Home » Archimedes archive » Micro User » MU 1991-04.adf » PD-Stuff » !GuessType/!Help
!GuessType/!Help
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Micro User » MU 1991-04.adf » PD-Stuff |
| Filename: | !GuessType/!Help |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 070D bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
Document with !GuessType
!GuessType is a program that will try to guess the type of a file.
The program will be of most use to those who download files from Bulletin
Board Systems, because most standard file-transfer protocols don't transfer
the filetype of an Archimedes file!
If you've got a file of which you want to know (or try to know, by guessing)
the filetype, just run !GuessType and drag the 'unknown' file's icon onto
the !GuessType icon on the iconbar. !GuessType will open a window in which
it'll show what it thinks is the filetype of the 'unknown' file. Of course,
!GuessType can only guess (hence its name!) what the type of a file is. In
fact, !GuessType looks at some specific bytes in the file of which it knows
that these can define a certain filetype. When !GuessType displays a guess,
you can click on the 'SetType' icon to set the guessed filetype, or you can
click on the 'Retry' icon to make !GuessType make another guess at a filetype
although this second (...third...fourth...fifth...) guess will have less
chance of being right! When !GuessType is out of inspiration, it'll display
<Unknown> as the filetype.
!GuessType will guess best at types of 'datafiles' of a certain application.
This is because most applications include some kind of ID or version code in
their 'datafiles'. Machine code programs have far less chance of being
recognized, although Relocatable Modules are recognized fairly well.
Note that Text files, Obey files, Pipedream files, etc... are all seen as
'Text' files (type FFF), because they're all in fact ASCII files...
!GuessType is Public Domain which means you copy and share it freely. Please
don't modify the files contained within the !GuessType directory.
The author, Carl Declerck.
00000000 44 6f 63 75 6d 65 6e 74 20 77 69 74 68 20 21 47 |Document with !G| 00000010 75 65 73 73 54 79 70 65 0a 0a 21 47 75 65 73 73 |uessType..!Guess| 00000020 54 79 70 65 20 69 73 20 61 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 |Type is a progra| 00000030 6d 20 74 68 61 74 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 74 72 79 20 |m that will try | 00000040 74 6f 20 67 75 65 73 73 20 74 68 65 20 74 79 70 |to guess the typ| 00000050 65 20 6f 66 20 61 20 66 69 6c 65 2e 0a 54 68 65 |e of a file..The| 00000060 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 65 | program will be| 00000070 20 6f 66 20 6d 6f 73 74 20 75 73 65 20 74 6f 20 | of most use to | 00000080 74 68 6f 73 65 20 77 68 6f 20 64 6f 77 6e 6c 6f |those who downlo| 00000090 61 64 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 42 75 |ad files from Bu| 000000a0 6c 6c 65 74 69 6e 0a 42 6f 61 72 64 20 53 79 73 |lletin.Board Sys| 000000b0 74 65 6d 73 2c 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 6d 6f |tems, because mo| 000000c0 73 74 20 73 74 61 6e 64 61 72 64 20 66 69 6c 65 |st standard file| 000000d0 2d 74 72 61 6e 73 66 65 72 20 70 72 6f 74 6f 63 |-transfer protoc| 000000e0 6f 6c 73 20 64 6f 6e 27 74 20 74 72 61 6e 73 66 |ols don't transf| 000000f0 65 72 0a 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 74 79 70 65 20 |er.the filetype | 00000100 6f 66 20 61 6e 20 41 72 63 68 69 6d 65 64 65 73 |of an Archimedes| 00000110 20 66 69 6c 65 21 0a 49 66 20 79 6f 75 27 76 65 | file!.If you've| 00000120 20 67 6f 74 20 61 20 66 69 6c 65 20 6f 66 20 77 | got a file of w| 00000130 68 69 63 68 20 79 6f 75 20 77 61 6e 74 20 74 6f |hich you want to| 00000140 20 6b 6e 6f 77 20 28 6f 72 20 74 72 79 20 74 6f | know (or try to| 00000150 20 6b 6e 6f 77 2c 20 62 79 20 67 75 65 73 73 69 | know, by guessi| 00000160 6e 67 29 0a 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 74 79 70 65 |ng).the filetype| 00000170 2c 20 6a 75 73 74 20 72 75 6e 20 21 47 75 65 73 |, just run !Gues| 00000180 73 54 79 70 65 20 61 6e 64 20 64 72 61 67 20 74 |sType and drag t| 00000190 68 65 20 27 75 6e 6b 6e 6f 77 6e 27 20 66 69 6c |he 'unknown' fil| 000001a0 65 27 73 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 6f 6e 74 6f 0a 74 68 |e's icon onto.th| 000001b0 65 20 21 47 75 65 73 73 54 79 70 65 20 69 63 6f |e !GuessType ico| 000001c0 6e 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 62 61 72 |n on the iconbar| 000001d0 2e 20 21 47 75 65 73 73 54 79 70 65 20 77 69 6c |. !GuessType wil| 000001e0 6c 20 6f 70 65 6e 20 61 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 20 |l open a window | 000001f0 69 6e 20 77 68 69 63 68 0a 69 74 27 6c 6c 20 73 |in which.it'll s| 00000200 68 6f 77 20 77 68 61 74 20 69 74 20 74 68 69 6e |how what it thin| 00000210 6b 73 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 74 79 |ks is the filety| 00000220 70 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 27 75 6e 6b 6e 6f |pe of the 'unkno| 00000230 77 6e 27 20 66 69 6c 65 2e 20 4f 66 20 63 6f 75 |wn' file. Of cou| 00000240 72 73 65 2c 0a 21 47 75 65 73 73 54 79 70 65 20 |rse,.!GuessType | 00000250 63 61 6e 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 67 75 65 73 73 20 28 |can only guess (| 00000260 68 65 6e 63 65 20 69 74 73 20 6e 61 6d 65 21 29 |hence its name!)| 00000270 20 77 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 74 79 70 65 20 6f | what the type o| 00000280 66 20 61 20 66 69 6c 65 20 69 73 2e 20 49 6e 0a |f a file is. In.| 00000290 66 61 63 74 2c 20 21 47 75 65 73 73 54 79 70 65 |fact, !GuessType| 000002a0 20 6c 6f 6f 6b 73 20 61 74 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 73 | looks at some s| 000002b0 70 65 63 69 66 69 63 20 62 79 74 65 73 20 69 6e |pecific bytes in| 000002c0 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 20 6f 66 20 77 68 69 | the file of whi| 000002d0 63 68 20 69 74 20 6b 6e 6f 77 73 0a 74 68 61 74 |ch it knows.that| 000002e0 20 74 68 65 73 65 20 63 61 6e 20 64 65 66 69 6e | these can defin| 000002f0 65 20 61 20 63 65 72 74 61 69 6e 20 66 69 6c 65 |e a certain file| 00000300 74 79 70 65 2e 20 57 68 65 6e 20 21 47 75 65 73 |type. When !Gues| 00000310 73 54 79 70 65 20 64 69 73 70 6c 61 79 73 20 61 |sType displays a| 00000320 20 67 75 65 73 73 2c 0a 79 6f 75 20 63 61 6e 20 | guess,.you can | 00000330 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 27 53 65 |click on the 'Se| 00000340 74 54 79 70 65 27 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 74 6f 20 73 |tType' icon to s| 00000350 65 74 20 74 68 65 20 67 75 65 73 73 65 64 20 66 |et the guessed f| 00000360 69 6c 65 74 79 70 65 2c 20 6f 72 20 79 6f 75 20 |iletype, or you | 00000370 63 61 6e 0a 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 |can.click on the| 00000380 20 27 52 65 74 72 79 27 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 74 6f | 'Retry' icon to| 00000390 20 6d 61 6b 65 20 21 47 75 65 73 73 54 79 70 65 | make !GuessType| 000003a0 20 6d 61 6b 65 20 61 6e 6f 74 68 65 72 20 67 75 | make another gu| 000003b0 65 73 73 20 61 74 20 61 20 66 69 6c 65 74 79 70 |ess at a filetyp| 000003c0 65 0a 61 6c 74 68 6f 75 67 68 20 74 68 69 73 20 |e.although this | 000003d0 73 65 63 6f 6e 64 20 28 2e 2e 2e 74 68 69 72 64 |second (...third| 000003e0 2e 2e 2e 66 6f 75 72 74 68 2e 2e 2e 66 69 66 74 |...fourth...fift| 000003f0 68 2e 2e 2e 29 20 67 75 65 73 73 20 77 69 6c 6c |h...) guess will| 00000400 20 68 61 76 65 20 6c 65 73 73 0a 63 68 61 6e 63 | have less.chanc| 00000410 65 20 6f 66 20 62 65 69 6e 67 20 72 69 67 68 74 |e of being right| 00000420 21 20 57 68 65 6e 20 21 47 75 65 73 73 54 79 70 |! When !GuessTyp| 00000430 65 20 69 73 20 6f 75 74 20 6f 66 20 69 6e 73 70 |e is out of insp| 00000440 69 72 61 74 69 6f 6e 2c 20 69 74 27 6c 6c 20 64 |iration, it'll d| 00000450 69 73 70 6c 61 79 0a 3c 55 6e 6b 6e 6f 77 6e 3e |isplay.