** Introduction **

Welcome to Agent Ransack the free professional file searching utility.

Agent Ransack is a tool for finding files and information on your hard drive fast and efficiently.

Agent Ransack provides compelling advantages over similar search tools:
- Regular expressions that allow complex rule based searches.
- Immediate contents results view.
- Various wizards to walk the user through the searching process.

Agent Ransack can be used as a replacement or a companion to the standard Windows Find. Agent Ransack provides both a basic interface, similar to Windows Find, and a more advanced interface (the default) for the 'Expert user'. Both interfaces provide Wizards to walk the user through the searching process.

Users familiar with the UNIX GREP command will appreciate the ability to search the contents of files using regular expressions and be able to view found contents without having to open the files.


** Use and distribution information **

Agent Ransack is provided FREE of charge for personal or corporate use. You may distribute the complete Agent Ransack installation files provided files are not removed or modified and provided that you do not charge for the distribution. Please read the license agreement for more information.


** Installing Agent Ransack **

- Unzip the installation files into a temporary directory.
- Run setup.exe from that temporary directory
- Follow setup installation instructions
- You may delete the temporary directory following a successful installation

Files installed in Agent Ransack directory:
AgentRansack.EXE	Agent Ransack executable
AgentRansack.HLP	Agent Ransack help file
AgentRansack.CNT	Agent Ransack help contents
License.TXT		Agent Ransack license agreement
ReadMe.TXT		General information about Agent Ransack (this file)
Uninst.ISU		InstallShield uninstallation file

Other files installed include:
InstallShield uninstallation executables


** Requirements **

Agent Ransack has been tested on Windows 95/98/NT/2000 and will need approximately 1MB of disk space to install.


** The Help File **

The help file was created using an excellent product from EC Software called Help & Manual 2.5. For further information, and to download an evaluation copy, please visit their web site at: http://www.ec-software.com.


** Version History **

1.0	Apr 10th 2000. First version. If I get sufficient feedback then I will introduce new features into Agent Ransack.
1.0.1	Apr 19th 2000. Bug fix release. 
	Fixed following bugs:
	- Registration codes not working
	- Error message when listing directory history if not connected to network and history includes a networked drive.
	- Did not fully validate search directory name.
1.0.2	May 31st 2000. Minor release.
	- Added support for different Windows font sizes (e.g. Large fonts).
	- Added additional file list view columns: Size, Modified, Type.
	- Added sort functionality to file list view.
	- Added ability to 'Remember' options.
	- Fixed interpretation of '&' bug in Contents view.
	- Folder drop down speeded up.
	- Basic Search Wizard examples unclear.
	- Size filter bug fixed.
	- Various minor bugs.
1.0.3	<Not offically released>
	- All fields are now horizontally scrollable
	- Fixed "Abnormal program termination" on bad files bug (uncaught exception).
	- Uses Windows' color preferences
	- Remembers window size, position & font.
	- Fixed 'Please enter date/time' bug. (Replaced COleDateTime with CComDATE.)
1.5.0	October 21st. Enhancement release.
	- Highlights found text in user specified color
	- Command line parameters
	- Ability to switch off regular expression for contents searching
	- Better print preview and page numbers
	- Supports UNC names
	- Ability to specify exclude file name expression
	- Shows folder names
	- Shows full file information
	- Minor aesthetic changes


** Other information **

Agent Ransack (C) 2000 David Vest

Thanks to David Horton for testing and providing great feedback.

The regular expression engine used in Agent Ransack is derived from work by Henry Spencer. His copyright message is shown below:

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Copyright (c) 1986, 1993, 1995 by University of Toronto.
// Written by Henry Spencer.  Not derived from licensed software.
//
// Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for any
// purpose on any computer system, and to redistribute it in any way,
// subject to the following restrictions:
//
// 1. The author is not responsible for the consequences of use of
// this software, no matter how awful, even if they arise
// from defects in it.
//
// 2. The origin of this software must not be misrepresented, either
// by explicit claim or by omission.
//
// 3. Altered versions must be plainly marked as such, and must not
// be misrepresented (by explicit claim or omission) as being
// the original software.
//
// 4. This notice must not be removed or altered.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
