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Monster Media 1996 #15
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─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10
Copyright (C) 1994, 1996 Layout Service Spiess
written by Alain Schellinck
Documentation partially written by Tim De Meyer
All Rights reserved
-=≡ SHAREWARE SOFTWARE ≡=-
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║░░░░░░░░░░░ ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ A Word from Alain Schellinck ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
After being active for more than 7 years in FidoNet, it was time for me to
do something else. I have a family and two kids who want to spend some
time with me too. And I have a job that takes a lot of my time. Therefore,
I deceided a few weeks ago to leave FidoNet and to quit the BBS.
TheEdit and TheChat are probably the two most used PEX'es on ProBoard
BBS'es. Therefore, I tough it woudn't be fair to quit development, support
and distribution. After a few talks with Constantin, we agreed that he is
now the owner of the sources and the programs. He will handle futher
support and distribution, while I will support him in the background.
I had a very nice time working with ProBoard (and the ProBoard team!).
Keep up the good work!
I would like to thank the beta testers (specially Peter Hampf and Tim De
Meyer) for the hints, change requests and a lot of help. See you guys!
I'm still available trough the internet, so if you need me, you can post a
message to alainsch@innet.be
Thanks!
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Special Thanks ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
I have to thank Alain Schellinck for his outrageous work on his programs.
I will try to do my best on supporting and developing TheEdit and TheChat
the way he has planned it.
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ DISCLAIMER ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
- TheChat (to include all executables and documentation files) is
copyrighted material of Layout Service Spiess
- You can use TheChat for a period of 30 days, free of charge. If you
use the software after the evaluation period of 30 days, you MUST
register. (For registration information, see the appropriate section
of this manual).
-=≡ 2 ≡=-
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║░░░░░░░░░░░ ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
- We reserve the right to quit giving support or releasing updates of the
software. We also reserve the right to charge a nominal upgrade fee
for future versions.
- The software and other materials included in the distribution archive
are provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind. We do not guarantee
the correct functioning and/or reliability of the software. The
authors, or any agent of the authors will not be liable for any direct
or indirect damages, resulting from the use of the software.
- You may not reverse-engineer TheChat in any way and you may not add,
change or delete any files in the distribution archive.
- You are free to distribute the original, unmodified TheChat archive
provided no fee is charged for its distribution. This excludes charges
for online time on electronic bulletin boards or other communication
services.
- Your registration key is personal. You (and only you!) may use the key
you will receive after registerering TheChat.
- You cannot sell or give your license away, unless the new owner can
work with the same key. In that situation, you (as the previous owner)
are no longer allowed to use the license.
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ INTRODUCTION ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
TheChat 1.00 was the first available split screen chatter as a PEX.
There were some things that could be better. Users asked me for a better
layout, multi language support, more functions and more speed.
TheChat 2.10 has it all. It is completely rewritten from scratch, using
highly optimized C++ and assemble code. Even with the extra functions,
TheChat 2.10 is smaller than 1.xx!
The multi-language support is very easy to use. Every prompt on the
screen can be translated in any language you wish. Even the header and
help screens can be translated.
Due to the use of highly optimized assemble code for the critical parts
in TheChat, the chatter is much faster than 1.xx
TheChat uses also optimized screen code depending on the terminal mode
you (or the user) are using.
-=≡ 3 ≡=-
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║░░░░░░░░░░░ ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
If you are using TheChat in local mode, all screen output is handled by
Direct Video Ram Access (fully desqview aware!). Depending on the remote
terminal mode (ANSI or AVATAR), TheChat will send different terminal
commands to the user his terminal program to scroll the screen, move the
cursor, change the color, ... An example? If your user is using AVATAR
and is in 50-lines mode, scrolling one line up means that +/- 44 lines
(50 - header) needs to be redrawed. TheChat will send only 11 bytes to
the terminal program and the scrolling will be handled by the user his
terminal program! In other situations, programs should send the 44 lines
back to the terminal program. If every line has something around 50
characters, that would be +/- 3 Kb (cursor and color codes included). Can
you imagine how fast scrolling is handled in Avatar mode ?
