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Documentation for SMLCALL.EXE ver.2.10 A simple utility to help RBBS sysops [03/30/88] DUE TO TIME RESTRAINTS, I REQUEST ALL USERS TO REPORTS BUGS (if found). This program was created to aid Sysops (and remote Cosysops) to do Flexible analysis on their CALLERS file, and to output the Tables and Graphs to either a TextFile or insert it into their MESSAGES messagebase. Will also help do Monthly maintenance on your CALLERS file. RBBS provides Extended Caller logging in addition to the normal Caller logging. To me, if Extended is used, it uses up a great amount of Disk Space for some info that it isn't useful for me. Yet, with some MODs to RBBS (as illustrated below), I can use Smlcall to provide info on Caller's usage of the Messages, Doors, and the amount of Carrier Drops. (Hence, you do not need to use Extended calling unless you want to). [ Important: You must have all the CALLERS Files on the same drive ] [ letter has SMLCALL.EXE. It doesn't need to be in the same ] [ subdirectory but it must be on the SAME DRIVE. ] Quick Start: Unarc the SMLCALL Stuff into RBBS SubDirectory. Backup the Callers file, until you get used to all the commands. Type SMLCALL LOCAL (which is to use it local mode) Type 8 to configure where your CALLERS and Protocal Efficiencies. Have fun with the commands, but be aware of what you are typing. If you find bugs, please let me know. (I don't know why, but I rarely hear of bugs from other users) Have more Fun ESC key will return you back to the Main Menu from about everywhere When you get a chance or need to then please read the remainder of these Docs... !!! [[[ Limited License ]]] This software is copyrighted but a limited license is granted and you are free to use and share it under the following conditions: 1. SMLCALL is not distributed in modified form 2. No fee or other consideration is charged for this program itself 3. Reference to the copyright and author is retained. / 4. IF YOU HAVE NOT YET REGISTERED THEN : ------------------------------- | If your Callers Like this program, OR | If you want updates sent to you, OR | If you need support or answers to problems | then please send $20 to | Darwin Collins | c/o Silicon City RBBS | PO BOX 532293 | Grand Praire, TX | 75053-2293 | | With a donation of at least this amount: | One Year Subscription to: | Program support (Official Updates will be Sent to You) | Automatic Registration to ALL my other DoorGames and Software | Personal Modifications will be done (if possible) | Access to Silicon City RBBS (214) 641-2537 | [ There will be periodic updates to this program and to others ] | [ If possible, I will upload it to your board, but likely it ] | [ will be mailed. I will try to Create something or at least ] | [ Update a Program every 2 to 3 months. Registered Members ] | [ will always get the latest versions as soon as they are ready.] | | For those that will not Register: | [ Whenever they are major releases, I will upload them to boards ] | [ but, not always to the same boards. If you do have problems, ] | [ you have to donate either Monetarily, Files, Time, OR provide ] | [ detailed Info on New Bugs, to possibly be considered as a member] | [ to get help. I want to spend time taking care of those that ] | [ have registered and also to writing more Game and Utilities. ] \------------------------------------------------------------------------- [[[ Warranty ]]] SMLCALL is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for any purpose. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of this program is with the user and should the program prove defective, the user and not the author will assume all responsiblity with correcting all information. The author does not warrant that this program will function in the desired mode or will meet any users requirements or that the operation of the program will be error free. But, You are certainly entitled to complain about Bugs you find in this program and Paid Users SHOULD have a BugFree program. This program is written in MicroSoft QuickBasic vr. 2.01, with the DTR patch. This program does not need BRUN20.EXE. The program was optimized for Speed and DOES monitor the Carrier. If You Can Not use this Program, (ie. Don't Like it or don't run Doors ) then please make it available for others to Download. Thank You SmlCall ( Small Caller Analyzer ) comprises of the following files: Files used: SMLCALL.EXE Main Program (editible) SMLCALL.DOC (Text) Documentation File (editible) SMLCALL.SCR (Text) Sample Script File SMLCALL.LOG (Text) Log File displaying