Mikero Tools
Foreword
DePboTools are provided by mikero@norfolk.nf. For the curious, ALL tools are available at dev-heaven or, if you're truly brave, my email address's anti-spammer. I am friendly, my spammer is not.
These tools are also supported by Bis using their steam tools updater.
Disclaimer
If this product causes your computer to explode, your mother in law to drop down dead, your girlfriend to run away with your secretary... Sue me.
Installation.
Self Installers
All tools come with a no-brainer auto install. The location of all products is hard wired to the same folder because no individual tool stands alone. They all require the same dos path environ string to find each other. Because individual tools are independently added to the toolset when you decide to, they can't be 'just anywhere'.
Additional Requirements
After a decade of use, dePbo dll has come to a crossroad, where, in order to continue it must split into component parts so that frequent upgrades to the dll (as bis move goalposts) don't impose penalties on the users by needing ever-increasingly large downloads to keep up.
Additional support dll's
To this end, 'oem dlls' are provided for 3rd party, open source, software that is not really part of dePbo proper but were merely containered within it. Formerly supplied internally, this was as convenience to users. Now, it has become a penalty due to the payload involved. The chances of these additional dlls being changed are very low. Hence the desirability of isolating them.
Currently, only one extra dll is required.
1) All DePboTools rely on DePbo.dll which is packaged separately. You MUST download this dll, once, for any of the tools, including this one, to work.
It is rare to exceptional that your exe will change. Improvements to the dll happen often.
2) Depbo.dll relies deOgg.dll. You MUST, additionally, download this dlls, once.
These support, or oem dlls are provided on the same site as depbo.dll
3) All gui tools rely on above plus microsoft dll's which *might* not be on your system. Generally OS less than Win8 will require them:
You will need the 32BIT VSU3\vcredist_x86.exe
The need for this additional package will ameliorate as more windows 'apps' become dependent on it. (A natural process of installing any new application)
Topology
MakePbo.exe,Dewss.exe etc DePbo.dll Support dlls Microsoft mfc dlls
Nitty gritty
Start menu shortcuts begin at Mikero\DePboTools
Physical programs and documentation begin in C:\Program Files(x86)\Mikero\DePboTools
Environment path variable is set to the common Mikero\DePboTools\bin folder.
Registry Settings being in HKLM\Software\Mikero\DePboTools (getting rather consistent, isn't it)
The tool.exe is always located in the bin folder.
Individual tools may, or may not have additional, less used, exe's or bat or configuration files files in their respective Mikero\DePboTools\docs\ folder.
It is your responsibility to read thru the specific tool documentation (or examine it's docs folder) to discover the extra goodies (if any)
Uninstaller
No Individual tool will uninstall the complete suite. The last tool de-installed, will remove all Mikero\ folders, start menu shortcuts, registry settings and environ path.
Dual Dos / Windows apps
Many exes are dual apps. They either work in genuine dos prompt and batch files, or, as a standard windows gui.
The exe decides which mode to work in based on (lack of) command line arguments.
When provided a separate dos only exe is supplied in the package. It is always called <NameofExe>Dos.exe
It serves no purpose for majority use and does not need installing. It is available to the cognoscenti who either
- want to work in speed freak mode, sans windows
- have 'issues' with batch processing and stderr >piping (among other inconsistencies)
Windows mode:
Click on the exe via windows explorer. OR
in a dos prompt NameOfExe // no arguments OR
use the start menu Dos Mode:
Drop a file onto the exe via windows explorer OR in a dos prompt
NameOfExe -some_options some\file(s)
General dos syntax
General command line syntax for all tools is
\wherever\you\put\the\exe -options... \whatever\source\file[.ext] [destination]
In general -options are only for special case. Default behaviour is the norm.
In general [.ext] is not required for the sourcefile. In general, the ext type is implicit.
In general destinations are optional. When not specified, output file(s) are to same folder.
All dos tools handle destination PATHS versus destination FILES. Either, can be specified.
Options are always case InSensItiVe
Provision is made to distinguish std output to screen (which can be >piped) versus error information, also sent to screen, but via stderr. Error info is not normally, >piped
Pressing the escape key normally causes any dos tool to exit
All dos tools return 0 on success
The -P option for all exes is reserved for bat file use: do not pause.
Help screen
For dos tools: Typing the command only (no parameters) will display a help page
For dual dos/gui tools: Typing -syntax achieves same result
Licence: Eula.
Source code when provided in this product is Free. You are free to use it for *any* purpose whatsoever.
when provided, main.cpp is an example code of how *THIS* tool interfaces to DepPbo.dll
IT SERVES NO OTHER PURPOSE.
the dll is supplied with a .lib for those developers wishing to access the api via (say) visual basic.
The lib, SERVES NO OTHER PURPOSE and is not necessary for a 'user' to install anywhere