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THE WWIV USER'S GUIDE By William Daystrom Original User Guide by Michael Coyne Copyright (c) 1989 White Star Software The WWIV User's Guide CONTENTS INTRODUCTION......................................................... 1 Logon.......................................................... 1 Registration................................................... 1 The Message Editor............................................. 3 COMMANDS FROM THE MAIN MENU.......................................... 4 Miscellaneous Section.......................................... 4 Auto-Message............................................. 4 View BBS List............................................ 4 Page Sysop for Chat...................................... 4 User Defaults Section.................................... 5 System News and Info..................................... 7 Caller Log............................................... 7 Off the System........................................... 7 User List................................................ 7 Voting Section........................................... 7 Expert/Novice Toggle..................................... 7 Personal User Stats...................................... 8 List Available Subs...................................... 8 N-Scan................................................... 8 Posting.................................................. 8 Q-Scan................................................... 9 Remove a Message......................................... 9 Scan..................................................... 9 Z-Scan................................................... 10 Change subs.............................................. 10 Electronic Mail Commands....................................... 11 E-Mail................................................... 11 Feedback................................................. 11 Kill Sent Mail........................................... 11 Read Your Mail........................................... 12 System Features................................................ 13 General Text Files....................................... 13 Transfer System.......................................... 14 On-Line Programs......................................... 14 Quick Log Off............................................ 14 Multi-Mail............................................... 14 Clear Screen............................................. 14 Version Number........................................... 14 Network Connect List..................................... 15 Clear Q-Scan Pointers.................................... 15 Upload a Message......................................... 15 The WWIV User's Guide TRANSFER SECTION COMMANDS............................................ 16 Miscellaneous Section.......................................... 16 Page Sysop for Chat...................................... 16 Extract a File........................................... 16 ARC Commands............................................. 17 Off the System........................................... 18 Remove a File............................................ 18 Quit to BBS.............................................. 18 Transfer Options......................................... 18 Personal User Stats...................................... 19 Advance/Retreat Dirs..................................... 19 Listing Files.................................................. 20 ARC Listing.............................................. 20 Find Text in Description................................. 20 List Files............................................... 20 New File Search.......................................... 20 New File Search Date..................................... 20 Search All Dirs.......................................... 21 List Available Dirs...................................... 21 File Transfer Commands......................................... 21 Batch YMODEM Download.................................... 21 Download a File.......................................... 22 Upload a File............................................ 22 Upload to Sysop Only..................................... 22 The WWIV User's Guide SECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION This segment of the WWIV documentation is a comprehensive manual for callers and sysops alike. For callers, it will review each command WWIV accepts, along with some examples of usage. For sysops and co-sysops, it will elaborate on sysop functions and how they are used. This manual is written specifically for WWIV v4.10. Updates of this manual will be available as new versions of WWIV are distributed. Logon After a connection is established, one of two things will happen. If the sysop has created an ANSI welcome message (WELCOME.ANS), the caller will be prompted for ANSI support. Depending upon the caller's response, the appropriate welcome message will be displayed. After the message has been sent, three prompts will appear in sequence. The first prompt asks for the caller's name or number. If the caller types "NEW" at the prompt, he/she will be taken to the registration procedure. Otherwise, once the caller's name or number has been entered, the BBS will prompt for the caller's password. On the sysop's screen, topscreen information will appear at this point which, among other things, includes the caller's password on the far right of the lower line (this reverts to the caller's time-left once logon is complete). Once that is done, the caller will be prompted for the last four digits of the caller's seven-digit phone number. If any of the information entered does not match what the BBS expects, an illegal logon attempt will be recorded in the sysop log, and the caller will have another chance to logon. In all, the caller has three attempts to correctly answer all three prompts - name or number, password, and phone number. If the caller has tried to logon three times without success, the caller will be disconnected. Registration If the caller entered "NEW" at the first logon prompt, the registration procedure is initiated. First, SYSTEM.MSG, from the GFILES directory, is displayed. This file generally describes the sysop's system, theme, purpose, and general rules. Next, NEWUSER.MSG is printed. This file contains information new callers might need to know, such as a brief explanation of how on-line help (Control-O) works, or what the sysop expects from the caller. Following the output of these two files, the actual registration questions are asked. In order, these questions ask for the caller's full name (or alias), real first name, voice phone