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1987-05-17
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MONITOR PROGRAM FOR DOORS
for the
IBM Personal Computer
Version 15.XX
by
Bob Westcott
7 Dunloggin Drive
Merrimack N.H. 03054
Voice (603) 424-6977
Data (603) 424-5497
April 1, 1987
DO NOT USE DOORWARE PROGRAMS THAT ARE AT A LOWER LEVER THAN
15.1A
New features on version 15.1A:
You can now see and send color/music.
You can control if sound can be heard (on or off).
You can truly run muilt nodes without interference between nodes.
All problems received reference 14.xx problems have been
corrected.
This file ONLY tells you how to set up for MONITOR not how to set
up your files to operate the doors system. The doc. for how to
setup your files for doors is in the file called BATCH.ARC and if
you do not have this file you may get it at my RBBS.
First thing I must do is to thank Tom Mack and Jon Martin for the
time, energy (and love) for the best BBS in the country.
Without there effort none of us would be able to run such a
wonderful piece of software such as the RBBS-PC.
1.1 Introduction
----------------
The Monitor program is a program that will allow you to set up
your RBBS with more doors using less batch files (less confusion
and less space used on your disk). This program will also tell
your door users what there total score for all games on your
system. It will also list the 10 top players for the month for
all the games on your system. This program will work for all
DOORWARE software except for CHESSDOR, which is not a program
that gives scores.
Because it is very possible to cause a security problem on the
RBBS (people being able to get into your DOS) the source will not
be made available. I will help anyone who is interested in the
way you write software to work on the 'Doors' that calls.
The software is able to handle multi-tasking under Multi-Link and
Double Dos, but is limited to 9 nodes.
1.2 Update Conventions
----------------------
Since this software is very closely tied to the RBBS software I
will update it when new version/levels of the RBBS are released.
The version level of MONITOR will be the same as the version
level that it will work with of the RBBS. When versions of RBBS
are released that do not require a change to the Doorware
programs there may or may not be a new version of Doorware.
The latest version of Doorware will always be on my RBBS.
2.1 Required files
------------------
You must have a batch file that you are running your RBBS from.
The purpose of the files are as follows:
1. MONITOR.EXE The operational software.
2. MONITOR1.EXE Operational software.
3. MONITOR.SCR This is the daily score board, but it is
also the file that holds your
system requirements.
4. MONITOR1.SCR This is the monthly score board.
5. GAMES.BAT The batch file that gets you to MONITOR
from the doors
5. SYSOP.DOC This file.
6. PRELOG.MON The same as on the RBBS it allows you to
place notices on the system (optional).
7. GAME.DOR Name of the games available.
8. TRIVIA.DOR Allows Trivia questions (optional).
9. NAMES.DOR Holds the information about users (created
automatically)
10. TIMLIMIT.DOR Sets the amount of session time for the
different times of day (optional).
11. MONITORG.DOR A graphic/music file that will be outputed
each time the monitor is called (optional).
2.0 Setup
---------
Because this software reads information from the RBBS files it is
very important that the supplied files MUST be placed on the same
drive that the RBBS-PC.DEF, RBBS1PC.DEF, RBBS2PC.DEF etc. are
located.
The port that is use, the number of data bits, RBBS name, and the
baud rate is taken from the RBBS files and used in the MONITOR
program without any need for you to insert them in a file.
You must make the changes you want on following information in
the 1st 8 fields of the MONITOR.SCR file:
1. Field #1 The number of minutes a player must wait after
signing off before he/she may use the monitor again. (This does
NOT apply to SYSOP he may sign on as often as he/she wishes)
2. Field #2 The foregound color.
3. Field #3 The background color.
4. Field #4 The border color.
5. Field #5 The number of minutes a player is allowed without
making a move.
6. Field #6 The total number of minutes allowed on MONITOR.
7. Field #7 This field will allow you to backup any file you
wish!! (see 7*) for info on this field.
8. Field #8 This field determins if SYSOP score will be used.
If set to '0' then the SYSOP's score will NOT be posted and
if set to a '1' then his score WILL be posted like any other
user.
7* The following example will show how this field works:
D C:BBSLIST.DOR C:\BKUP\BBS.DOR
The 1st segment of the field must be a D or W or M
D=Backup daily
W=Backup weekly (on Saturday)
M=Backup monthly
The 2nd segment of the field is the file you wish to backup, you
may use any available drive and/or sub-directory.
The last segment of the field is the file to which the backup is
going and the MAX # of charactors is three(3) before the extent.
You may also use any available drive and/or sub-directory.
