home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
BBS Toolkit
/
BBS Toolkit.iso
/
gt_power
/
mmr238.zip
/
MMR-238.REV
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1991-04-03
|
35KB
|
825 lines
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Command line summary ║
╠═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ Mostly you won't need parameters. In case you do, here's a list all in ║
║ one place. ║
║ ║
║ /all Use the GT copy of GTMDIR.BBS, even if there's a copy in ║
║ the MM subdirectory. ║
║ ║
║ /es Allows ESCAPE key to quit from MAIN menu. ║
║ ║
║ /ga Use the GT.CNF attributes even with a mono screen. ║
║ ║
║ /gf Uses the full description from the GT copy of GTMDIR.BBS. ║
║ ║
║ /k! OK to kill messages without confirmation. Use with caution. ║
║ ║
║ /mt Truncates the description from MM copy of GTMDIR.BBS ║
║ ║
║ /nb No Beeps. ║
║ ║
║ /nc No time-of-day clock display - apparently helpful if you ║
║ run MMR with Windows 2 (double glazing). ║
║ ║
║ /nd No Desqview Pause - hog the full time slice even when ║
║ waiting for keystrokes. ║
║ ║
║ /nj Do not use the JUMP keys. ║
║ ║
║ /nm Modifies action on MORE prompt when displaying ANSI ║
║ ║
║ /nn No number checking (if your MESSAGE.CTL is corrupted, debugging ║
║ feature only). ║
║ ║
║ /nt Net test, introduces random time delay between message posting. ║
║ See MMR_NET.ZIP for instructions. ║
║ ║
║ /ov Disables overflow checking, debugging feature only. ║
║ ║
║ /pa Use predefined attributes (ie, ignore GT.CNF), even on colour ║
║ screen. ║
║ ║
║ /qi Quits immediately after functions from pointer menu (ie, no ║
║ Press Space prompt). ║
║ ║
║ /sp Old search method, used for finding MM_PRINT.EXE and some other ║
║ externals. If anybody needs to use it please tell me otherwise ║
║ it will get removed one day. ║
║ ║
║ /tf Show town in full (default is just first word) ║
║ ║
║ /xk No timeout, affects keyboard input. If anybody needs to use it ║
║ please tell me otherwise it will get removed one day. ║
║ ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Changes in MMR 2.38
-------------------
Fixed a bug which was preventing the MESSAGE.CTL file from being created.
Changes in MMR 2.37
-------------------
a) Eliminated a spurious ( character appearing in CC distributions for
"unlisted" nodes.
b) New function for registered users. When reading a message entered
by a LOCAL caller (eg, a request for more time so you want to raise
the callers access level, or an abusive message so you want to lower
it) the <U>ser Edit command will display fetch the caller's info from
the user file and let you edit it. Then it show the current access
level, allowing you to raise or lower it.
Note: this function needs mm_ptcnv.exe, rel 2.37 or later.
c) New command line switch : /qi requests an immediate quit (ie, without
needing to press space) when the pointer functions complete. Of
course, this means the screen erases immediately - so you probably
want to <V>iew the session log. Perhaps useful if you do lots of
pointer operations in a single session.
d) MMR will now always create a MESSAGE.CTL and a GTMSGS subdirectory
if they do not exist - previously this was only done if MMR had to
create the area subdirectory as well.
) Several small bugs fixed.
Changes in MMR 2.34
-------------------
a) Fixed the message reading F1 menu so <R>eply performs reply without
rewrapping the quote, ie the same as <R> would do while reading
the message.
b) The new sequence for reading parameters (to support the configurable
defaults introduced in 2.33) meant that some parameters were not being
seen until after the appointed time. This is now fixed.
c) Made the "More than 1 SOM" message escapable.
d) Added an interlock for DV and network systems which are capable of
receiving crash calls while running MMR. Many people execute
MDIST in their GTCRASH.BAT but MDIST is not implemented to use share
mode, so a temporary hangup (abort/retry message) results.
