DLIST - Download List Description Creator
DLIST v1.02 processes a user specified
directory of files, and extracts the file
descriptions from file_id.diz or desc.sdi
files inside archives or from an existing
file list. Processes the descriptions &
outputs them to a text file. v1.02 now
supports ZIP, ARJ, & LZH archives. By Dave
Brodmann, SysOp Brodmann's Place.

DLIST v1.02
Download File List Description Creator
by Dave Brodmann

SysOp - Brodmann's Place BBS
RIME->BRODMANN
FIDONET 1:109/806

Latest version always frequable as DLIST


1.0 - WHAT IS DLIST?

DLIST is a utility to help you keep track of your collection of
files that you have on disk, by extracting accurate descriptions for
those files. It will read a directory of files that you specify, and
either extract the description from an archive (using a file_id.diz or
desc.sdi if it finds one), or extract the description from a file list
that you captured while you were on a BBS. Starting with version 1.02
DLIST extract descriptions from ZIP, ARJ, and LZH type archives. It then
creates a neatly formatted text file containing the descriptions of the
files.

It saves you the trouble of manually editing descriptions from a
file list, or worse yet, not bothering with descriptions at all. Ever
wound up with a mess of zip files that you don't know what they are? It's
no fun looking through them all just to find the program you are looking
for. If you use DLIST, it will automatically create a nice standardized
text file of your new downloads.

While processing the description it also removes high and low ASCII
characters (graphics, etc), cleans up spacing, and removes some of the
extra trash that some BBS's tack onto the end of a description (such as
"Uploaded by xxx", etc...).


2.0 - HOW TO USE DLIST

DLIST needs three pieces of information from you. This information
can be provided in one of three ways: 1) as command line arguments when
you run DLIST, 2) by entries in a config file dlist.cfg, or 3) as responses
to questions asked by the program. DLIST will always attempt to locate the
necessary data in exactly the order I mentioned above. First it will see
if the info was provided on the command line, if not, it will check for a
valid dlist.cfg configuration file, and if no config file, it will prompt
the user for the data. To use DLIST you also must have a copy of PKUNZIP.EXE
either in the current directory or accessible via your DOS path. Starting
with version 1.02, if you also wish to be able to extract descriptions
from ARJ and LZH type archives you should also have a copy ARJ.EXE and
LHA.EXE accessible.

The information DLIST needs to run is very straightforward.

1) The name of the DOS directory containing the files you wish to
process. For example: c:\download
or g:\zips\new
Note: Do not include a trailing backslash.

2) The name of the file listing that descriptions can be extracted
from. This most likely is a new files listing that you captured
with your communications program while you were on the BBS from
which you downloaded the files. If no path is given DLIST will
look for this file in the current directory. Note that this file
listing currently must be an RBBS or PCBoard type format file
listing. See the file bbs.cap include in this archive for an
example. Additional formats will be added in the future.
For example: c:\temp\bbs.cap
file.log (no path, meaning it is in current dir)
Hint: If you do not have a "capture log", but you want to use
dlist to extract file_id.diz and desc.sdi description files if
they are found, simply create a "dummy" capture log. e.g., use
DOS rem command to create a zero byte file like this: rem>bbs.cap.

3) The name of the text file you want DLIST to output the
descriptions to. If no path is given this file will be created
in the current directory. Please note DLIST will overwrite any
existing file with this name.

As I mentioned this data can be provided to DLIST in one of 3 ways:
1) Command line, 2) Config file, or 3) let DLIST prompt you for the data.

-Command Line mode-
DLIST

example: DLIST c:\download c:\temp\bbs.cap new

-Config file mode-
Create a file named dlist.cfg in the current directory with the
parameters entered one per line, in the same order as shown above for the
the command line mode. There should be only three lines in the file.
example:

c:\download <--Line 1
c:\temp\bbs.cap <--Line 2
new <--Line 3

-Prompt mode-
If you do not enter the command line arguments and a config file is
not found, then DLIST will prompt you for each piece of data. Once again
the data will be requested in exactly the same order as above. Answer each
question and then hit .


3.0 WHAT'S NEXT?

Let me know what you think, and any features you would like to see.
I'll see what I can do. You can reach me at my BBS, by voice, or by mail
if you wish.


Dave Brodmann
SysOp, Brodmann's Place BBS
BBS# 301-843-5732
Voice 301-870-9757

Dave Brodmann
2105 Tanglewood Drive
Waldorf, MD 20601