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1992-06-11
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==========================================================================
Crossover
Current Version: 1.02
Door Language Interpreter for SuperBBS
Copyright (c) 1990, 1992 by Alan Graff
Distributed by Cross Connect Software
==========================================================================
Author (Alan Graff) retains all benefits of copyright. Author hereby grants
all persons license to copy and distribute this software package subject to
the following restrictions and limitations:
1. All documentation must accompany the program. The author's text may not
be altered.
2. Removal of author's comments and/or credits from the compiled program
or support files is prohibited.
3. No charge is to be made for this software package over and above just
and reasonable fees for copying, distribution, postage and/or handling
costs. In no case shall more than a total of $2.50 (US) be charged for
this software. To those offering this software as a downloadable file
on a closed data system which requires membership fee or charges for
online time, said fees are not considered to be a part of the prior
mentioned charges; however in this case, no further charge may be
levied for access to the data.
4. The file CO.KEY may not be distributed by anyone other than the author
or his representatives. If obtained from any other source it shall be
considered an illegal copy in violation of U.S. copyright law.
5. Software support for registered owners may be discontinued by the
author at any time without notice. Registration does not guarantee
that any future versions will operate properly with registration key.
==========================================================================
* Short summary of what Crossover is
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crossover is a departure from the normal for most IBM compatible BBS doors.
For this reason, it may be a little bit difficult to get the hang of it
when you are first starting out. It is basically a language interpreter
that operates through the SuperBBS door system. It lets you write a door
program using an ASCII text editor to create the text file source code.
The concept is very similar to using a BASIC interpreter from DOS although
the commands are somewhat different.
I first saw the dot command language in Crossover used in a BBS program for
Apple II computers. Crossover will (or should) run just about any generic
dot command file written for the Apple II with very few changes. All of the
Apple II dot commands are supported by the freeware version of Crossover with
the exception of the "Password:" command. A modified form of this command is
supported by the registered version of Crossover.
=========================================================================
* Registered Systems
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you send in the registration form (REGISTER.DOC) along with payment,
you will be sent a small file named CO.KEY. Placing this file in the
same directory as CO.EXE will unlock the features of the registered version.
Version 1.02 uses a new key format. Older versions will not operate with
the new key, nor will old keys operate the new versions. If you registered
a version issued prior to 1.02, please fill out and send in the registration
form along with an explanation that you have already registered and a new key
will be sent to you. Fraudulent claims will be ignored...I know who has
paid and who has not. ;-)
==========================================================================
* Running Crossover from SuperBBS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Create a subdirectory (any name will do) and place CO.EXE in that directory.
Create a two line ASCII file named CO.CFG which contains two lines. The
first line should be the full path to your BBS exit file, the second line
should be which node you are running the program on. The file should normally
look something like:
C:\SUPERBBS
1
If you are a registered user, place the file CO.KEY which was sent to you
in this directory also. This will unlock the extra features of the registered
version.
Now place your source file in the directory. All source files MUST end
with the extension .SOU for the program to work correctly.
Create a batch file in your main BBS directory to take you to that
directory and run the program. That file should look something like
this:
REM Command line: *C /C MAZE.BAT
CD C:\SUPERBBS\CO
CO PETE
CD C:\SUPERBBS
*****************************************************************************
Note on multi-tasking operation:
I have not tested this program for multi-tasking. According to the author of
the i/o routines, the DOS variable OUTBUFF should be turned on under this
situation to speed up it's operation. Here is the batch file above modified
for this case:
REM Command line: *C /C MAZE.BAT
CD C:\SUPERBBS\CO
SET OUTBUFF=ON
CO PETE
SET OUTBUFF=OFF
CD C:\SUPERBBS
*****************************************************************************
Now, to run Crossover, either create a type 7 exit in your menu system
with the command line *C /C FILENAME.BAT (where "FILENAME.BAT"
is the name of your batch file to run the program), or install Crossover
as a part of the door template system using the same command line.
==========================================================================
* Running Crossover on other BBS systems
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have very little information how well it will work with other BBS systems,
but if your BBS creates a DORINFO1.DEF file, it should work with no problems.
