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Text File | 1994-12-28 | 14.9 KB | 356 lines

BBS_TOOL.EXE ; Accessory Utilities for BBS_DOOR.EXE version 3.3 Version 3.30 by Mark L. Sarnov November 1994 This program provides useful utilities to allow the sysop who uses BBS_DOOR.EXE version 3.3 to perform valuable functions from the DOS command line! These include: * Generation of Detailed or Brief BBS TEXT FILE LISTINGS in either COMPLETE form or SEARCHED form with the use of a PRE-DEFINED <SEARCH FILE> * RENUMBER the listing in case the numbering system gets corrupted. * IMPORT entries from another BBS's BBS_DOOR.BBS file OR a TEXT FILE Listing using a TEMPLATE definition file. NEW!! * POSTERS will produce a text file listing of the each entry's author "poster". NEW!! * COLORS will launch a Color Configuration Screen that will create BBS_DOOR.CLR for use with BBS_DOOR.EXE version 3.3. The Execution of this program is as follows: Command Line Parameters : ----------- GENERATING A TEXT FILE LISTING FROM THE COMMAND LINE!! BBS_TOOL LISTING <textname> <search file> or BBS_TOOL SHORTLIST <textname> <search file> where.. <textname> : the name of the text file to create, do not include the EXTENSION. <search file> : the name of the file with the Search Information. If you do not include a <search file>, all entries will be listed! Note: LISTING will only produce a TEXTNAME.ASC whereas SHORTLIST will produce 2 files, TEXTNAME.ANS and TEXTNAME.ASC. BBS_TOOL SEARCHFILE to create a Search Information File, use this parameter ALONE! In order to create a search limited listing, you must first run BBS_TOOL SEARCHFILE to create a search file! The search file will contain the criteria used by BBS_TOOL limit the entries written to the text file. After you run BBS_TOOL SEARCHFILE, you will be asked for the name of the <search file> you wish to create, (e.g. ALBERTA.CFG). You will then be presented with a simple menu to enter the search criteria. You may then [S]AVE the info to file and exit or [E]XIT without saving the info. You may wish to create multiple search files for BBS_TOOL LISTING to use and can do so by running BBS_TOOL SEARCHFILE repeatedly. you then use the command line : BBS_TOOL LISTING <textname> <search file> to create your detailed text file listing. If you omit the <search file>, BBS_TOOL will generate a complete detailed listing. This is a fragment of a Detailed listing text file: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; BBS Listing ;Created by BBS_TOOL.EXE, BBS Accessory Tools for BBS_DOOR v3.30 by Fozzy INC. ; BBS Name : -={ The Warp Zone BBS }=- Number : (504)868-777 Location : Houma, La. Sysop : Marvin Morrison Software : Ra 2.01+ Baudrates : 2400 - 14,4 Bds Hours : 24 Hours Networks : FidoNet 1:384/16 Comments : .\\usic .\\usic .\\usic... Over 10,000 Music Sound Files Onl CMF SND WAV MID VOC ROL MOD CMS ; ; ; ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Example BBS_TOOL LISTING C:\RA\TXTFILES\ALBERTA C:\BBS_DOOR\ALBERTA.CFG will produce a list called "ALBERTA.ASC" in your "C:\RA\TXTFILES" directory and use the search file "C:\BBS_DOOR\ALBERTA.CFG" to limit the entries listed. or.. BBS_TOOL LISTING C:\RA\TXTFILES\COMPLETE to generate the complete listing called "COMPLETE.ASC". BBS_TOOL SHORTLIST <textname> <search file> If you only desire a listing which has the BBS NAME, NUMBER, and LOCATION on each line, you may use the BBS_TOOL SHORTLIST function! The Following is a sample from a SHORTLIST text file: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ; Short BBS Listing ;Created by BBS_TOOL.EXE, BBS Accessory Tools for BBS_DOOR v3.30 by Fozzy INC. ; ; BBS NAME Number Location A.C.M.E. BBS 317-640-9295 Anderson, Ind. Agri-Specialists Bbs 918-255-6542 Wann, OK Ansi-Mation Alley 910-346-6543 Jacksonville, NC Apex BBS 602-860-2947 Scottsdale, AZ ARC ANGEL EXPRESS 417-864-4573 SPRINGFILED, MO ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- As you can see, this entry is much more compact than the text file created with BBS_TOOL LISTING and is useful for displaying or when keeping local BBS lists! The 2 files created are <textname>.ANS and <textname>.ASC.. The ANS file will be in ANSI colors adopted from the BBS_DOOR.CLR file if found, otherwise it will use the default colors. The ASC file will be a plain old text file, no colors involved! NEW!!