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WHATSNEW
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Text File
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1993-05-10
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109KB
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1,992 lines
| A vertical bar denotes changes since the last posting of the file.
|
| Current Posting Dated: 05/10/93
The following is a BRIEF summary of the new features found in PCBoard v15.0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- For the ultimate in configurability, v15.0 adds a built-in programming
language called PPL, or PCBoard Programming Language. Any time PCBoard
displays something to the caller, asks the caller for input, or executes a
command that the caller issued, the a PPL program can kick in and perform
just about any kind of processing you might imagine. Script Questionnaires
can be rewritten to add processing, and more.
- A new, optional, menuing system lets you create submenus for all of your
menus (the main menu, doors, bulletins, scripts, even for new features that
you create yourself using PPL). This is built right into PCBoard and,
depending on how it is set up, can be user-selected (i.e. novices might be
presented with submenus while experts see only command prompts).
- PCBoard commands can be translated, changed, or supplemented quickly and
without the use of DOOR applications. New (or changed) commands can stuff
the keyboard with replacement commands, execute PPL programs or branch to a
submenu system.
- In addition to the multi-lingual capabilities of past releases, v15.0 adds
full internationalization support. This includes: the ability to display
dates and values in their proper formats, proper capitalization of words and
names, proper font display (locally) of high ascii characters, translation
of internal commands, etc.
- RIPscrip Graphics support. Add a GUI interface to your BBS by setting up
welcome files, menu files, prompts, etc, with RIPscrip codes in them. Now
you can get graphics over the phone line and even make PCBoard selections
with a mouse if the menus used are created to support it.
- A new, fully interactive, inter-node chat capability combining the best
features the sysop-chat and old-style node chat with added capabilities such
as 255 different channels, chat handles, private and public chats, and more.
- Message editing changes including: the ability to enter TO and SUBJECT
lines that are longer than 25 characters, the ability to enter messages up
to 400 lines in length, the ability to attach a file to a message, request a
return receipt, enter a carbon list to send a single message to multiple
users, enter routing info, set a packout date, upload message text using
any protocol, upload .REP packets, and more.
- Message display changes including: a new header display format that is
switchable between a long (6-line) format and a shorter (4-line) format,
long TO, FROM and SUBJECT lines, non-scrolling message headers, sysop-
selectable colors for message headers.
- Message reading changes including: the ability to read new mail immediately
after login, the ability to force specific security levels to read new mail
upon login, create .QWK packets, additional reading commands to read mail
that is TO or FROM a specific user, read mail that is NEW after a specified
date, read mail in conferences that have personal mail waiting, capture
and download a single message, faster message scans and reading, flag or
view file attachments or any other file while reading messages, and more.
- Further support for CD-ROM drives, including the ability to copy files down
to a local staging area prior to starting the file transfer. Also, files
can be processed prior to starting the file transfer.
- Integration of FILE_ID.DIZ detection allowing files to be uploaded with
embedded descriptions while avoiding asking the caller for a description.
- Conference changes include: INTRO screens to describe the conference,
passwords for joining, ALLFILES.LST for scanning across all conferences
before allowing uploads, conference-specific commands, auto-register flags,
and more.
- Additional settings, available on a per-conference basis, include: Force
echo mail, allow Internet (long) TO: names, make conference read-only,
disallow private messages, security level to enter a message, and more.
- Uploading now scans for matching files regardless of extension prior to
allowing a file to be uploaded.
- Adding new conferences is easier by cloning and existing conference. Also,
the message base can be created automatically.
- Support for modems that provide Caller-ID and FAX capabilities.
- New, on-the-fly, File and Byte Limits as well as File and Byte Ratios.
- Aliases can now be used in specific conferences and by callers with
specific security levels. The ability to change the alias, once selected,
can be disabled.
- Multiple simultaneous logins, for a users of a given security, are now
possible. This could be used for a demo account, etc.
- Increased user friendliness by interpretting previously invalid (but
commonly used) commands.
- Built-in support for multiple event handling. These include multiple
events per day, node-specific events, events that should only be run on a
specific date, or events that should be run on specified days of the week.
- New, ONLINE, packing of the USERS file. It is no longer necessary to keep
the BBS down while packing your users file.
- Additional information can now recorded and tracked in the user records
such as: full address, password monitoring, user verification information,
caller statistics (# of and type of security violations, login speeds, etc),
and up to 5 lines of notes about each user.
- The password monitoring requires that passwords meet a sysop-selectable
minimum length requirement, new passwords cannot duplicate any of the
previous passwords on file for that user, new passwords cannot contain the
user's name or user-id.
- Added FOSSIL support for the /M (MultiPort) version. PCBoard/M will now
work with an existing FOSSIL driver, or with the comm driver supplied with
the software, or with the built-in asynch driver for standard comm ports.
- Greater control over display macro substitution, including padding,
centering, etc.
- And many more changes. See below for details on all that's new in v15.0.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following information documents the PCBoard v15.0 changes in greater
detail, mentions many of the features not listed up above, and provides
information about how to use new features
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
added Internationalization support in the following areas:
1) Capitalization will adhere to the character set specified by the
language the user has selected.
For example, names which are entered from the keyboard and
converted to upper case letters will now make use of the
COUNTRY.SYS values provided by the operating system to properly
convert accented characters. Other areas, where capitalization
occurs, will operate in the same manner.
In addition, the @first@ macro will properly convert the name back
to lowercase keeping accented characters intact according to the
tables found in COUNTRY.SYS.
2) Dates will be displayed on the screen in the proper format for
the country based on information from COUNTRY.SYS and may also be
entered, by the user, in the format used by that country.
3) Thousands separators will now use the proper character (comma or
period) based on information from COUNTRY.SYS.
4) The PCBML.DAT file format has been modified so that you may now
provide four additional pieces of information for each entry.
These are a Country Code and a Code Page values, followed by Yes
and No characters. Example:
1) English,,001,437,Y,N
2) French,.FRE,033,850,O,N
5) By making the above changes to PCBML.DAT PCBoard will automatically
load the appropriate country settings whenever a caller changes
languages. For this to work you must load COUNTRY.SYS in your
config.sys file. Examples:
DOS: COUNTRY=001,437 C:\DOS\COUNTRY.SYS
OS/2: COUNTRY=001,E:\OS2\SYSTEM\COUNTRY.SYS
Also, under DOS, your AUTOEXEC.BAT file must load NLSFUNC.EXE.
Example:
C:\DOS\NLSFUNC
OS/2 does not require that NLSFUNC be loaded.
6) The Code Page information in PCBML.DAT allows PCBoard to change the
font used by the display adapater whenever a caller changes
languages. This allows the sysop to see, on the local screen, the
appropriate characters for the language being used. NOTE: This
only works on EGA/VGA systems. Several steps are necessary to
enable this:
Using DOS: Place in config.sys
DEVICE=C:\DOS\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,437,2)
Place in autoexec.bat
MODE CON: CP PREPARE=((437 850) C:\DOS\EGA.CPI)
Using OS/2: Place in config.sys
CODEPAGE=437,850
The examples above load code pages 437 and 850 into memory with
437 being the default (the one used by the United States) and
850 (the international code page) loaded as an alternate.
NOTE: OS/2 only allows 2 code pages to be loaded. DOS, however,
will allow more to be loaded by increasing the last parameter of
the DEVICE=C:\DOS\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(xx,xx,xx) line.
NOTE: It is now possible to set up multiple languages having the
same EXTENSION but with different properties, such as the Country
Code, Code Page, and the Yes and No characters.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR MULTITASKERS
=======================================
The font support under DESQview is a bit unpredictable if you are
running more than one node. The font changes from node 1 may show
up in node 2's display instead of node 1's display. OS/2, on the
other hand, can show both fonts simulataneously in two separate
windows on the desktop. Windows, meanwhile, will not show ANY font
changes inside of a window - only when full screen.
7) The PCBTEXT record #39 now contains the word "ALL" which is used
when displaying messages addressed to ALL. This can now be
translated to any other language. The actual string stored inside
the message base will be the word ALL but when the message header
is displayed to the user it will say ALL in the language he has
chosen.
If a message is entered by the user with the TO field equal to what
is found in PCBTEXT #39 then the message will be written out using
the word "ALL" but will be shown on screen using PCBTEXT #39.
8) The addition of the Yes and No characters in PCBML.DAT will allow
the language to accept proper answers to yes/no questions.
9) Several new PCBTEXT records have been added allowing text within
PCBoard to be translated. Also, some text records which formerly
could not be turned into a file may now be.
NOTE: PCBTEXT Records 72, 266 and 688 all indicate that dates should
be entered in the form "mmddyy". When setting different country codes
in your PCBML.DAT file you should ensure that the "mmddyy" in these
records is changed, if necessary, to "ddmmyy" or "yymmdd" as
appropriate for the style used by that country.
NOTE: The dates and numbers on the PCBoard Status Line will remain
in the system default format regardless of what language a remote
caller chooses. The sysop, or another user, however, can log in
locally and select a different language and the format changes will be
reflected on the status line.
PCBoard now uses the "PCBTEXT." (no extension) file whenever it writes
to the callers log regardless of the language the caller has chosen.
With this change you are free to customize the PCBTEXT.??? files and
set up elaborate languages while keeping the text that is written to
the caller logs intact and usable by those programs (generally Caller
Log Statistics packages) that expect certain text to be in the logs.
In order for this change to really be useful, PCBoard no longer
requires that the FIRST entry in the PCBML.DAT file be a blank
extension. In other words, if your Statistics Program expects english
text in the callers log, but you live in France, it wouldn't make much
sense to put ENGLISH at the top of the PCBML.DAT file and make ENGLISH
the default for your french speaking callers.