MMR will create a zero length NODIST file in the mailout directory on
the mailfiles drive when it starts, and remove it when it finishes. So
to implement the interlock, you can modify your GTCRASH.BAT file along
the lines of :
GTCRASH.BAT:
mdriv ...........
if exist c:\mailout\nodist goto nodist
mdist ...........
:nodist
Of course, amend C: in the above if your mailout directory is
elsewhere. It is also a good idea to include in your AUTOEXEC.BAT :
del c:\mailout\nodist
The interlock is optional - if you do not use DV or a network, or would
prefer to have the mail distributed regardless of whether MMR is in
use, do not amend your GTCRASH.BAT file.
Changes in MMR 2.33
-------------------
a) An additional field in the configuration menu allows you to specify
the default options to be used when MMR is executed *without* command
line options. Specify the parameters as you would on the command line,
for example :
/es /nf /nc
The default parameters are used ONLY when MMR is executed without
any command arguments, ie
MMR would be equivalent to MMR /es /nf /nc
but
MMR /k! would simply be MMR /k!
b) Several changes involving the pointer menu, most of which were
mentioned in the mm_ptcnv .DOC.
The pointer menu should now appear on copies configured for GT15 or
GT16. The renumber option is GT16 specific and will not appear in GT15
mode.
c) Fixed a problem which was preventing a second attempt if an error
was detected while posting a message.
d) If the spooled print facility is used, any remaining spool files will
be deleted when they are more than 2 days old.
Changes in MMR 2.32
-------------------
a) File attach checking is now *optional*. The switch /nf will disable it.
Otherwise, attempting to post a message containing an invalid .fa name
will warn of the error and return to the post message menu (where you
can either edit the message again or use the Dos Command to create the
file which you intend to attach).
b) The ANSI speed selection F1 menu error has been fixed. It should
operate correctly whether the speed is chosen via the help list or as a
single digit from the MORE prompt.
A default ANSI speed option also appears in the configuration screen.
This is a digit from 1 (75 bauds) to 9 (19200) or 0 (fast) and sets the
initial display speed for ANSI messages.
c) A new option appears in the top menu to drive some pointer conversion
routines equivalent to those previously in MM_UTIL.
Note: This requires an external program MM_PTCVT.EXE which is
presently being completed and should be issued within a week.
You can pick around the menus, but nothing much will happen
until the EXE file arrives.
The menu facilities include :
Importing pointers from GT to MMR
Exporting pointers from MMR to GT
Showing users in a message area
Finding which areas a user has joined
Setting MMR pointers to the highest or lowest message
Renumbering (exporting MMR pointers to GT, executing DELREN
and reimporting pointers to MMR).
In most cases the menu will allow you to perform the operation either
globally across all message areas or for a selected message area.
The screen output is saved in a session log which can be viewed from
a menu option. This is done via your editor and is accompanied by the
MMR jotter - you could if you wished copy extracts from the listings
into the jotter to subsequently paste into a message.
The menu entries are intended for the functions you only need to run
occasionally. For regular use, it will be more convenient to run the
mm_ptcnv commands in a batch file. The command switches will be
documented for this purpose with the MM_PTCNV file.
Please be careful when importing and exporting pointers - if you do
it in the wrong direction, or at the wrong time, you will have the
wrong pointers for both MMR and GT !
d) Some obsolete debugging code has been removed to reduce MMR's size in
preparation for an official release as soon as that is possible.
The cache lock and cache unlock configuration parameters have also
been removed to make room for other things.
e) The ESCape key is normally disabled in the main menu. To quit, use the
Q option. Or, if you like being able to escape from the top menu, add
/es to the MMR command line.
f) The /k! switch, which disables the confirmation for deleting individual
messages, will also permit messages you have marked as STICKY to be
deleted without the necessity to remove the sticky flag.
Changes in MMR 2.31
-------------------
a) Fixed a hotkey problem that was causing a hangup when paging down
the area list in New Messages.
b) Added a screen erase after display of an ANSI message.
c) In browse mode, ENTER defaults to the current area.