Other chatters need to constantly (after every keystroke) update the
cursor position. Depending on the terminal mode, this means that for
every character you type, these chatters will send between 5 and 10
characters to the modem.
TheChat remembers the last cursor position and uses optimized code to
move the cursor. In most situations, only one character is send to the
modem after a keystroke!
TheChat also supports the SoundBlaster. When you are tired to listen to
the beeps when someone is paging you, you can use a VOC file as the paging
tune.
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ REGISTRATION ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
TheChat is SHAREWARE. This means that you are granted a 30-day
evaluation period, after which you must register. You will receive a
registration key file through netmail or you can download it from the
registration site's BBS if you don't have a FidoNet node number.
If none of this is possible, please indicate this on your registration
form. We will send you a fax or a letter with your key code.
Warning!
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
The registrationkey can be re-created if required, but the registration
site may ask up to 20% of the price you payed for the license to handle
the cost. The key is based on the name of the BBS and the name of the
sysop. You may change the name of the BBS and ask for a new key, but you
can't change the name of the sysop. As stated above, the license is
personal, so if another sysop is running the BBS, you have to buy a new
license.
-=≡ 4 ≡=-
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║░░░░░░░░░░░ ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
It is your responsibility that the information on the registration form
is correct. If the key doesn't work because you made a mistake, the
registration site will create a new key, but may ask for a fee as stated
above.
Registration fees for commercial and non-commercial use are as
follows:
┌───────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┐
│Non-commercial │Commercial │To send the key│
│Registration │Registration │on a disk, add │
┌────────────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│ USA & Canada │ 20 US$ │ 120 US$ │ 10 US$ │
├────────────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│ Belgium & Luxembrg │ 600 BEF │ 3600 BEF │ 300 BEF │
├────────────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│ The Netherlands │ 35 FL │ 210 FL │ 15 FL │
├────────────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┤
│ Germany │ 30 DM │ 180 DM │ 15 DM │
└────────────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────┘
One note about the difference between the commercial and non-commercial
(personal) registration: non-commercial (personal) registrations are ONLY
for individuals who run a BBS as a HOBBY. Registrations for all other
BBSs require a commercial registration.
For commercial customers in Germany: Add 15% MwSt. to the price above!
To register, print the registration form on the next page, fill it out,
and send it together with your payment to one of the registration sites
listed below.
If you want to register by transferring money to any of the registration
accounts, be certain you don't forget to mail a registration form to the
address listed along with the account number, or you can upload/FAX it to
the registration site for your area.
Warning!
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
We can not and will not be responsible for any money received without a
complete registration form or if you send us cheque that we can't accept.
-=≡ 5 ≡=-
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║░░░░░░░░░░░ ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
For the U.S.A. and Canada (Registration site #1)
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Silverado Online
4810 Reginald Drive
Wichita Falls, TX 76308-5105
USA
Fax # 1-817-691-3173
BBS #'s 1-817-691-9251 (USR 28.8 v.34) Fido 1:3805/3
1-817-696-8119 (USR 28.8 v.34) Fido 1:3805/17
ALL FUNDS MUST BE IN USD ($) ONLY!
If you want to register by transferring money via our online checking or
credit card door, be certain you don't forget to mail a registration form
to the below listed address and mark an X in the box below telling us how
you made your payment.
We accept US checks/Visa MasterCards online. We also accept US /money
orders via the mail as well. Credit card charges will be
billed by "Silverado Online".
Please remember to CRASH netmail, USPS, or upload your registration form
directly to our BBS if using our online purchases.
We also accept US /money orders via the mail as well.
Fax is available for credit card orders only!
For the U.S.A. and Canada (Registration Site #2)
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
The Chess Board
c/o Ken Givens
2735 Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, Tx 75052
Fax # 1-214-905-3629
BBS #'s 1-214-641-1136 (USR Courier V34) Fido 1:124/2213
We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, personal checks and
money orders. U.S. currency only please. Do not send cash!! Checks
and money orders should be made payable to "Ken Givens".
