ARCHIVE: The File Compacting System UltraSoft Corporation 1777 Veterans Highway Central Islip, NY 11722 (516) 348-4848 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION Archive allows the user to compact a large number of unwieldy files into a single file, ending with a .ARC extension. A use for this would include transfer of data that would otherwise be cumbersome. Suppose for example that you wish to copy a group of programs from one account to another. The normal procedure would be to use the copy command: .COPY DSK2:[100,6]=DSK1:[25,12]HERO.TXT .COPY DSK2:[100,6]=DSK1:[25,12]WOMAN.BAS .COPY DSK2:[100,6]=DSK1:[25,12]FRENCH.M68 .COPY DSK2:[100,6]=DSK1:[25,12]CHARGE.CMD Tedious, isn't it? It would be much easier if the above files had been archived under the heading JOAN.ARC. Transfer of this file would have then looked like: .COPY DSK2:[100,6]=DSK1[25,12]JOAN.ARC In short, ARCHIVE allows for easier data manipulation. 2.0 INSTALLATION In order to download the software, simply follow the installation procedure included with this package. There is no need to modify the system initialization file. 3.0 COMMAND OVERVIEW All that is needed to operate ARCHIVE are three short commands-- ARCHIV, ARCDIR, and ARCRES. ARCHIV allows for creation of the archive file, ARCDIR lets one view the files contained therein, and ARCRES releases the archive file into its component files. Each of these commands is discussed in more detail below. Copyright (C) 1987 UltraSoft Corporation 3 4.0 ARCHIV This command sets up the initial archive file. For its usage, type this in at AMOS command level ("."): .ARCHIV This shows up on the screen as Usage: .ARCHIV ArchiveFile = FileList {/Switches} /QUERY - asks for file-by-file confirmation /NOLABEL - creates archive with no label information /SUPRESS - supresses file list display /ERASE - erase original files as they are archived The archive file is the heading under which all of the other files will be categorized. The FileList is the grouping of files to be contained in the archive file, with each filename being separated by a comma. The last phrase, contained in the braces are the switches, which are optional. 4.1 ARCHIV Switches These switches, which must be preceded by a slash(/) allow for different methods of archiving. The /QUERY denotes whether or not you wish a file to be included in the archive. This is done on a yes/no basis, so that not all the contents of an account are dumped into one large archival file. For example, if this was typed in, .ARCHIV BASIC=*.BAS/Q the user is prompted to include each file with a .BAS extension, so that selected files will be left out. The /NOLABEL option leaves out the label creation process and immediately jumps to the archiving process. This is explained more fully later on. The /SUPRESS switch eliminates the screen output of the files being archived. In the handling of large groups of files, this will speed the process along. NOTE: All of the switches used above and later on may be used in conjunction with one another. They only need to be separated from one another on the same line by a slash. In addition, these commands can be abbreviated from /QUERY to /Q, /NOLABEL to /NOL, and /SUPRESS to S. The last switch, /ERASE, is dangerous, so be Copyright (C) 1987 UltraSoft Corporation 4 careful in its use. If the archive is interrupted in the middle of things, those files before the interruption will be lost. 4.2 ARCHIV Usage Now that we have a basic understanding of ARCHIV, it's high time that we employed it in a useful situation. We are going to transform a group of files into a single archive file. As a demonstration: .ARCHIV JOAN=HERO.TXT,WOMAN.BAS,FRENCH.M68,CHARGE.CMD DSK2:HERO.TXT to DSK2:JOAN.ARC DSK2:WOMAN.BAS to DSK2:JOAN.ARC DSK2:FRENCH.M68 to DSK2:JOAN.ARC DSK2:CHARGE.CMD to DSK2:JOAN.ARC Total of 4 files in 27 blocks selected for transfer So far, we have started up an