Changes in MMR 2.30
-------------------
a) A further extension to the ^Z filtering, to eliminate those which
*already* exist after the previous message when MMR adds a message.
b) Fixed an error which was overwriting the sticky flag and the day of the
week when Amending Headers.
c) Increased the number of new messages that can be displayed on the
browse screen to 20.
d) Included a progress counter when posting carbon copies.
e) Two new shortcut keys when reading a message :
F5 sets the sticky flag on the current message.
F6 cancels the 'received' and 'bagged' flags.
f) Increased the heap size by 10K to help those with many message areas.
g) New command line switch options to override truncation defaults in area
picklists:
/gf disables truncation if GTPATH copy of GTMDIR.BBS is used
/mt enables truncation if MM copy of GTMDIR.BBS is used.
Other Changes since MMR 2.00
----------------------------
From here on the .REV file has been abridged to show only the new
features.
2.27
----
In a name, a . character does NOT capitalise the following character.
2.23
----
Note on fixing reported errors in .MES files :
to clean up the problem if you find it, <D>OS command <Q %p> will
allow you to edit the current .MES file - you will find the garbage
at the bottom.
In 2.21
-------
b) If name on the top copy appears in the distribution list (with the same
net and node number), an additional copy will not be sent.
In 2.20
-------
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Note: GT16 compatibility is achieved by setting the value 16 in the │
│ compatibility field, its not inherent in the program. │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
a) In DOS command substitutions, %m will create a file which contains an
image of the current message. But it won't at present put that message
back into the message base.
b) A new substitution parameter %p will translate to the name of the
current .MES file. So if you want to look at the state of the SOM
headers <D>os command <list %p> will show you it.
e) One new option on the <A>mend <H>eader menu. "$ticky" prevents a
msg from being deleted by MMR and DELREN. $ticky messages will also
show up with a $ mark on the browse screen.
In 2.18
-------
Net/node checking - using NODELIST.CHK.
MMR will automatically create a new .CHK file whenver the nodelist
has been updated.
Auto-Ansi (registered users)
---------
Operates in message areas that contain the word ANSI in the
description. In those areas, MMR will switch into ANSI mode when it
reaches the first MORE prompt in a message. If the message contains
more than one MORE prompt, it will remain in ANSI until the end of the
message.
For messages which do NOT contain more prompts, the F4 or <AA> methods
will remain available.
Note: In case of problems, the MORE switching can be disabled by /nm on
the command line.
Jump Keys
---------
Can be disabled using the /nj switch.
2.16
----
Copy/Move Enhancement
---------------------
When copying or moving a message, a sub-menu will appear, giving three
options.
For example, lets assume :
Annie Sysop is doing the copying
Terry Dansey sent the original message
Iain Paterson was the original addressee
Then the options will be :
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ copy as <O>riginal (Terry Dansey -> Iain Paterson) │
--> │ copy with <C>omment (Annie Sysop -> All) │
│ copy as <F>orward (Annie Sysop -> Another) │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The <O>riginal option copies (or moves) the message exactly as it stands,
adding just a note indicating the message base it was copied from.
The <C>omment option makes it a message from you, beginning with an
introduction saying who the message was originally to and from. It
also allows you to edit the copied message - usually by adding additional
material to the message.
The <F>orward option is like a Comment Copy, but you specify who the
message is TO before reaching the edit stage. You can also change the
subject or add a CC list.
Note: The <O> option is not offered if you marked individual lines of the
message for a selective copy.
If you marked lines prior to pressing <C> or <M>, those lines
will be included in the message.
Message Pointers
----------------
The current message pointer can now be adjusted direct from the Browse
list (it was previously necessary to *read* the associated message).
CTRL-HOME will set the pointer to the current message.
Note: this affects only the MM0 pointer - the MMU pointer can only be
adjusted during a <U>ser-entered message search.
Screen Attributes
-----------------
MMR now has a series of predefined attributes which can be used instead
of the colours configured in GT.CNF. New users may find this useful if
their configured attribute set does not visibly distinguish either the
hotkeys or the select bar.
MONO users will get the predefined attributes by default. If you are mono
and wish to use the GT.CNF attributes, add /ga on the command line.
COLOUR users get the GT.CNF attributes by default, but can select the
predefined attributes by adding /pa on the command line.
