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1990-04-22
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Multi-Screen (c)
Ver 2.00
Copyright (c) 1989-1990, by Doug Feuerbach
Written by Doug Feuerbach
1 - Preliminaries
-----------------
1.00 DISCLAIMER:
~~~~~~~~~~~
Although this product has been subjected to extensive beta testing,
I do not take any responsibility for damages that may result from its
use. If you use this product, you agree to take full responsibilty for
any damages that may result to your property, or person.
1.10 SHAREWARE AGREEMENT:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Multi-Screen, version 2.00 and higher, is distributed under the
shareware concept. You may freely use this product on a trial bases for
two weeks; after which, you are required to register Multi-Screen for
$5.00 (U.S only) if you wish to continue useing it.
After receipt of your payment, you will be sent, via FidoNet or
U.S. mail, your personalized key to activate Multi-Screen's extended
features. All further releases of Multi-Screen will be compatable with
your personalized key. During this release, I will be living at another
location for three months. Time tables have been calculated as to when
and where registration fees need to be sent.
1.20 DISTRIBUTION:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You may freely distribute this software so long as it is
distributed in it's origonal ZIPed form (MULTISCN.EXE, MULTISCN.DOC,
SCREENS.LST, plus any update files). If you suspect any alterations
to the documentation or code, please contact me at the address that
later follows (see time/location tables at end of documentation).
1.30 SUPPORT:
~~~~~~~~
The latest version of Multi-Screen is always available on my
board, The Event Horizon, and may be FREQed by requesting the mask
file name 'MULTISCN.' If you have any comments, questions, and the
like, feel free to leave me mail via Fidonet (1:3615/3), U.S. mail, or
call my board, and I will attempt to reply with all due haste (see
time/location tables at end of documentation for this release).
The Event Horizon Doug Feuerbach
(615)595-7717 1629 W. Cumberland Ave
Fidonet Address: 1:3615/3 Clement Hall, Box 318
Hayes V.42 9600 Knoxville, TN 37916
1.40 DISCRIPTION:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Most Bulletin Board Systems (henceforth refered to as BBSes) are
limited to one "welcome" screen. This limited diversity rapidly results
in the user and SysOp always attempting to skip the "welcome" screen.
Multi-Screen is a utility designed to allow *250* "welcome" screens for
a given BBS. It may be run on a daily basis, via a system event (which
will give the users a different screen to view each day), or for those
who are running a of front-end mailer, it can be executed each time a
user logs off (thus giving a new screen each time a new user logs on).
Page 1
2 - Initial Setup
-----------------
2.00 SETUP:
~~~~~~
Multi-Screen may be run from any directory on your system, and
on any drive. It's initial setup is rather simple, and can be broken up
into three basic.
2.10 STEP I:
~~~~~~~
Multi-Screen uses ANSI screens supplied by you, or the sample
screens included in ZIPed archive. The first thing you need to do is
determine where on your hard drive(s) you wish to place these screens.
I personally prefer a subdirectory in the main QuickBBS directory
called 'ANSISCNS.'
2.20 STEP II:
~~~~~~~~
The second thing you will need to do is create a DOS text file
called 'SCREENS.LST' which will have the FULL PATH AND NAME of each
screen you wish Multi-Screen to use. This text file, henceforth,
shall be known as the Multi-Screen library. The library must reside in
the same directory as Multi-Screen. An example SCREENS.LST has been
provided in the ZIPed file. Below are some other examples of
SCREENS.LST.
EXAMPLES:
---------
C:\QUICKBBS\TXTFILES\WELCOME1.ANS <- Beginning of SCREENS.LST
C:\QUICKBBS\TXTFILES\WELCOME2.ANS
C:\QUICKBBS\TXTFILES\STARTRK.ANS <- End of SCREENS.LST
Note that there are no exteraneous spaces at the beginning and end
of the library (SCREENS.LST). If you wish to add new screens, you may
do so through means of your favorite text editor (QEdit!).
2.20 STEP III:
~~~~~~~~~
Lastly, you must create a DOS text file of the name MULTISCN.CFG.
This file is what Multi-Screen refers to, when it checks if your copy is
registered or not. MULTISCN.CFG consists of three data lines. The
first is your name, the second line is the name of your BBS, and the
third is some arbitrary number (zero?), unless you have registered your
copy of Multi-Screen and have your personalized registration number.
If you do have your personalized registration number, put it as the
third line. Once again, there may not be any exteraneous lines in
MULTISCN.CFG. Below is an example:
Douglas Feuerbach <-- First Name
The Event Horizon <-- Name of your BBS
0 <-- Registration number
Page 2
3 - Execution (Basic Operation)
-------------------------------
3.00 EXECUTION (Basic Operation):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Multi-Screen may be executed daily (via a system event), or, if you
are running a front end mailer (FrontDoor, BinkleyTerm, D'Bridge, et al),
Multi-Screen may be executed before or after a user logs on or off
respectivelty, in your batch file.
