Comments on: Programming Challenge! http://burntelectrons.org/2004/10/programming-challenge/ and other random particles... Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: LR Holliday http://burntelectrons.org/2004/10/programming-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-1699 LR Holliday Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:35:53 +0000 #comment-1699 I have patched DirMagic.com so that it works correctly with FAT16 drives up to 2 GB. The original version gave erroneous free space results for any drive larger than 32 MB. The patched version does not handle FAT32 drives correctly, and does not handle long file names. The patch is really simple. Replace two instructions "mul bx mul cx" with "mul cx mul bx". In version 2.0 (9/1/88; 8,564 bytes), these two instructions are at offset 18AA. I have also patched my copy to bypass the "wait for retrace" instructions. This greatly speeds up operation of the program. DirMagic can be used in Windows 9X DOS box to view or delete a file, even a long filename file. It should not be used to copy, rename, or move a long filename file. The long filename would be lost. DirMagic does not sort by date correctly if any of the file dates are 2000 or later. Gordon Haff's Directory Freedom (DF461B.ZIP) is similar to DirMagic, and does handle date sorting correctly. LRH I have patched DirMagic.com so that it works correctly with FAT16 drives up to 2 GB. The original version gave erroneous free space results for any drive larger than 32 MB. The patched version does not handle FAT32 drives correctly, and does not handle long file names.

The patch is really simple. Replace two instructions “mul bx mul cx” with “mul cx mul bx”. In version 2.0 (9/1/88; 8,564 bytes), these two instructions are at offset 18AA.

I have also patched my copy to bypass the “wait for retrace” instructions. This greatly speeds up operation of the program.

DirMagic can be used in Windows 9X DOS box to view or delete a file, even a long filename file. It should not be used to copy, rename, or move a long filename file. The long filename would be lost.

DirMagic does not sort by date correctly if any of the file dates are 2000 or later. Gordon Haff’s Directory Freedom (DF461B.ZIP) is similar to DirMagic, and does handle date sorting correctly.

LRH

]]> By: john http://burntelectrons.org/2004/10/programming-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-1611 john Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:10:38 +0000 #comment-1611 Would love this too. Am a longtime dirmagic users to this day. Have found nothing better too. What a fantastic project. Has anyone taken this up? Would love this too. Am a longtime dirmagic users to this day. Have found nothing better too. What a fantastic project. Has anyone taken this up?

]]> By: Ron Morris http://burntelectrons.org/2004/10/programming-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-1553 Ron Morris Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:15:04 +0000 #comment-1553 Just adding my comment "same as everybody else". Been looking for something like it for years, but still have it on my desktop. Hope somebody finds or does something like it. Just adding my comment “same as everybody else”. Been looking for something like it for years, but still have it on my desktop. Hope somebody finds or does something like it.

]]> By: ronald scissors http://burntelectrons.org/2004/10/programming-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-821 ronald scissors Thu, 19 Apr 2007 17:21:43 +0000 #comment-821 Hello<br /> <br /> I have used dirmajic for years and loved it. When I tried to copy to a new computer, something went wrong and the progam is gone with no bakc up. can you help me with the 3 programs viewer, dir listing and comparsion..????? Hello

I have used dirmajic for years and loved it. When I tried to copy to a new computer, something went wrong and the progam is gone with no bakc up. can you help me with the 3 programs viewer, dir listing and comparsion..?????

]]> By: Mohinder http://burntelectrons.org/2004/10/programming-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-710 Mohinder Thu, 25 Jan 2007 20:11:15 +0000 #comment-710 This is awesome. I love Directory Magic Too. If I am not mistaken I got it as a part of PC Mag tools disk or something.<br /> Anyway I am in the process of making a tool like that but with much more functionality. It will allow you to move dir trees or copy them. One cool feature is to copy say all *.log files to an equivalent tree or to one directory. These features were needed because I am incharge of creating a Development, Staging and Production environments for a company and they have thousands of directories and they are all mixed in. I want to create a tool that will help me create the environment then maintain it too. This is awesome. I love Directory Magic Too. If I am not mistaken I got it as a part of PC Mag tools disk or something.
Anyway I am in the process of making a tool like that but with much more functionality. It will allow you to move dir trees or copy them. One cool feature is to copy say all *.log files to an equivalent tree or to one directory. These features were needed because I am incharge of creating a Development, Staging and Production environments for a company and they have thousands of directories and they are all mixed in. I want to create a tool that will help me create the environment then maintain it too.

