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Software Vault: The Gold Collection
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Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO
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makehlp.zip
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MAKEHELP.DOC
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1993-04-07
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Make Help Version 1.00 (C) 1992 Steve Thielemann
TriBBS is copyrighted (C) 1991-1992 Mark D. Goodwin.
Makehelp is a utility that creates help display files for
your TriBBS system.
FILES NEEDED
============
MAKEHELP.EXE
MAIN?.TXT Help text files for the main menu
FILES?.TXT Help text files for the files menu
MESSAGE?.TXT Help text files for the message menu
HOW MAKEHELP WORKS
==================
Makehelp first opens the menu file, and processes the TriBBS
color information. This information will be used to create
an ANSI (.ANS) display file that looks similar to TriBBS's
generated menus. Next, it begins processing each line of the
menu file, checking the security level of that particular
option. If it is less than or equal to the security level
you passed to makehelp, that option is added to the display
file, and a help text file is merged into the display files.
(Examples: For the main menu option 'F', makehelp will merge
MAINF.TXT into the display files. For the message menu
option 'C', the merged file would be MESSAGEC.TXT.)
CREATING THE DISPLAY FILES
==========================
makehelp nwork\MENU seclvl display\MENUH TEXTDIR (optional)
The first parameter 'nwork\MENU' is the path to your TriBBS
menu that you wish to make a help display for. The extension
.MNU is optional. (Examples: C:\TRITEL\NWORK\FILES.MNU,
E:\TRIBBS\NWORK\MAIN)
The second parameter is the security level of the highest
level you wish to have help displayed for. Usually, this
will be 10.
The next parameter 'display\MENUH' is the path of the files
you wish to have created by makehelp. Makehelp will append
'.ANS' to the ANSI display file, and '.BBS' to the non-ANSI
display file. (Examples: C:\TRITEL\DISPLAY\FILEH,
E:\TRIBBS\DISPLAY\MAINH)
The last parameter 'TEXTDIR' is optional. If the help text
files are in the current directory, the parameter is not
needed. Otherwise, specify the help text path. (Example:
C:\TRITEL\HELPTEXT, E:\TRIBBS\HELPTEXT)
CUSTOMIZING THE HELP TEXT
=========================
Using any standard text editor, create your help text making
sure no line exceeds 64 characters in length, and that the
file is saved in ASCII format.
(Examples: If you wish to create help for your files menu
option D, you would create or edit the file FILESD.TXT. For
your main menu option P, you would create or edit the file
MAINP.TXT.)
CREATING QUICK HELP
===================
Change to your TriBBS directory. Make a directory MAKEHELP.
C:\TRIBBS> MKDIR MAKEHELP
Change to that directory, and unzip the contents of the
makehelp archive into this directory.
C:\TRIBBS> CHDIR MAKEHELP
C:\TRIBBS\MAKELP> PKUNZIP C:\QMODEM\DL\MAKEHELP
^ path to original archive
Use makehelp to create help display files using the default
help text files.
C:\TRIBBS\MAKEHELP> MAKEHELP C:\TRIBBS\NWORK\MAIN 10
C:\TRIBBS\DISPLAY\MAINH
^ Note: This is all on one line.
C:\TRIBBS\MAKEHELP> MAKEHELP C:\TRIBBS\NWORK\FILES 10
C:\TRIBBS\DISPLAY\FILESH
C:\TRIBBS\MAKEHELP> MAKEHELP C:\TRIBBS\NWORK\MESSAGE 10
C:\TRIBBS\DISPLAY\MESSAGEH
Now, change over to your TriBBS display directory, and see
what makehelp did.
C:\TRIBBS\MAKEHELP> CHDIR \TRIBBS\DISPLAY
C:\TRIBBS\DISPLAY> TYPE MAINH.BBS
C:\TRIBBS\DISPLAY> TYPE MAINH.ANS
^ You need to have ANSI.SYS loaded to view
the .ANS files.
C:\TRIBBS\DISPLAY> TYPE FILES.ANS
C:\TRIBBS\DISPLAY> TYPE MESSAGE.ANS
USING THE DISPLAY FILES
=======================
In order to make use of the display files, you will need to
get a door program to display files. I suggest using
ViewFile, as it works exactly like TriBBS's menus in the
effect that it aborts with a space. Also, ViewFile is ready
made to handle the .BBS/.ANS files depending on the caller's
ANSI graphics state.
To add main menu help using viewfile:
Edit your NWORK\MAIN.MNU file, and add the option: H,Help,10.
Create a batch file in your main TriBBS called MAINH.BAT
which will consist of:
VIEWFILE C:\TRIBBS\PCBOARD.SYS C:\TRIBBS\DISPLAY\MAINH
BOARD
SUPPORT
=======
If you find Makehelp an asset to your BBS, a donation of
$5.00 is recommended.
The Turbo C source code to Makehelp is available to those
interested.
You can contact me via modem:
The Luddite BBS (813) 884-3087 300-9600 bauds 24 hours
or via U.S. Mail:
Steve Thielemann
P.O. Box 733
New Port Richey, FL 34656-0733
Warranty
==============
This product is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. The entire
risk as to the results and performance of the program is assumed by you.
Futhermore, I the author do not warrant, guarantee, or make any represent-
tions regarding the use of, or the results of the use of the program, and you
rely on the program and results solely at your own risk. I the author cannot
accept responsibility for system damage, loss of profit, or any other special,
incidental, or consequential damages resulting from the use or inability to
use this product.