DIRECTORY CHECKER -- USAGE GUIDELINES and STARTUP TIPS ====================================================================
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
When you initially load DIRECTORY_CHECKER, you will see the MAIN SCREEN, with default Dir 1 & Dir 2 values both set to C:\*.* for initial load.
There will be a Message Box displayed with the following information:
Click on the PALM TREE Toolbar Icon to Display Files, even if a Startup Tip is displayed. (To remove this note, do File/Setup and Close, and OK on the Current Values Saved message.)
You can Check the Display Startup Tips flag On/Off -- on File/Setup also, and then press Save Defaults and Close. This change will take effect when you Restart the program.
However, if you had a Startup Tip = Active but Minimized, it will still be available until you <X> it out.Press OK, and the C:\*.* files will be displayed for Dir 1 & Dir 2 - showing All Files.
1 - PALM TREE ToolBar Icon:
Click on the PALM TREE Toolbar Icon -- to Display Files. Note that all the Toolbar options have Tool Tips.
2 - HELP ABOUT:
See -- Help / About Directory Checker -- for the Current Vers Nbr, and Program Description.
3 - Directory_Checker companion manuals
On the START MENU under Directory_Checker you will find the following two companion documents:
Directory_Checker Usage Guidelines and Startup Tips -- This is similar to the Startup Tips, but all in one place.
Directory_Checker Help Manual -- This is the normal Directory_Checker reference manual.
4 - Directory Checker Initial Load Values:
Select FILE / SETUP to review the Directory Checker Initial Load Values.
Before pressing the <CLOSE> button, BE SURE to click on <Save Def's> to Save your changes if you want them to be active when you Load Directory Checker the next time.
If you press <CLOSE> without clicking on <Save Def's>, your changes will only apply to the Current Directory Checker session.
Note that the first time you use the File/Setup screen, an initial DIRCHK.DAT -- Defaults file will be Saved when you press the <CLOSE> Button.5 - <Sel> Editor Buttons:
Use the <Sel> Buttons on the FILE / SETUP Screen to Change your:
- <Edit DIRFILE - Editor Path:>
- <Dir 1 + Dir 2 - Editor Path:>, and
- <Dir 1 or Dir 2 - Editor Path:>
You need to select a Text Editor -- for the DIRFILE Text Editor option. NOTEPAD.EXE is the Default.
For the Dir 1 & Dir 2 Editor, select a Text Editor or other program that can load both the Dir 1 and Dir 2 Marked Files at the same time.
For the Dir 1 or Dir 2 Editor, you can select a Text Editor for Text files, MS Word for Word Docs, Excel for *.xls files, or Crystal Reports for *.rpt files, for example. NOTEPAD.EXE is the Default.6 - DISPLAY Opts:
Use the <DISPLAY Opts:> field on the FILE / SETUP Screen to Select your initial load -- Display Files Option. (ie) A3 = All Files
See the <DISPLAY Opts:> section in the Manual for a list of the available Display Options.
You can also make temporary changes to your Display Files on the Main Screen DISPLAY Opts box.7 - Edit DIRFILE:
Use the Edit DIRFILE button on the FILE / SETUP Screen to make changes to one of your <.D12> Compare Directories files.
See the Help Manual <DETAILED EDITOR INSTRUCTIONS:> and <SAMPLE.D12 File - INSTRUCTIONS:> for details.
Then use the <Open DIRFILE> button to Select and Load the Modified <.D12> file.
Be sure to Click the Down Arrow on the Current DIRFILE list box at the top of the screen, and Select the Compare Directories line that you want to use when you load up Directory Checker.8 - P/N - AUTO REDISPLAY
Use the <P/N - AUTO REDISPLAY> option to Select YES or NO as to whether you want Automatic Redisplay of the Main Screen Compare Directories List when another (ie PREV/NEXT) set of directories is selected.
9 - Copy = Display Next Dirs box:
Check the <Copy = Display Next Dirs> box if you want Automatic Redisplay of the Main Screen Compare Directories List after you finish Copying a set of files.
10 - Del = Display Next Dirs box:
Check the <Del = Display Next Dirs> box if you want Automatic Redisplay of the Main Screen Compare Directories List after you finish Deleting a set of files.
11 - Show - DISPLAY Opts:
Select Yes or No on the <Show - DISPLAY Opts:> box if you want to Show a copy of the <DISPLAY Opts box> (ie) A3 = All Files -- on the Main Screen.
This allows you to more easily change your Display Opts selection while comparing directories.
12 - Quoted File Paths box:
Check the <Quoted File Paths:> box if your TEXT EDITOR or DIRFILE paths may have blanks in them.
It is best to leave this option box CHECKED unless you are sure that your TEXT EDITOR or DIRFILE paths -- DO NOT have blanks in them
13 - Show DIRFILE on Main Screen:
Check the <Show DIRFILE on Main Screen:> box if you want a copy of your DIRFILE Compare Directories List Box displayed the Main Screen.
