LCG/Remind version 1.6
Copyright 1989 by The Levin Consulting Group


Introduction
------------

LCG/Remind is a small utility program designed to remind you when it is
time to back-up the files on your hard disk, and to help automate the process.
We wrote this program for our clients, and have found that it is an excellent
way to ensure regular back-ups of valuable data. In addition, it can be used
to display information, suggest action, or simply run any program on a regular
schedule. It lets you ask multiple choice, or yes/no questions from within
your batch files.

Typically, you would call LCG/Remind from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. It
will determine when you last ran your back-up program, and if it is time for a
new back-up will display a message asking you whether to automatically run the
back-up.

Although there may be other programs similar to LCG/Remind, none are as
flexible, intelligent, or attractive:

o LCG/Remind can determine when your disk was last backed-up by
examining the date of "log" files. If your back-up software creates
these file, then even if you perform a back-up outside of your regular
routine, LCG/Remind will know to reset its day counter.

o The number of days before "triggering" the reminder message may be
specified, or you can set it to trigger on specific days of the week,
or specific days of the month.

o You can set it to only trigger at a specified time of day.

o Triggering can be initiated or prevented based on the total size of
files that need to be backed-up

o The reminder message can be customized. Foreign language support
allows for Yes/No responses in any language.

o When triggered, the program can be instructed to take a variety of
actions. It can directly run another program. It can simply display
a reminder message. Or, it can even offer a multiple-choice question,

and act based on the response.

o The name of the file containing the message can be specified on the
command line, as can the file whose date is being examined. This
allows the program to be used to trigger a number of different events
based on different date files. For example, we have modified our
autoexec.bat file so that our disk optimizing program is run once each
day (even if we reboot multiple times). If we haven't backed-up our
hard disk in the past week LCG/Remind will ask us if we want to do so.
Finally, every time we reboot we have LCG/Remind ask whether to load
our print spooler.

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o LCG/Remind sets DOS "errorlevels" to reflect whether it was triggered
and the answer to the question displayed. This allows for maximum
flexibility in system design, and absolute minimum memory use.

o You can specify how long you want the message displayed.

o You can specify the color of the pop-up windows, their borders, and
the title line. LCG/Remind will work with any standard display
system.

o Try-before-you-buy ShareWare by a member of the Association of
ShareWare Professionals. Individual or corporate registration allows
you to have your name (or your organization's) displayed on the title
line, and to bypass the registration screen.


Revision History
----------------

v 1.6 -- 9/11/89: Speed up directory tree searches (/q). Optional sound
effects (/ns). Foreign language support with configurable
Yes/No keys (/y:).

v 1.5 -- 6/29/89: Can now use wildcards (i.e., /d:*.his) for date file
specification. Added ability to trigger (/kt:) or prevent
(/kb:) backup based on the size of the files needing
backup (or matching any arbitrary filename pattern). New
%f and %k substitutions to put number and size of matching
files into the reminder message.

v 1.4 -- 4/17/89: Added optional config file (/f:), ability to wait until
specified time before continuing (/z:).

v 1.3 -- 4/16/89: Improved error trapping, and updated documentation to
reflect ASP membership and PSL distribution.

v 1.2 -- 3/19/89: Time of day triggers (/tb:, and /ta:) added.

v 1.1 -- 2/7/89: Minor documentation changes and speed enhancements.

v 1.0 -- 1/11/89: First general release. Added /n: switch, changed default
color scheme, minor bug fixes.

v 0.2 -- 1/9/89: Support for weekly (/w:) and monthly (/e:) triggers added.
Better window size error checking. Added serial numbers.

v 0.1 -- 1/5/89: First beta test release shipped to Chicago.


