I'm not much on help files so soak it in, this is all you're getting. First off I'd like to put some rumors to rest, yes...the ogre character is me.

This program was written to perform one function. It's purpose is to count all the pages in one or more tiff image file(s) and return a sum. To begin first choose a folder using the button titled 'Choose a folder', imagine that...intuitive eh? After you've chosen a folder, the path will be displayed in the status bar on the bottom of the screen.

Now here is the tricky part...click on the button titled: Count 'em. Many hours went into developing the GUI interface, beware. You'll notice a pretty blue progress bar moving along the bottom of the window. This was put in place to give those impatient people something else to look at and keep them occupied whilst I do my magic. The page count will progress as all the pages are summed.

Any errors that might occur will be enumerated in the box labeled 'Errors'. When the counting finishes, if any errors did occur they will be logged to a text file in the application install directory. Please do not mail this file to me, mail it to your mother...she will be much more interested in it than I. Take special note of the box labeled: 'Files'. Yup, you guess it, that is a count of the files processed.

This version allows the option to write a log file, listing the path, filename and page count. This is a quote and comma delimited listing that can be imported into any reasonably modern database or spreadsheet. To turn this option on choose the 'Log Count' option under the File menu. If this option is checked logging is on, if not then no log will be written. The default is off. The log file will be saved in the Page Counter directory, this behavior cannot be changed. The file name will be returned in a message to the user. The scheme I used was the numerical value of the month, day and the current minute and second. This allows for a unique name to be written, although it's not fool proof.

The last version of Page Counter introduced the log file option feature. There are several new features and enhancements in this latest version, 1.65. The most significant update is the option to count tiff files in recursive subdirectories. If you choose the menu option: Edit | Recursive Count then all the tiff files will be counted in the subdirectories of the parent directory. Understand that the recursive level is only one level deep. For example, these directories would be included:

	D:\
	D:\ONE
	D:\TWO
	D:\THREE

But these directories would NOT be included:

	D:\ONE\TWO
	D:\TWO\THREE\FOUR
	D:\THREE\FOUR\FIVE

In the future I plan to include the ability to recursively count down unlimited directories and/or allow the user to choose the depth level and which directories they wish to include in the count.

Also new to version 1.65 is the ability to save some default settings. Press Ctl-T to display the Settings dialog. You can choose to always log the file count and to choose the recursive option by default. Note that the options run based on the menu option, whether it's checked or not. Therefore you would only need to uncheck one of these option if you wished to turn it off for your current session. Page Counter will start up using the default settings. Take note that you can save a default "browse" directory. Page Counter will start up using this directory. If this directory no longer exists then the application's default directory will be used. A nice feature added to this version is that your last used directory will be shown in the browse folder dialog. You will no longer have to navigate your computer starting at the topmost level.

You will also notice that you'll have the option of opening the log file or the error file after the count has completed. You will only be prompted if one of these options are checked. The text file will open in your default text editor.

Last but not least. Understand this, my program does nothing to your tiff files but open them and count the pages. My program did not 'corrupt' your files or any other such nonsense. I take no responsibility for any damages, loss of income or reparations for physical harm in the use of the program.
Happy counting and thanks for using my program.


Steve R. Schroeder
Ogre Bytes Software & Services
zamdrist@pconline.com