Check Window

The comprehensive checking functionality is provided by the docking window named Check. In the default configuration of the Digester software this window is located on the right side of the main window. As you can see the window consists of two tabs Files and Options where the checking process may be controlled. If you like entire directories, directory trees, or drives being checked, please use the check window.

     

Tab Files

As the figure shows, the Files tab provides the configuration of the digest algorithms and their associated file extensions used for searching. By selecting the checkboxes for the various algorithms, the Digester software is advised to recognize these algorithms when determining digest files to be checked. You can configure any combination of algorithms, but at least one algorithm needs to be selected. If you like to select all algorithms in one step, please activate the context menu (right mouse button) directly on the algorithm checkboxes. In addition to the standard file extensions .md5, .sha etc. you can let the application especially check files in Digester XML Format as well as OpenPGP signatures.

In the input fields to the right of the algorithms you can enter the file extensions to be recognized. The fields are already pre-configured with widely used file extensions. If you for instance selected an examinee file and selected the MD5 option, then all files with the .md5 extension are expected to contain valid digests to be checked. The file extensions can be configured in addition to the settings of the generate window. Thus, also rarely used file extensions can be configured for checking, while the extensions used for generating can be configured separately. Please note, that you can also enter multiple extensions separated by SPACE characters into the input fields, if you like the software to recognize multiple extensions for searching.

Tab Options

This tab contains additional configuration settings with an impact on the checking process: 

If GNU or BSD files shall be checked, then please select the appropriate options (Check for GNU file format and/or Check for BSD file format). If one of these options is not selected, the software ignores the corresponding file formats when digests are loaded.

If you like intermediate digests being checked (Check intermediate digests) then please make sure to also activate the Digester XML option on the Files tab, since intermediate digests can only be stored into Digester XML files. The use of intermediate digests allows to quickly detect deviations of files since these often differ already in the first data blocks. Usually it makes sense to let the Digester software cancel the checking operation, when a mismatch of an intermediate digest has been detected by selecting the Stop calculation on mismatch option.

Additional options exist to control the program behavior especially if OpenPGP signatures are being checked. If unknown keys have been detected in the signature files you have the following options:

If only certain digest files shall be checked you may enter a regular expression in the Include input field. If the field is empty then all recognized files will be checked by default. If certain digest files shall not be checked then you can specify a regular expression with the Ignore input field. These options are particularly useful, if directories or entire directory trees including subdirectories are processed. You can activate recursive scanning of subdirectories by selecting the Include subdirectories option. In order to get detailed messages on the checking process please select the Verbose messages option.

Start Checking

Once all the settings within the checking window are as desired, checking can be started by clicking on the Check button at the bottom of the window. If the settings make sense and appropriate files and/or directories have been selected within the file system window, this button is enabled. The checking process is monitored by a special dialog where the current state is shown. Upon completion of the checking this progress dialog shows some statistics for the operation and the checking results. Besides the time consumption of the checking (top left corner) the dialog shows the remaining time (ETA = Estimated Time Access).

Please note, that it is possible to select directories within the file system window to be processed recursively including subdirectories, while this is not possible if you start checking from the context menu.

When all digests have been checked and the progress dialog was closed, the results are displayed by the results window which is automatically opened. The checking results are divided into two tabs Files and File Digests or URLs and URL Digests, if the checking has been started from the network file system window.

Command-line Arguments

In order to make checking from the command-line with digestercli as easy as possible the necessary arguments may be assembled by the Digester software. Please select the files/directories to be checked within the file system window in the first step. Then configure the checking options with the check window as if the process would be started directly from here. By clicking the button with the console symbol a dialog is displayed showing the corresponding digestercli call. This code can be easily copied into the clipboard to be used for shell or batch scripts. As you can see programming is not required here.

Ant Build Scripts

Like the command-line arguments also XML fragments for Ant build scripts may be generated using the button with the ant symbol. This code can be used for own shell or batch scripts. Please select the files/directories to be checked within the file system window in the first step. Then configure the checking options with the check window as if the process would be started directly from here. By clicking the button a dialog is displayed showing the corresponding XML code. This code can be easily copied into the clipboard to be inserted into a text editor for example. As you can see programming is not required here.

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