Texas residents add 8.25% sales tax.
-=≡ 6 ≡=-
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║░░░░░░░░░░░ ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
For all other countries
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ProBoard Deutschland
c/o Constantin Spiess
Orchideenweg 15
D-70736 Fellbach
GERMANY
Fax # +49-711-95182-76
BBS # +49-711-95182-77 (Zyxel) or -78 (V32B/ISDN)
Fido 2:246/1013 (Zyxel) 2:246/1033 (V32B/ISDN)
PB-NET 246:6106/1001 (Zyxel) 246:6106/1111 (V32B/ISDN)
Bank Account Number:
KSK Fellbach , KtoNr: 2076692 , BLZ: 602 500 10
Send money order or check in German currency (DM) only please! You can
also transfer the money to our account number listed above. We also
accept Visa and MasterCard.
You may send the registration form by normal mail or fax, but I prefer to
receive it as a netmail message...
-=≡ 7 ≡=-
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Registration Form ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Your Name : _______________________________________________
Company : _______________________________________________
Sysop Name : _______________________________________________
BBS name : _______________________________________________
Address : _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Voice Phone# : _______________________________________________
Fax Phone# : _______________________________________________
BBS Phone# : _______________________________________________
Hours of operation : ____________________________________
Is your system part of FidoNet? ( ) - Yes ( ) - No
If so, what is your network address? _________________________
Type of registration: ( ) Personal ( ) Commercial
I'm registereing ( ) TheEdit ( ) TheChat
I want my key send on a ( ) 5 1/4" disk ( ) 3 1/2" disk
( ) I want to download my key from the registration site BBS
Payment method: ( ) Check/Cash ( ) VISA
( ) Bank Transfer ( ) Mastercard/Eurocard
(USA only) ( ) OnLine Check ( ) US Money Order
Credit Card #: ____________________________________
Name on Card : ___________________________________
(EXACTLY as it appears on the card!)
Exp. Date : ___/___
Signature : ____________________________________
Amount : ____________________________________
-=≡ 8 ≡=-
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║░░░░░░░░░░░ ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Please double check your phone number and address. Don't forget to
specify the international and zone dial code. Use the "+CC-ZZ-NNNNNNN"
(Country, Zone, Number) format to specify the phone numbers.
If you didn't receive the key after 2 weeks, please call the registration
site BBS. We received some registrations that where very difficult to
handle (wrong BBS number, no address, ...)
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║░░░░░░░░░░░ ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Support ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
For problems, bug-reports, etc. please write to:
────────────────────────────────────────────────
ProBoard Deutschland
c/o Constantin Spiess
Orchideenweg 15
D-70736 Fellbach
GERMANY
or contact your local registration site.
You can also reach the author by:
- sending E-mail to cns@mars.gp.schwaben.de
- sending a fax to +49-711-9518276
- sending mail trough the PROBOARD echomail area
- sending mail through the PB-NET
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ WHAT'S NEW -- FEATURES ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
What's new in 2.10
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
There are no additional features in this version, but it was
neccessary to release this version due to the changes in copyright,
support/registration sites and pricing (commercial only).
What's new in 2.02
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
* The function to clear the window (CONTROL-Q) was crashing the computer.
Fixed!
* The TheChat.Hlp file had "TheEdit" in the title bar instead of
"TheChat". Fixed!
What's new in 2.01
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
* Oops, the function to check the registration key didn't accept user- or
BBS names with characters > 127. Fixed!
-=≡ 10 ≡=-
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║░░░░░░░░░░░ ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
What's new in 2.00
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
* TheChat is completely rewritten from scratch, using highly-optimized
C++ and assembly code. Not all features from TheChat 1.xx are
implemented yet (like ALT-I for the image file, ALT-S for the static
noise), but some new features are already available!
* The split screen chatter and the functions to page the sysop are now
two separate PEX'es. Due to that, TheChat is much smaller, so it
would load much faster when you press the ALT-C key.