number, amateur radio callsign, sex, date of birth, computer type, screen width and height, ANSI support, color monitor (if ANSI is supported), and finally password. With the password prompt, the caller is first offered a randomly-selected password to use. The caller may change the password if desired. Now that the caller has entered all of that information, he/she is presented a summary of the data just given. At this point, the caller may change any of the information if errors are present. This is the only opportunity the caller will have to change this data (except for the password, ANSI support, and screen parameters) without sysop intervention. - 1 - The WWIV User's Guide Once the caller has confirmed that all is correct, FEEDBACK.MSG is displayed, and the caller is prompted to write a validation letter. FEEDBACK.MSG tells the caller what to write in the letter, which is a request for access. All callers should write validation letters; otherwise, the sysop's task of finding new callers would be much more difficult. If the caller is registered (note the distinction between registered and validated; a registered caller isn't necessary validated), LOGON.MSG (or LOGON.B&W or LOGON.ANS, depending upon the caller's ANSI setting) will be printed. This file contains system news from the sysop. Next, a list of the last few callers is displayed. This list will be longer for sysops and co-sysops then it will be for regular callers. The information given will be the last few caller names, numbers, baud rates, and times on (that day). Once that is complete, the auto-message is output. The auto-message may be thought of as a public three-line bulletin which the callers may change. They can use it, for example, to advertise another BBS, or to make a quick announcement to the other callers. The file used to store the auto-message is called AUTO.MSG. If that file does not exist, "No auto-message" will be displayed. The file is created once a caller or sysop enters a new auto-message, so sysops probably won't need to alter the file manually. Following the system news, list of last callers, and auto-message, a brief list of additional information is given. Among the data is the time the caller will be allowed on for that call, the number of illegal logons attempted on that account (if any), the last date the caller logged-on, the chat status of the sysop (Available means that the sysop is available for chats, Not Available means that callers cannot request chats), and the version number of the BBS. If the BBS is registered, the registration number appears after the version number. If the BBS is a part of WWIVnet, the node number will also be listed. All of those displays having been given, the caller is finally presented with the Main Menu (if the caller has not toggled the Expert setting, discussed later) and the main prompt. The main prompt is the place where most major commands are entered, by both caller and sysop. T - 04:14:55 [1] [General] : The main prompt, an example of which appears above, tells you the time left remaining on this call in an hh:mm:ss format, and the name and number of the message base (sub-board) you're in at the moment. The Main Menu presents a list of all commands available from the main prompt. - 2 - The WWIV User's Guide The Message Editor When writing e-mail, feedback, or posts, a message editor is used. Unless the caller has specified a full screen editor to use (discussed later), the standard WWIV editor is chosen. This editor is quite simple to use, once you are familiar with the commands. Word-wrapping is active, so you don't have to worry about words being split between lines. A few editing features are also available to help correct mistakes. When the editor is activated, you are prompted for a title. This is the heading of your message, and should describe what your message will be about. After entering the title, you will be told how many lines you can write, and that assistance is available by typing /HELP. The /HELP command brings up a menu of options available to you. Remember, you can press Ctrl-O for help with using the editor (so you don't have to refer back to this file). The menu you will see looks similar to this: -= WWIV Editor Commands =- /ES - Immediate Save /ESY - Immediate Save Anonymously (If allowed) /ESN - Immediate Save NOT-Anonymous (If allowed) /ABT - Immediate Abort /CLR - Clear Message and Start Over /RL - Replace Last Line /TI - Re-Write Title /LI - List Message so Far /C: - Center Rest of Line /SU/old/new - Substitute Text in Last Line Ctrl-P+Digit - Change Colors All commands save the last one are entered by typing the command on a blank line while you are writing the message. The /ESY and /ESN commands are basically time-savers; if you are able to post anonymously, you would be prompted if you wanted to do so after saving the message. Those two commands bypass that prompt. Also, /S may be used to save a message as well as /ES (another time-saver). When you use /RL, the last line you entered will be printed, and you will be prompted to enter the line you want to replace it with. To delete the last line, you would just hit [Enter] at that prompt. The center command lets you center text on the screen. To use it, you would type /C:, immediately followed by the text you want centered (don't hit [Enter] after typing that just /C:). The /SU command allows you to replace selected text in the last line you entered. The last command is different from the others in that it doesn't use the slash-command system. It allows you to change the colors of the text you are typing (if you have ANSI active). As you will see in the Defaults Section, each color has a number assigned to it, from 0 to 7. To change colors, just press your control key, then P, then release those keys and tap a number, from 0 through 7. The color of the text you type from that point will be whatever you selected, unless you change it again. Below is a chart showing you what the default WWIV colors are; your colors may differ. 0 - White 4 - Bright White on Blue 1 - Bright Cyan 5 - Green 2 - Bright Yellow 6 - Bright Flashing Red 3 - Magenta 7 - White - 3 - The WWIV User's Guide SECTION TWO: COMMANDS FROM THE MAIN MENU This section will detail all commands available from the Main Menu, as well as the sub-commands available in options from the Main Menu. Miscellaneous Section 'A' Auto-Message An auto-message is a short (3 line limit) note that all callers see when they log on the board. You can use it to announce anything you'd like to other callers (ie, advertisements for new bulletin boards, endorsements or challenges concerning the online games, happy birthday messages, etc.). When you choose the Auto-Message selection, a prompt appears: A-msg: R:ead, W:rite, A:uto-reply, Q:uit : At this prompt, you can choose to read the auto-message, write an auto-message to replace the existing one, or reply to the auto-message. If you choose Auto-reply, the board will take you to the Email section and automatically address your reply to the person who wrote the current auto message. NOTE: The Write option may or may not be present, depending on the caller's access restrictions. 