+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + + + Big Bob the Finder + + version 0.92 for Atari ST/STe/TT/Falcon + + September 1995 by Mark Slagell + + FREEWARE + + + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Purpose ======= Big Bob is a no-wildcard item finder. It quickly finds files and folders by identifying character sequences in their names, in much the same way a word processor finds text strings in a document. Optionally, it can also look for strings in the files themselves. When you not only don't remember where something is buried in your gazillions of nested directories, but also aren't quite sure of its name, you will find Bob indispensible. Where the name came from ======================== At the door another policeman stopped him, and Dirk was about to wave an expired Marks and Spencer charge card at him with a deft little flick of the wrist that he had practiced for hours in front of a mirror on those long evenings when nothing much else was on, when the officer suddenly said, "Hey, is your name Gently?" Dirk blinked at him warily. He made a slight grunting noise that could be either "yes" or "no" depending on the circumstances. "Because the Chief has been looking for you." "Has he?" said Dirk. "I recognized you from his description," said the officer, looking him up and down with a slight smirk. "In fact," continued the officer, "he's been using your name in a manner that some might find highly offensive. He even sent Big Bob the Finder off in a car to find you. I can tell that he didn't find you from the fact that you're looking reasonably well. Lot of people get found by Big Bob the Finder, they come in a bit wobbly. Just about able to help us with our enquiries but that's about all. You'd better go in. Rather you than me," he added quietly. -- from _The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul_ by Douglas Adams How to use Big Bob ================== Bob runs as an accessory or program; rename with a .PRG or .ACC extender as desired. The user interface consists of a single windowed dialog containing these elements. 1. SEARCH STRING: Enter text here. Depending on the selected mode, either item names or actual files containing that text will be searched for. Do not use wildcards when searching for item names (more on this under MODE below). 2. STARTING DRIVE: All active drives, except B: on single-floppy systems, are searched beginning with the one you specify here. 3. MODE lets you select from "File names", "File and folder names", and "File contents". 3a. In the first two modes, only item names are searched. This is quite fast; Bob can get through my 360 meg hard drive in less than a minute. Wildcards are unnecessary under this scheme, and furthermore, are not allowed. To see README files, for instance, do not type "READ*.*", but simply "READ". This will locate files that would not show up using a mask, like YOU_READ.NOW and I_READIT.TOO. If folder names are being reported, they are displayed with a trailing backslash. 3b. In "file contents" mode, each file is opened and scanned to see if it contains the search string. The search is case insensitive. In this mode any characters may be included in the search string except for nulls (ASCII zero). As you might guess, scanning file contents takes much, much longer than searching the names. It may be small comfort to know that before I rewrote the search routine in assembler, it took twice as long! Consider this mode your option of last resort, when you're really stuck. 4. FIND FIRST begins a fresh search. 5. FIND NEXT resumes the previous search. If you have changed any settings in the dialog, they will revert to what they were the last time you selected "FIND FIRST". 6. EXIT, or the key, has the same effect as clicking the window-closer gadget. 7. SAVE PREFERENCES creates [boot drive]:\BOB.INF, ensuring that Bob will remember his configuration the next time he gets loaded. :-) Revision history ================ 0.90 (Aug 20, '95): First version, written entirely in C. Search always starts in drive C: if possible, otherwise A:, and looks for file and folder names. No user input except for search string. 0.91 (Sep 01, '95): Added popup submenu to choose starting drive. 0.92 (Sep 08, '95): Added popup mode selector, and ability to search file contents. First public release. Ideas for future versions ========================= For some weeks a slightly Bigger Bob has been bumping around inside my head, thumbing through back issues of Cycle World and leaving cigar butts on the coffee table. Whether he ever finds the front door, or languishes there indefinitely like most of my projects, depends at least on my perception of user interest. It would be a great help to me if you let me know whether version 0.92 is useful to you now, and whether you think any of the possible enhancements listed below would mean a significant improvement. If and when version 1.00 comes to pass, it probably becomes a modestly- priced shareware product. 1. Search in background, where operating system allows. 2. Generate a list of matches without requiring interruption from the user; send results to window, file, or printer. 3. Take instructions from command line and AES message pipe. 4. Make mask editable in contents mode. (currently *.*) 5. Allow sector-level directory search in item name modes, bypassing GEMDOS for speed. 6. Implement applicable AES 4+ gadgets and message responses. (I won't worry about this until my copy of Geneva arrives.) Legalese ======== Big Bob the Finder version 0.92 is freeware. Use at your own risk; I accept no responsibility for the results of its use or misuse. Please direct bug reports or other comments to the email address below. Mark Slagell m.slagell@genie.com