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- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- FrEevOtE v3.2 Documentation
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- !!!WARNING!!! If you are upgrading from v2.7 or earlier please run the
- v2xtov28.exe program to upgrade the question file! .. read UPGRADE.DOC
- for more info!
-
- IMPORTANT NOTE (since version 3.0):
- This version had a bug which did not add users answers .. whoops .... it's
- fixed now ...
-
- Welcome to FrEevOtE v3.2
-
- What is Freevote?: Totally FREE voting door with the best features of them all
- I made it to compare to EZVote 6.1 and the Renegade BBS Software voting door.
- And I tried to make it better.
-
- Why is it free?: Because I hate people who charge for voting doors! And I
- don't have to worry about anything. And just because I didn't wanna pay for
- any $20 voting door (that's why freevote was born)
-
- Please send in donations if you wish to see more new features in this door,
- READ DONATION.DOC! You don't have to pay, but it will for sure make me
- motivated to make new versions and add all those features i wanted to add!
-
- What's the difference from the first version?: Read WHATSNEW.DOC!
-
- This door is a remake of an example door from OPENDOORS programming toolkit!
- I think I spent more time on this door by now than it would take me to write
- the original door. But still so that you know. Actually by this time it is
- about 80% my code!
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- FEATURES!
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- So what are those cool features:
-
- Up to 15 one-lined answers per question, or seven 2-lined answers, the
- creator of the question chooses which!
-
- Users can add questions if the sysop allows it!
-
- Questions can be posted anonymously. Only the sysop will see who created it
- Even before he votes on the question (users can't see that)
-
- Questions can allow multiple answers to be checked. To allow check all that
- applies kind of questions. This is chosen by the question creator
-
- Users can change their previous votes if the sysop allows it!
-
- Users can delete the questions they have created if the sysop allows it!
-
- Up to 400 Questions!
-
- A nice graph display of answers!
-
- You can set the program to delete old questions if you like!
-
- Answers can be added by user if the creator of the question allows it!
-
- 4 ways of forcing voting (-F, -FQ, -FNQ and -FA command line arguments)!
-
- let users see a message on how many they have not voted only, no voting
- (-FC argument)
-
- multinode aware ... it locks files so two, or more, nodes can run at the
- same time without anything bad happening.
-
- Multitasker aware, it releases time slices.
-
- Sysop can add questions which are forced just like if you used the -FNQ
- switch, but if you create such a question it will be forced everytime
- any user enters the door with any options. Except if the user is the sysop!
-
- You can lock out bad users! Look at the SYSOP Control! section of this doc
-
- This door is very configurable! Just look at all teh otpions in the .cfg file!
-
- Create your own ASCII ANSI AVATAR RIP main menu files if you wish...
- read "Main Menu Display Files" in this file
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- FREEWARE!
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- This program is freeeware which means ya should not charge for it, unless the
- cost covers your distribution charges. I accept donations but Ya don't need
- to send no money .. the software is FREE!!!! Ya got too much to pay just
- running a board! But ya can send me donations if you think I deserve them :)
-
- This software is the copyright (c)1995-1996 of George Lebl, excluding the
- parts which were written by the author of opendoors, Brian Pirie.
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- DISCLAIMER!
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- I think it would be really lame to blame anything on me since this is
- freeware. So this means I'm not responsible for anything that happens to you
- by the use of any of the files in this package. This means if Freevote erases
- your hd and the monitor blows up and your house burns down and the russians
- drop an A-bomb on yer city ... I ain't responsible, You as a user are!
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- Other legal stuff
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- This package should not be altered, unless you ask my permission and i say
- yes ... it should contain these files:
-
- SYSOP.DOC
- FREEVOTE.EXE
- FREEVOTE.CFG
- WHATSNEW.DOC
- RESET.BAT
- FILE_ID.DIZ
- FREEVOTE.BAT
- UPGRADE.DOC <--READ!!!!
- V2XTOV28.EXE <--Run for upgrade from 2.0 - 2.7 to v2.8 format
- FRANZ.DOC
- DONATION.DOC <--Please send donations!
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- Getting newer versions!
