University of Vaasa, Finland, Linux Pentium, node number 193.166.120.5 (garbo.uwasa.fi) has a large collection of shareware, freeware and public domain programs which are available by anonymous ftp (file transfer program) and WWW (World Wide Web). This information file ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/ts/0newts64.txt contains news about the programs in the /pc/ts directory (in reverse order). .................................................................... Prof. Timo Salmi Co-moderator of news:comp.archives.msdos.announce Moderating at ftp:// & http://garbo.uwasa.fi/ archives 193.166.120.5 Department of Accounting and Business Finance ; University of Vaasa mailto:ts@uwasa.fi ; FIN-65101, Finland Dense spam procmail foiling in effect. .................................................................... N e w s o f 2 0 0 4 Sat 11-Dec-2004: I have made an update of my free-for-private-use Windows icons collection. It now contains about 360 icons. The collection is downloadable as 161203 Dec 11 2004 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/ts/tsicon11.zip tsicon11.zip Timo's Windows icons collection, T.Salmi Fri 3-Dec-2004: Compiled an updated version of 107700 Dec 3 2004 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tscmd.zip tscmd.zip Useful NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips, T.Salmi With the version number the file now is tscmd23.zip Added: 75} How do I detect if an object is a file or a folder? 76} How do I create an empty file? How can I detect the empty files? 77} How do I list the files in \All Users\Desktop in the short format? 78} Is it possible automatically to record my logon times into a file? Added a few Visual Basic aided command line script alternative solutions to the old items. Added more information and solutions to a couple of items. Made some textual and other corrections kindly suggested by Dr. John Stockton. Wed 27-Oct-2004: After over four years of inactivity since the previous time I have made a kind of an update of my Common Turbo Pascal Questions and Timo's answers, linked 169452 Oct 27 2004 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tsfaqp.zip Also available with the version number as ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/ts/tsfaqp50.zip As a compiler Turbo Pascal has come to such a mature state that there is little to add to a FAQ that has been around for a long time. Therefore this is more of a file maintenance update than anything else. It changes some of the filename within the archive to better conform with present Windows standard file associations. Note, that there is no guarantee that all the pointer and links information within the FAQs is current. But they hopefully give the directions where to start from. Added one new item 156) How do I change my program's cursor from underscore to a block? Added the function for converting a binary string to a decimal word to the item 42) How do I convert a decimal word into a hexadecimal string, etc? Since I currently automate making my packages, added just for demonstration M_TSFAQP.BAT "A makefile to build this [tsfaqp.zip] package" Tue 12-Oct-2004: Made an update 250909 Oct 12 2004 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tsbat.zip tsbat.zip Useful MS-DOS batch files and tricks, T.Salmi, linked Alternatively available with a version number as ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/ts/tsbat80.zip Added for demonstration M_TSBAT.BAT "A makefile to build this package" Made some minor textual corrections to the "1BATFAQ.TXT Assorted batch tricks and tips" part. The fact is that the development of MS-DOS batches is petering out. In a sense they have become "mature" and there is little additional left to do on the original MS-DOS scene. The development has shifted to NT/2000/XP (and beyond) command line scripts. In fact, I have a collection of their own for them distributed as ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tscmd.zip Useful NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips Because of the said developments in the system environments, I have added appropriate tests in several, but not quite all, of the included batches. In those, if a NT/2000/XP and/or a Win95/98/Me environment is detected, the batches are now made to exit with a timely notification. On the other hand, a number of the batch files in the TSBAT collection still work perfectly well all trough the MS-DOS+Win../95/98/Me and NT/2000/XP continuum. Wed 8-Sep-2004: Update 103196 Sep 8 2004 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tscmd.zip tscmd.zip Useful NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips, T.Salmi, linked With the version number the file now is tscmd22.zip Changes: Added DELE.CMD Recoverable command-line delete Added the new items 73} How can I convert a hexadecimal string into an ASCII string? 74} How can I compare two numbers that have decimals with IF? Corrected a bug in the accompanying "RECENT.VBS Search folders for recent files" which prevented recursing into the subfolders of subfolders. Tue 10-Aug-2004: Released an update 99965 2004-08-10 07:49 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tscmd.zip tscmd.zip Useful NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips, T.Salmi, linked Added two new switches to WHEREIS.CMD "Find a file anywhere on a drive" /a show All files, including hidden /m pipe to More Added the new items 69} How do I get the first, or the last, 400 lines of a file? 70} Calendar elements: What weekday is December 31, 2004? 71} How can I reboot my computer from a command line script? 72} Is it possible to use quotes as delims in for loops? Made a number of solution additions and corrections to the already existing items. With the version number the file now is tscmd21.zip Mon 28-Jun-2004: Updated ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tscmd.zip Useful NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips, T.Salmi adding the items 66} How can I delete all the hidden Thumbs.db files from my system? 