Multi-Screen should be called in the following manner.
MULTISCN <Full Path and File Name of Your 'Welcome' Screen>
EXAMPLE
-------
MULTISCN C:\QUICKBBS\TXTFILES\WELCOME.ANS
- WELCOME.ANS may be what ever file name your BBS uses
as it's 'welcome' screen.
4 - Execution (Extended Operations)
-----------------------------------
4.00 EXTENDED FEATURES:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Multi-Screen offers another feature to those who have registered
their copy (see REGISTRATION). On a certian day, or period of days
(hollidays, celebrations, etc.), you may wish to display only those ANSI
screens which are associated with that day(s). For example, if between
December 1st and 26th (Christmas season) you might want to display only
those ANSI screens representative of Christmas. Multi-Screen allows you
to do just that. To do this, Multi-Screen will require the addition of
another DOS text file, namely SCREENS.PCK, and sub-libraries (provided
by you).
4.10 SCREENS.PCK
~~~~~~~~~~~
SCREENS.PCK must reside in the same directory as Multi-Screen.
If SCREENS.PCK is not located in the same directory as Multi-Screen,
Multi-Screen will operate in the 'Basic Operations' mode (described in
section 3). SCREENS.PCK is 'pick' file for the sub-libraries and must
conform to a specific format described below.
4.11 SCREENS.PCK format
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SCREENS.PCK is a standard DOS text file and may be edited with your
favorite text editor. Each line in SCREENS.PCK consists of a 3 fields
separated by a space: the START month and day, sub-library file name,
and the STOP month and day. The START date tells Multi-Screen when to
begin useing the ANSI screens specified by the sub-library, the
sub-library name field tells Multi-Screen the name of the sub-library to
use, and the STOP date tells Multi-Screen when to stop using the
sub-library. There can be no exteraneous blank lines in SCREENS.PCK.
SCREENS.PCK may be as long as you wish (on a 5.8 MHz machine,
Multi-Screen will can scann 200 lines in 3.00 seconds). The format is
as below:
Page 3
Month-Day<space>sub-library_filename<space>Month-Day
^ ^ ^
^--Dash Necessary ^--Legal DOS ^--Single Space
Filename
EXAMPLES
--------
4-13 easter.lst 4-15
12-1 christms.lst 12-26
12-27 newyear.lst 1-1
8-29 anvrsery.lst 8-29
12-26 newyear.lst 1-1
4.12 SUB-LIBRARY format
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sub-library format has the exact same format as your SCREENS.LST
main library.
5 - Registering Multi-Screen
----------------------------
5.00 REGISTRATION FEE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To register Multi-Screen, you must fill out the Registration Form
provided at the end of the documentation, along with a check for $5.00
(U.S) made out to Douglas Feuerbach. Upon receipt of your registration,
a 'key' to unlock the extended functions will be promptly sent to you via
FidoNet mail, or the postal service.
WHAT'S COMMING IN Ver 2.50:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
o A windowed editor for the Multi-Screen librarys. The ability to
list, view, and locate all ANSI screens in the main library
(SCREENS.LST) and in specified libraries (including start/stop
dates).
o The option to call your favorite ANSI editor (TheDraw, etc.) if
you wish to edit a particular ANSI screen, from within the
Multi-Screen editor.
o Other possible additions are being tossed around in the
proverbial think tank.
Multi-Screen Registration Form
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name (Last, First M.I.)._______________________________________
Alias (if any).........._______________________________________
Street Address.........._______________________________________
City/Town..............._______________________________________
State/Province.........._______________________________________
Country................._______________________________________
Bulltetin Board Ph#.....(_____)_____-_____
FidoNet Address........._______________________________________
The following must be exactly as you want it to appear on your copy of
Multi-Screen:
Name...................._______________________________________
Name of BBS............._______________________________________
Between April 22nd and August 15th, I can be reached at the FidoNet
address 1:264/710, via NetMail. A new version should be released when I
return to Knoxville, TN (after Aug 15th) with my current FidoNet
address.
SA
************************** Time/Location Table *******************************
* *
* *
* If you are registering after April 22nd and before August 15, 1990, *
* send check and registration form to: *
* *
* 1220 Giles Road *
* Blacksburg, VA 24060 *
* *
* *
* To register after August 15, 1990 send check and registration form to *
* *
* 1629 W. Cumberland Ave. *
* Clement Hall Box 318 *
* Knoxville, TN 37916 *
* *
* *
* Your registration number will be returned to you promptly *
* *
******************************************************************************