OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO FUNCTIONS

The following descriptions relate to SWITCHES available from various WORK menu functions.  The switches made available depend upon the interface level and the active function.

You can access the switches from the OPTIONS menu.  Each switch has two different states: on or off.   The state of each switch directly affects the active procedure.  The default state for a switch is OFF.

Switch:
On:   Replace existing target file
Off:  Prompt on existing target file
                   
With REPLACE EXISTING TARGET FILE, File Passage (FP) will write source files over pre-existing target files replacing the previous target file's attributes.  PROMPT ON EXISTING TARGET FILE will cause a dialog to appear whenever the target file already exists before data transfer.  This dialog asks the user if the duplicate target file (name) should be replaced.  The user may choose to transfer the source to a new file name under the same subdirectory path or to a new path with a new file name.  If the user chooses to cancel from this dialog, then the operation is suspended.

Switch:
On:   Make selection dialog
Off:  No selection dialog

With MAKE SELECTION DIALOG, FP will perform a preview to accumulate passing files which are then presented in a selection dialog.  Selected files have a check mark in front of them.  The user can then decide to cancel the operation, or continue by selecting the OKAY button.  Once a function a begins in selection mode, function suspension is unavailable.

Reverse selecting a folder affects all of its subordinate files.

FP may use the entire file list as input to a function such as delete, copy, move, and backup, or FP will only use the first passing selected file as in set file info and rename.

Switch:
On:   Open folders
Off:  Closed folders

With OPEN FOLDERS, FP will follow source folder branches, a folder within a folder, when traversing a directory.  CLOSED FOLDERS means that subordinate folders are not expanded upon.  Use this switch to expand or limit an operation.

Switch:
On:   Write to earlier versions only
Off:  Skip earlier version check

With WRITE TO EARLIER VERSIONS ONLY, FP will compare the source and target file modification dates.  If the source file modification date is of a later date than that of the target file modification date, then the file will pass this test and will precede.  This switch prevents one from accidentally writing from a backup file to the master file.  This switch also causes an unchanged file, where the source and target modification dates are the same, not to pass, saving time and energy.

Some files do not have an actual date in their date attributes.  When FP determines that a modification date of a source or target file hasn't been set, then FP passes the source file.

Switch:
On:   Override file locks
Off:  Obey file locks

With OVERRIDE FILE LOCKS, FP will cause locked files to be accessible.  Thus, if a file is read, write, rename, or delete disabled, then then these locks will be overridden during an operation.

FP restores file locks after an override.

Switch:
On:   Check SRC integrity
Off:  No checking SRC

If your not an Apple IIGS programmer, then just leave this switch off.  SRC files are the files computer programmers use to create programs.  If this switch is on, then FP will read and scan SRC type files for invalid data before passing the file.  Some control characters and characters with the most significant bit set are seen as invalid.  This switch can catch a corrupted SRC file before it is passed.

Switch:
On:   Clear backup bit
Off:  Don't clear backup bit

With CLEAR BACKUP BIT, FP will clear the backup bit of the source and target files that are copied.  System software will set the backup bit whenever a file is modified.  Thus, a clear backup bit indicates that a file has been reproduced.  Use this switch to help keep track of which files need to be backed up.