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(Features marked with a {+} are "registered only")
* Implemented AVATAR level 0+ support. This involves an extra
yes/no/ask prompt in the new user logon procedure, and an extra
bit of the users record to indicate whether AVT/0 sequences
may be used. It is possible to enable both AVT and ANSI at the
same time. In this case, ANSI textfiles are sent if the AVT
ones can't be found. Thus there are now three textfile extensions:
.ASC
.ANS
.AVT
Unfortunately there are no utilities available for AVT screen
creation, so the best you can do is use a utility to convert your
existing ANSI screens. At the very least, using AVT will result in
a significant speed improvement for low speed connects.
* Added AVATAR support to the DORINFO1.DEF file. If the user has AVT
enabled, the terminal capability byte is incremented by 2:
0 : TTY
1 : ANSI
2 : AVT
3 : ANSI/AVT
{+} Users may now post a message to the sysop just before disconnection
due to a password failure. Simply set the "bad pwd area" option
in RACONFIG to the message area where you would like the messages
to be posted to enable this option. RA places a warning at the
top of these messages to indicate that the user did not enter a
valid password.
{+} RA now accepts global menu commands. Simply create a menu called
GLOBALRA and place in it commands that you would like to be
automatically available from every menu selection prompt. This
is useful for commands like sysop page, message to sysop, logoff,
return to previous menu etc.
* Implemented support for shortname matching. This works in exactly
the same way as FrontDoor's NAMES.FD. Just copy NAMES.FD to
NAMES.RA in your system directory. NAMES.RA has the following
format:
<alias>,<realname>,<address>[,<subject>]
Example NAMES.RA:
rabug,andrew milner,3:690/625,Bug Report..
Entering '*rabug' on the 'To' line of a message automatically
fills in the other fields.
* Revamped the CDROM support. You'll notice that the 'list path'
field has been removed from FILES.RA. To make RA use an
alternative FILES.BBS, simply make a FILES.n (n=file area number)
in a directory pointed to by the new "list file path" option
in RACONFIG.
* Implemented a "full screen" message reading facility which is
activated if the user has enabled screen clearing with either
ANSI or AVATAR.
* Putting a /NS at the end of any menu movement (goto, gosub, return)
command in the optional data field will suppress the screen clear
code normally displayed at the top of the new menu.
{+} Added support for free and password protected files. To make a file
free or password protected, simply place it's name in a file called
FILES.CTL in your system directory. FILES.CTL has the following
format:
<filespec> [/FREE] [/PWD=xxx]
* It is now possible to prevent your users from uploading specific
files. Simply place the file name (wildcards are valid) in a flat
ASCII text file called BADFILES.CTL, and RA will abort any attempts
to upload any file with that name.
* *O<xxx> on the command-line of any shell command will force RA
to replace the actual baudrate in DORINFO1.DEF with <xxx>/
* *D on the command-line of any shell command or type 15 will
make RA create a DOORWAY DOOR.SYS file in the same directory
as DORINFO1.DEF.
* Implemented a new menu command to toggle AVATAR graphics.
{+} Pressing ALT-N activates 'sysop next' mode. When the current user
logs off, RA will page the sysop and wait for two minutes before
continuing normally.
* Added an option send a break to purge the modem's output buffer.
You should only enable this if you are using a modem that does
not transmit the break signal to the remote. HST modems are okay
provided they are in the correct mode (&Y0).
* RACONFIG has been given a face lift. Some of the cosmetic
improvements include better consistency, and full pick-list
selection screens for file and message areas.
{+} Two new options in RACONFIG will ask the user to give a reason
for paging the sysop, and if there is no response, give the user
the option of leaving a message to the sysop immediately. The
"page reason" prompt is configurable.
{+} Using the new -G switch on the command line with -R will cause
RA to return automatically to the menu that the user activated
a type 15 (exit to DOS) menu command from.
* A new option in RACONFIG allows the sysop to choose whether missing
files are ignored in a file list, or shown as missing/offline.
{+} If the sysop has enabled the "show missing files" option, the
string that is shown in place of the file size and date (usually
"<MISSING>") is now configurable.
{+} Added a parameter that is valid on the optional data line of any
menu command. Placing a /K=xxx will stuff the string xxx into
the keyboard buffer. This string will be processed as if the
user had entered it in stacked command mode. This is an extremely
powerful facility as it allows you to customise RA's hard-coded
menus, and link several menu commands to a single keypress.
{+} Implemented local file attaches. This allows users to send files
privately between each other by attaching them to a message.
When the recipient reads the message, he/she is given the option
of downloading the attached files.
* Added an "allow combined access" flag for each message area.
This allows the sysop to disallow access to certain message areas
when the user is in combined mode.
* Added an "Echo Info" flag for each echomail message area. When
this flag is disabled, RA will not append it's tearline and
origin line to outgoing messages.
{+} Added a "reply via netmail" option. When a user hits [R]eply in
an echomail conference, he/she is given the option of sending
the reply as a netmail message to the system where the original
echomail message originated. Note that RA will only enable this
feature if it can determine the node number of the original
message from a valid MSGID or origin line.
* It is now possible to force the 3 file scan menu commands to scan
selected areas only. Simply place the file area numbers you want
included in the scan in the optional data field, separated with
spaces.
Eg. Optional data : 50 51 52 102 200
* Added an option in RACONFIG to check for new files since the
user's last call at logon, immediately after the mail check.
* RA now prompts the user '[D]ownload, [L]ogoff after download,
[A]bort' before a download.
* The "Please enter your full name:" logon prompt is now fully
configurable via an option in RACONFIG.
