address and not the POINT address that FileFind is using. This will cause your mail processor to export the replys back to FileFind's POINT address. This seems strange, but there is some logic in it. First, it wasts little time so no real harm is done. But you really don't want users trying to FREQ or even address the point address. It could cause problems. By placing your real address as the origin, users know how to get to your system, and they can usualy just reply to the message that FileFind sends them. Thus making file requesting much easier on the end user. If this seems to become a problem, then I may add a switch in the .CFG file to over ride this function. But I don't see it becoming a problem. SYSOP USAGE ----------- Have your CHRON program or aftersession script or both make a call to FileFind. Once activated, it will read the config file and take care of the rest. Simply call "FileFind". You may need to specify the path if it is not in your system's normal search path. FileFind sends text to the screen. If you want to create a log file, simply redirect the out put to your log file. IE: FileFind >>Logs:FileFind.log To take advantage of the automated update fucntion of FileFind, or even the notification and manual update function, you will need to be connected to the message echo "AMIGA_FILEFIND" through FidoNet. If this echo is not yet on BackBone in your area as of yet, you may feed this one echo from my system 1:3406/32. It should be on the BackBone quite soon. USER USAGE ---------- Amiga FileFind is a program designed to read messages and search for files based on the informaion provided in the SUBJECT LINE. If files are located, a new message is created and returned to the network for distribution. The new message will contain a list of all the available files matching the search paramiters. Messages are entered into the echos you have set up to be monitored by FileFind and must be addressed to either "AllFix" or "FileFind" in order to get a respons. In the subject line, key words are entered by placing a / before each word. TO: FileFind SUBJECT: /schworak /raytrace /money This example would look for any file with the key words "SCHWORAK", "RAYTRACE", or "MONEY" in the file name or description. The key words are not combined as filter. They are all searched for at the same time and if any of the words are found then the file is considered a match. If you want to search for a set of words to be in a description, you need to place the words in quotes. This will tell FileFind to search for an exact match. This is not recomended because it is harder to find a match. But if you already have a good idea of what you want, this may be helpful in reducing the number of messages that are returned. TO: AllFix SUBJECT: /schworak "ray trace image" This example would look for any file with the key word "SCHOWAK" or the key phrase "RAY TRACE IMAGE" in the name or description. Of course, you are not going to find a file with a name matching a phrase. At least it is highly unlikely. If you want to search for a specific file name, you don't use any quotes or / before the search word. All information starting at any * or . characters in the name until the next space character will be ignored. For example, if you are looking for a file named SPACE.LZH, then FileFind will look for any file that starts with the text SPACE and will not use the .LZH in the search. This is because SPACE may be in .LZH on one system and .ZIP on another or any other format at that. Also, if you are searching for MOUSE*.* again only MOUSE will be used for the search. The *.* is dropped since that means anything else is a valid match anyway. When you use this methode, the description is not used in the search. It must match in the file name or no match is counted. If you want to search in the descriptions too, use one of the first two methods of key word searching using quoted text or the / character. NOTES ----- It is assumed that you already have a program for processing file requests and creating a list of files you have available for requesting. If you do not, please get a copy before using FileFind. It is rude to say you have files to offer when you can't deliver them when they are requested. Personaly I recommend QSilver for processing the file requests that come into your system. And Mercury for creating file lists. Both of these programs are available on my system and from the author "Roger Clark" at 1:382/105 on Fido. Registration ------------ WHY? Due to the fact that so many of my programs have gone unpaid for I decided to try using a KEY file to increase the return on my efforts. This was not easy to gather the required information and write the program. WHAT DO I GAIN? In the unregistered state, FileFind will only process one key word per message. This will give you a lot of power, but many requests come through with more than one key word. When you get the KEY file you will be able to process up to 20 key words per request. This is a big help. HOW MUCH? I am asking $10.00 for the KEY file. This is not much for all the traffic that FileFind can bring to your system. The more people who see your system messages on the network, the more systems you will be called by. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW? When you decide to register, print and filling the form "FileFind.reg" and it along with your payment and I will create a KEY file for you. I will quickly send it out to you as you specify on the registration form. WHAT ABOUT UPDATES? Once you pay for one registered copy, you are entitled to unlimited upgrades and replacement key files assuming you don't abuse the right by giving your KEY to someone else. WHAT ARE MY RESPONSIBILITIES? Your only responsibilities are to keep your KEY from getting onto other systems, and do report any problems you encounter back to me. Other than that the program is all yours. Distribution ------------ This program may be freely distributed as long as the files are not altered in any way other than the methode of archival. There must be no fees charged for this program other than the minimal copying fee normaly charged by user groups. This program may be added to any disk collections such as Fred Fish. --- NO WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. USE THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK --- History ------- 1.0 FileFind comes to life! 1.1 There seems to be a conflict in the IBM world with the name RAID being used for file searching. I don't really care much about them, but to be polite I suggest not using it any more. I have set FileFind up to recognise the names ALLFIX and FILEFIND when reading through the new mail. As before, FILEFIND is to be used when you only want Amiga systems to respond to your requests. 1.2 BUG FIX - Problem with TrapToss tossing second message in a mail packet solved. Replies are now broken up into multiple packets. 1.5 DEBUG command line option removed. No longer needed. Cleaned up the look of the messages returned to the users by seperating the various file search replys by keyword. Makes it easier to read. 1.6 Added some features to make the file search more flexible and powerful and allow more file list generator programs to be used. 1.62 Added SEEN-BY: and PATH: lines to the end of each message to be more compatible with some software. 1.64 Added the ability to monitor the echos for update notices. You can have FileFind notify you and then you manualy FREQ the updates, or you can set FileFind up to automaticly FREQ the updates for you! (FidoNet only)