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┌──────────┐ ┌────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌──────┐
└───┐ ┌───┘ └──┐ ┌──┘ ┌┘ ┌─┐ ┌─┐ └┐ │ ┌────┘
│ │ │ │ │ ┌┘ │ │ └┐ │ │ └──┐
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ └─┘ │ │ │ ┌──┘
│ │ ┌──┘ └──┐ │ │ │ │ │ └────┐
└──┘ └────────┘ └─┘ └─┘ └──────┘
┌────┐ ┌───────┐ ┌───────┐ ┌───────┐
│ └──┐ ┌┘ └┐ ┌┘ └┐ │ ┌─┐ └┐
│ ┌──┐ │ │ ┌─┐ │ │ ┌─┐ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─┘ ┌┘
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ┌───┐ └┐
│ └──┘ │ │ └─┘ │ │ └─┘ │ │ │ └┐ │
│ ┌─┘ └┐ ┌┘ └┐ ┌┘ │ │ │ │
└─────┘ └───────┘ └───────┘ └─┘ └─┘
+ Byte Bank
Time Door version 3.16
"The Ultimate Time Banking, Gambling and Transfer Door for Wildcat!"
"Now with a Byte/Download banking!"
Time Door is a Crown Jewel BBS production (C)1990,91 Bill Bolden
Table of Contents
───────────────────
License Information.......................................... 3
Welcome to Time Door......................................... 4
Why Should I Register?.................................... 4
How to Register........................................... 4
Technical Support......................................... 4
Quick Look At Time Door................................... 4
Requirements to Run Time door................................ 5
Features of Time Door........................................ 5
How to setup Time Door....................................... 6
Tips for using BRUN45.EXE....................................6
Where can I get BRUN45.EXE...................................6
Configuring Wildcat!.........................................6
Environment Variables........................................7
Creating a batch file........................................7
How to use SETUP.EXE.......................... 8,9,10,11,12,13
General Settings...................................... 8,9,10
Time Gamble Settings................................... 10,11
Security Profiles...................................... 11,12
Maintenance............................................... 13
Print Registration........................................ 13
Convert from BTIME........................................ 13
3.0 Conversion............................................ 13
3.1 Conversion............................................ 13
Use of TDSYSOP Program................................ 14,15,16
Use of The Time Door User Editor...................... 14,15
User Overrides - What are they?.......................... 16
Sysop Commands Available in Time Door....................... 17
Use of DOS Hooks.............................................18
Use of LiveCat with Time Door................................18
Carrier Monitoring...........................................18
Use of BRK.SYS...............................................18
Features in Depth......................................19,20,21
Is Time Door Idiot Proof?................................ 19
More on Security Profiles and Overrides.................. 19
Time Prizes: What are they?........................... 19,20
How to use Time Door to Get Money........................ 20
Command Line Options..................................... 20
How Registration Works....................................20
Editing TIME.HLP......................................... 20
Operation of Door - User Perspective........................ 21
Files Used by or Included With Time Door.................... 22
Other Programs for Time Door.................................23
Poster.....................................................23
Acknowledgments............................................ 24
*2*
License
─────────
The user is granted a limited license to test this door for a reason-
able period of time which I consider one month. This door will not
expire and contains no crippling that would hinder its true evaluation.
After this period, it is required that the door be registered as out-
lined in the REGISTER.DOC included with the door. Time Door is not
public domain.
Limit of Liability
────────────────────
By the use of this product, the user agrees to all terms contained in
this document. The user accepts all responsibility for its use and the
author is in no way liable for any damage or loss of income caused by
this product. Your rights may vary from state to state. Technical
support provided by Bill Bolden, David Waldrop or any other
representative of Crown Jewel BBS is also covered by this Limit of
Liability.
Warranty
──────────
There is no warranty expressed or implied on the fitness of this
product. If you register the door, it is assumed that you have found
the door fit for your needs. Since this door is not crippled, there is
no reason to believe that the registered version will work if the
unregistered doesn't.
Distribution
──────────────
You are encouraged to distribute this file to other BBS's as long as no
specific fee is charged for this door.
Technical Support
───────────────────
Technical support is available through Crown Jewel BBS throughout the
life of CJBBS. If for some reason, Crown Jewel BBS is taken down within
one year of your registering, voice support will be offered if another
support BBS can't be found. Crown Jewel BBS support can be revoked if
the user doesn't abide by the general user requirements as outlined on
Crown Jewel BBS. Crown Jewel BBS is a public board and you will have
access to E-Mail on your first call. Access to updates may take 24
hours to verify. No ratios apply to anyone on Crown Jewel and sysops
have higher access.
Source Code Availability
──────────────────────────
For security reasons, the source code for Time Door and its
supporting programs is not available. If you are interested in writing
a utility to interact with Time Door, please contact me for the
necessary code to interact with the Time Door data files.
*3*
Welcome To Time Door!
───────────────────────
Welcome to Time Door. If this is your first try with this door, you may
want to read this file completely before trying the door. Every attempt
has been made to make the program easy to setup but there are still
some things that can only be explained in a manual such as this.
Why should I Register?
─────────────────────────
Time Door is the result of 6 months of programming followed by a year
and a half of fine tuning by sysop suggestions and Wildcat! changes.
