ShareWare OnLine 2/ShareWare OnLine Volume 2 (CMS Software)(1993).iso/infor/famag2r.zip/READER.DOC

Text File | 1993-03-30 | 12KB | 263 lines

                ┌────────────────────────────────────┐
                │              READER                │
                │  Personal edition of READROOM Door │
                │   for viewing online publications  │
                │ (C) Exhibit A Communications, 1992 │
                └────────────────────────────────────┘



┌────────────────────┐
│  About READER      │
└────────────────────┘

        READER is an offline viewing program for any publication you
desire.  This program supports ASCII, ANSI and [ANSIART] file viewing.
READER will work with any publication that includes a READROOM.TOC file
in the distribution disk or archive.  To create your own READROOM.TOC file,
please read appendix A.  Publishers that do so, are supporting those
sysops who use READROOM Door to display online publications on the BBS.

        Program allows the user to set the background color if they wish.

┌────────────────────┐
│  About READROOM    │
└────────────────────┘

        READROOM is an online viewing door for any publication you
desire.  This door supports ASCII, ANSI and [ANSIART] file viewing.
READROOM will work with any BBS that can produce a DOOR.SYS file, either
directly, or using a conversion program.  The maximum number of publications
that may be offered in the menu is 99, with each publication capable of handling
99 articles.  READROOM can also, optionally, allow the user to download the currently selected periodical using DSZ,
if available.  All of DSZ's protocols are available.

        Sysop's can chat with users with full wordwrapping, drop to DOS
or twit the caller without the caller ever knowing the sysop is
watching.

        READROOM is fully interupt driven, so there should be no
need to use fossil drivers.  It also handles data transfer at rates up
to 115,200 baud as well as handle communication ports other than Com1 or
Com2.  Contains it's own ANSI driver.  Also supports the 16550 UART
chips through the FIFO buffers.


┌────────────────────┐
│  Requirements      │
└────────────────────┘

        READER requires only the existence of READROOM.TOC file.  This
file provides the information READER needs to create a menu of files.
It SHOULD work with any computer capable of running MS-DOS.  To display
color, the computer it is running on must have an ANSI driver loaded.

┌────────────────────┐
│  Installation      │
└────────────────────┘

        To install READROOM, simply copy all the files included in the
original distribution disk (or archive file) into a single directory.

┌────────────────────┐
│  Operation         │
└────────────────────┘

        To run READER, simply type READER in the directory containing
the READROOM.TOC file and the files to be viewed.  If you have READER.COM
in a directory on your path (or the current directory) you needn't worry
about typing any path names at all!

┌────────────────────┐
│  Support           │
└────────────────────┘

        READER is supported by it's programmer Michael J. Gibbs
through Exhibit A Communications.  He can be reached in the following
manners:
        1) Intelec network
                conferences monitored:
                        SYSOP
                        BBS DOORS
                        PROGRAMMING
                        C PROGRAMMING
                        INTELEC ADMIN
        2) MediaNET network          node id:->EXHIBITA
                conferences monitored:
                        MEDIANET ADMIN
                        PRO PHOTO
                        MEDIANET CHAT
        2) RaceNet network
                conferences monitored:
                        EXHIBITA
                        OFFROAD
                        RACENET SYSOPS
        3) InfoMat BBS [phone]
                forum 7 is support for Exhibit A Programs
        4) Orange County Information Network (OCIN)
                        EXHIBIT A Support
        5) CI$  #72246,1653

        If you are having troubles specific to the articles themselves,
please contact the publisher/distributor of the magazine you are having
problems with.

┌────────────────────┐
│  Legal Disclaimer  │
└────────────────────┘
(small print on<g>)
        As with any program, every attempt is made by the programmer to
kill all the bugs in the software before it is release to the public.
Since this is all but impossible, it is recommended that new software
should only be run (for the first time at least) when a current backup
of your hard disk is available.  When shareware is released for public
evaluation, there is little that can be done on the programmer's end to
prevent others from infecting the program with viruses or making
unauthorized changes to the program.  AS SUCH, user agrees to hold
harmless MICHAEL J. GIBBS, INFOMAT BBS and EXHIBIT A COMMUNICATIONS in
regards to any personal, physical, emotion, financial, sexual or other
damage that may occur to hardware, software or the user that may arise
from the use of this program.  Use of this program is considered to be
acceptance of these conditions.
        This program remains the copyrighted work of Exhibit A
Communications.  When you register the program, you are granted a
license to use this program on one (1) BBS system, regardless of how
many nodes are active.  You may sell your registered number to another
if the following conditions are met:
        1) All copies of the software and any documentation are
                transferred to the new owner.
        2) You must discontinue use of the program following the sale.
        3) The new owner must contact Exhibit A Communications to update
                our user records.
        This program may not be sold in it's unregistered form.  It is
intended to be distributed freely.  Pay BBS systems are exempt from this
requirement provided they are not charging specifically for access to
this one program.  Shareware distributors/User Groups may charge a nominal
copying/library fee not to exceed $7.00.
(small print off<g>)