* The new user "where are you calling from" prompt is also
RACONFIG-urable.
{+} RA now makes a log entry when a user commences a quickscan, scan
or read of a message area, or initiates a listing of a file area.
* Whenever a user enters an incorrect password at a passworded
menu prompt, the password used is logged with the warning message.
* RA will now optionally prompt the user "Are you sure?" when he/she
selects [D]elete from the message reading menu bar.
* Added fully definable reply header generation. When a user replies
to a message that was not originally addressed to him/her, RA
inserts a line of text at the top of the message. Before version
1.00, this was hard-coded to "* Replying to a message originally
to ...". This header is now fully configurable. The following
macros are valid:
@ - Person the original message was addressed to,
# - Person who posted the original message,
^ - Date of the original message,
~ - Time of the original message.
* New questionnaire commands:
WAITENTER - wait for the user to press [Enter]
EXEC - execute program in a shell (control codes valid)
CAPITALISE - force capitalisation of first letters on input
MENUCMND - execute any menu command type
{+} Added an option in RACONFIG to blank the screen while waiting
for a call after a certain number of seconds of inactivity.
* RA now gives the user a fifteen second warning that he/she is
about to be disconnected due to inactivity.
{+} Any file transfer protocol (internal or external) may be disabled
or made available on an "error-free connect only" basis.
{+} Added menu type 59 - download a file from any area. This menu
type has no optional parameters; it scans every file area the
user has access to for the requested files.
* Added an option in RACONFIG to allow the sysop to select which
message areas are enabled by default for new users.
* Added full handle/alias support. Each user now has a field for
an optional handle (pseudonym). The user may use this handle
to log onto the BBS (if the sysop so allows) in addition to
his/her real name. All mail scanning routines will display mail
addressed to the users handle as well as his/her real name.
(The name "SYSOP" is not allowed as a handle).
Each message area can be configured in one of 3 ways:
"Real names only" - the user's real name is used automatically.
"Pick an alias" - user chooses a name to post messages with.
"Handles only" - only the user's handle may be used.
* Placing a *A on the optional data line of a menu type 7 or 15
forces RA to write the user's handle in the DORINFO1.DEF file
instead of the user's real name.
* Added several fields to the user's record:
Comment - 80 character sysop comment
Handle - the user's handle
FirstDate - the date on which the user first called
BirthDate - user's birthday
SubDate - subscription expiry date
AVATAR - use AVATAR graphics yes/no
Hidden - show user in user list yes/no
Reader - use the new full screen message reader yes/no
* Added several new text files:
BIRTHDAY.A?? - this file is displayed on the user's birthday;
there's an option in RACONFIG to ask new users
for their date of birth.
ONCEONLY.A?? - this file is displayed just after the NEWS file
to each user once only since the file was last
updated
HANDLE.A?? - displayed just before the user is asked to choose
a handle (if this option is enabled)
MSGAREA.A?? - if present, will be displayed when the user is
asked to select a message area in place of the
normal hard-coded list.
FILEAREA.A?? - As above, but displayed in place of the hard-
coded file area list.
MAILHELP.A?? - displayed when the user presses '?' at the
mailbox scan prompt.
* Added several new text file control codes:
^F3 - user's handle
^F4 - date user first called your system
^F5 - user's birthdate
^F6 - subscription expiry date
^F7 - number of days until subscription expiry date
^F8 - Whether AVATAR graphics are enabled (YES/NO)
^F9 - User's file ratio (number of files)
^F: - User's file ratio (in kilobytes)
^F; - Whether the full screen message viewer is enabled
* Added menu type 60 - change user's handle. Will not allow the user
to use any handle or real name already in use.
* Added menu type 61 - toggle the use of the full screen message
reader.
* Pressing the [F6] key displays the users handle, and if he/she
paged you this session, the reason for wanting to chat.
* Added a subscription system. When you verify a user for higher
access, simply set the user's subscription date in his/her user
record. On this date, or the next time the user logs on after
this date, RA will execute a questionnaire called SUBDATE.Q-A.
In this you may alter security levels, flags etc., and display
an appropriate message.
* It is now possible to assign a netmail cost to individual nodes.
The format of the entry in NODECOST.CTL is:
NODE <z:net/node> <cost>
* The "Who else is online" menu command now displays what each other
user is doing; file xfer, messages, external utility, chatting
with the sysop, or answering a questionnaire.
* Added support for a user group number. Each user can be assigned
a group number between 0 and 255. If you place a /G on the
optional data line of the userlist menu command, only users who
are in the same group as the current user will be displayed.
(Note that the sysop still sees a full user list). The sysop may
select a default group number for new users via RACONFIG.
* Optioned the "scanning user file" prompt in RACONFIG.
* Removed USERED's limitation of 1,000 users.
* Instead of placing all users in file and message area 1, RA now
scans through all areas and sets the current default area to the
first area accessible to each user at logon time.
* All leading spaces are removed from file and message area names
in all internal hard-coded selection lists.
* To alleviate the problems associated with menu command system
messages being removed immediately from the user's display when
the screen is cleared, a new field has been added to
RACONFIG; OTHER->SYSTEM->AFTER SYSTEM MESSAGES. Setting this
field to zero will cause RA to ask the user to press ENTER after
system messages; a non-zero value will make RA pause for that
number of seconds.
* A number of previously hard-coded system messages and prompts
are now RACONFIGurable.
* Implemented CTRL-X support. Pressing CTRL-X at any input prompt
will clear the prompt immediately.
* Optimised the 'search for new files' menu command.
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