------------ Displaying each entry's POSTERS! If you have some harrassing users that post BOGUS entries, they are no longer anonymous to you! You now have a WEAPON! To create a text file with the authors of ALL the entries in your BBS_DOOR.BBS file type the following: BBS_TOOL POSTERS <postlist> where <postlist> is the name of the textfile WITHOUT THE EXTENSION (.ASC will be added) that will be generated. I.E. BBS_TOOL POSTERS c:\ra\postlist will create the textfile "POSTLIST.ASC" wit the poster's names next to the BBS NAME and BBS NUMBER similar to the format to the SHORTLIST command. NEW!!------- Creating the Color Configuration File for BBS_DOOR.EXE BBS_DOOR.EXE version 3.3 now can be color configured. This is done with a color configuration file called : BBS_DOOR.CLR that BBS_TOOL.EXE now creates. To create the file, type the following: BBS_TOOL COLORS and you will be presented with the COLOR CONFIGURATION SCREEN. The screen will have a TOP WINDOW with a sample BBS LISTING SCREEN. You will note the numbers in yellow on black in <#> that stand for each element of the display. The BOTTOM WINDOW is the COLOR CHART with numbers representing their respective colors. The CENTER of the screen is the PROMPT. You may change individual elements of the display and see their impact immediately or you may select from the BUILT IN DEFAULTS that are presented at the Prompt. (Default, Cinnamon, Wingtips, Rugby, Ice) These too are displayed for you viewing. Once you are satisfied with the result, you can <Q>uit the program.. The program will ask if you want to "Save the Color Settings?" and you hit Y for YES and N for NO. (I know, difficult concept) The file BBS_DOOR.CLR will be created in your BBS_DOOR directory. If you run the program with an existent BBS_DOOR.CLR, the program will first ask if you would like to use the colors stored in that file or start at the default colors. To that question you answer Yes or No. ---------- IMPORTING ENTRIES FROM ANOTHER "BBS_DOOR.BBS" FILE! * This program will also allow the sysop to IMPORT entries from another BBS_DOOR.BBS file! This is done as follows: BBS_TOOL IMPORT BBS_DOOR c:\Temp\bbs_Door.new /P=MARK_SARNOV |- Import File -| |-sysop name-| BBS_TOOL.EXE will know where your BBS_DOOR.BBS file is located if you have set your BBS_DOOR environment variable correctly to the directory where your BBS_DOOR system files are located. It will then read the entries in "BBS_DOOR.NEW" and insert them in order into your own listing! In order to allow you as the sysop to [E]dit those entries, the /P= parameter will "stamp" those entries with your name, allowing you to [E]dit them in BBS_DOOR.EXE. NOTE: This can take a while to perform based on the speed of your machine and the size of the listing since the program is constantly maintaining an alphabetized listing and will take longer to search the file as more entries are added. DO NOT INTERRUPT THE PROGRAM BECAUSE YOU MAY CORRUPT YOUR BBS_DOOR.BBS file. I reccommend you back up your existing BBS_DOOR.BBS file in case of a power failure or God Only Knows what else! ;) ---------- IMPORTING ENTRIES FROM A FORMATTED TEXT FILE! This function is perhaps the most useful feature of BBS_TOOL.EXE. You can "teach" BBS_TOOL how to read a text file listing based on a "TEMPLATE" file which has information on how the BBS Listing File is formatted! I have included "TEMPLBDR.250" to illustrate how you can read the TEXT FILE created by BBS_DOOR.EXE version 3.3 into your own BBS_DOOR.BBS file. You may wish to do this if you downloaded a listing from another BBS that also wisely chose to use BBS_DOOR.EXE version 3.3! :) Step 1: The Template File The template file is a text file that contains RESERVED WORDS followed by co-ordinates and lengths of fields. These settings will allow BBS_TOOL to locate the desired information and create the entries that will be added to your present BBS_DOOR.BBS file. The RESERVED WORDS are: BBSNAME SOFTWARE COMMENTS1 NUMBER BAUD_RATES COMMENTS2 SYSOPNAME NETWORKS COMMENTS3 LOCATION HOURS which are followed by a :<Line Number>-<Column Number>#<Field Length> The reserved words are rather self explanatory! For example, look at this fragment of a