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Software Vault: The Gold Collection
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1993-01-17
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NewsRoom
News Creation and Maintenance Utility for BBS SysOps
(A product of LMD Group)
NewsRoom version 3.05
Chapter 1Chapter 1
IntroductionIntroduction
NewsRoom is a utility intended for use by BBS SysOps to
create news files for their bulletin boards. Although originally
designed to be used with PCBoard systems by using the PCB
specific color codes, NewsRoom also produces files with ANSI
color codes or plain ASCII text and also Wildcat! specific color
codes.
Each news entry created in NewsRoom is kept separate from
the others and may be re-edited at a later date if necessary.
Items are included in the end news product based on SysOp
selection. Old news items may be deleted if they no longer
apply, either manually as the news is created, or based on date
criteria. News files may also be generated in unattended (event)
processing.
NewsRoom version 3.05
NewsRoom version 3.05
Chapter 2Chapter 2
Quick SetupQuick Setup
This is for those impatient folks who just hate reading
through long pieces of boring documentation (which we excel at
here).
To get up and running with NewsRoom, take the following
actions: Unzip the file into a convenient directory. It doesn't
have to be a special directory, and it doesn't have to be in the
path statement. You must, however, execute NewsRoom from this
directory, since it isn't smart enough to find its configuration
files if started from elsewhere.
After unzipping the file, select the [F]ile |
C[o]nfiguration option and define at least one conference.
NewsRoom really likes having numbered conferences, so if your BBS
software wants something different, you'll have to adapt somehow.
Next, pop into the [C]onfiguration | [B]BS Common and set up
all of the nice things like your BBS name, Sysop name, date and
time formats, etc, etc, etc.
After this, you'll probably want to make a quick visit to
the [C]onfiguration | N[e]ws Colors to change over from the
standard light grey on black.
You are now ready to go into the [N]ews | News [M]anager
function to create a news file. To do this, select this
function, then "press" the New button after highlighting a
desired conference. If the dialog boxes that appear from this
point aren't intuitive, you'll probably have to make a quick
reference back to the appropriate spot in the documentation.
NewsRoom version 3.05
NewsRoom version 3.05
Chapter 3Chapter 3
FilesFiles
The Files menu selection allows for maintenance of the
conferences database. The selection also has the Exit function
to leave NewsRoom.
3.1 Conference 3.1 Conference
On selecting the conference function, a dialog box will be
presented. To add a new conference, you should select the Add
button from the bottom of the window. Buttons also allow you to
select Next and Prev(ious) conferences to browse through your
conferences. A conference may be deleted using the Delete
button.
When you are finished updating your conference database, you
may exit the dialog box by pressing the Escape key or clicking
with the mouse on the close button (upper left corner of the
box).
NewsRoom version 3.05
NewsRoom version 3.05
Chapter 4Chapter 4
ConfigureConfigure
This menu selection allows configuration of the BBS
displaying the news, the news colors, and the screen colors,
should they need to be changed.
4.1 BBS Common 4.1 BBS Common
This menu selection allows you to set up many common fields.
Most of the fields are self-explanatory, allowing you to select
the format for dates, times, and other fields. A new addition to
this dialog box with version 3.04 is the ability to define an
external editor to create and edit news items. In the provided
field, you should enter the complete path and filename of the
editor you wish to use. If this field is left blank, the
internal editor supplied with NewsRoom will be used.
If you are using the external editor, version 3.05 added the
ability to designate what kind of swapping you want to use.
Please exercise caution here. NewsRoom does no checking to
insure that you actually have XMS or EMS memory for swapping. We
make the assumption (possibly faulty) that you know enough about
your machine to make this selection. If you aren't sure, you
might be better off to use the Auto-detect feature. This seems
to work fairly well.
Just a short word on using an external editor: It is the
responsibility of the user to limit the margins on this editor to
sixty (60) columns (the same width as the internal editor uses).
If the editor margins are not correctly set, lines may be
arbitrarily split causing a less-than-pleasing effect in your
news files.
4.2 Colors 4.2 Colors
NewsRoom version 3.05
NewsRoom version 3.05
Chapter 5Chapter 5
NewsNews
This single selection now offers complete news management
services. The first window presented will be a list of
conferences. By using the buttons on the side of the window,
news for the highlighted conference may be created, edited, or
exported. When finished with the news, the selection window(s)
may be closed by using the Escape key or the close button in the
upper left corner of the box.
CAUTION: If you have not defined conferences using the
[F]ile | C[o]nference selection, do so BEFORE attempting to
create news files. Failure to do so will cause NewsRoom to act
VERY erratically, and may even cause your system to come crashing
down about your ears.
By selecting the Edit function, a list of news items will be
presented in a new window for the highlighted conference.
If you activate the Add button, you will be allowed to add a
news item in the highlighted conference.
Selecting Edit in the Edit window will place the highlighted
news item into the editor, allowing updates.
Selecting Delete will cause the highlighted news item to be
deleted.
5.1 News Dialog 5.1 News Dialog
The dialog presented when the Edit or New functions are
selected will allow entry/editing of a news item. Also, you will
see different dialogs depending on what options you set up in the
BBS Common dialog. If you have defined an external editor, the
dialog shown will include only the Subject and Retain fields.