This door is a shareware product but the time banking and gambling
portions are not crippled in any way. There are some differences
between the "Registered" and "Unregistered" version but those
differences were not designed to hinder your testing of this door in
any way. I have always made these differences clear but I still get
questions on whether or not some option does not work because the door
is not registered. The following list contains the differences between
the registered and unregistered versions.
(1) The registered version comes with a Trivia Editor.
(2) Users cannot add trivia questions in the unregistered version (you
would need the Trivia Editor to add them ).
(3) Time Prizes are not supported in the unregistered version.
(4) All SETUP beg notices are removed when you register.
(5) Users can't abort opening screen in unregistered version.
(5) The Byte/Download BANK is only available in the REGISTERED version.
(6) Registered Users are the only ones allowed to beta test Time Door.
Please reread the license agreement which is the rules by which you
test this door. If you are using the door after 30 days, please
register it or discontinue its use.
How To Register
─────────────────
In the past, I have left this information out of the manual but I get
too many questions asking for this information. To register the door,
please read the REGISTER.DOC that should have been included with this
program. However, the easiest way to register is to use the REGISTER
option in the SETUP.EXE program. Both methods explain the pricing.
In order to keep costs down, I do not accept any credit cards.
Technical Support
───────────────────
If you need help setting up the door, you can contact the author by
either calling Crown Jewel BBS at (813) 696-2444 or by calling
Mustang's HQ BBS. I cannot guarantee an answer if you leave your
question on Mustang's BBS however.
Quick Look At Time Door
─────────────────────────
If you are like me, you like to be able to look at a door immediately
after you unzip it. Time Door doesn't use complicated command lines to
run. To get a quick LOCAL look at Time Door, just unzip the files to a
directory and then type TIMEDOOR. That's all there is to it.
*4*
Requirements to Run Time Door
───────────────────────────────
In order to run Time Door, you will need the following things on your
system.
Wildcat! 3.0 or greater - This version of Time Door does not support
previous versions of Wildcat!
BRUN45.EXE - This is the runtime module necessary to run all .EXE's
bundled with this program. The file must either be in the directory
containing Time Door or it must be in a directory that is in your DOS
path.
COM1 - COM4 - Using IRQ 1-9 on any base addresses.
Features of Time Door
───────────────────────
The following is the list of some of the features of Time Door.
o Complete sysop control over users' Maximum Time Bank Balance and
Maximum Daily Withdrawal. You WON'T find more sysop control anywhere
else.
o Gambling area with three games where YOU set the odds. Do you want
this door to be tough, easy or somewhere in between? Well, that's
your option.
o Transfer section where users can transfer time to each other.
o Sysop controls that allow you to close the door during certain times
of the day or require an upload/download ratio.
o Two sysop programs that allow you to modify the user database and
configuration. You won't find any ASCII configuration files with Time
Door!
o Remote user editing capabilities through the sysop menu.
o User Overrides that allow you to override the configuration on a user
by user basis. This option is great for rewarding your better users
or punishing those users that cause you trouble.
o Full support of COM1 - COM4 using IRQ 1-9. Support for high speed
modems is offered for baud rates up to 112,000.
o Multinode Support. Time Door is programed to work in a multinode
environment.
o Users can log off from inside of Time Door. This allows your users to
get in and out more quickly.
o Full support for HOT KEYS and SPACE BAR ABORTS. Nothing is more
frustrating than having to watch endless screens in a door. You will
not have that problem with Time Door.
o Complete Byte and Download banking available in the registered
version. Please see REGISTER.DOC.
*5*
How to set up Time Door
───────────────────────
Step 1: "UnZIP" Timedoor into the directory you want to keep Time Door.
In order to avoid confusion, Time Door should be kept in its
own directory. It is not necessary to keep Time Door in your
node home directory.
Step 2: Make Sure a copy of BRUN45.EXE is available.
Tips for using BRUN45.EXE
───────────────────────────
The use of BRUN45.EXE is one of the most confusing things to setting up
a door to new sysops. The BRUN45.EXE file contains common information
used by all the executable files used by Time Door. Without this file,
the programs will not load. You can run this door or any door that
requires this file by putting a copy of BRUN45.EXE in the same
directory as the door. However, to save space on your hard drive its
best to put a copy of BRUN45.EXE in a directory that is contained in
your DOS path. This way, all doors and utilities can find the runtime
module. By compiling the programs in such a way that requires this
BRUN45.EXE, you save significant download time not to mention disk
space.
Where can I get BRUN45.EXE?
─────────────────────────────
If you need a copy of BRUN45.EXE, you can call Crown Jewel BBS at
(813) 696-2444 and download BRUN45.ZIP.
Step 3: Configuring Wildcat!
Before you can run ANY door with Wildcat!, you must tell Wildcat!
that the door exists. To do this, first load MakeWild.EXE. On the
"General Info #1" screen, option 8 is the number of doors. Set this
option to the number of doors you wish to set up. In this example, we
will assume you will only have ONE door and that door will be Time
Door. Adding more doors is easy once you figure out your first.
After setting your number of doors in GENERAL INFO #1 to 1 (more
if this is not your first door), you need to edit the access to the
door on the Door Definition Screen. Once you are on the DOOR
DEFINITION screen, arrow down to door number ONE. Once you are there,
press F2 (function key #2). At this point, you will see a list of your
security profiles. Select those security profiles that you wish to
have access to Time Door. Once you have done that set the MULTIUSER
flag next to "Y" as Time Door will work with multiple users. Wildcat!
is now configured and will recognize the door batch file so you can
leave MakeWild.
