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  REACE.BAT                                        (C) Juergen Peters, 1998
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  Version 0.12a                                                  05-10-1998
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  Batchfile to convert any given archive into the ACE format (or any other)
  using UU.EXE ("Universal Unpacker").
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  The needed tool UU can be frequested or downloaded at the BBS of the
  author (Adresses and telephone numbers near the end of this text) under
  the filenames UUnnnE.EXE (english version) resp. UUnnn.EXE (german
  version). 'nnn' means the version number, eg. UU133E.EXE. Additionally
  UU can be found in internet at "ftp.elf.stuba.sk/pub/pc/pack".
  Please take also a look at Marcel Lemke's (author of ACE) homepage
  "http://members.aol.com/mlemke6413/ace.htm".
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 Attention: This is the first try of a REACE batch and still very imperfect.
 Use it at your own risk! The author is not to be made responsible for
 data loss or other missfortunes.

 The batches and the program TDIR.EXE are FREEWARE (for UU.EXE see UU.TXT).

 On principle REACE can also be used to convert into any other archive
 format. Instead of ACE.EXE any other packer may be called in the batch.

 REACE.BAT is for DOS 5.0 or higher and needs (besides the unpacker UU.EXE)
 the additional tool TDIR.EXE. REACE.BTM runs under 4DOS 5.0+ and does not
 need TDIR.EXE.

 The tool TDir performs some work which DOS is not able to do:

  - Split the archive name into path, filename and extension.
  - Store name of the current directory in environment.
  - Create a temporary directory and change into it.
  - With /D as second parameter erases tempdir and changes back to
    the previously stored directory.
  - With a third parameter not only the directory REACE$$$.$$$ is erased,
    but also its base directory, eg. C:\TEMP\REACE$$$.$$$
    Example:   TDIR C:\TEMP /D    erases only REACE$$$.$$$ in C:\TEMP
               TDIR C:\TEMP /D X  erases REACE$$$.$$$ _and_ C:\TEMP.

 Should TDir output an error message that there is not enough
 environment space, please increase it in your CONFIG.SYS. For example:

   SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM /E:1024 /P
                               ^^^^
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A.) REACE.*
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 Now to the function of REACE itself. The syntax is:

    REACE ARCHIV.EXT [further parameters for UU; optional]

 Examples:
 ---------

    REACE TEST.ARJ              converts TEST.ARJ to TEST.ACE

    REACE C:\ARCS\PICS.RAR      converts C:\ARCS\PICS.RAR to
                                C:\ARCS\PICS.ACE

    REACE DBASE.ZIP /D          creates DBASE.ACE and - if successful -
                                erases DBASE.ZIP.

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B.) REACEALL.*
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 With REACEALL.BAT/.BTM it is possible to convert several archives in one run.
 The syntax is:

    REACEALL ARCHIVE(S)                        (wildcards allowed)

 If a pathname is used with ARCHIVE(S), also the drive letter should be
 applied, if the temporary directory in REACE.BAT/.BTM points to another
 drive (the default is C:\TEMP). For example

    REACEALL D:\ARCS\*.*

 and not

    REACEALL \ARCS\*.*

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 Tips:
 -----

 1.) Further settings for UU.EXE or ACE.EXE may also be implemented in
     REACE.BAT resp. REACE.BTM directly if to be used on a regular basis.
     For a default archive banner the switch -zcommentfile may be added
     after ACE.EXE for example.

 2.) If you are using the default settings in UU.CFG, it is recommended to
     erase that file. This speeds up the operation of UU.EXE significantly,
     because there is no need anymore to read UU.CFG line by line. UU.EXE
     uses the internal program defaults instead.

 3.) If the archive contents shall be scanned for viruses after unpacking
     and before creating the new ACE archive, simply uncomment the
     corresponding lines in the batches (remove the '::'s) and edit them
     to use the virus scanner of your choice.


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 What REACE (still) can't do:
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 - Adopt archive comments 1:1 from the source archive.
 - Apply a special treatment for AV-secured archives.

 I am working on it... :-)

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 Files in the distribution archive
 ---------------------------------

 - REACE.BAT            Batch for DOS 5.0+.
 - REACE.BTM            Batch for 4DOS 5.x.
 - REACEALL.*           Batches for multiple conversion.
 - TDIR.EXE             Additional tool for REACE.
 - REACE.TXT            This short documentation.
 - UU.*                 Universal Unpacker (needed for decompression).
 - ENGLISH\*.*          English versions.
 - FILE_ID.DIZ          Short program description for BBSs.

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 My address:            Juergen Peters
 -----------            Sundernstr. 30
                        D-33829 Borgholzhausen
                        Germany

                        Fax/BBS    :  +49-5425-4405

                        FidoNet    :  2:2432/344
                        VirNet     :  9:493/4244
                        ZyXELNet   :  16:4902/144
                        GerNet     :  21:100/1744
                        OS2Net     :  81:491/3244
                        TreiberNet :  405:3260/973
                        eMail      :  Gray.Beast@t-online.de

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Program history:
----------------

0.01   07-22-97   - First beta.
0.02   07-23-97   - Sfx files are now converted into EXEs correctly.
                  - Switch /R is default with UU.EXE now.
0.03   07-24-97   - Little syntax help, if called without parameters or
                    archive not found.
                  - Referring to freeware character in this text :-).
0.04   08-04-97   - German and english versions available.
                  - Tool UU is not supplied any more with REACE. Please
                    download it separately (see beginning of this doc).
                  - Some small corrections.
0.05   08-16-97   - Parameter /X is used with UU.
                  - UU is supplied again with REACE (only EXE, CFG, TXT).
       08-17-97   - REACE.BTM and REACEENG.BTM use SET/M (if someone calls
                    the batches from a shell or the like).
0.06   08-29-97   - If source and target are sfxes, the source is renamed to
                    .EXO before creating the target to avoid name conflicts.
0.07   09-05-97   - REACEALL batches for conversion of multiple archives in
                    on run (including wildcards).
                  - English versions in own subdirctory ENGLISH.
       09-06-97   - Bugfix at EXE renaming. As an old 4DOS user I did not
                    take account of one of the inflexibilities of "pure" DOS.
0.08   09-08-97   - Correct handling of archives which contain readonly files
                    with REACE.BTM.
                  - Tempdir REACE$$$.$$$ was not deleted by REACE.BTM.
       09-11-97   - Fixed passing parameters from REACEALL.* to REACE.*.
       09-16-97   - New UU version.
                  - Hint to PATH variable in batches and this text.
0.09   09-18-97   - Fixed another bug in REACE.BTM concerning sfxes (thanks
                    to George Shadoff).
0.10   09-21-97   - Early detection of unknown or already ACE file as errortrap
                    for REACEALL *.*. If another packer than ACE.EXE is used,
                    please change the corresponding errorlevel 90 to the one
                    of the other format, eg. 15 for RAR (suggestion by George
                    Shadoff).
                  - Two examples for using another packer than ACE added.
0.11   09-29-97   - Minimized problems when converting LZH files with absolute
                    paths within.
                  - New UU version.
0.12   11-01-97   - More recognized archive formats (new UU.EXE 1.32).
       01-01-98   - Again enhanced UU.EXE.
0.12a  05-10-98   -   "       "      "
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