'B' View BBS List This choice will display a BBS list maintained by the board. You will then have the opportunity to read or add to the list. Adding to the list will prompt the caller for a series of information, such as the name and telephone number of the BBS to be listed, the system's maximum baud rate, and the type of BBS it is. If the phone number entered already exists in the BBS list, the caller is told this and the entry is not accepted. Also, if the BBS is a member of WWIVnet, a listing of all WWIVnet systems can be read here. 'C' Page Sysop for Chat If the sysop is available when you choose this option, the board will signal that a caller wishes to chat. You will be asked for a reason for the chat, then the board will inform you that chat call is turned on (which may or may not be true, as the sysop can disable the chat alarm in INIT). The reason given by the caller will be displayed in the topscreen information of the sysop's screen. If the sysop is not available, you will be informed of this and asked if you'd rather send e-mail to the sysop. If you answer yes, you'll be taken directly to the message editor to send feedback to the sysop. - 4 - The WWIV User's Guide 'D' User Default Section This is where you can configure the board to work the way you like. Choosing this option calls up a sub-menu of choices: 1. Screen size : 80 X 25 2. ANSI : Color 3. Pause on screen : Off 4. Mailbox : Normal 5. Configured Q-scan 6. Change password 7. Update macros 8. Change colors 9. Full screen editor: None. Q. Quit to Main Menu Screen size Screen size refers to the number of columns and rows (c x r) of text your screen can display. Most IBM-compatible screens display the default 80 columns and 25 rows. Some machines, however, display more or less than this default. If your screen is a TV set, for example, you may have to set this option to 40 x 25. At this setting, some of the text sent by the board may appear strange; line breaks will occur at unusual places. ANSI ANSI stands for American National Standards Institute, and it refers to a set of instructions that handle video displays on DOS computers. Put simply, ANSI is used when you want to be able to display color on your screen. IBM-compatible computers are capable of using ANSI, as are some other computers using ANSI emulation software. On the IBM, ANSI instructions are contained in a file called ANSI.SYS, found on your DOS disk. If you're seeing things that look like [30;46m or [20;20H all over your screen, you do not have ANSI.SYS enabled (loaded) at your end. You must have the statement "device=ansi.sys" in the CONFIG.SYS file of the disk from which you boot your computer, and the file ANSI.SYS must reside there also for the driver to be loaded when you boot your machine (if that made little or no sense to you, see your DOS manual). Some communication programs are unable to display ANSI graphics even if you have the driver loaded (BitCom, for example). If your computer or program does not support ANSI, keep the ANSI setting in the OFF position. If you do support ANSI, you may choose color or black and white display modes. Pause on screen This option allows you to tell the board how to handle the screens. If you'd like the display to pause after each screenfull, you should set this option to on. When on, the BBS will print a [PAUSE] message on the screen whenever the maximum number of lines have been output (specified by your screen height), and wait for a key to be pressed. - 5 - The WWIV User's Guide Mailbox This is used to determine whether or not your mail is forwarded to another account. There may be times when you would prefer that your mail be forwarded to someone else (for example, you are going on vacation and want somebody else to be able to respond to mail that arrives for you). If the BBS is a part of WWIVnet, you may forward mail to any account on any other WWIVnet system. Configured Q-scan This allows you to choose which sub-boards are scanned for new messages in an N-scan (I know, not logical, but c'est la vie). An N-scan will operate on all the message bases (a global scan), EXCEPT any sub-boards you have locked-out of the N-scan with this command in defaults. If there is a message base you would prefer to skip in a N-scan (for example, you are an IBM user and you don't want to read the Apple messages), you can do it here. The sub-menu presented is very simple. All message subs are listed, with asterisks next to the subs enabled in N-scans. Entering the number of a sub will toggle the asterisk on/off. Change password Naturally, this option allows you to change your password. You must have your current password handy in order to change it; the board will first ask you to enter your current password as a security precaution. Please try to remember your password, and don't choose something easily guessed by others (like your first name). Your password must be 3 to 8 characters long, and may contain any combination of letters and numbers. Update macros Each caller can design three macros. A macro is a recorded set of keystrokes that can be repeated by pushing a key combination. This can be a real time-saver when used for often-repeated tasks. For example, you may wish to enter a signature macro to use when "signing" messages you write. By entering the update macro section, you can assign a key sequence (either Ctrl-A, Ctrl-D, or Ctrl-F) to repeat a series of keystrokes, saving you the time of typing them every time you need them. Change colors This allows you to alter the colors the BBS will display for prompts, messages, etc. There are eight settings you can change, and each setting may have a different color and attribute assigned to it. There are eight colors to choose from, and each color may either be normal, intensified, flashing, or a combination of the three. This is generally left alone, but it is available to you should you want to experiment with different settings. Monochrome callers may find this useful in order to make certain text easier to read while in ANSI mode. Full screen editor You may select which text editor you'd like to use when entering messages or e-mail. Depending on the sysop's setup, there may or may not be a full screen editor available. If there is, you can use it to write e-mail and posts instead of WWIV's built-in line editor, which may be awkward for some people to use. - 6 - The WWIV User's Guide 'I' System News and Info Choosing Information from the Main Menu will tell you the version number of the BBS, redisplay the news and announcements file shown at logon, and show any additional information the sysop has provided about the system (These are the LOGON.MSG and SYSTEM.MSG files). 