67} Is it possible to send a variable value to the clipboard? 68} How can I test if a program already has been loaded? The version is now tscmd20.zip Wed 31-Mar-2004: Updated 94268 Mar 31 2004 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tscmd.zip tscmd.zip Useful NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips, T.Salmi by adding 61} How can one devise a command line calculator? 62} How can I compare within a script if two files are identical? 63} How to perform a command on each line of file as an argument? 64} How to count the number of lines in a file, empty lines inclusive? 65} How do I add text in front and after each line in a text file? The version number now is 1.9. Thu 18-Mar-2004: Made the next update of my FAQ-like collection of NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips. It now is in version 18. Available without the version number as 91623 Mar 18 2004 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tscmd.zip tscmd.zip Useful NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips, T.Salmi Added items: 57} How do I get a list of all my empty folders on c:\ ? 58} How do I best combine two quoted arguments into one quoted string? 59} How do I find if a folder exists? How about visible files in it? 60} How do I delete all but most recent 20 files in a folder? Made some solution additions to the already existing items. Thu 4-Mar-2004: Had to make an immediate update tscmd17a.zip of my Useful NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips: Removed the item 57} How do I get a list of all my empty folders on c:\ ? since my the solution was far too instable because of problems caused by potential hidden files and hidden subfolders. Wed 3-Mar-2004: Update 88470 Mar 3 2004 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tscmd.zip tscmd.zip Useful NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips, T.Salmi It is now in version tscmd17.zip. Added a further, simple XP specific alternative to 4} How can I test is it on MSDOS/Win3..9x/Me or NT/2000/XP? Added an only-one-file-needed script solution version to 8} How do I find all the files made at of after YYYYMMDD HHMM? Added BASIC solution alternatives to at least the following items 28} How to convert a file written in IBM PC characters into LATIN1? 50} How do I get the position of a substring in a string? 51} How can I echo lines in different colors in NT scripts? Added new FAQ items 53} How can I quietly test if a disk device is ready or not? 54} How can I get the type of a disk device? 55} How to get the creation, last modified and last access of a file? 56} How to find and move more recent files from one folder to another? 57} How do I get a list of all my empty directories on c:\ ? Added the scripts (needed them myself) FILEINFO.CMD "CMD shell for FILEINFO.VBS" FILEINFO.VBS "FileInfo Visual Basic Script" NAMEDOWN.CMD "Covert a filename to lower case" NAMEUP.CMD "Covert a filename to upper case" RECENT.CMD "CMD shell for RECENT.VBS" RECENT.VBS "Search folders for recent files" XPMOVE.CMD "CMD shell for XPMOVE.VBS" XPMOVE.VBS "Move newer files between folders" Corrected a bug in WHEREIS.CMD "Find a file anywhere on a drive" which did not allow spaces in file names. Mon 2-Feb-2004: Put in circulation the next version of my NT/2000/XP/2003.. command line scripts FAQ. It is now in version 1.6 73123 Feb 2 2004 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tscmd.zip tscmd.zip Useful NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips, T.Salmi, linked Added the program "ECHOC.EXE Echo in colors". Added the script "COLORMAP.CMD Display ECHOC.EXE color map". Added: 51} How can I echo lines in different colors in NT scripts? 52} How can I enter a password into a variable without echoing it? Added some information to TSCMDINF.TXT about the programs included in the tscmd.zip package. Added Visual Basic Script solutions to the items 6} How does one get yesterday's date? 13} How do I get the current day of the week? 39} Is there a subroutine to convert a variable into uppercase? Tue 6-Jan-2004: During the holidays I have had time to look further into my NT/2000/XP command line scripts FAQ. Thus release the next update with a number of additions. The update is available, as usual, as 63443 Jan 6 2004 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/link/tscmd.zip tscmd.zip Useful NT/2000/XP script tricks and tips, T.Salmi or with the version number as tscmd15.zip. But preferably get or link to the file without the version number. Added FILEAGE.CMD "Find out how old a file is" which at the same time answers two new items: 45} How can I find out how many days old a file is? 46} Is a program available in the default directory or at path? Added the script EDATE.CMD To display some alternative date formats for cutting and pasting. Happened to need it myself. Added more new items 47} Is it possible to echo the redirection symbol in a script? 48} Why do some comment lines cause errors? What can I do about it? 49} I need to reverse a text file. How do I do that fairly quickly? 50} How do I get the position of a substring in a string? Partly based on a helpful discussion in news:alt.msdos.batch.nt extended and renamed the item slightly: 23} How do I get the n:th, the first and the last line of a text file? Made some other, smaller adjustments. Added a number of further Google references to related postings. Thu 1-Jan-2004: The older news about the files in the /pc/ts directory http://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/ts.html are available as : ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/ts/0newts63.txt The news announcements of 2003 about ts-programs, T.Salmi : and so on, backwards.