Digex - Long file copier

by Colin Whittle

Digex will split very long files (e.g. Replay, scanner files, etc) onto a series of floppy discs. Digex gets its name from that fact that it was originally designed to allow the exchange of digitised images from one machine to another. These files can be several megabytes in length, and impossible to fit on even a 1.6Mb floppy disc.

As well as splitting long files onto a series of floppies, Digex will also reconstitute the series of discs back into the form of the single original file. This eases the transfer of files from one machine's hard disc to another, when they are too large to fit on a single floppy. It also facilitates the archiving of files too large to fit on a single disc. e.g. Replay files provided with the Risc PC.

To archive
Find the size of the file to be saved. e.g. By using the Count option on the Filer menu. Format enough floppy discs to hold the target file. Click on the !Digex icon in the RISC User master menu system to load the application. Click on the Digex icon, on the icon bar, to open the control panel. Then follow the instructions on the control panel. Don't forget to label or name the discs in the right order!

To reconstitute
Double-click on the !Digex application to install it. Click on the Digex icon, on the icon bar, to open the control panel. Then follow the control panel's prompts. If a disc is inserted in the wrong order, or an incorrect disc is used, Digex will prompt for the insertion of the correct disc before resuming.

If either the archiving or restoration is cancelled - for whatever reason - the file or files created should be deleted, as they will be incomplete.

There is no necessity to open Filer windows for the floppy discs. Digex only requires drags to or from the hard disc, to indicate the source file or to denote the destination directory.


 Copyright RISC User, 1995