'L' Caller Log for Today This choice will display the names and numbers of callers who have been on the board today. It will also show the baud rate at which they connected to the system, as well as the number of times they've been on today. Note that the sysop is not included in the log of the day. 'O' Log Off the System This will log you off the system, with confirmation requested by the board. The log off message will be displayed, and the connection will be broken. 'U' View User List Choosing this selection will display a list of registered callers who have access to the message section you're in. Entrance to some message sections requires higher security access than others; this is not necessary a complete user list, but only a reflection of which callers have access to the current sub-board. 'V' Voting Section This choice brings you to the voting booth, where you can cast your votes for questions the sysop has set up. If you see "You haven't voted yet" when you log on, choose this command to cast your votes. The voting booth offers up to twenty questions to all callers (with access), each question having up to nineteen possible answers. As each caller votes, the BBS will compile statistics pertaining to how many votes were cast per answer given, as well as what percentage of the total number of callers had voted. 'X' Expert/Novice Toggle This choice will stop the main and transfer menus from appearing on your screen unless you specifically request them by typing a question mark at the prompt. X acts as a toggle, turning the expert mode on and off. - 7 - The WWIV User's Guide 'Y' Personal User Stats This item will display basic information the board maintains about you. The screen that appears looks similar to this: Your name : User #62 Phone number : 213-549-4133 Sec Lev : 30 Transfer SecLev: 20 Last on : 09/04/88 Times on : 110 On today : 1 Messages posted: 11 E-mail sent : 24 Time spent on : 496 Minutes The information presented there should be self-explanatory. Message Base Commands '*' List Available Subs Typing an asterisk at the Main Menu will produce a list of the message subs to which you have access on the board. The subs will be identified by name and number. If the BBS is a member of WWIVnet, any network-linked sub-boards will be identified with <NET> preceeding the title. 'N' New-Scan All Subs This command will cause the board to show you all messages you have not yet read. It will search all message bases that you have access to, provided you haven't configured the scan to skip any (see Default Section, above). For all the message bases, after showing you all the new messages in a particular base, the board will ask if you wish to post a message to that area. If you answer yes, the board will take you to the editor, where you can compose your message. After completing and saving your message, the board will jump to the next message area, and the process will continue. If you answer no to the post prompt, the board will jump to the next message base and display all new messages there. When you have scanned all the message bases, you will be returned to the Main Menu. 'P' Post a Message This selection will take you to the editor to compose a message to be posted on the message base you're currently in. The current (active) message base is identified at the Main Menu prompt, as in: [2] [Complaints] : which shows you you're in message base 2, and the type of messages that should be posted there are complaints (hopefully not a very popular message base). To change message bases, type the number of the area you wish to go to at this prompt (ie, 4 to go to area 4), or repeatedly press + or - (or < and >) to go forward or backward in base numbers, respectively. - 8 - The WWIV User's Guide 'Q' New-Scan Current Sub This function is similar to the N-scan (described above), showing you all new messages, except that it works on the active message sub only. 'R' Remove a Message This command allows you to remove (delete) old messages written by you in the current sub only. 'S' Scan Message Titles This command also works only on the active message base, and is equivalent to the "read" command most bulletin board programs use. It allows you to read any message in the current area. It will show you how many messages are in the area, and ask you where you'd like to start reading. The prompt looks like this (for the General message area): 12 msgs on General Start listing at? You can type the number of the message at which you wish to start reading, and that message will be displayed. If you hit [Enter] at this prompt, the titles and message numbers of the first 10 messages will be displayed, as in: (1) Well... [2] System News... *(3) OS who? *(4) New user . . . etc. Read:(1-12,^1),? : As you can see, each message is given a number. If a number is enclosed in brackets instead of parentheses, it means that you wrote it yourself. Type the number of the message at which you wish to start reading at the Read prompt. The asterisks identify messages you haven't read yet. A question mark at this prompt will call up a menu of options. The menu will be different depending upon ANSI settings, but will have the following options: - 9 - The WWIV User's Guide -= WWIV v4.10 Sysop Message Base Commands =- (RETURN) Next Message '-' Back One Message 'B' Bypass Current Sub 'N' Permanent Message Status 'R' Re-Read Last Message 'U' Un-Anonymous Message Status '#' Go to Message # 'A' Auto-Reply in E-Mail to Last Message 'C' Continuous Read 'Q' Quit to Main Menu 'T' Titles of Next Ten Messages 'V' Validate Author of Last Message 'W' Publicly Reply with "Regards" to Last Message 'P' Post a Message in Current Sub The exact choices which appear on this menu are determined by your security access level; you probably will not have all of these. Most of the commands above are self-explanatory. "B" will continue on to the next sub in a N-scan, without bothering to read any remaining new messages in the current sub. "A" will allow you to use the editor to write a personal reply to the author of the message you just read. "W" allows you to write a public reply to the message just read. "C" will print out all remaining messages without prompting you after each post. Where sysop commands are concerned, "N" allows you to mark the last read message permanent; that is, it won't be auto-deleted as new messages are added to the base. "V" will allow you to change the security and access levels of the author of the current post. After finishing the scan, you will be asked if you wish to post a message to that area. Answering yes takes you to the editor, answering no (or hitting enter) takes you back to the Main Menu. 