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Addendum Documentation and Setup Hints for The Complete User Registration Management System Version 4.0 Hints for Setting Up the Program: Over the past few years, I have had many sysops call me needing help setting up the door program. I have no problems with the setup. However, I programed it, so I understand exactly the way the program works. If you are having trouble, read through this section, and if you are still confused, give my BBS a call and leave me a note for help, I'll get back to you within 48 hours in most cases. Let's do this in an orderly manner so maybe it's easier to understand. I will not go into details about the various file formats, etc., you can refer to the documentation for the verifier door for that information. Step #1: Decide on TEMPORARY Security Levels for NEW USERS This section can be one of the most confusing. The door will upgrade new users to a TEMPORARY level which had whatever access you want new users to have until they are verified through the door from the registration number you send them created by the door. These temporary security levels are given from the script questionnaires. Each script will upgrade the user to a new security level, new expired security level, days to expiration and additional conferences. In my setup that is part of the archive, I have script questionnaires and TEMPORARY Security settings for the following types of users: For my setups, I'd record the following information: Script Questionnaire Temp.Sec. Exp.Sec. Exp.Days. Confs. Regular Users 8 8 60 0 Visiting Co-Sysops 9 9 60 6,7 Visiting Sysops 10 10 60 6,7 Visiting MetroLink Sysops 11 11 60 5 Overseas Callers 37 30 60 0 Each of these scripts has it's own Temporary Upgrade Settings contained in the control file SCRIPTS.DAT explained later. For now, just decide and write down the levels you want TEMPORARY levels for, the user's expired security level, expiration date and any additional conferences you would like them to have access to, if any. Each Script also allows a minimum and maximum security level for new users to be allowed to answer it. Their current security level must fall within the range you specify for them to be asked if they want to answer the questionnaire. So, keep in mind the ranges to have the questionnaire available. (I only allow users with a level 10 to answer the MetroLink script since they are supposed to be sysops, and should have answered the SYSOP script, if not, they don't get asked the MetroLink script. __________________________________________________________________ Lance Williams, Author (315)245-3815 USR DS HST/V.32 Page 1 Verifier Door Addendum Documentation & Setup Hints Step #2: Decide on VERIFIED Security Levels for NEW USERS Now you need to decide how the temporary levels will be upgraded when they get their registration number in the mail and call your system back and enter the door. You will need an upgrade level for EACH different security level you have available in your scripts. These new levels are the final upgrades done by the door except for credit card subscription purchases. In my setup, I have a final upgrade for each of the scripts mentioned in Step #1. These levels are stored in your door configuration file, so you have different upgrades for different nodes. You can also set the expired security level and the expiration date, so decide on those as well for each TEMPORARY Security level and write them down. For my setup, I would have the following: Type of User: Temp.Sec. Reg.Sec. Exp.Sec. Exp.Days Regular Users 8 55 30 365 Visiting Co-Sysops 9 78 78 0 Visiting Sysops 10 90 90 0 Visiting MetroLink Sysops 11 96 90 0 Overseas Callers 37 55 30 0 (Expiration Days = 0 for no expiration) Step #3: Write your script questionnaires for upgrading access This is easy enough. Just figure out what you want to ask your users for each level of access you will be giving with each script questionnaire. You should also keep in mind the type of answer you want each question to allow, as you can control the answers to the questions from the script questionnaire file. You will also have to decide on a path/filename for an intro screen to the script as well as a single line description. If you want a script to be mandatory for all users, put $ALL$ in the single line description, and the users will be forced to answer the script. I do that with my BASIC.DAT script, which is for all new users. To see some sample scripts, take a look at the ones included in the archive. They are too long to include here. Write these script questions down for later reference. Step #4: Decide on CURRENT USERS script upgrades Each script questionnaire can also be used for CURRENT Users to be allowed to