Installation
------------

To install LCG/Remind simply copy the file lcg-rmnd.exe to a convenient
subdirectory on your hard disk. Next, modify your autoexec.bat file. For
example, if you want to trigger LCG/Remind every 7 days, and ask whether to do
a back-up, then include the following lines (which are also included in this
package as remind.bat):

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lcg-rmnd /i:7
if errorlevel 3 goto :NOBACK
if not errorlevel 2 goto :NOBACK
lcg-rmnd /reset
rem Insert YOUR disk back up commands here
:NOBACK

This example uses the default lcg-rmnd.dat date file, and explicitly
resets the date if a back-up is run. The "/i:7" command sets the interval to
7 days. If you want to see what LCG/Remind does when triggered, change the
switch to "/i:0". That will trigger the program every time it is run. If
your back-up program produces a file on your hard disk, then you can use a
simpler method, illustrated below. Using this method, lcg-rmnd will always be
able to determine the date of your most recent back-up. For example, we use

PC Tools version 4.3 pcbackup.exe, which modifies a file called
"c:\pcbackup.log". If you also use PC Tools, and want to run a back-up every
Monday without displaying a preliminary message, or asking a question, you
would place the following lines in your autoexec.bat:

lcg-rmnd /w:1 /n:3 /d:c:\pcbackup.log /m:
if errorlevel 1 pcbackup

The "/w:1" sets the trigger to every Monday, but "/n:3" will cancel the
trigger if a back-up has been performed in the preceding 3 days. The "/m:"
switch without an attached file name instructs LCG/Remind NOT to display a
message. Command line switches are described fully below, under the heading
"Command Line Syntax."

When creating your batch files, remember that MS-DOS requires that you
use the "call" command if you want to call one batch file from within another.
By itself, the batch file name will allow branching to the second batch file,
but will NOT return to the calling batch file.


Exit Codes
----------

LCG/Remind sets DOS exit codes. These exit codes can be examined by a
parent process, or, through an ERRORLEVEL test in a DOS batch file. Please
remember that the command "if errorlevel 3" is true if the errorlevel (exit
code) is GREATER THAN OR EQUAL to 3. Thus, you should always test errorlevels
in descending order (i.e., 3,2,1).


Here is how LCG/Remind sets these codes:

0 Not triggered

1 Triggered and either no question asked, or if asked, no answer
given

2 Triggered, yes/no question with answer of "Y" (or
substitute set by "/y:" switch)

3 Triggered, yes/no question with answer of "N" (or /y:
substitute)

4
0-9 Triggered, multiple choice question, with answer of number

The LCG/Remind package includes a sample batch file, remind#2.bat, which
contains examples of using lcg-rmnd to either:

o Ask a yes/no question when triggered
o Ask a multiple choice question when triggered
o Display a message only when triggered
o Run a program directly when triggered without stopping to ask a
question or displaying a message


Command Line Syntax
-------------------

LCG/Remind syntax is as follows:

lcg-rmnd [/d:filename] [/m:filename] [/f:filename] [/reset]
[/i:#] [/w:#[,#]] [/e:#[,#]] [/n:#]
[/tb:HHMM] [/ta:HHMM]
[/pa:x:path] [/kt:#] [/kp:#] [/q]
[/y:AA] [/ns] [/z:HHMM] [/l:#] [/s] [/c:######]
[/r:AAAA:#:Name] [/h]

All of the command line switches are optional. Typing "lcg-rmnd" on a
line by itself will display a short help message, including the possible color
combinations. Please note that all of the command line options must be on the
same line, but the total line length can not exceed 88 characters. If you need
a longer command line, use the "/f:" switch to specify a configuration file
instead.


FILE SPECIFICATION SWITCHES:

/d: This specifies the file to be used to time the reminder process. If none
is specified, then the default is "lcg-rmnd.dat". If your back-up program
creates a file on your hard disk, then it would be appropriate to specify
that file name here. If wildcards are used, then the most recent file
matching the specification will be used. For example, Fastback PLUS
users may want to specify "/d:*.his".

/m: This specifies the file which contains the message which is displayed in
a pop-up window if it is time for a reminder. The default is "lcg-
rmnd.msg" if no "/m:" switch is included. Specifying "/m:" without
following it with a file name will prevent any message from being
displayed.