In the case of a multinode system or in a system that uses COM3 or
COM4, you must have the proper environment variables set. Please read
the following section if this applies to you.
*6*
Environment Variables
──────────────────────
Time Door uses two DOS environment variables. The first is the node
number set with SET WCNODEID=## where ## is the node number. You do not
need to set this variable if you are running a single line system. If
you are using a nonstandard interrupt for your communications port, you
will also need to use the SET WCIRQID=## where ## is the IRQ of your
port. This variable MUST be set if you are using a nonstandard IRQ for
COM 3 or COM 4. If you are using a non-standard base address, you must
also set the WCBASEID variable. If you use the WCBASEID variable, you
must also use WCNODEID variable. See your Wildcat! manual for more
information on environment variables.
Step 4: Creating a batch file.
Before you start Time Door, you will need to create a batch file that
will load the door. You should only have to create ONE batch file even
if you are using Time Door on a multinode system. Basically there will
be two types of batch files. Assuming that Time Door will be your Door
number one, you would name your batch file DOOR1.BAT and place it in
your Node Home Directory (The directory containing WILDCAT.EXE).
If you use the shell option for doors, your DOOR1.BAT would look
like...
CD\DOOR\TIMEDOOR <==== Change to the directory containing Time Door.
This can be any directory you wish.
TIMEDOOR REMOTE <==== The REMOTE command line option tells Time
Door to read the DOOR.SYS and USERINFO.DAT.
For a complete list of command line options, please see "Features in
Depth."
If you terminate Wildcat! before you load your doors, then you will
need to add an extra line that will reload the Wildcat! program.
If you use more than one node home directory, you can't use the REMOTE
command line. Time Door offers another command line that allows you to
specify which node home directory to use.
For example:
TIMEDOOR C:\WC30\
This would tell Time Door that you want to use C:\WC30 as your node
home directory. This command line overrides the node home directory set
in SETUP.EXE. It must include the last "\" to work properly.
Step 5: Load the SETUP.EXE program and set all the options to your
taste. A section of this file is dedicated to the explanation of the
SETUP.EXE program. It is important that you read that section to get an
idea how to setup Time Door most effectively.
*7*
How to Use SETUP.EXE
──────────────────────
First of all the SETUP program requires BRUN45.EXE. This is the same
BRUN45.EXE that is necessary to run Time Door. Mouse support is
offered throughout the SETUP program if you happen to have a mouse
connected to your computer. When you load Time Door, you will be shown
a menu with the following options:
General Settings
Time Gamble Settings
Security Definition
Print Registration Form
Run Maintenance /M
Convert From BTIME
3.0 Conversion
3.1 Conversion
Quit Program
General Settings
──────────────────
General Settings are those settings that control the major functions of
Time Door. Every field on this screen should be checked carefully to be
sure everything matches your system. When you pick General Settings you
will be asked to fill in the following fields (Note: Most of the help
listed in this DOC file will be displayed as you go from field to
field):
- BBS -
Enter the name of your BBS.
- Sysop's Name -
This allows you to enter the door more quickly when you load Time
Door locally. Its not used anywhere else in the program.
- Local Security Level -
This is the security level that will be given to ANY user who loads
Time Door locally. This would normally be the security level given to
sysops.
- Allow [G]oodbye -
This option allows you to turn off the [G]oodbye function inside Time
Door. If you don't want users to be able to log off from inside the
door, toggle this option to "NO."
- Screen Writing Toggle -
You can set the default method Time Door uses to choose whether or not
it should write to the local screen when a remote user is using Time
Door. ALWAYS ON will mean that Time Door will write to the local
screen no matter what. ALWAYS OFF will turn off screen writing on the
local screen even if Wildcat!'s screen writing is turned on. READ
WILDCAT! is the preferred setting and will mean that Time Door will use
screen writing when Wildcat! has local screen writing turned on and
Time Door will not write to the local screen when Wildcat!'s screen
writing is turned off. [F6] toggles screen writing when a user is
online.
*8*
- Usage Log Toggle -
Time Door can log its activity in one of two ways. The first way is to
a file called TIMEDOOR.LOG. This file is kept in the directory with
Time Door and will be used by all nodes in a multinode system. The
second way Time Door can log its activity is to your ACTIVITY.XXX
(where XXX is the node number). Time Door's remarks should not
interfere with log scanners. If you do not wish to have your user's
activity logged, then a NONE option is provided. When NONE is chosen,
no log of activity is kept.
- Modem Handshake Toggle -
If you are using a plain 2400 baud modem, you can toggle this option to
NONE and skip reading the rest of this. If you are using a high speed
modem or locking your COM port at a high baud rate, you may need to use
some sort of "handshaking." Time Door offers three types which are
CTS/RTS, XON/XOFF or a combination of the two. Please see your modem
manual and your Wildcat! settings to help decide which handshaking you
need to use. IF YOU LOCK YOUR COM PORT, ITS IMPORTANT TO USE SOME SORT
OF HANDSHAKING. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN THE TIME DOOR ANSI
SCREENS BEING MESSED UP AND IN SOME CASES UNREADABLE.
