home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
BBS Toolkit
/
BBS Toolkit.iso
/
programs
/
onlin16.zip
/
ONLINE.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1993-03-21
|
18KB
|
471 lines
============================
OnLine!
============================
(c)1992,93 T&J Software
One of the T&J Software Collection of multi-BBS door programs.
Supporting PCBoard, Wildcat!, Gap, QBBS, RBBS, Spitfire,
UltraBBS, Telegard, TriBBS, Remote Access, and WWIV
VERSION 1.60 03/20/93
By
Tom Wildoner
397 West Broadway
Jim Thorpe, PA
18229
VOICE (717)325-9480
*between 5:30 & 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time
From
The T&J Software BBS
(717)325-9481
1200/2400/9600/19200
24 Hours/Day
LATEST VERSION:
===============
Please call the T&J Software BBS for the latest version of this program.
We always try to keep an ample supply of the latest text files of
interest for you to include in your copy of OnLine!
LEGALITIES:
===========
THIS SOFTWARE AND ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS ARE DISTRIBUTED "AS IS" WITHOUT
WARRANTY, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
IN NO EVENT SHALL ANYONE INVOLVED WITH THE CREATION AND PRODUCTION OF THIS
PRODUCT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ARISING
OUT OF ANY USE THEREOF OR BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY.
DISTRIBUTION:
=============
You may make this file available for downloading from your BBS or you may
upload it to any BBS of your choice, provided that you do not make any
changes to the contents of the archive (ZIP file). The archive and its
individual contents may not be used by any service that charges any money
whatsoever, without the written permission of the author.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
====================
OnLine! is basically a way for you, the SysOp, to setup your own online
type of magazine or your own online text search door. You can make your
own Hello and Goodbye screens, and you can have up to 1600 articles/ANSI
screens for your users to read/search online and have them broken down
into 40 different sub-menus.
OnLine also supports downloading of articles/ansi screens right from
within the door itself. Users may download using X, Y, or ZModem
transfer protocols. You have the option to turn the downloading flag
ON or OFF when you add an article to the database using OLSETUP.
Speaking of downloading, OLSETUP also allows you to turn GLOBAL
downloading on or off also! OnLine will also prompt the user if he/she
would like the file Zipped prior to transferring the file!
Think of OnLine as a "shell" for you to build on. You can customize it
to your favorite colors, text files, ANSI screens etc.
When viewing TEXT files, you may SEARCH the text file for a KEYWORD,
goto the next page (like PAGE DOWN), and goto the previous page (like
PAGE UP).
OnLine also has HELP available right from the main menu of the door
and the ability to generate STATISTICS on its usage. Statistics
generation is user prompted by selecting 'S' from the main menu.
ANSI files simply display to the user and then return to the main menu.
There is no way to "search" an ANSI file.
NOTE:
=====
The ONLINE.KEY file that is distributed with this door does NOT expire!
This is simply here so the door has a KEY to read. When you register,
you will receive a new ONLINE.KEY file.
You may only display/use 2 sub-menus with 2 articles in each until
the door is registered. After you register, the limit is 1600 articles
or ANSI screens, and all future upgrades to the door are free.
FEATURES:
=========
--- Desqview/Network Aware.
--- COM0-15 support and non-standard IRQ's.
--- Colorful ANSI screens.
--- Chat function.
--- NO BRUN module needed for play.
--- BETA tested on many different boards.
--- Will return to BBS on dropped carrier.
--- Will TIMEOUT a player after 5 minutes of no activity.
--- Use of HOT KEYS while in the door.
--- Support BBS available.
--- 40 Sub-Menus.
--- 1,600 Total Articles.
--- Downloading Option using X, Y, or ZModem.
--- Fossil Driver support.
--- Online HELP and STATISTICS available.
--- Page Forward or Back.
--- KEYWORD Searching.
UPGRADING:
==========
See the file OLSETUP.DOC for information on UPGRADING from v1.5 to
this version of the door. OLSETUP will take care of the upgrading but
refer to the OLSETUP.DOC file prior to attempting it.
