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This section contains information about Options that are used by more than one tool in PentaTextTools. Options like these are called COMMON Options since they are used in COMMON by one or more Text Tools in PentaTextTools. These options are like the section called GREPPES Options but are also found on the Text Tool kits of GreppesTextTools and TriTextTools. To find an Option from within a browser in the current section just use a common browser search command like "Find" and type in the text You are looking for in the dialog box and the browser will try to locate and display the next occurrence of the text on the screen. (Other sections that cover options give a brief explanation of the option menus, a list of some of the most useful options and then a sequential list of the options references that also explain an option or refer to some other part of the document's sections. Option lists are detailed in the previous section on OPTIONS.) Options are detailed in this document by showing an option line first and then an explanation. Common Options ENVIRONMENT variables To have ALL tools in PentaTextTools use the SAME default options see the previous section on Options. For BEGINNERS some of the most useful options are: -? show program information. -a show All of Many options by Menu. -tS show all options by Sequence. For Intermediate and Advanced Users, power options like -C<d> pre-filter input data by Command <d> with sub [F]. are available to finely tune or translate data to a certain format. Since options like -C<d> are COMMON to all TextTools, they can be used like "PlugIns" to filter data before or during the main TextTool operation. These and many others are detailed below. OPTION: -? show program information. Program information is also given by running program without any options or data. Can be directed to file or printer. Ends processing of further options/data. NLX -? OPTION: -C<d> pre-filter input data by Command <d> with sub [F]. This option "pipes" the current input file through command line <d> before processing. The data obtained from this becomes the input to a Text Tool. Can run a separate command from within, to process some other file(s) and then look at the processed data. For example : NLX -C"c:\bin\arj p" *.arj will pass the files "*.arj" first through the filter COMMAND "arj" with ARJ's "p" option to standard-output before being passed to the program NLX. Another example : NLX -r -C"c:\bin\pkunzip -c" *.zip will pass any files in the current directory or below named "*.zip" first through the filter COMMAND "pkunzip" with PKUNZIP's "-c" filter to standard-output before being passed to the primary function of NLX. NOTES: When using a batch file *.bat for the filter then 1. the value of the COMSPEC environment variable (usually <somedir>"command.com") 2. followed by the string "/c" is prepended to the batch file name. For example : NLX -C"doit.bat" *.lis or NLX -C"doit." *.lis becomes the equivalent of NLX -C"command /c doit.bat" *.lis on the command line. A Text Tool automatically selects the correct filter program to run if the extension ".COM" or ".EXE" for a prefilter executable file name is omitted. It tries to locate a .COM file first, or a .EXE file second, first in the current directory or by the drive/directory portion of the filter program path. If not found a Text Tool will try to locate the .COM or .EXE file in each section of the %PATH% Environment Variable. If still not found, a Text Tool will try to locate a filter program by a .BAT (or .EXE if the COMSPEC is CMD.EXE) extension in each section of the %PATH% Environment Variable. If finally not located or if a filter program command name is given with an explicit "." at the end of its name, then the Text Tool will let the %COMSPEC% Shell run the program. (If there is no %COMSPEC% Shell Environment variable then the Text Tool will try to locate a standard shell program COMMAND.COM in the current directory or %PATH%. If not found then it will try the same with CMD.EXE.) Only the "standard-output" of the filter command is passed to the main utility. If an error is encountered while running the filter command "-C<d>" then error messages might be displayed and the program may terminate. If the Text Tool has aborted, any output sent to "standard-output" will perhaps be in file(s) having names like "tmpfilt.001", in the directory pointed to by option -tT<d>. About [F]: Any occurrence of the string "[F]", in the "-C<d>" option data string "<d>", will be replaced by the name of the file accessed by the Text Tool. If "[F]" is not given anywhere in the "<d>" data string then the file to be filtered is simply connected to the filter command input. To run a filter command quickly give the command program as a complete path such as c:\bin\program.exe so that a Text Tool does not have to explore the %path% ENVIRONMENT variable searching the command. Here is sample command to preview the first few lines of any file(s) named *.bin: NLX -h *.bin ...not so easy to see readable text. If the current directory can be written to, or the -tT<d> option is set to a directory that can be written, and HEAD is in the current directory, or a directory specified by one of the PATH environment variables... NLX -h -C"HEAD -jf" *.bin ...