CD Reader by Thomas Newsom The Open All Hours BBS +44-(0)1482-345494 & +44-(0)1482-447576 Foreword -------- Are you fed up of using makelink, editing seemingly endless config files, DLG's way of uploading CD ROM file descriptions, trying to find a CD uploader that actually does what it says it will? Well, when I moved over from CNet to DLG the first thing I tried to search for was a CD ROM reader, I searched in vain for one that was as easy to use as the ones i used when I used CNet. So, I set about writing my own and here is the result, well part of the result anyway......Read on. Honesty. ------- I'll be perfectly honest and upfront here, CDReader is NOT a fully functioning program. I'm putting it out now for general consumption because I want some feedback as to whether I should bother to continue work on these programs. Is it worth carrying on with it? Only you can tell me via your feedback. If I get enough reponse from DLG SysOp's I'll carry on with it. I am a very busy man at the moment with various project I have committed myself to so CDR took a back seat for a while until I 'discovered' my old code again and tidied it up a little and here is the result. It's upto you guys! What is this thing? ------------------ This 'thing' is a set of two programs. One, CDRIndex, creates the index files from a CD ROM that allows the other, CDReader, to do it's magic. What features are not working? ------------------------------ Everything is working except for downloading. You can setup the CD's. You can the browse around the CD's. You can tag files. You cannot download. This is not a crippled shareware program, I just haven't done the download code for it yet. Are there any bugs? ------------------- That I couldn't honestly tell you. It works fine on my machine but hasn't been tested on anyone elses machine. Enough! How do I install it? ---------------------------- Installation is easy. Assuming you have unpacked the archive somewhere on your system, create a directory in DOORS: called CDReader put CDIndex, CDReader and CDR.cfg in that directory. Then create all the CD directories in there as well. IE, if you have one CD ROM Drive online create a directory called CD0 (assuming you name your device cd0). If, like me, you have multiple CD ROM's online then create a directory for each one. I have the MBR-7 autochanger online so in my DOORS:CDReader directory I have CD1 CD2 CD3 CD4 CD5 CD6 & CD7. One thing to note here, you should call the directories the same name as you give your device, otherwise things will simply fail to work. Now then, inside each one of those CD* directories you should place a TREE file (as found on the Aminet disks). An example... Lets say you have one CD ROM drive mounted as CD0: when you've done the above you should then have a directory tree like this.. Doors: Doors:CDReader Doors:CDReader/CDReader Doors:CDReader/CDIndex Doors:CDReader/CDR.cfg Doors:CDReader/CD0 Doors:CDReader/CD0/TREE Other CD's would result in a further... Doors:CDReader/CD1 Doors:CDReader/CD1/TREE And so on. For all your online CD ROM's. The tree file should be slightly edited. All it should contain is the Directory and path names of all directories on the CD ROM. I have provided one as guide to assist you. Get the idea? I hope so, else the next bit won't work :,) Now what do I do? ----------------- You now need to setup the index files. CDIndex will do the hard work for you. Simply run it from the shell. CD to doors:CDReader and run CDIndex. If you have multiple CD ROM's online this takes a little while to finish it's work. Once that is done your ready to use CDReader. Installing into DLG. ------------------- Setup a menu option anywhere you like. Probably the best place would be either direct from your main menu or as a command within the file area. Which ever method you choose these are the settings. [ 1] Letter: ^ [ 2] Executable: (path/name) ram:test %UNAME 6 %PORT [ 4] Description: CD Reader [ 5] Type: Executable [ 6] Help File: MAIN/^ [ 7] Lower level: 200 [ 8] Upper level: 255 [ 9] Hidden: NO [10] Load type: OVERLAY [11] Ask user if sure: NO [12] Pend messages: YES [13] Cli mode: YES [14] Pause on completion: NO [15] Log value: None [16] Activity string: [17] Priority: DEFAULT Item 1 is of course upto you. You'll notice from this that CDReader requires 3 arguments. First %UNAME, the second is the amount of files you'll let your users select (and download) in one session. The third is %PORT. I don't think I need to tell you what %UNAME and %PORT mean do I? ;) If you have done everything correctly , as stated above then you are now ready to use CDReader. What now? --------- Well, thats upto your good selfs. You can run it and Email me to let me know if it's worth carrying on with it. You can email me and let me know of any bugs/problems etc. Or we can simply let this program die a natural death by saying nothing at all. In which case I won't waste any more of my time writing utilities for DLG. If its the latter option then fair enough. Neither of us has lost anything and I get to devote more time to other projects. If it's the first or second option then I promise I'll finish this program into a fully working state. Can I use other than Aminet CD ROM's? ------------------------------------- I have no idea! I guess as long as you make a tree file similar to the one provided and the CD is laid out the same or similar to Aminet then I see no reason why you can't. Try it. Let me know the results. Can I help make this better? ---------------------------- Yes. Firstly, by telling me it's worth carrying on with this program. Secondly, by pointing out any bugs you may find. Thirdly, by offering ideas of your own, I shall endeavour to fulfill them. And finally, by telling me if you prefer downloading direct from within the program itself or should the files be added to the users batch file? The latter being my preference. Another rather neat idea would be to send me a pre-registration fee of 10UKP and in return I promise to complete this program and in return you'll get a full working copy. Plus (possibly) some other stuff I'm working on at the moment. Contacts? --------- Thomas Newsom 1 Granville Villas Sculcoates Lane Hull, HU5 1DZ East Yorkshire England. I can be contacted via Fidonet at the following address Thomas Newsom@2:2502/61.0 Or via Email at one of the following addresses thomas.newsom@allhours.karoo.co.uk or Jeepter@allhours.karoo.co.uk Over to you guys!