'Z' Continuous N-Scan This will read all new messages on all selected message areas, similar to the N-scan, but without pausing between messages. This type of scan is useful if you wish to capture the messages to a file for review and replies off-line. During a Z-scan, pause-on-screen is disabled. #:Go to Message Base # After you've found the number of a message base that interests you (see List Message Bases, above), you can change to that area by typing its number at the Main Menu prompt. Type just the number, not the # sign. For example, to change to message base 5, type a 5. - 10 - The WWIV User's Guide Electronic Mail Commands 'E' E-Mail a User Choosing this selection will allow you to send E-mail to any user of the board. You can address the letter by using the name of the person to whom you want to send mail, or their user number. You can find someone's name and user number by using U (user list) at the Main Menu. If you are unsure about how to spell the name of a person you want to write, you can type a partial name. The BBS will then search the user list and begin listing all names that come close, prompting you if that is the person you wanted to send mail to. The number of e-mail messages you can send per day is determined by you security level, as is whether you can send anonymous e-mail. Sending feedback does not detract from the number of e-mail messages you can send. 'F' Feedback to Sysop This is the preferred method of sending mail to the sysop. The letter will be sent to the sysop directly; you can send five feedback messages per day. 'K' Kill E-Mail You Sent This command does much more than kill old e-mail, despite the name. Invoking this command will call up information pertaining all e-mail messages written by you still on the board (ie, have not been deleted yet). When you enter this command, you will be asked if you want to see the most recent e-mails first. Answering no will start listing e-mail at the oldest e-mail on the system. You will be shown the recipient of the message, the title of the message, and how long ago it was sent. The screen provided by this command is illustrated below. To: John Smith #31 Title: Your downloading habit... Sent : 2 days ago R:ead, D:elete, N:ext, Q:uit : You then have the option of reading the text of the message, deleting the message, or skipping the message. If you skip the message, the same information about the next message will be displayed. This process will continue until you've reviewed all messages sent by you, or until you quit. - 11 - The WWIV User's Guide 'M' Read Your Mail This command enables you to read any e-mail that may be waiting for you. If you have one letter waiting, it will be immediately displayed. If you have more than one letter waiting, you will see a list of numbers, next to which will be the source of each e-mail you have in your mailbox. Below this, you will be prompted to enter the number of the message you want to read, press enter to read mail starting at the first letter, or press Q to abort. Once you have read an e-mail, another important prompt appears, illustrated below. Mail {?} : Typing a question mark at this prompt will call up a menu similar to the following: -= WWIV E-Mail Commands =- (RETURN) Read Next Piece '-' Back One Piece 'D' Delete Last Piece 'G' Go to a Piece 'Q' Quit to Main Menu 'S' Save Piece and Reply 'A' Auto-Reply and Delete Last Piece 'F' Forward Mail to Another User 'I' Ignore Last Piece 'R' Re-Read Last Piece Most of this menu is self-explanatory. Auto-reply will delete the current message, and then you'll be taken to the editor to compose your reply. If you wish to save the message, use Save and reply. Again, you'll be taken to the editor to write e-mail to the user who wrote the original message. You can forward mail to another user; invoke this command and the board will prompt you for the name or number of the user you wish to forward the mail to. Normally, after a message has been deleted or replied to, the sender of the mail is informed with a note at logon that you read it. Sysops may bypass this message by using "Z" at mail prompt to delete mail instead of "D." Sysops may also save the mail to a text file in the GFILES directory for later viewing by typing "E" at the prompt. You will be asked to input a filename not already in use. - 12 - The WWIV User's Guide System Features 'G' General Text Files This function is hiearchical. "G" at the Main Menu will bring you to a sub-menu which displays a list of text file sections available on the board, and ask you which section you'd like to enter. Depending upon the sysop's selections, this is an example of a main gfiles menu: G-Files sections available: 1. Communications Files 2. Humerous Files 3. ANSI pictures Which section (Q=Quit) ? Choosing a number from the list will bring you to that section, and display the names of the text files available. For example, choosing section 1 from the above menu might produce this screen: G-Files in this section: 1. How to download a file. 2. Local bulletin boards 3. WWIV User's Guide Which G-file (Q=Quit) ? You then choose, by number, the file you wished displayed. All the files in these sections are text files, which will be displayed to the screen. You can capture them to a file for later reading, or read them as they are displayed. Remember that P pauses the screen if you're going to read them on-line. After viewing the file, you'll be left at the "Which G-file" prompt. To redisplay the list of available files, type a question mark. Cosysops and sysops will have the option of adding or deleting gfiles. To add gfiles, the files must already be present in the currently-selected gfile directory on disk. When you add gfiles, the BBS will list the filenames of all gfiles not yet in the section, and prompt you for descriptions. When deleting gfiles, you will be asked for the number of the gfile you want to delete. The BBS will ask for confirmation, and will give you the option of actually removing the file from your disk. Typing a Q will quit the section and bring you back to the "Which section" prompt, one level above. Again, a question mark here will redisplay the available sections, and Q will return you to the Main Menu. - 13 - The WWIV User's Guide 'T' Transfer Section This