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- Ok If you got WWW go to
-
- http://www.azstarnet.com/~franz/
-
- If ya only got ftp the files should be usually on
-
- ftp.uniserve.com /pub/bbs_doors
- or
- ftp.wustl.edu /pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS/bbs/doors
-
- if ya only got internet e-mail use the e-mail freq site (it should work)
-
- TO: getfile@peacebbs.org
- SUBJECT: <the file name goes here>
- put anything in the body
-
- FIDO FREQing should be available at 1:300/705. by filename only.
-
- or you can call my bbs and ask for verification! [520] 297-0889
-
- The File naming covention since v2.0 is
-
- FVOTE_??.ZIP
- ^^
- ||
- +--- the version number ... (e.g. "32" for 3.2)
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- Installation!
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- Well to get you up and running fast, let's get to the instalation. Copy all
- files into a directory (e.g. C:\FREEVOTE) and edit the FREEVOTE.CFG file to
- your systems specifications. You can also use the example freevote.bat and
- edit it to your system specifications and then run the program from that!
-
- You should also run maintanance every day! This is done by the -M command
- line argument! The maintanance takes care of packing question and user file
- and deleting questions that are too old (if you set it up that way in the
- .cfg file) It is not neccessary to run the maintanance but then if you delete
- a question it will decrease your 400 question limit, and if you have timed
- deletion set up it will not work. (BTW as a sysop you can create questions
- that will never be deleted by the timed deletion!) Anywayz ... you should
- make sure that nobody else is voting while you run the maintanance! Running
- it in your nightly batch file is recomended!
-
- If your bbs software cannot pass the comport information through the door
- file, then edit the comport options in the .CFG file. If you run a multiple
- nodes on such a system create more .CFG files (e.g. FV1.CFG, FV2.CFG) edit
- these ... (You have to put all the settins in both af them!) and start the
- FREEVOTE.EXE with the -C option (e.g. FREEVOTE.EXE -Cfv1.cfg)
-
- If you have a bbs software that passes the comport information leave the
- comport settings in the .CFG file commented out. Even on a multinode system.
-
- If you want to set up Freevote to tell the user if there are new questions or
- not set up your bbs software to run freevote during the user logon and run it
- with the -FA parameter. this will count the questions the user has not
- answered and ask him if he wants to go vote on them. If you want the user to
- go vote on them right ahead without counting the questions, use the -F
- parameter. If you want to prevent the user from quitting or skipping
- questions and so forcing the user to vote on all the questions before he can
- procceed, use the -FNQ argument. This will force user to answer all questions
- and then it will just quit and never enter the main menu. Or if you want the
- questions to appear just as if they were in you bbs with no press enter mesages
- just the questions, use -FQ argument this will be the same as -FNQ but without
- the stupid messages:) Read more about this in the command line parameters
- section of this manual!
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- Sample batch files:
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- Let's say your bbs system is in c:\bbs your dropfiles for node 1 are in
- c:\bbs\node1, and in c:\bbs\node2 for node2 .. etc... Freevote is installed
- in c:\doors\freevote. This is example batch file which would be called with
- one command line argument which would be the node number (e.g.
- "FREEVOTE.BAT 2" for node 2)
-
- FREEVOTE.BAT
-
- @echo off
- c:
- cd \doors\freevote
- REM change to the freevote dir
-
- freevote -n%1 -pc:\bbs\node%1
- REM call freevote with -n<node number> and -p<dropfile path> arguments
-
- cd \bbs\node%1
- REM get back to you bbs\node<node number> directory
-
- In your nightly maintanance batch file you would add:
-
- c:
- cd \doors\freevote
- REM change to the freevote dir
-
- freevote -m
- REM call freevote to run maintanance
-
- This setup should work for most systems. Just change the path to your
- specifications.
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- Upgrading
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- From v2.8
- ---------
- No conversion neccessary, just unzip this archive to the freevote directory
-
- From v2.0 - 2.7
- ---------------------
- Jusdt unzip the whole thing into your freevote directory, then run the
- v2xtov28.exe program to upgrade the question file! Read UPGRADE.DOC
- for more info!
-
- From v1 (freevote.zip)
- ----------------------
-
- Delete everything in your current freevote directory and install it as new.
- There is no way to upgrade because v2 needs more info than is stored in the
- v1 files. So all your old questions will be lost.
