Category : Utilities for DOS and Windows Machines
Archive   : ABCI14.ZIP
Filename : ABCI.DOC

A Better Command Interface

ABCI 1.4 Copyright (c) 1987-1988 Thomas G. Hanlin III



This is a set of utilities designed to supplement or replace the
existing DOS command set. The ABCI utilities are copyrighted, but may be
distributed provided that all utilities are included in unmodified
condition, and no fee (other than a disk copying fee, which may not exceed
$6.00) is charged. Distribution over telecommunications systems,
including BBSes and such services as Bix, CompuServe, and Genie, is
specifically allowed, regardless of any online or access charges.

The ABCI command set is similar to the DOS command set by default.
It is far more powerful and flexible than the DOS command set, however,
and can be customized to suit your preferences. The ABCI commands share a
common syntax, so you will find it easy to get used to using them. If in
doubt, you can type /HELP after any command, to get a quick summary of the
available options.

Every ABCI utility shares certain common features. To execute them,
you type something like this:
#CMD /OPTION /OPTION FILESPEC.EXT FILESPEC.EXT

The octothorpe or pound sign ("#") is the first character of every
ABCI command. CMD represents the name of the command. Options are
specified with slashes, followed by the name of the option. File specs
are names of files, which may contain drive letters, subdirectories, and
file names, complete with wildcards like "*" and "?". You may mix files
and options in any order. You may enter any number of options and file
specifications on a single line (up to about 120 characters).

You may pause any listing by pressing Control-S, and restart it by
pressing Control-Q. This follows standard XON/XOFF conventions. You may
also abort a listing by pressing Control-C.

Options will differ from command to command, except for /HELP (a help
or information screen) and /COPYRIGHT (ABCI copyright information), which
work with every utility. All options share a few common characteristics,
though. You need only enter as many characters of the option name as will
make it unique. That is, you can abbreviate the name of an option as much
as you like, as long as you give enough characters of the name that the
ABCI command can tell it from other options.

You can set default options through environment variables. For
instance, if you wanted to always use the options /NOUPCASE and /PAGE
with the #DIR utility, you would put a line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file that
says:
SET #DIR=/NOUPCASE/PAGE

Since some ABCI utilities require equals signs ("=") as part of
options, and this is not allowed by SET, you should use a tilde ("~")
instead with SET. The "~" will be translated to "=" by the ABCI utility
when it is executed. For example, if you wanted to default to /PAGE=10
you would use:
SET #DIR=/PAGE~10

Just because you pick a default option doesn't mean that you're stuck
with it! If you enter an option more than once, the last time that the
option is specified is the one that will take effect. This allows you to
override your default settings if you need to.

You can rename the ABCI commands to anything you want... except the
corresponding DOS commands, because the DOS commands will be executed
instead of any files by the same name. If you have an alias utility such
as NDOSEDIT, PCED or CED, however, you can use that to give the ABCI
commands an alias equivalent to the corresponding DOS command. In that
case, the ABCI commands will effectively replace the DOS commands.






#DEL Copyright (c) 1987-1988 Thomas G. Hanlin III



The #DEL command, as you might guess, is designed to replace the DOS
command "DEL" (or "ERASE"). It allows you to select as many drives,
subdirectories, and files as you can fit on the command line; to display
any and all information about files being deleted; to request confirmation
before deleting files; to wait for a keypress when the screen is full, so
you have time to see the deleted files (if you're displaying them); to
display file information in uppercase or lowercase; to delete files which
couldn't ordinarily be deleted, like HIDDEN, SYSTEM, and READ-ONLY files;
to search for files smaller than, larger than, or equal to, a given size;
to search for files before, after, or at a given time; to search for files
before, after, or at a given date; to display selected parts of file
information (date, size, time, attribute); and to display the total number
and size of files deleted.


/ATTRIBUTE[=HIDDEN,SYSTEM,READONLY]
Specifies the attributes of files to delete. This defaults to
"/NOATTRIBUTE", which specifies only normal files. You may also
delete HIDDEN, SYSTEM, and READONLY files by setting this option
appropriately. Example: to allow deletion of read-only files, you
would use something like "#DEL /ATTRIBUTE=READONLY *.*".

/CONFIRM[=EACH,SPECIAL]
Specifies the conditions under which you want confirmation before
deletion (so #DEL will ask you if you want to delete the file). This
defaults to "/NOCONFIRM", meaning that all files will be deleted
without confirmation. You may specify "/CONFIRM=SPECIAL" for
confirmation before deleting HIDDEN, SYSTEM, or READ-ONLY files.
Unless you have changed the "/ATTRIBUTE" default, you will not be
allowed to delete HIDDEN, SYSTEM, or READ-ONLY files, and they will
not be presented to you. You may specify "/CONFIRM=EACH" for
confirmation before deleting any file. If confirmation is on, and you
haven't changed the default "/NODISPLAY" to something else, you will
be given just the filename when you are asked whether the file should
be deleted.

