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INFORMNT.1
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BBS Informant
Version 1.10
Copyright c 1995 by
Stevenson Technical Services, Incorporated
108 Second Avenue West
PO Box 297
Bertha MN 56437-0297 USA
Phone/FAX: 218-924-2050
The STSI BBS: 218-924-2060
Internet: cstevens@bertha.polaristel.net
Welcome!
Thank you for trying BBS Informant! If you appreciate BBS
Informant, you are encouraged to call The STSI BBS at (218) 924-
2060, and let us know! Comments, suggestions, and enhancement
requests are always welcome!
Requirements
To run BBS Informant reliably, you will need the following:
· DOS 3.3 or Higher
· IBM PC, PC-Compatible or MS-DOS Computer
· Hard Drive and 640K RAM
Disclaimer / License Agreement:
What is shareware?
Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software
before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue
using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs
differ on details - some request registration while others
require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With
registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue
using the software to an updated program with printed manual.
Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software,
and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific
exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished
programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are
of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs
and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of
distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy
and distribute the software, either to all or to a specific
group. For example, some authors require written permission
before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware.
Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You
should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook,
whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes
fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy.
And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware
has the ultimate money-back guarantee - if you don't use the
product, you don't pay for it.
Disclaimer - Agreement
By using BBS Informant, users indicate their acceptance of the
following terms:
"BBS Informant is supplied as is. The author disclaims all
warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation,
the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose.
Neither STSI, The STSI BBS, or any STSI employees will be held
responsible for any damages, direct or consequential, which may
result from the use of BBS Informant."
"Information in this documentation is subject to change without
notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of STSI.
STSI may make improvements and/or changes in this documentation
or in the products and/or programs described in this
documentation at any time."
BBS Informant is a "shareware program" and is provided at no
charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with
your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part
of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is
to provide personal computer users with quality software without
high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to
continue to develop new products. If you find this program
useful and find that you are using BBS Informant and continue to
use it after a reasonable trial period, you must make a
registration payment of $49.95 (+S&H) to Stevenson Technical
Services, Inc. (STSI). This registration fee will license one
copy for on one BBS node at any one time. You must treat this
software just like a book. An example is that this software may
be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one
computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility
of it being used at one location while it's being used at
another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons
at the same time, BBS Informant should not be used on two
different computers at the same time. If you need to license BBS
Informant for use on more than one BBS node, please see the file
REGISTER.DOC for site-license pricing.
Commercial users of BBS Informant must register and pay for their
copies within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn.
Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting STSI at (218)
924-2050.
Anyone distributing BBS Informant for any kind of remuneration
must first contact STSI for authorization. This authorization
will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the
(ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors,
and such distributors may begin offering BBS Informant
immediately. (However STSI must still be advised so that the
distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of BBS
Informant.) For complete terms, refer to the file VENDINFO.DIZ.
All registered users of BBS Informant will receive a copy of the
latest version, along with a printed manual and bonus disks.
ASP Notice:
STSI is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals
(ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works
for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related
problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP
may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a
dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide
technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP
Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX
616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to
ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
Registration:
BBS Informant is distributed under the shareware concept. You
may try BBS Informant for a period of two weeks. After this
period, you must either discontinue using it, or register it. A
single-user license is only $49.95 (+$5.00 S&H USA/Canada /
$10.00 S&H on Foreign Orders). This price includes a printed
manual, along with a 3 1/2" diskette containing the most current
version, along with some bonus disks. Registered users will
receive a Registration Name and Number allowing the removal of
the 10-record database limit. To register, call STSI at (218)
924-2050 and charge it to your Visa, MasterCard, American
Express, or Discover credit card. Upon request, you will receive
a temporary registration name and number over the telephone.
Network & Site-License Users
When purchasing a site-license of BBS Informant, you should
consider the following: You only need to purchase a site-license
based on the number of CONCURRENT users that will be allowed to
access the door at one time.
For example, if you run a 50-line BBS, but decide to only allow 5
users into the door at one time, you only need to purchase a 5-
user license. (In this instance, if 5 users were accessing the
door, and a 6th user attempted to access the door, he would
receive an error message stating that no more users were allowed
into the door at this time.) When you read the file
REGISTER.DOC, you should see that network and site-license
pricing is very reasonable.
How To Order
To register, do ONE of the following (whichever you prefer):
1. Call The STSI BBS at (218) 924-2060 and register online. We
accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit
cards. This method of registration can be performed 24-hours a
day, 7-days a week. (Registering this way is fast and easy,
allowing us to process your registration quickly.)
