SPECIAL THANKS!
***************
Special thanks to everyone that has called about problems with TranScan. I am
working to fix each of them. This program must be reaching THOUSANDS of
SysOps just based on the number of calls I have received. I will continue
to work on fixing any problems anyone reports.
Thanks again for all your support. I didn't expect the response to be this
GRAND!
-- Craig
I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU DO THE FOLLOWING:
1) Make a backup before processing files. Particularly entire directories
and drives.
2) Test your setup on a few files and see that things are working correctly.
There are so many options setting one incorrectly could result in
un-recoverable loss (unless you have a backup of course).
3) Select "DELETE" as your "Reject Action" only if you NEVER want to see
the files again. I have added a "WARNING" message to the setup with this
release. I recommend you use MOVE. It's relatively easy to move a file
back if you decide it should not have been failed.
4) In the BBS Set-Up I recommend (for Wildcat v3+ SysOps) that you set
"Delete Failed Files?" to "N".
TranScan v4.06 (03/12/93)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Increased DESC.SDI width for GAP BBSs from 60 to 70.
* If no FILE_ID.DIZ or DESC.SDI file was found TranScan will not create
a blank DESC.SDI for GAP BBSs.
* If the FILE_ID.DIZ or DESC.SDI file is 60 characters or less, TranScan
will not add it to the Long Description in wildcat.
* GIF Resolution can now be displayed at the "Bottom" of the long descrip-
tion for Wildcat, PCBoard, and GAP. (Right & Left are not available for
PCBoard and GAP).
* Replaced "!" with periods.
* GIF testing, Comments and Resolution are now done On-Line even if Process
GIFs Off-Line is selected.
* Fixed problem where TranScan was locking up on over-size FILE_ID.DIZ and
DESC.SDI files.
* Menu system was not displaying all Error Conditions.
* Fixed problem where TranScan was not detecting if file already existed
on BBS before converting.
* This release should correct the problem where strange dates were stamped on
uncompressed files if Youngest & YoungestExe were selected as the
date/time stamp.
* The DOS window is back. It should correctly display the PKZIP and PKUNZIP
programs within the window correctly.
* I reduced the size of the GIF comment buffers by 75%. This should
eliminate the "Not Enough Memory for GIF Buffers!" message, and also
fix the problem where GIF Resolutions and descriptions were not being
written. It should also solve the problems where GIF2JPG was not working.
* Added NETSCAN.EXE command line to Scanner List.
* Fixed problem where TranScan was not exiting with error levels.
TranScan v4.05 (02/11/93)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
o Fixed problem with TranScan reporting the WRONG file size in the Wildcat
database. The file size it was reporting was the file size of the DescSdi
file it had added instead of the file size of the archive.
o The handling of PKZip comments was changed slightly. It will not do a hard
return before displaying the comment.
o When file is failed in TranScan the filename apears in the subject of the
message sent to the user.
o Rewrote routines that determine what kind of file is being processed. The
rewrite fixed a few problems with some signatures and also increased the
speed of this procedure significantly.
o *.COM files are now treated exactly the same as *.EXE files when date
and time stamping with YoungestExe and OldestExe.
o Corrected all known problems concerning the importing of short and long
descriptions. This included the removal of the ghost "*INFO" messages.
o TranScan was converting self extracting files even when this was turned
of in the config. This has been corrected.
o Corrected problem where TranScan correctly identified that a file
already existed on the BBS but changed the original area in the Wildcat
database to "0".
o Once again fixed Runtime Error 204.
The following BUGS were fixed in TranScan v4.03 (02/08/93):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
o Eliminated PKZIP Error 12 which was caused by TranScan trying to compress\
a new DESC.SDI file when it did not exist.
o GIF Processing:
- Eliminated the Runtime Error 204.
- "INFO" no longer appears if there is not long description.
- User descriptions are now retained with GIF Resolutions are added.
- NOTE: The selection "GIF RES. POS.: BOTTOM" does not yet work properly.
You should NOT use this selection!
o TranScan was not always adding files in the "TranScan Add List".
o "Add to Overlay Buffer:" and "Use EMS for Overlay?" now work correctly.
o Optimized Overlay. TranScan v4.03 uses 38k less memory than TranScan v4.02.
The following BUGS were fixed in TranScan v4.02 (02/03/93):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
o TranScan was experiencing problems with NON-STANDARD IRQs. This
problem is now fixed. Special thanks to Victor Mux who stayed up
late last night helping me test this. :)
o TranScan was trying to PKZIP a DESC.SDI file even though it had not
yet created it. This resulted in a PKZIP.EXE ERROR 12. This has been
fixed.
o Changed the following prompts in BBS Set-Up:
Old Prompt: New Prompt:
----------- -----------
"Gif Short Desc?" "Import Short Desc?"
"Gif Long Desc?" "Import Long Desc?"