In other words, the PCBML.DAT file could now have "PCBTEXT.FRE" as the
first entry and have "PCBTEXT." somewhere down from there as an
alternate language.
The Call Waiting Screen, the Status Lines, the Caller Logs, etc, will
all be written using the "PCBTEXT." entries.
When logging in, however, PCBoard will automatically switch to
language #1 for displays of text on the screen (above the status line
- what the caller sees).
added New macros: BICPS RBYTES RCPS RFILES SBYTES SCPS SFILES CARRIER
added @pos:##@ which can tell PCBoard to move the cursor over to a specific
position on a line. If the cursor is already beyond that point, no
action is taken. Otherwise, spaces are printed until the cursor
reaches that position.
added A @delay:##@ macro which allows a delay to be specified in tenths of
a second (up to 25.5 seconds). NOTE: this macro is non-functional
while reading messages.
changed Macros can now contain a suffix ":###?" before the terminating @ code.
In other words, @user@, @user:25@, @user:25R@ and @user:25C@ are all
valid. If just a number is given then the macro is left justified
and padded to fill the space designated. If the letter R is used,
then the macro is right justified and padded on the left. If the
letter C is used then the text is centered within the field.
All text will be displayed regardless of the size of the field.
Therefore, if a user name is 15 characters and @user:10@ is used,
the entire 15 characters will be displayed and *no* padding will
take place.
changed Moved hardcoded text out to PCBTEXT, added new pcbtext records,
modified some that were no longer being used.
added A brand new chat module! The CHAT # and NODE # commands no longer
work. The user must now go into CHAT G and from there use the CALL
command to call a user into chat.
The new chat module combines the best of two different types of chat.
It allows callers to immediately see what another user is typing,
similar to the Sysop Chat, while functioning similar to the older line
oriented chat by not allowing two people to type at once disrupting
the display. And yet, each user CAN type up to 1-line of text while
waiting for the current user, having the focus, to finish typing.
The new chat module is group oriented, rather than node oriented, and
almost begs for more than two people to join into the chat session.
However, with 255 different channels and the ability to change to
different channels and/or make a channel private, it is easy for two
people or a group to carry on a private conversation without involving
other members of the board.
Because of the interactive nature of the new chat module, the old
style chat files are no longer used. However, if desired, the sysop
can enable a capture facility which will record chat sessions to disk
in a new format that allows the sysop to analyze exactly when the
chat took place, on what node, in which channel, etc.
changed PCBoard now remembers across sessions how your Chat Status is set.
If you make yourself unavailable for chat and later logoff, on your
next call you will be unavailable for chat. Likewise, making yourself
available for chat will be remembered the next time you log in.
added The (P)rotocol selection at the prompt that PCBoard issues just before
a file transfer begins. This will let the caller easily change the
protocol before beginning the file transfer.
added Support for CD-ROM Drives (and jukeboxes) by providing a staging
area. Files are copied off the CD ROM and into the staging area
first and then the file transfer takes place from there.
changed The Sysop Function 14 command now asks if it should log the user off
NOW (to drop to DOS in a hurry) or if it should wait for the caller
to logoff and then drop the node to DOS.
changed The input routines will now accept an ESC (or CTRL-U) all by itself to
indicate that the current input should be aborted and the question
re-asked. So if you type a command at the main command prompt and
then press ESC, the command will be discarded an the prompt will be
redisplayed.
changed The callers log entries which are taken from PCBTEXT will now be
written in the DEFAULT LANGUAGE regardless of the language used by
the caller. Callers log analyzers should load PCBTEXT (no
extension) to determine what those entries will look like since
the default may not be english. The only exception is the message
that states which language is being used. That message will be
pulled from the PCBTEXT file the caller has selected.
added Immediate detection, after an upload, of the existence of a
FILE_ID.DIZ file within a .ZIP or .EXE file. If a FILE_ID.DIZ file
is found AND the sysop has configured the system to verify uploads,
the user will *not* be asked for a description.
| NOTE: This ability to skip asking for a description takes place only
| AFTER an unannounced file is received. Normally PCBoard would prompt
| for a description AFTER RECEIVING an unannounced file. But in the
| case where a file description accompanied the unannounced file, this
| step would be redudant so PCBoard skips asking the caller for a
| description and immediately shells out to PCBTEST.BAT which then
| extracts and incorporates the included (FILE_ID.DIZ) description.
added If carrier is lost after an upload of one or more files is completed
but before all files have been tested, it will now take the modem
off hook in order to avoid problems with RNA-rebooters.
added Sysop Function 15 and ALT-R. ALT-R will flag the current session to
recycle thru DOS (re-run board.bat) when the caller logs off. Sysop
Function 15 can be used to do the same thing to another node.
When PCBoard drops out to perform the recycle it exits with an
ERRORLEVEL of 6 which can then be used to perform special processing
during the recycle.
changed PCBMoni now allows you to hit the SPACE BAR to see more information
about the current node record. It will show the date of last update,
the operation text, any message text available, and the current
status of the node. From that screen you can now change the node
information as well.
When finished, press the PGDN key to make the change, or press ESC
to abort the change.
added SET PCB=/BAUD:####. This allows you to override the modem speed
defined in pcboard.dat.
changed The upload process will now allow you to type H to hangup before
the upload testing process begins. Also, any unannounced files that
need to be described will be recognized immediately after the upload
is finished and the user will be prompted to describe all of them
before any testing begins.
changed The Sysop Function 11 command so that it will now display additional
information such as: name of the file being uploaded or downloaded,
the size of the file and a time estimate for the transfer, the name
of the person to whom a message is being addressed, and the number
of a script if one is being answered.
fixed If you set the keyboard timer to 1 minute, then every time you press
a key the "60 seconds to go" beep would sound. This has been changed
so that if you set the keyboard timer to 1 minute it will actually
be set to 70 seconds. This means that the first warning beep is now
10 seconds away.
added The message editor has long been able to capture a "lost carrier" and
SAVE the message before logging the caller off. Now it will also
detect keyboard timeout and SAVE the message before logging off.
added The upload processing has long been able to continue its work even if
carrier was lost - including automatically describing the file with
a note about carrier having been lost. Now it will also detect
keyboard timeout and write that to the file description before
logging the caller off.
disabledThe F6 function key during new user login UNTIL the new user has
completed the newuser questions to finish the login.
changed The "R U" command now works the same way the "R Y" command does in
that it now ASSUMES that a read 1+ is going to occur unless you
override it with another command line parameter. Previously the
"R U" command would do nothing but return back to the prompt unless
you included a "1+" or some other range with it.
added A separate PCBTEXT entry for aborted uploads so that the text can
be customized for each.
changed The frequency at which the usernet file is scanned while sitting at
the Call Waiting screen has long been 8 times the "Node Chat
Frequency" as specified in PCBSetup. It has now been redudced to
just 4 times the "Node Chat Frequency" for faster updates.
changed When the F5 funciton key is pressed (to shell to DOS) it will now
indicate in the usernet file that the caller is out to DOS. Upon
returning from DOS the previous status will be reinstated.
changed If you have flagged files for download and then issue the upload
command, it will warn you that you have files flagged for download
and ask if you want to continue the upload command.
changed PCBoard can now display larger messages and will allow larger messages
to be entered. The old maximum of 255-line messages has been replaced
with a maximum of 400 lines. In addition, while it previously allowed
up to 255 lines, it was difficult, when replying to a large message,
to find that number of lines available since the memory might already
be in use. Now it is much more likely that the entire 400 lines will
be available regardless of the size of the message you reply to.
changed Messages can now be uploaded into the message editor using any
available protocol. ANSI files, with lines longer than 79 characters,
may be uploaded into the message editor and saved - but cannot be
edited online.
changed PCBoard will now display "scanning for new bulletins" while it
performs the scan. Previously people were left wondering what it
was doing while it was displaying dots on the screen.
changed The following SET PCB= switches have now been incorporated directly
into PCBSetup and are no longer valid environment switches:
/NOBLTSCAN has been incorporated in the switches section as "Scan for
new bulletins".
/MONITORMODEM has been incorporated under Modem Configuration :
Switches as "Monitor missed connections". It writes information to
the callers log to indicate when the phone rings but a session is not
established. Additionally, if CallerID is in use on your system,
PCBoard will attempt to capture the CallerID information and write it
out to the callers log at the same time that it writes the entry for
the missed connection.
NOTE: You can tell PCBoard to record the TIME, in the log, of the
missed connections by modifying the PCBTEXT records (34 and 215)
adding the word @SYSTIME@ in front. A batch file to perform this
process automatically would look like this: (the insertion needs to
be performed only once)
MKPCBTXT C:\PCB\GEN\PCBTEXT /I:34 "@SYSTIME@ NO CONNECT/@OPTEXT@"
MKPCBTXT C:\PCB\GEN\PCBTEXT /I:215 "@SYSTIME@ Carrier Lost..."
/RESET has been placed under Modem Configuration : Switches. It is
used to tell PCBoard to reset the modem once every five minutes while
it sits idle at the Call Waiting screen.
/DONTMAKEMSGS has been incorporated under Configuration Options :
Messages as "Create MSGS if Missing". This is normally set to YES but
may be disabled on large systems where PCBPACK is run with the /FORCE
option to avoid the possibility of creating a new MSGS file while the
original is being packed by PCBPack.
/NO16550 has been placed under Modem Information : Switches. This
switch is used to force PCBoard to see disable the 16550 FIFOs. This
may be needed when a buggy 16550 UART is in use.