- Time Left Toggle -
When a user logs on to the system, they have a certain amount of time
left for the call and a certain amount of time left for the day. This
toggle will allow you to give your users access to their time left for
the day when they enter Time Door. The problem with this occurs when
you have set Wildcat! to limit a caller's per call time. For example,
if you give your users 120 minutes PER DAY and 60 minutes PER CALL, the
user could go into Time Door and get their whole 120 minutes and leave
with it. If you set the toggle to the CALL option, the user will only
be able to deposit and play with the 60 minutes they are given for the
call. In most cases this is the best option. However, when HARD EVENTS
approach, your users will have lower times to compensate for the event.
So to sum it up, the DAY option only gives the user access to their
time left for the DAY and the CALL option only gives the user access to
their time left for the call. If you have HARD EVENTS, you will need to
choose between the two. If you do not use HARD EVENTS, then the CALL
option is best for you.
- Upload to Download Ratio -
Time Door will allow you to require a certain upload to download ratio
before a user can enter the door. This ratio is enforced by turning it
on either in the security profiles section or by using a user override.
This field sets the number of files a person can download per upload.
Please see either the Security Profiles or User Override sections to
learn how to turn this ratio on. When a user enters with an
inappropriate download ratio, they will be told in a user friendly way
how many files they need to upload before they are allowed to use the
door.
- Delete Users after [ ] Days of Inactivity -
Using the setup's Maintenance option you can delete users who have not
used the door for the number of days you set in this field. Please see
the section on Maintenance to learn more about this Time Door option.
*9*
- Door Sponsor -
If you wish to solicit funds from your users to help register this
door, you can award the user(s) who give you the registration fee for
this program by putting their name in the opening screen. When you put
a name in this field, it will show up on the main screen along with the
BBS name. If you are not a registered user then this field will be
ignored.
- Node Home Directory -
As stated earlier, your node home directory is your main Wildcat!
directory where you keep the WILDCAT.EXE and your activity log(s).
Enter your node home directory here. The ending "\" is important.
- Bulletin Name -
In this field, enter the name (including the directory) that you want
to call the statistics bulletin created by Time Door when a user exits
the door. The file name should end with .BBS as the bulletin uses the
"@" color codes so no .SCR file is created. If you don't want a
bulletin created, enter "NONE" in this field.
Setup Program: Time Gamble Settings
─────────────────────────────────────
As the sysop, you have a great deal of control over how much time a
user can win in this door. This door keeps statistics on how well each
game "pays out." By checking these statistics, you can make sure that
the Time Gamble section is not too easy or too hard. When you select
the "Time Gamble Settings" part of the setup program, you will be asked
to fill in the following fields:
- Sysop's Raffle Take -
The Sysop's Time Raffle take is the percentage of every minute gambled
that can't be won. For example, if you set the raffle take to 30% and
a user gambles 10 minutes only 70% or 7 minutes will be added to the
grand prize pot. The other 30%, the Sysop's Time Raffle take, is just
lost. If your users are winning too much in the Time Raffle section,
set this higher.
- Beginning Pot -
The beginning pot, is the amount of time that will be used to start the
Time Raffle pot whenever a user wins the pot. This time must be enough
to entice your users to play in the beginning. After that, the
increasing pot will entice users to play. NOTE: The sysop's raffle take
will be taken from the beginning pot.
- Number of Trivia Questions Allowed Per Day -
This is the maximum number of Trivia Challenge questions a user can
attempt in one day. If this field is set to zero, the user will be told
that the trivia section is closed.
- Largest Bet for a Single Trivia Question -
A user has to bet at least 5 minutes when they play the trivia
challenge portion of Time Door. This field sets the maximum amount of
time that the user can bet on a single question.
- Scratch N Win Odds -
There are three odds for the Scratch-N-Win section: EASY, MEDIUM and
HARD. Easy odds will return approximately 100% of the time gambled.
The MEDIUM odds will return approximately 80% of the time gambled while
the HARD odds will return approximately 60% of the time gambled.
*10*
- Birthday Gift -
This field specifies the amount of time the user will be given on their
birthday. Upon entry of Time Door, the user will receive a notice
wishing them a Happy Birthday and informing them of their extra time.
This field is a nice way to show your users that you care. If this
field is blank or set to 0, it will be ignored. $$Registered Version
Only$$
SETUP MENU: Security Profiles
────────────────────────────────
One of the most powerful functions of Time Door is the Security
Profiles section. This section will explain how to use the security
profiles in a way that best fits your system needs.
- What are security profiles? -
Security profiles are a security level controlled system that allows
you to control 13 major functions on a security level basis (meaning
you can have a different setting for each security level). The
functions controlled by the security profiles (and their descriptions)
are listed below:
- Maximum Bank Balance -
This is the maximum amount of time that a user can keep in their Time
Bank account.
- Maximum Daily Withdrawal -
This is the maximum amount of time that a user can withdraw from their
Time Bank account in a single day. This keeps your users from tying up
your system for hours if you set the Maximum Bank Balance to a high
number.
- Access Bank Menu, Access Gambling Menu, & Access Transfer Menu -
These toggles control the users ability to access the three main menus.
If the toggle is set to "NO" the user will not be able to access that
particular menu.
