
                      Ŀ
                       D O N ' T   P A N I C   ! 
                                ;-)              
                      


        !  New features / bugfixes are not in this docu now. !
        !           See files "history" and "fixed".         !

                      !!! THIS IS THE OLD DOCU !!!
      I'M WORKING ON A NEW DOCU IN HTML FORMAT, PLEASE LOOK IN THE    
                 /DOC DIRECTORY AND BROWSE TO index.htm. 
            I SUGGEST NETSCAPE OR OPERA TO USE THE HTML DOCU.
               WEBEXPLORER DOESN'T SUPPORT COLOURED TABLES.

		NEW: http://sungate.fh-wedel.de with little 
                     Warpcron homepage.








Disclaimer
----------

THIS  SOFTWARE CARRIES NO   WARRANTY, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.  THE  USER
ASSUMES ALL RISKS, KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, DIRECT OR INDIRECT, WHICH INVOLVE
THIS SOFTWARE IN ANY WAY. IN PARTICULAR, THE  AUTHOR DOES NOT TAKE ANY
COMMITMENT IN VIEW OF ANY POSSIBLE THIRD PARTY RIGHTS.

WarpCron 


                                WARNING

This is postcardware. It is not guaranteed to do anything, or
not to do anything. Use it at your own risk. See disclaimer above.

Version: 2.0 alpha 1 xmas release
Dated  : 24 December 1997

                   This docu is under construction! 

         

Now with grapical configuration program!
Try the alpha version included in this package and share your
expierences with others on the warpware mailing list!

         
NEW!
Mailinglist for warpcron and all other warpware products availible!
Send a mail with "subcribe" in its body to warpware-request@deadend.argh.org.
Then send mails to warpware@deadend.argh.org. 

         


Description:


I've ever searched a good, small, textmode scheduler for my mailbox system
running under OS/2 Warp. But I didn't find anything that suits me... every
other scheduler is graphical (for PM) or cruel to configure, so I decided
to write my own ;-).
As time passes WarpCron is now in alpha for 2.0 and has a graphical config
program (my first real project with sibyl).
I still have many, many ideas for very nice and smart features and everything
is only limited by my time ;-)

I'm very glad that some other people like my WarpCron (it's fantastic to
get postcards from all over the world :-) ) and the more people like WarpCron
the more I'll enhance it.

Features:


 * graphical configuration program
 * smart but rich featured scheduler, just about 50KB!
 * needs nearly no CPU-Time
 * can kill started programs by other events
 * can reread its config during runtime
 * notices a config change and reread its config then
 * can edit its config directly out of the program
 * can start missed events at startup
   f.e. an event should run at 12:30, but you shut down WarpCron at
   11:00 and start it again at 14:00. Then WarpCron can run the missed
   event when it starts.
 * native textmode (no PM required! Perfectly for systems with low memory
   and for example TShell)
 * native 32bit OS/2 application (OS/2 2.x, 3.x. 4.x)
 * can start OS/2-Window, OS/2-Fullscreen, OS/2-PM, DOS-Fullscreen and
   DOS (Windows? Not tested ;-) ) applications
 * can start applications every X minutes/hours/days/months
 * can start applications NOT on a time interval
   (do not run between 5:00 and 7:30 or so)
 * can start applications on specific weekdays
 * can start applications on a specific date
 * can start applications on a semaphore (0-byte file)
 * can start applocations NOT on a semaphore
   (do not run if this file exists)
 * can start applications manually
 * can start applications minimized
 * can start applications at startup and/or end of program
 * writes log file with date/time
 * automatically recognize a *.CMD as a progam, this means that you can
   simply start a *.CMD like an EXE; you do NOT have to write
   "cmd.exe /c start "bla.cmd" ".
   WarpCron will do this automatically for you.
 * WarpCron changes the directory when starting a program to the directory
   which is specified in the event.
   For example: PROGRAM          f:\utils\test\warprobot.exe
   When starting this event WarpCron changes the current directory
   to f:\utils\test.
   Some programs require this.
 * email support
   WarpCron sends you an email if something happens (starting,
   trapping...) or sends you the log of the day at midnight.
   See warpcron.cfg and later this doc for details.
 * supports 4os2 and 4os2 btm-files
   Just use btm-files as normal exe-files ;-)

         

NEW FEATURES / BUGS FIXED

See file "history".
Bugs fixed: see file "fixed".

         

Getting started:

Start the wcrsetup.exe. It is an alpha version, but useable.
I think it is self explained... but I will write a docu for it 
when everything else is done. 

You can edit the warpcron.cfg manually; it's a plain text file. 
But do so only if you really know what you're doing!