/FORCE16550A has been placed under Modem Information : Switches. This
switch is used to force PCBoard to behave as though a 16550 UART is in
use in spite of not being able to detect one. This might be used
under Windows or OS/2 where the comm driver virtualizes the uart and
hides the fact that a 16550 is in use. Better comm drivers is the
best solution. But this option can help make the system run better
when you *know* you have a 16550 even though the OS doesn't let the
software know it.
/PROMOTEBATCH has been placed under Configuration Options : File
Transfers. This switch allows the D and U commands to be
automatically promoted to DB and UB commands when the caller has
specified a batch protocol as the default.
/NOBATCHUPLOADS has been placed under Configuration Options : File
Transfers. This switch forces the caller to perform single-file
uploads only. This is especially important in a macintosh environment
where it needs to force PCBoard to use the filename typed by the
caller rather than use the filename that comes out of the protocol
header - a name which would be invalid on a DOS system.
/UPCRED has been placed under Configuration Options : File Transfers.
This switch sets the amount of time to be given back to the caller
on uploads. The default is 1 - giving time back on a 1:1 ratio.
/BYTECRED has been placed under Configuration Options : File
Transfers. This switch sets the number of bytes that are to be
credited towards the caller's daily download limit. The default is
0 - giving no byte credits on uploads.
/NOREG has been placed under Configuration Options : Switches as
"Auto Reg in Public Conference". When set to YES PCBoard
automatically registers new users in all public conferences. This
can cause a tremendous delay when new users log into a system with
thousands of conferences. When set to NO the caller can *still*
access the public conferences, it simply doesn't set the RXS flags
at login time.
/FORCEMAIN has been placed under Configuration Options : Messages.
It forces comments to the sysop to be stored in the main board.
/ENCRYPT has been placed under Configuration Options : Switches. This
switch allows the users file to be encrypted using ENCRYPT.EXE so that
people having access to view the contents of the users file from DOS
cannot obtain passwords from the file.
/FLOAT has been placed under Node Information. This switch allows
PCBoard to pick a "free node number" based on the contents of the
usernet file so that users on a network do not have to go to a
specific node subdirectory to run PCBoard.
/SWAP has been placed under Configuration Options : Switches. The
path to the swap file in File Locations : System Files.
NOTE: PCBoard now properly inserts its own environment variables (such
as PCBDIR, PCBNODE, PCBDAT, etc) even when set to SWAP!
Also, while swapping, you can now specify the size of the environment
to be used in the Configuration Options : Limits section.
changed PCBSetup handles the CNAMES and CNAMES.@@@ files diferently now.
There is no longer a /QUICK command line parameter because PCBSetup
always works the way /QUICK used to make it work. That is, PCBSetup
now IGNORES the CNAMES file and uses only the CNAMES.@@@ file when
it loads up. When you exit and save PCBSetup will copy the contents
of CNAMES.@@@ out to CNAMES but it does NOT read CNAMES back into
CNAMES.@@@ at any time.
The plus side is that those who have huge systems (thousands of
conferences) will benefit from faster loading times by default.
The down side is that you can no longer make changes with a text
editor and expect PCBSetup to read those changes back into memory
and copy them into CNAMES.@@@.
PCBSetup will now shrink the CNAMES.@@@ file (as well as CNAMES.ADD)
whenever you exit (and save) with a configuration of FEWER conferences
than were found in the CNAMES.@@@ file (and CNAMES.ADD).
changed PCBSetup used to allow you to type PCBSETUP PCBOARD.DAT, whereby you
could specify the pcboard.dat filename and path without any further
syntax. This syntax has been changed. The now supported method is:
PCBSETUP /FILE:pcboard.dat
This is exactly the same way PCBoard allows you to pass the name of
the pcboard.dat file.
changed In PCBSetup, Sysop Information, there is a new setting that allows
you to require the Local Password when hitting ESC to drop the
system to DOS. This should prevent accidentally dropping the system
to DOS *if* you have a password set in the Sysop Information screen.
added Support for a new programming language, called the PCBoard Programming
Language (or PPL), has been added to PCBoard.
All versions of PCBoard will support the ability to EXECUTE compiled
PPL files (which are .PPE files). However, the compiler and
documentation for the PCBoard Programming Language is extra.
Developers, who have purchased the PPL Compiler and Documentation, can
write anything from simple to very complex add-ons for PCBoard using
the PPL facility and can distribute their products to all PCBoard
version 15.0 customers. All Sysops who are interested in obtaining
the PPL Compiler may purchase the PPL Compiler, however, as a language
it does require *some* programming skills to utilize it.
The PPL syntax is very similar to BASIC and PPL executables (.PPE
files) are run without unloading PCBoard giving them direct access
to the online caller without the delays associated with running, and
returning from, DOOR applications.
The .PPE files have a maximum size (once loaded into memory) of 32K.
Because the .PPE files are tokenized, and because it is possible to
'chain' from one .PPE module to another, this will allow for a fairly
large application. However, more demanding applications will still
require the use of external DOOR software to implement them.
changed Script questionnaires can be set to use the older standard format,
using a simple text file to ask questions, or it can now be set to
use PPL Executables instead. When a PPL file is executed it can
write to the answer file that is defined for script questionnaire
answers.
A program, called SCRCNVT.EXE, is provided, to the purchasers of the
PPL Compiler, which can easily convert existing Script Questionnaires
to the PPL Source file (.PPS) which can then be edited and compiled.
Using the SCRCNVT program, even a non-experienced programmer can
customize existing Script Questionnaires adding simple logic in them
to branch around questions or ask other questions.
changed Display files can now execute PPL programs by using !FILESPEC.PPE to
specify a .PPE file, similar to the way %FILESPEC displays a file.
In other words, if an exclamation point (!) is found inside of a
display file, in column 1, followed by a valid .PPE file, PCBoard
will execute the .PPE file.
Additionally, on that same line (where the !FILESPEC.PPE is found)
you may pass any number of parameters to the .PPE file up to a maximum
line length of 2048 bytes. A space must separate the filename from
the first parameter. Every parameter can be separated by either a
space or a semi-colon. Example: !TESTME.PPE 1 2 3
changed PCBTEXT records can now execute PPL programs by using !FILESPEC.PPE to
specify a .PPE file, similar to the way %FILESPEC displays a file.
In other words, if an exclamation point (!) is found inside of a
PCBTEXT record, in column 1, followed by a valid .PPE file, PCBoard
will execute the .PPE file.
Additionally, you may pass any number of parameters to the .PPE file
up to a maximum line length of 2048 bytes. A space must separate the
filename from the first parameter. Every parameter can be separated
by either a space or a semi-colon.
changed Shifted-Function keys may now run PPL programs. Similar to using
%FILESPEC to have a function key import a file, you now use !FILESPEC
to execute the .PPE file. This is also similar to the way PCBTEXT
records can use the %FILESPEC and !FILESPEC to include a file or
execute a .PPE file.
added A Logon Script Questionnaire is now available which can be run after
the caller has answered the login questions (name/password) but
before it scans for mail or shows the news, etc.
Both the Logon and Logoff Script Questionnaires can be set to run a
PPL Executable (.PPE file).
added The ability to OVERRIDE or ADD TO the commands that PCBoard supports.
This is done by using PCBSetup to edit the CMDS.LST file. There is
a default CMD.LST file found in File Locations : Configuration Files.
You can also have a conference-specific CMD.LST which will override
the CMD.LST file if one is specified.
The CMD.LST file has four basic capabilities:
1) Stuff the keyboard buffer with up to 30+ characters.
2) Stuff the keyboard buffer with a file (no limit on size)
3) Execute a .MNU file - giving PCBoard the ability to present
totally customized and configurable menus.
4) Execute a .PPE file - giving PCBoard the ability to run programs
written in PPL as if they are a built-in feature of the system.
Those that have used shelled doors and PCBSTUFF.KBD will appreciate
the first and second. The other two are totally new capabilities.
NOTE: All versions of PCBoard will support the execution of the .PPE
files. However, in order for a programmer to create these, a PPL
Compiler must be purchased.
added Also, at all menu file displays you can now run a .MNU or .PPE file
instead of displaying the menu file.
This works off of the 'root filename' for the menu. Example: if your
main board menu is called BRDM and you have a BRDM.MNU file, then
PCBoard will run the BRDM.MNU file instead of displaying the BRDM
file. Likewise, if a BRDM.PPE files then it will be run instead of
displaying BRDM.
Download and read the documentation in MKPCBMNU.ZIP for further
information on setting up and using the new MENU system.
added The ability to immediately read your mail whenever there is new mail
waiting for you. This is set by answering YES to "Prompt to Read Mail
when Mail Waiting" in Configuration Options : Messages. PCBoard
will prompt the caller like this:
New messages found in conference XYZ...
Read your personal mail now: (Y)es, (N)o, (A)ll new mail
If you answer Y or A, PCBoard will scan all conferences that have
the "Mail waiting flag" turned on. These conferences NEED NOT BE
selected - as in the R A S command.
If you select Y then PCBoard will display new messages, which are
addressed to you, in each of the conferences that were listed as
having new personal mail. NOTE: Last Message Read pointers will NOT
be updated.
If you select A then ALL new messages, your personal mail or not, in
each of the conferences that were listed as having new personal mail,
will be displayed. PCBoard will keep track of and update your Last
Message Read pointers while reading the mail.
Answering Y is equivalent to the "R O Y U WAIT" command.
Answering A is equivalent to the "R WAIT" command.
The 'U' command in the R O Y U WAIT indicates that PCBoard should
read only personal mail that has NOT already been read - regardless
of the Last Message Read pointers. This helps avoid seeing the same
message twice even though the LMR pointers do not point beyond a
message that is addressed to you which you have already read.
