READ ME OR DIE!!!!!!

Catchy little title, isn't it? Maybe it overstates things
a bit, but taking a moment to read this file isimportant --
especially because DELX does the opposite of what you might
expect.

If you've ever wanted to erase all but one or two files from a
directory, and had to make several passes with various wildcard
combinations to get the job done, this utility is for you.
What it does is simple -- it deletes everything EXCEPT the
filenames you specify.

Its usage is pretty straightforward (in fact, you can get a
brief list of instructions by entering DELX at the prompt
without specifying any arguments). Its syntax is:

DELX [/v or /le or /ld] [\path] filenames...

You must specify at least one filename (wildcards are allowed)
for DELX to take any action. You can specify as many filenames
as you wish, as long as you can fit all of them on the command
line.

If you want DELX to delete files on another drive or directory,
you can specify an optional path. The path MUST precede any
filenames you use.

In addition, there are three switches available to you -- /v
(VERIFY), /ld (LIST DELETIONS) and /le (LIST EXCEPTIONS). Note
that you can only use ONE switch at a time. If you use one of
the switches, it must be the very first argument on the command
line.

The VERIFY switch (/v) lets you approve or reject each deletion
on a file by file basis.

The LIST DELETIONS (/ld) switch gives you a list of files that
would have been deleted without the switch. The LIST
EXCEPTIONS (/le) switch does just the opposite. It presents
you with a list of exception files -- those files that match
your command line arguments and thus would have been preserved.

You can stop program execution at any time by pressing Ctrl-C.

Some examples:

DELX *.COM *.EXE
will delete everything but .COM and .EXE files
in the current directory.

DELX A:\EDITOR MYFILE.DOC
will delete everything in the A:\EDITOR directory
except the file MYFILE.DOC.

DELX /v \ *.SYS COMMAND.COM
will prompt you for deletions as it winds its way
through the root directory, avoiding .SYS files
and COMMAND.COM.

DELX /ld *.
will present you with a list of candidates for
deletion in the current directory, which will
include all filenames that end with an extension.
On the other hand:

DELX /le *.
will give you a list of exception files -- those
filenames, per DOS convention, that do not have
extensions.)

If, during its sojourns, DELX encounters a read/only file,
it will post a message to that effect and ask if you wish to
delete the file, anyway. It ignores hidden files altogether.

One cautionary note -- sheer force of habit can all too easily
create problems for you. If your command line arguments
inadvertently specify those files that you wish to delete
instead of those that you wish to retain, you'll have to dust
off your copy of Norton Utilities and do a little work. Also
make certain that you type that final 'X' in DELX. If you are
used to typing DEL and DEL alone, you might consider renaming
DELX.EXE to something like AVOID or EXCEPT.

Feel free to distribute this program however you wish, but
please keep the archive file intact when doing so.

-- Ernie Wallengren
CIS: 71360,2206