-C"HEAD -jf" shows that option -C<d> performs alright. The string "[F]" in the output shows that file(s) *.bin have been Filtered by this option. Any text fragments shown are contained in *.bin. Option -jf in -jf reduces non-text sequences to single '@' characters. The -C<d> option is especially good for doing a pre-filter in a Current Working Directory (CWD) that is read-only, since DOS with the "|" or Pipe operator does not allow writing to the CWD. Example: Use -C<d> if some *.DOC files created by word processors are full of bizarre characters for End of Lines. To have Penta or Tri Text Tool STRINGS look at these files use a command like STRINGS -w -C"NLX -kekw" *.DOC This will make the contents more readable by changing End of Line characters to the MS-DOS standard. NLX will edit a copy of *.DOC and give it to STRINGS instead of the original *.DOC. (The original *.DOC is unmodified since -C<d> only sends a copy of it as Standard Input to the command "NLX -kekw". Tribute: This product uses the SPAWNO routines by Ralf Brown to minimise memory use while shelling to DOS and running other programs. See also Common Options -C:f<d> and -C:n. OPTION: -C:f<d> string for File insert for -C options. ([F]) This option specifies a different substitution string for "[F]" in the -C<d> prefilter option mentioned above. See Common Option -C<d>. OPTION: -C:i when option -C<d> Ignore ERROR LEVEL. When using option -C<d> any DOS error indicator (ERRORLEVEL 1) from running commnad <d> will be ignored instead of asking the User to continue the operation. See Common Option -C<d>. OPTION: -C:n when option -C<d> No filter. Before each file is processed, and if option -C<d> is active, the command <d> will be run but there will be NO filter of the file through the command <d>. Each file is processed as itself and there must still be at least one file specified in the command stream for a Text Tool to process. This option can be used with wildcards "?" and *" or the recurse "-r" option to explore a file system tree with CAUTION : NLX -C"del. [F]" -C:n *.* could DELETE all files "*.*" in the current directory. ! CAUTION !: NLX -C"del. [F]" -C:n -r *.* could DELETE all files "*.*" in the current and ANY lower directories via option "-r". !! CAUTION !!: NLX -C"del. [F]" -C:n \*.* could DELETE all files "\*.*" in the root or uppermost directory of the current drive. !!! CAUTION !!!: NLX -C"del. [F]" -C:n -r [A-Z]\*.* could DELETE all files "[A-Z]\*.*" on ALL drives A: through Z: via option "-r". As safety measures: There is a short delay before command <d> happens. If Control-Break or Control-C is enabled and used during this delay period, then destructive or unintended use of <d> can be terminated before too many files are affected. Or use prompt options for command <d> such as NLX -C"del. [F] /P" -C:n -r [A-Z]\*.* See also Common Options -C<d> and -C:f<d> and -N. OPTION: -N No process of data. This will not process any file, redirected input or piped input by the essential function a Text Tool is based on. It is mostly for use with options -C<d> AND -C:n together so that command <d> on data can be preformed with no other Text Tool processing. If used in this way, the final exit value will be the same as command <d> external to the Text Tool, unless other processing of files has happened before or after option -N. (The highest ERRORLEVEL value of all operations is the final exit value.) See also Common Options -C<d> and -C:n. OPTION: -O turn Off all options. This will reset (turn off) each and every option. All attached option data <d> is reset to its default values. OPTION: -R<d> Register this program with supplied key <d> and .KEY file. A PentaTextTools user must personally register and install any program by using a specific option -R<d> Register this program with supplied key <d> and .KEY file. with a .KEY file and special non-electronic information signature by option to Register a PentaTextTools program. e.g. uselower PDGREPPE -R"45:30:1&10Jan1961" with PDGREPPE.KEY in a current directory on a current drive uses the signature "45:30:1&10Jan1961" to change PDGREPPE to be Registered. After this action, the registered version of a PentaTextTools program has a personal or organisation name embedded within the program, along with registration number. Minor Updates to PentaTextTools programs will use the same registration keys and signatures. BENEFITS: There is NO NAG at the end of using a registered version of a PentaTextTools program. INDUCEMENTS: Any number of persons in a registered organisation (on ANY number of computers) are permitted to use a SET or copy of a SET or TOOL or copy of a TOOL. Give it a try... NLX -R"2005/12/31&12:8:15" will Register NLX if signature <2005/12/31&12:8:15> is valid key and NLX.key is valid and in current directory on current drive. OPTION: -X<d> eXclude files list.