2. To register using our voice line, call (218) 924-2050.
Please have your credit card handy.
3. You can FAX your registration to (218) 924-2050. Simply fill
out the registration form provided (REGISTER.DOC), include your
credit card information on the bottom of the form, and sign it.
(Most FAX transmissions will be automatically routed to the FAX
machine. If you have problems reaching our FAX machine, wait
until after the first ring, press 11, and then begin
transmitting.)
4. Mail the registration form along with your payment to STSI at
108 2nd Avenue West, PO Box 297, Bertha, MN 56437-0297 USA.
If you have already registered BBS Informant, you should have
received a registration name and number with your registration
packet. Information is contained in this manual about how to
register your copy of BBS Informant to remove any limits imposed
on unregistered versions.
Technical Support:
Technical support is available through the following means:
The STSI BBS:
New versions of this program will be posted here as soon as
they are available. The STSI BBS uses a U.S. Robotics
V.Everything modem, which is capable of V.FAST, V.32bis, V.32,
and 2400 baud connect speeds. The access number for The STSI
BBS is (218)-924-2060. Technical support questions posted on
the bulletin board system should be addressed to Craig
Stevenson.
STSI FAX:
STSI has a FAX machine on-line 24 hours-a-day to accept FAX
transmissions. Technical support questions / problems may be
faxed to (218) 924-2050. Most FAX transmissions will be
automatically routed to the FAX machine. If you have problems
reaching our FAX machine, wait until after the first ring,
press 11, and then begin transmitting.
Internet Mail:
STSI will respond to messages sent via the Internet. Send any
tech support related questions, comments, or suggestions to
cstevens@bertha.polaristel.net.
Telephone:
Technical support calls may be placed at (218) 924-2050. Office
hours are from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday thru Friday, and 8:00
am - 11:00 am on Saturday.
Please read the following before placing a technical support call
to STSI:
1. Read the documentation files (and the help screens, if
available). Most questions can be answered by simply reading the
docs.
2. If you have a modem, call The STSI BBS and download the
latest version. (Read Bulletin #1 on our BBS to find out the
latest version and release date of this program. When
downloading a file, keep in mind that STSI's programs are always
posted in area 27.) After you download the latest version, try
it and see if you are still experiencing the same problem. We
attempt to fix problems as soon as we become aware of them, and
post the updated versions on the bulletin board system. (Check
the .REV revision file for information on feature enhancements
and bug-fixes.)
3. If you still cannot find an answer, contact us through one of
the means outlined above. We will do our best to assist you and
answer any questions you may have.
4. When calling or leaving a message, please be prepared to
answer the following questions: What version of this program are
you using? What problem(s) are you having, if any? What type of
computer CPU do you have (486DX2-66, etc.)? What version of DOS
are you using? Please be as specific as possible. The more
specific you are, the faster we will be able to assist you.
5. When placing a technical support call via telephone, please
be seated behind your computer. We may ask you to perform a
couple of simple tasks in order to help us narrow down any
potential problems.
6. When speaking with any of our employees, please be
considerate. Speak clearly, explaining your problem as carefully
as possible. Please do not use any harsh or inappropriate
(profane) language.
7. If one of our employees is able to help you, and you continue
to use this program, register it! We cannot continue to produce
quality programs without the continuing support of our users.
What is BBS Informant?
BBS Informant is a BBS door used for adding, listing, and
searching through available BBS names and numbers. BBS Informant
is a comprehensive list/search door that stores over 40 fields of
data on each BBS. Store up to 3 phone numbers, baud rates, and
modem types for each bulletin board system. BBS Informant also
contains fields for Software, Software Version, Sysop, Operating
System, BBS Emphasis, Rate, Location, Number of Lines, Megabytes
of Storage, Number of CD-ROMS, Date of Origin, Services Offered,
Summary, and more!
Why use BBS Informant?
Recently, our company embarked on a marketing effort for our
shareware programs by calling various bulletin board systems
around the country. Once connected, we would fill out the initial
registration form, and attempt to upload our programs.
Naturally, we called the largest BBS's first, but as the days
passed, we found it more and more difficult to connect to high-
quality BBS systems. We experienced numerous problems. The BBS
lists we looked at typically contained a name and number, but not
much else. Before calling a new system, we wanted to know the
following:
1. Does the BBS have a V.34 modem. If so, what is the brand?
(As many of you already know, certain brands do not hook up as
well as others...)
2. What type of software does the BBS use? The BBS software
was important, since some software packages were obviously
easier to use and navigate than others.