usage of this program SMLCALL.DAT (Text) File containing Username that authorized to use this program. It is best that all Files are kept in the same directory as RBBS. If not, then a method must be used so that it can get access to your RBBS?PC.DEF and MESSAGES files. [[[[ Setup to Run ]]]] This Program will eat up approximately 200K of your Memory. This program has been compiled for Speed, with Debug enabled. So, if this program can not fit into one of your nodes, then let me know, and I will compile it smaller for you. [[[ RBBS-PC Environment ]]] All files are provided for to get it up and running. If you will be running it under Monitor, then you need to add to the GAMES.DOR : SmlCall--> Analyze your Callers File If you will be running it directly from RBBS, then you need to add SMLCALL to your Menu5. SMLCALL.BAT is provided. Note: The only Remote callers that will be allowed access to this program are those that have their Name in the Smlcall.Dat [[[ RunTime with RBBS-PC ]]] To access the program Locally, type SMLCALLL LOCAL Smlcall can also recognize you are running Locally or COM0 mode if you are running RBBS-PC 15.1B or C. If SMLCALL 1, or SMLCALL 2, or... is typed then it will first read the specified RBBS#PC.DEF file. It will then search for the TIMEOFF#.DOR file, if this file doesn't exist then it will assign 30 minutes playing time. Any problems that you have with Monitor & Smlcall, Registered Users can contact me, and we can go over it. It will get the UserName from the MESSAGES file, if ran Remotely. If Local, then it will use "SYSOP". Comment. If you are running this program directly from RBBS, it is not necessary to do the Ctrl-Break routine out of RBBS to run Smlcall Locally, you can type D (for Doors) and SMLCaLL (for Smlcall) and then RBBS will chain to SMLCaLL, SMLCaLL will see you are Local and select the local mode and automatically put your name in. [[[ Function Keys Supported: ]]] Currently only F10 is supported. Chat Mode F10 F10 will interrupt the Command -> prompt and will enter a routine for Chat Mode. If you press the F10 key when Chat is already engaged it will Beep both you and the remote user. Though, You may also send Beeps (ASCII 7) to each other. Either the remote user or the sysop can send the ESC code and Chat will then be terminated. The Timeout default of 4 minutes is not monitored in Chat Mode, but Loss of Carrier is. [[[ SMLCALL.EXE ]]] [ My Documentation is not very clearly written, but if you grind your way thru the program you may find it very very usefull. ] This program is created to help the sysop view and do Flexible analysis on their CALLERS file for running a Remote Bulletin Board System (RBBS) authored/maintained by D. Thomas Mack, Ken Goosens & Jon Martin. This program was written to work with RBBS versions 15.1A thru 15.1C, though this program may work with older version of RBBS as well. Some of these options may then be saved to a Text file for Archives or for Display Purposes. This program can be particularily useful, when researching a User's habits and/or usage of the system. [[[ SCRIPT USAGE ]]] Script Usage is the same method as used in SmlMess This program can be called Remotely (or of-course Locally) and also automatically executed by a Script Batchfile. There are 2 ways that you can call the Script Usage. One by saying SMLCALL AUTO , which then the program will read all commands from a file called SMLCALL.SCR . The other is if, you want to use a batchfile by a different name, (say CALLMON.SCR) then you can call (and execute) it, by SMLCALL CALLMON.SCR , the '.SCR' is important to tell the program that you want to call it by a Script File. Basically, you will put in each line of the SMLCALL.SCR the seq of events that you would want to have done in Smlcall. You will need to learn what keystrokes are required. Since, it is in script mode, you will not need to type a CR symbol for the Pause prompts, because they will not appear if you are using the SCRIPT (AUTO) mode. Special Symbols used in the SMLCALL.SCR file: { Symbol for press ENTER at the prompt * Symbol for press ESC at the prompt ' Anything after this Symbol is ignored by Smlcall This symbol is used for identifying the beginning of remarks about the script command An example script to do a Utilization chart from 01/01/88 to 01/31/88 and to save it in a filename called BULET23.BUL is: ' ' The below lines will do create and save the output of the ' Utilization Graph for Jan 01 to Jan 31 date range. ' 0 ' to specify command 0 for Utilization Graph 01/01/88 ' to specify the beginning date 01/31/88 ' to specify the