local BBS listing. (NON BBS_DOOR.EXE) ; City BBS Name Number Software Networks ; \vv/ E Hfd Alien Nation 290-8615 9 TA 1 F320,D105 Nwgtn ARRL FS HQ lines 1-4 666-0578 9 WC 1 F205,A555 Nwgtn ARRL FS HQ upload node 665-0090 9 WC 1 A120,F205 E Hfd Bit Bucket (HUGE) 568-6663 9 GB 45 P232,F278 ; ; In the above listing, EACH entry is located on a single line, and not all fields available in BBS_DOOR.EXE are represented. What to do? Just create a file called "TEMPL01.HMB" with the following lines: BBSNAME:01-10#22 NUMBER:01-33#08 LOCATION:01-03#05 SOFTWARE:01-45#02 NETWORKS:01-52#15 Notice each reserved word has a ":" followed by a 2 digit number which designates the LINE NUMBER for the entry. Then there is a "-" followed by another 2 digit number which designates the COLUMN NUMBER to start reading the information from! Then there is a "#" followed by another 2 digit number which designates the number of characters to read from the COLUMN NUMBER. REMEMBER!! All digits must be represented in TWO DIGIT FORM! so ONE is "01", TWO is "02", etc.. Since the HIGHEST Line Number designated in the template file is "01", BBS_TOOL will only read ONE LINE AT A TIME FOR EACH ENTRY'S INFORMATION! But suppose you have a fancy listing that uses multiple lines when creating a listing of its entries.. like BBS_DOOR.EXE? Take the following fragment from a BBS_DOOR.EXE text file: ; BBS Name : Fozzy's Place Number : 717-671-1065 Location : Harrisburg, PA Sysop : Fozzy Bear Software : Remote Access Baudrates : 2400-14400 Hours : all day long! Networks : Fidonet, Adultlinks, CATNET, RESHET, OURNET Comments : Great ONLINE Games, Files, Message Bases! Unique and Interesting stuff as well! Large Adult Section, with CD-ROM!! ; You would create a template file like "TEMPLBDR.250" with the following: BBSNAME:01-13#25 NUMBER:01-56#13 SYSOPNAME:03-13#25 LOCATION:02-13#25 SOFTWARE:03-56#20 BAUD_RATES:04-13#25 NETWORKS:05-13#25 HOURS:04-56#20 COMMENTS1:07-13#60 COMMENTS2:08-13#60 COMMENTS3:09-13#60 IMPORTANT! The above template file would instruct BBS_TOOL.EXE where to search for the correct information to place into an entry. Since "09" is the highest LINE NUMBER listed, BBS_TOOL.EXE would read BLOCKS of NINE Lines to "digest" and convert into an entry! You are allowed up to ELEVEN (11) lines per block (one line per each entry field) NOTE! All lines starting with a ";" in the BBS TEXT FILE LISTING will be ignored! HOWEVER, once BBS_TOOL finds a line that does not start with a ";", it will read the MAX NUM LINES identified in the template file seqentially into the BLOCK, regardless of ";". THEREFORE : there should be no ";" between the lines of a single entry, only put ";" in lines BETWEEN entries!! Get it? Step 2 : Using the TEMPLATE FILE! The template file must be named : "TEMPLxxx.xxx". The "TEMPL" part of the filename tells BBS_TOOL.EXE that you are attempting to import a TEXT FILE! Thus you may have oodles of template files, as long as they all start with "TEMPL" The command line for the second example is : BBS_TOOL IMPORT TEMPLBDR.250 C:\DOWNLOAD\RA-USA.LST BBS_TOOL will IMPORT the new entries into your BBS_DOOR.BBS file and SKIP entries with IDENTICAL BBS Names found in your listing. (non-case sensetive) Note: The Text file created by BBS_DOOR.EXE version 2.0 is slightly different than version 3.3.. So I have included both TEMPLBDR.200 for textfiles created with BBS_DOOR.EXE version 2.0, and TEMPLBDR.250 for textfiles created with BBS_DOOR.EXE version 3.3 or BBS_TOOL.EXE version 3.3. Please check the top of the listing to learn the program version that created the listing. ---------------- RENUMBERING the LISTING!! If for some reason, your BBS Listing becomes numerically corrupted, just run : BBS_TOOL RENUMBER to renumber the entries in your BBS_DOOR.BBS file. -------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER!! This program is not guaranteed to do anything but take up space on your hard drive. It has been tested fairly extensively and should not corrupt any of your RA files, however.. Backup your files consistently and often, a rule that applies to any computer user!! That's IT! If you can think of other options to add to this Tools program for BBS_DOOR.EXE, just netmail me or leave me an Echo Mail message in RA Utilities!