3. What was the emphasis of the BBS? BBS's that catered to
the professional user were more apt to receive our programs
than others.
4. Did the BBS have Planet Connect access? Since our files
were distributed via satellite, there wasn't much use in
calling a system that already had our programs.
5. Did the BBS have alternate access numbers? Getting a busy
signal for days-on-end can be extremely frustrating for new
callers. Alternate numbers gave us a better chance of
connecting, without having to put up with busy signals.
We found that many of the BBS lists seemed inadequate to meet our
needs. We needed a comprehensive list that gave us as much
information as we could possibly want. That's when we started
development on BBS Informant. BBS Informant provides all of the
following fields in a BBS record:
· BBS Name
· Phone #1
· Phone #1 Baud Rate
· Phone #1 Modem
· Phone #2
· Phone #2 Baud Rate
· Phone #2 Modem
· Phone #3
· Phone #3 Baud Rate
· Phone #3 Modem
· Software
· Software Version
· ASP (Association of Shareware Professionals) Member (Yes/No)
· AOP (Association of Online Professionals) Member (Yes/No)
· Satellite Access (Planet Connect, etc) (Yes/No)
· Internet Access Offered (Yes/No)
· RIME (Yes/No)
· FIDO (Yes/No)
· Adult Files/Topics (Yes/No)
· Sysop Name
· BBS Address 1
· BBS Address 2
· City
· State/Province
· Zip Code
· Country
· Voice Phone #
· FAX Phone #
· CompuServe Address
· Sysop's Internet Address
· BBS's Internet Address
· Number Of Lines
· Megabytes of Storage
· Number of CD-ROMS
· Rate (Fee) For Access
· BBS Emphasis
· Online Since (Date)
· Callback Verifier (Yes/No)
· Environment
· Access Type
· Summary (Up to 4 Lines)
· Date Last Updated
How's that for a comprehensive list? Many of the fields are made
up of pick lists. This allows the BBS list to be somewhat
consistent in capitalization, formatting, etc. For example,
listed below are the fields that contain pick lists, and the
available options:
Access Type:
· Access on first call
· Access after registration
· Access after automatic callback verification
· Access after manual verification
· Access after payment
Baud Rates:
· 300
· 1,200
· 2,400
· 4,800
· 9,600
· 14,400
· 16,800
· 19,200
· 28,800
Modem Brands:
· ATI
· AT&T Paradyne
· Best Data
· Boca Research
· Cardinal
· CPI (Viva)
· Digicom
· GVC
· Hayes
· IBM
· Intel
· Microcom
· Motorola (UDS)
· Other
· Pract. Periph.
· Prometheus
· Supra
· Telebit
· U.S. Robotics
· Zoom
· Zyxel
Software:
· Auntie
· Custom
· DBBS
· FIDO
· GAP
· Genesis
· GT Power
· Magnum
· Magpie
· Major
· Maximus
· Opus
· Other
· PCBoard
· PC-Host
· Phoenix
· PowerBBS
· RBBS
· Remote Access
· Renegade
· RoboFX
· ROS
· RyBBS
· Searchlight
· Spitfire
· SuperBBS
· TBBS
· Telegard
· TPBoard
· UltraBBS
· Wildcat
· WWIV
Environment:
· DESQview
· DOS
· LANtastic
· Novell
· OS/2
· Other
· Unix
· Windows
The questionnaire for BBS sysops entering a new name in the BBS
Informant door is straight-forward and simple. When needed, a
few lines of description are added to instruct the user what to
enter in a particular field. Once the user completes the
questionnaire, he/she is given the opportunity to modify any
and/or all of the fields. At any future date, the user can
simply call back to change or verify the existing information.
When he finishes making changes to the record, the Date Last
Updated field is modified and the new record is saved. BBS
Informant also allows the Sysop and/or CoSysop to modify ANY BBS
record, no matter who originally entered it.
Installing BBS Informant
The installation procedure for BBS Informant is quite simple.
The package includes a program, "INSTALL.EXE", which automates
the entire process. You will need about 1 megabyte of available
disk space on the hard drive on which you plan to install BBS
Informant.
The exact steps you need to take will depend on how you received
BBS Informant.
Installing From Diskettes
To install from diskette(s), you need to perform the following
steps.
1. Place BBS Informant distribution diskette "Disk 1" in the
appropriate diskette drive.
2. Execute the "INSTALL.EXE" program on the distribution
diskette. For example, if the distribution diskette is on
drive A:, type the MS-DOS command, "a:install".
