RE: Neophyte Scripting Query - Want The Nike Method - JustDo It

2000-02-22 Thread Peter F. Ferris

Stefan,

Hello.  Thanks for taking the time to write.  I'm happy with your response
over-all, but...

Snippo!

: I have written a script for a small company that owns an iMac, a
: Powerbook, and a PC, networked. The iMac has a zip disk connected.
: The script can copy any source target to any destination target,

But will it automagically overwrite/kill/ignore any exisitng "Retro" data on
the target?  Or will it balk and want a new/different catridge.  Hint - she's
backing up about 1 GB to a Jaz cartridge (~1GB).

Snip

: iMac, then copy this folder en masse to the zip. It searches for a
: specifically-named zip drive (mon, tue, wed, etc) for daily backup,
: and can be made to refuse to run if it can't find it (right now it
: reports a possible error with option to try again or continue). It
: has a verbose debug mode to search for problems in development.

Such reporting and searching for drives, would NOT be a Good Thing for my
friend.  If the Jaz isn't powered up or ready (avail to SCSI and/or cartridge
in it), then obviously she'll need to know that, but other than that,
notificiations, dialogues, etc., should be kept to a very dull roar (maybe a 4
or 5 step process, max.).

: It is slow, but it works. I'm working out the last couple of quirks,
: and adding a report capability to it, hopefully one that can send an
: e-mail report. Also to be added is .sit compression. It does no

I see from the Retrospect manual that it supports e-mailing (but is this only
through AppleScripting?).  I'd like to know at my e-mail address everytime she
backs up - whether it worked or not.  Then I'll turn it off after 6 months of
success! %^}

: auto-restore (you have to go search and drag) yet, and also does no
: incremental backup yet. But I hope to add these.

Sounds cool!

Snipped

: If I supply it free, your support will be limited to what you would
: expect, but Applescript is not all that hard. That said, being a Mac

I get what I "pay for"?! ;-)

: bigot by itself will not help you. The paths set in my backup script
: are "hard coded" (for now); you will have to open it up in script
: editor, understand what you are doing, change it, and recompile it.

Hmmm... yeah, I might be interested in seeing it.  Please send it along.  I
solemly swear not to turn it into the greatest commercial product since
(insert fave Mac app. here!). For personal use only. I may or may not end up
gutting and fileting it if I can understand it.  I've seen scripts that were
quite intuitive to me, and others that really sent me screaming into the
night.  Nevertheless, I usually learn _something_ from them!

: Please cc any replies to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
:
: I'm posting back to the list in case anyone else wants it. For me, it
: mostly has been how I learned Applescript. It's been fun, but I've
: suggested to the company that they buy Retrospect :-), since their

Dooo!  So your saying your script is not a Retrospect-friendly (but rather
a "stand alone" back-up) script?

: backup needs will be growing. If anybody wants this, send me e-mail,
: I will put your name in the basket, and shortly I will spiff it up
: and make it available.

Sure, what the heck, send me a copy - with the understanding that it's as much
out of curiousity as much as anything else... I may or may not actually use it
(no offense intended!). [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Meanwhile... my friend already has Retrospect (I suspect this may have been
"overkill" - maybe DiskFit would have been better?)... any suggestions as to
how to "streamline"/simply it's operation for her? Maybe "Retrospect Express"
is more of a single user/consumer product???  I dunno...

Thanks all,

--Pete
[EMAIL PROTECTED]



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RE: Neophyte Scripting Query - Want The Nike Method - JustDo It

2000-02-22 Thread Stefan Jeglinski

Let's take any further correspondence off-line...


: I have written a script for a small company that owns an iMac, a
: Powerbook, and a PC, networked. The iMac has a zip disk connected.
: The script can copy any source target to any destination target,

But will it automagically overwrite/kill/ignore any exisitng "Retro" data on
the target?  Or will it balk and want a new/different catridge.  Hint - she's
backing up about 1 GB to a Jaz cartridge (~1GB).

It always overwrites :-). Only Retrospect can prevent overwriting 
Retrospect stuff, I assume, when it comes to a Zip or Jaz disk. In 
case there's any funny quirks, just reformat the disk before using it.


: iMac, then copy this folder en masse to the zip. It searches for a
: specifically-named zip drive (mon, tue, wed, etc) for daily backup,
: and can be made to refuse to run if it can't find it (right now it
: reports a possible error with option to try again or continue). It
: has a verbose debug mode to search for problems in development.

Such reporting and searching for drives, would NOT be a Good Thing for my
friend.  If the Jaz isn't powered up or ready (avail to SCSI and/or cartridge
in it), then obviously she'll need to know that, but other than that,
notificiations, dialogues, etc., should be kept to a very dull roar (maybe a 4
or 5 step process, max.).

With all due respect, I would argue that your correspondent needs a 
little education regarding backups. If she can't be sure she even has 
a good backup, why bother? Does she just -hope- she can restore if 
she ever needs to? How would she correct for "user-stupidity"? If she 
somehow does something dumb (like accidently delete the files she's 
trying to backup), does she not want to know this? Be all this as it 
may, you would be free to strip it all out anyway. I better work on 
my disclaimer, though :-)


: It is slow, but it works. I'm working out the last couple of quirks,
: and adding a report capability to it, hopefully one that can send an
: e-mail report. Also to be added is .sit compression. It does no

I see from the Retrospect manual that it supports e-mailing (but is this only
through AppleScripting?).  I'd like to know at my e-mail address everytime she
backs up - whether it worked or not.  Then I'll turn it off after 6 months of
success! %^}

This is exactly why I'm doing this part. So the company for whom I've 
written it can let me know (without them having to know) how their 
backups are going. This part may need a shareware scripting addition 
though.


Hmmm... yeah, I might be interested in seeing it.  Please send it along.  I
solemly swear not to turn it into the greatest commercial product since
(insert fave Mac app. here!). For personal use only. I may or may not end up
gutting and fileting it if I can understand it.  I've seen scripts that were
quite intuitive to me, and others that really sent me screaming into the
night.  Nevertheless, I usually learn _something_ from them!

I'm a programmer, so IMHO the script is well designed and coded and 
commented ;-) It is a bit complex because it takes most of the work 
out of your hands. But you should be able to peruse it.

Dooo!  So your saying your script is not a Retrospect-friendly (but rather
a "stand alone" back-up) script?

Mine is a standalone script. It knows nothing about Retrospect or 
anything else. It's just a glorified file copier.



Stefan Jeglinski



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