Hints:
 * try 'warpcron ?' for param's info.
 * try key 'h' for help on keys.
 * if you want to use the "kill event" feature, you HAVE TO set
   StartRelated to true!
   But be warned! With this option set any active program started by
   warpcron will be terminated if warpcron ends!
 * make an event "unmissable" with an "unmissable true;" in its config.
 * you can theoretically specify up to 99 events, but 23 lines on the screen
   are not enough for 99 events ;-)
   So WarpCron will change to 50-lines mode if you specify more than 18 events.
 * for every weekday you can specify TRUE or FALSE; but in fact just the word
   FALSE is recognized by the program; so you can write everything for TRUE or
   simply write nothing.
 * program types are:
   "w" for OS/2-Window
   "f" for OS/2-Fullscreen
   "p" for OS/2-PM
   "d" for DOS-Window
   "D" for DOS-Fullscreen
   "k" for a kill event (event name to kill as parameter)
 * you can lock an event for writing into the logfile with the LOG <false>
   statement
 * CAUTION!
   DO NOT specify a RunEveryXDay or RunEveryXMon without a DATE!!!
   CAUTION!
 * You CAN change your warpcron.cfg while WarpCron is running!
   If you change it externally, simply press 'r' on WarpCron's window or
   create a semaphore and WarpCron will reread it.
   The path of the semaphore has to be specified in the warpcron.cfg.
   Or change it directly via key 'c'.
   WarpCron can notice a config change - and reread it's config then.
   So you never have to end WarpCron... perfect for 24h-systems, eh?
 * DoNotRunFrom and DonNotRunUntil AFFECTS ONLY events with a
   RunEveryXMin or RunEveryXHour!
 * if you want WarpCron to use 25 or 50 line modes permantly use
   "LargeScreen true;" or "SmallScreen true;"

Keys in WarpCron:
 h      help
 c      change config file. WarpCron will start the specified editor
        (keyword EDIT) with its config. When finished WarpCron will
        reread its config.
 CAUTION!
        WarpCron is NOT ACTIVE during editing! Probably an event will
        be missed!
 e      show an event with all parameters
 l      turn logging on / off
 s      start an event right now
 m      toggle short infos / long infos on screen
 r      reread the config right now
 w      show some internal parameters
 q      quit program

         

Running DOS-programs


No problem.
Just write a 'd' as ProgramType for DOS-window or a 'D' for DOS-Fullscreen.
I don't know if this functions with windoze-programs too... but, who care's
anyway? :-)

Email-Support


WarpCron can send you an email with the log of the day or a message if 
something happens. 
In detail WarpCron can:
- send you the log of the day
- a mail when something causes WarpCron to trap
- a mail when WarpCron starts and/or ends

This function uses the sendmail program. Every OS/2 with installed TCP/IP 
(Warp 3 with InternetAccessKit, WarpConnect or Warp 4 with TCP/IP) has 
it. Information about sendmail can be found in the TCP/IP documentation 
of OS/2. 
Sendmail has to be setup correctly before WarpCron can use it!
To test sendmail you can write a textfile that contains:
--- textfile ---
To: your@email.address
From: warpcron@somewhere
Subject: test

that's a test!
--- end of textfile ---

and save it, f.e. as test.txt . 
Then you try to send it as email with sendmail with the following command:
Warp 3: "sendmail -t -af test.txt"
Warp 4: "sendmail -t -a test.txt"

Sendmail should start and send the email if it's configured correctly. 
By the way: this is a function for bullet-proofed users who know what TCP/IP is
and who have a network or internet-access. If you have a single machine you
would not need it. So don't be sad if you're not able to setup sendmail...
thousands of users became crazy because of sendmail.. ;-))))

         

Contact


I'm looking forward for suggestions, critics, bugreports etc.!

Please mail to the warpware mailing list at warpware@deadend.argh.org.
You subscribe to this list with a mail to
  warpware-request@deadend.argh.org
with "subscribe" as subject.

If you want to contact me personally:
email: julian@deadend.argh.org
fido : Julian Buss@2:240/5210
fax  : ++49-4103-91 92 55
BBS  :                 55 (V34)
                       54 (ISDN)
Newest WarpCron is always available via file request, magic "warpcron"
at 2:240/5210 (V34) or 2:240/5211 (ISDN).

This address is valid until 1/1/98.

         

Money


This program is postardware.
If this program is the thing you ever want to have, please send me a nice
postcard!
Send it to:

Julian Buss
WG "Zehn Vorne"
Tinsdaler Weg 127
22880 Wedel
Germany

This adress is valid until 1/1/98.

Then I will be *very* glad :-) and send you a code via email, and the "will
I get a postcard..." will change and the startup time will be shorter.

A little hint for a "wanna-be" hacker: the reg code has something to do with
the famous book "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy"... if you find the code on
you own, please let me know ;-)

         

My english


hey, it's not perfect, I know ;-)
If you see a big bug in this text, please email me and I'll change it.

         

Guarantee


no guarantee for anything except the program will take space on your harddisk
(but not much ;-) ).

         

Compiled


with VirtualPascal 1.10. A damn good pascal compiler... I just love it!
The exe-file is compressed with LxLite 1.18 to save space and enhance the
startup time. If you don't know LxLite... try it! It's fantastic!

WcrSetup is developed with Sibyl, a very good delphi like compiler.
If you're searching a "delphi for OS/2", take Sibyl. 

         

ToDo


- writing a better documentation ;-)
  I plan to rewrite it as html with an html help system.
- running an event on special times, f.e. on 3:00, 4:30 and 8:00 or so.
  Like the scheduler in Xenia.
- support memory semaphores, not just 0-Byte files
- support for pipes, even in networks,
  so that the output of the logfile cames through a pipe, too.
- wildcards for semaphores ("*", "?")
- DoNotRun with special dates/times (like a list)
  Will be in 2.0.
- global holidays / special days
  Will be in 2.0.
- ...
  I have many, many other ideas... wait and see ;-)
- your idea :-). Email me, if you have a good idea.

Ideas from users which I plan to implement:
- a shutdown function which kills every VIO and DOS sessions and shuts
  the OS/2 system down.
- more than one semaphore per event
- running events on every ultimo of one month

         

<Eof>