This makes it much easier to jump around in this List Box and quickly select the next set of Compare Directories that you want to Display.
14 - Use DocRevNbr:
There is a new Use DocRevNbr checkbox on the Setup Screen, and a new DocRevNbr
Menu on the Main Screen, which has Use DocRevNbr and Don't Use DocRevNbr
sub menu options.
When the Use DocRevNbr checkbox on the Setup Screen is Checked, the Main Screen
Display Files procedure will include the Document Revision Number in its compare files
processing for Word docs (*.Doc), Crystal Reports (*.Rpt), etc. But this makes Load and
Compare processing much slower.
However, the Last Modified Date is also updated in these types of (*.Doc) and (*.Rpt) files when
the Document Revision Number is incremented. So you can usually compare these files OK by only
using the Last Modified Date, and leaving the Use DocRevNbr checkbox unchecked.
Then the Load and Compare process becomes much faster.
The Use DocRevNbr and Don't Use DocRevNbr sub menu options on the Main Screen can be
temporarily selected, depending on whether you want to use the slower process that includes Document
Revision Number checking, or the much faster process that ignores it.
15 - File / Print Display - To File, or Legal, or Letter:
Use File / Print Display - To File to Save a copy of the Current Display as a column delimited Text File with longer Filenames, and Vers/Rev Numbers + a Report Header and Footer. You can later import the Text File into in Excel or Access for example.
Use File / Print Display - Legal or Letter to Print a copy of the Current Display. These will Print the current Display with longer Filenames, and Vers/Rev Numbers + a Report Header and Footer.
16 - Show/Hide menu:
Use the Show/Hide menu options to temporarily override your Setup Menu selections and Show or Hide your Display Opts list or DIRFILE list.
17 - Edit/Change-Dirs menu:
The Edit/Change-Dirs menu allows you to Change Dir 1 or Dir 2 by using a popup Directory List box and Double Clicking on the desired directory. You can also change the default wildcard (*.*) if needed.
New <Browse> Buttons -- (Right of the Green D1 and D2 labels.)
Click on to these to also select the Next Dir 1 or Dir 2.
<Edit Dir 1 + 2> Opens up the Dir 1 + 2 Edit Directory Path boxes (Yellow letters on Blue) just below the Display Opts box. You can Edit and Change one or both of these to new Directories.
Then you can click on <Update-Close Dir 1 + 2> to keep your edit changes, or <Cancel Edit - Dir 1 + 2> to restore the dir paths to their initial values before editing.
18 - Display/Mark menu:
Click on the Display/Mark -- <Display Dirs> menu option, or the Palm Tree Toolbar option to Load, Sort, Compare, and Display the Current Dir 1 and Dir 2 using the selected Display Opt (ie A3=All Files).
Primary Display Colors:
RED = Files with Newer Date/Time, or Greater Vers or Size
BLUE = Files with Older Date/Time, or Lessor Vers or Size
BLACK = Files with NO Matching item in the opposite Dir
MAGENTA = Files that are the Same for all checked items
PURPLE = Name, Vers/Rev Nbr, and Size are the same so they are probably the same files, but their Date/Times = Different
The rest of the Display/Mark menu options allow you to Mark only Selected combinations of Dir 1 + 2 files.
See the Manual under MENU LIST -- DISPLAY/MARK -- for more details on the different Colors and Display/Mark options that are available.
19 - MOUSE CLICK / MARKING / RESIZABLE (Notes)
LEFT MOUSE
You can use the Left Mouse button to Drag and Mark, or Unmark Displayed Items.
MARKED ITEMS are displayed with a Yellow Background. UNMARKED ITEMS have a White Background
RIGHT MOUSE
Click on the Right Mouse Button to popup Right Mouse Menus for Copy, Delete, Rename for 0, 1, >1 Marked Files for Dir1 and Dir2, in addition to the Display/Mark menu when no items are marked.
DOUBLE CLICK -- TO OPEN A DISPLAYED FILE
Double Click on a Displayed Item -- to Open the File. A YES/NO box will pop up to let you confirm that you actually do want to open the file, and didn't simply double click on the file by mistake.
If no valid Registered File Type Association is found in Tools/Folder Options/File Types in Windows Explorer, then an option to use the "Open With" dialog box will be displayed, and you can choose a program to open the file with.
RESIZABLE FEATURE
The Display Files Grid and the Directory Listing Combo Box are now resizable when the form they are on is resized.