]]> By: Voon http://burntelectrons.org/2004/10/programming-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-447 Voon Thu, 04 May 2006 18:28:03 +0000 #comment-447 Oh wow... I loved Directory Magic back in the DOS days. (I renamed mine to DM.COM for quick access)<br /> <br /> I actually started writing a DM clone in Delphi several years ago... but eventually lost interest. ;) Oh wow… I loved Directory Magic back in the DOS days. (I renamed mine to DM.COM for quick access)

I actually started writing a DM clone in Delphi several years ago… but eventually lost interest. ;)

]]> By: Tyrone http://burntelectrons.org/2004/10/programming-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-350 Tyrone Wed, 03 Aug 2005 20:43:39 +0000 #comment-350 Hi there, what an interesting site you have, never seen anything quite like it, very nicely done though. Hi there, what an interesting site you have, never seen anything quite like it, very nicely done though.

]]> By: Grey http://burntelectrons.org/2004/10/programming-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-156 Grey Sun, 13 Feb 2005 20:51:56 +0000 #comment-156 I haven't been able to find current and working contact info for Mr. Mefford.<br /> <br /> Also, I guess I should post the "rules" for comment content. Sorry. :) I haven’t been able to find current and working contact info for Mr. Mefford.

Also, I guess I should post the "rules" for comment content. Sorry. :)

]]> By: Dan Schwarttz http://burntelectrons.org/2004/10/programming-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-153 Dan Schwarttz Thu, 03 Feb 2005 21:56:31 +0000 #comment-153 Looks like I defeated myself by trying too hard to include a live link to the site I was talking about. I shoud have just mentioned it without the added HTML and let the system make a link out of it automatically. I half-suspected that might happen... Anyway, <a href="http://www.skepticfiles.org/hacker/cud460.htm">http://www.skepticfiles.org...</a> is the site I was talking about. Looks like I defeated myself by trying too hard to include a live link to the site I was talking about. I shoud have just mentioned it without the added HTML and let the system make a link out of it automatically. I half-suspected that might happen… Anyway, http://www.skepticfiles.org… is the site I was talking about.

]]> By: Dan Schwartz http://burntelectrons.org/2004/10/programming-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-152 Dan Schwartz Thu, 03 Feb 2005 21:48:03 +0000 #comment-152 I always liked that program, and still keep a copy around (renamed as FM.COM for fast typing at a DOS prompt).<br /> <br /> I wonder, though, do you have author Mefford's permission to post it here? There was apparently a warning (see <a href="<a href="http://www.skepticfiles.org/hacker/cud460.htmback">http://www.skepticfiles.org...</a>">http://www.skepticfiles.org/hacker/cud460.htm</a> and scroll to the bottom) back in 1992 concerning the fact that it is not considered "freeware" or public domain software. I found both that site and this one by doing a Google search on the names DIRMAGIC and Mefford - to see if such a program as you describe was available. I always liked that program, and still keep a copy around (renamed as FM.COM for fast typing at a DOS prompt).

I wonder, though, do you have author Mefford’s permission to post it here? There was apparently a warning (see <a href="http://www.skepticfiles.org…">http://www.skepticfiles.org/hacker/cud460.htm</a&gt; and scroll to the bottom) back in 1992 concerning the fact that it is not considered "freeware" or public domain software. I found both that site and this one by doing a Google search on the names DIRMAGIC and Mefford – to see if such a program as you describe was available.

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