What are The IDU Option Switches

Interleaf QuickSilver FAQ

What are The IDU Option Switches?

You can use option switches to refine the way IDU operates.
To see a complete list of option switches, type: idu -h. To see the list and more complete descriptions of each switch, type: idu -hv or (Windows) idu -hvv. The following titles of option switches are alphabetized according to the letter used to specify the switch.

Convert All Document- Related Files [-a]
Includes all files related to input documents. This switch ensures that a document's backup file, checkpoint file, and crash file are included. This switch is incompatible with the -z and -r switches.

Specify Explicit Blocking Factor [-b]
Allows you to specify a blocking factor for the IDU file. The number you provide following the -b switch is the number of 512-byte records to write in one block. The default is 4, or a block size of 2K. The IDU file will be a multiple of the block size.

Create an IDU File [-c]
Creates an IDU file from the files listed in the command (or, if you also use the -n switch, from the files listed in a file).
By default, both files and their desktop attributes files are included. For documents, all related files except the backup, checkpoint, and crash files are also included. You can use the -a or -z switches to include more or fewer related files.

Use Regular Expressions [-e]
When you create an IDU file, this option allows you to substitute regular expressions for filenames in the input names list. Regular expressions are variables that you can use to represent filenames or parts of filenames. You can use the following regular expressions:

  • ? to match any single character
  • * to match any (non-empty) string of characters
  • [character(s)] to match the next character with any character between the brackets
  • [^character(s)] to match the next character with any character except those between the brackets
  • [character-character] to match any character within a range of characters
  • to tell IDU to treat the next character in the pattern, when it is one of the regular expression characters, as a character rather than as a regular expression


When you are creating an IDU file, regular expressions are recognized only when they match subdirectories, and only if you use the -e switch. When you use the -e switch, you can specify filenames and use regular expressions. However, because IDU recursively includes subdirectories, only those files in the subdirectories whose icon names match one of the filenames or regular expressions are added to the IDU file. If you use the -y switch, IDU does not recursively include subdirectories, so the -e switch has no effect.
For example, if you want to include all of the files in the foo.ildrw directory with the extension .ildoc in an IDU file, you could use the asterisk as a regular expression:
idu -[optionswitches]ec[f iduname] foo.ildrw *.ildoc

NOTE: The IDU regular expressions differ from similar regular expressions used by some operating systems. In addition, on some operating systems, you must place certain symbols in quotation marks; otherwise, the operating system treats the symbol as a regular expression. In the previous example you type:
idu -[optionswitches]ec[f iduname] foo.ildrw "*.ildoc"

Specify the Filename of the IDU File [-f]
Enables you to specify the name given to the IDU file.
Supply the name immediately following the -f switch. If you specify the character "-" as the filename, the IDU file is read from standard input (when you use -x) or is written to standard output (when you use -c).

Help [-h]
Provides help information. If you use -hv (verbose help) or -hvv (Windows only, extra verbose help), you receive more detailed help information.

Transfer Between IDU Processes [-i]
The -i switch enables two IDU processes on the same network to communicate with each other to transfer desktop files. One IDU process must be started at one workstation.
Another must then be started at a second workstation. At the second workstation, you specify the files you want to transfer and whether you want to send them from or receive them at that workstation.

Because the TCP/IP network protocol is used when the two IDU processes are on different platforms, the -i switch works between any two UNIX platforms, and between UNIX and Windows. However, pre-3.0 versions of IDU (before QuickSilver) might terminate unexpectedly when given long filenames, and they cannot correctly interpret or create QuickSilver containers or their content.

All other switches except -c, -f, -p, -t, and -x can be used with the -i option. The -a, -j, -l, -n, -p, -r, -s, -u, -y, and -z switches and the list of filenames apply to the source workstation. The -m and -o switches apply to the target workstation. The -w switch applies to the local workstation.
The -b, -k, and -v switches apply to both workstations.

