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1995-05-06
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-=( LiveSystems NewsDoor for RemoteAccess systems )=-
Disclaimer:
===========
NewsDoor is Copyrighted by LiveSystems Software 1994, 1995
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
LiveSystems Software makes no warranty of any kind, either express or
implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to
this software and accompanying documentation.
IN NO EVENT SHALL LIVESYSTEMS SOFTWARE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES
RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
All other productnames found in this document are trademarks of various
companies.
What is it:
===========
LiveSystems NewsDoor is a door program which handles the showing of
newsflashes or bulletins on a RemoteAccess 2.0x BBS system.
What puts NewsDoor apart from other bulletin programs is that NewsDoor
doesn't create bulletins. It only shows them. The bulletins are
stored as messages in a standard Hudson or JAM messagebase,
maintainance is done using you nightly messagebase maintainance and
entering new flashes is done through your favourite message-editor.
Here is a list of features:
■ NewsDoor is multinode aware.
■ Versions for Hudson and for JAM base area's
■ It supports a number of multitaskers like DesqView, OS/2, Windows
and PC-MOS.
■ NewsDoor has multilanguage support.
■ Users can be asked if they want to read new bulletins or
they can be forced. Forcing also has a maximal number of forced
bulletins so the users don't have to read hundreds of old
bulletins.
■ UserOn support.
■ NewsDoor can delay before the user can press continue or stop
reading.
■ NewsDoor uses the lastread pointers to show only new bulletins.
■ Username, area etc. are all installable.
■ Automatic translation of high-ascii to low-ascii when needed.
Because of the usage of the messagebase, you can share a newsarea with
other nodes, force the users of offline readers to read them too, send
them to your points etc.
Installation:
=============
Before you install NewsDoor you first have to create a messagearea to
use for the newsflashes. While it is possible to share an area with
some other usage, it slows down the search for flashes and you probably
like to dedicate an area purely to NewsDoor.
You also want to decide on an username to use. Default for NewsDoor is
"ALL", messages to all are shown, the others are ignored. In general
you only change the used username if you want to have different
newsflashes on different subjects.
For the most basic usage of NewsDoor, you just create a Type 7
menuentry with the following optional data:
<Path>\NEWS.EXE -AREA:<AreaNr>
<Path>\JamNEWS.EXE -AREA:<JamBase>
The AreaNr is a number between 1 and 200. The JamBase is a the name
with path of a JamArea. Don't include an extention. If you used an
UserName other then the default you have to add this name like:
-U:<name>
Replace spaces in the name with underscores.
When you run a multinode system, you should an -P:*P to the optional
data.
Examples.
C:\NEWS\NEWS.EXE -AREA:200
Use hudsonbase area 200 with the default name ALL.
C:\NEWS\NEWS.EXE -AREA:200 -P:*P -U:John_Doe
Use the hudsonbase area 200 with the name "John Doe" on a multi node
system.
C:\NEWS\JamNEWS.EXE -AREA:J:\JAMBASE\FLASHES
Use JamBase J:\JAMBASE\FLASHES on a single node system.
At this point you could write a mail to your selected username and look
if you like the results.
Commandline parameters:
=======================
-ASK
Ask the user if he wants to read the flashes. If there are new
flashes, the default will be Yes, otherwise the default is No.
-FORCE[:<Count>]
For a user to read new flashes. If you keep many old flashes online
you probably want to use the count. With the :<Count> addition you
limit the force to only the <Count> newest messages. This is a good
idea because otherwise new users will have to wrestle themself
through ALL your old flashes.
Example:
-FORCE:3
Force users to read new flashes, after 3 flashes they get the chance
to stop reading.
-U:<UserName>
Use an other username for NewsDoor. The default name is "All"
Replace spaces with underscores.
Example:
-U:John_Doe
-SkipOld
Don't ask or show anything if there are only old flashes. The user
will see only a short "Loading" message.
-Del
Delays the availability of the optionline and cleans the keyboard
buffer first. Basicly this means that users cannot just press the
enter a few times to be over with it.
-AREA:<AreaNr> (NEWS.EXE)
-AREA:<JamBase> (JamNEWS.EXE)
Defines the area to use for the newsflashes.This parameter has no
default.
-T:<Time>
Limit the time inside the door. Only here for compatiblity with
older version of the door. The Time is given in minutes.
-N:<Node>
Defines the nodenumber to use. Per default NewsDoor will look for
the TASK= environment variable, search the USERON.BBS file or
default to node 1 if neither works.
-P:<CommPort>
Define the Comm. Port to use. Per default the port in the modem.ra
is used. Usage is usualy -P:*P
The FILTER.DAT file:
====================
If you write your flashes, chances are that all kind of "noise" gets
into the newsflash. Originlines, tearlines, kludges etc. To filter
all this out, you can use the FILTER.DAT file. This file contains
text-strings which have to be at the beginning of the lines to filter.
For example:
* Origin:
SEEN-BY:
---
...
Etc. Every line which starts with one of these strings is not shown on
screen. The FILTER.DAT should be located in the same directory as the
EXE file.
Other features:
===============
When you write a flash you can use the complete IBM extended-ascii
characterset. NewsDoor knows how to translate diacritical characters,
line and box-symbols and a number of the other high-ascii characters to
low-ascii when needed. Don't use silly kludges like composed
characters systems and such. How a character is shown on the screen
should be handled by the output system, not during input.
Shareware:
==========
NewsDoor is shareware. This means that you have a limited time, say 30
days, to evaluate the program. After this period you have to decide if
this program is useful for you, and if it is, to register. Continue to
use this program without registering is illegal.
When you register NewsDoor you will get a registration key which
removes the unregistered messages in the flash-screen and which adds a
registered message plus the name to who it was registered during the
program exit. This key will be usable for futher versions too.
Registration can be done by sending cash, international postal
money-order or by transferring the shareware fee to my giro-account.
Creditcards and cheques are not accepted. After the money and the
registrationform are received a key fill be send using fidonet
fileattach, Internet uuencoded mail or snailmail. Please include a
fidonet or internet address.
See the files ORDER.FRM and SUPPORT.DOC for information on how to get
support and how to register NewsDoor.