┌────────────────────┐
│  Special Thanks    │
└────────────────────┘

        Special thanks go out to:
                        My wife Lori and my son Bobby for tolerating my
                        weird ways.

                        Inez Harrison for beta testing and having
                                confidence in the future of the READROOM DOOR
┌────────────────────┐
│  Appendix          │
└────────────────────┘


   Appendix A
   ──────────  (note this is taken directly from the FORMAT.TOC file)


        To create READROOM.TOC, please use the following format:

PIM9204.ZIP
PIM
Poetry In Motion
April 1992                      Vol. 12, Issue 4
ART1 Title of Article #1
ART2 Title of Article #2
ART3 Title of Article #3
ART4 Title of Article #4
...
...
...
ART99 Title of Article #99

1)      This line defines the file you wish to have available to users to
        download.  If you do not intend to offer this function, you must at
        least leave this line blank.  Since the ability to d/l is set in the
        configuration file you may have a file name here even if you aren't
        allowing it.

2)      This line is the name of the welcome file you wish displayed to
        the user as they first enter the door.  Your file should have no
        extension.  The name should be the name of the ASCII file you wish
        displayed.  If a user is in the color mode, MPD will look for a
        file that is the same as the one you name in this line except that
        the color version will have the letter G tacked on the end.  If that
        file is not found, it will show the original file.  In the
        example above, a color user would be shown the file PIMG.


3)      This line is for the first header that appears over READROOM's menu.
        Normally you would want to place the name of the publication here.

4)      This line is for the second header that appears over READROOM's menu.
        Normally you would place the issue number and date here, or what ever
        text tickles your fancy.

5-104)  These lines are where you define what files are available for
        viewing.  There should be one listing per line, to a maximum of
        99 files.  The first thing on each line should be the complete
        drive\path\filename of the ASCII (non-color) file to be viewed.
        For color users, READROOM will tack on a G at the end of the
        filename.   Following this you will put at least one space before
        starting the file description that will appear on the menu.  This
        description can be no longer than 59 characters.

Special considerations:
   Color Files:
        When naming your articles, remember that non-color (ASCII) file
        names should only be no more than 7 characters long (ARTxxxx) so
        that when READROOM looks for the color version (ARTxxxxG) there
        will be room for adding the G.

        If the ANSI color file contains movement codes, you will want to
        put [ANSIART] at the beginning of the file.  This lets READROOM and
        READER know that the file should be displayed in color and in
        non-stop mode.  This will prevent the More? prompt from coming up in
        the middle of an [ANSIART] display.

   Self-executing files (.EXE, .COM or .BAT) files
        If you wish to include with your publication a self-executing program
        for offline readers to run from the READER program, place an
        asterick (*) immediately in front of the file name.  This selection
        will NOT appear in the menu presented by READROOM door, but will be
        available to those reading the publication offline using READER.
        Don't forget to include any files that the executable will need to
        run in your publication's archive.

        (for example: *ART0001 Run this little program for a surprise)


   Appendix B
   ──────────
                        ┌────────────────────┐
                        │ HISTORY:  READROOM │
                        └────────────────────┘
Version         Date            Fixes, Changes, etc.
───────         ────────        ─────────────────────────────────────
ß04             03/30/93        Fixed bug in no ansi available question
                                when running [ANSIART] files.  Wouldn't
                                allow READER to show file if and ANSI
                                driver was loaded.

ß03             03/23/93        Added support for user definition of
                                background colors.

ß02             03/??/93        Added support for running an external
                                program or batch file by choosing an article.
                                READROOM door will ignore these articles due
                                to difficulty in matching offline and online
                                uses.  May be added to READROOM door in future,
                                but I wouldn't count on it.

ß01             03/02/93        Inline upgrade to match features to those
                                added to readroom door.
                                        AutoRead
                                        [ANSIART] files

1.0             05/27/92        Public Release.  Released to coincided
                                with the release of READROOM, the
                                Reading Room door.

1ß0             05/19/92        First working edition.  Released for
                                beta testing.