Category : Batch File Utilities - mostly for DOS
Archive   : DOONCE21.ZIP
Filename : ED-ONCE.DOC

NOTE: This program is offered as a "FREEBIE"
NO donations are requested or accepted. I've used enough other
people's freebies that this is offered as only a partial repayment
for their time and effort. My only request is that if you have
any suggestions, comments (I LOVE comments!), or bug reports, that
you drop me a line, call (at voice number listed at bottom),
or leave a message for me on

The Final Option BBS (703) 451-0457 or
The Byrd's Nest BBS (703) 671-8923 or
Compuserve 72317,2751


------------------ PURPOSE AND FUNCTION OF PROGRAM ----------------

This program was designed to work with DO-ONCE, version 2.10. It allows
you to edit the DO-ONCE.DAT file, which keeps track of daily/weekly/monthly
requested programs. If you have not read the DO-ONCE documentation, please
do so now. This documentation assumes that you have read and understood
the operation of DO-ONCE as presented in the DO-ONCE.DOC file.

----------------------------- ENVIRONMENT --------------------------

This program was designed to run on an IBM PC/XT/AT or compatible. It should
also run on the PS/2 without difficulty. It runs under MS-DOS or PC-DOS
version 2.0 or later. It is NOT designed to run under OS/2.

------------------------------- SYNTAX -----------------------------

The syntax of ED-ONCE is:

ED-ONCE

There are no parameters. If you enter any parameters, they will be ignored.


--------------------------------------
ERRORLEVEL responses:

ERRORLEVEL 1 -- DO-ONCE.DAT file not found, or is empty.
If empty, it will be deleted by ED-ONCE.

ERRORLEVEL 2 -- DO-ONCE.DAT file contains more than 256 requests.
Although DO-ONCE will operate without difficulty in this
case, ED-ONCE has a limitation of 256 requests.
(By the way, if you should happen to have more than 256
requests in your DO-ONCE.DAT file, you are probably wasting
more time than you are saving with DO-ONCE!)


----------------------------------OPERATION---------------------------------

ED-ONCE is a (rather primitive) editor for the DO-ONCE.DAT file. If you have
changed the DO-ONCE commands in your AUTOEXEC file, and certain requests are
no longer being made, then the corresponding records in the DO-ONCE.DAT file
are just taking up space. ED-ONCE allows you to delete such records. It will
also allow you to edit the command line that is stored in the DAT file, and
to change the date associated with that request.

So.......

If you USED to have DO-ONCE @+MON TIMESET AUTO in your autoexec, but
took it out because you no longer want to make that request, you can use ED-
ONCE to remove the record from the DAT file as well.

or.......

If you reset the date on your computer to December 25, 1999 or something,
and accidently ran DO-ONCE...then you can ED-ONCE the data file and change
all the dates back from 12-25-1989 to whatever you want or find reasonable.


Remember -- F10 saves your changes, ESC will ignore your changes


------------------------ (useless technical details) ------------------------


What ED-ONCE does is simply to open the DO-ONCE.DAT file (wherever it is on
your disk....either the Root Directory, or the SET directory...it's automatic.
If DO-ONCE can find it, then ED-ONCE can find it too.)

After it opens the DAT file, it reads in the requests one at a time,
cycling through them if necessary, and allows you to page through them....
making any changes necessary. The instructions and keys are all on the
screen. Since it's not really a heavy-weight editor, the possible keystrokes
are not really heavy-weight either.

Once you have made any changes you desire, including marking requests for
deletion from the file....you can EXIT and SAVE the changes to a new
DO-ONCE.DAT file, (by hitting F10) or....you can EXIT and just keep the
old DO-ONCE.DAT file...if you messed it up and want to start over.




Once again, the structure of the DO-ONCE.DAT file is as follows:

Year : Word (2 bytes)
Month : Word (2 bytes)
Day : Word (2 bytes)
Len : Byte (length of the command line executed)
C_line : 128 bytes (normal limit for DOS command line)

The reason the C_Line field is 128 bytes is that DOS can accept a command line
only that long.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glenn Snow
1600 Webster St. NE
Washington, DC 20017
(202) 526-1221 (voice only, please)


-------------------------------------------------
Version history


2.10 -- This is really the first (and probably ONLY) version of ED-ONCE.
The reason that I call it 2.10 is so that you will know it is made
to match up with DO-ONCE version 2.10


--------------------------- END OF DOCUMENTATION ------------------------