The message file itself contains a plain ASCII message to be displayed.
The following substitutions allow the message to be current:

%n in the file is replaced with the number of days since the last
back-up

%d is replaced with the date of the last back-up

%c is used to indicate the position of the cursor, and is the signal
that the message contains a question

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%f is replaced with the NUMBER of files matching the /pa:
specification

%k is replaced with the SIZE in KILOBYTES of files matching the /pa:
specification

If the message file does not exist, one will be created which contains
the following lines:

Your hard disks have not been backed
up in %n days (since %d).

Would you like to run your backup
program now? %c

When displayed, the appropriate substitutions will be made, and the pop-
up window will look something like the following:

[ Regina A. Levin ]

Your hard disks have not been backed
up in 14 days (since 12/25/88).

Would you like to run your backup
program now?


3:31:22 pm 1/08/89




/f: Use this to specify a configuration file containing command line
switches. Thus, specifying "lcg-rmnd /f:lcg-rmnd.cfg", where lcg-rmnd.cfg
is a file containing the following 2 lines:

/z:1800
/i:7

is exactly equivalent to specifying "lcg-rmnd /z:1800 /i:7". Use this
switch if you have very long command lines, although parameters may total
no more than 240 characters even with this method.


/reset This will reset the time on the date file specified by the "/d:"
switch. If no file is specified, then the default, "lcg-rmnd.dat" will
be reset. If the date file does not exist it will be created. If it
does exist then its date will be changed to match the current system
date and time. The contents of the file are not altered.


DATE TRIGGER SWITCHES:

/i: This is used to specify an interval to trigger the program. If the date
file was last modified the specified number of days ago or more then
LCG/Remind will be triggered.

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/w: This is used to specify days of the week to trigger the program
according to the following conversion:

0 - Sunday
1 - Monday
2 - Tuesday
3 - Wednesday
4 - Thursday
5 - Friday
6 - Saturday

Multiple days can be specified, and may be separated by nothing, a comma,
or in fact, any character except a space. For example, "/w:1,3,5" will
trigger LCG/Remind on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Note that, by
itself, this will trigger a reminder EVERY time the program is run on the
specified day. This may well be undesirable if you reboot multiple times
on that day. To prevent multiple triggers per day add the /n:0 switch to
the command line.


/e: This is used to specify days of the month on which to trigger the
program. For example "/e:01,15" will trigger LCG/Remind on the 1st and
the 15th. Please note that if the trigger date is missed, the program
will NOT trigger on the day after. Therefore, we suggest that you also
include a "/i:" command, to specify a maximum interval between back-ups.
For example, "/e01,15 /i:17" will also trigger on the 1st and 15th, but

even if you don't use your computer on those days of the month the
"/i:17" will also ensure that you don't go more than 17 days before the
next back-up.

Please note that the first through the ninth of the month must be
specified as "01", "02", etc., not just as "1" or "2".


/n: This is used to specify an interval during which NOT to trigger the
program. If the date file is set to yesterday, then /n:1 will prevent a
reminder from being triggered, even if today matches the day of the week,
or day of the month specified by the /w: or /e: switches. For example,
"/w:1 /n:25" could be used to trigger the reminder every Monday, unless
the date file has been reset within the past 25 days. The net effect
would be a trigger every 4th Monday. Similarly, "/e:15 /n:0" will trigger
a reminder every time the program is run on the 15th of the month, unless
the date file has already been set to that day.


TIME TRIGGER SWITCHES:

/tb: This switch will only allow LCG/Remind to be triggered if the current
time of day is BEFORE the specified time. For example, "/tb:800" will
prevent a trigger, unless the current time is before 8:00 AM. To trigger
every day at this time, combine this switch with "/i:0". Note that the
time must be specified as hours and minutes, as a 24 hour (military) time.
For example, 11:35 PM would be 2335, and 1 minute past midnight would be
0001.