* As in TheChat 1.00, there are almost no PB-SDK functions used in
TheChat. The screen handling in completely done by my own code,
optimized for the terminal type. So, in Ansi mode, TheChat will use
optimized code for ANSI and in AVATAR mode the AVATAR code. The
reason for doing this is speed. Other full screen programs (editors,
chatters, ...) will send in ANSI mode between 7 and 9 characters to
the modem for every character you type. TheChat won't! In most
cases, only the character you typed is sent to the modem. Speed!!!
* In Avatar, the code is much faster than TheChat 1.xx and the other
chatters. In Avatar mode, you can send a command to the driver to
scroll a region of the screen up or down. So, instead of redrawing
all the lines after a scroll, TheChat will send the scroll command.
So, if you are in 50 lines mode, TheChat will have something around
23 lines for one chat window part. If every line has +/- 70
characters on it, scrolling 1 line up, other programs will send +/-
1.8KB of text. TheChat will send 11 bytes to scroll the screen!
* That's the main reason why the window-scroll is disabled in Avatar
mode. Scrolling line by line is much faster than redrawing a whole
screen in that mode.
* Multi language support! TheChat 2.00 will detect the language used by
the user and try to find the TheChat control files for this language.
All prompts can be translated in any language. Even the help screen
can be translated. TheChat will use the English language as the
default. In the archive file, you will find DUTCH.LNG and DUTCH.HLP
files.
* TheChat as a unique feature not found in any other PEX split-screen
chatter (maybe not found in any other chatter!). Each chat window is
like an editor, so you can scroll back to the start of the session.
The size of the buffer is limited to 32Kb. If 99% of the buffer is
used, TheChat will clear the buffer completely.
-=≡ 11 ≡=-
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║░░░░░░░░░░░ ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
* TheChat has a very fast WordWrap function. If you look in the source
code from the FullEdit editor's toolkit, the author writes that his
WordWrap function is the bottleneck of his program. TheChat uses an
optimized piece of assemble code to perform the WordWrap. Fast!
* User-definable layout. All colors and the contents of the headers for
each window can be changed as you like it. TheChat doesn't support
ANSI files for the layout (like TheMin), because I think that
supporting all screen sizes and full cursor-keys support is much more
important than having nice layouts.
* Like TheEdit, TheChat now has a clipboard. You can cut lines with the
^Y key and paste them with the ^U key.
* Another powerful feature in TheChat 2.00 is the import file system.
You can link ASCII files to your ALT-Fxx function keys. Pressing such
a key will import the file in the local window. Great for having
default answers to frequently asked questions.
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ The Details ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Multi-language support
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
As far as I know, TheChat is the first split screen chatter for
ProBoard that supports multi-language. You can (but don't have to)
redefine every prompt in every language you wish.
Unlike ProBoard, TheChat doesn't use binary language files. The
language file is a pure ASCII file with the language as basename and
.LNG as extension.
Whenever TheChat is started, it will try to load the <language>.LNG
file (i.e. DUTCH.LNG). If the file doesn't exist, it will load the
TheChat.LNG file (english prompts). Please note that there are no
defaults, so if there's no language file, TheChat won't run!
Format of the LANGUAGE file
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
As previously mentioned, a language file is a pure ASCII file, using
one line for every prompt. All prompts should be defined, because there
are no defaults.
-=≡ 12 ≡=-
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║░░░░░░░░░░░ ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
You can include comments in the language file. Comment lines should
start with the ';' character, unless the comment is added after a
prompt. In that case, you should insert a ";" between the prompt and
the comment.
You can't change the order of the prompts in the language file, unless
you want the wrong prompts on the wrong places ;-)
You will find two examples in the archive: TheChat.LNG (the default
prompts) and DUTCH.LNG (but the registrations site of your country may
have changed this).
Translated ANSI files
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
As in TheChat 1.xx, this new version uses a few ANSI files if they area
available.
Each of these files have a replacement line in the language file. So,
if the file doesn't exist, the line in the language file will be
displayed.
MAXPAGE.ANS : This file will be displayed to the user if
he tries to page you more than allowed
(ProCFG->options->yelling).
NOTAVAIL.ANS : This file will be displayed to the user if
he tries to page you outside the paging
hours as defined in ProCFG.