3. Follow the instructions presented by the installation
program. You will have a chance to approve installation before
any changes are actually made to the contents of your hard
drive. The program will ask you for a destination directory,
and will copy the BBS Informant files to that directory. If
you received BBS Informant on two diskettes, you will need to
insert Disk 2 in the diskette drive when asked to do so. If
you so direct it, the installation program will install
executable programs and documentation in other directories of
your choice.
Installing From A Hard Drive
If you downloaded BBS Informant from a BBS (or received it in the
form of archive files from some other source), you will need to
perform the following steps.
1. Extract the contents of the archive file(s) in a temporary
directory on your hard drive. The procedure for doing this
varies, depending on the form in which you received the
package. In all likelihood, the fact that you are reading this
text means that you already have the necessary tools and
knowledge to perform this step. If not, you should be able to
obtain directions for this from the same source from which you
received the package.
2. Execute the "INSTALL.EXE" program which you have extracted.
For example, if the temporary directory into which you have
extracted the files is C:\TEMPDIR, you would execute the MS-DOS
command, "c:\tempdir\install".
3. Follow the instructions presented by the installation
program. You will have a chance to approve installation before
any changes are actually made to the contents of your hard
drive. The installation program will ask you for a destination
directory, and will copy the program files to that directory.
If you so direct it, the installation program will install
executable programs and documentation in other directories of
your choice.
When you're satisfied that the installation was successful, you
should delete the temporary directory FROM which you installed
the program, (C:\TEMPDIR, in the above discussion), including all
its contents.
Once you have successfully installed BBS Informant, follow the
instructions under Initial Setup to get the door up and running.
Initial Setup
These setup instructions will assume that you have installed BBS
Informant in the directory C:\INFORMNT. If you installed BBS
Informant to a different directory, simply substitute your own
directory in place of the C:\INFORMNT specification.
The first step is to run the program "ICONFIG.EXE", which is the
sysop's configuration utility for BBS Informant. (Note: This
utility is designed to be run locally. If you need to run it
over a modem, you must use a program such as Doorway.)
BBS Name:
IConfig allows you to enter the name of your BBS, the sysop's
name, and the cosysop's name (if applicable). The BBS name is
used for customization purposes within BBS Informant.
Sysop Name:
You must enter the Sysop's name in the Sysop Name field so BBS
Informant will allow you to have access to additional
information and settings within the door.
CoSysop Name:
The CoSysop Name field is optional, and can contain the name of
a cosysop, who will also have access to the Sysop's information
and settings within the door.
Inactivity Timeout:
The inactivity timeout can be used to change the number of
minutes of inactivity BBS Informant will wait before
automatically terminating a user's access to the door. When
BBS Informant reaches the specified amount of inactive time, it
closes the database and exits back to the BBS.
Port Type:
BBS Informant currently supports 4 different port options. The
UART option is designed to work with the serial ports as
supplied on standard IBM PC's, compatibles, and PS/2's. The
Fossil option can be used to support standard Fossil device
drivers used by many BBS systems. The DigiBoard option
supports DigiBoard intelligent multiport boards using the
DigiBoard Universal Device Driver (XIDOS5.SYS). The DigiBoard
option will support the following DigiBoards: COM/Xi, PC/Xi,
and PC/Xe. The Interrupt 14 option can be used with PC's that
don't work with the UART option, or for network modem-sharing
based on interrupt $14 services.
Display Format:
BBS Informant supports 3 display formats when listing entries
within the database. The expanded list (the default) displays
as much information as possible on one page, and allows the
user to press ENTER to see the next entry in the database,
resulting in a one-at-a-time viewing process. The concise list
displays each BBS in a less-extensive format, which allows up
to four BBS entries to be displayed on each page. The one-line
display format lists one BBS Name per line. Although the user
can change the format before listing the records, the sysop can
select the default format used.
Use Additional Prelog Screen:
When this check box is selected, BBS Informant allows you to
specify an additional ANSI screen to display when entering into
the door. The name of the ANSI screen must be placed in the
"Prelog Screen" field, or BBS Informant will issue an error
when it executes. The Additional Prelog Screen is only allowed
for REGISTERED versions of BBS Informant.
Prelog Screen:
As mentioned above, this field contains the name of the
additional ANSI screen to display when BBS Informant is
executed. This screen can be used to display a welcome file
with your own BBS name on it. The Additional Prelog Screen is
only allowed for REGISTERED versions of BBS Informant.
Network:
To set up BBS Informant for use on your network or multitasking
computer system, select the Network button. From this screen,
you can select whether BBS Informant will optimize the database
for speed or data integrity. You can also select whether BBS
Informant will be run on a Novell Network, MS-Net Compatible
Network, or no network at all.
