Welcome to MAKEDIZ.  This little utility should greatly improve the way
groups handle FILE_ID.DIZ today.  This is a sample of what my program does.



Say a group released a program such as this.  When it gets uploaded to the 
board the FILE_ID.DIZ files come out like this.

GATE2-1.ZIP   1460295  08-06-93  __________ _______________ _______________
                               | \_____   _)   ________    \   ________   _)
                               |  |        \_ |   \_   ___/_ |   \_      \_
                               |  |   | aBn / .     /  |    / :     / |1911 /
                               |  |___:___ /__|___ /______ /______ /__:___ /
                               | -------\/------\/------\/------\/------\/-
                               |  GATEWAY 2 : HOMEWORLD BY LEGEND - DISK 1/4
                               |  VGA/SUPER VGA 256 COLORS - ALL SOUNDCARDS!
GATE2-2.ZIP   1460403  08-06-93  __________ _______________ _______________
                               | \_____   _)   ________    \   ________   _)
                               |  |        \_ |   \_   ___/_ |   \_      \_
                               |  |   | aBn / .     /  |    / :     / |1911 /
                               |  |___:___ /__|___ /______ /______ /__:___ /
                               | -------\/------\/------\/------\/------\/-
                               |  GATEWAY 2 : HOMEWORLD BY LEGEND - DISK 2/4
                               |  VGA/SUPER VGA 256 COLORS - ALL SOUNDCARDS!
GATE2-3.ZIP   1460546  08-06-93  __________ _______________ _______________
                               | \_____   _)   ________    \   ________   _)
                               |  |        \_ |   \_   ___/_ |   \_      \_
                               |  |   | aBn / .     /  |    / :     / |1911 /
                               |  |___:___ /__|___ /______ /______ /__:___ /
                               | -------\/------\/------\/------\/------\/-
                               |  GATEWAY 2 : HOMEWORLD BY LEGEND - DISK 3/4
                               |  VGA/SUPER VGA 256 COLORS - ALL SOUNDCARDS!
GATE2-4.ZIP   1442725  08-06-93  __________ _______________ _______________
                               | \_____   _)   ________    \   ________   _)
                               |  |        \_ |   \_   ___/_ |   \_      \_
                               |  |   | aBn / .     /  |    / :     / |1911 /
                               |  |___:___ /__|___ /______ /______ /__:___ /
                               | -------\/------\/------\/------\/------\/-
                               |  GATEWAY 2 : HOMEWORLD BY LEGEND - DISK 4/4
                               |  VGA/SUPER VGA 256 COLORS - ALL SOUNDCARDS!


Now if you where to use my program instead, the descriptions would come out
like this!

GATE2-1.ZIP   1460295  08-06-93  __________ _______________ _______________
GATE2-2.ZIP   1460403  08-06-93  \_____   _)   ________    \   ________   _)
GATE2-3.ZIP   1460546  08-06-93   |        \_ |   \_   ___/_ |   \_      \_
GATE2-4.ZIP   1442725  08-06-93   |   | aBn / .     /  |    / :     / |1911 /
                               |  |___:___ /__|___ /______ /______ /__:___ /
                               | -------\/------\/------\/------\/------\/-
                               |  GATEWAY 2 : HOMEWORLD BY LEGEND - DISK 1/4
                               |  VGA/SUPER VGA 256 COLORS - ALL SOUNDCARDS!

Now, ideally, you want to incorporate this into how you create the original
description.  For instance, say you wanted a good login description for 
Windows 3.1  Using an orginal description of this:

ͻ
        Microsoft Windows        
          Version  3.1           
                                 
       6 - 1.44 Disks Long       
ͼ

would look like this:

WIN31-1.ZIP   1460295  08-06-93 ͻ
WIN31-2.ZIP   1244595  08-06-93         Microsoft Windows        
WIN31-3.ZIP   1324295  08-06-93           Version  3.1           
WIN31-4.ZIP   1245552  08-06-93                                  
WIN31-5.ZIP   1345551  08-06-93        6 - 1.44 Disks Long       
WIN31-6.ZIP   1123335  08-06-93 ͼ

In my opinion, this looks better in your file listings, as they won't be as
cluttered.  As far as groups go, you could be creative.  Do us sysops a 
favor and use this method instead!

As far as the program goes, it's very simplistic.  After starting the program,
in the first text box labeled FILE SPEC: put the file spec of the program
you will be inserting the description into.  I.E. WIN31-*.ZIP  In the next
text box, labeled blah, type in the filename of the description file you
have created.  NOTE:  the description file HAS to be at least the number of
lines that you have files.  I.E.  The description for windows would have
to be 6 lines, but it can be more.  Each file in the list will get a line
of text until the last file, which will get the remainder of the text.  

After you have completed these to lines, verify that the correct information
has appeared in the display boxes.  If not, redo them, else, click on go.
The program will shell out and run PKZIP one time for each file to insert
the correct FILE_ID.DIZ file.  Once it's done it will beep and return to
the main screen.  That's it!  

If you use this program, log on to my bbs and leave me a message stating so.
I would be intrested to find out if Im the only one wanting this to occur!

See Ya - The BBS Numbers are

601-332-4827 - Rolls to 3 HST DS 16.8's
601-332-5055 - Rolls to 2 V32 14.4's

Enjoy!