PAGED.ANS : This file will be displayed to the user if
the tries to page you and you don't answer
(or select [A] to abort.
ProBoard has the possibility to use a different text directory for
every language. Therefore, these files don't have to be in the TheChat
directory.
Format of the HELP file
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
The help file is a ANSI file (i.e. created by TheDraw) with the help as
it should appear on the screen when the user select Help.
TheChat will check for a <language>.HLP file. It this can't be found,
TheChat will use the TheChat.Hlp file. There's no default in TheChat,
so if there's no file, you will get no help. The *.HLP files should be
in the same directory as TheChat, not in the TEXT directory!
-=≡ 13 ≡=-
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║░░░░░░░░░░░ ProBoard Advanced Split Screen Chatter version 2.10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ THE INI FILE ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
In order to keep the configuration file readable and clear to
understand, TheChat uses the DOMAIN principle of windows for the INI
file. Within the distribution archive, you will find a sample INI file,
to show this principle.
[General] domain
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
FastScroll = Yes This is the same as WindowScroll in the
previous release, except that it is now for
ANSI mode only. AVATAR mode will always
scroll line by line.
InsertMode = On Set Insert-mode at startup ON or OFF.
[Shareware] domain
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
RegisterKey = 0 The place where to specify your registration
key. TheChat 2.10 uses the same key as the
1.xx release.
[LocalHeader] domain
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ForeGround = Black This is the foreground color to be used for
the header above the local window. As in
TheEdit, you can use the english names for
the colors (BLACK, BLUE, GREEN, RED, CYAN,
MAGENTA, BROWN and WHITE). To use the
highlighted equivalent of the color, add a
'+' sign at the start of the name. So, use
+BROWN if you want to use YELLOW.
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BackGround = White This is the background color to be used for
the header above the local window. To use
the blinking equivalent of the foreground
color, you must add the '+' sign to the
background. Seems not so logical, but
that's the same way the BIOS and VIDEORAM
works. So,if you specify FOREGROUND = +RED
and BACKGROUND = +CYAN, you will get
highlighted-blinking-red characters on a
CYAN background.
[LocalText] domain
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ForeGround = +Brown This is the foreground color to be used for
the text in the local window.
BackGround = Blue This is the background color to be used for
the text in the local window.
[RemoteHeader] / [RemoteText] domain
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
See the explanation for LocalHeader and LocalText, except that these
colors are used for the remote window.
[Banner] domain
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
StopBanner = No In registered version, you can stop the
banner at the bottom of the screen. In the
beta releases, there can be some debug
information (memory size, ....) in this
banner. If you choose to stop the banner,
you can still switch between all the lines
in the banner by pressing ALT-B (b =
banner).
AddText = ... This is the text you can add on the banner.
The banner is the scrolling line at the
bottom of the screen. If you don't disable
the banner (see StopBanner), this text will
be displayed as the 3th banner line. As in
TheEdit, you can use the ProBoard macro's
for this text. See the included INI file for
an example.
-=≡ 15 ≡=-
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ForeGround = +Brown These are the colors used to display the
BackGround = Cyan banner line.
[IMPORTFILES] domain
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ALT-F1 You can link a filename to a ALT-Fxx
... function key. Whenever the sysop presses the
ALT-F10 = <filename> ALT-Fxx key, TheChat will import the file.
In unregistered mode, only F1 thru F3 will
work. When pressing a ALT-Fx key, TheChat
will check if there's a file linked with the
key. If not, TheChat will get the
sysop-macro defined in ProCFG. If the macro
is a "display" macro (if macro starts with a
` character), the macro will be copied in
the chat window at the current cursor
position. For example, you can define the
string "`||CUL8R|$<SYSOPNAME>$||" to a
macro. TheChat will translate this macro to
"<enter> <enter>CUL8R<enter><your full
name>".
[xxxChat] domains
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
TheChat has 3 chat types: NORMAL, VIP and BORING. You can use these 3
groups to control witch users can chat. If you don't use a VIP and BORING
group, all users will have NORMAL rights in TheChat.