Important! If you run DESQview or Windows (for a multi-node
system), but have no network, make sure to set the network type
to MS-Net.
Ports
This option allows sysops to specify the IRQ's and Base
addresses to use for non-standard COM ports. COM ports 1
through 8 are supported. If you make a change to the defaults
and want to restore the default port settings, simply select
the "Defaults" button on the Com Ports screen.
BBS Informant also supports the use of an environment variable
to specify one or more COM ports when using BBS Information.
To use this feature, add a statement similar to the following
to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
SET BINF=COM1,3F8,4 COM2,2F8,3 COM3,3E8,5 (etc., etc., etc.)
The first parameter specified is the COM port, the second
parameter is the I/O Base, and the last parameter is the IRQ
number (in decimal). Each COM port group is separated by a
space. The individual settings within each group must be
separated by commas. Only settings that differ from the normal
COM port settings need to be specified. (Com ports 1 through 8
are currently supported.)
Register:
When this button is selected, you can enter your Registration
Name, Registration Number, and the number of Network Users that
will be accessing this copy of BBS Informant at any one time.
Use this screen when you have registered BBS Informant with
STSI. (When you register, you will receive a registration name
and number, allowing you to have access to the advanced
features. For more information, see the Registration section
of the documentation.)
The second step to perform to get BBS Informant running is to set
up a batch file to run it. Since BBS Informant was developed and
tested using WildCat v4.10 running on individual nodes over a
Novell NetWare v3.12 network, all examples provided are based on
this configuration. However, BBS Informant should work with any
BBS that supports DOOR.SYS. BBS Informant should be executed
from its own sub-directory. A batch file should be created that
logs to the proper drive, changes to the BBS Informant sub-
directory, and then executes BBS Informant passing a full path to
the DOOR.SYS file. After execution, the batch file should change
the current directory back to the BBS sub-directory. If sharing
violations or other network errors occur when executing BBS
Informant, the INFORMNT.EXE file should be marked as read-only
using the DOS ATTRIB command. (Novell NetWare users should use
the Novell FLAG utility.)
<< Example Batch File #1 For WildCat: >>
@ECHO OFF
C:\WILDCAT\INFORMNT\INFORMNT.EXE
C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE%WCNODEID%\DOOR.SYS
<< Example Batch File #2 For WildCat: >>
@ECHO OFF
C:
CD\WILDCAT\INFORMNT
INFORMNT.EXE C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE%WCNODEID%\DOOR.SYS
CD\WILDCAT
The drive letters and paths should be updated to reflect your
system.
WildCat uses the %WCNODEID% variable (in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file),
to create the DOOR.SYS file in the node work sub-directory. For
example, node 1 would have a SET WCNODEID=1 statement in its
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The DOOR.SYS file would then be created in
the C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE1 sub-directory.
Other BBS programs may require different steps to properly run
BBS Informant. See the documentation for your specific BBS
program for additional information.
The third (and last) step to perform is to set up a hook in your
menuing system to allow users to access the door. The door/menu
hook should call the batch file that you created in the previous
step. (See the documentation for your specific BBS program to
find out how to set up a door / menu hook.)
A Wildcat Example
BBS Informant was patterned loosely after a WildCat utility
called WCList. WCList, written with WCCode and provided with the
WildCat/WCCode package, is a simple BBS List Door. WCCode is a
versatile programming language that allows simple doors to be
created and run in combination with WildCat. However, WCList was
too simple to meet my needs, so the attempt was made to enhance
it using WCCode. Unfortunately, WCCode was not up to the task of
creating a comprehensive BBS list door, such as BBS Informant.
WCCode could not deal with multiple users accessing the database
or with the increased size of the resulting program. Performance
was also lackluster, due to limitations within WCCode.
Development was moved to the Pascal platform, and BBS Informant
is the result of that effort. BBS Informant contains a full-
blown, network aware database, capable of storing in excess of 2
BILLION records! This gives BBS Informant a level of scalability
that is not possible with a WCCode application. Since it is
compiled, not interpreted, it is also extremely fast. And
because of it's Pascal roots, BBS Informant can be enhanced to
meet future needs.
Setting up BBS Informant under Wildcat:
1. Execute ICONFIG.EXE to set the BBS Name, Sysop and CoSysop
Names, and the inactivity timeout. If you are a registered
user of BBS Informant, select the "Register" button to enter
your registration information. IMPORTANT! Select the
"Network" button and set up BBS Informant for your environment
if your BBS is a multi-node system. (Even if you run DESQview
or Windows, but have no network, these settings apply.) Save
and exit ICONFIG.