will bring up the file transfer menu. It is similar in appearance to the Main Menu, but has a different set of commands. The commands available at this menu are discussed in another portion of this user's guide. You must be a validated user to access the file transfer section. '.' On-Line Programs Typing a period at the Main Menu will call up a list of external programs available on the board, from which you choose the program you'd like to run by its number. Most on-line programs are games designed for the entertainment of callers. Some on-liners are utility programs, such as those which tell you if your phone prefix is local to the BBS or not. The games are fun, but they can be abused as well. Calling up the board and repeatedly heading straight for the games to play all your time away is not, shall we say, very participatory. This usually forces sysops to come up with some way to limit your time spent at the games, by earning and spending gold, for example. Extended Commands '/O' Fast Log Off Put simply, /O is used when you really have to go quickly. It will log you off immediately. No confirmation will be requested, and the log off message will not be sent. Whether you prefer to use O or /O to log off the system isn't important, what is important is that you log off correctly. No damage will be done to the system if you drop carrier inappropriately, but it is considered bad manners, and the sysop may just decide to remove you from the user list if you do it frequently. '/E' Send Multiple E-mail You can send identical e-mail to more than one user by choosing this command. You will be asked to enter the names or numbers of the users to which you wish the mail sent, one per line. An identical message can be sent to up to twenty users this way. '//CLS' Clear Screen This command will, quite simply, clear your screen. '//VER' WWIV Version Number This tells you the version of the WWIV program the BBS is using, as well as the name and address of where the author can be reached. - 14 - The WWIV User's Guide '//NET' Complete Network Connection List If the BBS is a member of WWIVnet, this command will display a long list of data containing the names and numbers of all WWIVnet systems, as well as the number of hops (one hop is considered a message being sent from one BBS to another) to other boards, the next hop a message would take to get to its destination, and the estimated cost per minute to get the message there. '//QSCAN' Clear Q-Scan Pointers The BBS keeps track of which messages you have not read. This information is used by the BBS as pointers so it can show you all new messages in a New-Scan. This command will reset those pointers, so that all messages on the system will be considered already read by the user. This command is most often used when there are a large number of new messages in the message sub-boards, and you don't want to have to New-Scan through all of them. '//UPLOAD' Upload a TEXT file for use in a post or E-Mail There may be times when you would prefer to prepare a text file off-line to be posted on the BBS or sent as e-mail. This command allows you to upload a text file for that purpose. After entering the command, you will be informed of the maximum size of the file you can upload (determined by your SL), and you will be able to select a protocol to use in the transfer. If the file you upload is larger than the maximum size allowed, you are not allowed to use the file. This command is usually employed when you have a very long message or any ANSI graphics screen you want to post. WWIV does not allow you to upload an ANSI screen to a post using the ASCII protocol while in the text editor, so when you want to post such a screen, this command is your option. Sysops should use the //LOAD command for uploading files of any size locally, as this command only works when someone is on-line remotely. - 15 - The WWIV User's Guide SECTION THREE: TRANSFER SECTION COMMANDS This section of the WWIV help file will cover all the commands available on the Transfer Section menu. The menu for the Transfer section looks very similar to that of the Main Menu, but most commands are totally different. Understanding these commands can make your time on-line more efficient and less frustrating. After the menu is displayed, the transfer system prompt is shown: T - 03:25:52 (1)-(Miscellaneous) : As is the case with the Main Menu, the last two lines on the screen show you your time left on-line, and which file directory you're in currently. On-line help is available by choosing Ctrl-O (hold the Ctrl key down and press O) and information about your time on-line is available by pressing Ctrl-T. As always with WWIV software, pressing p will pause a scrolling screen (similar to Ctrl-S on other software), and pressing the spacebar will abort the screen and bring you directly to the next prompt. We will now examine each available command in detail. One other note: when you are prompted to enter a filename, the extension is usually optional. This means that you don't have to type a file's extension in order for the BBS to find it. The exception to this is when you are uploading a file, or when more than one file exists in the same directory with the same filenames but different extensions. Miscellaneous 'C' Page Sysop for Chat This command works exactly the same way in the transfer section as it does at the Main Menu. If you choose this command, and the sysop has his or her chat call enabled, the sysop will be summoned. If the sysop is not available when you choose chat, you will be informed of this, and asked if you'd like to send feedback to the sysop instead. If you answer yes, you'll be taken to the editor to compose your message. Answering no will drop you back where you started. 'E' Extract ARCed File WWIV allows you to create custom archives for downloading. Using various commands available from the transfer menu, you can search any archived file on the board, view its contents, extract individual files to a temporary directory, archive your custom file, and download it. This is useful if, for example, you wish to just grab the document files out of an archive file to see if the program is what you are looking for before downloading the whole file, or if the size of a file makes downloading it in one session impossible due to time restraints. Once you have identified the file you wish to extract (using the list files command, discussed below), your first step is to extract the file(s) of interest from the archive to the temporary directory. This is accomplished by choosing the E:xtract Archive command. The types of archives you can manipulate depends upon what the sysop has setup, but most boards will support at least ARC and ZIP files. A prompt will appear asking you to identify the file you wish to extract: - 16 - The WWIV User's Guide Extract to temporary directory: Filename: Type the name of the file you wish to extract at this prompt. If the file is found (you must be in the directory that holds the file, and spell it's name correctly), the board will show you the information about the file, followed by a prompt asking you what you wish extracted from the file: Extract what (?