After filling in these two fields, the program will shell to an
external editor you have defined.
The subject field will accept a fifty character subject, but
will only display about 20 characters. If the subject is longer
than the displayed length, it may be scrolled in either direction
to view the non-displayed portions.
The Retain field should only be used if special handling for
this news item is desired. By leaving this field to zero, the
default retention (defined in the options) will be used to
determine when it will be purged by the automatic purge function.
An entry of -1 is a special indicator to NewsRoom that the item
should never be purged.
NewsRoom version 3.05
If you have not defined an external editor, then the dialog
box you are using will include a rudimentary editor. The editor
portion of the dialog is used to enter the news text. At this
point, there is no word wrap available in the editor, so it is
the user's responsibility to insure that the lines are not wider
than the display field.
5.2 Event Processing 5.2 Event Processing
NewsRoom allows processing of news in an unattended manner.
You may use NewsRoom in a daily BBS Event to purge old news items
and create news files. These activities are controlled by
command line switches.
Using the /p (or -p) switch will cause news items that have
expired to be deleted from the file. This processing will affect
all news items in the database.
The /e (or -e) switch will create a new news file for each
conference with active news items. Before creating new news
files, the files for all conferences will be deleted to insure
that there will be no news file if there are no active news
items.
If both switches are used (and this is permissible), the
purge will occur before the news export to insure that expired
items do not appear in the new news file. The order of the
switches on the command line make no difference as to which
process comes first.
If you perchance happen to watch this process, you will see
nothing spectacular. The NewsRoom main screen will appear, and a
message box showing whether the program is purging or exporting
files will be shown. To keep track of what happens in NewsRoom,
there is a log created by the event process. Look in the file
NREVENT.PRC for a listing of news items deleted or problems that
occurred during the export process, or a list of news items
exported.
The deletion log entries will show the date the item was
created, the conference it was created in, the title, whether it
was purged or not, and if not, the date of scheduled purge. In
the case of a news item with a -1 in the retention field, the
item will never be purged, and will show NEVER for the date of
scheduled purge. The export entries show date of creation,
conference, and title.
NewsRoom version 3.05
Chapter 6Chapter 6
SupportSupport
You can obtain support for newsroom from several areas. The
best is LMD Group's support conference (Nr. 18) on the Brass
Cannon BBS. Phone numbers are:
o (801) 226-8310 2400 baud MNP-5 (public access)
o (801) 226-8333 2400 baud v.42bis (public access)
o (801) 226-8315 14.4K USR Dual Standard (private)
If you have not yet registered on The Brass Cannon, you must
do so on one of the 2400 baud lines. You will be upgraded
within 24 hours and be given access to the private line. Your
registration includes a a user account on this board. If you
need support prior to registering, just call and log on. Join
conference 18 and address questions to LMD GROUP SUPPORT.
Although not an official support area, the RIME network
Shareware conference (network conference #156) is monitored. Mail
may be sent to LMD GROUP SUPPORT and routed to ->BRASS.
NewsRoom version 3.05
NewsRoom version 3.05
Appendix AAppendix A
Program InformationProgram Information
NewsRoom was written specifically for BBS SysOps.
Since SysOps are, in our experience, more scrupulous
about registering their shareware, we take a markedly
different stance with programs aimed at the SysOp
market than with other markets. NewsRoom is in no
way crippled. Registering will take the "UNREGISTERED
DEMO" line out of your news and replace it with a line
indicating that it's registered, and do the same thing
with the main menu screen. We don't ask you to trust
us that the program will work after registration, and
we don't put an expiration date on the program.
Please propagate our trust in you by registering
your copy of NewsRoom after you've tried it.
A.1 The Copyright A.1 The Copyright
This software is the property of the LMD Group. As such,
users are granted a limited license for the use of this software.
Basically, you are allowed to use the software the same as a
book. You are allowed to make archive copies of the software to
protect your investment. By saying "as a book", this means that
any number of people may use the software, it my be moved from
CPU to CPU, but it may not be used at more than one location or
on more than a single computer at the same time unless a site
license is negotiated.
Along with that, goes a few other restrictions: You may not
decompile or reverse engineer the software. You may not modify
the program's operation in any way. The key file used by the
software is non-transferrable. You may not sell or give away or
in any other way transfer a key file to another person without
express consent of LMD Group.
A.2 The Disclaimer A.2 The Disclaimer
This software is not warranted to do anything but take up
valuable space on your disk, and possibly make you regret you
ever heard of it. Any loss of income or productivity is not our
fault, although we will lend a sympathetic ear to such problems.
NewsRoom version 3.05
A.3 The Acknowledgements A.3 The Acknowledgements
We'd like to take a moment here and point out that PCBoard
is a product of Clark Development Company and is a registered
trademark.
Wildcat! is a product of Mustang Software.
NewsRoom version 3.05
ContentsContents
Chapter 1 Introduction 3
Chapter 2 Quick Setup 5
Chapter 3 Files 7
3.1 Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter 4 Configure 9
4.1 BBS Common . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.2 Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Chapter 5 News 11
5.1 News Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5.2 Event Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Chapter 6 Support 13
Appendix A Program Information 15
A.1 The Copyright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
A.2 The Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
A.3 The Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . 16
i