2. If you plan to implement BBS Informant as a menu hook,
execute MAKEMENU.EXE to add the proper menu option. For
example, to set up BBS Informant to run from the Main Menu
using the "!" key (just like we do on The STSI BBS), use the
following procedure.
1. Execute MAKEMENU.EXE from the WildCat sub-directory.
2. Highlight "Main menu" and press [ENTER].
3. Move the highlight bar to the position you would like BBS
Informant to appear, and press [INS].
4. Enter "!" as the Selection key.
5. Enter "BBS Informant" as the Description.
6. Highlight "Command type", press [F2], select "Door/Menu
hook" from the pick-list, and press [ENTER].
7. Highlight "Parameters", press [F2], select an unused
door, and press [ENTER]. (In this example, we will select
"Main 1".)
8. Press [F10], and BBS Informant should now appear in your
list of available Main Menu options.
9. Press [F10] twice to exit MAKEMENU.
3. If you use custom menus, modify your screens to include BBS
Informant, using the "!" key (or whatever key you selected) for
access.
4. Take down all nodes and execute MAKEWILD from the WildCat
sub- directory. (All nodes must be down to execute MAKEWILD in
read/write mode.) Proceed with the following steps.
1. Highlight "Menu hooks" and press [ENTER].
2. Highlight "Main 1" (or whatever menu hook you selected)
and press [ENTER]. Make any changes to the "Menu
description", "Menu batch file", and "Menu display file" that
you desire. (This example assumes that no modifications have
been made.)
3. This step is only necessary if you are running a multi-
node system. If you are running a single node system,
proceed directly to the next step. Otherwise, highlight
"Menu multiuser" and change this value to "Y" to allow multi-
user access to BBS Informant.
4. Press [F3] to set up the Profile Access For BBS
Informant. Select each security profile that should have
access to BBS Informant, and press [F10] when done.
5. Press [F4] to set up Conference Access for BBS Informant.
Select each conference that should have access to BBS
Informant, and press [F10] when done.
6. Press [F10] to quit editing, and press [ESC] to return to
the MAKEWILD Main Menu. Press [ESC] or select "Exit" to exit
to DOS.
5. Change to the C:\WILDCAT\BATCH sub-directory (or wherever
your WildCat Batch sub-directory is located). Edit the
MAIN1.BAT file with the BBS Informant command-line. (Use one
of the examples given below.)
<< Example Batch File #1 For WildCat: >>
@ECHO OFF
C:\WILDCAT\INFORMNT\INFORMNT.EXE
C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE%WCNODEID%\DOOR.SYS
<< Example Batch File #2 For WildCat: >>
@ECHO OFF
C:
CD\WILDCAT\INFORMNT
INFORMNT.EXE C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE%WCNODEID%\DOOR.SYS
CD\WILDCAT
Save the file and exit.
6. Bring up WildCat, and select the "!" option from the Main
Menu to execute BBS Informant.
Running BBS Informant
Once you have properly set up BBS Informant and given it a menu
hook, you can execute it. After the initial screen is displayed,
the opening menu will be displayed, allowing you to
add/edit/remove a BBS, list all BBS names, and search for a BBS
based on specific criteria. BBS Informant stores over 40 fields
of information for each BBS listed.
<Add/Edit BBS Information Under Your Name>
When a user selects this option, he/she can add a new BBS to the
list, edit an existing entry (if the original entry was entered
by him/her), and remove their BBS from the list. Normal users
will see a list of all BBS's listed under their name. (BBS
Informant allows up to 10 entries per user.) The sysop (and
cosysop) will see a list of all BBS's, allowed them to edit ANY
information, even if it was originally entered by another
user.
<Download BBS Informant List>
Users can download the entire BBS list using this option. When
this option is selected, BBS Informant performs the following
steps:
1. A temporary directory (TEMP0001, TEMP0002, etc) is created
where the ASCII text file will be generated. (This prevents
possible conflicts on networks and multi-user systems.)
2. The ASCII text file (INFORMNT.LST) is generated in the
temporary directory. The format of this list depends on the
"Format For Display List" option described below. When BBS
Informant is generating this list, the user will see a status
message indicating the number of records that are being written
to the text file.
3. After the text file has been successfully generated, the
user is prompted for the protocol to use. BBS Informant
currently supports XModem, YModem, and ZModem protocols. (The
user also has a "[N]one" option to cancel the download.) After
the download has been completed, the user is returned to the
main menu.