Additionally, in PCBSetup : File Locations : Configuration Files :
PWRD File, you can specify that callers of a specific security level
be FORCED TO READ their new mail immediately. This is equivalent
to forcing an "R O Y WAIT" command on login.
One more thing: the mail waiting flags have been made much more
reliable! It is still possible for the flags to NOT be set, due to
the message having been posted by software that does not support the
mail waiting flags. But you should now NEVER see a pop-up "You have
mail waiting in conference XYZ" message *except* when you really DO
have mail waiting for you there. PCBoard also no longer clears the
flags just because you were reading mail (on the assumption that
you *might* have read the new mail) since it can now verify whether or
not new mail actually exists.
added Support for Double-Byte Character Sets - such as those used in
Taiwan and China. This is set in Configuration Options : Messages and
has the effect of using a 0Dh character instead of E3h character as
line delimiters in the message base.
added NEW INDEX FILES for PCBoard's message base. They now include all of
the information that is normally used by PCBoard to locate messages
prior to letting people read them. Such as when issuing an R Y
command, etc. By storing the most commonly accessed data in the
index, message scans are now much faster.
Some differences in the handling of the new index files are:
- They are self-updating. If PCBoard discovers a bad index it will
replace the index with a new one. If PCBoard discovers an index
which does not include all messages found in the message base, such
as when a mail door posts new messages, it will update the index
adding the new messages.
- There is no longer a "fixed block size". You cannot run out of
room in the index file thus abolishing the 32,000 per conference
limit. The number of index entries is always equal to the number
of the high message number minus the low message number.
PERFORMANCE TIP: Because the index files are no longer fixed in
size, it is possible, through the addition of new messages, for
DOS to fragment the files. This can have a serious impact on the
performance of the index files. It is therefore recommended that
the hard drive be optimized (defragmented) from time to time.
- The records are MUCH LARGER, but the file size *might* in fact be
smaller. This is because the size is no longer fixed. In the past
someone might set up 16 blocks to cover a range of up to 16,000
messages when, in reality, the range might only have been 1,000.
In this example, the actual file sizes would be equal since the
record size of the new indexes is 16 times that of the old
structure.
- PCBoard will maintain the old MSGS.NDX file *only* if you set it
to in PCBSetup on a conference per conference basis. This can be
done to maintain compatibility with older software which may rely
on the index being up to date.
| - Changing the PCB= environment setting, adding /OLDINDEX to it,
| will instruct PCBoard to maintain old MSGS.NDX files across ALL of
| your conferences regardless of the individual conference settings.
|
| - PCBPACK will maintain old indexes by typing /OLDINDEX on the
| command line with the rest of your commands. For example, you
| might use the command: PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /DAYS:30 /OLDINDEX
|
| WARNING! If you are using a Mail Door or any netmail software which
| accesses your message bases using the old index files, then you MUST
| configure your system to maintain the old index files. It is
| recommended that you use SET PCB=/OLDINDEX and that you add /OLDINDEX
| on your PCBPACK command line in your event batch files.
|
| NOTE: When running old mail doors or netmail software, it may be
| desireable to immediately update the NEW index files after having
| imported mail. This can be done by using a new /UPDATE parameter.
| For example:
|
| PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /UPDATE
|
| The above would update all of the .IDX files but ONLY if they need
| to be updated. This will fairly quickly scan through all conferences
| to find which .IDX files need updating and, at least on smaller
| systems (less than 1000 conferences), could possibly be implemented
| in your import batch file.
added New message base commands:
TO read messages addressed TO a specific user
FROM read messages FROM a specific user
N read messages NEW since a specific date
WAIT documented above - read all conferences where the
mail waiting flags are set.
LONG view long message headers
SHORT view short message headers
FLAG flag a file for download while reading messages
V view a file while reading messages
QWK creates a QWK packet (can be combined with any
other valid read commands .. i.e. R 1+ QWK, or
R A QWK, or R A Y QWK or TS blah QWK, etc).
C,D,Z These commands can now be used while reading messages
to capture and download the current message.
added The message base has new capabilities including:
- Longer TO, FROM and SUBJECT fields. The longer TO and FROM fields
are only available if enabled on a per conference basis. They are
primarily used for Internet addressing. The limit of the TO and
FROM fields is 120 characters. If more characters are used than
will fit on a single line then PCBoard will wrap down to the next
line.
- File attachments (1 per message).
| File attachments are added to a message by typing "SA" to Save with
| Attachment instead of typing "S" to save.
|
| To enable File Attachments you must set the Location for File
| Attachments in the conference setup screen. You must also answer
| 'Y' to the "Allow File Attachments" question. Press PGDN while
| editing the conference to see the conference switches screen.
|
| NOTE: This should NOT be the same subdirectory as your public
| upload directory or any other directory normally used for
| downloads. The names of the files saved, when saving an attachment,
| will not directly correspond with the files that are upload. See
| the flag/view attachment information for further details.
- Carbon List messages (with the limit on the number of users
that can be carboned specified in PCBSetup : Configuration Options :
Messages). Also, who can or cannot enter a Carbon List message can
be controlled by security level in each conference.
| Carbon List messages are entered by addressing the message to @LIST@
| and then providing the names of the users in the carbon list when
| prompted to do so.
- PCBoard can store an ORIGIN header in the message based on the
information in Configuration Options : Messages. This feature is
enabled individually in each conference.
- A Return Receipt message can be requested when writing a private
message in a conference where Return Receipts are enabled.
- The main board area can now be echoed if desired.
Return Receipts are visible only to the user who requested them and,
optionally, anyone (presumably a sysop) who has a security level
high enough to see them. The sysop can, therefore, avoid seeing the
return receipts by setting the security level for that feature to
something higher than his or her security level.
PCBSetup allows you to determine which users, by security, can request
return receipts on a conference-by-conference basis.
| NOTE: After successfully uploading a File Attachment, PCBoard will
| execute your PCBTEST.BAT file to verify the upload. You can modify
| your PCBTEST.BAT processing to jump around certain functions (or
| even just drop out completely) of PCBTEST.BAT processing by testing
| the %2 parameter for a value of ATTACH. Example:
|
| if '%2 == 'ATTACH goto end
changed All users may now use the Read-(O)nly message command now regardless
of their security level. The "R O" command has been change so that
all it does is avoid setting the Last Message Read pointers. The
sysop may still assign a security level to that command. The question
in PCBSetup now asks: "Level Needed to NOT Update Msg Read Status
(R O cmd)". If a user has that level or greater than the "R O"
command not only avoids setting Last Message Read pointers, but it
also avoids updating the "Message Read Status" when reading personal
mail.
added Conference INTRO Files. These are like WELCOME screens but are
used on a conference-by-conference basis. They are shown each and
every time a caller joins a conference. The only way to avoid seeing
the INTRO files is to type J x Q (where 'Q' stands for Quick) or when
logging in typing "Y Q NS" where the NS command forces a non-stop
login.
Optionally, the INTRO files can even be displayed in the process of
performing an R A command as PCBoard jumps from one conference to the
next.
added Private Conferences may now have a PASSWORD attached to them. If one
is found, then a caller not having access to the conference will be
asked for the password when attempting to join it. This allows the
sysop to set up a special conference and then simply leave a message
to a caller that would like to join it.
NOTE: After successfully joining the conference, the caller then
becomes registered in that conference so that future attempts at
joining the conference will no longer require that a password be
given.
added New message headers. These headers include several modifications:
- The TO, FROM and SUBJECT fields have all been lengthed to take up
an entire line if necessary.
- There are now two ways of viewing the message headers - either in
LONG format, or SHORT format. See the "R LONG" and "R SHORT"
commands. Also, (W)rite User Info can store your preference for
long or short headers.
- The message headers can now remain 'fixed' at the top of the
screen while reading a long message. This is done by using the
(W)rite User Info command and setting "Clear screen between each
message" to YES and setting "Scroll messages" to NO.
| NOTE: Callers who do not have ANSI support will not be able to
| lock the message headers because ANSI is required to move the
| cursor around on the screen.
|
| This means that callers must either answer 'Y' when asked if they
| want graphics, or if they answer 'N' then their COMM program must
| be capable of responding to the ansi detection sequence that
| PCBoard issues to determine if the caller has ANSI support.
- The text of the message headers is now more flexible. Previous
versions of PCBoard required that the text be a specific length.
It may now be longer or shorter and PCBoard will attempt, on its
own, to keep the colons (in the lines of the long header) lined
up appropriately.
- The colors of the message headers can be customized via PCBSetup.
Speaking of colors... you can even set the default color in a
more "complete" fashion now in that it is now possible to specify
a BACKGROUND color in addition to the foreground color. Try a
setting such as 1F sometime and see. :-)
|added An ALLFILES.LST file which will let you scan for prior existence of
| the file IN ALL CONFERENCES before allowing the caller to upload the
| file.
|
| ALLFILES.LST is nothing more than a DLPATH.LST ... but it is COMMON
| to ALL areas of the BBS if it is specified.
|
| In other words, usage of ALLFILES.LST is identical to DLPATH.LST. You
| put the same kinds of paths and/or index files in it. The only
| difference is that, if ALLFILES.LST is specified, PCBoard will use IT
| instead of the DLPATH.LST file when determining if a file (to be
| uploaded) already exists on the system.
added The ability to check for FILENAME.* on upload requests to prevent
uploads of FILENAME.ARJ, for example, if FILENAME.ZIP already
exists.
added A specific security setting are now available for what are normally
(but not always) sysop related commands allowing the sysop to set
the security levels on each to allow specific users to make use of
specific functions without giving them full sysop capabilities.