ending date ALL ' to specify for ALL Callers 1 ' to specify Node 1 of the Callers File BULET23.BUL ' to save the screen in the bulletin file 9 ' to exit SMLCALL and return to DOS and that's all it takes... You would use the similar sequence for the other commands as well, except for perhaps some differences because of that command's options. Your SMLCALL.SCR file may be as long as you want and you can execute SMLCALL AUTO from a Batch file that you setup to automate your analysis. The enclosed SMLCALL.SCR is a working example for you to study from in order to make your own SMLCaLL.SCR file. You may create different SMLCALL script files to do different operations automatically. You can call these by (for example): SMLCALL FILE.SCR Additional Notes: Leading and Trailing Spaces are ignored When the end of the Script file is Found, SMLCall will Exit { symbol can be used to default the Search string, Dates and Node# * symbol(ESC) is not needed but is supplied. ' use this symbol alot to clearly document your SCRipt file. [[Commands in Very Brief]] Commands in Brief: 0 < Will produce a System and Caller Utilization Graph 1 < A Summarization Chart of Caller Activity 2 < Lists all Downloads and Uploads 3 < Displays the entire contents of the Callers File 4 < Lists the Top 40 Downloaded Files 5 < List Highest Download/Upload Callers in Desending Order 6 < Will Attach a TextFile to End of RBBS's MESSAGES File 7 < View this Documentation while in the Program 8 < Configure the Defaults for this Program 9 < Exit to DOS (Quit Program) A < Program Identification (Program Version) B < Archive Previous Month from Callers Log [[[ A brief description of the commands in SMLCALL ]]] ___________________ There are Ten Commands in this Program: _______________ Command# 0. Graph System/Caller Utilization This option creates a Stacked Bar Graph that illustrates the % usage of the system and also CallerTime over the 24 hour day. The left side of the Chart is System Utilization. Actual System Time Online (Caller Active) is added for each of the Hours in the day. This number is then divided by the number of days that are specified in the Date Range. STANDARD Deviation is used to calculate and then illustrate the range of System Usage Variance. The right side of the Chart is Caller Usage. It displays the Average Online Caller time for each of the Hours. Standard Deviation is used to calculate the amount of time that majority of the calls last. This is displayed as follows: ░ is the area Above the Average and Within the Deviation Range ▒ is the area Below the Average and Within the Deviation Range █ is the area Below the Average and Below the Deviation Range To describe it more detail: ______________________________ __ 40min ░ ^ ░ This is above Average Most Callers ░ were Online inside ___ ░ ___ The Average is Here 35min of this Time Range ▒ ▒ v ▒ This is below Average ______________________________ ▒ __ 30min █ █ Command# 1. Summarize Caller Information Two prompts will ask for the Beginning and Ending Date of the Search (All information will collected if they are within => <= these dates) ( regardless if these dates are scattered or not throughout the data) Press ESC, if you wish to return to the Menu (This KeyPress is valid on any of the Date Prompts anywhere in prog) Press ENTER to use the Default dates listed in the Brackets [ ] (This KeyPress is valid on any of the Date Prompts anywhere in prog) A prompt will ask for the matching text the User's Name should have to match the Caller's UserName, to be included in the Data/Searches. Type in either, FIRST LASTNAME where First Lastname is the name of the User. The search will only contain this User. text Info will be summarized if text is imbedded in the Callers Name. ALL Every user will be summarized. Response Text will be converted to UpperCase for Matching. Press ENTER to use the Default Text for Searching listed in [ ]. Press ENTER to begin Search, ESC to return to Menu The program will print a + when Caller info is within given Date Range and a - when it does not match. Though this +/- relationship will change depending on the command being issued. The summarized information will be displayed on the screen. A few explanations on the Summary screen : Entered Doors: Number of times the Users entered Doors from RBBS. Version 1.2 and later will count time and # of calls correctly. (Most programs say that the user called twice when a user returns from doors.) Extended Logging may have to be turned ON to get stats for this function. Disconnects: Number of times that the user had Sleep Disconnects and Dropped