Automatically back up your world files

The plugin below automatically backups up your world file to a new name every day. It does it on a connect, and a disconnect. The name used is the existing file name, with the date added, eg.


C:\Program Files\MUSHclient\worlds\SmaugFUSS-backup-08-Sep-2010.MCL

Since the file name has just the day/month/year in it, you will only get one file per day. This saves your disk filling up with thousands of files. And if something goes wrong, the most recent backup would be only a day old.

To save and install the Automatic_Backup plugin do this:

Copy the code below (in the code box) to the Clipboard
Open a text editor (such as Notepad) and paste the plugin code into it
Save to disk on your PC, preferably in your plugins directory, as Automatic_Backup.xml
- The "plugins" directory is usually under the "worlds" directory inside where you installed MUSHclient.
Go to the MUSHclient File menu -> Plugins
Click "Add"
Choose the file Automatic_Backup.xml (which you just saved in step 3) as a plugin
Click "Close"
Save your world file, so that the plugin loads next time you open it.


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE muclient>

<muclient>
<plugin
   name="Automatic_Backup"
   author="Nick Gammon"
   id="bb6a05ed7534b5db1ed40511"
   language="Lua"
   purpose="Backs up the world file to a new name each day"
   date_written="2010-09-08 09:38:17"
   requires="4.40"
   version="1.0"
   >
<description trim="y">
<![CDATA[
Install to backup your world file to a file of the same name with the day/month/year added to it.
]]>
</description>

</plugin>

<script>
<![CDATA[

function do_backup ()
  -- find name of world file
  local world_file_name = GetInfo (54) 
  
  -- if found (ie. not just newly created) back it up
  if world_file_name and world_file_name ~= "" then
    -- strip out .MCL (or .mcl), add the date, and put .MCL back
    world_file_with_date = string.gsub (world_file_name, "%.[Mm][Cc][Ll]$", "") .. 
                           os.date ("-backup-%d-%b-%Y.MCL")
                           
    -- save if possible                           
    if (Save (world_file_with_date, true) == false) then
      ColourNote ("orange","", "World file backed up as " .. world_file_with_date)
    else
      ColourNote ("red", "", "Could not back up world file.")
    end -- if
  
  end -- if world file name known

end -- do_backup

-- back when first connecting
function OnPluginConnect ()
  do_backup ()
end  -- OnPluginConnect

-- back up when disconnecting (eg. after improving it)
function OnPluginDisconnect ()
  do_backup ()
end -- OnPluginDisconnect

]]>
</script> 

</muclient>

This plugin will be supplied with MUSHclient version 4.61 onwards.