These are:
- using the BROADCAST command
- viewing the private upload directory
- enter generic messages (to @user@ or @##@)
- edit message headers
- protect / unprotect messages
- overwriting files on uploads
- move or copy messages to another conference
added The ability to FLAG or (V)iew a file while reading messages. This
can be a file attachment that is being flagged or viewed, or it can
be any file found in the current conference download path.
| NOTE: To flag or view a file attachment, you MUST use the message
| base subsystem. In other words, you must first READ the message
| that has the attachment and then use the Flag or View subcommands
| provided. You CANNOT use the normal file subsystem "F V" and "FLAG"
| commands to flag or view a file attachment from outside of the
| message base.
|
| This also means that only those who have access to a message, either
| by having the message addressed to them, or by having a sysop level
| for reading all mail, or by the message being public, will be able
| to flag or view the attachment. Those who cannot read the message,
| also cannot access the attachment.
|
| NOTE: The NAME of the file, on a file attachment, is CHANGED in order
| to allow multiple messages to have indentically named attachments.
| For example, in a Tech Support environment you might expect many
| people to upload AUTOEXEC.BAT. That would not work out very well if
| the "stored name" of the attachment was AUTOEXEC.BAT because then only
| the FIRST ATTACHMENT would be successful. Every attempt to attach
| AUTOEXEC.BAT thereafter would have to fail.
|
| PCBoard purposely AVOIDS that problem.
|
| The attachment lands in a special attachment directory (NOT your
| upload directory). And it is RENAMED to avoid collisions with
| existing files.
|
| The first upload of AUTOEXEC.BAT will be found in your attachment
| directory as AUTOEXEC.000. The second attachment of AUTOEXEC.BAT will
| be in the same directory as AUTOEXEC.001.
|
| The message itself contains the translation information necessary to
| receive the proper attachment.
added Support for slow drives - such as network servers, cd roms or, worse,
multi-disk cd roms. To enable this support, go into Configuration
Options : File Transfers and specify a list of slow drive letters.
For example: "XYZ" could be entered to indicate that files found on
drive X:, Y: or Z: should be copied down to the 'work directory' on
a local hard drive or ram disk prior to performing the file transfer.
In addition, a batch file can be run after the copy operation has been
performed. The actual function of the batch file is totally up to the
sysop, however, the most often cited use for this batch file has been
to stamp the file (perhaps in the ZIP Comment Field) with the name of
the BBS from which the file is being downloaded. This lets a system
stamp even files found on a CD-ROM drive by copying them first to a
local work area (off the CD-ROM) and then modifying the local copy.
changed The Supported Baud Rates defined in PCBSetup : Modem Information :
Allowed Access Speeds has been enhanced to allow for a security level
override.
If the override is zero it is disabled. Slower than desired
connections are dropped IMMEDIATELY after connecting.
If the override is non-zero, then PCBoard will wait for the caller
to log in to find out the caller's security level. Then it will
compare it against the override level. If the caller has sufficient
security he may remain online. Otherwise PCBoard will hang up on
the caller at that point.
changed PCBSetup now allows you to CLONE a conference when setting up a new
conference. That is, you can specify a conference other than the
main board which most closely resembles the new conference you are
setting up. This can save a lot of time when configuring new
conferences.
changed PCBSetup will now create a MSGS file if one does not exist when
performing a full save operation.
changed The Batch Limit in the PWRD file now allows up to three digits to
be entered - allowing up to 999 files in a batch.
changed At an input prompt you can now press ESC to abort what you have
typed so far and re-enter the information.
added Built-in support for QWK packets. That is, the ability to create
a QWK packet and send it to the caller, plus the ability to receive
a reply packet and integrate the messages. New commands are as
follows:
QWK D (p) (bye)
QWK U (p) (bye)
After either of the two QWK commands you can optionally stack the
letter of the protocol to use and/or the word BYE to logoff when
done.
While the QWK D command is simplistic, performing nothing more than
an R;A;S command (scan all conference for new mail) and turning it
into a QWK packet, the full power of PCBoard's message reading
capabilities can still be used in an alternate form. Like this:
R (...) QWK where (...) is any valid Read Command
Example:
R A TO JANE DOE FROM JOHN DOE TS THIS | THAT 1+ QWK
To enable the QWK capability, you must create a batch file, either in
your PCB directory or somewhere in your path, called PCBQWK.BAT. A
sample of what this would look like is as follows:
if %1==COMPRESS pkzip -ex -m %2 %3MESSAGES.DAT %3CONTROL.DAT %3*.NDX
if %1==EXTRACT pkunzip -o %2 %3
The %3 value, when executed, will be your "Work Directory". You must
ensure that this directory is a valid directory and that it is NOT
your current directory. Example:
PCBSetup : File Locations : System Files and Directories
Location of Temporary Work Files : WORK\
This will require that you exit PCBSetup answering 'Y' to save the
change AND create the new subdirectory. The WORK\ directory will be a
subdirectory off from the 'current directory', whatever that may be.
You must therefore ensure that ALL NODES have the work directory
created. You can do this by running PCBSetup for each node, or by
manually making the directories.
The name of the QWK packet can be defined in PCBSetup. It can be
the same name as the capture file name (on Read Captures) or you can
configure the name to be different.
NOTE: None of the more advance features of QWK-mail doors will be
implemented here. This feature is simply an "easy to use" method
of obtaining QWK packets which can be performed on any v15.0 BBS.
added Support for modems that say CONNECT 14.400 instead of CONNECT 14400.
added Built-in support for CallerID. PCBoard will now write the CallerID
information into the callers log right after the modem connect
string. To enable this feature, you must do two things in PCBSetup:
1) Modem Information : Switches
Change "Number of Rings Required" to 2 or more
2) Configuration Options : Logging Options
Answer 'Y' to "Log Connect String to Disk"
Additionally, support for accessing the CallerID string is available
inside PCBoard through PPL so that the information can be accessed
programatically while the caller is online.
NOTE: CallerID is only supported if your MODEM directly supports it.
That is, your modem must be able to pass the CallerID information to
PCBoard in between RING messages.
changed For systems that don't have error correcting modems (modems with
MNP or v.42bis), PCBoard will now wait four seconds after a connection
is established before leaving the call waiting screen.
This is done to avoid having a caller, whose modem *does* have error
correction, lose the first prompt due to his modem's error correction
handshaking sequence "eating" the first four seconds of data.
added File and Byte Ratios as well as File and K-Byte Download Limits.
These are specified in the PWRD file on a security level basis.
Setting any one of them to 0 disables that particular limit. When
set to a non-zero value, PCBoard will check first to see if a file is
'FREE' or 'NOTIME' and, if not, it will then compare the caller's
current statistics to see if downloading the file would exceed the
limits you have established.
NOTE: These new ratios work WITHOUT having to change the callers
security level. The caller remains fixed at the current level and
PCBoard simply decides, at the time of the download request, whether
or not the request should be granted based on the current ratio.
The Upload Credits that have been given in the past will still apply
ONLY to the "Daily Download Byte Limit". They do not apply to the
"File Limit" nor the "KByte Limit".
In other words, if you have "Upload Credit for Bytes" set to a
non-zero value in PCBSetup : Configuration Options : File
Transfers, then when a caller uploads it will credit the upload
against the "Daily Download KByte Limit". Meanwhile, the "KByte
Limit" remains intact.
Given the number of possible ways of limiting the caller's download
privileges, it may be wise (for sanity's sake) to pick a single one
and use only it. For example, you might want to set the File Ratio
to a non-zero value, leaving all of the other new fields at zero AND
setting the "Daily Download KByte Limit" to 32767 to disable it as
well.
However, in reality any combination of settings may be used. PCBoard
will enforce all of them if you choose to enact them all on any given
security level in the PWRD file.
NOTE: Two additional fields in the PWRD file can affect the use of
file and byte ratios. They are File and K-Byte Credits.
This allows you to start a caller out with a positive credit and
avoids a problem that is most noticeable in Byte Ratios. Example:
If you set the Byte Ratio to 4.0:1 and a new caller comes in who has
never uploaded or download anything. His ratio is 1:1 and that is
good. But he cannot download anything greater than 4 bytes in size
without immediately exceeding his ratio! Not good. To allow the
caller to download something, you can credit his byte ratio with,
perhaps, 50K to start. Then he can download up to 200K before
exceeding his 4.0:1 byte ratio.
The (V)iew Settings command will show the user the current File or
Byte Ratios. But only if ratio checking has been enabled.
added The PWRD file now has a setting that controls, on a security level
basis, whether or not the time limit specified should be seen as a
Daily Time Limit or as a Session Time Limit.
Answering YES to "Enforce Time Limit" means that the time limit
should be enforced across calls - making it a limit for the entire
day. Answering NO makes it a session limit.
You can now disable the time limit enforcement for EVERYONE (via
Configuration Options : System Control) or you can do it on a
security level basis (in the PWRD file).
Disabling the "Enforce Time Limit" does not mean the caller can spend
all the time he wants on the system. It means that the time limit
specified in the PWRD file is turned into a SESSION time limit
instead of a DAILY time limit. That is, if you set it to 30 minutes,
the caller can use 30 minutes, hang up, call back and get 30 more
minutes. But never more than 30 minutes at a time.
added The PWRD file now has a setting that controls, on a security level
basis, whether or not an account can be used by multiple callers
simultaneiously on a multi-node system.
Answering YES to "Multiple Logins" means that more than one caller
can be online using the same user-id without getting the "Name
already in use on another node" message.
This setting allows you to establish one or more accounts that can be
used as DEMO accounts. That is, accounts where you can hand out the
user-id and password and allow more than one user to be online at the
same time utilizing that user-id.
It is recommended that you also set the "Enforce Time Limit" flag to
NO when utilizing the "Multiple Logins" setting. This will avoid
running up the "minutes used" total which might prevent further
logins under that account.