NORMAL : Users having the NORMALCHAT level can only
chat during paging hours. TheChat will make
some noise (see further) and the sysop can
answer the chat request if he likes to.
Outside the paging hours, the user will get
a message that the sysop is not available.
VIP : A user with the VIP status can always chat,
even outside paging hours.
BORING : A user with the BORING status can only chat
during paging hours. The user won't now it,
but TheChat won't make any noise. You will
see the chat request (if you're looking at
your screen at that time) and you can answer
the request if you like, but most of the
time you don't want to talk to that kind of
people ;-)
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Each of the types has his own domain in the INI file (called
NormalChat, VipChat and BoringChat). The description below has the
letters N, V and B to mark if they are available in that domain.
AccessFlag = 6 A user with that flag ON will be treated as
(- V B) a VIP or BORING user. All other users will
be treated as NORMAL users.
FreeChat = Yes If FreeChat is set to YES, the timer will
(N V B) stop when you are chatting with the user.
Once you quit TheChat, the timer will start
again.
LeaveMsg = Yes If you don't answer the request, abort it or
(N V B) the user is trying to chat outside the
paging hours, TheChat will ask the user to
leave a message, unless this variable is set
to NO.
MusicFile = EntrTain TheChat can use the ProBoard internal sound,
(N V -) play a MUS file or, if you have a
SoundBlaster compatible card, play a VOC
file. Here you can specify witch MUS file
you want to use.
VocFile = BigBen.Voc If TheChat detects a SoundBlaster card and
(N V -) can load the CT-VOICE.DRV driver, it will
play this VOC file. If there is no card or
the driver or VOC file can not be loaded,
TheChat will use the MUS file or the
internal sound.
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Soundblaster Compatibility ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
There are a few things you should now about the SoundBlaster
compatibility:
* TheChat only supports VOC files smaller than 65.000 bytes.
* At this time, only soundBlasters configured for I/O address 220H,
IRQ7 and DMA1 (the default values) are supported!
* TheChat uses the CT-VOICE.DRV SoundBlaster interface. The driver
needs to be in the TheChat directory or the DRV\ directory under the
one specified with the SOUND environment variable. So, if you have
set SOUND=D:\SBPRO than TheChat will look for
D:\SBPRO\DRV\CT-VOICE.DRV
-=≡ 17 ≡=-
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╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ SPECIAL INFORMATION ON THE LOCAL SCREEN ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
There will be some information written on the local (sysop's) screen,
like the chat type, if the user is trying to page you outside
paging-hours, if the scroll-lock key is ON and what to do while the
music is playing. All this information is written in YELLOW characters
on a RED background. If you see such information on your screen while
the PAGER is running, than that information is NOT displayed on the
user's screen.
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ INSTALLATION ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
The distribution archive contains the following files:
TheChat.Pex : the split screen chatter program
Pager.Pex : the program to page the sysop
TheChat.Doc : You are reading it ...
TheChat.Ini : example INI file
BigBen.Voc : example VOC file for SoundBlaster support
MusFiles.Zip: ProBoard *.MUS files to use with TheChat
TheChat.Lng : Default Language file
TheChat.Hlp : Default help file
Dutch.Lng : Example language file for the "DUTCH" language
Dutch.Hlp : "DUTCH" help file
Your distribution site may have changed the last two files to more
appropriate languages. There may be other languages available at the
support boards too.
Unpack the distribution archive in a separate directory for TheChat.
Don't use your default PEX directory, because new releases of my other
PEX'es (like TheEdit) will use the same name for the language files!
Change the line for the external chat command in ProCFG. It should be
@<directory>\TheChat.Pex
Change every call to function MainTitle : 11 in your menu's. You
should start the PEX file PAGER.PEX.
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Warning!!!
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
If you are running previous versions of TheChat than don't forget to
change your menus! Calling TheChat will start the chat session instead
of paging the sysop like it was in TheChat 1.xx. The paging function is
now handled by the PAGER.PEX pex file!