7
/ta: This switch will only allow LCG/Remind to be triggered if the current
time of day is AFTER the specified time. For example, "/ta:1800" will
prevent a trigger, unless the current time is after 6:00 PM.


FILE SIZE TRIGGER SWITCHES:

/pa:x:path This switch is used to specify files to count and total in size.
These results can then be displayed in the reminder message by
using the "%f" and "%k" substitutions. In addition, the program
can be triggered (or the trigger prevented) based on the size of
the files matching by using the "/kt:" (or "/kp:") switches. For
this switch, "x" is replaced by "A" to only match files with their
archive bit set, or by "N" to match ALL files. Your backup
software may use the archive bit to determine whether a file needs
to be backed-up. For example, "/pa:A:c:\*.*" will match all of the
files on the c: drive, in the root and all subdirectories that have
their archive bit set. Using "/pa:N:d:\lotus\*.wk1" will match all
of the "wk1" files in the "d:\lotus" subdirectory (and any sub-
subdirectories).

Please note that this switch can slow down the LCG/Remind program
greatly as your hard disk is scanned to count and total the size
of programs matching the specification. Combine this with the "/q"
switch to minimize this delay.


/kt: This is used to specify a size, in kilobytes of files matching the
"/pa:" specification to trigger the program. For example, specifying
"/pa:A:c:\*.* /kt:350" will trigger LCG/Remind if there are more than
350 KB of files on the "c:" drive that need to be backed-up (i.e., have
their archive bits set).

/kp: This is used to specify a size, in kilobytes of files matching the
"/pa:" specification below which will PREVENT triggering the program.
For example, specifying "/pa:A:c:\*.* /kp:200 /i:7" will trigger the
program one every 7 days (/i:7), unless there are less than 200 KB of
files needing to be backed-up.

/q This switch will speed up the directory search (/pa:) by stopping once the
prevent (/kp) or trigger (/kt) size is reached. The disadvantage of using
this is that the total file number and size will no longer be reported in
the reminder message. For example, specifying "/kt:100" will report
">100" as the size of the matching files.


DISPLAY & INPUT CONTROL SWITCHES:

/y: This allows you to specify which characters are to be interpreted as "Yes"
or "No". The default, of course, is "/y:yn". Italian users will want to
specify "/y:sn", for example. This can also be used to add any 2 letters
to a displayed menu. For example, if you specify "/y:fi", and then modify
lcg-rmnd.msg to ask "(F)ull backup, (I)ncremental backup, or (Q)uit?".
The program will return an exit code of 2 for "F", 3 for "I", and 1 for
"Q", or anything else.

8
/ns This switch turns off the sound effects.

/z: This switch allows you to specify that if the program is triggered, then
the message will be displayed until the specified time of day. For
example, "/z:815" will display the message until 8:15 am, and, not
incidentally, delay the execution of the remainder of the batch file until
that time. Thus, you can use this switch to delay an automatic process
until a specific time of day. Note that pressing any key will allow the
program to continue, and if the designated time has already passed then
the switch will be ignored, and the message will be displayed for the
length of time specified by the "/l:" switch.

/l: This switch can be used to specify the length of time that the message
will be displayed. The default, if no "/l:" switch is used, is 10 seconds
for a display only message, and 30 if a question is being asked. Note
that if a question is being asked the message is displayed until the
question is answered, or the time has elapsed, which ever comes first.
This feature ensures that systems which reboot unattended (for example,
after a power failure) will not be hung, waiting for an answer.

/s This switch instructs LCG/Remind to clear the screen at the beginning of
its run. The default, if /s is not specified, is for the animated
reminder windows to pop-up on top of your current display.