Using the above example file the bakup file name will be:
BBS06256.DOR
As you can see 5 numbers were added to the file name and they are
the 2 digits of the month, the 2 digits of the day, and the last
digit of the year that the file was backed up. That is why you
may only use 3 charactors in the file name!
You may do as many as 15 different backups using any combinations
of D, W, or M that you like as long as the input line is not over
254 chars. The following is legal:
D C:BBSLIST C:\BKUP\BBS.DOR W JUNK.EXE JUN.BAK M HERE A:HER
LIMITATIONS:
The file will only be backed up if the monitor is run. If you are
using a daily backup it will not backup on any day the monitor is
not run. If you are doing a weekly backup it is done only on
Saturday's and will not do a backup if the monitor is not run on
Saturday. If you are doing a monthly backup it WILL backup the
first day of each month that the Monitor is run that month.
When using the monitor the numbers of amount of time available to
play the game will be the time it states in the monitor. This
means that the time placed in the games is NOT used for a
timelimit. The number of times is still set to work in the games
area. This give you the option (by setting it high) to let
players become very good at one game or (by setting it low) to
make the users learn may games. I have found it is best to set
all the games to a high level as different strokes for different
folks is very true.
The MONITOR.SCR file will create itself if it can not find one.
It will set the all starting scores to 0. If you wish to start at
any other score you can use EDLIN to change them, but remember to
change them EACH month as they will be reset to 0 with the first
user each month.
The MONITOR1.SCR file is very simple and will create itself if
one can not be found.
This files holds the monthly champ information, but will NOT be
outputed until the first monthly champ is created.
If you are using this monitor program the game programs that you
use with it will lose some of there features as follows:
1. Field #1 (# of times per day you may play) will be disabled
in the game program and will have the time limit of the
monitor program only NO # of times will be used.
2. Field #6 (total minutes allowed) will be disabled and the
game software will use the limit set by the monitor program.
You may have Trivia questions on the monitor program which will
give your users a chance to answer Trivia questions for extra
points (from 1 to 1000 points random).
To set Trivia up you must make a file called TRIVIA.DOR with the
entries as follows 1st line question, 2nd line answer (IN
CAPITALS) with up to 20 questions (40 line entries). See example
file that comes with this software.
If you don't want Trivia questions then insure there is no file
called TRIVIA.DOR on your disk.
You may set the timelimits of each session to be different for
different times of the day. The entries are as follows the 1st is
the start time the second is the end time and the 3rd is the
amount of time. BUT you CAN NOT go past midnight with one entry
Look at the following example and the sample file enclosed.
22:00:00
02:00:00 This will NOT work (it must be made into 2 entries).
45
22:00:00
23:59:59
45
00:00:00 This will work.
02:00:00
45
After you enter all your time limits you may also mke the
following entries which will also make other time limits.
W xx Where the xx is a timelimit in minutes
This will limit time on weekends to the xx value for 24 hours
H xx-yy zz Where xx=month yy=day and zz=timelimit in minutes
This will state it is a holiday and timelimit=zz for 24 hours
M Xxx yy Where Xxx=month ie Jun, Sep (1st 3 letters of month
the 1st letter MUST be capital) yy=timelimit in minutes
This will state summer vacation and the entire month will have
a yy timelimit.
S xx-yy zz ww.... Where xx=month yy=day zz=timelimit in minutes
WW... Any statement you would like.
This will set timelimit for for 24 hours on the date you state
and place WW... as the reason (see the TIMLIMIT.DOR file)
You may have a max. of 20 line entries
To list the games you are using with the monitor program you must
make a file called GAMES.DOR with a line entry for each game that
is being used. This must be the game file name letter for letter
except for the extension ie game name TIMEDOR.EXE your GAME.DOR
file must have Timedor not Time. See example with software.
Example GAME.DOR
Sword-----> Try to kill Medusa in the green kingdom
The '-' is the start of the program description it must be there
or the program will not be called correctly!!
I have also supplied a program that is called DORSYSOP.BAS this
program will allow you to do about anything use wish with the
file called NAMES.DOR. This file is created automatically by the
software and holds the Names, Score, Last date on, and the
amount of time used that date (in seconds). The program dorsysop
allows you to change the data in that file including removing a
user. Remember you are on your own if you mess with this file. I
am also supplying this software in source so you may change it in
any way you wish, BUT AS STATED YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN!!!
***** N O T E *****
To use the doorware programs with this monitor all programs used
must be at least version 15.1A or they will not work correctly.
