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        			  (freeware)


			Contents
			--------
			1  Introduction
                        2  Legal stuff
			3  What is available?
                        4  How to contact me


1  Introduction
---------------
This software is version 4 of Rickis little useful (?) DOS utilities.
After version 3 I decided to split them up and distribute the stuff in smaller
packages (mainly because the file became too big). If you have comments or
suggestions, please contact me. You find my address at the end of this
document.

All programs were programmed with Turbo Pascal 6.0 on a 286 AT compatible
machine using Norbert Juffas TURBO.TPL replacement, version TPL60N19. Each of
them is tested to a reasonable level of stability (I use them myself :-) ). If
you have problems, please contact me. I suppose you need at least DOS 3.x to
run everything successfully. RUTILS ran without problems on the following
platforms:

                Original IBM AT 286, MS-DOS 3.3
                AT 286-20 NEAT, AMI Bios, MS-DOS 3.3
                AT 286-20 NEAT, AMI Bios, MS-DOS 5.0
                AT 286-20 NEAT, AMI Bios, DR-DOS 6.0
                AT 386 NEAT, AMI Bios (10/89), MS-DOS 5.0
                AT 486, AMI Bios, MS-DOS 5.0

All the programs are a result of my hobby, not my profession.


2  Legal stuff
--------------
You are free to use this software if it is not modified in any way and if you
give it away for free. You may only charge a minimal fee to cover distribution
or diskette costs. The author disclaims all warranties as to this software,
whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties
of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, functionality or data
integrity or protection. Phew.

For magazines, software distributors, sysops, ftp site administrators...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you spread the RUTILS4 software by placing it on a ftp site for public
access, or putting it on a diskette for a computer magazine, or making it
available in any other way for a large user group, you *must* inform me by
email (preferred) or mail. This will allow me to inform you if any substantial
modifications have been made since you got the package, and let me have an
overview on how the software has been spread. You don't have to register. You
don't have to pay. You only have to tell me.


3  What is available?
---------------------
The following table gives an overview over what's available and into which
categories it falls. Some of the programs are marked with (unix) to show that
they are (at least) similar to Unix commands.

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|			      Text file utilities			      |
+---+---------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| 1 | CUT     | Remove selected fields from each line of a file (unix)        |
| 1 | DETAB   | Change tabs to spaces in several files (unix: expand)         |
| 1 | ENTAB   | Change spaces to tabs in several files (unix: unexpand)       |
| 1 | FMT     | ASCII text formatter (unix)                                   |
| 1 | HEAD    | Show the first lines of a file (unix)                         |
| 1 | LOCASE  | Change chars in several files from upper to lower case        |
| 1 | MCOL    | Arrange text in multiple columns                              |
| 1 | NODUP   | Remove successive equal lines from files                      |
| 1 | TAIL    | Show the last lines of a file (unix)                          |
| 1 | UPCASE  | Change chars in several files from lower to upper case        |
| 1 | WC      | Count words, lines, and chars of several text files (unix)    |
+---+---------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|			   Arbitrary file utilities			      |
+---+---------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| 2 | CAT     | Append several outputs to stdout (unix)          	      |
| 3 | FILE    | File type guesser (unix)                  	              |
| 2 | HD      | Display hex dumps of several files             	              |
| 2 | STRINGS | Find printable strings in an object file or binary (unix)     |
| 2 | TEE     | Duplicate textual output to a file (unix)         	      |
+---+---------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|		             Directory utilities			      |
+---+---------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| 4 | L       | Display information about files and directories      	      |
+---+---------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|		            Programming utilities			      |
+---+---------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| 5 | GENOUT  | Generate program fragments for textual output       	      |
+---+---------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|                           Batch file utilities                              |
+---+---------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| 6 | ASET    | Enhanced SET command                                          |
+---+---------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|		           Miscellanous utilities			      |
+---+---------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| 5 | BANNER  | Display strings in huge letters (unix)                        |
| 5 | CAL     | Display a calendar (unix)                                     |
| 5 | CHMOD   | Change the attributes of files (unix)                         |
| 7 | DCAT    | Disk Cataloger                                                |
| 5 | DCALC   | Date Calculations                                             |
| 5 | NCONV   | Number conversion utility                                     |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

The number in the above table stands for the following ZIP files, which can be
found at wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (192.88.110.20) in the directories listed
below --- At least I plan to place them there. Please check out simtels upload
lists for the current state.

                   +---+--------------+---------------+
                   | 1 | rtextu10.zip | msdos/txtutl  |
                   | 2 | rfileu10.zip | msdos/filutl  |
                   | 3 | file10.zip   | msdos/filutl  |
                   | 4 | l11.zip      | msdos/dirutl  |
                   | 5 | rpgmu10.zip  | msdos/pgmutl  |
                   | 6 | aset10.zip   | msdos/batutl  |
                   | 7 | dcat10.zip   | msdos/catalog |
                   +---+--------------+---------------+

Each program comes with an uncompressed EXE file and a DOC file which contains
additional information. ASET comes with an additional Quick Reference. Each of
the above ZIP files contains a copy of this README file and a file DESC.BTM,
which is a 4DOS batch file DESCRIBEing the files contained in the ZIP file,
as well as a FILE_ID.DIZ description file.

Everything as one package can be ftp'd from ftp.informatik.rwth-aachen.de
(137.226.112.31) as pub/rutils40.zip. The EXE files in this compilation are
compressed with Teddy Matsumotos DIET compressor (see below).


4  How to contact me
--------------------
Mail:   Richard Breuer
        Brunssumstrasse 6                       
        5100 Aachen
        (after Jul 1, 1993: 52074 Aachen)
        Germany                                 
        Europe                                  

or:     Richard Breuer
        ComConsult GmbH
        Pascalstr. 25
        5100 Aachen
        (after Jul 1, 1993: 52076 Aachen)
        Germany
        Europe

Phone:  +49 241 85605     private
        +49 2408 149 01   job
        +49 2408 149 149  fax

Email:  ricki@pool.informatik.rwth-aachen.de (Preferred!)


Please note that my private address will change sometime in 1993. I will keep
my e-mail address some time longer. If your e-mail fails, try

		marita@rwthi3.informatik.rwth-aachen.de

instead.

If I find the time (I got some ideas...) I will add some more utilities. If you
like the RUTILS package, drop me an e-mail or a postcard from where U live (It
would be nice to get some feedback - Thanks to those of you, who replied!).

        Ricki

$Id: rutils40.txt,v 1.1 2000/03/08 12:22:01 Administrator Exp $