home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
BBS Toolkit
/
BBS Toolkit.iso
/
qbbs
/
tden30.zip
/
TEXTDOOR.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1991-02-15
|
10KB
|
305 lines
-=( LiveSystems TextDoor )=-
What is it?
TextDoor is an utility which enables users to read ascii
textfiles online, and to view ansi files. You can group
files in submenus somewhat the same way ms-dos does with
it's directories. It's desqview aware and can be used in a
multiline environment.
Warning: This program only works under Remote Access! It
needs the Config.RA file.
Disclaimer.
Don't make me laugh...;) Use it at your own risk. It's
reasonal well tested, I use it myself, but that's it! Oh
well, I wouldn't release a program that's not up to my idea
of good software. (At the moment I release it, that is.
Things change and bugs appear from no-where....;) Anyhow, no
guarantees what so ever.
Money.
Well, what to say about money.. There is a start, one
registration for VoteDoor!! But still... If you like this
program and continue to use it, I would appriciate it if you
would donate some money to rebuild my trust in humanity...
Let's say $5 or f10,- when you keep on using this program..
Giro 1806776 (for the dutch ppl)
Gerhard Hoogterp
Kremersmaten 108
7511 LC Enschede
Holland.
For burning questions, remarks and wishes you can reach me
on fidonet as
Gerhard Hoogterp @ 2:283/1.2
or on BitNet as HOOGTERPG@HENUT5
What wishes concern, no guarantees they are implemented, but
who knows....
All my programs are requestable and downloadable at the LiveSystems
support board:
Actionboard Alphen,
Sysop Bart Burkles
01720-37926
2:281/604
You can also drop questions and remarks here.
Installation in RA.
The TextDoor is easy to install in RemoteAccess. You just
make a type 7 Menu entry in some menu and use the line:
c:\TextDoor\TextDoor.exe -T:*T [-N:*N] [-P:*P] [-S:OFF]
as commandline. TextDoor will use the startup directory as
it's home directory where it expects to find it's
configuration and submenu files. (In the line above the
directory 'C:\TextDoor' is used as the home directory)
You can override the startup directory with the environment
variable 'TEXTDOOR'. If it's available, the directory it
points to is used as homedirectory.
The Optional -S:Off parameter turns the use of sound on the
local screen off.
After you made the menuentry you should make at least the
top menu. This menu is the same as the configuration file.
Setting up the textlibrary.
TextDoor expects to find a file named 'TEXTDOOR.CFG' in it's
home directory. It's the main list of readable files and
the configuration file at the same time. This goes for all
the submenu files too by the way.
There are two reserved words in a menu/configuration file:
%TxtPath <Path>
Where path is the path to the directory where the
readable/viewable files are stored. This keyword may be used
not only in the main menu file but also in all the submenu
files so you can group files not only logical but also
physical. The keyword MUST be the first line in the file.
%Title <Title>
Default, textdoor takes the description of the entry from
where the submenu was called as title, but if you like the
header to say something else here's how.
The reminder of the file is used for the list of viewable
files. These have the form:
<FileName> <Type> <Description>
F.e.:
Humor.Txt N Jokes and funny stories
TextDoor.Inf N Info on the TextDoor program
AnsiMenu.Lst ! Ansi screens to view
Shuttle.ans A Demonstration file of TheDraw.
The filename is a normal ms-dos filename without path. It
may also contain wildcard. In this case the first match will
be used.
There are three types of files at this moment:
Type │ Description │ Directory
─────┼───────────────┼─────────────
N │ Normal ascii │ %TxtPath
A │ ANSI/AVATAR │ %TxtPath
! │ Submenu │ HomeDir
N: Normal flat ascii file. Can be read by anyone.
A: ANSI/AVATAR file, can only be viewed by users who have the
ansi and/or AVATAR toggle on.
S: SubMenu. Reads the file as if it was a configuration
file. This file is expected to be found in the HomeDir!