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ USING TheChat ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
We have tried to keep things as simple as possible, so there are really no
Special skills involved when using TheChat. Every possible function is
explained in the (language specific) help files. Following is a list of
all 'special' functions supported by TheChat. An on-line user can see
these codes by pressing Ctl-N (= show helpscreen)
│Ctl-A ^Left Word Left │Ctl-N Show This Screen │
│Ctl-B Center Line │Ctl-O Escape │
│Ctl-C Page Down Page Down │Ctl-P End Cursor End Of Line │
│Ctl-D Right Cursor Right │Ctl-Q Erase your window │
│Ctl-E Up │Ctl-R Page Up Page Up │
│Ctl-F ^Right Word Right │Ctl-S Left Cursor Left │
│Ctl-G Del Del Current Char │Ctl-T Delete Word Right │
│Ctl-H Backspace Del Char To Left │Ctl-U Paste Line │
│Ctl-I Tab Goto Next Tabstop│Ctl-V Insert Toggle Insert Mode │
│Ctl-J │Ctl-W Home Cursor Start Of Line│
│Ctl-K │Ctl-X Down Cursor Down │
│Ctl-L Redraw The Screen│Ctl-Y Cut Current Line │
│Ctl-M Enter Goto Next Line │Ctl-Z Esc, S │
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ RAW VS NORMAL MODE ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Sometimes, you need the cursor and page keys for the default ProBoard
function (i.e. scrolling trough the info lines and changing the user's
level/time). Because TheChat uses these keys too, you can't use them
in NORMAL mode. TheChat has also a RAW mode, where all the special
keys (CURSOR, PAGE and ALT keys) are no longer used by TheChat. So, if
you need to change a level, switch to RAW mode, type CONTROL - CURSOR -
LEFT or CONTROL - CURSOR - RIGHT and switch back to NORMAL mode. The
key used to switch between NORMAL and RAW mode is ALT-K (remember, K =
keyboard). You will see the "LOCAL KEYS" field in the header change
from RAW to NORMAL. RAW mode means that the keys are handled by
ProBoard.
-=≡ 19 ≡=-
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╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ SILENT MODE ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
TheChat will play no music if the SCROLL LOCK key is on. Whenever a
user tries to page you, you will see "SILENT!" (or the translated text)
on the screen. See also the "Special information on the local screen"
section in this document
-=≡ 20 ≡=-
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╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ INDEX ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-=≡ 21 ≡=-
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╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
A Word from Alain Schellinck ......................................... 2
Special Thanks ....................................................... 2
DISCLAIMER ........................................................... 2
INTRODUCTION ......................................................... 3
REGISTRATION ......................................................... 4
Warning! ......................................................... 4
Warning! ......................................................... 5
For the U.S.A. and Canada (Registration site #1) ................. 5
For the U.S.A. and Canada (Registration Site #2) ................. 6
For all other countries .......................................... 6
Support .............................................................. 10
WHAT'S NEW -- FEATURES ............................................... 10
What's new in 2.10 ............................................... 10
What's new in 2.02 ............................................... 10
What's new in 2.01 ............................................... 10
What's new in 2.00 ............................................... 10
The Details .......................................................... 12
Multi-language support ........................................... 12
Format of the LANGUAGE file ...................................... 12
Translated ANSI files ............................................ 13
Format of the HELP file .......................................... 13
THE INI FILE ......................................................... 13
[General] domain ................................................. 14
[Shareware] domain ............................................... 14
[LocalHeader] domain ............................................. 14
[LocalText] domain ............................................... 15
[RemoteHeader] / [RemoteText] domain ............................. 15
[Banner] domain .................................................. 15
[IMPORTFILES] domain ............................................. 16
[xxxChat] domains ................................................ 16
Soundblaster Compatibility ........................................... 17
SPECIAL INFORMATION ON THE LOCAL SCREEN .............................. 17
INSTALLATION ......................................................... 18
Warning!!! ....................................................... 18
USING TheChat ........................................................ 19
RAW VS NORMAL MODE ................................................... 19
SILENT MODE .......................................................... 19
-=≡ 22 ≡=-