=list,Q=abort) ? Typing a question mark here will show you a listing of the files contained in the archive. Enter the name of the file you wish extracted (wildcards are supported), and the file(s) will be sent to the temporary directory (by the way, this is called the temporary directory because anything you put here will be deleted when you log off). You can send files from as many archives as you'd like here. When you have finished, your next step is to prepare the archive for downloading. This is accomplished by using the next command on the menu... 'G' ARC Commands Choosing this command will call up a rather cryptic prompt, illustrated below: Arc: Q,D,R,A,V,L,T: Typing a question mark at this prompt reveals the power of this command by calling up the following menu: A:dd to Temporary ARC File D:ownload Temporary ARC File L:ist Files in Directory Q:uit to File Transfer Menu R:emove File(s) V:iew Temporary ARC File T:ext download file(s) Arc: Q,D,R,A,V,L,T: Adding files to the temporary arc file will create an archive file called, appropriately enough, TEMP.ARC (the extension will vary, depending upon which archive program the sysop has chosen to be the primary one used on the BBS). You can manipulate the contents of this archive by choosing other commands on this menu until it contains what you want, then you can download it right from here. In addition, you can type text files to the screen by choosing Text download file(s). These can be read on-line (p pauses the screen here, too) or captured to a file for later review. When you extract files to the temporary directory (using the Extract File command discussed above), they are just that - files. You must first Add files to the TEMP.ARC file (ie, create it) before you can download it. In other words, other than using the Text download command, you cannot download unarchived files from the temporary directory. At least one file must first be A:dded to the TEMP.ARC file before normal downloading can occur. - 17 - The WWIV User's Guide 'O' Log Off the System A self-explanatory command if there ever was one, choosing this will cause the board (after confirming your intentions) to display the sign off screen and drop the connection. 'R' Remove a File This command allows you to remove a file you uploaded to the board. It is useful if you're uploading a later version of a program you uploaded before (deleting older versions this way, by the way, is generally appreciated by sysops). Sysops and cosysops can remove any file on the BBS. 'Q' Quit to Main Menu This will end your session at the Transfer Menu and return you to the Main Menu. 'T' Transfer Options Using this command, you can change the defaults the board uses when you're in the Transfer Menu section. You will first see the following screen: 1. Set N-Scan Directories. 2. Set Default Protocol. 3. N-Scan Transfer after Message Base. 4. Number of lines of extended description to print. Q. Quit. Which? From here, you can set the directories searched by the New Files command (discussed later), set the download protocol you wish to use by default, tell the board whether you'd like to automatically scan for new files after you've scanned for new messages (using the New Messages command from the Main Menu), and specify the number of lines of extended descriptions you want to see when listing files. If you choose 1, the board will present you with a list of directories available on the board, and you can set it to skip those directories you're not interested in. The directories presently included in the search (all by default) are identified by an asterisk; the screen appears similar to below: Dirs to n-scan marked with '*' * 0. Telecommunication / BBS programs * 1. DOS utilities * 2. Educational Games * 3. Games for the IBM * 4. Unprotects and Patches * 5. Graphics Enter directory identifier, ? to list, or Q to Quit Config: - 18 - The WWIV User's Guide Enter the number of the directory you'd like to skip, and the board will not include new files added to that directory in your New File scan. This operates as a toggle, so you can turn a directory back on by re-entering its number. Enter one directory at a time, and type a question mark to redisplay the list, if necessary. Choose number 2 from the Transfer Options sub-menu to set your default protocol. If you have no default protocol set, and you download a file, the board will ask you for a protocol with the prompt: Protocol (?=list) : When you set a default protocol, the prompt will change, allowing you to hit [Enter] to choose. If, for example, you choose Zmodem as your default protocol, the prompt will change to: Protocol (?=list, <C/R>=ZMODEM) : Notice that you're not committed to using just Zmodem (or whatever you choose as a default protocol), as you can still type a question mark and choose any available protocol, or, if you know the number assigned to the protocol you wish to use, just enter that number here. 'Y' Personal User Stats This command shows you how much you've uploaded and downloaded (in kilobytes), your upload/download ratio, and your download section security level (DSL). '?' Display This Menu Typing a question mark will redisplay the Transfer System menu. This is useful if you have expert level set to on, or if you accidentally aborted the menu (with the spacebar) and wish to see it again. '+' Advance One Dir # This command advances the current directory level by one, or if already at the highest number, rolls over to the first directory. The same task may be accomplished by using the right angle bracket: >. '-' Retreat One Dir # This command accomplishes the opposite of the previous command, by retreating the current directory level by one. The same task may be accomplished by using the left angle bracket: <. - 19 - The WWIV User's Guide Listing Files 'A' ARC Listing of a File This command will produce a display of the files contained in an archive. You can then Extract files of interest, and download them if you like, or just use this command to check the inside of an archive (to be sure documentation is included, for example). See the Extract ARCed File and ARC Commands options, described above. The scrolling list of files can, as always, be paused by pressing P. 