- Access SysOp menu -
This toggles the user's ability to access the SysOp menu. Special care
should be used to make sure that regular users are not given access to
the SysOp menu.
- Cross Security Transfers -
Generally, you don't want users of different security levels
transferring time back and forth to each other ESPECIALLY if you give
access to Time Door on your users' first call. If you allow users to
transfer time on their first call, the temptation to log in under a
fake name and transfer time to their real name will be great. This
option allows you to turn on Cross Security Transfers to those users
you trust.
- Apply Download Ratio -
This toggle determines whether or not users matching the security
profile, will have to maintain the upload/download ratio you set in the
"General Settings" section.
*11*
- Access Byte Bank -
This setting determines if the users of the profile should have access
to the byte/download bank.
- Maximum Download Balance -
This is the maximum number of downloads that the user can store in his
or her bank.
- Maximum Kilobyte Balance -
This is the maximum number of kilobytes that the user can store in his
or her bank.
- Maximum Daily Download Withdrawal -
This is the maximum number of downloads the user can withdraw in a
single day.
- Maximum Daily Kilobyte Withdrawal -
This is the maximum number of kilobytes the user can withdraw in a
single day.
- How to Edit and Add security Profiles -
When you select the "Security Definition" option on the main menu you
will be shown another menu with the security profile options. When you
select "Add a Security Definition" you will be given a screen full of
fields that need to be filled. The first field, is the security profile
name that MUST match exactly the security profile name set in Wildcat!.
The other fields are described above. When you are done, press ESC and
you will be asked if you want to save the profile. Editing your Time
Door profiles is done easily with the "Edit Security Definitions"
option. When you select that option, a window will pop up with a list
of your security definitions. Use the arrow keys to highlight the
security profile you want to edit and press ENTER.
- The Importance of the DEFAULT Security Profile -
The default security definition is the profile given to any user whose
security level is not found in the list. You MUST set the options of
the default security level and it must remain on your list. The
default security level is important for two reasons. The first reason
is that it can save time if you have a lot of security profiles. If you
do have many Wildcat! security profiles, then use the DEFAULT settings
to apply to the majority of your users. Then just set up Time Door
profiles that are EXCEPTIONS to the default settings. The second reason
to use the DEFAULT settings is that you may forget to add a profile to
Time Door after you add one to Wildcat!.
- Other Profile Editing Options -
There are two other security definition editing options. The first
allows you to copy a profile. When you select this option, you will be
first asked which profile you want to copy from and then which profile
you want to copy to. Pressing ESCAPE at either one of these windows
will abort the copy. Once you select the profile you want to copy to,
you will be placed in the editing portion in case you have any changes
you wish to make. Note: The copy process occurs once you select the
second profile. Pressing ESCAPE and answering NO to the save option on
the edit screen will have no effect when copying profiles.
*12*
Run Maintenance /M
─────────────────────
In the "General Settings" portion of the setup program you can set the
maximum number of days a user can stay out of Time Door before they are
deleted for inactivity. To delete these inactive users, you need to use
the Run Maintenance option which will do the deletion. The maintenance
will also compress the database if you have deleted any users. If you
wish to run maintenance in your nightly events, they you can load
SETUP.EXE from the command line using the /M command line like:
SETUP /M
Print Registration Form
─────────────────────────
If you wish to register Time Door, then you can either fill out the
REGISTER.DOC file included with Time Door or you can use this option to
print out a ready to mail form for you. When you select this option,
you will be asked to fill in several fields. Explanations of each field
will be placed at the bottom of the screen.
Convert From BTIME
───────────────────
If you are converting from BTIME or Dimension 2000's Time Bank, you can
use this option to keep all your Time Bank balances. To convert your
data files, copy your ACCOUNTS.DAT file from your old Time Bank
directory to your Time Door directory. Then select the CONVERT DATA
FILES option which will do the conversion. Its quick and easy and will
keep your users happy!
3.0 Conversion
────────────────
To convert from the 2.X versions of Time Door, you need to convert your
TIME.DAT to work with Time Door 3.0. Choose this option and follow the
instructions to perform the conversion. More information can be found
in the UPGRADE.TXT file.
3.1 Conversion
────────────────
Version 3.1 has some minor database changes that must be made for Time
Door to work properly. The 3.1 conversion should be run before Time
Door 3.1 is run for the first time.
* End of SETUP.EXE Information *
After you have made all necessary changes in SETUP then you are ready
to run Time Door.
*13*
Use of the TDSYSOP.EXE Program
────────────────────────────────
Another important sysop tool included with Time Door is TDSYSOP.EXE.
This file can be accessed by either typing TDSYSOP from the DOS prompt
or by selecting [S] from the main menu of Time Door. The latter method
has the advantage of giving you access to the sysop menu remotely if
necessary. When you load the SysOp menu, you will be given the
following list of functions:
List Users in Door
User Editor
Edit TDMASTER.DAT
Add a User to Database
Statistics on Door
Quit Sysop Menu
- List Users in Door -
This option will list users in the door in five ways. The first is to
list all users in the order that they appear in the data files. The
second is to list users that have used Time Door today. The third
listing method is to list users in debt. Users get in debt when they
run out of time and don't have time in the bank. The fourth option
allows you to list users with any overrides and the fifth lists
users who have current time prizes (registered version).
-User Editor-
This option allows you to edit your user's Time Door records.
