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DATEME.DOC
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1990-08-10
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DateMe!
DateMe! is a companion program to EZ-Reader (from Eric Cockrell) and,
optionally, John Hancock tagline manager. It "expands" the scope of the
tagline a bit, and hopefully will add a bit of humor to the bottom of
your messages. In order to use it, you've got to have:
1. A clue
2. A -registered- version of EZ-Reader
3. (optional, but highly recommended) John Hancock
Why? Why?
Here's a standard EZ-Reader message, with tagline:
==============================================================================
MS>Addison, could you give me their phone number and the guy to talk
MS>to?
Certainly. 714-246-3110. Ask for Dave.
---
■ EZ 1.31 #1110 ■ My ex-caller was an alias
==============================================================================
The bottom's pretty boring, huh? All John Hancock could do was make the
taglines longer, and let you select them more easily. For example:
==============================================================================
MS>Addison, could you give me their phone number and the guy to talk
MS>to?
Certainly. 714-246-3110. Ask for Dave.
---
■ EZ 1·31 #1110 ■ My ex-caller was an alias, and he was pretty dumb!
==============================================================================
Still not that hot. You can get pretty witty, but I was looking for
something even better. Couldn't find it, so I wrote it. I wanted to be
able to not only add a tagline, but the date written (since I was
editing offline and sometimes my messages would not get uploaded until
days later, invalidating the PCBoard posting date), and I also wanted
people to know where I was, since I was responding through a BBS almost
200 miles from my house. Here's what my messages look like now:
==============================================================================
DZ│You know, trying to respond online with a dumbterm that doesn't even
│have VT100 emulation and using the ProDoor visual editor isn't the best
│thing in the world...i can't even read what I'm typing.
Well, the point came through ... the flames from Addison are lapping at
my heels ... ouch! ouch! <grin>
────────────────┐
│ Scribbled in Laguna Niguel, CA
/█> │ Friday, August 10th, 1990 at 9:40 pm.
__________█_X___│
■ EZ 1·29 #954 ■ Lost your brain? Don't look at me ...
==============================================================================
My additions are everything below the <grin>. Everything you see there
is configurable, so don't be dismayed if you don't like it.
Installation and other yik-yak...
Installation is pretty simple. Copy the DATEME.EXE and DATEME.CFG files
into your EZ-Reader directory. You'll need to edit the DATEME.CFG file,
create a "picture" file, and make a batch file to run your editor.
Here's my DATEME.CFG file:
==============================================================================
C:\TELIX\EZ-RDR\PERSON.DAT
C:\TELIX\EZ-RDR\WORK\TEMP
C:\TELIX\EZ-RDR\WORK\TEMP1
Scribbled in Laguna Niguel, CA
2
3
5
==============================================================================
The lines, in order, are:
1. The path and name of your "picture" file.
2. The name of the file to read the tagline out of.
3. The name of the file to write the combination output into.
4. The "location" line, if you choose to use it. If you don't use it,
just leave this line blank.
5. The line number for the location line to appear.
6. The line number for the date line to appear.
7. The line number for the tag line to appear.
For items 5-7, putting a 0 on the line will prevent that item from
showing up.
Here's my picture file:
==============================================================================
────────────────┐
│
/█> │
__________█_X___│
■ EZ 1·29 #954 ■
==============================================================================
It's simple and sweet, and it stays that way! Note that the EZ-Reader
tagline in -this- file is the one that's used; in EZ-Reader, I have it
set to "Taglines OFF". This is why you need a registered version,
although you -can- get by without one, but you're supposed to feel
guilty!
The picture file can be created with any text editor; the other three
lines (location, date, and tagline) are appended.
Anyways! Here's my edit batch file:
==============================================================================
@ECHO OFF
q %1
c:\telix\ez-rdr\jh c:\telix\ez-rdr\
copy jh?.rep temp
del jh?.rep
c:\telix\ez-rdr\dateme c:\telix\ez-rdr\dateme.cfg
copy %1+temp1 temp
del %1
del temp1
ren temp %1
==============================================================================
Here's a run-down of what it does. First, it lets me edit the message
file (%1); once I'm done with that, it goes into John Hancock (JH) and
lets me pick my tagline.
After that, it copies the JH?.REP file (it has a different name every
time, and I haven't figured out how that one letter makes a difference
or how to predict it) into TEMP, deletes it, and runs DATEME (using the
config file, with pathname, as a parameter). After it's done, it
produces TEMP1 (remember that config line?). This is appended to the
message, then all the work files are deleted. All done!
Respect Where Respect Is Due
I must say that this program would not exist without the following
people, who got me into BBS'ing, then convinced me it's worth it, then
amazed me with their witty taglines, etc. Anyways, you get the picture:
Bill Fisher - king of witty taglines, and the guy who drew the "little
man" picture that became the basis of this program
Don Dougherty - "You DON'T use an HST? Geeze ..." who still uses the
same -one- tagline (Entered at @TIME@ on @DATE@) on
every message
Addison Ching - a very friendly and forgiving sysop
Gillian Cannon - a most dangerous wit from an on-line message writer!
And everybody else on OC-Talk, the Orange County, California
general-purpose chit-chat and flaming forum!
Legal Mumbo Jumbo
Let me begin my soapbox speech by saying a couple of things. I'm not
out to make a million with this program; if I were, I would have written
1-2-3. Let's face it, I'm not going to make a fortune off of it.
However, I still think the program is worth something. If you're using
it on a regular basis, the program is worth something to you too.
If it is, please register it. Send whatever you think the program is
worth (I recommend $5 to $10 to whatever is in your checking account) to
me at this address:
Mike Schmitt
939 Camino Del Sur, Apt. B
Isla Vista, CA 93117
This is also a good place for bug reports, suggestions, comments,
questions, etc; you may also contact me at the BBS I help run, Console
Command Headquarters, (805) 683-0499 HST DS.
What do you get for registering? Well, peace of mind is one thing; this
program didn't take long to write, but I still think it's worth a
little. If you really don't like it, don't use it! For the rest of
you, just be glad you're doing something to "keep shareware alive," to
use a tremendously cliched phrase.
The -Real- Legal Stuff
I take no responsibility for this program or your use of this program.
If you use it, you assume all risks involved with using it. I will not
be held liable for any damage this program does to your system, whether
it is a result of faulty programming or not. You use it, you risk it.
If it eats your hard disk, I will not be held responsible. You agree to
this by using this program.
Release History
Version 1.00, released Saturday, August 11th, 1990:
- First public release.