Message area list
-----------------
A message area will appear in the list only once, even if you have included
it two or more times in your GTMDIR.BBS. You might have done this because
you want to allow access to specific levels of user (using the = prefix)
without giving access to other users at higher alphabetic access level.
The main advantage is in Read <A>gain, which would display the same
messages again for each time it is listed. It also economises on hotkey
allocation, and speeds mailchecks, since duplicated areas will now be
searched only once.
New Mail
--------
Area selection hotkeys are included in the new mail list, and the listed
areas are re-enterable even if the area is showing as "done". In this case
you will return to the final message of that area.
Message reading
---------------
The <A>mend menu (registered users) now includes options to amend
<N>odelist and <R>outing.BBS. So if you are reading an echo in which
somebody announces they are working through a different hub or their
dialling code has changed, you can adjust the files while the details are
to hand.
Note: I did this instead of making the nodelist file 4 as was originally
requested. I tried it, but cycling through the nodelist slowed
things down (and usually didn't leave enough free memory to see
the whole nodelist anyway). I think this will do what you want,
without having it in the way when you don't want it.
Jump Keys
---------
Windows such as the message display, browse list and nodelist which
previously had no hotkeys now have Jump Keys.
To move the select bar to any other line which is presently visible in the
window, press the up or down arrow keys ONCE to reveal the jump keys in the
left margin. You can then move to any other line by pressing the
associated jump key. In other words, two keystrokes to get to any visible
line.
Jump keys are transient - they only work when you can see them - and unlike
hotkeys, they move the select bar without starting anything happening.
The previous methods still work (though if you repeatedly step up or down,
the jump keys will alternate on and off as you go). But you will find the
jump key method works faster and is more accurate, especially when quoting
lines of a message.
For Desqview users
------------------
MMR has long been Desqview aware (ie, if you run it under DV it will write
to the buffer that DV allocates, rather than to the screen). But when MMR
is idle in a window, it will now relinquish its allocated time slice,
allowing other tasks to run faster.
An idle copy of MMR in another DV window shouldn't noticeably slow down GT.
(Of course, when MMR hands control to your editor, things might be
different).
Just in case that causes a problem, it can be disabled with the /nd switch.
That will cause MMR to hog the whole of its time slice whether it needs it
or not, ie to work as 2.14 did.
A couple of other things for DV users :
You can execute hard copies in another partition - effectively, printing
in background. To do this :
a) You need a public domain program from Don Dempsey. I don't have an
address, only 70701,1726, but the file you are looking for contains
LOAD.DOC, NEWLOAD.C and NEWLOAD.EXE. You execute NEWLOAD.EXE,
following the instructions in LOAD.DOC, and it creates a file named
LOAD.EXE which is what MMR executes when it wants to load MM_PRINT.
LOAD.EXE should be placed somewhere in your DOS path so that MMR can
find it.
b) You need a new MM_PRINT, rel 2.15.
c) You need a PIF for MM_PRINT. A sample is enclosed as MP-PIF.DVP.
This isn't necessarily optimum, so feel free to experiment with it.
d) You need to add a character to the print parameters in the MMR config
screen. Usually that would be &, which will run the print in
background. However, if you have configured one of the options that
requires input (eg confirm printer is ready) use D instead. This
brings the new partition to the foreground for you to answer.
Spell checking (for registered users) can also be performed in a separate
DV partition. The advantage here is space - some spell checkers are large
(eg sharespell 1.6 wants about 330K to itself), and you may not have enough
space after MMR to run it in the same partition.
The spell check is also executed via LOAD.EXE as described above. You want
to run it in another partition, but *not* in background, so don't use the &
option which LOAD.EXE describes.
Typically the spell check command might have been defined in the MMR config
menu as
SS %s
and should now become
LOAD SS %s
To make this work, you have to use the DV "add program" command, which
creates the PIF file for your spell checker. In this example, SS is the
2 character code assigned to open the program (by coincidence it also
happens to be the name of the program which it is going to execute).
Values which I found worked for sharespell are:
Keys: SS Mem K: 350
Prog: c:\gen\ss.exe (or wherever you have it)
Params: ? (ie, LOAD.EXE supplies them)
Directory: (unimportant if full path names used)
Sharespell seems to write directly to the screen, and isn't DV aware.