Use of the Time Door User Editor
──────────────────────────────────
You are given several choices when you pick the user editor. This
section will explain each of the choices in detail:
- Name -
This option allows you to change the name of the user as it appears in
Time Door's records. You may wonder why you would want to do this.
Well, if you change a user's name in Wildcat! and that user wants to
have their Time Bank account, you must also change their name in Time
Door or Time Door will not recognize the person and assume they are
new.
- Time, Byte, and Download Balance -
This is the user's Time Bank or byte bank balances. You can change
these to whatever you want and you are not limited by the user's
maximum balance.
*14*
- Give a One Time Prize -
This will give the user a prize of the number of minutes you specify on
their next use of Time Door. This feature is explained in "Features in
Depth" and is only available to registered users of Time Door.
- Give a daily prize over a time period -
This option will give the user a prize for the number of minutes you
specify every day on their first entry of Time Door for the number of
days you enter. This feature is also explained in "Features in Depth"
and is only available to registered users of Time Door.
- Prize List/Delete Prizes -
This option will list all prizes that are listed for the user. It will
also prompt you for a prize number to delete. You don't have to delete
a prize if you use this option.
- Delete User -
This will delete the user from the database. Note: Maintenance must be
run after deleting a user if you want to free up the disk space that
was used by the user's record.
- User Overrides -
This option allows you to edit the overrides for the user.
*15*
User Overrides - What are they?
─────────────────────────────────
User Overrides are like a security profile that are done on a user by
user basis. They can be found on the user editor screen by pressing
"O". The same settings that can be set in a security profile can be
set with overrides. Once again, those features that can be set with a
user override are:
Bank Menu Access
Trivia Menu Access
Transfer Menu Access
Sysop Menu Access
File Ratio Override
Cross Security Transfer
Bank Balance Maximum
Daily Maximum Withdrawal
Byte/Download Menu Access
Use the override features to help those users who need extra time in an
emergency or to punish those users who may be abusing Time Door.
- Edit TDMASTER.DAT -
Your TDMASTER.DAT file is where all your statistics are stored. You can
edit this file with the "Edit TDMASTER.DAT" option. The settings
explain themselves so if you feel it necessary to change your door
statistics, use this option.
- Add a User to Database -
If you find it necessary to add a user to Time Door's database, use
this option. This becomes important when you want to give a time prize
to someone who hasn't used Time Door yet.
- Clear User Overrides -
This option will clear all overrides set in the user editor. This
option cannot be stopped once its started and should only be used if
you KNOW you want to clear every single user override.
- Statistics on Door Use -
This option will display a screen of statistics on your data files.
This option is important because it will show you which gambling games
are the most popular and which games are returning more than the users
are gambling.
*16*
Sysop Commands Available in Time Door
───────────────────────────────────────
Many Wildcat! doors use the same SysOp commands. Here are a list of
Time Door sysop commands.
[F10] Return to Wildcat!: This will give you a list of ways to return
users to Wildcat!. After pressing F10, you will be given a list of
things to tell the user before returning them to Wildcat!. Simply put,
this will allow you to lie to the user if you wish instead of informing
him that you want him to go to Wildcat! All the choices are self
explanatory and serve the same purpose.
[2] and [8] (NUMBER PAD ONLY): These two will lower(2) or raise(8) the
users time left on the system. Unlike other doors, this time change
will be permanent and be passed back to Wildcat!.
[F2] User Stats: Will show the stats of the user on-line in the door.
This WILL NOT interfere with operation of the door. The user will not
know that you are viewing their statistics. All statistics will be
drawn over the command line at the bottom and will remain until you
press [F2] again. At times like during [H]elp, the F2 option will be
turned off. If the statistics don't pop up at the bottom, wait and the
statistics will be shown at the next possible moment.
[F6] Screen Writing Toggle: Use to toggle screen writing.
[F7] Chat: Will put you in simple chat mode with the user on-line.
** Chat, Statistics, and DROP to DOS are not available in the SysOp
menu.
*17*
Use of DOS Hooks
───────────────────
If you decide to run Time Door as a hook from one of your menus, then
you need to simply create the batch file appropriate for that menu.
This method of loading Time Door is perfect as Time Door is more like a
utility than an ordinary door. See your Wildcat! manual for more
information on DOS hooks.
Use of LiveCat with Time Door
───────────────────────────────
I realize the popularity of the LiveCat program with many Wildcat!
sysops but due to the way LiveCat operates, Time Door will not run
though LiveCat. This is due to the fact that LiveCat temporarily
adjusts the users time to account for restrictions that LiveCat offers.
Time Door needs a CURRENT correct time that can be immediately given to
Wildcat!. This means Wildcat! must load Time Door and Wildcat! must
reload immediately after the user exits Time Door. If you run LiveCat
and wish to run Time Door also, simply set Time Door up as a separate
door or better yet, use one of the many DOS hooks offered in Wildcat!.
In order that you can maintain some control over Time Door without
using LiveCat, I have added a files ratio and the ability to close the
door during certain times of the day.
Once again, there is absolutely no way to get Time Door to work as a
LiveCat door.