/c: This allows you to specify the colors used for the pop-up windows. The
"/c:" must be followed by 3 pairs of hexadecimal digits (0-9,A,B,C,D,E,F).
The 3 pairs specify the colors used for the main window, the border, and
the title, respectively. Each pair consists of a background color and a
foreground color. Use "lcg-rmnd /h" itself to display a help message
which shows all of the color combinations, or construct them from the
following chart:

Digit: Background colors: Foreground colors:
------ ------------------ -----------------
0 Black Black
1 Blue Blue
2 Green Green
3 Cyan Cyan
4 Red Red
5 Magenta Magenta
6 Brown Brown
7 Light Gray Light Gray
8 Blinking Black Dark Gray
9 Blinking Blue Light Blue
A Blinking Green Light Green
B Blinking Cyan Light Cyan
C Blinking Red Light Red
D Blinking Magenta Light Magenta
E Blinking Brown Yellow
F Blinking Light Gray White
X Use what ever is currently on the screen


For example, a window with a light gray text on a blue background, with a
border which is red on blue, and a title which is blinking red on light
gray would be specified as: "/c:1714F4".

9
The default colors, which also look good on a monochrome display, are
"/c:1E1E70".


REGISTRATION & HELP SWITCHES:

/r: This switch allows registered users to insert their own name, instead of
"Unregistered Trial Copy" as the window title, and to bypass the
registration screen. For example, if your name is Joan Collins, and after
registration you were assigned serial number 5739, and a registration key
of "YORK" then you should include the following on the command line each
time you run LCG/Remind:

lcg-rmnd /r:YORK:5739:Joan_Collins

Please note the use of the underscore character ("_") to indicate the
position of blanks in the registration name.


/h This switch can be used to display a short help message. The help
message may also be obtained by running lcg-rmnd.exe without any
parameters.


Distribution
------------

LCG/Remind is copyrighted software product developed and owned by The
Levin Consulting Group. It is being distributed as shareware. It is NOT in
the public domain. By using or distributing this package, you agree to the
conditions presented herein.

LCG/Remind is completely functional as distributed. If you use it for
more than 30 days, you must pay the individual or corporate registration fee.
Registered users will receive a registration "key" which will allow them to
have their name displayed on the program's title line, and will bypass the
display of a registration screen.

LCG/Remind is distributed on an "AS IS" basis without warranty.
Considerable testing effort has been expended, but the user is advised to
check the program's suitability before relying on it. The user assumes full
risk as to the results of using this program. In no event shall the author be
liable for any damages, including any lost profits, lost savings, or other
incidental or consequential damages arising from the use, or inability to use
this program.

You may freely copy this program for friends as long as the entire
package is included without modification. Non-profit user groups and
electronic bulletin boards may also include it in their libraries. For-profit
organizations may distribute it provided there is a PROMINENT statement
explaining the shareware terms of this package.

In NO case may registration "keys" be shared or distributed. If you are
a registered user please remove your key from any batch file that you
distribute.

10
The current distribution package contains the following files:

Archive: L-RMND16.ARC - LCG/Remind v 1.6 COPYR. 1989 LCG

Filename Comment Date Length CRC
------------ -------------------------------- -------- ------ ----
LCG-RMND.DAT Date file (0 length) 02-01-89 0 0000
LCG-RMND.DES Short description of LCG/Remind 09-11-89 821 941C
LCG-RMND.DOC Documentation for LCG/Remind 09-11-89 32776
LCG-RMND.EXE LCG/Remind executable 09-11-89 38756 5B20
LCG-RMND.FRM LCG/Remind registration form 09-11-89 5976 B0BB
REMIND#2.BAT Complicated example batch file 09-11-89 6848 E7D2
REMIND.BAT Simple example batch file 09-11-89 825 4B34
------------ -------------------------------- -------- ------ ----


Customer Support
----------------

Customer support is available by printed or electronic mail (preferably)
at the following addresses:

The Levin Consulting Group
PO Box 41050
Cincinnati, OH 45241-0050

MCI Mail: 178-1018
CompuServe: 73277,2356
Telex: 5106010448 LEVIN CHGO
Bix: rlevin
GEnie: REGINA.LEVIN
InterNet: [email protected]
GT PowerNET: LCG/Remind at 068/001