20 - Toolbar Icons:
PALM TREE ICON = Run Display Files Routine
LEFT and RIGHT FLUSH ICONs = Delete Marked Dir 1 or Dir 2 Files - to Recycle Bin
TWO ARROWS ICON = Copy New Files in Both Dirs to other Dir
Yellow LEFT & RIGHT ARROW SIGNs = Copy Marked Dir 1 Files to Dir 2 or vice versa
RED PENs = Mark Like Names - Left = Dir 1 New, Right = Dir 2 New, Middle = Both New
LEFT, RIGHT, MIDDLE HANDs = Go to 1st, Last, or Middle Dir 1 + Dir 2 List in Current DIRFILE.
LEFT & RIGHT GREY, BLUE, BLACK arrrows = Go Back or Forward 1, 2, or 5 lines in the Current DIRFILE
CHECK MARK = Mark All Displayed Items
ERASER PENCIL = UnMark All Displayed Items
HAND+POINTER = Mark Items with No Matching Names in the other Dir
STOP SIGN = Stop / Cancel -- the Display, Copy, or Delete processes
1ST NOTE PAD = Edit Marked Dir 1 and Dir 2 Files (One line at a time) 2ND NOTE PAD = Edit Marked Dir 1 File Only (One line at a time) 3RD NOTE PAD = Edit Marked Dir 2 File Only (One line at a time)
21 - Prev/Next Dirs menu:
Click on one of the <Prev/Next Dirs> menu options, or one of the Toolbar Left and Right arrows, to select the next set of Compare Directories to display in your current (.D12) DIRFILE.
22 - Copy / Delete menus:
The Copy menu allows you to select an option to Copy Marked Dir 1 Files -- to Dir 2 and vice versa.
The Copy New Files option allows you to Copy Marked New Files in both directions.
The Delete menu allows you to select an option to Delete Marked Dir 1 or Dir 2 Files -- and move them to the Recycle Bin.
23 - Rename menu:
The Rename menu allows you to Rename one Marked Dir 1 or Dir 2 File.
24 - Dir1_Attrib and Dir2_Attrib menus:
These two new menus allow users to Mark and Modify RASH file Attributes, which are displayed in the two new Dir 1 and Dir 2 Attrib columns.
25 - Display Opts - combo list box:
On the Main Screen Display Opts - combo list box (ie A3 = All files, etc), Click on the Down Arrow to Select a new Display Opt.
This list box is kept in sync with the same one on the SETUP Screen.
Click on the <P-SEL / N-SEL> buttons to Select the Previous / Next Display Option.
If Auto Redisplay is set to Yes on the SETUP screen, then Display Files will be done when the new Display Option is selected.
26 - DIRFILE - combo list box:
On the Main Screen DIRFILE - combo list box, Click on the Down Arrow to Select a new set of DIRFILE List Directories to compare.
When you click on and select a line, including the same one, Auto Redisplay will be processed if it is set to YES on the SETUP Screen, but if you click somewhere outside the DIRFILE list when it is popped down, no Auto Redisplay will be done.
This DIRFILE combo list box is kept in sync with the one on the SETUP Screen.
27 - DISPLAY FILES GRID:
The Main Screen DISPLAY FILES GRID -- is where the Display Files results are shown.
The Header lines above the Grid show the Curr D1 and D2 paths in Black on Cyan.
FILENAMES, VERS/DOCUMENT REV NUMBERS, SIZES, DATE/TIME and ATTRIB fields are displayed for both Compared Dirs. All of these columns are resizable.
Vertical & Horizontal Scroll Bars are displayed as needed on the Display Files Grid.
When you Click on and Mark a line, the Grey DETAILED FILE INFO sections below the Green D1 and D2 labels will show the Full File Info, in Yellow letters, for Directory Files 1 & 2.
When you Click on and Mark a line, the Grey DETAILED FILE INFO sections below the Green D1 and D2 labels will show the Full File Info for Directory Files 1 & 2 in Yellow letters.
Then Click again to turn Full File info off for a Marked line.
See more details in the Manual under <DISPLAY FILES GRID - Details:>.
28 - CANCEL Button:
Press the CANCEL Button to Stop / Cancel -- the Display, Copy, or Delete processes.
29 - ELAPSED TIME box:
The ELAPSED TIME box (in red letters) -- Shows the amount of time used for DIRECTORY CHECKER processes.
30 - D1 and D2 -- Browse Buttons and White Status Lines:
(Right of the Green D1 and D2 labels.)
Browse Buttons -- click on to select the Next Dir 1 or Dir 2
White Status Lines -- Show Processing Status messages:
Loading xx of xxx - Filename -- (for Dir 1 or Dir 2)
Sorting Dir 1 or Dir 2 Files
Loading Display Files Grid
Total of Marked Files and their Size -- for Copy/Delete processes
xx of xxx Left - Copying Filename
xx of xxx Left - Deleting Filename
31 - See Help Manual -- SECTION V - DIRECTORYCHECKER ERROR NOTES and MISC INFO for specific DISPLAY FILES and COPY/DELETE - ERROR NOTES.