Carrier Monitoring
────────────────────
If a user drops carrier, the door will immediately go into local
mode and head for the exit. This will assure that the user's time is
changed in Wildcat! even though the user has hung up. Use of carrier
monitors like Watchdog will defeat the error handling of the door and
shouldn't be used. In effect, they would cause the computer to reboot
thus never giving Time Door a chance to tell Wildcat! that the user's
time left has been changed. Believe me, users will pick up on this very
quickly and hang up if they lose time or make a deposit to cheat your
system if you use Watchdog.
Use of BRK.SYS
────────────────
Time Door will ignore any CTRL-C received through the modem so use of
drivers like BRK.SYS are not necessary. You may be able to break out of
the door locally, but doing so remotely is impossible. Redirecting
commands like CTTY COM1 should not be used in your door batch file for
any reason whatsoever.
*18*
Features in Depth
───────────────────
This section will explain some of the functions of Time Door that may
not be easy to understand or need some extra explanation to use them in
the best way possible.
- Is Time Door Idiot Proof? -
When I program, I use an approach that assumes that both the person
setting up the program and user who uses it will do everything that
they are not supposed to do. This also means that I have written the
program with the understanding that some users may do things to try to
trick the door out of time. Consequently, the Time Door has several
security measures that prevent things like this from happening.
Now I did apply this "Idiot Proof" technique to the sysop's end also.
This file goes into great detail on how to use the setup program but
even without reading this file, the setup program pretty much explains
itself through help windows. This file explains user overrides and
Security Profiles when you could get by just using the Default Profile
and forgetting about the rest. Finally, this file explains the use of
the TDSYSOP program when there is nothing in that program that HAS to
be run to keep the door going. The door is powerful but that power is
not at the expense of ease of use.
- More on Security Profiles and User Overrides -
Basically, Security Profiles and User Overrides are the same thing with
the exception that security profiles apply to every user of a certain
security level and User Overrides just apply to a single user. To
better understand the way these things work, here is what Time Door
does when a user comes into the door:
1) Time Door checks and finds the user's Wildcat! security level name.
2) Time Door then checks its lists of profiles to see if any of the
profiles match the user's. If it doesn't find a match, the DEFAULT
profile is given to the user.
3) It then checks to see if any user overrides are in place. If the
door finds any overrides, those limits are used instead of the
profile limits.
So security profiles are exceptions to the DEFAULT security profile and
User Overrides are exceptions to the security profile.
- Time Prizes: What are they? -
Time Prizes are a way to reward your users for anything you wish. If
you have a BBS contest such as a trivia contest or "Top Uploader of the
Month", you can use a Time Prize to reward the user who wins. This is a
great prize mainly because its FREE! When you give a prize to a user,
the prize is displayed to the user when they go into the door.
There are two type of prizes you can give. The first is a "One Time
Prize" which is given to the user upon their next entry of the door. If
you wish to add your own special message when the user gets the prize,
create a file called PRIZE??.BBS where ?? is the amount of the prize.
For example, if you give a prize of 60 minutes, create a file called
PRIZE60.BBS in your Time Door directory and that file will be displayed
to the user when they are given the 60 minute prize. If no file is
present, a default message will be sent. Color codes of any kind are
not allowed.
Poster, the message posting contest companion to Time Door, can use
Time prizes to reward your users also.
*19*
The second type of prize is a "Daily Prize Over a Time Period." This
prize allows you to give a user a prize everyday for the number of days
you specify. For example, you can give a prize of 30 minutes every day
for 30 days. Like the "One Time Prize", you can use a display file
with this prize also in the form DAILY??.BBS where ?? is the amount of
the prize. In the above example, the file would be DAILY30.BBS.
The unregistered version of Time Door will allow you to enter Time
Prizes but the user will not receive the prizes unless your version is
registered.
- How to Use Time Door to Get Money -
Time Door's many configuration options allow you to set up more
restrictive profiles for unpaid users and give higher access to
security levels that belong to users that have supported your system.
This is perfect for encouraging BBS support.
- Command Line Options -
A command line option is a setting passed to Time Door by placing the
command after the DOS filename with you load the program. Currently
there are four (4) different ways to load the program.
TIMEDOOR <=== If no command line is given, the door will load in
local mode.
TIMEDOOR LOCAL <=== This command line option load the door locally and
is the same as above.
TIMEDOOR REMOTE <=== This command line option tells Time Door to read
the USERINFO.DAT and DOOR.SYS.
TIMEDOOR C:\HOME\ <= This option allows you to override the node home
directory setting in the setup program and will
load the USERINFO.DAT and DOOR.SYS also. This is
only necessary if you use more than one node home
directory on a multinode system.
- How Registration Works -
When you register Time Door, you will either download or be mailed a
file called TIMEDOOR.ID. This file, when placed in your Time Door
directory, will turn the distributed unregistered versions to
registered versions. This means you don't have to download future
updates from Crown Jewel BBS.
- Editing the TIME.HLP File -
In the course of operating the door, you may want to edit the help
instructions that the users sees. If you wish to do this, you can load
the file in your favorite ASCII editor and add or delete whatever you
want. There are several markers in the file that tell the door where to
start reading each help section. These markers are separated by "*"'s
and should not be edited in any way.
*20*
Operation of the Door - User Perspective
──────────────────────────────────────────
This section is devoted to things that you should know about the door.
I won't cover operation of the door itself as that information is
contained on the help options.