archive called JOAN, with a default extension of .ARC, although another three letter extension may be specified. The number of files and how much space they take up is shown. The next prompt on the screen looks like: Volume Name: {Vol.9} Volume ID: {22} Installation: {UltraSoft} System: {AM-1000A} Creator: {Syd Baxter} Going through the above information for an explanation, we find that each of the above labels is optional, and as such the fields may be left out by hitting at each prompt. The words and numbers in the braces are merely included as an example, and as such do not have to be entered. After hitting after the last field, the screen display will look like: Writing TOC Beginning copy.... .` (cursor) The TOC stands for table of contents, which is the listing of all files included in the archive. "Beginning copy" denotes that the process of archiving is taking place. Once at the dot (.), everything is finished. We can now take a look at how the files were arranged. Copyright (C) 1987 UltraSoft Corporation 5 5.0 ARCDIR This command shows how many files were compiled into a single archive. At AMOS command level, a single ARCDIR statement would look like this: .ARCDIR Usage: ARCDIR ArchiveFile Still referring to our example, .ARCDIR JOAN Directory of Archive File JOAN.ARC Creation date: {Friday, January 23, 1987 05:37:38 PM} Volume Name: {Vol.9} Volume ID: {22} Installation: {UltraSoft} System: {AM-1000A} Creator: {Syd Baxter} 1 DSK1: HERO .TXT [25,12] 3 Blocks L at 1 2 DSK1: WOMAN .BAS [25,12] 7 Blocks L at 10 3 DSK1: FRENCH.M68 [25,12] 9 Blocks L at 19 4 DSK1: CHARGE.CMD [25,12] 8 Blocks L at 27 Total of 4 files in 27 blocks The above lines translate into the following. The first file (HERO.TXT) is on Disk 1, located in the PPN of [25,12]. It is three blocks long, and is a linked file. Its starting position in the record is 1. The abbrreviation following the word "blocks" can either be an L or a C. The L stands for a linked file and the C stands for a contiguous file. A linked file is another name for a sequential file and a contiguous file is another name for a ranndom file. 6.0 ARCRES The last command is ARCRES. This allows you to break down the archive into its component files. From AMOS command level, typing ARCRES yields: .ARCRES Usage: ARCRES {Device[ppn]}= ArchiveFile {(Startnum,Endnum)}{/Switches} Copyright (C) 1987 UltraSoft Corporation 6 /NODELETE switch will prevent overwriting of files /QUERY switch confirms restoration file-by-file .ARCRES Archive...............Restores to original disk(s) and ppn(s) .ARCRES DEVN:[p,pn]=Archive...Restores all files to one disk & ppn .ARCRES DEVN:=Archive.........Restores to one disk .ARCRES [p,pn]=Archive........Restore to one ppn .ARCRES =Archive..............Restores to current log account 6.1 ARCRES Breakdown The device in the above can be whatever account you are logged into, whether it be DSK2 or WIN1. The device and the ppn are optional, and are only used in certain circumstances. The Startnum and Endnum refer to the position of files within the archive. For example you may wish to retrieve from the archive only those files between positions 12 and 45. The other commands will place the restored files where you want them to be. Finally, the switches, like those for ARCDIR may be abbreviated and are also optional. 6.2 ARCRES Usage Still referring to our example, this is how the archive restoration process would look, except that we will place the files in DSK2:[100,6]. .ARCRES DSK2:[100,6]=JOAN [Note that the .ARC extension isn't here] JOAN.ARC to DSK2: HERO.TXT[100,6] JOAN.ARC to DSK2: WOMAN.BAS[100,6] JOAN.ARC to DSK2: FRENCH.M68[100,6] JOAN.ARC to DSK2: CHARGE.CMD[100,6] 7.0 SUPPORT If you have any questions regarding this product, don't hesitate to call us at UltraSoft. UltraSoft Corporation 1777 Veterans Highway Central Islip, NY 11779 (516) 3487-4848 Copyright (C) 1987 UltraSoft Corporation .