CIMCAB is a free MSDOS utility for examining CompuServe Information
Manager (CIM) version 2.06a filing cabinet indexes, allowing discovery
of DOS directory and filenames for CIM message and thread files, since
both CIM folder/topic names and DOS directory/filenames are visible.

CIMCAB shows first a list of CIM filing cabinet names together with the
corresponding DOS directory names, then allows you to select a
particular cabinet/directory for a display of message topics (subjects)
with the corresponding DOS filenames. The information can be captured
into a file as ASCII text for later examination or editing to form a
DOS batch file that will move, copy, or do whatever is needed to the
files.

CIMCAB is intended to simplify (within limits) such tasks as copying CIM
messages to a diskette for transfer to another computer with another
copy of CIM, without losing the CIM format that allows their easy use
within CIM. Bear in mind that after using non-CIM methods of placing
CIM files into CIM's filing cabinet directories, CIM (and CIMCAB) will
not be 'aware' of them until CIM's 'Rebuild Indexes' operation (on the
'Special' menu) is used.

Because CIMCAB examines CIM's index files, rather than reading the
message/thread files themselves, it can discover folder names for
directories, and can do some things faster, but cannot recognize changes
to these files other than changes made by use of CIM. If DOS (or any
other non-CIM) methods are used to affect file existence and names in
the directories CIM uses, these will not be reflected in the CIM indexes
(which CIMCAB uses also) until after the CIM 'Special' menu 'Rebuild
Indexes' option is used.

Because CIMCAB uses CIM's index, it cannot deal with files on diskette
or otherwise outside CIM's index/file cabinet system. For help
with those, there is a utility, RTHD.* (report thread), by another
author, in CIMSUP forum's library, which examines the files themselves,
reading their CIM format to give a report of their header information
(topic, etc.)

Solitary (surrounded by blanks) letters on the CIMCAB command line are
regarded as keywords, as are "^A", "^G", and "?". After they are
removed from the command line, the first remaining word after the CIMCAB
command is taken as the name of the CIM cabinet directory; if CIM is
installed in drive/directory C:\CIM, this should be C:\CIM\CABINET.
This is the directory where CIM's index files CABINET.DAT and KEYS.DAT
are kept. If no directory is given, the current DOS default directory
is assumed.

After keywords are removed, the second word following the CIMCAB command
on the DOS command line is taken as the name of a file to receive a copy
of CIMCAB's output, lists of folders/directories and topics/filenames,
as selected by the user; this is a copy of the standard output seen
typically on the display by the user, and does not stop the display.

Normally, CIMCAB lists the folder/directory names one screenfull at a
time, and asks the user for single-keystroke commands to select further
displays.

The [Enter] key or [PgDn] key asks for more of what is currently
being listed (if at the end of the list, that is redisplayed).

The [Space] bar or [PgUp] key asks for a repeat of the previous
screenfull of data (the one before what is currently displayed; if at
the beginning of a list, that is redisplayed).

The [Esc] key exits a list, going to the folder/directory list from a
topic/filename list, or exits the CIMCAB program when the
folder/directory list is visible.

A letter key selects an item from the list, based on letters
displayed at the beginning of each line to identify the listed items
for selection. If a folder/directory is thus selected, the
topic/filenames in that folder are listed. If a topic/filename is
selected, more details on that topic are listed, followed by a
redisplay of the topic/filename list.

Inappropriate keys act like the [Enter] key.

This behavior can be modified by adding the ^A keyword, which causes
CIMCAB to display automatically all folder/directories and all
topic/filenames, then exit, with no pausing or user input requests.

CIMCAB can be asked to change the DOS default directory on CIMCAB's exit
to the last selected folder's directory with the "^G" keyword on the
command line; normally it exits with the DOS default directory
unchanged.

If output to a file (rather than the terminal) is desired, it is
STRONGLY recommended that you give the filename on the CIMCAB command
line without a ">" prefix, which is usually unnecessary and dangerous,
since it avoids CIMCAB's asking for permission before writing into a
pre-existing file).

CIMCAB can only handle CIM index files small enough to be read entirely
into what RAM memory is left after loading CIMCAB.

Whether CIMCAB can handle CIM index files created by or intended for
other versions of CIM depends on when the CIM developers change its
format, something over which I have no control.

The copyrights to this utility and this document are retained by
TerraLink, Inc.; you may make copies and use them without charge, and
may give copies to other users, provided that you do not ask payment (in
any form) for them or any package of which they are part, and provided
that you do not alter them; exceptions may be granted only in advance in
writing. Neither I nor TerraLink, Inc. make any guarantee of their
performance, nor accept any liability for consequences of their use.

---Douglas E. Mitchell
(CompuServe 70621,702)
Author
President
TerraLink, Inc.