/COPYRIGHT
This displays copyright information for ABCI utilities.

/DATE{(=)#}MM-DD[-YY]
Specifies a date to delete. You can delete files before, after,
equal or not equal to a given date. The year is optional, and will
default to the current year if no year is specified. Instead of a
numeric date, you may also specify YESTERDAY and TODAY.
Use "(" to delete files made before the specified date, "=" to delete
files made on the specified date, ")" to delete files made after the
specified date, and "#" to delete files that are not made on that
date. In other words:
symbol meaning
( less than
= equal to
) greater than
# not equal to
Why "(" and ")" instead of "<" and ">"? Because DOS uses "<" for
input redirection, and ">" for output redirection, which means that
we can't use them for anything else! The month and day may be either
one or two digits each. The year may be two or four digits. Separate
the month, day, and year with hyphens ("-"), like DOS uses. If you
have a delete date specified as a default, you can override it using
"/NODATE". Example: to delete files made before 08-02-87, use
"#DEL/DATE(8-2-87 *.*".

/DISPLAY[=FILENAME,ATTRIBUTE,DATE,SIZE,TIME,TOTAL,FREESPACE,VOLUME]
Specifies what to display when files are deleted. Normally, this
defaults to "/NODISPLAY", which means to not to display anything. You
can turn on all information by using "/DISPLAY", or turn off selected
items by specifying them after "/DISPLAY". For instance, to display
the file name, date, and time, use "/DISPLAY=FILENAME,TIME,DATE".

/EXCEPT=filename.ext
Gives a file specification to exclude or ignore. Only one filespec
may be given, and it may not include a drive or path specification,
but it may include wildcards. If a default /EXCEPT was specified
earlier, you may override it by specifying "/NOEXCEPT".

/BACKUP=path
Specifies that files are to be copied to a specified path (drive and
directory) before being deleted, for backup purposes. To override
this (for instance, to delete files in the backup directory), you
would specify "/NOBACKUP".

/HELP
This displays a help screen, listing all available options.

/LINES[=##]
/PAGE[=##]
Allows you to specify when to pause a listing. The default is
"/NOPAGE", which never pauses. Using "/PAGE" is equivalent to
"/PAGE=24", which pauses every 24 lines (one full screen on a
standard PC-type machine). You can specify the number of lines
between pauses. The "/LINES" and "/PAGE" options are equivalent.

/SIZE{(=)#}##########
Specifies a size to delete. You can delete files smaller than,
larger than, equal to or not equal to a given size. Use "(" to
delete files smaller than the specified size, "=" to delete files
equal to the specified size, ")" to delete files larger than the
specified size, and "#" to delete files not equal to the specified
size. That is:
symbol meaning
( less than
= equal to
) greater than
# not equal to
Why "(" and ")" instead of "<" and ">"? Because DOS uses "<" for
input redirection, and ">" for output redirection, which means that
we can't use them for anything else! The size should be specified in
bytes. Do not use commas between digits! If you have a delete size
specified as a default, you can override it using "/NOSIZE".
Example: to delete files larger than 100000 bytes, use
"#DEL/SIZE)100000 *.*".

/TIME{(=)#}HH:MM
Specifies a time to delete. You can delete files before, after,
equal to or not equal to a given time. Use "(" to delete files made
before the specified time, "=" to delete files made on the specified
time, ")" to delete files made after the specified time, and "#" to
delete files not made at the specified time. In other words:
symbol meaning
( less than
= equal to
) greater than
# not equal to
Why "(" and ")" instead of "<" and ">"? Because DOS uses "<" for
input redirection, and ">" for output redirection, which means that
we can't use them for anything else! The hour and minute may be
either one or two digits each. Seconds will be ignored if you
specify them. Note that the hour should be specified using 24-hour
time: midnight through morning is 0 - 11, and noon through night is
12 - 23. I'll implement am/pm time in a later version. If you have
a delete time specified as a default, you can override it using
"/NOTIME". Example: to delete files made at 3:20pm, use
"#DEL/TIME=15:20 *.*".

/UPCASE
Specifies that all file information is displayed in uppercase. This
is the default. Some people find this hard on the eyes, so it's
possible to display everything in lowercase using "/NOUPCASE".







#DIR Copyright (c) 1987-1988 Thomas G. Hanlin III



The #DIR command, as you might guess, is designed to replace the DOS
command "DIR". It allows you to select as many drives, subdirectories,
and files as you can fit on the command line; to wait for a keypress when
the screen is full, so you have time to see the files; to display file
information in uppercase or lowercase; to search for files which wouldn't
ordinarily be visible, like HIDDEN and SYSTEM files; to exclude
subdirectories from the listing; to search for files smaller than, larger
than, or equal to, a given size; to search for files before, after, or at
a given time; to search for files before, after, or at a given date; to
display selected parts of file information (date, size, time, attribute);
and to display the total number and size of files listed. It also will
try to identify the file for you, using the file extension and any
additional analysis which may prove necessary.