INSTALLATION: (using the OLSETUP.EXE file)
===============================================
Please refer to the documentation on OLSETUP contained in the file:
OLSETUP.DOC
We've decided to move the setup program outside the main code. Most
updates of the door (in the past) was the setup program. This will
allow us to modify/edit the OLSETUP.EXE without disturbing the door
itself.
ERROR.LOG FILE:
===============
OnLine! and OLSETUP will both write to a file called ERROR.LOG. There
is a seperate section in the OLSETUP.DOC listing how OLSETUP deals
with this file.
OnLine! will write to this file if any of the following happens:
- A user tries reading a file that doesn't exist on your
hard drive. In the old version, this would have been enough
to crash your system. This version of the door no checks
for the files existence prior to trying to open it. If
the file is not found, it will tell you the filename that
wasn't found and where it should be placed.
- A user tries viewing the STATISTICS, but the file was
not found on the disk.
All other types of errors will be listed in a file called DFRAME.ERR.
CONFIGURATION:
=============
Example configuration file for PCBOARD.SYS
------------------------------------------
C:\PCB\PCBOARD.SYS <=- (Full pathname of your PCBOARD.SYS file)
T&J Software <=- (Change this to your BBS name)
Tom <=- (The Sysop's first name)
Wildoner <=- (The Sysop's last name)
Example configuration file for USERS.SYS
----------------------------------------
C:\PCB\USERS.SYS <=- (Full pathname of your USERS.SYS file)
T&J Software <=- (Change this to your BBS name)
Tom <=- (The Sysop's first name)
Wildoner <=- (The Sysop's last name)
Example configuration file for DOOR.SYS
---------------------------------------
C:\BBS\DOOR.SYS <=- (Full pathname of your DOOR.SYS file)
T&J Software <=- (Change this to your BBS name)
Tom <=- (The Sysop's first name)
Wildoner <=- (The Sysop's last name)
Example configuration file for USERINFO.DAT
-------------------------------------------
C:\BBS\USERINFO.DAT <=- (Full pathname of your USERINFO.DAT file)
T&J Software <=- (Change this to your BBS name)
Tom <=- (The Sysop's first name)
Wildoner <=- (The Sysop's last name)
NOTE: DOOR.SYS must be in the SAME directory as USERINFO.DAT
Example configuration file for CALLINFO.BBS
-------------------------------------------
C:\BBS\CALLINFO.BBS <=- (Full pathname of your CALLINFO.BBS file)
T&J Software <=- (Change this to your BBS name)
Tom <=- (The Sysop's first name)
Wildoner <=- (The Sysop's last name)
Example configuration file for DORINFOx.DEF
-------------------------------------------
C:\BBS\DORINFOx.DEF <=- (Full pathname of your DORINFOx.DEF file
where 'x' is the BBS Node number.
T&J Software <=- (Change this to your BBS name)
Tom <=- (The Sysop's first name)
Wildoner <=- (The Sysop's last name)
Example configuration file for SFDOORS.DAT
------------------------------------------
C:\BBS\SFDOORS.DAT <=- (Full pathname of your SFDOORS.DAT file)
T&J Software <=- (Change this to your BBS name)
Tom <=- (The Sysop's first name)
Wildoner <=- (The Sysop's last name)
Example configuration file for CHAIN.TXT
----------------------------------------
C:\BBS\CHAIN.TXT <=- (Full pathname of your CHAIN.TXT file)
T&J Software <=- (Change this to your BBS name)
Tom <=- (The Sysop's first name)
Wildoner <=- (The Sysop's last name)
Example configuration file for GTUSER.BBS
-----------------------------------------
C:\BBS\GTUSER.BBS <=- (Full pathname of your GTUSER.BBS file)
T&J Software <=- (Change this to your BBS name)
Tom <=- (The Sysop's first name)
Wildoner <=- (The Sysop's last name)
1 <=- (COM port number - defaults to 1)
1 <=- (Node number - defaults to 1)
Example Batch File
==================
A sample batch file is included and is similer to the following:
ECHO OFF
CD\DOORS\ONLINE <=- Switch to the door's Directory.
