From: ejdeal@terri.austin.ibm.com
Newsgroups: alt.bbs,comp.bbs.misc
Subject: Attn PCBoard Sysops
Date: 13 Aug 92 18:10:36 GMT
Reply-To: ...@cs.utexas.edu:ibmchs!auschs!terri.austin.ibm.com!ejdeal
Followup-To: comp.bbs.misc
Organization: IBM Advanced Workstation Division

[Sorry about the first post.  I cut-and-pasted from another
editor, and I guess the newsreader got confused...]

        
Hello to all the PCBoard Sysops out there!  I am writing a file manager
for the PCBoard BBS to replace the PCBFiler included with the BBS.  I do
not run a BBS myself, but am writing this program in conjunction with
Jack Moore, sysop of the Accolade! BBS's in Austin, Texas.

This program will be called PDFM, short for PCBoard Deluxe File Manager.
 This is (soon will be) a shareware program with a registration fee of $30.  

The reason I am posting is to get some feedback from other PCBoard
sysops.  My main goal in writing this program is to simplify the file
management operations by integrating a user-friendly interface, powerful
utilities, and easy maintenance of the files on the BBS.     
At this point, I have completed most of the base functions of the
program and several of the more advanced utilities.  I wish to get some
feedback on what features users would like to have included.  These
could be functions that you find useful in PCBFiler, functions provided
by a separate program, or things that you do manually that you would
like to have done for you.             

Below is a description for my plans for PDFM:                       
(Some of these features are also found in the PCBFiler program)

Base functions:                    
   * User-friendly interface 
     - mouse or cursor driven
   * automatic handling of PCBoard DIR.LST, DLPATH, and DIR files
     - you just use PDFM and it takes care of the rest!
   * easy manipulation of file areas
     - rearrange order of file areas
     - add/delete file areas
     - easy modification to areas (names, paths, etc)
   * easy manipulation of files
     - copy/move files using area numbers OR names
     - sort each directory by filename, extension, size,
       date, or description
     - you may define a primary and secondary sort parameter
     - ascending or descending order
   * text/file search utility
   * view file contents by pressing a key
     - user-configurable to execute an external program
     - uses file extension to choose from 10 "viewers"
     - views unspecified files as ASCII
   * Shell to DOS                                                
   * Utilizes Turbo C++'s VROOMM overlays in low memory systems
   * Supports up to 500 areas, 2000 files per area (restricted
     by memory availability)
   
Planned features:
    * "virtual paths" for file areas
         - substitute a name to represent multiple paths
         - PDFM considers this virtual path as a single directory
    * conferencing support
         - each conference looks like its own BBS
         - easily copy/move files between conferences
    * file listing generator
         - exclude areas based on keywords in area name
    * automatic GIF resolution identifier
         - add resolution/color info to GIF file descriptions by
           pressing a key
         - download a list of files from another BBS and extract
           descriptions
    * duplicate file locator
         - 4 matching algorithms (exact, filename, version, and 
           fuzzy match algorithms)
         - can scan for duplicates of new files automatically

Features that could be added:
    * automatic ".DIZ" description adder
    * (add your ideas here!)

PLEASE SEND REQUESTS FOR ANY OTHER FEATURES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO
HAVE IN A FILE MANAGER.  I CAN'T PROMISE TO INCLUDE IT, BUT IF IT
SEEMS LIKE A GOOD IDEA THAT OTHERS WOULD LIKE, I'LL PROBABLY USE
IT!!!                                                  

Please E-Mail replies to ejd4737@zeus.tamu.edu.  This is my school
address and I won't be back at A&M until the last week of August, so 
don't expect replies from there until then.  I will also follow this 
forum (comp.bbs.misc), so feel free to post any information you feel 
might be of interest to others.  Please include your internet ID so I
can send questions if I need furthur clarification.

I will repost the results of this survey when I get responses and 
have determined what features can be included in the final product.
        
Thanks for any suggestions or comments!
Eric Deal
ejd4737@zeus.tamu.edu
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