could someone help me with a mask?
#11
It's amazing how someone who has been a programmer for 20 years cannot understand simple documentation.

(07-23-2015, 09:16 PM)turbogiant76 Wrote: When I read over this(more then once), what I interpreted this is was that the "-b" was the main "opening" command, with "sub" commands denoted with the double dash.  So if I wanted to use the "--benchmark", I had to put the "b" first.  Was that correct?  Well I guess not.  

This is basic getopt / getopt_long syntax. The short switch vs its long alias. The documentation style is precisely what you will see in manpages for programs that have long equivalents for short options. Exactly what kind of programming have you been doing for 20 years if you've never used getopt or read a manpage?


(07-23-2015, 09:16 PM)turbogiant76 Wrote: AS for the mask files, neither the wiki page nor the example files give clear examples of defining custom character sets within the file itself.  There are no custom character sets in the example files.  The wiki page gives this snipptet:

> The general format of 1 single line in the .hcmask file is as follows:

>[?1],[?2],[?3],[?4],[mask]

But never gives an example on how to actually define those character sets within the file(if you can do so) 

It literally just did. Right there. You just said it.

[?1],[?2],[?3],[?4],[mask]


(07-23-2015, 09:16 PM)turbogiant76 Wrote: or explain that they have to be defined on the command line.

They don't. They can be defined in the file, using the exact syntax you just pasted.


(07-23-2015, 09:16 PM)turbogiant76 Wrote:  A complete example of a custom character set and its use in a mask would be easy to add but is missing.

No, it isn't. It's right there on the page, under "Example":

Quote:Example

The following example.hcmask file contains some valid example lines which show how to use this feature:

?d?l,test?1?1?1
abcdef,0123,ABC,789,?3?3?3?1?1?1?1?2?2?4?4?4?4
company?d?d?d?d?d
?l?l?l?l?d?d?d?d?d?d

In this example you see:

- One custom charset + mask
- Four custom charsets + mask
- A mask without custom charsets but with a static prefix
- A mask using purely built-in charsets and no static values

That's it. That's all there is to it. It's incredibly simple, all you have to do is read.


(07-23-2015, 09:16 PM)turbogiant76 Wrote: An example using a comma for a mask file is never given on the wiki.  How would I know I can do that without asking?

You literally just pasted the syntax from the wiki which shows using commas as a delimiter between custom charsets and the mask. I can't even.
#12
btw, somebody - a while ago - even added a further explanation section to the FAQ (frequently asked questions) page to explain (again, in theory it is redundant, but it seems not?) the .hcmask syntax such that it should be understandable for (hopefully) everyone:

Frequently asked questions: what is a .hcmask file?