fquery210

Short:        FQuery the Complete FileFind for the Amiga
Author:       robert_williamson@p0.f104.n167.z1.fidonet.org (Robert Williamson)
Uploader:     robert_williamson p0 f104 n167 z1 fidonet org
Type:         comm/fido
Architecture: m68k-amigaos


  Changes:
  v2.10
    FQREQUEST did not show ReqType parameter when used in CLI.
  v2.09
    Fixed ERR: Line 698 Syntax(RC=18) Invalid argument to function
      this was due to improper parseing of new version numbering :(
  v2.08
    Even though keyfile is not required, will read keyfile if present in
    CFG:  and show the serial number in PID control line.
  v2.07
    KeyFiles no longer required!
  v2.06
    Version numbering changed from internal 4 digit to release 3 digit
    numbering.    eg: version 2.06 is equivalent to v56.06
    Message version no longer distributed.  Available by special request
    only.
    

  About:
    In  1991,  the  msdos  program ALLFIX, by Harald Harms,
     "introduced the idea of searching for files via echomail. The term
     applied to this function is 'FileFind'. The FileFind system allows
     BBS USERS to search for files by placing a message to 'ALLFIX' and
     wait for a reply.  Each  BBS system, running an  ALLFIX compatible
     FileFind  processor,  will  reply to that  USER if there any files
     matching their requested filespec."
                    Quote from ALLFIX.DOC v4.20 by Harald Harms

  FQuery is the only _COMPLETE_ FileFind system for the Amiga, with ALL
  the  user and operator features of AllFix's FileFind  as well as many,
  many more.
  FQuery  accepts  messages addressed to FQuery, FileQuery, FileFind or
  AllFix.   FQuery ALSO processes NetMail messages addressed to FQuery.
  FQuery can reply in the echo, in another echo or in netmail.

  FQuery  supports  multiple networks and may be configured for as many
  scan and reply echos as you need.  FQuery features _extremely_ strict
  query processing and full file descriptions in the response.

    Features:
    *  indicates  a  standard  AllFix  feature.  Note that in some cases,
       these items may be global only in AllFix.  
    @  indicates item is configurable on a per-echo basis.
    -  indicates feature introduced by FQuery

      * does NOT require a FREQ list 
        (except for the netmail %request and %uurequest commands)
     @* can respond in SCANNED ECHO or in a DESIGNATED FILEFIND REPLY ECHO
        for the network if responses are disallowed in the scanned echo.
     @- DESIGNATED REPLY ECHO can be in a different FTN.   
     @- can respond via NETMAIL ONLY if preferred.
     @* user can request a SECOND REPLY by replying to the response.
     @* maximum  length  of matches and length of match list per message
     @- limit of number of response messages.
      * exclusion of LOCALLY generated query messages from processing.
     @* search exclusion based upon AGE of MESSAGES.
     @- KEYWORD and single word DESCRIPTION search exclusions based on
        certain KEYWORDS defined as illegal.
     @* search exclusions based upon lengths of FILESPECS and KEYWORDS
     @- search exclusions based upon number of words and length of single
        word DESCRIPTION queries.
      - user can request that the response be returned via NETMAIL.
      - processes and responds to NETMAIL QUERIES and COMMANDS.
      - can send system ABOUT/MAGIC and NEWFILES via NETMAIL on request.
      - can place files HOLD for netmail requesters.
      - files can be uuencoded and sent as netmail  
     @- can be set to send response via netmail if response exceeds a 
        preset size or number of messages.
      - an echo MODERATOR can request a copy of the CONFIGURATION for
        any echo via netmail.
      - options to display GLOBAL configuration, ECHO configuration
        and TEST queries with either the  defaults or the configure for
        any particular scan echo.
  
  FQuery  has  an  FTSC  product  code  (DAx)  and is the ONLY FileFind
  utility for the Amiga that is FULLY compliant with the following FTSC
  specifications and proposals:

  FTS-0001  Format of packets and MSGs. FMPT, TOPT and INTL, dupe detection
  FTS-0004  Transmitted form of EchoMail. PATH, SEENBY and ORIGIN.
  FTS-0009  Message identification and reply linkage.  MSGID:, REPLY:, dupe detection
  FSC-0039  Type 2+ packet extension proposal. 4d packet format.
  FSC-0046  Proposed product identifier.  PID: and TEARLINE.
  FSC-nnnn  Implementation and Usage of FileFind Utilities 

  Requirements:
        o a volume assignment of CFG:
        o Amiga OS Release 3 (may work with 2.04 and 2.1, not tested)
        o A filelist with filename entries starting in column 2, that is;
          each is preceeded by a single space.  This seems to be the most
          common format. Utilties are included to check and convert
          non-compliant filelists.

  Optional:
        o MSG version:
          An FTS4 message version is available. Send netmail for more info.

  How to get it:

    FREQ or DL the MAGIC NAMES:    FQ or FQUERY
    From:       FIDONET#1:167/104.0 or AMIGANET#40:600/104.0.

  You  will  receive  an  archive  containing  FQuery,  XScan,  FQscan,
  FQRequest, FQCheckList, FQFixList, FQsearch, FSearch,  documentation,
  specification and example config files for FQ and XScan.

  You must be sure that FQuery WORKS for you.  The unregistered version
  does EVERTHING except create outgoing packets.  The outbound response
  messages  are displayed in the CLI instead.  You may capture these to
  a file and examine them to be sure that the messages are proper.

  You  can  also  use  the TEST function to test various queries and be
  sure that your filelist is in the expected format to produce properly
  formatted response messages.

  FQuery  expects that file entries in your filelist start in column 2,
  in other words, each filename is preceeded with a space.  FQuery will
  treat ALL text lines that are preceeded with a single space as a file
  entry.  It will ignore lines that have a character in column 1 or are
  not  description  continuation  lines  as defined by the DESC_NUM and
  DESC_COL entries in your config.

  The  utility  FQCheckList can be used to scan your filelist.  It will
  output  some statistics with which you may determine if your filelist
  is  compliant  with  FQuery  requirements.  It takes as arguments the
  fullpathname   of  your  filelist,  the  start  column  of  the  file
  description and the word number in the line of the description.

  Another  method  to  test  for  filelist compliance is to issue the
  commands:

        SetEnv FQSEARCH DESC_COL-1,DESC_NUM ;use the actual values
                                            ;not the variable names    
        FQsearch FullPathNameOfFileList #? -f
 
  The  output  should  display all the file entries from your filelist,
  properly formatted.
      
  If  you  have  any  additional  questions on the requirements, either
  NETMAIL  them  to  me  at  either address or post them in the FidoNet
  echos  AMIGA_FIND  or FALCON_CBCS or the AmigaNet echos NETDEV_AMY or
  FIND_AMY.

  Keyfiles are still available on special request.