_______
____|__ | (tm)
--| | |-------------------
| ____|__ | Association of
| | |_| Shareware
|__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| MEMBER




11
Registration Form
-----------------

Please remit to: The Levin Consulting Group
PO Box 41050
Cincinnati, OH 45241


Name: __________________________________________________

Company: __________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________


Phone: __________________________________________________


E-Mail, __________________________________________________
Telex, or
Fax: __________________________________________________

Today's
Date: __________________________________________________


The latest version of LCG/Remind is available on the major online
services, and from the Public Software Library in Houston Texas (PSL).
Individual and Corporate Registration is available directly from The Levin
Consulting Group. For your convenience, a $20 registration package (MC/Visa
accepted) is also available through PSL's "800" phone line or via CompuServe
EasyPlex mail. This package consists of a disk containing the latest program
version, and an Individual Registration license. For shipping outside of the
USA the package price is $25.

To place orders only, call (800) 2424-PSL, CompuServe EasyPlex 71355,470
([email protected]), or write The Public Software Library, PO Box 35705,
Houston, TX 77235-5705. For best results when ordering through PSL, send
this registration form directly to the Levin Consulting group at any of the
addresses below. Call (713) 665-7017 for questions about your PSL order, or
for information about the other fine products distributed by PSL (including the
PSL News, a monthly magazine about free and low-cost software). PSL can not,
however, provide technical support for our product. Please contact us
directly, not PSL, for questions about LCG/Remind (at any of the addresses
listed below).

Registration entitles you to receive a "key" which will allow you to have
your individual or corporate name displayed on the title screen (instead of
"Unregistered Trial Copy"). In fact, we insist upon it, to remind our
registered users not to distribute their registration keys. For individual
registration the name must be one specific person, a "corporate" registration
can be assigned to the name of your group, company, or other institution.
Corporate registration fees are scaled to the number of computers that the
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institution has which will be running the program. For this purpose, a
computer is defined as each workstation (keyboard and display screen) attached
to a CPU running the program. Registration fees are listed below. Please
contact us for quantity discounts on individual registrations, or larger
numbers of corporate computers.

Individual registration $12.95

Corporate registration
1-10 computers $75.00
11-25 computers $150.00
26-50 computers $250.00


Type of registration: ______________________________________

Registration fee remitted: _________________________________

The registration name will be displayed as the top title of the reminder
window. It must be 35 characters or less, and IS uppercase/lowercase
specific. Your registration key will be tied to your assigned serial number
and registration name.


Registration name: __________________________________________


If you are ordering through the Public Software Library please choose:

[] No disk necessary, I already have the current version
[] 5 1/4" 360KB disk acceptable
[] 3 1/2" disk required


How did you obtain your copy of LCG/Remind? (Please be VERY specific. If you
obtained your copy from a registered user, please include that user's serial
number.)



What version of LCG/Remind are you using?



What hardware are you using? (Computer, display adapter)



What tasks are you automating by using LCG/Remind?



If you are using LCG/Remind to automate your back-up procedure, what back-up
program are you using?



13
Please attach a copy of your autoexec.bat (or other batch file) which calls
LCG/Remind.



Did you have any difficulty installing LCG/Remind?



Can you suggest any improvements to the documentation?



Any bugs in the program or suggestions for an improved version?



How long did you use LCG/Remind before registering? Why did you decide to
register?



Is there anyone that you know in an influential position to whom we should
send a REVIEW copy of LCG/Remind? If so, please include his or her name,
title, and address.




Customer support is available through the postal address above and the
following e-mail addresses:

MCI Mail: 178-1018
CompuServe: 73277,2356
Telex: 5106010448 LEVIN CHGO
Bix: rlevin
GEnie: REGINA.LEVIN
InterNet: [email protected]
GT PowerNET: LCG/Remind at 068/001


"This program is produced by a member of the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the
shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a
shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member
directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you
resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide
technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP
Ombudsman at P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006 or send a Compuserve
message via easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536."