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COMMAND LINE FORMAT and OPTIONS

The syntax of the "CIMCAB" command is as follows, where "{option}"
signifies an option (do not type the "{" or "}" characters), uppercase
is entered exactly as shown and lowercase is to be replaced with user
choices:

Syntax:
CIMCAB {sourcefile {destfile} {^A} {^G} {A} {B} .. {T}

The first command line argument not recognized as a keyword is taken to
be the directory containing the CIM index files CABINET.DAT and KEYS.DAT
(which is typically something like C:\CIM\CABINET - to find out what to
use in place of "C:\CIM\", select the CIM "Settings" menu "General"
option and look at the "Support files" item); otherwise the current
directory is used. The second command line argument not recognized as a
keyword is taken to be the destination filename to receive a copy of
CIMCAB's output; whether or not it is specified, output is placed on the
standard output (the screen, normally). If the destination filename is
specified as the name of a file that already exists, CIMCAB will notify
the user and ask permission before proceeding.Filenames beginning with
the caret character ("^") are rejected when specified due to possible
conflict with misspelled keywords; such filenames can be specified only
by DOS redirection with ">" (not recommended). Single letter directory
or file names should have "." appended to avoid being taken as keywords.

Because the result is directed to the standard output when no
destination filename is specified, bear in mind that a ">" followed
immediately by a filename added to the command line will direct it into
a file instead of to the display, and ">NUL" will direct it to be "lost"
(neither displayed nor filed).These are generally not recommended as
there is no protection against accidental overwriting of a file.

The following keywords may be added to the CIMCAB command line:

^A
causes CIMCAB to automate its action, requesting no choices from
the user (except permission to use a pre-existing output file),
and instead showing all cabinets, and all topics within each
cabinet.

^G
causes CIMCAB to change the DOS default directory to that
of the last folder selected by the user.

Solitary letters A .. Z

cause CIMCAB to act as if the user had typed that letter (only
the highest letter in the alphabet is used if more than one are
given as keywords) as the first choice of folder.

?
causes CIMCAB to show a digest of this information instead of
performing its normal action.

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EXAMPLE COMMANDS

Example:
CD \CIM\CABINET
CIMCAB

This example causes files CABINET.DAT and KEYS.DAT in directory
\CIM\CABINET to be read, a list of folders/directories to be displayed,
and user selection of a folder to be requested, followed by activities
at user discretion.

Example:
CIMCAB C:\CIM\CABINET C:\T\FOLDERS

This example causes files CABINET.DAT and KEYS.DAT in drive/directory
C:\CIM\CABINET to be read, a list of folders/directories to be
displayed, and user selection of a folder to be requested, followed by
activities at user discretion.Output of folder/directory and
topic/filenames will be placed both on the display and in file
C:\T\FOLDERS.

Example:
C:
CD \CIM\CABINET
CIMCAB B

This example causes files CABINET.DAT and KEYS.DAT in drive/directory
C:\CIM\CABINET to be read, a list of folders/directories to be
displayed, the second folder to be selected, that folders
topic/filenames to be displayed, and user selection of a topic to be
requested, followed by activities at user discretion.

Example:
C:
CD \CIM\CABINET
CIMCAB . T. ^A

This example causes files CABINET.DAT and KEYS.DAT in drive/directory
"." (which is the DOS name always referring to the current directory at
the time, C:\CIM\CABINET in this case) to be read, a list of all
folders/directories and all topic/filenames to be displayed, on screen
and a copy into file "C:\CIM\CABINET\T.". The dot in "T." is necessary
to prevent its being mistaken for a "T" keyword; while without a dot,
the "T" keyword would be overridden by "^A", it still would be regarded
as a keyword and therefore not as a filename.

Adding ">NUL" to the end of this command line (without the quotes) would
suppress screen output, leaving only the output into file "T."; use this
with care as the DOS redirection character ">" has no safeguards against
overwriting a file accidentally.

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MAKING CIMCAB EASIER TO USE

Since CIMCAB needs to know where to find the CIM cabinet directory, it
will be easier to use if you build a simple DOS batch file in a
directory on the DOS PATH with the directory spec built into it. Place
CIMCAB.EXE in a directory on the DOS PATH (entering the command "PATH"
at a DOS prompt (without the quotes) will show which directories can be
used).In CIM, select the "Settings" menu "General" option and note the
drive/directory specification after "Support files:" - in the following
I will assume as an example that it is "C:\CIM\" (without the quotes).
Then go to a DOS prompt, change to a directory that is in the DOS PATH
(the same one you placed CIMCAB.XE in should be fine) and enter the
following 4 lines, using the [Enter] key after each:

COPY CON cabinet.BAT
c:
CD \cim\CABINET
CIMCAB

Then type the [F6] key (or the [Ctrl Z] key), followed by the [Enter]
key. Remember to replace "c:" and "\cim\" in the above based on what
you found as "Support files". "cabinet.BAT" may be replaced with a name
of your choice, as long as it ends with ".BAT". This should allow you
to enter a "CABINET" (or whatever name you chose) command without
worrying about which directory you are in.

The End.