%TxtPath directory is the directory which is defined by the
last %TxtPath keyword (Not necessarily in the current menu
file)
HomeDir is the startup directory.
Security:
SecurityLevel:
You can make menu items invisable for certain groups of users.
When a filename starts with 'SEC' it is checked for a security
level between the 'SEC' and the '.' The item will only be
available for users with that security and higher. Handy to
read your logfiles f.e.
Examples:
SECURITY.TXT N Text about security and computers
SEC1000.LST ! Helpfiles for co-sysops.
The first line is available to every user who has access to the
textdoor program, the second item (a submenu) is only available
for users with security level 1000 and higher.
Flags:
It's also possible to make an item only available to users who
have a certain flag set. When a filename starts with 'FLAG'
TextDoor checks for a legal flag directly after the 'FLAG'
A legal flag is formed by: [A..D][1..8]
Examples:
FLAGS.TXT ! View the flags of the world in technoansi.
FLAGA1.LST ! Only for Hackers Inc.
FLAGD4T.LST ! registered users only.
The first menu is accessable by anyone, the second only for
users with the A1 flag set, and the thirth only for users
with the D4 flag set. Only one flag can be used...
This whole system is WYSIWYG, if an entry isn't accessable by a
user he doesn't see it.. prevents questions and such..;-)
An Example:
In the HomeDir (\TextDoor) are the files:
TextDoor.Exe Main program
TextDoor.Cfg MainMenu/configuration file
Humor.Lst A submenu file
Info.lst An other SubMenu file
Ansi.lst An Submenu file with Ansi viewable files.
SEC32000.Lst A submenu for the sysop.
Further there are 3 extra directories:
\TextDoor\Humor
\TextDoor\Info
\TextDoor\Ansi
which contain the actual files to view.
Here are the menu files:
TextDoor.Cfg:
%TxtPath \TextDoor
;
; Only Submenus
;
Info.lst ! Information about this bulletinboard
Humor.lst ! Humorous texts
Ansi.lst ! Ansi files to view
Info.lst:
%TxtFile \TextDoor\info
;
; Information about the BBS
;
TextDoor.Cfg ! Back to the main menu
Echomail.txt N Echomail, what & how
Rules.txt N Rules of this BBS
Email.txt N How to use Email
BBSlijst.* N Latest BBSlijst
Humor.Lst:
%TxtFile \TextDoor\Humor
;
; Humor and jokes menu
;
TextDoor.Cfg ! Back to the main menu
NutWorks.001 N Nutworks January
NutWorks.002 N Nutworks February
Ansi.lst:
%TxtPath \TextDoor\Ansi
;
; Ansi Files
;
Ansi.inf N How to get YOUR ansi screen here..
Shuttle.ans A Animated demo of a shuttle.
Sec32000.lst
%TxtPath \ra
%Title Sysops Den
;
; Logfiles
;
TextDoor.Cfg ! Let's go back
RA.Log N RA Logfile
Upload.log N Uploaded files
Download.log N Downloaded files
PRVFiles.log N Private to the sysop
As you see YOU are responsible for a way back. There's no
menu stack as in RA, You can jump around as you like..
Other info.
* TextDoor detects when DesqView is used. It gives back
timeslices whenever it's waiting for a key or when the
fossil outputbuffer is full.
* TextDoor also looks for on-line messages. Whenever one is
found, it's contents is shown to the user in TextDoor.
* You can make into and goodbye screens for TextDoor if you
like. When there's a
TDHI. asc/ans
it's shown to the user before he enters the main menu.
TDBye. ans/asc
is shown after he leaves the program.
* TextDoor writes major errors and logon/logoff info to the
RA logfile which is defined in the Config.ra. At this
moment only the FrontDoor type logging is supported.
Whatever you select in the config file..
* Ansi is handled internally for the local console. There's
no need for a separated ansi driver. Also is the monomode
toggle of RA recognized.
* For the user, all the computer related info from the
userrecord is used. TextDoor adjusts itself to the wishes
of the user.
* There's a limit of 500 entries per menufile.