+ This excludes certain files from being used by a Text Tool. Wildcard characters like ? and * can be included in each file specification: "?.*" exclude files with a one character main name "??.*" exclude files with two or less characters in main name "*.exe" exclude .EXE files "*.exe;*.com" exclude .EXE and .COM files "tmp*.*" exclude files starting with "tmp" The file list has items separated by semicolon ';' or comma ',' characters. Example: NLX -X"*.exe;*.zip" *.* ...-X".exe;.zip" ensures that only files without .EXE and .ZIP extensions are examined by NLX. OPTION: -a show All of Many options by Menu. List of all options with significant character high lighted (to screen) or capitalised (to file or printer). Can be directed to file or printer. Ends processing of further options/data. NLX -a ..."-a" shows All Options by Menu. Shows options by MENU similar to those shown by windowing schemes. (See options -tS and -tI also). OPTION: -f show File name at front of each line. File name at start of each line of output. Good for having file name of data more visible. head -f file_id.diz ..."-f" with File name at start of each line. OPTION: -h select Hidden files too. Files with the attribute "+H" bit set are affected by this option. Also gives access to hidden directories and programs for -r recurse and -C<d> command options. If you have "c:" drive: pdgreppe -l -h ` c:\*.sys ..."-h" if you have "c:" drive will show names of Hidden SYS files in Root Directory of C Drive (c:\*.sys). Any regular files remain eligible for the file selection. Files with forbidden access, on Windows NT - Vista, are NOT available to PentaTextTools. OPTION: -ja just examine All-ASCII files. Only work with files that contain just ASCII data (characters 0 to 127). NO files with characters 128 to 255 will be processed. pdgreppe -l -ja ` . ..."-ja" uses ONLY pure ASCII files in current directory ".". Note: Text files of non-English Users often have characters in the range 128 to 255 so this option should NOT be used for selecting these types of files. OPTION: -je alter Environment %VARIABLES% in program parameters. -je:i option -je and Ignore empty %VARIABLES%. -je:w option -je:i and Warn of empty %VARIABLES%. Program arguments (parameters) can come from three main levels: 1. The memory environment passed to a Text Tool at startup with the <PROGRAM>_OPTIONS environment variable 2. The program command line given either from the keyboard or some process and 3. The program argument file given by option -jF<d>. If option "-je" is used, any text surrounded by single percent characters (%<text>%) is altered to become the value of any ENVIRONMENT variable with the same name. For example, if a file DOIT.ARG has a line like -X%excludeFiles% and an ENVIRONMENT variable excludeFiles (first choice) or EXCLUDEFILES (second choice) has been set by a DOS command like set excludeFiles=*.exe;*.com or set EXCLUDEFILES=*.exe;*.com then if a command line like NLX -je -jF DOIT.ARG *.* is given, the line in DOIT.ARG with "-X%excludeFiles%" is altered from -X%excludeFiles% to become -X*.exe;*.com Notes: In DOS batch files the "%" character is special. Any values surrounded by "%" like %VAL% take on the value of VAL in the DOS program environment. The expansion of ENVIRONMENT %VARIABLES% in later versions of DOS command lines occurs as part of that MSDOS shell so there is less need to use Text Tool %VARIABLES% on the DOS command line but added to enhance Text Tool -jF<d> command line expansion files. If a string like %VARIABLE% is in a parameter when using option "-je" the %VARIABLE% will be replaced by whatever value exists for %VARIABLE% in the program ENVIRONMENT. If there is no VAL in the environment then %VAL% is is considered empty. Any parameters that must include "%" characters with NO environment expansion can be escaped with a back-slash character such as "\%" when using option "-je". If no %VAL% expansions or format strings are found in a parameter, then "\%" is included as a literal unchanged. If a %VAL% alteration is made in a parameter, then any "\%" is reduced to become "%" by removing "\". Option "-je" also affects any following ENVIRONMENT variables in ENVIRONMENT variable %%Text Tool_Options%%. OPTION: -jf Filter output to Text characters. This is an option to reduce the amount of Control and Escape Sequence (CES) characters in the output. Any sequence having non-textual or control characters is converted to a '@' character. (Tabs [9], Line Feeds [10], Enter or Carriage Returns [13] are included however). If there are many CES characters in the output and You don't want to know about them, then perhaps consider using STRINGS to filter them out with option "-C" or just use option -G to display only the area of the match. NLX -h *.bin ...NO filter. NLX -h -jf *.bin ..."