'F' Find Text in Description This command will allow you to find a file or group of files by entering a portion of the text in its description. It will only search primary descriptions (one-line), not extended descriptions. It is not case-sensitive, and will search all available directories on the board. The command will also show partial matches (ie, searching for "game" will find game, games, gamer, etc.). 'L' List Files in Directory This command will display to the screen a list of files in the current directory. The Transfer Menu prompt identifies which directory you're in currently. For example, the prompt below indicates you're in the Miscellaneous directory with slightly more than fifty-nine minutes remaining on this call. T - 00:59:11 (1)-(Miscellaneous) : The list of files will include a description of each file (if extended descriptions were specified in Transfer Options, you might see anywhere from one to ten lines of an extended description for each file) and an indication of its size in Kb (1024 bytes = 1k). The screen may scroll past rather quickly; remember that striking P will pause the screen. 'N' New Files Search This command is used to list newly-uploaded files. It will search all the board's directories and show you the files that have been added since your last search. This can save you alot of searching, looking at the same files over and over. The New Files Search will cover all directories on the board unless you have configured it to do otherwise in the Transfer Options section (Pg 18). As an added time-saver, you can link this command to the New Message Scan, available on the Main Menu. If you do this, choosing N from the Main Menu will first show you all the new messages that have been posted since your last scan, and then proceed to the file area to also show you all new files. See Transfer Options above for more details. 'P' Set New Files Search Date The New Files Search command (described above) automatically keeps track of the last time you new-scanned for new files. A new file is one that was posted to the board after the date of your last new file scan. You can use the Set New Files Search Date command to reset this "latest scan" date. - 20 - The WWIV User's Guide 'S' Search All Directories This is a global search command. You will first be presented with a File Mask: prompt. Use this to limit your search to specific files. For example, entering *.doc will cause the command to display only those files with the extension of .doc. If you strike [enter] at this prompt, it defaults to *.*, and shows you all files on the board. If you can open a log file from within your comm program, you can use this command to capture a listing of all files on the board. '*' List Available Directories This command works the same as the List Message Bases command on the main menu, except that instead of listing the message bases available, it shows you the file directories available on the board. File Transfer Commands 'B' Batch YMODEM Download WWIV software handles Ymodem batch downloads a little differently than other BBS software you may be used to. WWIV makes use of a "batch queue" which holds the filenames for you until you are ready to download. When you see a file you'd like to download, start the download procedure as usual (discussed below under Download a File) and pick Ymodem batch as the protocol. You will then see the following message, and be returned to the directory prompt. File added to batch queue. Batch: Files - 1 Time - 00:18:44 The prompt, as can be seen above, tells you the number of files in the queue, and the time it will take to transfer them. You are then free to scan other directories and identify files you'd like to add to the queue. When you've chosen all the files you'd like, choose Batch YMODEM Download, and you'll be presented with the following prompt: Batch: L,D,R,Q,C,? : Typing a question mark here will call up a menu that explains the available commands. The batch sub-menu is shown below. 'L' List Files in Queue 'R' Remove File From Queue 'D' Download Files 'Q' Quit to File Transfer Menu Batch: L,D,R,Q,C,? : Here you can review what you've told the board you'd like to receive, and modify the list if necessary. If you're all set, choose Download Files to begin the transfer process. The board will ask you if you wish to hang-up after the batch transfer is completed. If you answer yes, you can walk away and the board will send the files you've requested and log you off. - 21 - The WWIV User's Guide 'D' Download a File This command is used to tell the board you'd like to receive a file. You'll be asked for the filename first. Remember, in most cases you will not need to enter a filename extension. The BBS will search the current directory for the file you requested. If the file is not found, the BBS will begin to search all available directories for the file. If the file is found, the information about the file will be displayed, as in the example below, where VANS900.ZIP is given to identify the file I want: T - 02:39:27 (3)-(Graphics Programs) :D Download - Filename: VANS900.ZIP Filename : vans900.zip Description: VANS v9 ANSI Viewer File size : 143k Apprx. time: 0:12:52 Uploaded on: 02/29/91 Uploaded by: Ebony Eyes #1 Times D/L'd: 4 Extended Description: This is the latest version of a terrific ANSI screen viewing program, with MANY options! Protocol (?=list, <C/R>=ZMODEM) : As you can see, this screen gives you quite a bit of information about the file. The transfer time is an estimate only, and will vary with the protocol you choose. Also notice that the protocol prompt shows that hitting [enter] (carriage return, <C/R>) will automatically select Zmodem as the protocol. This is because in this example, Zmodem has been chosen as the default protocol (see Transfer Options, Pg 17). Typing a question mark will produce a list of available protocols; you choose the one you want by its number. 'U' Upload a File Choose this command to upload a file to the board. You will be asked to provide a one line description of the file (58 characters max). Please attempt to describe the file accurately, and not in all caps (unless the sysop requests this). After the upload is complete, you will given the opportunity to write what is called an extended description. This description may be up to ten lines in length (54 chars per line), and may be used to more fully describe the file you have just uploaded. 'Z' Upload to Sysop Dir Files uploaded to WWIV boards are generally available for download by other people immediately, unless the sysop has specified otherwise in the initialization program. If you wish to send a file privately to the Sysop, choose this command. - 22 -