Three additional changes in system behavior occur due to the Multiple
Logins setting:
1) The Daily Download Bytes counter will automatically be reset
whenever a user logs in. This is to avoid having previous callers
run the daily limit out. Effectively, the Daily Download Byte
Limit becomes a Session Download Byte Limit.
2) The Last Message Read pointers as well as Conference Selections
will automatically be reset whenever a user logs in. This avoids
having previous callers read mail and set the pointer to the end
of the message base causing subsequent callers to not see the
mail. Also, any given user must select, while online, which
conferences he or she may be interested in. A previous caller
cannot set the preferences for a future caller.
3) Users of such accounts will be unable to use the (W)rite User
Info command. This avoids the possibility that someone might,
either accidently or maliciously, change the password on the
account thus stopping anyone else from using the multiple user
account. It also prevents the user from changing the city/state
information which might, again either accidently or maliciously,
be changed to something that is not desired by the sysop for that
account.
changed PCBoard used to issue an error message whenever someone tried to
flag, download or upload a filename that included a drive and/or path
specification. In other words, typing "D C:\FILENAME" would result
in a message indicating that "C:\FILENAME" was an invalid name.
Now PCBoard will simply remove the drive and path specifiers and then
attempt to fulfill the request.
changed Increased the timeout when starting a file transfer from 60 seconds
to 90 seconds. Should give those slow modem users a little more time
to get the ball rolling before the system calls it quits.
changed If the file transfer aborts and the caller asked for auto-logoff, it
will now extend the timeout (before automatic logoff) from 10 seconds
to 45 seconds to give the caller more time to find out about the
aborted file transfer.
changed (L)ocate command has been enhanced so that if the user types a multi-
word search criteria PCBoard will split it up and put ampersands (&)
in between each word. Since a command such as "L RECOVER DATA" is
invalid, we might as well do what we can to help the caller find what
he's looking for. In v14.5a PCBoard turned "L RECOVER DATA" into "Z
RECOVER DATA". For v15.0 we'll take it a step further and turn it
into "Z RECOVER & DATA".
changed The behavior of the "Make All Uploads Private" switch. It continues
to force uploads to go into the private upload directory. But it no
longer tells the caller the "All uploads are private" when the caller
tries to view the public upload directory.
If the Public Upload Directory is defined (non-blank) the caller can
now view it!
However, by making the Public Upload Directory blank, PCBoard will
revert back to the message "all uploads are private" and not allow
the caller to view uploads.
This takes care of the problem where some systems have defined area
#99 (or some other number) as the Upload Directory, thereby disabling
the use of commands such as "F U", "N U S" or any other command that
would access the (U)pload directory. This was forced on sysops
because of the "all uploads are private" status. But no longer. Now
all uploads can be forced into the private directory while allowing
the sysop to move the uploads into the public directory after they
have been previewed or scanned.
Further information for clarification of the above:
OLD WAY OF DOING THINGS
-----------------------
- Force all uploads private
- Sysop scans uploads before posting
- Sysop moves those files deemed appropriate to directory #13 (or
whatever directory you might have chosen)
- Sysop tells callers to scan directory #13 to find new uploads AND
has to explain to everyone why the F;U command does not work, also
the N;U;S command, also the L;U command, also the Z;U command, etc.
What a hassle!
NEW WAY OF DOING THINGS
-----------------------
- Force all uploads private
- Sysop scans uploads before posting
- Sysop moves those files deemed appropriate to directory #13 (or
whatever directory you might have chosen)
- Now, because directory #13 is seen as the UPLOAD directory, the
callers can now use the F;U, N;U;S, L;U and Z;U commands.
What this change has done is allowed you to set up a directory which
PCBoard can see as the "U" directory. A directory that your callers
can reliably use to find new files no matter what number the directory
is because they can now type "U" instead of "13" (or whatever the
directory number is on your system)
You, the sysop, are now free to insert new directories ahead of the
upload directory, perhaps making the upload directory #14 now, without
causing a problem for your users because they can go right on typing
N;U;S to get a list of new files in the upload directory. PCBoard
automatically knows which directory is the 'Upload Directory' now even
though you are forcing all uploads to be private.
added Support for Multiple Events. Multiple events can be set to run
as Expedited (non-sliding) or Sliding and can be set to run only
on specific nodes or on all nodes. They can be set to run on
specific dates, or on specific days of the week. They can be set
to run only within a specified period (to avoid having a sliding
mailrun occur outside of evening long distance rates). And more.
Here is a sample of what the PCBSetup EVENT.DAT Editor screen might
look like:
Batch Begin End Last Days
Act Mod File Time Time Date Date SMTWTFS
═══ ═══ ════════ ═════ ═════ ════════ ════════ ═══════
1 Y E MAIN 02:00 02:15 YYYYYYY
2 Y S SLIDE 06:00 07:45 NYYYYYN
3 Y S SLIDE 14:00 16:00 YYYYYYY
4 Y E XMAS 00:15 00:30 12-25-00 YYYYYYY
5 Y E MONTHLY 00:15 00:30 00-01-00 NNNNNNN
6 Y E WEEKLY 00:15 00:30 NYNNNNN
An explanation for each field follows:
Act = Active Y/N
Mod = Mode (Expedite, Sliding)
Batch File = Name of the batch file to use for the event
Begin Time = When the event should run
End Time = Latest time when event should be allowed to run
Date = A specific date on which to run the event
Last Date = For record keeping purposes only - when last event ran
Days = Sunday through Saturday, which days to run the event
The Begin Time and End Times create a "window" in which the event
should be run. PCBoard will do its best to run the event right at
the Begin Time. However, should the BBS be busy handling a file
transfer, running a door, or simply out to DOS, it will still run the
event if control is returned to PCBoard before the End Time is
reached.
In example #1 above, an EXPEDITED event should run at 2:00am. It will
force callers off and deny access to the board trying to ensure that
the event will run at that time. If it doesn't, it is permitted to
run as late as 2:15am. Otherwise the system will skip the event.
In examples #2 and #3, a SLIDING event should run at 6:00am and
2:00pm. This might be a mail run. We don't want to kick callers
off, we just need to ensure that it gets run. But we don't want to
call long distance after 8:00 otherwise we pay a higher long distance
fee. So the event is allowed to run any time from 6:00 until 7:45.
Further, in this example, it has been set to run only on Monday
through Friday, it will not run on Saturday or Sunday. The second of
the two events named SLIDE will run between the hours of 2:00pm and
4:00pm. This might be a second mail run if you call locally to get
your mail.
In example #4, an EXPEDITED event will run at 12:15am on Christmas
morning, possibly running a program to insert a news item wishing
callers a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Setting the year to
00 in the date of this event is like using a wildcard, telling
PCBoard that any year matches this date.
In example #5, an EXPEDITED event will run at 12:15am on the first
day of every month. This will allow you to do any monthly processing
that you may wish to do, generating monthly statistics, purging
month-old callers logs, or packing user information.
In example #6, an EXPEDITED event will run at 12:15 am on every
Monday morning. This will allow you to set up an event that will do
any weekly processing that you may wish to have done.
The Last Date field is used by PCBoard to record when the event was
last run. This field is maintained on a PER NODE basis. That means
that if you run PCBSetup on two different nodes you would be looking
at two different fields in the EVENT.DAT file. The Last Date field
is used to ensure that the event has not yet been run, and to avoid
running the event if it has ALREADY been run that day.
Therefore, if you are wanting to test the EVENT handling, you will
need to either move the DATE on your system forward after each test
or else run PCBSetup and delete (Ctrl-End) or replace (type over)
the date in the Last Date Field.
If you want a specific node to run an event that is different from the
others then the name of the event file should be modified to include
the node number. For example:
Batch Begin End Last Days
Act Mod File Time Time Date Date SMTWTFS
═══ ═══ ════════ ═════ ═════ ════════ ════════ ═══════
1 Y E MAIN 02:00 02:15 YYYYYYY
If you want node 1 to run the main part of the event, while all the
rest of the nodes run something else (perhaps remaining idle) you
would create two separate files like this:
MAIN <--- the default, for all nodes
MAIN.001 <--- used by node 1 (because of the .001)
If you set up an event that you want only ONE node (or a subset of
nodes) to run, then simply do not create the root filename (no
extension) making, instead, only the node-specific copies of the event
(e.g. MAIN.004, MAIN.008, etc).
changed The callers log handling of events now indicates the NAME and NUMBER
of the event when it is run. When returning from the event, PCBoard
now writes a line to the log to indicate that the event is finished.
Further, while the event is running, the USERNET file will be updated
to indicate that the node is running the event as well as showing the
name and number of the event it is running.
changed Enhanced MKPCBTXT so that those who wish to customize PCBTEXT files
can do so in a more automated fashion now. You can now use a /I:###
parameter to insert text into the file at the record number specified.
For example a batch file such as the following could be used:
UPDATE.BAT
----------
@echo off
if *%1 == * goto explain
MKPCBTXT %1 /I:150 "This is a test"
MKPCBTXT %1 /I:200 "%%2FILE1"
MKPCBTXT %1 /I:210 "%%2FILE2"
MKPCBTXT %1 /I:300 "This is in record #300 of PCBTEXT"
goto done
:explain
echo Usage: UPDATE pcbtext file-directory
echo .
echo Exampe: UPDATE C:\PCB\GEN\PCBTEXT C:\PCB\GEN\
:end
The example above illustrates who even the location of %FILESPEC
files, used in the PCBTEXT file, could be customized by the sysop at
the time of installation.
added A Trashcan for uploads. This is a file that holds the filenames
(which can optionally use wildcards) of those files that you want to
prevent from being uploaded. This can be used in place of creating
0-byte files to stop uploads.
added A new "Security" flag for messages. When entering the security type
you can now type the letter 'D' to set the DATE on which the message
should be packed out of the message base.