-jf" Filter non-text characters to "@". OPTION: -jn wait for Network access. Requires DOS 3.3 or higher and network/file sharing. When networking or file-sharing is enabled, the normal thing for the program to do, when scanning files, is to skip over and disregard any files that are locked by other users or processes. The program will repeatedly wait for the file to become available. Any keyboard activity will skip the wait and then move on to other possible files. This program, when sharing, will lock any input file so that it can only be read, but not written by other users, during the scan, and then release the file at the end of the scan. OPTION: -jp do data Prompt. Before doing each data source, a prompt along with the source file name(s) will appear on the screen. Any source file name like abc\longfi~1<longFileXXX> is a regular file name as a path "abc\longfi~1" followed by the IFS alternate file name "longFileXXX" by itself. If a Y (or RETURN\ENTER) is given the source will be used. NLX -ja -jp *.* ..."-jp" Prompts to select files You want to see. OPTION: -jq<d> command quote sequence. (") The string (default:") contains the character(s) that can be used for quoting items in the command line and also -jF<d> CLI files. It is mostly for situations where there are many Double Quote " values needed in a command sequence. It also gives precedence for quotes: If <d> is "' (given by -jq\34') then any quote (') past the first quote character (") has lower precedence and is only active if there is a previous ". Examples for <d> as "': A string "'a'" is -> a <- because it is double-quoted then single-quoted. A string 'a' remains 'a' because it is not double-quoted before the single quotes. A string of "a'"'b" becomes a"b because '"' quotes a double quote character between two single quotes. Notes: If the value is "' then to insert single quotes (') inside a double quoted sequence, break out of the DQS, enter the (') wherever needed, and then start another DQS. e.g. A string "abc"'"def" will become abc'def. Also, escape numbered sequences can be used to specify characters, such as -jq\34 to just have a double-quote (ASCII 34) used for quotes. As with option -je, this option only takes effect for a current level of command parameters. If needed in a main command line, then it should be given as part of the <PROGRAM>_OPTIONS enviroment variable. OPTION: -jt just examine all Text files. This option is similar to option -ja. This filter checks that all characters in a file are Text characters as affected by option -jT<d>. If the file is all text, then it is allowed to be used by the Text Tool. For program STRINGS, this option works to select just files that have at least some NON-text characters. See also option -ja. OPTION: -jA options with Attached list data (++) can Accumulate. Any option with attached data and listed with "++" can have its value form a larger total attached option data value such as for file lists as specified in options like -X<d>. e.g. -jA -Xabc.* -Xdef.txt alphas\*.* will exclude BOTH files that match "abc.*" and "def.txt" from being accessed in file group "alphas\*.*", since the total effective option becomes -X"abc.*;def.txt". Without -jA then only "def.txt" would be excluded. OPTION: -jF<d> take options and specs from File name <d>. Options or file names can be put in a Command Line File (CLF) to be processed in the same way they would be handled if they appeared in the command line where the -jF option is encountered. It is good for overcoming the 127 byte limit in a DOS command line. These potentially expand the command line to many thousands of characters in length. This can also can be a source of circular argument processing since one of the CLF's options can include the file <d> itself again with -jF<file>. Notes: The CLF is processed with new lines treated the same as spaces and tabs in a regular command line: New lines, spaces and tabs separate parameters. ASCII zero (0) characters in the CLF are ignored. Long parameters can be continued on the next line(s) by ending the parameter with a single backslash (\) followed by a DOS new-line sequence. End-Of-Lines that are preceded by a backslash "\", and are not in a " quoted sequence, are ignored . Double Quoted Sequences: A quoted