ABOUT ACROSS LIBRRARY SEARCHING October, 1991 GENERAL DESCRIPTION =================== CompuServe has released a new version of the Forum Libraries, which provides many additional features. The main enhancement is the ability to find a file within a forum -- no matter what library you are in. Other features include: * a new directory display, providing more information in an easier-to-understand format * the ability to move backwards as well as forwards through a BROWSE * new valid characters for file names * easier-to-understand error messages * the ability to count files in the libraries more easily * and, improved context sensitive HELP, available with the HELP command. All features are outlined below. They are available in ASCII mode. Changes will be incorporated into the CompuServe Information Manager at a later date. CHANGES FOR MENU MODE USERS =========================== A New Prompt For "Menu Mode" users, almost everything will look and feel the same as the previous version of the Libraries. You still enter the libraries by first selecting "LIBRARIES" from the main Forum Menu, and then by selecting the library you prefer from the next menu. However, selecting BROWSE from the main Library menu will shed light on the first change in the new Libraries -- the addition of one prompt. Here's what it looks like: IBM Communications Forum Library 2 Comm Utilities 1 BROWSE Files 2 DIRECTORY of Files 3 UPLOAD a File (FREE) 4 DOWNLOAD a file to your Computer 5 LIBRARIES Enter choice ! 1 <==== Choose BROWSE Enter libraries (e.g. 1,2,4 or ALL) <==== * New Prompt * or <CR> for current library: Enter keywords (e.g. modem) <==== Same as previous or <CR> for all: version Oldest files in days <==== Same as previous or <CR> for all: version Note the new "Libraries" prompt. You have two options here. You can simply press a carriage return (<CR>) to select from files in the current library. This works the same way as the BROWSE selection worked in the previous Library version. Or, at this prompt, you may type in numbers corresponding to the specific libraries that you wish to browse. Each library number should be separated by a comma or a space, as in "1,3,5," to browse files in libraries 1, 3, and 5. Only files in the libraries you enter will be browsed. For example, if you are in Library 2, and enter a "4" at the new prompt, only files in library 4 will be displayed. At the prompt, you may also use the hyphen ("-") to specify ranges of libraries, as in "1-6," to indicate that you want to browse files in libraries 1 through 6. You can mix and match the approaches, as in "1,3,7-11," to browse libraries 1, 3, and 7 through 11. If you want to examine the files in all libraries at once, you can type the word "ALL." A New Format for File Displays The second thing a Menu Mode user will notice is the new format for the File displays. The displays have been re-arranged, and are easier to read and to understand. In addition, the Library number is included in the display when you're searching for files in libraries other than your "current" library. See the examples at the end of this document for more details about these changes. "P" Means "Previous;" "B" Means "Back" While BROWSING, a "Disposition" prompt displays after each file. Pressing <CR> at this prompt takes you to the next file. If you press <CR> too many times, or want to move back to a previous file, you can now do so. Enter a "P" and press <CR> to back up one file. You may also use "B" for "Back," if you wish. It works exactly the same as "P." CHANGES FOR COMMAND MODE USERS ============================== The "LIB:" Command For "Command Mode" users, several new commands and options have been added. All commands in the previous version continue to work, and you still enter the libraries in the same way. The most important addition is the "LIB:" option. This command can be used in conjunction with almost every existing command (DIR, BROWSE, DOWNLOAD, etc.) to designate a library or libraries. For example: DIR LIB:4 will display a directory of all files in library 4, newest first. You can be as specific as you want. More examples: COMMANDS RESULT DIR A*.