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Name	ren-backup
Version	1.6
Updated	2004/03/16 21:25:21
RCS	ren-backup,v 1.6 2004/03/16 21:25:21 forman Exp forman
Rating
Category	System administration, File manipulation
Description	This program adds a useful piece of metadata, the file backup date, as a suffix to the filename of a backed-up file. ren-backup creates a backup by copying or moving the original file to a filename with a standardized suffix. This is most useful as a method of preserving configuration files prior to modification and has been designed to improve upon filenames of the genre "filename-" and "filename--" by using a file suffixed with an RFC-822 compliant date string ("filename-YYYY-MM-DD").
Download	ren-backup

forman:1> ls data-01.jpg  data-02.jpg forman:2> ren-backup *jpg forman:3> ls data-01.jpg  data-01.jpg-2003-12-25 data-02.jpg  data-02.jpg-2003-12-25

REN-BACKUP(1)  User Contributed Perl Documentation  REN-BACKUP(1)



NAME
       ren-backup - Create a backup file with a useful suffix

SYNOPSIS
       ren-backup [ -htv ] [ -flm ] [ -D|-H ] [ --cp|--mv ]
       [ --hashlimit [limit] ] [file ...]

DESCRIPTION
       This program adds a useful piece of metadata, the file
       backup date, as a suffix to the filename of a backed-up
       file.

       ren-backup creates a backup by copying or moving the orig­
       inal file to a filename with a standardized suffix.  This
       is most useful as a method of preserving configuration
       files prior to modification and has been designed  to
       improve upon filenames of the genre "filename-" and "file­
       name--" by using a file suffixed with an RFC-822 compliant
       date string ("filename-YYYY-MM-DD").

OPTIONS
       -h --help

       Prints this information.

       -t --test

       Prints what will happen without performing the operations.

       -v --version

       Prints version information.

       -c --cp --copy

       -m --mv --move

       The option "--copy" copies the file to the new backup
       filename.  This is the default behavior.

       The option "--move" moves the file to the new backup file­
       name.

       -D --date

       -H --hash

       The option "--date" uses an RFC-822 compliant date string
       (YYYY-MM-DD) as the suffix.  This is the default.

       The option "--hash" uses a hash mark as the suffix.  This
       overrides the default RFC-822 compliant date suffix.  If
       the file already ends in a hash, and additional hash is
       added.

       The "--hash" option defeats the purpose of the program,
       which is to add metadata in the form of the backup date as
       a suffix, in order to help in restoring old configuration
       files.  It's inlcuded to appease a unix guru friend of
       mine, who wouldn't use it until it embodied the power of
       his original backup alias (alias bu "cp \!$ \!$-") and
       until he chided me for duplicating a one-line alias with a
       250-line perl script.  ;^)

       -d --dot

       Prefix the backup filename, regardless of its suffix, with
       a dot to make it a hidden file.

       -f --force

       If the destination file already exists, overwrite it.

       -L --login

       Add the user login name to the end of the date suffix.
       This works only in conjunction with the "--date" flag and
       if the environment variable "USER" is set.

       -l --long

       Add time to the RFC-822 compliant date string
       (YYYY-MM-DD-HH:MM:SS).

       --hashlimit [limit]

       If the --hash flag is used, hash marks will be added to
       the end of a file until there are [limit] hashes.  After
       the limit is reached, the program will complain.  The
       default hash limit is "10".

       -r --restore

       Restore the specified backup file by removing the added
       backup suffix.  If the original file still exists, the
       "--force" flag will be required to overwrite it.

EXAMPLE
       For the following example, let the date be 1 January 1970.
       The command below will rename the file "/etc/hosts" to
       "/etc/hosts-1970-01-01".

       ren-backup /etc/hosts

       Let the time be 19:06:05.  If we run the above command
       again, the filename "/etc/hosts-1970-01-01" already exists
       forcing the "--long" option and adding the time to the
       RFC-822 compliant date string.  The resulting filename
       will be "/etc/hosts-1970-01-01-19:06:05".

       The next example moves a directory to a name prefixed with
       a dot and suffixed with an RFC-822 compliant date string.

       ren-backup --mv --dot dirname

BUGS
       None.

WARNING
       This program can delete or overwrite files.

       Use of this program is at your own risk.

       I take no responsibility for the loss of data.

SEE ALSO
       ren-backup

AUTHOR AND COPYRIGHT
        Michael Forman  http://www.Michael-Forman.com

        Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 Michael Forman.  All rights reserved.
        This program is free software; you can redistribute it
        and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
        Please see the Perl Artistic License.

VERSION
        Current Revision:  $Revision: 1.6 $
        Last Modification: $Date: 2004/03/16 21:25:21 $



perl v5.8.1                 2004-03-16              REN-BACKUP(1)

A well-used door needs no oil on its hinges.
A swift-flowing steam does not grow stagnant.
Neither sound nor thoughts can travel through a vacuum.
Software rots if not used.

These are great mysteries.
		-- Geoffrey James, "The Tao of Programming"