PlutPurge is a small utility for users of TrapToss 1.50 or higher to
keep the number of files in the outbound directory down to a manageable
level by deleting un-needed empty arcmail bundles.

In TT 1.23 and below, any outbound files produced were simply based on
the last echomail bundle you had sent the node.  EG a node might pick up
the .MO0 bundle this time, and TrapDoor will truncate the .MO0 file to
zero bytes when sent.  Next time Traptoss created a bundle for that node
it would see the .MO0 0-byte file in outbound, and then bump the number
by 1 so that it would create a .MO1 bundle.

This led to confusion among users, normally the prefix added to echomail
bundles actually MATCHED the day number.  A bundle made on a Wednesday
would be called .WE-something.  So TrapToss was brought into line with
other echomail tossers, and used the day name for arcmail bundles from
about V1.40 onwards.

As a result, the existence of many 0-byte files became pointless.  The
only time you actually ever need to keep a 0-byte file is if it was
TODAY'S.  IE if a .WE3 file existed, then if mail was tossed on
Wednesday, a .WE4 file would be made up.  But if mail was tossed on any
other day, the 0-byte file just would play no part in determination of
the name AT ALL, and (say) a .FR0 file would be made up (given that it
was Friday).

So PlutPurge is just the program for you to kill off all unwanted 0-byte
files, automatically.  It's particularly useful in a multi-net situation
because each node you feed might accumulate half a dozen truncated
arcmail bundles per pickup.

Why kill off the unwanted files?  Mainly for increased speed in scanning
the outbound directory.  Many programs you run will scan the outbound
(eg TrapDoor/TrapToss), and so leaving them fewer files in the outbound
simply speeds things up slightly.

    Mea Culpa, Peter Deane
 c8345041@cc.newcastle.edu.au

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[generic]                14747   21836  67.5% -lh5- 4e7b Jan 30  1995 PlutPurge
[generic]                 2151    4615  46.6% -lh5- bdcd Jan 30  1995 PlutPurge.doc
[generic]                 1616    3783  42.7% -lh5- a066 Jan 30  1995 PlutPurge.LST
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