sequence (QS) like "exact space" forms a single parameter. Every QS should start and end with quotes in a CLF. If a second quote is not encountered on a CLF line, then the sequence is assumed to continue on the next line and will include the CLF end of line characters in the parameter data. Example: "Start End" becomes "Start<NEWLINE>End" where <NEWLINE> is included. End of line sequences preceded by a back-slash will be omitted in a QS. Example: "Start\ End" becomes "StartEnd" where the <NEWLINE> after "Start\ is excluded. COMMENT Sequences: Any line starting with a SemiColon (;) and not being part of a double-quoted sequence ("Sequence") is counted as a comment line and is not used as arguments. Example: NLX -jF args.txt ..."-jF" takes arguments that include options and file specifications from args.txt and gives these to NLX. The CLF args.txt has ;This is a comment line -td file_id.diz go.bat ;This is another comment line that says to use the Dots and Diamonds option -td on files file_id.diz and go.bat. Any comment line starting with ";" is ignored. In summary, a CLF can greatly increase a potential command length for a Text Tool. It can also be a source of circular activity like batch files for continuous processing. See Also Common Option Option -jq<d> It allows use of Single Quotes to help include Double Quotes in quoted areas or alternate quoting sequences. See also Common Option -tF<d>. This allows the <d> of -jF<d> file name to be relative to a directory given by <d> of -tF<d>. OPTION: -jH<d> program Home executable directory substitute string. (:HOME:) Option(s) such as -tF<d>, which use a directories list <d>, use a string ":HOME:" to conveniently include the home directory of a Text Tool as one of the directories, in which to find program command line extension files for option -jF<d>. This option allows a change to the string value. Example: NLX -jH".CASA." -jF args.txt changes the regular value of ":HOME:" to ".CASA.". OPTION: -jT<d> Text characters range is <d>. ([\9\10\13\32-\126]) For option -jf, that filters any consecutive non-text characters to a single '@' mark, this specifies the range that will determine if a character is regarded as text or not. If a range number is given with a single preceding backslash character '\' then it can be a numeric value from 0 to 255. The backslash character '\' itself is given by inserting two consecutive backslash characters. The range starts with an optional Left Square Bracket '[' and ends with an optional Right Square Bracket ']'. These brackets can be inserted in the range by inserting a backslash character '\' in front of the bracket ("\[" or "\]"). Ranges of consecutive characters or numbers can be inserted with the Minus Sign '-' so that a range of [a-z] means characters 'a' to 'z'. The Minus Sign '-' itself can be inserted by putting it at the very front or very end of a range. So an equivalent way of stating the default range of "[\9\10\13\32-\126]" is to give it as the long form of "[\9\10\13 !""#$%&'()*+,./0-9:;<=>?@A-Z[\\\]^_`a-z{|}~-]". NLX -h -jf -jT"[a-zA-Z]" *.bin ...-jT"[a-zA-Z]" sets the characters recognised as text to abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz and ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ and "-jf" Filter all other non-text characters to "@". This option is good for international or custom character sets that may have characters that do not appear in the English character set. OPTION: -kB show edit Backup:<InputFile>-><BackUpFile> when -ke -ko and -kb. When doing an edit operation that modifies a file and backup with option -kb, display original file <InputFile> and <BackUpFile>. If the DOS shell has IFS Long File Names enabled then the IFS file name is shown. See also option -kb. OPTION: -kF edit Files as NOT having DOS 8.3 file names. You can provide standard MS-DOS file names to the PentaTextTools programs if You want to edit or change them. However some of these file names may have STRANGE file names or rely on a directory structure for some other operating system like LINUX. Options "-ke" and "-ko" will edit these files with Long (IFS) or Non-Standard DOS 8.3 file names but *NOT* preserve their alternate file names. Option "-kF" is provided to circumvent this and ENSURE that changes to files are not saved in mangled formats. For example, if You are editing a file with a Long File Name and making changes to it via option "-ko" and that file name is longfilename.txt then a mangled name for it might be longfi~1.txt and when option "-kF" is used, this correspondence will be maintained. However WITHOUT option "-kF" the file will be saved by PentaTextTools in traditional MS-DOS 8.3 format as its original 8.3 name of longfi~1.txt that is NO LONGER longfilename.txt So use option "-kF" along with traditional representations