Allow ASCII Only [-j]
Creates the IDU file in a format that contains only ASCII printable characters.
(UNIX) When you extract a file created with the -j switch, the blocking factor (refer to -b switch) must be the same as the one that was used in creating the file.

Allow EBCDIC Only [-jj]
Creates the IDU file in a format that contains only EBCDIC printable characters.

Create Without Writing [-k]
Receives input from a list (exactly like the -c switch), but does not create an IDU file. You can use this switch by itself to see if you will have problems running a given IDU command. If you use it with the -v switch, you receive more information.

Links [-l]
This switch includes in the IDU file the files or directories to which desktop links point, but does not include the links themselves. By default, IDU does not include links or the files to which they point.

If you use -ll, the links themselves will be included in the IDU file, but the link pathnames are not converted when the IDU file is extracted.
If you use -lll, the desktop links themselves will be included in the IDU file, and the link pathnames are converted when the IDU file is extracted.

Preserve Original Modified Time Stamp [-m]
(UNIX) Instructs the filter not to change the "last modified" time stamp when it extracts files from an IDU file. This option is not supported on the Windows platform.

Read Input Filenames from File [-n]
This switch instructs IDU to read input filenames from the file you specify immediately after the switch. Each line in the file must contain only one filename. If you specify the character
"-" as the filename, the list is read from standard input. If you place the character "{" before the filename, then all names read from the file are converted to lowercase. If you place the character "}" before the filename, all names read from the file are converted to uppercase.

Overwrite [-o]
This switch instructs IDU to overwrite existing files with files from the IDU file if it encounters files with the same names while it is extracting files. Unless you use this switch, IDU always creates unique filenames.

List Non-Portable Documents [-p]
Creates a list of documents, among those specified or in the directory specified, that Interleaf software cannot open on all platforms. Among other things, this list includes fast-formatted documents written by IBM Interleaf Publisher, Release 3 of the publishing software, or earlier versions of the publishing software.

Add with Actual Filenames [-r]
Adds all files and links specified. This switch is incompatible with the -a and -z switches. Using this switch may make the IDU file unreadable on another platform.
This switch is useful only if the IDU file will be read by the UNIX tar utility.

Sorted List [-s]
If you are specifying a list of filenames to be listed or extracted from an IDU file, the -s switch instructs IDU that the list is sorted in the same order as the filenames in the IDU file.
(Windows) When this switch is used, IDU requires less conventional memory.

List Table of Contents [-t]
Lists the contents of an existing IDU file. To determine whether a particular file or group of files is in an IDU file, you can supply the filenames (using regular expressions if necessary). If the files you supply appear in the output, the filenames will be listed. You can use regular expressions with this switch without specifying -e.

Human Readable [-u]
Treats all files within the IDU file as human readable (ASCII). The IDU file contains both binary and ASCII files.
Sometimes, the utility may mistake some ASCII files for binary files. If this happens, you can use the -u switch to treat all files as ASCII, or you can use the -uu switch to treat all files as binary.

Use Verbose Mode [-v]
Provides extra processing information. Using -vv or -vvv provides still more information.

Working Directory [-w]
Enables you to specify a working directory after the switch.
However, the IDU file itself is always specified relative to your current directory.

Extracts Files from an Existing IDU File [-x]
Extracts files from an IDU file. By default, the switch extracts all files within the IDU files. If you provide filenames (or use regular expressions), it will extract only the files whose names you specify. You can use regular expressions with this switch without specifying -e.

Extracts While Ignoring Drive Letter [-xx]
(Windows) Extracts files from an IDU file, ignoring the drive letter used when the IDU file was created. Use this switch if you specified a drive letter when you created the IDU file, and you want to extract the files on a different drive.

(Windows) By default, the switch extracts all files within the IDU files. If you provide filenames (or use regular expressions), it will extract only the files whose names you specify. You can use regular expressions with this switch without specifying -e.


Comments