Deleting non-existent entries in "descript.ion" file

[Johno]

My old Acdsee (version 3.1) is prone to leaving non-existent entries in the
DESCRIPT.ION file.

I am interested to know if there is an alternative to a utility called
dOptimiser which cleans up non-existent entries in DESCRIPT.ION files.

I want some similar utility to clean all DESCRIPT.ION files in subfolders
rather than just one folder at a time which is what dOptimiser does.

dOptimiser isn't listed by Google so if you want to know what I mean, I've
posted a copy here: http://www.datafilehost.com/download-211a1d0e.html

[E. S. Fabian]

Johno:

| I am interested to know if there is an alternative to a utility
| called dOptimiser which cleans up non-existent entries in
| DESCRIPT.ION files.

It is easy to write a 4DOS / 4NT / TCC batch file to do that. I believe the
one below is acceptable to all versions, but HAS NOT BEEN TESTED ANYWHERE!


setlocal
on error goto CLEANUP
on break goto CLEANUP
cd \
set t=%@unique[.]
for /r . %d in (DESCRIPT.ION) gosub PRUNE
del/eqyz %t
quit

:PRUNE
if not exist DESCRIPT.ION return
do line in @DESCRIPT.ION
set file=%@word[0,%line]
if exist %file echo %line >> %t
enddo
iff %@lines[%t] GE 0 then
attrib -r -h -s DESCRIPT.ION
type %t >! DESCRIPT.ION
attrib +h DESCRIPT.ION

REM>! %t
endiff
return

[Michael Bednarek]

Post by Johno
My old Acdsee (version 3.1) is prone to leaving non-existent entries in the
DESCRIPT.ION file.
I am interested to know if there is an alternative to a utility called
dOptimiser which cleans up non-existent entries in DESCRIPT.ION files.
I want some similar utility to clean all DESCRIPT.ION files in subfolders
rather than just one folder at a time which is what dOptimiser does.

[snip]

DESCRIBE /U should remove non-existing filenames; to recurse through
subdirectories, GLOBAL DESCRIBE /U should work.

<http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?describe.htm>
<http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?global.htm>

[E. S. Fabian]

Michael Bednarek:

| On Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:06:56 GMT, Johno wrote in comp.os.msdos.4dos:
|
|| My old Acdsee (version 3.1) is prone to leaving non-existent
|| entries in the DESCRIPT.ION file.
||
|| I am interested to know if there is an alternative to a utility
|| called dOptimiser which cleans up non-existent entries in
|| DESCRIPT.ION files.
||
|| I want some similar utility to clean all DESCRIPT.ION files in
|| subfolders rather than just one folder at a time which is what
|| dOptimiser does. [snip]
|
| DESCRIBE /U should remove non-existing filenames; to recurse through
| subdirectories, GLOBAL DESCRIBE /U should work.
|
| http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?describe.htm
| http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?global.htm

The /U option of the DESCRIBE command is available in 4NT and Take Command
starting with version 6, and all versions of TCC and TCC/LE. However, it is
not available in 4DOS, in the 16-bit versions of Take Command, and in early
versions of 4NT and TCMD32.

[Caesar Romano]

On Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:22:51 +1000, Michael Bednarek

Post by Michael Bednarek

Post by Johno
My old Acdsee (version 3.1) is prone to leaving non-existent entries in the
DESCRIPT.ION file.
I am interested to know if there is an alternative to a utility called
dOptimiser which cleans up non-existent entries in DESCRIPT.ION files.
I want some similar utility to clean all DESCRIPT.ION files in subfolders
rather than just one folder at a time which is what dOptimiser does.

[snip]
DESCRIBE /U should remove non-existing filenames; to recurse through
subdirectories, GLOBAL DESCRIBE /U should work.
<http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?describe.htm>
<http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?global.htm>

Nice solution.

[Johno]

Post by Michael Bednarek

Post by Johno
My old Acdsee (version 3.1) is prone to leaving non-existent entries
in the DESCRIPT.ION file.
I am interested to know if there is an alternative to a utility called
dOptimiser which cleans up non-existent entries in DESCRIPT.ION files.
I want some similar utility to clean all DESCRIPT.ION files in
subfolders rather than just one folder at a time which is what
dOptimiser does.

[snip]
DESCRIBE /U should remove non-existing filenames; to recurse through
subdirectories, GLOBAL DESCRIBE /U should work.
<http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?describe.htm>
<http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?global.htm>

I'm new to this and have never used JPsoft's DESCRIBE. Is it free software?
Those links make it look like a part of a larger package.

[Bruce Morgen]

Post by Johno

Post by Michael Bednarek

Post by Johno
My old Acdsee (version 3.1) is prone to leaving non-existent entries
in the DESCRIPT.ION file.
I am interested to know if there is an alternative to a utility called
dOptimiser which cleans up non-existent entries in DESCRIPT.ION files.
I want some similar utility to clean all DESCRIPT.ION files in
subfolders rather than just one folder at a time which is what
dOptimiser does.

