THD ProScan Version 13.0
for DOS and OS/2
THDPLUS.EXE
THDPLUS is a file data base update utility, supporting FILES.BBS
(standard and extended formats), RemoteAccess, Renegade, Telegard, PCBoard,
Maximus, ProBoard, and T.A.G.. Specific versions only. Please see
documentation for details.
Under most circumstances, if THDCFG was configured to update your file data
bases, then running THDPLUS will not be necessary (THDPRO.EXE will run it
during it's normal operation). However in some cases it will need to be run
manually or by the BBS following an upload (see THDSETUP.TXT). If for some
reason you need to run it manually, this document attempts to explain its
syntax and basic operation.
- Supported softwares -
-----------------------
Telegard 2.7
Telegard 3.0?
Renegade 07-17 (and compatible)
Renegade 04-05 (and compatible)
RemoteAccess 2.0?
RemoteAccess 2.5?
PCBoard 15.2 (and compatible)
T.A.G. 2.7 (and compatible)
FILES.BBS standard 1 line descriptions
FILES.BBS extended description in the SBBS format " >"
FILES.BBS extended description in the "standard?" format " +"
FILES.BBS extended description using the pipe (|) character
Maximus extended files.bbs
ProBoard 2.15
"COMPATIBLE" refers to BBS'es which are 100% compatible in regards to their
file data base configuration and possibly in regards to their main
configuration file. Some deviation in the main configuration file may be
forgivable "if" the file data base is 100% compatible and IF the necessary
information required by THDPRO.EXE is located in the same EXACT position in
the main configuration file. If in doubt, assume that versions other than
noted above are incompatible as I cannot even speculate what damage could
occur if BBS types other than above were configured as the incorrect BBS type.
** Note that the version of THDPLUS released with this program may have
some coding for Wildcat 4.x. However that coding has been entirely
unsuccessful in the real world and I strongly recommend that you do
NOT use it.
- command line syntax -
-----------------------
- ? -
Running "THDPLUS ?" Will show an identification screen and instruct the
user to run without parameters.
THDPLUS.EXE
- process the last 5 entries normally (entries properly processed are
marked as "processed" in TESTINFO.DAT).
THDPLUS.EXE /ALL
- Process all entries normally (entries properly processed are
marked as "processed" in TESTINFO.DAT).
THDPLUS.EXE /REMOVE
- Process all entries normally, and mark all entries as "processed" in
TESTINFO.DAT, regardless of success or failure to import.
Page 38
THDPLUS.EXE /EXTRACT {source} {target}
- Cause THDPLUS to search the TESTINFO.DAT file for {source} and
extract its description to {target}. If {target} exists it will be
overwritten. If no matching description for {source} is found,
{target} will be erased (if it exists).
- Requirements -
----------------
TESTINFO.DAT must be located in the same directory as THDPLUS.EXE (which
is generally the case since THDPRO.EXE will create it in it's own directory
and it will only run THDPLUS if it too is that directory.)
- Operation -
-------------
When run THDPLUS updates the file bases according to the information
stored in the TESTINFO.DAT file created by THDPRO.EXE. That file will contain
information which tells THDPLUS where to locate your BBS as well as what
changes to make. Note that THDPLUS generally does not add entries to any BBS
file data bases. It only updates existing entries.
Normally speaking this utility will update the date, time, filesize,
filename, and file description in the supported BBS types. In most cases no
changes are made to the description (as extracted from the archive). However
in some special instances modifications will be made in the hope that the
newly formatted description will better suit the platform into which it is
being imported.
Special considerations for TG version 2.7+ and RG 01/17
When THD imports a file into the TG file bases it will check the first
character in the description. If the first character is a letter or number,
THD will enter the description as "normal". If however the first character is
not a letter or number, THDPLUS will indent the first line by 5 spaces. The
hope is that descriptions which use "box" figures etc will be aligned by this
process (to preserve the "box" appearance).
The exception is that the following characters are considered to be valid
"letters".
;:<>=?@
The reason these symbols are counted as "letters", is simply due to their
place in the ASCII table (they occur between the valid numbers and letters).
Given that few descriptions are likely to begin with these characters (and
almost none that do would likely be representative of "box" figures), it was
simply easier to ignore them than to make exception for them.
A "logic" is used to determine the lines for each of the fields in TG/RG
description which "could" on occasion backfire, resulting in inappropriate
looking descriptions. (I haven't run into any problems using the current
logic, but this logic was based only on examples I have available to me).
The basic logic is that (for TG/RG) a file description containing CR/LF
will be considered to be a valid EndOfLine(EOL). Thus THDPLUS will strip any
CR/LF and end the line. If it does not encounter a CR/LF it will back up to
the nearest space character and end the line there. Where no space occurs in
the line, THDPLUS will split the line into 2 lines with the above conditions
(at 50 characters per line).
---------------------------------
- Running from the command line -
---------------------------------
THDPLUS can be run from the commandline to process unprocessed
TESTINFO.DAT files. TG/RG for instance should use this where "THDPRO DIZ" had
previously been recommended. As a side note, to maintain compatibility with
earlier versions, "THDPRO DIZ" will still function, but it will do so by
calling THDPLUS thus rendering it actually slower than simply running
THDPLUS.EXE.
The only possible advantage to doing this is that THDPRO.EXE will verify
that it is running a PainSoft created version of THDPLUS where calling it from
a commandline does no such verification (in absence of a legitimate PainSoft
file THDPRO.EXE will do nothing more than show an opening screen and exit).
To remove a TESTINFO.DAT file run THDPLUS.EXE /ALL /REMOVE
This will cause THDPLUS to process every entry that it is able to and to
mark all entries processed. Entries are only "marked" as processed and not
physically removed. THDPRO.EXE removes all entries marked as having been
processed on it's next run. It is not unusual for many sysops to never see the
TESTINFO.DAT file as with some BBSes it is normal to create, process and
remove the file before THDPRO.EXE finishes. It is only left if the BBS
databases could not be properly updated which is normal for 'some' types and
not others.
...end of document...