/ATTRIBUTE[=HIDDEN,DIRECTORY,SYSTEM]
Specifies the attributes to search for. This defaults to
"/ATTRIBUTE=DIRECTORY", which displays subdirectories as well as
ordinary files. You may also search for HIDDEN and SYSTEM files.
You may display only normal files using "/NOATTRIBUTE".

/COPYRIGHT
This displays copyright information for ABCI utilities.

/DATE{(=)#}MM-DD[-YY]
Specifies a date to search for. You can search for files before,
after, equal to or not equal to a given date. The year is optional,
and the current year will be assumed if no year is specified. You
may also use YESTERDAY or TODAY in place of a numeric date.
Use "(" to search for files made before the specified date, "=" to
search for files made on the specified date, ")" to search for files
made after the specified date, and "#" to search for files not made
on the specified date.
symbol meaning
( less than
= equal to
) greater than
# not equal to
Why "(" and ")" instead of "<" and ">"? Because DOS uses "<" for
input redirection, and ">" for output redirection, which means that
we can't use them for anything else! The month and day may be either
one or two digits each. The year may be two or four digits. Separate
the month, day, and year with hyphens ("-"), like DOS uses. If you
have a search date specified as a default, you can override it using
"/NODATE". Example: to list files made on 12-25-87, you would use
"#DIR /DATE=12-25-87".

/DISPLAY[=ATTRIBUTE,DATE,IDENTIFICATION,SIZE,TIME,TOTAL,FREESPACE,VOLUME]
Specifies what to display when files are listed. Normally, this
defaults to "/DISPLAY=ATTRIBUTE,DATE,SIZE,TIME,TOTAL" (or just plain
"/DISPLAY"), which means to display everything but IDENTIFICATION.
The IDENTIFICATION and TOTAL parms are incompatible with the /WIDE
switch. You can turn off all information by using "/NODISPLAY", or
turn off selected items by specifying them after "/NODISPLAY". For
instance, to eliminate time and date displays, you would use a switch

of "/NODISPLAY=TIME,DATE".

/EXCEPT=filename.ext
Gives a file specification to exclude or ignore. Only one filespec
may be given, and it may not include a drive or path specification,
but it may include wildcards. If a default /EXCEPT was specified
earlier, you may override it by specifying "/NOEXCEPT".

/HELP
This displays a help screen, listing all available options.

/LINES[=##]
/PAGE[=##]
Allows you to specify when to pause a listing. The default is
"/NOPAGE", which never pauses. Using "/PAGE" is equivalent to
"/PAGE=24", which pauses every 24 lines (one full screen on a
standard PC-type machine). You can specify the number of lines
between pauses. The "/LINES" and "/PAGE" options are equivalent.

/SIZE{(=)#}##########
Specifies a size to search for. You can search for files smaller
than, larger than, equal to or not equal to a given size. Use "(" to
search for files smaller than the specified size, "=" to search for
files equal to the specified size, ")" to search for files larger
than the specified size, and "#" to search for files not equal to a
given size. In other words:
symbol meaning
( less than
= equal to
) greater than
# not equal to
Why "(" and ")" instead of "<" and ">"? Because DOS uses "<" for
input redirection, and ">" for output redirection, which means that
we can't use them for anything else! The size should be specified in
bytes. Do not use commas between digits! If you have a search size
specified as a default, you can override it using "/NOSIZE".
Example: to list files over 1000 bytes, you would use
"#DIR/SIZE(1000".

/TIME{(=)#}HH:MM
Specifies a time to search for. You can search for files before,
after, equal to or not equal to a given time. Use "(" to search for
files made before the specified time, "=" to search for files made on
the specified time, ")" to search for files made after the specified
time, and "#" to search for files not made at the specified time. In
other words:
symbol meaning
( less than
= equal to
) greater than
# not equal to
Why "(" and ")" instead of "<" and ">"? Because DOS uses "<" for
input redirection, and ">" for output redirection, which means that
we can't use them for anything else! The hour and minute may be
either one or two digits each. Seconds are ignored. Note that the
hour should be specified using 24-hour time: midnight through morning
is 0 - 11, and noon through night is 12 - 23. I'll implement am/pm
time in a later version. If you have a search time specified as a
default, you can override it using "/NOTIME". Example: to list files
made before 1:00am, you would use "#DIR/TIME(1:00".

/UPCASE
Specifies that all file information is displayed in uppercase. This
is the default. Some people find this hard on the eyes, so it's
possible to display everything in lowercase using "/NOUPCASE".

/WIDE
This lets you display just the file names, in a "wide" display of
five files per line. You can shut this back off with "/NOWIDE",
which is the normal default. The WIDE switch overrides the
IDENTIFICATION and TOTAL switches.