==========================================================================
* How Crossover interprets the source files
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source files are standard "plain vanilla" ASCII text files that may be
created with any ASCII text editor. Embedded control characters created
by some editors will not be interpreted correctly and may cause problems
with Crossover.
For a full listing of all of the commands recognized by Crossover and how
to use them in your source file, read the file CO-LANG.DOC.
Pass the name of the source file to Crossover in the DOS command line in
your startup batch file as a parameter. Source files must have the
extension ".SOU" for the program to process them. The extension may be
included in the command line or omitted. Crossover will furnish the
correct extension if you forget.
Crossover examines the source file from the top down, scanning it one line
at a time.
If the line examined does NOT contain a "dot" (ASCII character 46 [.]) in
column 1, the program displays the line to the user and on the sysop's
screen as well.
If a dot appears in column 1, the program processes the entire line as
a command. What happens is based on the characters that follow the dot.
If the command requires the creation of a buffer file, Crossover will
create an output file using the same root file name as your source with
the extension "ASC".
Depending on how your source code is structured, Crossover may (or may not)
append the output file to the end of your source code file when the
program ends. (See the command ".NA" for more details on this) This
permits the source to be self-modifying. If the output file is appended
to the source, the output file is erased when Crossover closes, otherwise
the output remains and is appended itself the next time Crossover is called.
Once the end-of-file is reached, Crossover closes and returns control to the
BBS program or batch file that started it.
If you are using commands that permit users to add to the file such as
the .UT command, you will need to keep a close watch on your program and
edit it often so that it does not get out of control. Those things can
grow pretty fast if your door is a popular one!
Please remember that most of the dot commands are CASE SENSITIVE. I have
not yet documented which are and which aren't yet, so it is best to assume
a command IS case sensitive unless you determine otherwise.
If this is a bit hard to follow, take a look at the file BBSLIST.SOU or one
of the other source files that were included with this program and then run
it with Crossover to see what it does. I think the visual aid of seeing
the source run will help a person understand it's operation more than
anything else.
==========================================================================
* Miscellaneous info
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crossover was written in Turbo Pascal 6.0 and uses JPDoor for the BBS file
interface, communications I/O and some other miscellaneous functions.
Origin of the dot command language used in Crossover is largely unknown
except that it was found in an Apple II BBS program sold by a company which
is no longer in business. The legal status is not fully known, but the
structure of the language is assumed to be in the public domain.
Additional dot commands used exclusively by of Crossover to enhance the
operation were conceived by Alan Graff and their structure is herewith
contributed to the public domain.
The following names are copyrighted by their respective owners:
- Crossover, Alan Graff
- Turbo Pascal, Borland International
- SuperBBS, Aki Antman and Risto Virkalla <sp?>
- JPDoor, Motor City Software
- IBM, International Business Machines, Inc.
- Apple II, Apple Computers, Inc.
Thanks to:
My loving wife, Patsy, for letting me spend countless hours
away from the family while sitting at my keyboard creating
this program; Chris Bugosh (Compu-Link BBS) for offering to
beta the early versions; John Parlin (Motor City Software) for
creating JPDoor, without which the I/O would not have been
possible; Jennifer Murphy (Kitty City BBS) for her list of the
Apple II dot commands when I lost my doc's; and mostly thanks
to God for giving me the talent to be able to write this thing
in the first place.
Disclaimer
----------
I have tested Crossover on a AT 286 system with 640 KB RAM running
SuperBBS and have found no serious flaws in the program other than
may have been mentioned in this or accompanying documentation. If you
locate an undocumented error in the code, please contact me so that it
may be corrected in the next version. I have done my best to debug this
program. Although to my knowledge it should not cause undue harm to any
system if operated according to the instructions, Alan Graff and/or
Cross Connect Software will not be held responsible for any loss of
data or any damage to software or any damage to any hardware that might
be caused by the operation of this program.
Blatant plug for the author's system:
------------------------------------
CROSS CONNECT (614) 776-7136
Fidonet 1:2260/50
24 hour operation
Support of 300 to 9600 v.32
Minimum of 1200 baud required for downloads.
Cross Connect Software
P.O. Box 131
Wheelersburg, OH 45694
End of file
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------