- Loans -
If a user loses all their time or deposits all their time into the
bank, Time Door will "give" them 2 minutes to log off. If the user
doesn't have any time in the bank to take, the door will make a loan to
the user. This loan will be denoted by a -2 balance. If a user is given
a loan, they will have that loan taken from them the next time they
enter the door.
- Gambling Odds -
I created Time Door with the feeling that the gambling portion
shouldn't be too easy. Keep track of the won/lost totals and you will
be able to keep the games as hard as is necessary to keep the door from
giving away too much time. When I say XX% return, I mean that for
every minute gambled approximately XX% of that minute will be
returned. PLEASE READ!!!! About once a month, I get reports telling
me that the odds are too easy and users are winning too much time. This
is not my fault!!! You are the one that sets the odds and the rules in
the gambling area. SETUP.EXE is your friend and you should get to know
it well if you want to keep Time Door behaving nicely.
- Quick Deposits and Withdrawals -
To make a deposit or withdrawal from any menu, all a user needs to do
is select D (deposit) or W (Withdrawal) and they will be instantly
taken to the correct area. After the deposit or withdrawal, the user
will be returned to the Time Bank menu.
*21*
Files Used by or Included with Time Door
──────────────────────────────────────────
TIMEDOOR.EXE - Main executable program for Time Door. Command line
options available are REMOTE for use through Wildcat!
and LOCAL for local usage.
TDSYSOP.EXE - Sysop menu options for Time Door. This program can be
run locally by just typing TDSYSOP. Note: if you
experience out of memory errors when trying to run the
setup menu though Time Door, you will need to run
TDSYSOP in local mode only.
SETUP.EXE - The program used to set all Time Door configuration. To
run the maintenance portion, type SETUP /M.
TDEDIT.EXE - Program to view, edit, or print trivia questions.
Registered Users Only.
TIME.DAT - The data file holding all user data.
TIME.PRZ - The data file holding all Time Prizes.
TIME.PRF - The data file holding all Security Profile Information.
TRIVIA.DAT - The data file holding all trivia questions and the
statistics on how many times a question was missed or
guessed correctly.
TIMEDOOR.CFG - The data file holding your general and gamble settings.
TIME.PRF - The data file holding your user profile configurations.
TIME.HLP - The help file for Time Door.
PRIZEXX.BBS - The file displayed to any user who is given a time prize
of the amount XX.
DAILYXX.BBS - The file displayed to any user who wins a daily prize of
the amount XX.
SYSOP.DOC - This file.
UPGRADE.TXT - The file containing upgrade information. Read this file
before attempting to use any new version of Time Door.
TIMEDOOR.HIS - The file containing information about each release of
Time Door. Look at this file to see what has changed
from previous versions.
USERS.LST - The list of registered users of Time Door.
*22*
Other Programs available for Time Door
──────────────────────────────────────
Poster - Poster is another program written by Bill Bolden that
interacts with Time Door to encourage your users to post messages.
Poster keeps monthly totals of messages posted and at the end of the
month it awards Time Prizes to your top posters. Poster also creates
3 different bulletins designed to motivate your users to post. Look for
POSTERXX.ZIP (where XX is the version number) on the BBS where you
downloaded Time Door. Once you start using Poster, you will wonder how
you got along without it! Poster's registration is only $5.00 (more
for foreign oders).
T-Bullet is a program that creates an alphabetized list of all users
in Time Door along with their various balances. This file can be
downloaded from Crown Jewel BBS as T-BULLxx where xx is the version
number. This program is free of charge.
*23*
Acknowledgments
─────────────────
My thanks go to the following people for their assistance with this
door...
David Waldrop - The other Sysop on Crown Jewel BBS. David helped with
this door in more ways than can be listed. Time Door
would not have existed without his assistance.
James Bolden - The one paying to educate the author of this program.
Thanks Dad!
Rick Emmick - Sysop of the Learning Experience BBS (818) 913-6843 who
reported the most troubles with version 1.0.
Tim Wells - Sysop of The Old Rugged Cross BBS (404) 695-7724. Tim
is the first person to register Time Door. Thanks
Tim!!!
Phill Terry - SysOp of Ginger's Port Limited (614) 794-3143
Michael Callaghan - SysOp of Hottips BBS, Glendale (818) 248-3088
Phill and Michael are the sole reason that I am not releasing Time Door
version 2.99. Their ability to find bugs in the early beta versions of
2.0 allowed me to release a relatively bug free program.
Robert Cole for the constant word of mouth that he has put out about
this door. He has made my day more than once.
If there is someone I am forgetting to thank, I apologize. Many people
have been helpful in making this door a success and I thank you all!
Finally, special thanks go to Jeff Sumberg for his excellent QBSERIAL
routines.
How to contact the Author
...Bill Bolden may be reached at one of the following...
Crown Jewel BBS (813) 696-2444
Mustang HQ BBS
...David Waldrop may be reached at...
Crown Jewel BBS Page any time day or night (Grin)
Compuserve 72007,304
Note: David is in charge of registration distribution.
Time Door is (C)1990,91 Bill Bolden Wildcat! is (C) Mustang Software
Live Cat is (C) Steve Cox Quick Basic is (C) Microsoft Corp.
For more information on the communications routines used by this
program, contact Jeff Sumberg at the SailBoard BBS (201)-831-8152 in
Wayne, New Jersey.
*24*