upgrade their access. So, like the TEMPORARY Levels, you can decide what upgrade you want a user to have if the user is already on the system (not a NEW USER). The access to these scripts can also be controlled by a minimum security level, as with new users. For my setup, it looks like this: __________________________________________________________________ Lance Williams, Author (315)245-3815 USR DS HST/V.32 Page 2 Verifier Door Addendum Documentation & Setup Hints Script Questionnaire Min.Sec. New Sec. Exp.Sec. Exp.Days. Regular Users 30 -1 -1 0 Visiting Co-Sysops 30 78 78 0 Visiting Sysops 30 90 90 0 Visiting MetroLink Sysops 80 96 90 0 Overseas Callers 30 55 30 0 (Sec. Level = -1 for NO CHANGE) Step #5: Set up the Script Questionnaires and SCRIPTS.DAT file Well, now that you have decided on all the information above, you are ready to start to configure your system. You can start the CONFIG.EXE program, as it's the easiest way to do the setup. So, start the CONFIG program, an you are presented with the main menu. Select option #2 first to setup your script files. Just follow the prompts and enter the information as you recorded it already. Your script questionnaire files and the SCRIPTS.DAT file will be created as you enter the scripts. If you want to change the order of the scripts that are asked, just edit your SCRIPTS.DAT file to change the order of the lines. Step #6: Set up the door configuration files After you have set up all your scripts and have returned to the main menu of the CONFIG.EXE program, you can now select option #1 and set up the CFG files for the door. You need a separate one for each node. All of the information you are prompted for is simple and straight forward, except for the final entries, which are what you decided on in Step #2 above. For the display screens, you can put them into a subdirectory off of the door directory, and use a shortened path statement to direct the program to the files (IE: SCREENS\WELCOME). Just enter the information as you are prompted. Step #7: Set up PCBoard's PWRD file for the new security levels You must remember to have an entry in your PCBoard PWRD file for each security level you have in all of your configuration areas. If you do no have an entry in the PWRD file for a security level, when someone is assigned that level and is then returned to PCBoard, they will get an error message that there is no corresponding entry in PWRD so their time is set to 10 minutes. Usually, the user was in door for almost 10 minutes, so they are logged off, having used all their time for the day! __________________________________________________________________ Lance Williams, Author (315)245-3815 USR DS HST/V.32 Page 3 Verifier Door Addendum Documentation & Setup Hints Step #8: Decide on Credit Card Subscription Levels and Setups If you are not going to offer credit card subscriptions, be sure that your UPGRADES.DAT file has been deleted, along with security display screens, all of which were contained within the sub-zip CREDCARD.ZIP, or just don't unzip the file CREDCARD.ZIP. If you are going to offer credit card subscriptions, unzip the file CREDCARD.ZIP into a subdirectory off your main door directory. This will store your help screens and displays in a separate location from all the rest of the door. Move the UPGRADES.DAT file to the main verifier door directory so the program can access it. For credit card subscriptions, you need to decide what the levels, subscription term, additional conferences, the cost of the subscription, and the information display file are going to be. Once you decide these figures, the rest is easy. For my setups, the decisions look like the following: Sec. Exp. Days Confs. Cost Disp. file 40 365 0 15.00 SUBS\40 45 365 0 20.00 SUBS\45 50 365 0 25.00 SUBS\50 55 365 0 30.00 SUBS\55 60 365 0 40.00 SUBS\60 65 365 0 50.00 SUBS\65 You also have to decide on the location to store your invoice files, both your copy and the copy do be downloaded by the user. Collection of Sales Tax is also handled by the door, if you need to do so. See VERIFIER.DOC for more details on all of these settings. These and other display files are all prompted for in the CONFIG.EXE program when you set up your UPGRADES.DAT file. Now that you have all this information together for your credit card subscriptions, you can run CONFIG.EXE and set up your copy of UPGRADES.DAT. Step #9: Design your display screens for all areas Well, now that you have configured the system for your setups, about all you have left to do is create your display screens. Print out a copy of your .CFG, scripts and UPGRADES.DAT file so you have them for reference. You will need to create at least one display screen for each of the display flies listed in each of the above