of file names, to definitely ensure files keep their original names. Speed: This option is SLOWER than the usual method on any files edited. Backups: Regarding back-up options like "-kb" and "-kB", any back-up files for files that have long file names are in standard DOS 8.3 format and may be VERY DIFFERENT from their original long file names and NOT relate to the original long file names when moved to another directory. Also, if the program aborts when changing the original file, the file might become CORRUPTED since the edit changes might not have been fully committed at the time of the abortion SO USE THE BACKUP OPTIONS -kb and -kB along with options "-kF" for safety. Notes: This option had to be added because MS Windows NT4 does not provide interrupts to simple traditional MS-DOS programs like in PentaTextTools to deal with complex and elongated IFS file names. See Options -kb and -kB. OPTION: -kb backup original edit file. When Edit (Option -ke), make a Backup of the original file in the same directory as the original but with the extension "BAK", e.g. <orig>.BAK If <orig>.BAK exists then a Numbered Backup Name (NBN) is made. The NBN is made with the first 3 digit number available for a file name extension from 000 to 999, e.g. <orig>.000 to <orig>.999. Rely on the file date and time and summary (-s) for determining the earliest/latest backup. IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER USE THIS ONE. IF YOU HAVE THE SPACE TO SPARE USE THIS ONE. IF YOU CARE ABOUT ANY OF YOUR DATA USE THIS ONE. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY. Note: Only applies to Files. No backup for pipe-in "|" or redirect standard input "<". OPTION: -ke modify or Edit input file by translation. -ke Edit matches - Use this to switch ON editing. This allows the files specified to be edited by the program. For example: nlx -ke *.mac *.unx fgreppe -ke xyz *.asc *.txt will result in all files "*.mac" and "*.unx" "*.asc" and "*.txt" having their data changed (Edited). Even if the files are write-protected they are eligible to be changed if used with the "-kf" option. This does not fully handle long file names in some version(s) of Windows NT, or a Linux file system visible to MS DOS or Windows. Edit of these can be done, with original file names preserved via option "-kF". But the files must be specified in standard DOS 8.3 format. Also, see Options -s, -kf, -kt, -kw and -ts. Only files that have date-time stamps previous or equal to the current date-time are edited. Note: Only applies to Files. No effect for pipe-in "|" or redirect standard input "<". OPTION: -o Omit single file name at start of output. Do not show single data source name that appears at the start of each section of output. Good when collecting lines of text from different sources to be used as one group later. NLX file_id.diz ...with line separator and file name at start of output. NLX -o file_id.diz ..."-o" Omit line separator and file name at start of output. OPTION: -oo show options On. Gives a comma separated list of all options switched ON and any optional <d> Data used. OPTION: -r Recursive search for file(s), dir\files(s) or dir\. Obtain files from directory specified including all subdirectories in that directory. If file(s) are specified then use files matching the file(s) name. If no directory is specified then the current directory is used. To specify all files in a directory and all the directory's subdirectories use a DIRECTORY name like c:\somedir\ (Notice the \ at the end of the path). To specify some file with a particular name in a directory and all its subdirectories use a path like c:\somedir\somefile (Notice NO \ at the end when using a specific file name). To get all files on drive c: program -r c:\ To get all files in the default directory program -r . To get all files in the directory above the default non-root directory program -r .. To get all files in the default directory on drive c: program -r c: To get all "zap.lis" files on drive c: program -r c:\zap.lis To get all "rainbow" files on drive c: program -r c:\rainbow Examples: If you have files in the root directory "\" pdgreppe -hl ` \ ...no Recursive search. If you have files in the root directory "\" and below (This may take a while) pdgreppe -hl -r ` \ ..."