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1990-05-30
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Inter-node communication spec
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
for
~~~
RemoteAccess 0.03
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(C) 1990 Continental Software, All rights reserved
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INTRODUCTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This document details the method RemoteAccess uses for inter-node
communications, and how developers can utilise it in their own programs.
Note that the hooks provided for user to user messaging are only enabled
when RemoteAccess is running in multi-node mode (obviously).
SENDING A MESSAGE TO AN ONLINE USER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RemoteAccess periodically checks for the existence of a text file in the
RemoteAccess system directory, named in the following manner:
NODEnn.RA
Where nn is a number from 1 to 99, padded with a leading zero if in the
range 1 to 9, of the node number the message is addressed to.
If the file is present it will be processed immediately as would any
*.ASC / *.ANS text file. Thus it may contain any valid text file control
code, detailed in the current RA.DOC.
The only preprocessing RemoteAccess performs is to set the text colour to
white on black (if ANSI is enabled), and to sound the user's bell.
EXAMPLE : Send a message to a user on line 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Create a file that contains the message text called NODE03.RA in the system
directory, for example:
-------------- cut ----------------
*MESSAGE* from Peter User on line 2:
Yo John! Want to chat?
Press [Return] to continue:
-------------- cut ----------------
Note the use of the ^A character to force RemoteAccess to wait for the user
to press [Return]. Without this the message would be immediately scrolled
off the screen.
EXAMPLE : Disconnect the user on line 14 immediately
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Create a file called NODE14.RA in the system directory that contains the
following text:
-------------- cut ----------------
*SYSTEM MAINTENANCE MANAGER requests you to disconnect immediately*
X
-------------- cut ----------------
The first line displays the logoff message to the user, the second line
uses the ^W control code to pause for five seconds, and the third line
disconnects the user with the ^KX code.
With a little imagination, you can force RemoteAccess to do almost anything
remotely. A text file with a ^X text file control code could be used to
automatically execute an external program "on the fly".
--- end of file RA_INC.DOC ---