<Format For Display List>
BBS Informant supports 3 display formats when listing entries
within the database. The expanded list displays as much
information as possible on one page, and allows the user to press
ENTER to see the next entry in the database, resulting in a one-
at-a-time viewing process. The concise list displays each BBS in
a less-extensive format, which allows up to four BBS entries to
be displayed on each page. The one-line list displays one BBS
name per line, with 15 names being displayed on each page.
Although the user can change this format before listing the
records, the sysop can select the default format from within
ICONFIG.EXE, or from the Sysop menu.
<List All BBS Informant Entries>
The list command displays as much of the BBS information as
possible about each BBS, allowing users to press ENTER to cycle
through all entries in the list.
<Search The BBS Informant List>
The search command allows users to perform a fast (indexed)
search on any one of seven different fields. The last option on
the search screen allows users to search for a text string
located anywhere within the database record.
<Sysop Menu (System Operator ONLY)>
The sysop (and cosysop) will see one last option on the main
screen which allows them to access all of the settings that were
available from the IConfig program. (For specific information on
these settings, see the Initial Setup section.)
<Quit, Return To The BBS>
Lastly, users can select "Q" to Quit and return to the BBS. If
you entered your BBS name (using the IConfig program or from the
Sysop Menu), it will be displayed on this line.
Operating Environments
Even if you don't use a network, you may need to change the
default Network Type from None to the MS-Net Compatible option.
Make sure to read the following section!
When "None" is selected as the network type, BBS Informant's file
sharing and record locking routines are not used. Do NOT run BBS
Informant in a multiuser setting with the network type set to
"None". If you do, the data and index files are likely to become
corrupt if two or more nodes try to access the program!
If you are running on a Novell NetWare 2.x, 3.x, or 4.x network,
be sure to set the network type setting to "Novell Network".
The "MS-Net Compatible" setting should be used for the following
networks and environments: LANtastic, LAN Manager, IBM PC-LAN,
Personal NetWare, NetWare Lite, DESQview, and Windows. When
using this option, you must load SHARE.EXE. (When running under
Windows, either SHARE must be loaded prior to running Windows, or
the VSHARE driver must be loaded in Windows.)
Optimization
When changing the optimization setting for BBS Information, you
should be aware of the difference between Optimize For Data
Integrity and Optimize For Speed. If Optimize For Data Integrity
is chosen, access to certain routines may be impacted by a
reduction in speed. If Optimize For Speed is chosen, BBS
Informant will attempt to optimize access to routines without a
reduction in speed.
When Optimize For Data Integrity is turned on, BBS Informant will
write portions of the database to be modified to the dialog
(.DIA) file before any changes are made. Then, in the event that
an error occurs, the database can be restored to its known state
prior to the operation. If the computer system crashes before an
operation is complete, BBS Informant automatically repairs the
database by using the information in the dialog file the next
time the database is opened.
Based on our internal testing, Optimize For Speed is MUCH faster,
especially when saving and updating records. If you decide to
use Optimize For Speed, however, we recommend that you maintain a
regular backup. If you are more concerned about data integrity,
even to the point of sacrificing some performance, select
Optimize For Data Integrity.
Cautions!
As with any program that maintains large amounts of data, there
is the possibility for data loss. BBS Informant contains special
precautions, such as having the ability to rebuild the database
index if it should become corrupt. However, regular data backups
are strongly recommended. Hard drives can fail, files can become
corrupt, and data loss can occur. Your best protection is a
regular (verified) backup!
Future Enhancements
STSI plans to add the following features and enhancements in
future versions of BBS Informant (with priority put on the
feature(s) most requested by our users):
· Compress ASCII text list in .ZIP format before user
downloads it. (If BBS operators request it.)
· Other features based on user requests. If there are
features you would like to see added to BBS Informant, call The
STSI BBS at 218-924-2060 and let us know. We welcome comments
and suggestions. If there are more modem brands or software
brands you would like to see added to our pick lists, give us
your feedback!
Products By STSI
Stevenson Technical Services, Inc.
108 Second Avenue West
Bertha MN 56437-0297
Phone / FAX: (218) 924-2050
The STSI BBS: (218) 924-2060
Internet Mail: cstevens@bertha.polaristel.net
(Visa, MC, American Express, & Discover Accepted)
· BBS Informant <ASP> Comprehensive BBS List / Search Door!
BBS Informant is a comprehensive BBS door used for adding,
listing, and searching through BBS names and numbers. BBS
Informant stores over 40 fields of data on each BBS! Store up to
3 phone numbers, software & version, sysop, emphasis, rate,
location, number of lines, storage space, CD-ROMS, date of
origin, services offered, summary, and much more! Network
support is included! BBS Informant works on Wildcat, PCBoard,
and any BBS that supports DOOR.SYS.