-r" Recursive search. OPTION: -tA append All output if option -to<d>. OPTION: -tO append Output if option -to<d>. OPTION: -tW append Warnings and error messages if option -tw<d>. OPTION: -ta<d> save All output to file <d>. OPTION: -to<d> save Output to file <d>. OPTION: -tw<d> save Warnings and error messages to file <d>. These are used for Data-Logging purposes. Options "-tw" and "-to" send copies of standard Error and standard Output to log files "<d>". Option "-ta" does a combination of these. The file "<d>" should be in a directory THAT HAS ENOUGH SPACE and is given as a standard MS-DOS 8.3 directory name. Option "-tw" is useful for recording program ERROR information such file names of files that cannot be opened due to file sharing. Option "-to" can record all standard output that would normally be visible on the screen. If a collection of data is important enough then "-to" should be used to store a copy of whatever is coming up on the screen. Options "-tA", "-tO" and "-tW" can be used in addition so that the data is APPENDED to the last part of any existing file. Any combination of these may be used. See also option -tl<d>. OPTION: -tC open all files as Compatible for sharing. When a PentaTextTools program uses files for anything, it opens and closes the files by file-sharing protocols: If a file is to be written, then only a PentaTextTools program is allowed to write to the file. If a file is to be read, no other program or process is allowed by PentaTextTools to write to the file. This is done so examination and points of reference in a file can be fully relied on while a PentaTextTools program is using a file, even if other programs or processes are also "interested" in the file. This option removes all read/write locking requests for ALL FILES used by a PentaTextTools program, even temporary files. BENEFITS of -tC: PentaTextTools is less choosy about files. Files used by some other programs or processes can be examined and used by PentaTextTools if the other programs or processes allow the access. PROBLEMS of -tC: If another program has access or gains access while a program is using a file, and somehow changes the contents of a file, then the validity of using the file and results of CRITICAL OPERATIONS like editing can be invalid or corrupted. OPTION: -tT<d> Temporary files directory. (%TEMP%) When using filter option -C<c> or a TextTool program using edit or change option -ke a Text Tool generates and uses Temporary files in a directory that must be writeable. The default for these files the %TEMP% environment variable, or if that directory does not exist, the current directory is used. However this can be changed to another directory by giving a DOS command like NLX -tT"c:\tmp" -C"filter [F]" *.txt so that Temporary files will be created, used and deleted by the Text Tool as it uses data space in the directory c:\tmp NOTE: The string <d> of -tT<d> is parsed for any ENVIRONMENT values, independent of option -je. See also option -je. OPTION: -tF<d> default directories for option -jF<d> command File(s).++ (.;:HOME:) When a Text Tool looks for a file to use for any of the options -jF<d> and one is not available as given, then the Text Tool will prepend any of the directory values in <d> to the file name BEFORE trying to open a definition file. More than one value in <d> must be separated by "," or ";" and the list <d> is processed from left to right. This allows the file(s) used by options -jF<d> to have a relative location so the <d> file or path can be shorter and easier to specify. When option -jF<d> with file <d> is used, the Text Tool will try to open the file <d> by these steps: 1. If the file is an absolute or relative file name, the Text Tool will try to open it "as is". 2. If not yet open and option -tF<d> is used (and the file does not have a absolute path, starting with ".", "..", "\" or "<DRIVE>:"), the value(s) in <d> of -tF<d> are prepended to the file name before trying to open the file. If still not open, the program will give an error message and abort. If this option is given in the startup default ENVIRONMENT variable like <PROGRAM>_OPTIONS, then this can become a general way of ALWAYS having a default directory for these options. e.g. set %exampleTool%_OPTIONS=-tF"c:\tt\files;c:\bin" will ensure that whenever %exampleTool% of PentaTextTools starts up, the alternate directories for opening argument files will be drive C: directory \TT\FILES and if not located there it will try drive C: directory \bin Notes: This option must be given BEFORE option -jF<d>. The default string ".;:HOME:" as <d> will try to find the file(s) first in the current directory ".", and if not found there, will try the ":HOME:" directory for the program, e.g. c:\bin for c:\bin\NLX to find the file(s). The default string ":HOME:" as part of -tF<d>, conveniently includes the home directory of a Text Tool as one of the directories. See also Common Options -jF<d>, -tA<d>, -tO<d>, and -tW<d>. OPTION: -tI show all options by Input/Output. This lists options in terms of Input or Output. NLX -tI ..."