So set that option in the Add Program screen and all should be OK. On
the second screen, Close on Exit = Y will avoid you getting stuck at the
DOS prompt when it finishes.
Hopefully that will load, execute SS as a separate task, perform the spell
checking, then clear itself from memory. MMR then returns.
Problem: This works fine when <E>ntering a message or replying, since
the spell checker returns to the Post Message menu and awaits
your Post command. But if you execute the spell check on an
existing message via <A>mend <S>pelling, MMR redisplays the
'old' copy of the message long before the spell checker has
saved the corrected copy. The copy in the message base will
probably be OK, but you won't see it until you do something
like <N>ext message, <P>revious message.
The LOAD.EXE source code is included, so maybe somebody who has
the DV API can add a facility to suspend the calling task until
the spawned task completes - this would solve the problem.
Ansi emulation (registered users)
--------------
a) Ansi emulation can be initiated by pressing either F4 or <AA> while
reading a message.
Note: see also auto-ansi introduced in a later release and
described above.
b) Emulation will begin in whatever attribute you have assigned as the
terminal mode default at the GT level.
c) In addition to the 9 baud rate emulations, there is also a speed 0
which eliminates the artificial time delays. Its not on the F1 popup
though. Just press 0 when the MORE prompt appears. This may help if
you're using a multitasker which is causing delays additional to the
emulation delays.
2.05
----
New features available to Registered and Unregistered users
-----------------------------------------------------------
a) It is no longer necessary to use the Amend function to display
messages exceeding 99 lines. The limit is now 62Kb (about 900-1500
lines) *or* the free DOS memory, whichever is less.
b) Will support 300 message bases (though you might get a "heap
exhausted" message if your area descriptions are too long - as a
temporary fix, try making a copy of your GTMDIR.BBS in the mm
subdirectory, and use shorter descriptions for your own purposes).
Also enables 0 to 9 and most punctuation symbols as additional
"area selection" hotkeys, giving about 60 available hotkeys.
c) The permitted characters in name and subject fields have been
extended to include accented and other similar characters.
Note: You need an extended ascii table in order to know how to
generate such characters. For example, ALT (held down) 132
(release ALT) should generate ä. Such a table should be
found in one of your DOS manuals.
d) GT 15.50 compatibility - GTMDIR.BBS will also be found if it exists
in the new BBS subdirectory.
e) I noticed a few occasions where the typamatic CR key would fill the
keyboard buffer with unexpected CRs, causing messages to flash past
unstoppably (and, if appropriate, be marked as received) even after
the CR key had been released. Additional logic in MMR will defeat
this - multiple CRs will be discarded unless the CR key is still
DOWN when the previous operation has been completed.
Similar logic is also implemented in the browse screen and menus,
such that if the up or down arrow keys are used to scroll beyond
the current screen, the display will stop scrolling immediately
the cursor key is released.
f) The browse function supports a new option <M> to goto a message
specifed by its number). This does not require intermediate message
headers to be read, and will therefore be faster than using the
header search options when the message number is known.
g) When reading a series of linked messages (via the 0, 1, 2 and 3
hotkeys) the escape key will return to the 'root' message, ie to
the message number at which you began reading the chain. This is
useful in conjunction with MMUTIL, since the chain relinking
function expands the hotkey capability to echo areas.
h) MMR message pointers will not be automatically updated when reading
via the Browse screen. Browse can therefore be used at any time,
without affecting subsequent <N>ew Message searches.
Notes: If you wish to explicitly update the MMR pointers, you can
do so via CTRL-HOME or CTRL-END.
Browsing *will* mark a message addressed to you as
"received". So such messages will not show up in a later
<Y>our Messages search (but would show up in Read <A>gain).
i) Before entering a new message, MMR will check that at least 50K free
space is available on the destination drive and the work drive.