As long as the message is not killed first, the message will then
remain active until the date specified is reached.
The actual 'protection' on the message is 'N' (for PUBLIC). However,
once the message has been saved, you can use the (P)rotect or
(U)nprotect commands or even use the (E)dit Header command to change
the pack-out (D)ate.
Only those who have security clearance to "Set the Pack-Out Date" (see
PCBSetup : Security Levels : Sysop Commands) may enter messages of
this type. Further, users (or sysops) having that level will be shown
the pack-out date at the bottom of the message whenever the message is
read. Meanwhile, regular users never see or know about the date.
added Support for handling an incoming FAX *if* the modem is capable of
letting PCBoard issue the ATA command (to connect) *and* the modem
answers with a "CONNECT FAX" message. PCBoard then exits to DOS with
an errorlevel of 7 at which point BOARD.BAT can be set up to load the
FAX software.
Modems which require TSR software to be loaded ahead of PCBoard, and
which do not let PCBoard control the answering of the call, are a risk
to PCBoard's security and are not supported.
Modems which do not issue a CONNECT FAX message are not currently
supported. If anyone knows of modems with a differing connect message
that is still unique enough to identify the incoming fax, please let
us know.
NOTE: Due to the way DOS handles ERRORLEVELS you should check for
higher numbered errorlevels first before checking lower errorlevels.
PCBoard may exit with an errorlevel HIGHER than 7, yet DOS will treat
an IF ERRORLEVEL == 7 as being true. Therefore, if you will be using
FAX software you should probably write your batch file like this:
pcboard
if errorlevel == 8 board <-- test for all higher levels
if errorlevel == 7 fax <-- if 7 is still found, run fax
... etc
changed The $$LOGON.BAT and $$LOGOFF.BAT processing can now, optionally, be
set to swap out to increase available memory. Also, the comm port is
now closed and re-opened when processing is finished. This will
allow software which accesses the comm port to be run in these
batch files.
Additionally, PCBoard can now be set to create a USERS.SYS file prior
to running $$LOGON.BAT and it will read in and process the USERS.SYS
file when done.
changed It is now possible to set the default for the "Do you want graphics"
question to YES. While this is not recommended, it has been a highly
requested feature so those who want to do it may.
| This is done by answering 'Y' to the "Default to Graphics at Login"
| question in the PCBSetup : Configuration Options : Switches screen.
|
| NOTE: If you make this change, you must also edit your PCBTEXT file
| to change record #149 so that it will properly reflect the default
| you have selected.
added A new ONLINE PACK capability. You can now pack your users file
without taking the system offline - similar to packing message bases
without taking the system down.
Online packing of the users file is many times more complicated than
the online-pack of MSGS, which simply waits until the MSGS file is not
in use and then forces people to stay out until the packing process
terminates. The users file, however, is constantly in use by callers
who are already online as well as existing and new callers who were
not connected at the time the pack processed started but may be online
before the process ends.
The online pack can be started either interactively via a separate
menu option ("pack" versus "pack while online"). Or it can be started
using a new command line option: /PURGE
The /PURGE command is identical in syntax to the /PACK command with
the same subcommands, etc.
added PCBoard Supported Allocations (PSAs). These are similar to the
Third Party Allocations (TPAs) which are data areas reserved inside
the USERS.INF file for Third Party Applications to use. The PSAs are
directly supported by PCBoard in PCBSM. More so than are TPAs which
are simply allocations. A PSA is different in that not only is the
space allocated, but PCBoard and PCBSM actually use the space. The
allocations implemented in version 15.0 are the following:
Alias Support
Full Address Support
Password Changing Support
Verification Support
Caller Statistics Support
Installation of a PSA is similar to installing a TPA. From the
Users Info File Maintenance menu option of PCBSM, you select "Add
PCBoard Supported Allocations" and then pick which one you want to
install. You can install any or all of them, or none of them.
If a PSA is installed, then PCBSM will show it when editing the
Users File. To get to the PSA screen simply press the F2 function
key to rotate views (Short Form, Long Form, Conference Form, then
the PSA Forms, one for each PSA installed).
For example, if you install the Alias Support, then after getting to
the Conference Flags screen in PCBSM's Users File Editor, one more
press of the F2 function key will take you to the Alias Support Form.
If you have also installed Caller Statistics (but NO others), then
the next F2 keypress will take you to the Caller Statistics Form.
After installing Alias Support, PCBoard then allows the caller to
select an Alias using the (W)rite User Info command. Similarly,
with Caller Statistics Support installed, PCBoard will gather
statistics about the callers to the system while they are online.
The same idea holds true for the rest of the TPAs. If you decide to
install them, then they become functional in both PCBoard and PCBSM.
If you system has no need for them, then you need not install them,
nor 'waste' the disk space that they would otherwise use.
added Alias Support on a per-conference basis in PCBoard. Allowing callers
to use an alias requires two steps:
1) You must first run PCBSM, select "User Info File Maintenance", then
select "Add PCBoard Supported Allocations", then select "Add Alias
Support".
This step adds a PSA (similar to a TPA) into the users.inf file.
The only major difference is that the PSA is directly supported by
both PCBoard and PCBSM. That is, callers can use PCBoard to set
their Alias when logging in for the first time or by using the
(W)rite User Info command, or the sysop can use PCBSM to edit the
alias (via the Users File Editor).
2) Then you must inform PCBoard which conferences allow aliases to be
used. Do this by going into PCBSetup, then go to the Conference
configuration screen, then press PGDN to go to the switches screen.
Answer 'Y' where it asks "Allow aliases to be used".
| 3) Then you must select which security levels will be allowed to use
| an alias by editing your PWRD file. Press the F2 key, once inside
| the PWRD file editor, and answer 'Y' in the Alias column for each
| security level that should be allowed to use an alias.
Once the Alias Support PSA is installed the 'feature' becomes active
and not before. For instance, after having installed the Alias
Support the F2 function key inside the PCBSM Users File Editor will
now take you to a 4th screen allowing you to see/edit the Alias Name
the caller has chosen. Without installing the Alias Support PSA,
however, that screen is not available and the Allow Aliases to be used
setting, in PCBSetup, is completely ignored by PCBoard.
When a user selects an alias, the alias chosen cannot duplicate the
name of another user on the system, nor can it duplicate the alias of
another user. Aliases must be unique. The User Index Files hold both
user names and aliases to accomodate easy locations of either the
user-id or the alias.
If PCBSetup : Configuration Options : System Control : Disallow
Alias Change is set to YES then once the Alias has been chosen it
cannot be changed except by leaving a comment to the sysop and asking
the sysop to change the alias.
A caller who has chosen an alias may log onto the BBS using either
his real user-id or by using the alias. The password remains the
same in either case and PCBoard will properly pick up the record that
belongs to the caller. However, the alias itself will not be used
unless and until the caller joins a conference that has aliases
enabled.
The alias is not actually used until the caller joins a conference
that is flagged for "Allow Aliases to be used = YES". When joined,
the caller is shown a message stating "Hiding identity, please
wait...".
The user can disable the alias and return back to using his regular
user-id at any time by typing "ALIAS OFF". Or by typing "ALIAS ON"
it can be re-enabled. Simply typing "ALIAS" without the words ON or
OFF will toggle the current setting.
If PCBSetup : Node Configuration : Show Alias Name in WHO Display is
set to YES then, as a caller moves into an Alias-Allowed Conference,
the USERNET file will be updated to show the caller's alias, and when
the caller moves out of an Alias-Allowed Conference it will revert
back to the caller's real name. NOTE: PCBoard delays this update
with a blank "Logging into system" status to hide the identity
change. After approximately 1 minute, the WHO display will then
reflect the change in the caller's name (or alias).
NOTE: Sysops, or those who have access to Sysop Function 11, can
still see the name of the user when Sysop Function 11 is utilized.
Whenever the caller's online name is changed (whether changing to the
alias or changing back to the user-id) the change is written to the
callers log. Also, any changes (in the alias) are written to the
callers log as well as any attempted changes. An attempted change is
one where the caller tries to use a name which already exists.
While inside a conference where aliases are allowed, the security
level requirement for the USERS command is changed to become equal to
that which is required to use Sysop Function 7. This allows the sysop
to continue to use the USERS command while making it impossible for
callers to use it. This is to avoid the possibility of having a user
compare logon dates/times or name ordering in the USERS list seen
outside of the conference with a USERS list that might be seen inside.
In addition, the City/State information normally shown in a WHO
display is blank when a user changes to his alias (by joining an alias
conference). This, again, is to hide the information so that callers
who are online do not simply compare the city/state information to
determine who another caller is.
Messages addressed to the Aliased Name function identically, when
notifying a caller of new mail, as messages addressed to the actual
user-id.
When viewing a user's record online via Sysop Function 7, the Alias
will be shown if the caller has chosen one.
added Full Address Support in both PCBoard and PCBSM. This is another PSA
(see above) and requires that you first install it via PCBSM.
Installation requires that you first run PCBSM, select "User Info File
Maintenance", then select "Add PCBoard Supported Allocations", then
select "Add Full Address Support".
Once installed, new users will be asked to enter their full address
information. The actual questions asked, like any other PCBoard
prompt, may be changed using MKPCBTXT to edit the PCBTEXT file. The
default questions are:
Street (1 of 2)
Street (2 of 2)
City
State
Zip Code
Country
If any question (in PCBTEXT) is blank it won't be asked. The answers
can be modified by 1) the user, using the (W)rite User Info command,
or 2) by the sysop, using PCBSM's Users File Editor.