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- Main Menu Display Files
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- You can create your own menus just by creating ANSI, ASCII, AVATAR or a RIP
- file and naming it apropriately
-
- Extentions are .ASC for ASCII, .ANS for ANSI, .AVT for AVATAR, .RIP for RIP
- Each file can be in all or just some of these formats. For example if you
- have created files for ANSI and RIP, if an ansi or avatar user logs in he
- sees the ansi menu, if a rip user logs in he sees the rip menu, if an ascii
- user logs in he sees the default built in menu for ascii users.
-
- To create one menu file displayed to all users no matter what security they
- are, create a file named MMENU with the right extentions.
-
- If you want to create a menufile for a specific security level only
- create a file called MM<security> (e.g. MM100.ASC or MM20.RIP). If this
- file is found for the right security level then it is displayed even if
- MMENU file exists.
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- COMMAND LINE
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- Options:
-
- -C = Run the game with config file differen from FREEVOTE.CFG
- (e.g. -Cfvalt.cfg = run FREEVOTE with the FVALT.CFG file)
-
- -L = Force local operation. Does not read the drop file and ask for
- your name.
-
- -P = Use drop file in dir specified after this option. You can also
- specify a drop file to use. (e.g. -Pc:\ra\doorinfo1.def)
-
- -S = The user security! Will be read from the dropfile otherwise!
-
- -F = Forces the user to vote on all new questions when he enters the
- door then asks him if he wants to goto the menu or quit.
-
- -FA = Counts the questions the user has not answered and asks him if he
- wants to enter the door. This is the most user friendly way of
- forcing voting. It also if there were questions and the user has
- voted on all of them, it asks him if he wants to enter the main
- menu or just quit to the BBS.
-
- -FNQ = Forces the user to vote on all new questions when he enters the
- door but he HAS to answer the question, he cannot [S]kip nor [Q]uit
- after he answers all questions the door exits so the user doesn't
- actually get into the main menu. This is good if you need some
- system oriented questions to be asked and want all the users to
- answer! Just put "freevote -fnq" into the login sequence.
-
- -FQ = Same as -FNQ but it is a quiet mode so no messages like press
- enter or returning or you have voted on .... it's just the
- questions nothing else.
-
- -FC = like -FA, but it is does not ask the user if he wants to enter the
- door it will just cound the unanswered questions display that
- message to the user and say press enter to continue and then it
- quits thi sis good for adding just a message to your logon wthout
- making it messy.
-
- -N = Set node #. It is only used in the status line.
-
- -LOG = Log the usage into "FREEVOTE.LOG" file. It was default in v1, but
- it bugged me so I made it only an option
-
- -RDBPS = Forces the game to read the locked port rate. This was default in
- the past and had caused problems!. This argument is only used for
- solving problems with locked bps fossil driver setups!
-
- -M = Run maintanance! This should be run once a day while nobody else is
- online! It only runs in local mode! Running "FREEVOTE -M" in your
- nightly maintanance file is recomended!
-
- -NAD = No autodetection of terminal emulation! It is done if you do not
- specify this option!
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- SYSOP Control!
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- You can control how the door works in different ways!
-
- Edit the .cfg file, there is a ton of options there ....
-
- You can now lock bad users out by creating a BADUSERS.TXT file and putting
- the user names each on a separate line!
-
- SUGGESTION:
- If you wish different security levels to have different access then create
- a .cfg file for each security level and then have your bbs software start
- freevote with the apropriate .cfg file! For example you migth have a low
- access and high access .. so you would create two .cfg files, fvl.cfg and
- fvh.cfg, then you would have your bbs software use the -cfvl.cfg argumet
- for low level users, and -cfvh.cfg for high level users!
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- Problems, Special Setups!
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- If you have problems with reading the dropfile. you might try editting the
- BBSDir parameter in the .cfg file. then you would call freevote without
- any parameters.
-
- If you have this problem on a multinode system, create a .cfg file for every
- node (e.g. FV1.CFG, FV2.CFG ...) then call freevote with just the -C
- parameter.
-
- for example for node 2:
-
- freevote -Cfv2.cfg
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- If the users are suddenly forced to vote even on questions you created before
- the upgrade to 2.8 or 3.x, you did not run the upgrade program which reset
- the reserved flag used for this! Read UPGRADE.DOC!
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- If you want multiple sessions of freevote, like if you wanted to have one for
- system specific questions and one for user questions and fun. Then you'll
- have to create two different directories and install it like two separate
- doors! There are yet no specific functions for this.
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- That's IT!!!
-
- You've done it ....
