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Text File | 1990-10-29 | 18KB | 415 lines

--------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | | | | | | THE MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR | | | | (M.T.N.C.) | | | | Version 1.10 | | | | | | for | | | | RemoteAccess version 0.04 and later, | | | | QuickBBS version 2.64, | | | | and | | | | All Bulletin Board Programs which use | | door information data files that are | | compatible with those mentioned above! | | | | | | Written By Alexander Barbara | | | | | | | | Copyright 1990 by Alexander Barbara. All Rights Reserved. | | | | Alexander Barbara | | 1572 Route 250 North | | Penfield, New York 14526 | | | | | | | | The Golden Phoenix BBS | | (716) 872-3911 | | 1:260/203.0 (FidoNet) | | | | | | **** October 29, 1990 *** | | | | | | | | | | | --------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR (M.T.N.C.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ----------------- ---- INTRODUCTION ------------ 1.0 What is the MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR 3 1.1 Features of M.T.N.C. 3 1.2 Disclaimer 3 1.3 Notes 3 INSTALLATION ------------ 2.0 A Word on Installing Doors 4 2.1 Configuration File 4 2.2 Command Line Syntax 6 2.3 Sample Batch Files 7 MISCELLANNEOUS -------------- 3.0 Acknowledgements 7 3.1 Reporting Problems 8 REGISTERING ----------- 4.0 Why Register? 9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 3 MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR (M.T.N.C.) Page 3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.0 WHAT IS THE MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR -------------------------------------------- The MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR (M.T.N.C..) is a program that can be run as a shell from a BBS program (a door). It allows the caller to leave a small message to the next users who call the Bulletin Board. This message will remain as-is until another user enters a new message and has it saved in the door. 1.1 NEW FEATURES ----------------- * The length of the message is now completely configurable by the SysOp. It is recommended that the length be between 3 and 15, however, any length will be accepted. <Registered Versions Only> * The format of the message has been slightly altered. In my opinion, it looks a lot better now! 1.2 DISCLAIMER --------------- M.T.N.C. is provided as is, without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. Alexander Barbara only guarantees that M.T.N.C. will occupy disk space. In no event shall Alexander Barbara be liable to you or anyone else for any damages, including any lost profits, lost savings or other incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use this program. Please remember that I'm just a kid! In fact, I'm won't be 15 for a few months yet <December 1990>. This is my first SHAREWARE program. When you register M.T.N.C., you are encouraging me to release new versions of M.T.N.C., as well as develop other programs, including other doors and utilities, for use with RemoteAccess and QuickBBS. I wrote M.T.N.C. because I thought it was a neat idea, and would encourage user activity on my board. I'm just learning Turbo Pascal, and I thought I could use the practice. So far, it has been very successful, and the door is used many times per day on my system. That is why I'm sharing it with you. 1.3 NOTES ---------- As you flip through this manual, you will notice that there are places that have a "**>" at the left margin. This symbol means that the part of the manual it's pointing to is new or has been changed since the previous release. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 4 MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR (M.T.N.C.) Page 4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.0 A WORD ON INSTALLING DOORS ------------------------------- The purpose of this documentation is to explain to you how to install the MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR (M.T.N.C.) program. It assumes that you have already read the documentation which comes with your BBS software concerning doors and their use. If you are not already running doors and/or you find that the doors explanation in your BBS software documentation is not sufficient, you should contact a system already running doors for assistance. 2.1 INSTALLATION ----------------- The MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR (M.T.N.C.) is very easy to setup. The System Operator must only create a text configuration file, and specify the name of the configuration file on the command line, as well as any options s/he may want. ** M.T.N.C. should be placed in its own directory. ** The Configuration File is as follows: Alexander Barbara -> SysOp_Name The Golden Phoenix BBS -> BBS_Name 0 -> Registration Key C:\BBS\ -> ExitInfoPath **> C:\BBS\SCREENS\MTNC.ANS -> Ansi Message FileName **> C:\BBS\SCREENS\MTNC.ASC -> Ascii Message FileName 1 -> Node Number **> Press [Enter] -> Prompt Text 5 -> Inactivity Limit **> 10 -> Message Length <Max. Lines> System Operator Name ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the name of the SysOp of the BBS. This is used to generate a registration key, so it should be EXACTLY as you wish to have it. Bulletin Board Name ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the name of your Bulletin Board. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 5 MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR (M.T.N.C.) Page 5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.2 CONFIGURATION FILE (Continued) ----------------------------------- Registration Key ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the OFFICIAL registration number that you received from the author of M.T.N.C. If you are running an UNREGISTERED COPY of M.T.N.C., then you must make this 0. With a registration key, the program will "unlock" and say that you are registered with the author. Path to EXITINFO.BBS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the full path to the EXITINFO.BBS file made by your BBS. It must have a backslash "\" at the end. **> ANSI Message Path and FileName ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the full path and filename of the ANSI Message made by M.T.N.C. When a user enters a message to the next caller, the system will save the ANSI message as this filename. **> ASCII Message Path and FileName ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the full path and filename of the ASCII Message made by M.T.N.C. This is similar to above, except the ASCII file will be black and white, and will contain no IBM Extended ASCII Characters. M.T.N.C. automatically creates two message files, which you specify the filename for. These files can be automatically displayed on the BBS. Node Number ~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the Node Number (1-99) of the system that the door is running on. If you are running a multiline system, you can run M.T.N.C. on all of your lines, provided you have a separate configuration file for each line. Prompt Text ~~~~~~~~~~~ At the end of the ASCII and ANSI Messages, M.T.N.C. will center this Prompt. This prompt will ask the caller to press Enter to Continue. **> For M.T.N.C. v1.10 and later, the SysOp must add any control characters to the end of the text. To my knowledge, the control character for QBBS/RemoteAccess is a ^A Character, or an ASCII #1 <>. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 6 MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR (M.T.N.C.) Page 6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1 CONFIGURATION FILE (Continued) ----------------------------------- Inactivity Timeout ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the number of minutes that M.T.N.C. will wait before hanging up on the caller for inactivity. If s/he does not press a key for that number of minutes, s/he will be logged off. M.T.N.C. will beep exactly one minute before it hangs up on the user. **> Message Length ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For Registered Versions of M.T.N.C. v1.10 and later, the SysOp can choose the length of the message. It is recommended that this range between 3 and 15, however, any value can be used. All Unregistered Versions will be fixed at a length of 5 lines. 2.2 COMMAND LINE SYNTAX ------------------------ The MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR is run using this syntax: MTNC.EXE <Configuration File> [/E] For example, like this: MTNC.EXE MTNC.CFG /E The <Configuration File> MUST be included as the first parameter. Adding the "/E" option will allow the door to accept EXTENDED IBM ASCII characters (ASCII #128-255). Having the "/E" parameter included in the command line allows the user to enter extended IBM ASCII characters, including CONTROL Characters. It is recommended that you do NOT use the "/E" option in your command line. When the "/E" option is NOT included in the command line, it acts as a guard against the entry of extended characters in the event of telephone line noise, as well as control characters interpreted by the BBS. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 7 MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR (M.T.N.C.) Page 7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.3 SAMPLE BATCH FILE ---------------------- Below is a sample batch file for using M.T.N.C. as a TYPE 7 SHELL in RemoteAccess. It should also work as a TYPE 15 SHELL in RemoteAccess and QuickBBS, though NO EXAMPLE of a TYPE 15 SHELL has been included. This sample batch file should work for both QuickBBS and RemoteAccess: echo off cls c: cd\mtnc mtnc mtnc.cfg /e c: cd\bbs This assumes that your Bulletin Board Directory is located in C:\BBS, and your MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER directory is located in C:\MTNC. 3.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --------------------- Many thanks to all the users and SysOps who have tested M.T.N.C. B E T A S I T E L I S T I N G SysOp Name Bulletin Board Name Telephone Baud ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~ David Gregor Irond BBS (716) 342-2673 3/12/2400 Jerry Seward The Private Exchange (716) 436-2759 9600 HST Benjamin Schollnick The Matrix Data Bank BBS (716) 359-4730 3/12/2400 Alexander Barbara The Golden Phoenix BBS (716) 872-3911 3/12/2400 Many thanks to Jerry Masefield, of The PIGEON COOP BBS, (716) 262-2612, for his suggestions and comments with regards to M.T.N.C. Thanks to Andrew Milner and the RemoteAccess Team for creating such a great BBS program! Thanks also to John Parlin for creating JPDoor, the Door Developer's toolkit for QuickBBS and RemoteAccess (Turbo Pascal v5.5). Many thanks to everyone in the FidoNet PASCAL echo for listening to my silly questions ... and answering them. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 8 MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR (M.T.N.C.) Page 8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.1 REPORTING PROBLEMS ----------------------- Problems encountered in running M.T.N.C. should be reported to the author immediately. Include any error information which may have been reported on the screen. Most errors are the result of incorrect installation of the program. Check the installation and reread the documentation thoroughly. The most common errors are typos made while configuring the door, as well as the batch files. 4.0 WHY REGISTER? ------------------ If after a reasonable trial period, you are still using the MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR (M.T.N.C.), then please send in a small donation to the author ($5 U.S. Suggested). Registration of the MESSAGE TO NEXT CALLER DOOR (M.T.N.C.) unlocks the program, and makes the "UNREGISTERED COPY" disappear. Your Name (SysOp Name) will appear in the "Registered to:" field when the program exits. When you are registered, you will be able to change the length of the message to anything. Registration allows you to change the length of the message to anything you wish, instead of the 5 for Unregistered Copies. Please PRINT the information (SysOp Name and BBS Name) exactly as it is in your configuration file. When you register, you will receive a registration key. Put the registration key number in your configuration file. The program will read the key out of the configuration file, and you will be registered. The registration form is enclosed in REGISTER.FRM.