Ignorant Keyboard Question

[Morris Krok essence@xxxxxxxx]

 from Morris Krok

 essence@xxxxxxxx

 My solution in overcoming Rene's "Ignorant Keyboard Question".

 (1) Save directory of each of my document files as a text docmument.
 (2) Edit these document files (it is much quicker than you would think) by
using search/replace on the command line and a few short programs that
eventually each directory will look like this: (incidentally some of my
directories have more than 100 files):
ca c:\xyfind\aboutme.txt
ca c:\xyfind\aboutyu.txt
ca c:\xyfiles\secret.txt
ca c:\xyfiles\advert.txt
 For the sake of this example I show files from two directories, but of
course it can contain files from a hundred directories.

 This is what calchng2.pm looks like. Actual file sent as an attachment.

«sv08,ECJRF»«lbloop»«prCall/Jchange/End/Readxit/Filename»«sx01,@upr(«rc»)»«s
x02,«is01»î«is08»»«if«pv02»==1»«glnext»
«ei»«if«pv02»==2»«glchange»
«ei»«if«pv02»==0»«glend»
«ei»«if«pv02»==3»«glredix»
«ei»«if«pv02»==4»«glhead»
«ei»«lbhead»«sx09,«va$fp»»TF CA «pv09»
CD CD CD BC saXC CH «glloop»
«lbnext»DL «sv06»YD AS BC «pv06»XC GT XP «glloop»
«lbredix»DL «sv06»YD AS BC «pv06»XC GT XP «glend»
«lbchange»BC abXC AS «glnext»
«lbend»AS BC abXC AS TF «prDone»«ex1»

 {note that in case I am calling up a XyWrite program, the XP function is
used so that it can be automatically viewed in the expanded format}

This simple program written incidentally in Xy3 (have not tried it in Xy4
but see no reason why it should not work in it).

For this program to work, call up the combined directory text file in the
above format, load calchng2.pm a alt key or ldpm it temporarily on a key.
Then with the cursor on the first line of the combined file, call up the
program. You can of course go directly to a specific file and call it up
immediately. Though you have five options ECJRF, you commence by pressing
"C" to call up the file where the cursor is pointing. If "C" is not pressed,
the program will not work. This brings the first file to the screen so as to
give you an idea what it is about. If you press "F", it will insert the name
of the file at its head. When a file is called up in this mode, it is merely
to give you a bird's eye view of it. Should you wish to edit this
particular file press "R". If your intention is to glance at the various
files in sequence, press "J". When you press "J", it will clear the previous
file and replace it with the one next in line. By pressing "E" the program
terminates .

The way I go about transforming a directory saved as a text file, is by
first replacing one space with a full stop, then two spaces with a full
stop, then three spaces with a full stop. This procedure plus a few other
tricks condenses the line of each directory. We are then left with the file
name and the size of the directory plus date. Providing the extensions of
your files do not contain numbers, I use a search/replace feature to insert
"#" in place of .0, .1, to .9 in turn. Then the search/replace command is
used to replace the "return" character at end of each line with "^". I then
use a small program that deletes whatever is between # and the ^ including
these markers. The next thing is to add ca c:\name of directory to each
file. This can be done with another small program. It will certainly be
tedious if each line has to be amended manually.

 All of the above may seem very complex and sophisticated, but it is merely
obeying a few simple rules and what is more it is great fun. I however, do
not doubt it, that this entire procedure can be done more simply by a more
advanced programmer. And the solutions that Carl and others have presented
may be superior and simpler. For my purpose I find the features of this
program, very useful.

 Calchng2.pm is attached as a separate file

CALCHNG2.PM

Description: Binary data