* LIB:1-5 - Directory of all files starting with the letter "A" in libraries 1 through 5, in alphabetical order. DIR KEY:GAME LIB:ALL - Directory of all files with a keyword of "GAME" in all libraries the user has access to, newest first. DIR *.TXT LIB:1,5,7-9 - Directory of all files with the "TXT" extension in Libraries 1, 5, and 7 through 9, in alphabetical order. DIR AGE:30 LIB:ALL - Directory of all files uploaded in the last 30 days in all libraries, newest first. Two New Commands: LIST and COUNT Two new commands, LIST and COUNT, have been added as well. Here are specifics: LIST - This command is simply a short cut for a "DIR SHORT". It will always give the one-line-per-file "short" listing, regardless of your "Library Options" setting. It has the same syntax and options as the DIR command. COUNT - This command allows you to count the number of files in a Library or Libraries. It has the same syntax and options as the DIR command. However, this command does not display the files, but only a summary count of files. In this way, you can count the number of files that will be listed by an equivalent DIR command (so you can "preview" a potentially long listing). Examples: COUNT - Count of all files in the current Library. COUNT LIB:ALL - Count of all files in all Libraries. COUNT KEY:GAME LIB:ALL - Count of all files with the keyword GAME in all libraries. To accompany the "COUNT" command, the DIR and LIST commands have a new option, the "COUNT" option. When this option is specified, a summary count of the files displayed is shown at the end of the listing. Just add COUNT to the command line (COUNT can be abbreviated to the first three letters "COU", or to "CNT"). For example: DIR *.* COUNT - Lists all files in the current directory in alphabetical order, and prints the total number listed at the end. Enhanced "AGE:" and "DAY:" Options The "AGE:" and "DAY:" options have been enhanced to accept ranges of days. You can now specify that only files OLDER than a given number of days be listed, or that only files with ages that fall in a given range of days be listed. The "AGE:" and "DAY:" options work identically. Examples: DIR AGE:30 - This command produces a directory of files uploaded between today, and 30 days ago. DIR AGE:30- - This command produces a directory of files uploaded MORE than 30 days ago. LIST DAY:30-90 - This command produces a listing of files uploaded between 30 and 90 days ago. File Name Characters and Keywords For all users, the valid characters that can be used for a File Name in the Libraries have been extended. The following characters are now valid in file names and extensions for files uploaded to the CompuServe Libraries: A-Z 0-9 @ # $ % - _ & + File names are still limited to only six characters. If an invalid character is found in a file name, or if the name is too long, it will not be accepted. Keywords have changed just a bit too. The maximum length of a keyword is now 17 characters, and may consist of _only_ the following characters: A-Z 0-9 _ - & . There are also a maximum of 10 keywords per file, and any duplicate keywords are automatically removed. There is a "Stop-List" of keywords that are removed as well: A ALL AN AND ARE BUT BY FOR FROM I IN IS IT ME MY NOT OF ON SO THAT THE THIS TO TOO WITH YOU None of the keywords that are automatically removed count towards the 10-keyword maximum per file. You can search for multiple keywords at once by separating them with commas, as in: DIR KEY:GAME,BOARD LIB:ALL The above command will produce a directory of all files in all libraries that have the keyword GAME _and_ the keyword BOARD. EXAMPLES OF NEW DIRECTORY DISPLAYS ================================== 1) Example of the new DIRectory format: Lib 4! DIR [70000,1047] TEST.TXT/Asc Bytes: 9295, Count: 0, 22-Jul-91 [76702,1102] COMDL4.DES/Asc Bytes: 1503, Count: 36, 01-Jan-91 [72777,1312] DELFAC.ZIP/Bin Bytes: 14152, Count: 18, 13-Nov-90 [73407,3163] DVINTS.ZIP/Bin Bytes: 9806, Count: 33, 21-Oct-90 [70130,330] TTLSLC.ZIP/Bin Bytes: 3443, Count: 50, 22-Aug-90 TTLCTL.EXE/Bin Bytes: 107373, Count: 251, 22-Aug-90 TTLCTL.TXT/Asc Bytes: 1942, Count: 448, 19-Aug-90 [73530,2037] XFAX15.ZIP/Bin Bytes: 39936, Count: 91, 21-Jun-90 [remainder deleted for brevity] 2) Example of the new DIRectory format with Library number: Lib 4! DIR LIB:4 <=== Use the LIB: option to "forc...
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