CLEANUP.EXE (for Postlink Log(s)) ================================================================= CleanUp was written to reduce the size of the Postlink log(s) to speed up the running of Status as well as reducing the size of the Postlink log(s) for editing, etc. See below for list of lines that are currently deleted by CleanUp. This program is written to be run in conjunction with my Status program and is not to be run as a separate program. To do so is in violation of my copyright. This archive should contain the following files: CLEANUP.DOC........... Instructions for running CleanUp CLEANUP.EXE........... Postlink log reduction utility DOORS.TXT............. Current list James Huckabey doors FILE_ID.DIZ........... BBS description file HUCKABEY.TXT.......... Current list of all James Huckabey software. READ.ME............... Update/changes information STATUS.EXE............ Actual program STATUS.DOC............ Instructions for running Status STATUS.CFG............ Sample configuration file STATUS2.CFG........... Sample configuration file STATUS3.CFG........... Sample configuration file STATUS.BAT............ Sample batch file ARCHIVE.TXT........... This list of files ******* WARNING ******* A word of caution: Because garbage can get into the Postlink log(s) it is possible to have CleanUp chop off your log with an invalid end of file marker. That is the garbage can contain a " " and CleanUp believes that this is the end of the file and cuts off the log at this point. There is no way to program around this problem. Once the marker is found the file is set as the end and no way I can work out and over come a premature end of file marker. I am still trying to work this out. ******* o ******* Syntax: CLEANUP [path]LOGFILE.DOC For best results CleanUp should be run before Status. That way on the day of the rollover the LOG(s) are at their smallest possible size. CleanUp must be in current directory or somewhere in your path statement. You may include a full name and path to your log file. Check list of lines that are deleted to make sure it is not going to remove any lines that you want to remain in your copy of the Postlink log(s). This is not adjustable by the user. Your input is wanted on what is or what is not removed. At the end of activity the program displays the starting and ending log file sizes, starting and ending line count. The process may be lengthy depending on the size of your log. It can be run daily, bi-daily, or even weekly, which all depends on the growth of your log file. A program such as Do-Once can be used among many other programs for running programs on specific days. All that is needed to run CleanUp is as much free space on the log file drive as the size of the log or the program does not create the archive and roll over the log. If your BBS system is critical on free space you can run CleanUp everyday to reduce the size of your Postlink log(s). The program removes unneeded conference exports with zero messages. It does not remove them all since the first of each name encountered is used by Status. First it keeps in memory each new conference name, when a match is found that has zero message then, and only then, is that line removed from the log. See list below of other lines currently being deleted. It does nothing to the current day's portion of the log. It stops deleting lines when it finds the log date equals the current system date. It can reduce the size of your log up to about 60%, perhaps even more on some systems. Depends on how many mail runs you make each day, if you are a Hub, errors, etc. If your hard drive space it not at a premium or speed is not critical then you really do not have to run CleanUp. The main savings on time, both CleanUp and Status, would be gained the most near month's end. It takes Status time to read in and process logs when they are larger. Lines can reach 30,000 or more on a system with a lot of conferences. The savings would be most needed or noticed on systems that operate as Hubs for other nodes and/or carry many conferences. The log file reduction on The Running Board (RUNNINGA (#2)), Bonnie Anthony sysop, went from about 7 megs (70,000 lines or so) to about 2.5 megs (33,000 lines). Status was running real slow by month's end and the log was too large to load into her editor to view activity. After running CleanUp the log could be easily loaded into the editor. Your log might not be this large, but it can reduce it's size. Currently lines starting with the following information are deleted plus any blank lines along with the unneeded zero message exports: ******* Special Note ******* Status uses the exports to get Conference names. When CleanUp runs if saves the first conference names that it finds and only starts deleting the zero messages exported entries if the conference name already exists in memory. This way CleanUp does not remove anything that Status needs to generate it's bulletins. Just because you find exports with zero messages exported please do not think CleanUp is not working properly. ********** o ********** <-starting position in log Attempt CONFLST.NET Corrupted Due error Error Failure filesend highest mailstore MailStore Negative sendpkt Unable Undeliverable Warning ALLFILE allfile (Bi- Channel dict.net Dictionary error Error External File pcbnet post ppost Preamble Receive RIME rime Run Site Skipping Transfer Unable Also removing lines ending with the following syntax: failed. Failed. imported. request. total. Also removing lines containing the following words in positions 7 to 24: routed packet Garbage Removal? The program also deletes any line starting with seven spaces. Normal is no spaces or six spaces. It also searches the first six positions for characters > 126 or < 35 and not equal to 32. This is to try and remove any garbage that might be put into the log file for God only knows what reasons. If you find errors that cause premature termination please send me a copy of that file so I can see if I can work around the problem. I have found garbage that caused the log file to tell Status/CleanUp that it was the end of the file. I need to see if I can work around this, but I no longer have a copy of the log file to test a new theory. Regardless of what is deleted the current day's activities are not altered in any way (unless premature end of file marker). Items deleted may change as I receive any feedback. I have found that the Postlink software generates an ERROR.LOG (whatever its name) so the errors deleted from the regular log remain in the error log. This Program If you don't like the program please write to me and explain why. Send me any suggestions you might have. If they enhance the overall program I will try to incorporate part, some, all, in the next release. Errors Errors are written to the current directory in a file called CLEANUP.ERR. If the file already exists additional errors are appended to the end of the file. It may be deleted after you have made note of any errors. It's existence it not required by the program. Current directory is wherever you call CLEANUP.EXE from. CleanUp now must find a valid copy of STATUS.EXE either in the current directory, path or set in the environment according to the Status documentation. I did this because some people might want to run this program on their log file without having Status on their system. This is in violation of my copyrights. This program can only be run in conjunction with STATUS.EXE. CLEANUP.EXE or any of the other files in the archive may not be distributed in any form other than the original archive and unaltered. Please support my efforts and register Status, which includes CleanUp (free). See STATUS.DOC for details. James Huckabey 3621-A Fraser Street Bellingham, Washington 98226-2473 U.S.A. (206) 671-2868 (voice, Pacific) I do have a US Robotics 14.4 DS v32, v42, v42bis modem!