If you were running these games as separate doors before you
started using this program then it is best that you remove all
the batch files that were used to run them, also remove there
names from the doors menus.
If you do not do the above then the games will be able to run
from BOTH the monitor AND by a door. BUT the score the player
receives by not going to the monitor will be lost in there total
score kept on the monitor.
If your players use the monitor then when they end there game
they will return to the monitor. If you allow the uses to call
the games from the door then they will be returned to the RBBS.
The last entry of the GAMES.BAT file must NOT call your RBBS
batch file. If it does your system WILL run out of memory. This
is new with this version of RBBS.
The following is for a NON-MULTI TASKING and MULTI TASKING.
-----------------------------------------------------------
(The GAMES.BAT file )
WATCHDG1 OFF To allow monitor program to
monitor line (a must!!)
MONITOR %1 Call the monitor monitor pgm.
DO NOT PUT RBBS.BAT at the end of this file
Do NOT remove the 'WATCHDGx ON' call from the RBBS.BAT files as
they are needed when you go to your DOS from remote (7 from the
main menu).
2.3 Running the monitor
-----------------------
After completing the setup as stated above insure that when
running the CONFIG file for the RBBS that you have the doors open
and allow the correct access level users to use the doors that
you want.
That is all that is needed to make this work in remote. To run
the program in local you must sign on the RBBS at your keyboard
(remember what node if you are multi tasking) and then when the
Main menu is displayed sign off. Then break out of the batch loop
and enter MONITOR (If you are running NON-Multi Tasking), MONITOR
1 (If you are on node 1), MONITOR 2 (If you are on node 2). This
will bring up the monitor game in local and you can run/play in
the local mode which functions the same as remote.
While watching the screen when a remote user is on the monitor
you will see the users name is in the lower left corner of the
screen, in the middle will be the version # of the MONITOR.EXE
program that you are using and the node that is operating, and on
the right side you will have displayed the monitor the user
started using the monitor game in a few minutes this area will
state how many total minutes the user is allowed each day and a
few seconds later the number of minutes/seconds he has left (this
will update and stay on the screen until the monitor is left.).
Also when the remote users screen does a clear yours will NOT it
will just print (CLEAR SCREEN). The purpose of this is to keep
the 25 line on your screen and clear to remote users screen.
The following two paragraphs are only true when using NO multi
tasking or when using Double DOS.
Pressing the function #10 key while a remote user is on the
system will place you in the chat mode and allow you to talk with
the player. To return the player to the game you must press the
ESC key this is the same procedure as on the RBBS. The player
does NOT have a function on his menu to call you.
Pressing the function #8 key allows you to reduce or increase the
monitor the player is allowed to stay on monitor this one
monitor. You will get a prompt for the number of minutes you
wish to let them have then you enter a number and press enter.
This will cause a message to be place on the screen to inform the
player that the amount of monitor has changed.
So you got a problem!!!
-----------------------
If you have a problem installing this program or it bombs on you
look for the following data:
1. A printout displayed on your screen telling you the problem.
2. Look on the disk that holds the main DOR program for a file
named ERRORS.DOR and print it. This info should be forwarded
to me for debuging and correction.
In most cases (all I hope) one of the 2 above indications should
happen when a error occurs. All errors should be reported to be
via phone or RBBS if possible for correction.
If you wish to run your own doors using the game monitor here is
some infomation that may be of help:
1. There are 2 temporary files that carry infomation between the
monitor. TIMEOFFx.DOR and POINTSx.DOR.
2. The TIMEOFFx.DOR carries info from monitor to games.
>> x=the node this is operating on. <<
(A.) Format:
1st field The sign off time in seconds past midnight.
2nd field The users number in the monitor NAMES.DOR
file.
3rd field The number of points the user has.
4th field The number of minutes allowed in this session
(if time is less the total allowed this date)
5th field The number of nulls used.
6th field 1=graphics on 0=graphics off
7th field The directory/sub-directory the monitor is on.
8th field "Y" sound on "N" sound off
It is BEST just to read this information. If you change it
you are on your own.
3. The POINTSx.DOR carries information from the game to the
monitor.
(A.) Format:
1st field The time in seconds past midnight this file
was made.
2nd field The score that was made in game.
This file must be created by your software.
To get the minutes past midnight you may use the following
basic statement.
MIDSEC!=CSNG(FIX((VAL(MID$(TIME$,1,2))*60*60)+(VAL(MID$(TIME$,4,2)
)*60)+(VAL(MID$(TIME$,7,2)))))
Good luck and enjoy this software.
Bob...