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- The Weather Forecaster
- Copyright 1994
- By Eric Alexander
-
- -=Disclaimer=-
- This software is not guarented to do ANYTHING but take up space on your
- hard drive!
-
- -=Overview=-
- The weather forecaster can best be described as an online interface for Rob
- Ballard's program WXMAN. The Weather Forecaster will allow your users to
- request a forecast for a city of their choice.
-
- -=Commandline Options=-
- The Weather Forecaster accepts three different commandline parameters
- HOWEVER, only one can be used at a time.
- 1) -LOCAL --- Will run the door in local mode.
- 2) "path to an alternate dropfile With NO ending backslash and NO filename"
- etc...c:\quickbbs\doors\temp
- 3) -MAINT --- Will run the maintainence to find and remove any user
- archives or message that have been left or overlooked after
- 10 days. All files removed will be loffed!
- -=Programs Operation=-
- When you first start up 4CAST you are given 4 options. Most are self
- explainitry. Based on weather or not you have an archive waiting you may
- have the option to view your requested forecasts. When the user selects [E]
- to request a forecast they are given a list of available forecast types and
- asked to enter the airport code for the city for which they want the report.
- Then they are asked the number for the report. Finally they are asked if they
- want anymore.
- After the user selects all of the reports they are returned to the main menu
- where they select to be returned to the BBS. Before they are returned they
- are asked to confirm their request.
- What happens from here happens after the user logs off.
- When they user logs off, the Mailer of BBS batch file needs to check for a
- flag file named call.now in the 4CAST dir. This file is made whenever there is
- a request pending, and erased after the request is processed...
- If the batch file detects the flag, it needs to run the program callduat.exe
- which will do several things.
- 1) Call the Duat and retrieve the forecast, archive them, and write a message
- to the user telling them of their waiting forecast.
- Sorry but as of yet 4CAST will not leave the message in the BBS message base.
-
- -=SETUP=-
- If you are currently using Wxman, make SURE that the copy of Wxman you use for
- your personal use is SEPERATE from the one you use for the door As 4CAST makes
- the REPORTS.DAT file based on the user's request, and the WXCONFIG.DAT file is
- change to be specific to 4CAST.
-
- 1) Make A Dir under your BBS (or anywhere really) say C:\4cast
- 2) Unzip 4cast200.zip into this dir.
- 3)Change to dir c:\4cast (or whatever you named it) and unzip Wxman22.zip
- 4) If DSZ is already on your Harddrive, do not worry about DSZ.zip, if you Do
- not have DSZ then Unzip DSZ.zip and copy DSZ.* to a dir in your path, I.E. the
- root dir. 4CAST uses this to allow the user to download the Forecasts!
- 4) Run SETUP.EXE
-
- SELECT [C]
-
- - Path to BBS Dropfile ***Path to where your BBS places its dropfile DO
- NOT INCLUDE THE TRAILING BACKSLASH!!*****
- - Path to door Data Files *** This is the dir to 4cast files and the Wxman
- files**** (DO NOT INCLUDE THE TRAILING BACKSLASH)
- - Path to TEMPORARY Dir... *** This is the Temp dir where many things are
- done I suggest something like C:\4cast\temparc In the Wxman config make sure
- that the path to Place the forecasts is THE SAME as what you enter here. (DO
- NOT INCLUDE THE TRAILING BACKSLASH!)
- - Path to user's zipped forecasts *** This is where 4CAST will place the
- user's zipped forecasts. suggest c:\4cast\archive.
-
- NOTE: The Temp dir, where Wxman places the forecasts, is where 4CAST gets
- the forecasts to zip up into the archive placed into the archive dir. 4CAST
- also unzips the forecasts into the Temp dir for online viewing!
-
- - Name Of City State *** This is what is showed to the user along with the
- airport code for this city which is entered next. This allows the user not to
- have to view the Citylist.doc to find out the code for their city:) (I.E.
- Columbus, Ga)
- - Airport Code *** Airport code for the city you entered above. If you do
- not know look at the doc file Citylist.doc..***
- - If you are running a non-standard port (I.E com3 IRQ 5) enter the Base
- address,IRQ in that format, otherwise leave blank (I.E Com3 ORQ 5 would be
- 03e8,5)
-
- SELECT [E]
-
- - Enter your name.
- - Enter 0 for unregistered
-
- SELECT [R]
-
- Now you are almost done....
- Setup WXCONFIG.DAT file as stated in the wxman.doc file. EXCEPT for the
- BULLPATH. here put the same path as you put for the temporary dir when you ran
- SETUP. Include the trailing backslash here!
-
- -Next DELETE the file REPORTS.DAT
-
- - Then in the batch file that you run the BBS from....Place a line like
- this in the section of the Batch file that executes after a user loggs off
- from the BBS.
-
- IF EXIST c:(path to the 4CAST door)\call.now goto call_duat
-
- then add this
-
- :call_duat
- cd c:\(path to 4CAST door)
- callduat.exe
- goto (wherever in the batch file to bring the bbs back up)
-
- get the IDEA. If not send me your batch file, and I will try and help. Or call
- me voice!
-
- The idea is that after every call the BBS exits to the batch file that started
- it, and checks for the flag file call.now. if it does not exist it brings the
- BBS back up, if it does exist, it runs callduat, then brings the BBS back
- up...
-
-
- [PCBOARD BATCH FILE SETUP]
- make or edit the file $$LOGOFF.BAT.
- ----Example $$LOGOFF.BAT-------------
- if exist c:\[path to door]\call.now goto duat
- goto end
-
- :duat
- cd\[path to door files]
- callduat.exe
- goto end
-
- :end
-
- -------End Example------------------
-
- Place the logoff bat file either in the Pcboard directory, or any directory in
- your path.
-
-
-
- Here is my set up for reference if you have any questions...
- ─────────────────4CAST.CFG entered Via SETUP.EXE──────────────────────
- Dropfile Path c:\quickbbs\node3
- Door files path c:\test
- Temporary dir c:\test\temparc
- archive dir c:\test\archive
- City,State Columbus, Ga
- Airport Code CSG
- Non standard 03e8,5 comment. this is for com3 irq5
- leave blank if standard
- Registration info Eric Alexander
- Registration Number 0
-
- ───────────────────────END───────────────────────────────────
-
-
- ────────────-WXCONFIG.DAT────────────────────────────────────────────-
- SysopName Eric Alexander
- BBSName The Ridge Runner
- ComPort 3
- BaudRate 2400
- InitCmd ATZ0
- DialCmd ATDT*70,18002453828
- PlaneID N232
- BusyTries 3
- TimeOut 60 ┌─
- BullPath C:\test\temparc\ │ comment. Notice this is the same as the
- │ temp dir above, with trailing
- │ backslash
- KeepTrans N └────────────────────────────────────────
- offHook N
- Style 1
- Debug N
- Sponsor Sponsored By: Eric Alexander
-
-
-
- ────────────────────-END────────────────────────────────────────────-
-
-
-
- How to get a hold of me:
- Fidonet address 1:3613/9
- BBS # 1-706-682-1228
- Voice# 1-706-682-9299
-
- Please feel free to give any suggestions, or ask for anykind of help:)
-
- If you are having trouble setting up 4CAST please give as much info as
- possible, and send me all of your batch files and I will try my best to help
- you out!
-
- Thanks
- -=Eric Alexander=-
-
-