DP Tool Club 19/CD_ASCQ_19_010295.iso/vrac/aspcd11.zip/ASPBBS.DOC

Text File | 1994-12-10 | 8KB | 177 lines

              BRIEF DOCUMENTATION FILE FOR THE ASP CD-ROM UTILITY
                           (ASPBBS.EXE Version 1.1)

First, my apologies for the problems encountered to date with the ASP CD-ROM
project.  Production delays and scheduling problems forced us to ship the
December 1994 disc BEFORE the November disc got out to our members, and as a
result a few bugs in the ASPBBS.EXE utility were unable to be fixed.

This diskette contains the updated, and hopefully bug-free, ASPBBS program.


OPENING SCREEN:


                     ASP CD-ROM  BBS Utility Program v1.1
                Copyright (c) 1994 by ASP  All Rights Reserved

If you have saved a custom configuration file from Advantage Plus' BBSF/MUTIL
programs, enter the path and name of your .CFG file below.

If you want to use the old BBSF/MUTIL settings, which are appropriate for
BBSes that can handle PCBoard format file lists, enter 'D' below.

If you want to use the RBBS compatible file listings, for BBSes that can
handle RBBS format file lists, enter 'R' below.

If you aren't certain WHAT you want to do, just press ENTER ...

BBS listing file/format => _

                     (Figure One - ASPBBS Opening Screen)


You are asked to decide what format you want your listings in.

If the default settings in the old BBSF/MUTIL program from Advantage Plus
worked fine for you, enter the letter 'D' to use those settings.

If you want to use RBBS-compatible file listings, enter the letter 'R' to use
those default settings.

If you have saved a configuration file from the BBSF/MUTIL program and want to
use that information, enter the drive/directory that the .CFG file is in.

If you're truly confused, just press ENTER.  All will be made clear soon.


LISTING FORMATTING SCREEN:

                     ASP CD-ROM  BBS Utility Program v1.1
                Copyright (c) 1994 by ASP  All Rights Reserved

A - Put filename at column:                   1
B - Put file size at column:                 21
C - (L)eft or (R)ight justify size:           R
D - Put file date at column:                 31
E - (L)eft or (R)ight justify date:           R
F - Put program title/version at column:     34
G - Put single line description at column:    0
H - Put multiple line description at column: 34
I - Character to put on multiple lines:       |
J - Right margin for descriptions:           79


SAMPLE OUTPUT:
0---+----1----+-----2----+----3----+----4----+----5----+----6----+----7----+---8
SMDGIE35.ZIP    654123  11-01-94  SmudgieWARP VERSION 3.5 <ASP>
                                | SmudgieWARP is the BEST utilty package,
                                | possibly the ONLY one you need!

  Press 'A' - 'J' to change one of the parameters listed above, 'Q' to quit
         the BBS Utility program, or ENTER to start preparing lists!

               (Figure Two - Output Formatting/Settings Screen)


Here you can change the default settings (or the ones you loaded or chose in
the previous screen) to make the listings work for your system.

To change one of the settings on this screen, press the letter key next to
the item to change.  You will then enter the new value, pressing the ENTER
key.  The example display at the bottom will be updated with your changes
after you enter them.

The main thing to remember when using this screen is that unlike the previous
software, the ASPBBS program checks to make sure that you haven't tried to put
one part of a listing over the top of another part.

For example, let's suppose that you don't want to use the file date/size
data in your listings, and want the title/version text moved to column 16
in your listings.  If you simply change item 'F' (Put program title/version
at column#) to 16, the program will beep at you because the new location of
the title/version information would cover part of the file size and date
fields if you put the title/version at column 16.

To make this change, first change items 'B' (Put file size at column#) and
'D' (Put file date at column#) to ZERO, so that they are no longer displayed
on the screen.  Then you may move the title/version information to column 16.

When you are satisfied with the information displayed and the example shown
on the screen, simply press ENTER to proceed to the next step of the process.

FINAL OUTPUT SCREEN:

                     ASP CD-ROM  BBS Utility Program v1.1
                Copyright (c) 1994 by ASP  All Rights Reserved

                         FINAL OUTPUT OPTIONS SCREEN:

A - Extention for BBS file lists:                   BBS
B - Blank space between multiple line descriptions: Y
C - Archive extention to add to filename:           ZIP
D - CD-ROM drive letter (IMPORTANT):                D:
E - List only NEW/UPDATED files:                    N
F - Drive/Directory to write file lists to:         C:\TEMP
G - 'ASP' flag to add to description if needed:     <ASP>
H - Create ALLFILES listings, BBS and text format:  Y

      Press 'A' - 'H' above to change these options, 'Q' to quit without
              creating any lists, or ENTER to create listings...

                (Figure Three - Final Output Options Screen)


Now we're almost ready to produce the BBS file listings and the ALLFILES lists
for your use.  You need to make a few final decisions on where the files will
be written and what you want them to contain.

Again, press the letter next to the item you want to change, then enter the
new information and press ENTER.  When you're satisfied just press ENTER to
create the desired file listings.

IMPORTANT NOTICE - Be SURE that item 'D' (CD-ROM drive letter) matches the
letter of the drive containing the ASP CD-ROM disc, and that you put the disc
into your CD-ROM drive BEFORE YOU CREATE THE FILE LISTINGS!

Also be sure that item 'F' (Drive/Directory to write file lists to) is set
to a drive and directory that exist on your system (the output directory will
NOT be created if it doesn't exist already) and that there's enough room for
the files (about two and one-half megabytes of disk space).

After a minute or so, you should have the desired file listings in the
directory you specified!


CLOSING NOTES:

If you have any problems with the ASPBBS program PLEASE DON'T CONTACT JAN
ABBOTT OR THE ASP OFFICES.  You need to contact me directly:

COMPUSERVE:   76670,110
INTERNET:     [e-mail]
RIME:         ROADHOUZ
FIDONET:      1:231/290
PHONE/FAX:    [phone]

PLEASE NOTE - Phone/FAX may be the worst possible way to contact me, as I work
for an ambulance company and may be out of the office for two days at a time.
I _do_ monitor my EMail accounts on a daily basis while at work, so please
use one of them for best results.

If further updates to the ASPBBS program are necessary, they will be available
via the AUTHOR DIRECT FILE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK (thanks again, Richard!), or
by contacting me for a replacement diskette.

As an absolute last resort, if the need is great and the time is short, I can
UUENCODE and EMail copies if this is the only way you can get it.  Please do
keep in mind that I'm the one paying for this (NOT the ASP) so try to find
an AD-FDN outlet or ask for a diskette first...

Thank you for your continued support of the ASP, and for your patience while
we complete the transition of the CD-ROM project.

Richard G. Harper
ASP President
Temporary Sysop, ASP CD-ROM Project