ONLINE! ONLINE!.CFG <=- Execute the door program and pass the
configuration filename to the program.
CD\PCB <=- Go back to PCB DIR when user exits door.
BOARD <=- Restart BBS.
This Door is multi-node compatible so you may run more than 1 node from
the same .CFG file provided the path to your system file (DORINFOx.DEF,
CALLINFO.BBS, etc) is exactly the same unless you are using environment
variables, (q.v.)
Environment Variables
=====================
PCBoard automatically creates the %PCBDRIVE% & %PCBDIR% environment
variables. Non-PCBoard systems may also use these variables by including
the following in either your BBS batch or AUTOEXEC.BAT
SET PCBDRIVE=C: <- Drive letter of your BBS files
SET PCBDIR=\BBSDIR <- Path to your BBS files
Then in your Door .CFG file instead of putting C:\BBSDIR\DOOR.SYS, you
would put %PCBDRIVE%%PCBDIR%\DOOR.SYS. This allows you to use just one
.CFG file for multi-node operation!
To specify a non-standard IRQ, put the IRQ number after the .CFG on the
command line. For example:
ONLINE! ONLINE!.CFG /5
or using the PCBDRIVE procedure: SET IRQ=5 and use
ONLINE! ONLINE!.CFG /%IRQ%
This tells the program to use IRQ 5 instead of the standard IRQ.
Sysop Keys
==========
F3 - Toggles the printer On/Off. Value is passed to PCBoard and/or
written to DOOR.SYS and USERS.SYS
F4 - Toggles the Page Bell on/off. Value is passed to PCBoard
and/or written to DOOR.SYS and USERS.SYS
F5 - DOS Shell. Allows SysOp to exit to DOS from inside a DOOR.
F7 - Toggles the Caller Alarm On/Off. Value is passed to PCBoard
and/or written to DOOR.SYS and USERS.SYS
F8 - Returns the caller involuntarily to the BBS.
F9 - Toggles the local display On/Off. Value is passed to PCBoard
and/or written to DOOR.SYS and USERS.SYS
F10 - Activates SysOp CHAT mode within the DOOR.
ESC - Deactivates CHAT mode. DOOR is resumed.
UP - Give the caller extra time while in the DOOR.
DN - Subtract time from the caller while in the DOOR.
HOME - HELP key for Status Line options.
ALT-N - SysOp next on toggle. Value passed to PCBoard. (PCBoard only)
ALT-X - PCBoard will exit after current caller logs off. Value is
passed to PCBoard. Not available on non-PCBoard systems.
SETTING UP FOR DOWNLOADING:
===========================
OnLine allows your users to download files from within the door if you
have the individual download flag set to 'Y'. This section deals with
setting up your NODE#.CFG files for downloading.
NOTE: Downloading will not work using CHAIN.TXT on WWIV BBS's!!
The example NODE1.CFG files is configured for my BBS system. Here is
what it looks like:
Example for NODE1.CFG file:
DSZ port COM2 ha both sz
DSZ port COM2 ha both sx
DSZ port COM2 ha both sb
Line one is the protocol line for Zmodem, it is set for DSZ (you can
use GSZ if you desire) and for COM port 2. If you are running multiple
nodes, you'll need to setup various NODE#.CFG files, one for each node
of your system. The only item you should have to change is the COM# in
each of the lines. Line 2 and 3 are for Xmodem and Ymodem respectively.
If you are using a non-standard COM port or IRQ, please consult your
DSZ or GSZ documentation for other command line options you may need!
