General Information on Cataloging system
Format of MAST.CAT file
Volume Identifiers
Updating Process
Retreiving data from catalog
Special Features of FMAP
:CATALOG:General Information on Cataloging system

This document describes a system for cataloging all of a users
CP/M diskettes.  Written by Ward Christensen.

The master cataloging system consists of the following:
 
	MAST.CAT	The catalog itself 
 
	FMAP.COM	Used to create NAMES.SUB, the 
			"transaction file" for catalog update 
 
	CAT.COM		Like DIR, i.e. the lookup program 

	CAT2.COM	Quick kludge program, lists entire
			catalog, printing each filename only
			once, & stringing disk names out after.
 
	UCAT.COM	The update program, merges NAMES.SUB 
			into MAST.CAT 
 
	UCAT.COM        It  now  catalogs the "volume  serial" 
                        (-name.nnn).
:CATALOG:Format of MAST.CAT file

	The format of MAST.CAT is:

	First, a list of names of files not to be cataloged, in
parentheses.  The list supplied with the sample is:

	(ASM.COM
	DDT.COM
	LOAD.COM
	PIP.COM
	SID.COM
	STAT.COM
	SUB.COM		<-- I renamed SUBMIT on most disks
	SUBMIT.COM)

	Then a list of all cataloged files, in the form:

	filename.type diskname.serial

For example: ALLOC.COM SYSRES.802

:CATALOG:Volume identifiers
	A disk must have a special filename on it, which is the
volume indentifier: -diskname.serial,  such  as  "-SYSRES.801".
This may be done via:

	save 0 b:-sysres.801    (FOR CP/M SYSTEMS)
        save b:-sysres.801 1    (FOR CDOS SYSTEMS)

	NOTE  that  the  SAP  (sort and pack directory) program
previously  distributed  by  the CP/M U.G. deletes all 0-length
file entries, so  if  you  use this utility, do a save 1, not a
save 0.
:CATALOG:Updating Process

	To  update  the  catalog for a disk, use FMAP to create
the NAMES.SUB file (which  contains  a  sorted  listing  of the
files   on   the   particular   disk).    Filename   $$$.SUB is
automatically skipped, as I recall.

	FMAP B: Q

	will write NAMES.SUB to the logged in disk.  Then  type
UCAT  which  will  merge  NAMES.SUB  with  MAST.CAT,  and erase
NAMES.SUB.
	Note  that  UCAT  is  a  "belts  and  suspenders"  type
program,  i. e.  it  creates NEW.CAT, and merges NAMES.SUB with
MAST.CAT and puts it there.  It then does:

	era mast.bak
	ren mast.bak=mast.cat
	ren mast.cat=new.cat

	This means that unless you era mast.bak, there will  be
3  copies  of  the  master  catalog on the disk during the ucat
execution. If you  don't  have  sufficient  space  for  it, era
mast.bak first.
:CATALOG:Retreving data from catalog
	CAT works just like DIR, i.e.  "*" and "?" are allowed.
However,  it  takes  a second operand (after the filename/type)
which is  the  disk  information,  in  the  form  NAME.SERIAL -
without the dash.  Sample queries:

	CAT		<-- ALL FILES
	CAT *.* WORK.*	<-- ALL FILES ON ANY "WORK" DISK
	CAT *.ASM	<-- ALL .ASM FILES
	CAT *.* *.8*	<-- ALL FILES ON DISKS WITH SERIAL
			    NUMBERS 8xx

	Note that the "-diskname.serial" file is written to the
disk  (it  wasn't  under  the  earlier  UCAT  in the CP/M users
group). Thus you can get a list of all disk serials via:

	CAT -*.*

	but other than this one file entry, the "-"  characters
are  eliminated  from  the  directory, i.e.  the disk names are
stored as 7 characters (or less).
:CATALOG:Special Features of FMAP
	FMAP has some additional options:

			FMAP 
displays a sorted listing on the console 
			FMAP specs 
displays a selective listing.  Specs mean *.asm, etc just 
like DIR. 
			FMAP specs D 
writes the names to NAMES.SUB with $1 $2 before the name, 
and $3 after: 
 
	$1 $2FOO.COM $3 
 
Thus $1 may be substituted with a command name, $2 with 
a disk name, and $3 if the program takes options (only 
my programs do, as far as I know) 
			FMAP specs Q 
writes the sorted names, without any "$", to NAMES.SUB. 
			FMAP specs M 
writes the names to NAMES.SUB with $1 $2 $3  before the name, 
and $4 after: 

	$1 $2 $3FOO.COM $4 

This is specifically for use with the modem program.  For 
example, to send all .ASM files from the B: disk to another 
person: 

	FMAP B: M		<-- MAKE NAMES.SUB 
        MODEM SO.600 NAMES.SUB  <-- SEND THEM NAMES.SUB 
        SUBMIT NAMES MODEM SO.600 B: <-- SUBMIT THE SEND 

MODEM gets substituted for $1, SO.600 for $2, and B: for $3.
			FMAP specs UNN
creates CP/M users group catalog volume "nn".  Not generally
useful, but thought you might like to know how it was done.

	NOTE  that  I  have  found  the  FIND   program   (also
distributed  on  this  users group disk) to be very useful when
used  with  MAST.CAT  -  suppose  you  have  the   following in
MAST.CAT:
 
	BIOS1.ASM 
	BVIOS.ASM 
	CBIOS.ASM 
	M2BIOS.ASM 
 
It's ovbious that CAT cannot find all your BIOS related files -
but if you type:
 
	FIND MAST.CAT IOS 
 
You will find them all

.