-tI" shows two option categories, by Input and by Output. See also option -a. OPTION: -tK allow Key buffer for typeahead. This option will allow key strokes to be entered before prompts. When used with option -ti, any Standard Input by pipe | or redirect < can be used in place of keyboard input. See also option -ti. OPTION: -tS show all options by Sequence. This lists a Text Tool's options by a Sequence (ASCII ascending order) that they occur in this README on-line document. NLX -tS See also option -a. OPTION: -tV<d> display message <d> on Video screen. When this option is processed in the command, a message <d> is shown on the screen after "program>". NLX -tV "Here is go.bat" -tk go.bat ...-tV displays "NLX>Here is go.bat" followed by "-tk" Prompt. This is a good option for monitoring the flow of PentaTextTools command stream processing especially in -jF<d> argument files. See also option -tk. OPTION: -tb disable VGA Blink. If the PC a Text Tool is using has a VGA video display unit, this disables any blinking text in favour of alternate background colours available on VGA VDU's. NLX -td file_id.diz ..."-td" shows Spaces and Tabs as BLINKING Dots and Diamonds. If your display is VGA : NLX -td -tb file_id.diz ..."-tb" removes blinking effect from Dots and Diamonds. Note: MS Windows DOS Boxes often do not support blinking but the alternate full-screen Windows screen (available by pressing certain key combinations such as Alt-Enter) may be able to. OPTION: -tc<d> column to wrap data display. This sets the place where long lines of data will be broken to become a new line. Only text file data display is affected. It can help You to see data more easily. Once a space is encountered past column <d>, then further text will start on the next line. This has no effect if data is going to the screen and <d> is greater than the screen width. Spaces at the start of lines are not affected but those after a wrap are not displayed. If output is going to a pipe or file, wrapping occurs in it similar to how it does when going to the screen. Each tool in PentaTextTools can wrap lines. Examples: pdgreppe -tc50 "^" windows.txt PDGREPPE wraps at column 50. fgreppe -tc40 "Win" windows.txt FGREPPE wraps at column 40. strings -w -tc30 sample.bin STRINGS wraps at column 30. head -tc20 windows.txt HEAD wraps at column 20. nlx -tc10 windows.txt NLX wraps at column 10. Notes: If option -td is used to display spaces to the screen as Dots wrapping might hide some spaces. OPTION: -td show screen space or tab as Dot or diamond. This shows spaces or tab characters with corresponding little dots for spaces or bigger diamonds for tabs. Spaces a tab character would create are left blank. NLX -td file_id.diz ..."-td" shows Spaces and Tabs as BLINKING Dots and Diamonds. Option -tb can be used to disable VGA blinking. OPTION: -te Eliminate screen status line. This prevents status messages from being shown on the screen. Messages such as "File select" or "Filter of" or "NetWorkWait" are status messages that show what a Text Tool is doing. This option might result in slightly faster program operation or make Text Tool operation less obvious. OPTION: -tf try old standard DOS 8.3 File names first. A TextTool usually tries to find, open, close, rename and remove files with Long File Names (IFS File Names) and if this does not suceed then the TextTool will try old standard DOS 8.3 file Names. With option -tf, DOS 8.3 file Names are tried first, then LFN's. (This may help when there are UniCode strange characters in filenames that LFN/IFS functions are unable to process or jumbo/jumbled file sizes or other problems.) OPTION: -ti use Input by pipe | or redirect < for Keys Input. This option directs any Standard Input from a pipe or redirect data stream towards the keyboard. See also option -tK: OPTION: -tk press Key to continue. When this option is encountered in the command-line, an ordinary key on the keyboard must be pressed to continue. Press a Key when doing this command: NLX -tk go.bat ..."-tk" Waits for an ordinary keyboard key to be pressed before doing file go.bat. Option -tV<d> can be used to provide a prompt before option -tk is used. NLX -tV"NLX is waiting for You to press a Key..." -tk go.bat ..."-tV<d>" issues a prompt to the screen and then "-tk" waits for an ordinary keyboard key to be pressed before doing file go.bat. See also Common Option -tV. OPTION: -tl<d> default directory for option -t[aow]<d> Log file(s). (.) Instead of specifying the front part of a path for a log file, each log file has this string prepended to form a complete path. See similar option -tF<d> for details. OPTION: -tx use eXplicit *: and / in file paths. TextTools change any forward slash "/" to a DOS backslash "\" within a file path, and expand and explore any drive range such as "[a-z]:". This option cancels the default translation of these so that the user specified file paths are used exactly as given. This does not affect ordinary "*" and "?" DOS wildcard file name matching characters in file paths.
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