Let's say you also run a second node and it runs on COM1, you're
NODE2.CFG file would look like this:
DSZ port COM1 ha both sz
DSZ port COM1 ha both sx
DSZ port COM1 ha both sb
EXAMPLE MENU#.CFG FILE:
=======================
"History of OnLine! ","history.txt",57,"t",11,"y"
"OnLine! LOG File. ","online.log",300,"t",11,"n"
"OnLine! Documentation. ","online.doc",431,"t",11,"y"
"EMPTY ","EMPTY",0,"E",0,"N"
"EMPTY ","EMPTY",0,"E",0,"N"
| | | | | |
| DOS Filename _| | | | |
| | | | |__ Download Flag
Small description # of lines in __| | | y=downloadable
of the text/ansi the file | | n=not downloadable
file. | |
| |
t=text a=ansi or _| |__ Text color to display
e=empty to user.
** This is not a complete entry, there are 35 more lines.
Basically, each MENU#.CFG file contains the information for each
sub-menu in OnLine such as: description of the file, DOS filename, number
of text lines in the file, color to display the text in, what type of
file it is (text or ansi), and if the file is downloadable or not. See
the breakdown listed above. It's much easier using the OLSETUP program
to do this instead of using a text editor to try and modify these
files.
The other file is the MENU.CFG file (no number after the MENU). This
file defines your main menu which lists the 40 sub-menu titles. Here's
an example of what it looks like:
"Various Documents. "
"EMPTY "
"EMPTY "
"EMPTY "
"EMPTY "
** This is not complete, there are an additional 35 lines.
SCREEN DESIGN:
=============
You may customize the HELLO.SCR and the GOODBYE.SCR screens!
First, design your HELLO.SCR for the door! Just work on line 1-22 for
the design. Do not save any of your screens using a 'clear screen' they
should be saved using a 'home cursor', at least if you are using TheDraw.
Also, save the screens using the BLOCK SAVE command, do not simply save
it using the SAVE command. That could cause some problems with the display.
These rules will hold true for both the HELLO.SCR and the GOODBYE.SCR
screens.
When block saving your screens, just highlight rows 1 to 22 for the
save.
After your done with your HELLO.SCR it's time to make your GOODBYE.SCR!
Do whatever you want here! Just use lines 1-22 for your screen design
following the same rules as above.
RUNNING LOCALLY:
===============
To run in LOCAL mode simply type ONLINE! LOCAL
ADDITIONAL HELP:
===============
What if I have an ANSI'ed TEXT file?
--- No problem! In the SETUP program simply identify this file as an
ANSI screen. You will not be able to SEARCH or anything else. The
user will be prompted for a "Press ENTER to continue or E to end".
When I am viewing a TEXT screen, the screen blanks and gets a little wierd.
--- You must have some CLEAR SCREEN or TOP OF PAGE commands in the
TEXT file, find them and remove them.
I can't seem to get the download option to work!
--- Due to the variety between BBS's packages and COM PORT setups,
the download option will probably not work on all systems. We
have modified the download portion of the code to make it easier
to setup on a single line as well as multi-node systems.
If any internal errors do occur, check for a file called DFRAME.ERR
and let me know what the error code says.
Several people have been having problems with their Trident SVGA
cards and the ANSI screens not showing up correctly. To fix this,
check you utility disk that came with your Trident card for a program
called TANSI.SYS or something similar. Replace your old ANSI.SYS
with this version of it. This will correct the problems.
Several people have had problems running some of the doors under
Livecat. Try copying your user information files to the Dollarmania
sub-directory and then telling Dollarmania to look for them there.
Add something like this to beginning of your door batch file:
COPY C:\WC30\WCWORK\NODE1\DOOR.SYS C:\WC30\DOOR\ONLINE
Don't forget to change line one in your ONLINE.CFG file to reflect
the new location of the DOOR.SYS file.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any problems at all.
FUTURE VERSIONS:
================
--->> Your the editor, let me know what you would like to see added!!
VERSION HISTORY:
===============
See the HISTORY.TXT file.
REGISTERING:
============
That's all there is to it! If you have any problems or questions
please feel free to call the T&J BBS at (717)325-9481 and join the
T&J Software Conference.
See the enclosed registration form for ordering! (REGISTER.TXT)