-
- run FREEVOTE -L to test it local, and enjoy the voting
-
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- REGISTRATION:
-
- Ok PLEASE send me donations! If you do there WILL be future versions, if you
- don't, there might not.
-
- Beer isn't cheap and doing this program for free kindda sux, I have not
- recieved any donations. So please send some money to keep me motivated!
-
- You don't have to pay but if you can and think that this software is good nuff
- for you, please send some money (for sure it's less then any other door that
- does this much!) I don't wanna make it shareware .. and i won't ... but I
- know hundereds of peaople use freevote and not one sent in a donation.
-
- Franz
- 12460 n granville cyn way
- tucson,az 85737
- USA
-
- Donations should be cash or money order only!!!! I don't wanna deal with
- returned checks or stuff like that. But remember it's not a shareware and you
- don't have to pay .. but it will prolly make me make the door better than it
- is.
-
- anywayz ... just enjoy .. ya don't heftta pay ... oh yeah if ya want to send
- me comments about it send it to
-
- franz@azstarnet.com
-
- and look at my page (will have the newest ver of FrEevOtE!)
-
- http://www.azstarnet.com/~franz/
-
- new files are usually on
-
- ftp.uniserve.com /pub/bbs_doors
- or
- ftp.wustl.edu /pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS/bbs/doors
-
- if ya wanna call my bbs call (you can d/l all my stuff on fisrt call!):
-
- Franz's BBS [520] 297-0889
-
- There needs to be a free door like this don't ya think.
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- SUGGESTIONS:
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- Anywayz if you find something you like on other doors or you just made it up
- bitch to me about it and maybe i will make another version. Lately due to
- requests and bug reports i have released 3 versions in one week! (2.4, 2.5 and
- 2.6) and now due to requests i released 2.7
-
- ...and now the v2.8! .. and v3.0 and 3.1 and 3.2.. and ... but i keep being
- more and more lazy on the door as i have not gotten any donations.
-
- heheh this paragraph was updated so many times it sounds funny ....:)
-
- There are two effective ways of getting me to do something, send me 20 e-mails
- a day, send me money, buy me a beer, well that's three ...:)
-
- Have phun and go vote!
-
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
- Other software I wrote:
- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-
- New York 2008: RPG Door Game .. LORD alike but a bit more complicated and
- certainly different setting! (shareware $15)
- (newest version as of this v0.10 WIDE BETA 1)
-
- Dirty Wall: A Wall door. The best looking, but not too configurable.
- It looks like a real wall, with bricks and everything.
- This is a different implementation of a poster program which i
- wrote for my bbs, and now it is a REAL door for any BBS software
- (freeware)
- (newest version as of this v2.2)
-
- FrEevOtE: Well that's this little program (freeware)
- (newest version as of this v3.2)
-
- KeWlcHaT: Sysop chatting/paging door, pretty kewl but simple. (freeware)
- (newest version as of this v1.2)
-
- BULLS: ANSI, ASCII bulletin maker, very simple but I use it all the time!
- (freeware) (newest version as of this v1.2)
-
- Jackpot: New York 2008 IGM. (freeware, source released for v1.0)
- (lost the source to the latest version in an HD crash)
- (newest version as of this v1.2 development stopped!)
-
- Franz's Bar: New York 2008 IGM. ($1-donation-ware) (lost the source in a crash)
- (newest version as of this v1.3 development stopped!)
-
- Shoot Em: New York 2008 IGM. ($1-donation-ware) (lost the source in a crash)
- (newest version as of this v1.1 development stopped!)
-
- HIDET: Encryption program (almost shareware, I require a $10 payment, but
- there is no crippling and i released the source) Unbeatable but slow
- Latest version is v2.2 which is stable and probably the last version
- anybody interested i will e-mail the source or encryption algorithm.
- It has a few neat things to it! I might rewrite the algorithm in C
- and make a cross platform encryption program. I'd consider it freeware!
-
- Battle: MARS Type programming game. For Windows 3.1. (wanted $10) but it again
- ain't crippled and ain't really good, and does not follow standards
- and i haven't received a single reg nor feedback in 4 years:)
- (newest version as of this v1)
-
- Things: REALLY STUPID program for Win3.1 If you find it DON't D/l it ... hehehe
- You might laugh yourself to death by it's stupidity. but it's 300k
- long! (newest version as of this v1)
-