These features now work. If you want the FILE_ID.DIZ, DESC.SDI, and
internal GIF descriptions imported to your Short Descriptions select
"Y". The same for Long Descriptions. If you select "N" Transcan will
retain the user entered description.
o TranScan was using the full 79 characters allowed for word wrapping the
long description in Wildcat. The SysOp editor only supports 72 characters
and WCPRO only supports 78 characters. The description looked fine when
viewed in the BBS. But, because it DID look bad in the SysOp editor and
WCPRO I adjusted the width to 72 characters.
o In the BBS Set-Up selecting "Left" for the "GIF Res. Pos." was causing
an additional resolution to be added to the short description when
TranScan processed the files for a second time. TranScan now determines
if it previously wrote the resolution and if so it will not rewrite it.
o TranScan was not exiting with the proper errorlevel in some instances.
o Time stamping for "Youngest Exe" and "Oldest Exe was not working
correctly.
o TranScan was incorrectly identifying some EXE files as Self Extracting
LZH files.
o Flashing light was not flashing when adding file comments.
====================================================================
The following problems still exist but will be corrected soon:
+ TranScan is not deleting files from archives if they are in your default
format and you have selected "Recompress Default? N".
The following BUGs were fixed in TranScan v4.01 (02/02/93):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
o If TS.HLP not found TranScan locked up durring Exit.
o Changed GIF Signature to "GIF8" instead of "GIF". TranScan was
incorrectly detecting some text files as GIF files.
o GIF descriptions added by users were not being saved even if there
was no description added by TranScan. It was also telling wildcat that
there was extended info even when there was not.
o Gif Resolutions were not being imported. This too has been corrected.
o TranScan was not properly reading the Configure-BBS Set-Up-
"Add DESC.SDI files?".
o When DESC.SDI files are added their file time is stamped the same as
the compressed file they are added to.
o If an External Program was not found TranScan was failing the files as
it should, but it was also carrying out the "Reject Action:". It will
not record this in the TS.LOG but it WILL NOT delete the file.
o Improved the way TranScan decides whether or not to send a message after
an upload. It first checks to see when the last upload to that node
was made. If it was yesterday it automatically sends a new message. If
it was not yesterday it checks to see if the last upload to the node was
by the same person making this upload. If it is not it will not write
a new message.
o Failed Files were not being marked in Wildcat Database as failed.
o TranScan was not informing Wildcat that the upload scan had failed (it
was not creating the SCANFILE.BAD file).
o TranScan was not updating the wildcat file database when converted from one
compression to another. Instead it was adding the new file and not
deleting the old record in wildcat.
o LHA and ZIP have both changed the signature on their Self Extracting files
with their most recent versions. In a future version of TranScan it will
support a number of entry fields for signatures. For now I have hard
coded the new signatures in the program. You should download the most
recent PKZxxx.EXE and LHAxxx.EXE file as soon as possible.
o The DOS View window was over writing the status line at the bottom of the
screen. I adjusted the window one row.
o When using "TS -L" to process the files OFFLINE with files to be ADDED
"Exclude Recompressing" set to "Y" PKZIP.EXE was exiting with an Error: 12
"Nothing to do!". Consequently it was failing the files. This problem
should now be fixed.
Features added:
o Because of the seriousness of the "Reject Action: Delete" selection
I added a "CAUTION! All FAILED files will be deleted! Continue? [N]"
prompt when "Delete" is selected.
OPTIONS NOT SUPPORTED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There were a few options on the BBS Set-Up that did not get "*" beside
them. They were "Gif Short Desc?" and "Gif Long Desc?". These are
currently "ON" and the toggle DOES NOT DO ANYTHING. If you do not want
internal GIF descriptions added please add *.GIF to your TS.DEL file.
This option will be supported in the NEAR future.
TRANSCAN AND ZIP VOLUME LABELS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today a TranScan caller offered the following suggestion for retaining
volume labels. He uses a RAM DRIVE as his work drive. He added a
-$ to the command line for PKUNZIP.EXE and
-$E to the command line for PKZIP.EXE
^-- E is the drive letter for his RAM DRIVE
Since PKZip extracts the files to this drive it changes the volume label.
When it compresses them again it changes the volume label back. Pretty
clever huh!
You could do this with any drive if you don't really care what the volume
label of that disk is. It will change frequently.
TROUBLE SHOOTING TIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) TranScan MUST be in your PATH statement.
2) If running Wildcat MAKEWILD.DAT must also be in your path.
3) If running Wildcat look for extra copies of MAKEWILD.DAT.
There should be ONLY one!
Thanks to everyone for their enthusiastic support for TRANSCAN v4.00.
The number of registrations I have received in just the past few days
is exciting. Thank you also for your patience as this new version goes
through a few growing pains.
Sincerely,
Craig Dunstan
Author