[snip]
DESCRIBE /U should remove non-existing filenames; to recurse through
subdirectories, GLOBAL DESCRIBE /U should work.
<http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?describe.htm>
<http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?global.htm>

I'm new to this and have never used JPsoft's DESCRIBE. Is it free software?
Those links make it look like a part of a larger package.

It's a built-in command
in the products Steve
Fabian noted -- a
feature and not a
separate program.

[E. S. Fabian]

||| http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?describe.htm
||| http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?global.htm
||
|| I'm new to this and have never used JPsoft's DESCRIBE. Is it free
|| software? Those links make it look like a part of a larger package.
|
| It's a built-in command in the products Steve Fabian noted -- a
| feature and not a separate program.

4DOS for versions of DOS, esp. FreeDOS, 4OS2 for use on OS/2, and TCC/LE for
use on Windows XP (and later) are now free command processors from JP
Software, Inc. 4DOS and 4OS2 had been commercial products when DOS and OS/2
were more popular. TCC/LE (Take Command Console / Limited Edition) is
primarily a free replacement for CMD.EXE with only a portion of the
enhancements found in the commercial product TCC. All of these command
processors include the DESCRIBE command to manipulate the contents of a
hidden file named DESCRIPT.ION which can contain one line of arbitrary text
for each file in a directory, describing its contents. All file manipulation
commands in the JPsoft command processors also manipulate the associated
file description, if any, so that the description of a file, when the file
itself is deleted, moved, renamed or copied, will be subject to the same
action. Many other file manipulation programs from other vendors also
process JPsoft-style file descriptions, e.g., make it a file comment in an
archive.

TCC is currently bundles with a program named Take Command (TCMD), which
allows multiple console (i.e., text) programs to use individual "tabs" of a
single window, in the same manner Firefox and Internet Explorer allow you to
view different websites in different "tabs".

As all JPsoft commerical products, TCMD can be downloaded from jpsoft.com
for a free 30-day evaluation period.

[Johno]

Post by E. S. Fabian
||| http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?describe.htm
||| http://jpsoft.com/help/index.htm?global.htm
||
|| I'm new to this and have never used JPsoft's DESCRIBE. Is it free
|| software? Those links make it look like a part of a larger package.
|
| It's a built-in command in the products Steve Fabian noted -- a
| feature and not a separate program.
4DOS for versions of DOS, esp. FreeDOS, 4OS2 for use on OS/2, and
TCC/LE for use on Windows XP (and later) are now free command
processors from JP Software, Inc. 4DOS and 4OS2 had been commercial
products when DOS and OS/2 were more popular. TCC/LE (Take Command
Console / Limited Edition) is primarily a free replacement for CMD.EXE
with only a portion of the enhancements found in the commercial
product TCC. All of these command processors include the DESCRIBE
command to manipulate the contents of a hidden file named DESCRIPT.ION
which can contain one line of arbitrary text for each file in a
directory, describing its contents. All file manipulation commands in
the JPsoft command processors also manipulate the associated file
description, if any, so that the description of a file, when the file
itself is deleted, moved, renamed or copied, will be subject to the
same action. Many other file manipulation programs from other vendors
also process JPsoft-style file descriptions, e.g., make it a file
comment in an archive.
TCC is currently bundles with a program named Take Command (TCMD),
which allows multiple console (i.e., text) programs to use individual
"tabs" of a single window, in the same manner Firefox and Internet
Explorer allow you to view different websites in different "tabs".
As all JPsoft commerical products, TCMD can be downloaded from
jpsoft.com for a free 30-day evaluation period.

I think I vaguely remember this. I think this is the one which replaces
DOS in Win98. I'm on XP now but am a bit wary of installing anything
which might upset the operating system.

I think I would prefer a stand alone utility to clean the DESCRIPT.ION
file in all subfolders.

[E. S. Fabian]

Johno:
| I think I would prefer a stand alone utility to clean the
| DESCRIPT.ION file in all subfolders.

As far as I am concerned, a TCC or TCC/LE command that can perform the
cleanup is a stand-alone utility, just as dozens of desktop shortcuts - most
invoked by hotkeys - that I have are short programs interpreted by unique
instance of TCC to perform actions such as change screen resolution, change
screen saver start delay, log actions before starting other programs, etc.

If you do not use any JPsoft product to create the DESCRIPT.ION files, you
should use the same product to clean up, unless it is deficient. If you do
use a JPsoft command processor, it has the DESCRIBE command with the /U
(update) option to clean up the specified directory, or - if none
specified - the current directory. The GLOBAL command allows to sweep
through all subdirectories.

If you do not trust JPsoft products, and the product you use cannot clean
things up, you should not even use DESCRIPT.ION files. What good are notes
written about a picture which has long been thrown away?

BTW, recent versions of JPsoft command processors used with disk volumes
accessed via NTFS allow the description of each file to be a special STREAM
of the file. This ensures that the description remains with the file no
matter what program moves, copies, or renames it, and there are no orphaned
descriptions.