Registration Fee: $49.95
· BOOT'R <ASP> -DOS Multiple Configuration Manager
BOOT'R allows the management of multiple configurations on a
single machine. BOOT'R can modify the CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT,
and more. Modify up to 5 files for each configuration. Useful for
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configurations for memory-hungry games. Easy to use push-button
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Registration Fee: $34.95
· CompuSlave For DOS <ASP> Master Your Messages!
CompuSlave imports CompuServe forum capture files into a
database, converting them to individual messages. Add, delete,
edit, and search the entire database for key words or phrases.
Make those messages work for you! Create your own technical
support resource. Ideal for power users, programmers, and network
administrators. Network support is included. Easy to use push-
button interface with mouse support! (286 or higher) Sample
import file is included. Documentation contains helpful hints on
how to create a CompuServe forum message capture file.
Registration Fee: $49.95
· CompuSlave For Windows <ASP> Master Your Messages!
CompuSlave imports CompuServe forum capture files into a
database, converting them to individual messages. Add, delete,
edit, and search the entire database for key words or phrases.
Make those messages work for you! Create your own technical
support resource. Ideal for power users, programmers, and network
administrators. Easy to use Windows interface! Sample import
file is included. Documentation contains helpful hints on how to
create a CompuServe forum message capture file.
Registration Fee: $49.95
· Infodex <ASP> - Multipurpose Database!
Infodex is a versatile database manager used to keep track of
names and addresses, equipment, computer software, books, and
much more! Includes a FREE-FORM layout. Add, delete, or
rearrange fields EASILY! Search for text in any field. Import
and export to a delimited text file. Quickly browse through a
list of records. Easy push button interface! Both protected-
mode and real-mode versions are included to support various
memory requirements.
Registration Fee: $34.95
· QwkSlave <ASP> - QWK Packet Message Database!
QwkSlave imports QWK mail packets, storing each message as a
database record. Add, edit, delete, print, browse, sort, &
search through messages. Cross referencing makes finding an
original message and its response as easy as a mouse-click.
Ideal as a technical support reference tool. Network support is
included. Easy to use push-button interface!
Registration Fee: $49.95
· Replicator <ASP> - The Diskette Database / Replicator!
Replicator is a disk image utility designed to create images of
diskettes and catalog them in a database. Use optional
compression to reduce the image size. Recreate disks as needed.
Store up to 10 lines of descriptive text for each disk image in
the database. Database entries can be modified at any time.
Easy push button interface! (286 or higher)
Registration Fee: $49.95
· Subber <ASP> - The BBS Character Subber!
Subber is designed to substitute characters in a WildCat!
bulletin, menu, or other .BBS display file. Create a generic
background using WCDraw or TheDraw, and create text using your
favorite text editor. Use Subber to combine the two together!
Ideal for BBS system notices, news, & info screens that need to
be changed frequently.
Registration Fee: $29.95
· ZIP'R Pro For DOS <ASP> - Hard Drive Tripler For DOS!
ZIP'R Pro stores programs in compressed form when they are not
being used. Use ZIP'R Pro to automatically decompress a program,
execute it, and recompress it again. Uses ARJ, LHA, PKZIP, or
built-in compression. Integrate with a menu system, or use ZIP'R
Pro's button menu. Works with networks & multitaskers. Easy to
use push-button interface with mouse support!
Registration Fee: $49.95
· ZIP'R Pro For Windows <ASP> - Hard Drive Tripler For
Windows!
ZIP'R Pro stores programs in compressed form when they are not
being used. Use ZIP'R Pro to automatically decompress a program,
execute it, and recompress it again. Uses ARJ, LHA, PKZIP, or
built-in compression. Integrate with a Windows icon, or use
ZIP'R Pro's desktop to launch the program of your choice.
Network/Multi-user support is included.
Registration Fee: $49.95
Programs Mentioned:
DESQview is copyrighted by Quarterdeck Office Systems.
LAN Manager is copyrighted by Microsoft Corporation
LANtastic is copyrighted by Artisoft, Inc.
MS-DOS is copyrighted by Microsoft Corporation.
NetWare is copyrighted by Novell, Inc.
NetWare Lite is copyrighted by Novell, Inc.
PC-LAN is copyrighted by IBM Corporation.
Personal NetWare is copyrighted by Novell, Inc.
Windows is copyrighted by Microsoft Corporation.