In certain circumstances, especially soon after rebooting, there
will be a short delay while the drive space is checked, but this
will affect only the *first* message to be entered on each drive.
j) When reading a message, any lines you mark in preparation for a
quote will use a bolder quote mark - this makes it slightly easier
to see what is happening when you quote a section which itself
contains a quote. The quote mark in the reply file remains
unchanged.
k) Quoted lines which exceed 76 characters will no longer be split by
default. In most cases, the displaying system (GT or MMR) will
handle the split when it comes to display the message.
Alternatively, you can initiate the quote with ALT-R (reply,
wrapping quotes) which will perform a paragraph wrap on the quote.
l) Quoted lines from previous messages will be identified with the
initials of the addressee as well as the sender, eg :
┌─
│ Are you sure that is the correct number ?
└─[TD->HG]
m) Message display enhancements - messages containing the backspace
character or the ansi sequence for cursor left will be displayed
after performing the backspace - ie, you will see its "effect"
rather than its cause. For interpretation of *other* ANSI
sequences, see the <AA> function described below.
Available to Registered Users
-----------------------------
a) Now there's an easier way to copy part of a message to the Jotter.
Just mark the lines, like quoting in a reply, and press the <J>otter
key. The marked lines will be copied to the *front* of your jotter.
You can copy sections from several different messages to the jotter,
then if you wish paste some of them into other messages which you
create.
If you do not mark any lines, the <J>otter command will continue to
work as before, ie will allow editing of the current jotter contents
with the current message in the second window.
b) If you have a spell checker, you will be able to execute it direct
from the Post Message Menu prior to posting the message.
This is option L for spe<L>l check - not an ideal choice, but the
other option letters are already being used.
The spell check command must be configured in the configuration menu
- for example :
c:\gen\ss %s
where ss is the command to be executed, and %s is substituted at run
time with the name of the file to be spellchecked.
You can also execute the spell check command while reading a
message, via <A>mend <S>pelling.
c) The Post Msgs menu has <D>os command capability. Useful amongst
other things when MMR objects to a non-existent file attach and you
want to sort it out there and then.
The % substitions described in MMRDOC-2 also work here, so you could
for example append a directory of your \mailout\fileout to the
unposted message by
<D>os command: dir %fo >> %m
Just be sure you *do* use >> and not > otherwise you will zap
whatever you have already written into the message !
d) An introductory heading will now appear on *all* copied/moved messages.
This was previously only used when copying a message as "extracts",
or if you chose to add a comment during the copy.
e) When searching the nodelist, a new option E allows the nodelist to
be edited.
Note: If you have configured 2 or more edit files, the routing.bbs
will appear in the second window in case you should need it
for reference or updating.
If you have configured 3 or more edit files, the jotter will
appear in the third window.
f) MMR now includes an ANSI emulator for use with messages which contain
ANSI sequences. You do NOT need to install ANSI.SYS to use this.
The old <A>mend menu now becomes an "Amend or Ansi" menu. So
the message you are currently reading can be displayed in ANSI using
the <AA> command.
To cope with messages that contain animation, it will by default
display the message at a speed approximating that which would be
seen by a 2400 baud caller.
(later amended, the default speed is set in the config screen).
The ANSI display will respect GT's "more" prompt, as well as the
ANSI sequences which are supported by the standard DOS ansi.sys,
and the MORE prompt will also indicate the current emulation speed.
At any time during the display of the message (including when the
MORE prompt is displayed), you can *change* the speed by pressing a
single numeric digit which will approximate to displays of :
1 75 bauds
2 150 bauds
3 300 bauds
4 600 bauds
5 1200 bauds
6 2400 bauds
7 4800 bauds
8 9600 bauds
9 19200 bauds
A menu of these speeds can be displayed by pressing F1 while
the ansi display is operating. The selected speed remains in
force until MMR is terminated.
The 75 and 150 baud speeds are intended primarily for debugging -
expect them to be slow ! Also, expect all speeds to be just a
reasonable visual approximation of what you would see at a remote
terminal. Slower machines will not achieve the higher speeds,
though selecting them will not cause a problem. For example, an 8
Meg XT will probably run at about 4800 bauds for all speeds above 7.
Suffice to say that if the message doesn't look like having
animation, the 0 key will display it as fast as possible.