<Unknown>| 00000460 20 61 73 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 74 79 70 65 | as the filetype| 00000470 2e 20 20 20 20 20 0a 0a 21 47 75 65 73 73 54 79 |. ..!GuessTy| 00000480 70 65 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 67 75 65 73 73 20 62 65 |pe will guess be| 00000490 73 74 20 61 74 20 74 79 70 65 73 20 6f 66 20 27 |st at types of '| 000004a0 64 61 74 61 66 69 6c 65 73 27 20 6f 66 20 61 20 |datafiles' of a | 000004b0 63 65 72 74 61 69 6e 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 |certain applicat| 000004c0 69 6f 6e 2e 0a 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 62 65 63 |ion..This is bec| 000004d0 61 75 73 65 20 6d 6f 73 74 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 |ause most applic| 000004e0 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 69 6e 63 6c 75 64 65 20 73 |ations include s| 000004f0 6f 6d 65 20 6b 69 6e 64 20 6f 66 20 49 44 20 6f |ome kind of ID o| 00000500 72 20 76 65 72 73 69 6f 6e 20 63 6f 64 65 20 69 |r version code i| 00000510 6e 0a 74 68 65 69 72 20 27 64 61 74 61 66 69 6c |n.their 'datafil| 00000520 65 73 27 2e 20 4d 61 63 68 69 6e 65 20 63 6f 64 |es'. Machine cod| 00000530 65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 73 20 68 61 76 65 20 |e programs have | 00000540 66 61 72 20 6c 65 73 73 20 63 68 61 6e 63 65 20 |far less chance | 00000550 6f 66 20 62 65 69 6e 67 20 0a 72 65 63 6f 67 6e |of being .recogn| 00000560 69 7a 65 64 2c 20 61 6c 74 68 6f 75 67 68 20 52 |ized, although R| 00000570 65 6c 6f 63 61 74 61 62 6c 65 20 4d 6f 64 75 6c |elocatable Modul| 00000580 65 73 20 61 72 65 20 72 65 63 6f 67 6e 69 7a 65 |es are recognize| 00000590 64 20 66 61 69 72 6c 79 20 77 65 6c 6c 2e 0a 0a |d fairly well...| 000005a0 4e 6f 74 65 20 74 68 61 74 20 54 65 78 74 20 66 |Note that Text f| 000005b0 69 6c 65 73 2c 20 4f 62 65 79 20 66 69 6c 65 73 |iles, Obey files| 000005c0 2c 20 50 69 70 65 64 72 65 61 6d 20 66 69 6c 65 |, Pipedream file| 000005d0 73 2c 20 65 74 63 2e 2e 2e 20 61 72 65 20 61 6c |s, etc... are al| 000005e0 6c 20 73 65 65 6e 20 61 73 0a 27 54 65 78 74 27 |l seen as.'Text'| 000005f0 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 28 74 79 70 65 20 46 46 46 | files (type FFF| 00000600 29 2c 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 74 68 65 79 27 |), because they'| 00000610 72 65 20 61 6c 6c 20 69 6e 20 66 61 63 74 20 41 |re all in fact A| 00000620 53 43 49 49 20 66 69 6c 65 73 2e 2e 2e 0a 0a 21 |SCII files.....!| 00000630 47 75 65 73 73 54 79 70 65 20 69 73 20 50 75 62 |GuessType is Pub| 00000640 6c 69 63 20 44 6f 6d 61 69 6e 20 77 68 69 63 68 |lic Domain which| 00000650 20 6d 65 61 6e 73 20 79 6f 75 20 63 6f 70 79 20 | means you copy | 00000660 61 6e 64 20 73 68 61 72 65 20 69 74 20 66 72 65 |and share it fre| 00000670 65 6c 79 2e 20 50 6c 65 61 73 65 0a 64 6f 6e 27 |ely. Please.don'| 00000680 74 20 6d 6f 64 69 66 79 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c |t modify the fil| 00000690 65 73 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 65 64 20 77 69 74 |es contained wit| 000006a0 68 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 21 47 75 65 73 73 54 79 |hin the !GuessTy| 000006b0 70 65 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 79 2e 0a 0a 20 |pe directory... | 000006c0 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | | * 000006f0 20 20 54 68 65 20 61 75 74 68 6f 72 2c 20 43 61 | The author, Ca| 00000700 72 6c 20 44 65 63 6c 65 72 63 6b 2e 0a |rl Declerck..| 0000070d
.