A Login-PPL could be written and used to ask existing callers, those
who registered before the Full Address Support was added into the
system, to enter their address information.
When viewing a user's record online via Sysop Function 7, the Full
Address information will be shown if the caller entered it.
added Password-Changing Support in both PCBoard and PCBSM. This is another
PSA (see above) and requires that you first install it via PCBSM.
Installation requires that you first run PCBSM, select "User Info File
Maintenance", then select "Add PCBoard Supported Allocations", then
select "Add Password-Changing Support".
Once installed, PCBoard will keep track of when your callers change
their password (the last date changed), the number of times they have
changed it, and the last three passwords used. It will prevent them
from selecting any of the previously used passwords. You can view
this information from PCBSM's Users File Editor.
An additional field in the Password Support is an expiration date.
You can set this date to force a caller to change the password as of
that date.
| New callers to the system will have their expiration date set to the
| specified number of days after their first login. Existing users
| will have their expiration date set to the specified number of days
| after their first login with the Password PSA installed.
In addition, a setting is provided in PCBSetup : Configuration
Options : Limits for the number of days between FORCED password
changes. If this setting is non-zero then PCBoard will require the
caller to change the password when logging in after the expiration
date of the password.
New callers to the system, after the PSA is installed, will have the
Login Date in the "Last Change Date" field. And if a "forced change"
period is specified in PCBSetup then the expiration date will be that
many days from the caller's first logon date.
You can warn the caller of the up coming need to change the password
by setting the number of warning days to some value larger than zero.
PCBoard will then display a PCBTEXT record informing the caller of the
need to change the password. This PCBTEXT record, like most PCBTEXT
records, could be modified to run a PPL program. This PPL program
could be written to verify if the caller is "live" or "automated" and,
if making an automated mail run, the program could write the user a
message that might then be included in the packet the caller is about
to download. (NOTE: A sample PPL is posted as PWRDWARN.ZIP)
Setting the callers expiration date to a date prior to the current
date effectively forces the caller to choose a new password on the
next call. Setting the expiration date to a date far into the future
effectively disables the expiration feature.
NOTE: Callers who call in using automated systems MAY NOT BE AWARE
of this change and may waste several calls before noticing that the
reason they cannot get their mail is because they need to update their
password. You may want to use this feature sparingly. (set the
Number of DAYS to Forced Password Change to either 0 or to a high
number, and perhaps set the number of warning days high just to give
the caller a chance to see the warning in a "live" call sometime
prior to the password's expiration date).
added Verification Support in both PCBoard and PCBSM. This is another PSA
(see above) and requires that you first install it via PCBSM.
Installation requires that you first run PCBSM, select "User Info File
Maintenance", then select "Add PCBoard Supported Allocations", then
select "Add Verification Support".
Verification Support is intended to help you, the sysop, ensure that
callers are not sharing accounts and that the caller is legitimate.
The default text for the question asked is set to ask for the maiden
name of the caller's mother. This could be set to ask for birthdate
instead, if desired.
A login-PPL could be written/used which could later ask the caller
for the information provided during login.
added Caller Statistics Support in both PCBoard and PCBSM. This is another
PSA (see above) and requires that you first install it via PCBSM.
Installation requires that you first run PCBSM, select "User Info File
Maintenance", then select "Add PCBoard Supported Allocations", then
select "Add Caller Statistics Support".
Once installed, PCBoard will track such items as: the first date on,
the number of times the caller has paged the sysop, used the group
chat facility, left comments to the sysop, violated security,
attempted to join conferences for which the caller does not have
access, password failures, the speed of the caller, and more.
This information is only viewable from PCBSM's Users File Editor.
added Caller Notes Support in both PCBoard and PCBSM. This is another
PSA (see above) and requires that you first install it via PCBSM.
Installation requires that you first run PCBSM, select "User Info File
Maintenance", then select "Add PCBoard Supported Allocations", then
select "Add Caller Notes Support".
Once installed, PCBSM will let you enter up to 5 lines of up to 60
characters each of information about the caller. This information
cannot be seen or changed by the caller. PCBoard will display the
information to the sysop when using Sysop Function 7, however, it
can only be updated using PCBSM's Users File Editor.
changed With the addition of PSAs into the system, PCBSM's ALT-S Searching
capability (inside the Users File Editor) has now been extended into
the PSAs that are installed.
For example, you can now hit ALT-S and tell it to search for a street
address and it will search the Full Address PSA.
NOTE: This requires that not only the USERS file be searched, but
that the USERS.INF file be searched as well. This is a tremendous
performance hit. With that in mind, PCBSM will ask you whether or not
you want to search through PSAs. If you know that the data you are
looking for is perhaps a name or a city or phone number (information
that is in the main user record) then answer NO to the question. If
there is a good chance that the information *is* in the PSA then
answer yes and then take a break. :
info The disk space required for each installed PSA is outlined below:
PSA Static Allocations
---------- ------------------
Alias 25
Address 160
Password 42
Verify 25
Statistics 30
Notes 300
For example, the Alias PSA requires 25 characters per user record. So
if youhave 1000 users in your users file it will take up 25,000 bytes
in your users.inf file.
None of the PSAs use dynamic (per conference) allocations, so it
doesn't matter how many conferences you have.
added The ability to exclude local logins from PCBoard's statistics.
When setting "Exclude Locals from Stats" (in PCBSetup : Configuration
Options : Switches) to 'Y' PCBoard will not record the caller number
in the callers log, it will not count the number of logins (either the
system count or the call waiting statistics count), it will not count
messages entered, nor files upload or downloaded (on the call waiting
screen).
However, the callers log will still show that a local login was made.
This remains necessary for security issues.
added FOSSIL Support in the PCBoard/M software. This allows PCBoard/M
customers to use hardware that is not yet supported by COMM-DRV *if*
a FOSSIL driver for that hardware happens to be available.
We still recommend COMM-DRV as a faster and more reliable interface.
But if COMM-DRV doesn't support the card you have, now you have an
alternative that you can try.
PCBSetup has been modified adding a new field in the Modem Information
screen where you specify A, C or F as the type of driver to be used.
A = ASYNC <-- the only choice when using regular PCBoard
C = COMM-DRV
F = FOSSIL
changed The USERS.SYS file that PCBoard creates for DOORS is now larger than
it was when v14.5 and v14.5a created the file. The file specification
specifically allows for this to happen, however, some DOOR
applications were not properly written to take into account the
dynamic sizing nature of the USERS.SYS file.
To allow for compatibility with DOORS written for v14.5 or v14.5a,
the DOORS.LST file now allows Y, N or O to be entered in the USERS.SYS
column. Choosing the letter O indicates that the USERS.SYS file
should be created in the v14.5 format, without the extra information
that is new for v15.0.
changed Modified the SELECT command so that if you select (or deselect) a
conference that is not currently on the screen, PCBoard will attempt
to put that conference on the screen upon completion of the command.
changed Given the following information in PCBSetup : Subscription screen:
Enable Subscription Mode : Y
Default Subscription Length in Days : 0 <---- set to ZERO
Default `Expired' Security Level : 9
Warning Days Prior to Expiration : 30
PCBoard will now allow subscription mode to be enabled while
DEFAULTING NEW USERS to 00-00-00.
Setting the subscription length to anything other than zero will
result in the normal addition of days to the new user's logon date
when setting the subscription period.
changed Sysop Functions 3 and 8, which pack the message bases and users file,
respectively, have been modified to take more of a backseat to their
offline counterparts: PCBPACK and PCBSM.
In actuality, both Sysop Functions 3 and 8 call PCBPACK and PCBSM to
do their work. However, they no longer provide feedback (while
processing) to the user if the user is online from REMOTE. It is
highly recommended that sysops uses the EVENT system to pack their
message bases and users file.
Meanwhile, Sysop Functions 3 and 8 remain in v15.0 to allow for those
quick and dirty times when you need to quickly pack a single message
base or pack the users file.
Both of these options may now be used WITHOUT having to having to take
the system down. Sysop Function 8 still requires that only the SYSOP
(record #1 in the users file) use it, but it is now okay to pack the
users file without taking all of the nodes down prior to performing
the pack.
added PCBoard will now auto-detect Netware systems which means that the
SET PCB=/NMT switch is no longer necessary.
added RIPscrip support. RIPscrip is a standard similar to ANSI except that
it runs in graphics mode on the caller's side.
If you answer with the letter 'R' at the "Do you want graphics" prompt
PCBoard will now look for _____R files similar to the way answering
'Y' causes PCBoard to look for ______G files. For example, you can
create a WELCOMER file and it will be displayed instead of your
WELCOMEG or WELCOME files if the caller is in RIPscrip mode.
PCBoard has been set up to look first for the 'R' files, then if an
'R' version is not found it will look for a 'G' file and display it.
Of course, if no 'G' version exists then it will display the
non-graphics version.
The (M)ode command has a new sub-command "RIP". You can type "M RIP"
to turn RIPscrip mode on at any time.
NOTE: The callers log and status lines will now show 'R' for RIPscrip
mode. Also, the pcboard.sys file now has the letter 'R' when in
RIPscrip mode.
changed Increased the speed at which PCBoard locates display files.
info The following are the current ERRORLEVELS supported and returned by
PCBoard:
0 = normal exit at sysop request
1 = exit to dos for the event
2 = exit to dos for a door
3 = exit to dos for remote dos operation
4 = exit to dos to run pcbpack
5 = exit to dos caused by caller saying goodbye
6 = exit to dos to recycle through board.bat
7 = exit to dos to handle incoming FAX
99 = an error occured which dropped it to dos, board.bat will
recycle the system