files. The program supports PCBoard's @X## color codes, so you can create one screen to have it serve both color and non-color callers, if you wish. __________________________________________________________________ Lance Williams, Author (315)245-3815 USR DS HST/V.32 Page 4 Verifier Door Addendum Documentation & Setup Hints All of the screens are also language specific, using the same language extension as for PCBoard. If you have alternate languages on PCBoard, and would like alternate languages in the door, then create the language specific screens with the proper language extension. All of the display screens in the .CFG file, except for the SCRIPTS menu screen, are security specific. If you wish to have security specific screen for these displays, you can do so by cutting the filename to the first 4 characters and adding the security level and possible "G" for graphics. The security specific versions are also language specific. Here's and example using the WELCOME screen: Regular Welcome screen: WELCOME. Graphics Version: WELCOMEG. Language Specific (French): WELCOME.FRE Graphics Language Version: WELCOMEG.FRE Security Specific (Level 15): WELC15. Graphics Security Version: WELC15G. Security Language Version: WELC15.FRE Security Language Graphics Version: WELC15G.FRE The screens also support some of the PCBoard @MACRO@ macros. Here is a list of what is available. The text inside the @'s MUST be in CAPS! @FIRST@ First name of caller @FIRSTU@ First name in all upper case @MINLEFT@ Minutes remaining @TIMELEFT@ Minutes remaining @USER@ User's full name @NODE@ Node number @SYSDATE@ Current date @SYSTIME@ Current time @BEEP@ Beep the speaker @CLS@ Clear the screen @MORE@ Display a more prompt @WAIT@ Display a press any key prompt That should make it pretty self-explanatory. It handles security specific screens a little differently than PCBoard does, but it also works as well. Step #10: Test your setups Well, now that you have completed all of these setups, you should be able to test the door. Be sure you have created the door batch file as instructed in the VERIFIER.DOC file, and added it to your PCBoard DOORS.DAT (or DOORS.LST) file. If you have problems, check back thru both this file and the VERIFIER.DOC file to see if you have forgotten anything before calling for help. I am more than happy to help, but I am trying to save you some money on long distance calls... __________________________________________________________________ Lance Williams, Author (315)245-3815 USR DS HST/V.32 Page 5 Verifier Door Addendum Documentation & Setup Hints Error Codes from Program: To help you with possible errors in your setups causing the door to error out, here is a listing of possible error codes used by the program: First, there is an error log file created by the door called DOORSORC.ERR and one by the MAILING.EXE called MAILING.ERR. These files will contain the error codes, possible descriptions of what the error is. If an unforeseen error occurs, it logs it as such. Here is a list of what all the possible error codes mean: Error Number Description 5 Illegal Function Call (Usually Program Problem) 6 Overflow 7 Out of Memory (Increase available memory) 9 Subscript Out of Range (Script Quest. Problem) 13 Type mismatch (Wrong order in .CFG entry) 24 ** Device Timeout (Printer Problem?) 25 ** Device Fault (Printer Problem?) 27 ** Out of Paper (Restock Printer!) 51 Internal Error - Contact me ASAP 52 Bad Filename (.CFG or script problem?) 53 ** File not Found (.CFG or script problem?) 57 Device I/O Error 58 Bad Record Length (Corrupted MAILLIST.DAT?) 61 Disk Full 62 ** Input Past End of File (.CFG or script problem?) 63 Bad record number (Corrupted MAILLIST.DAT?) 64 ** Bad Filename (.CFG or script problem?) 67 Too Many Files (Increase FILES= in CONFIG.SYS) 68 Device unavailable 70 ** Sharing error - Load SHARE.EXE in your AUTOEXEC.BAT 71 ** Disk Not Ready 72 Disk-Media Error 74 Rename across disk 75 ** Path/File access error (.CFG or script problem?) 76 ** Path not found (.CFG or script problem?) ** - Handled internally by the program. If fixable, it's fixed, otherwise a proper error message is displayed and written to the error log file, then the program return to dos with an unrecoverable error. In the door, your door batch file will return the caller to the board. If the error is unexpected, the log file is written and the program returns to DOS with an unrecoverable error, where the door batch file will return the caller to the board. There are some other error codes, but they are strictly program- code related.... If you get one that is not listed let me know ASAP! __________________________________________________________________ Lance Williams, Author (315)245-3815 USR DS HST/V.32 Page 6