Release Info For HDSCAN 1.2 (Shareware Version)

The program included in this ARC file should be called HDSCAN12.PRG. Any
HDSCAN that is less than version 2.0 is to be considered shareware. Version
2.0 and above is not PD (which is obviously stated when you boot it up). I
have put lots of new features in this new version of HDSCAN and hope you find
some of them useful. Since this program is copyrighted (as all shareware is),
the normal rules apply. If you wish to give a copy to your friends or as part
of an Atari Clubs' Disk of the Month, that is fine as long as it remains arc'ed
with the documentation and support files and is not modified. Why do I and
others distribute working programs like this instead of selling them just as
packages? Primarily because we believe that if our programs are good enough,
you will use them in your everyday work. Then you will start thinking about
how nice features like the Sort (by date/name/size) and file compare can be
and will order the non-PD version (which we call HDSCAN Professional). I am
still planning on continually adding features to the program, most of which
will be reflected in the PD version as well. If you can't afford the $20 for
the professional version, then at least you will still have a useful tool
for everyday use. And if you don't like the program, you aren't out anything
this way.

Philosophy time. Why HDSCAN? Basically, I am in search of the most effecient
method of accessing STuff on my Hard disk.  HDSCAN is somewhere in between
two human interface extremes. On the one hand, you have GEM which is nice in
that you don't have to type anything to move up and down directories, moving
files around, and searching for stuff. This is neat until you realize how long
it takes to move around through lots of directories (which hasn't been much of
a problem until recently since we were all paranoid about having 'lots' of
directories). The alternate approach is to use a command shell like PCOMMAND
which lets you do lots of things by typing in lots of things. Some tasks
are faster to do in command shells (renaming files, wildcard copies, etc) but
you still find yourself taking a long time to move around and figure out where
stuff is. And you end up using other programs to help out (whereis, cat, etc).
HDSCAN gathers the disk info very quickly (2-3 seconds on most hard disks) and
presents you with a single keystroke type interface that lets your fingers do
the scrolling (so to speak). With the new features in 1.2, you can even add
your own custom programs to this 'interface' and really fly. Read the related
docs. It can't hurt to try it out. NOTE: I use it quite a bit now on my system
when my hard drive is turned off, so it can be of use to floppy owners as well. 

With that out of the way, I will add here that there is one option I forgot to
document in the HDSCAN.DOC file.  I added a 'B' key option that goes through
and groups all files into disk order, rather than the RANDOM order that you
will see files in upon running HDSCAN. The RANDOM order is actually the same
tree order the files appear in your FAT tables, so they are actually already
clustered together within their respective subdirectories. It is just that as
your hard disk gets more fractured due to erasing and moving files around, your
FAT tables will get messier and messier (I am not being personal, FAT stands
for File Allocation Tables). After you get used to viewing the disk via
using the match, directory select, and/or sort (hint, hint) options, you will
probably never even bother using the 'B' key.

Currently known bugs/limitations:

1) if you run a gemdos program, or anything that uses with the mouse, via the
   user-definable function key options, HDSCAN may have wierd things happen
   to its' graphics. This is a feature/bug of GEM's pexec and GEM itself as
   far as I can tell, so until someone explains what is up, HDSCAN will retain
   this limitation. (Actually, this won't be a problem for most users.)

2) if you have a directory path (i.e. C:\PICTURES\DEGAS\ELITE\TINYED\...) that
   is more than 127 characters long, you won't be able to run any external
   programs on that file. This is a Pexec limit and you will probably run into
   problems with other things if you keep it that long anyway, so I have no
   workaround plans for that.

3) one other limitation is that if you have more than 2500 files on all your
   hard disk partitions, HDSCAN will tell you so and stop. I have a messy hard
   disk, and even on my PC with 40 megs of ST BBS stuff, I would only have
   around 1800 files, so I am sticking with this limit until people start to
   complain. (Actually, the ST starts doing wierd things when you get too many
   files in a set of folders anyway...try opening up 4 folders on the desktop,
   each with 100 files in it, and then adding files to the folders...strange
   TOS errors.)

                                               -Todd Burkey
                                                3/19/87