
!InitDisc

Version 1.10
18. April 2003
Herbert zur Nedden
26/32 Bit-comaptible
Requires RISC OS 3.10 or higher
Requires Shared C Library 5.34 or higher


Version 1.02
16th March 1996
C. Witt
Requires RISC OS 3.10 or higher

Initialisation of ADFS (E and F type) and DOS HD discs


"InitDisc" has been developed from the well-known Freeware program 
"CleanDisc". Above all, it enables you to erase modern ADFS type discs,
which have got to be E or F formatted, within shortest time. Furthermore,
the program writes ADFS specific data to DOS high density discs (1,44 MB)
so that subsequently they are considered to be ADFS discs with 1440 K of
storage space, which for example support case sensitive file names in
contrast to DOS formatted discs. The main purpose of this feature is pre-
paring preformatted HD discs (which are no more expensive than unformatted
ones) obviating the fairly lengthy formatting procedure.

        
                            The WIMP interface
                           
When run, the program installs its icon upon the icon bar. Clicking Menu
above it reveals an almost self-explanatory menu: "Info" provides the usual
program info, "Drive" allows you to select the drive in which the discs
to be initialised are kept, "Quit" finally terminates the WIMP part of
"InitDisc".
If you intend to initialise a disc in the drive selected by means of the
menu, obey the following procedure: Click Select above the "InitDisc" icon.
A query asking confirmation for your request turns up, whereupon, depending
on the type of the disc to be initialised, the following actions are carried
out: 
- ADFS type discs (E or F format) are deleted within approximately one second
  and subsequently are dismounted. The name of the disc remains unchanged.
- DOS high density discs which have not been "treated" by "InitDiscs" are
  made suitable for ADFS. Similarly to formatting, the disc obtains a name
  such as "12-45-Mon". Afterwards, ADFS will state that the disc is "ADFS
  1.6 MB", even though the capacity equals merely about 1440 K. This pecu-
  liarity is caused by the module ADFS, since at the time of programming
  of which it was not taken into consideration that DOS discs might be
  manipulated in such a manner.
- Ultimately already "treated" DOS discs are managed like ADFS E and F discs,
  i. e. they are erased preserving their former name.

In other cases, e. g. if you try to initialise a disc of an unsupported
format, an adequate error message is issued.
Yet bear in mind that it is possible to obviate the query whether you are
sure in endeavouring to erase the disc by initiating the procedure clicking
Adjust above the "InitDisc" icon.

                
                        The command line interface
                        
"InitDisc" supports a CLI command devised for initialising discs, the syntax
of which is as follows:
                   InitDisc <drive> [<name> [<command>]]   
                   
It is obligatory stating the number of the drive to be accessed. Optionally,
you may specify a disc name if you intend to change the current one; other-
wise the disc name remains unchanged except for DOS discs which are initia-
lised for the first time.
Moreover, you may specify a command to be executed in case that an error
is detected during the initialisation process. If you state such a command
as a third parameter for "InitDisc", this command is obeyed in contrast
to the error message being output (which is the case if you omit the third
parameter).
The possibility to thereby suppress errors has been motivated by the need
to construct command sequences such as:
InitDisc 0 MyDisc Format 0 F MyDisc
By that means unformatted discs not being apt to be initialised are formatted
instead.

                               Final remarks
                             
Since "InitDisc" has been designed as a relocatable module, the CLI command
remains at your disposal even after quitting the desktop application.

Technical information:
!InitDisc only deletes the directory tree and the map, i. e. the information
about the allocated space, which are stored within 4 or 6 sectors on the
disc. Therefore previously saved data are not completely lost and may well
be recovered by experts. As long as you do not re-use all the disc's space
by storing lots of new data, fragments of data will remain. (This is also
the case if "erasing" the disc using the corresponding filer commands.)
Absolute security concerning thorough deletion of discs can invariably
solely be attained by re-formatting the disc, which indubitably takes quite
a time...

Program development:

Version 1.00 (5th March 1996):
Motivated by a suggestion submitted by Mr Herbert zur Nedden I conceived
the first version of "InitDisc" based on the application "CleanDisc", already
developed in mid-1995. The module in which the program is incorporated has
predominantly been written in C.

Version 1.02 (16th March 1996):
Two bugs removed: firstly error messages are issued correctly now; secondly
it is no longer possible to run "CleanDisc" several times, since this caused
various problems.

Carsten Witt




**************************************************************************
The copyright of this program is held by the author. Making copies thereof
is forbidden except for backup purposes. It is not permitted to pass any
parts of the application.
The use of the program is "at your own risk". The author does not 
guarantee its comprehensive operation under whatsoever circumstances
rejecting responsibility for any damage arising out of the use of the
software and this accompanying documentation.
**************************************************************************