Carrier. Extended Logging may have to be turned ON to get stats for this function or the program slightly modified. Message Base Use: Number of times a User had Read Messages. Depends upon your RBBS setup but # may be 0 if not using Extended Logging. System Violations: Number of times a User has done a SV!. For example, trying to Download a file without sufficient Access Level. Systems Errors: Number of times RBBS has logged a Trapped Internal error in the Callers file. SmlCall Search Errors: Number of times the program failed to recognize Callers file format. Usually, means the Callers file is not Version 15.1A or 15.1B or 15.1C . Drop to DOS: Number of times a User dropped to DOS( Option #7 in RBBS Main Menu ). NA will mean that no matches were found. May also mean that extended logging needs to be ON to use that data. You may (if you can compile RBBS) to modify it slightly (as shown below) to allow you to see the number of times some of the above situations occur. Press ENTER to save screen in a TextFile, or ESC to not save. If ESC is pressed, the program will return to the Date prompt for the command issued. Type in the Text FileName if you wish the information to be Saved, if not then press ENTER to return to Date prompts. The TextFile created may be edited/modified/deleted using any normal text word processor. If you wish the file could be attached to the end of your RBBS message base using Command# 6 from the Smlcall Main Menu. >>> Note. The Date Range Prompts and the Search Text Prompt will appear in the other command options of this program. The options for them, are the same as in this Command. If the Beginning Date Range is before the date in the first record of the Callers File, the beginning Date Range will be changed to match the beginning of Callers file. Command# 2. List Downloads/Uploads This Command (#2) will use the same prompts as in Command #1. This Command will list All Downloads and Uploads that match the Search criteria for the Users. Command# 3. List Activity in the Callers File This Command (#3) will use the same prompts as in Command #1. This Command will list all CallerFile information that match the Search criteria for the Users. Note: All information is given that matches the Date Range and the Search Text. Command# 4. List Top 40 Downloaded Files This Command (#4) will use the same prompts as in Command #1. This Command will list the TOP 40 downloaded files that match the Search criteria for the Users. Command# 5. List Download to Upload Ratio for Callers This Command (#5) will use the same prompts as in Command #1. This Command will categorize users from the Highest # of Downloads to # of Uploads Ratio. For calculation of the ratio, each User is bonused one Upload. The number of KiloBytes of Upload and Download will also be displayed. This output may be rerouted to Disk or Printer. Command# 6. Attach TextFile to the End of RBBS Messages File This Command (#6) will Attach text from the given TextFile to the end of the RBBS Messages File. Type in the TextFile to be used for the Attachment. Almost any Sequential File will work. The File can not have record lengths of greater than 127 char. The Number of Lines is limited to 90. Type in the Message TO User's Name If ENTER is pressed then it defaults to ALL . Type in the Subject Matter of the Message. The Message will be given the default status of [K]ill. The Lines will be Attached to the End of the MessagesFile. The MessageFile pointers will also be changed to reflect the added message. [ Warning!!! This program does not do any File/Record Locking on ] [ the Messages File. If you run more than one node concurrently ] [ you must be responsible to avoid conflicts. ] Command# 7. View Documentation This Command will print out the SMLCALL.DOC file onto the screen. This file (SMLCALL.DOC) is in Text form, so can printed out to the printer or the screen. Command# 8. Configure the Defaults This command will allow you to change the default Filenames for the MESSAGES file, CALLERS file, and edit the Bulletin Board Name. If you specify the filenames without their paths then the program will only look in the current (default) directory. It will also ask for the Efficiency of the various transfer protocals. Press ENTER to use the default (20-100)%. These numbers may be much different then defaults, particulary for multitasking or long distance use. These percentages may be obtained from the users. Most communication packages will display an efficiency during download/upload transfers. Command# 9. Exit to DOS (Quit Program) Quits program. Command# A. Exit to DOS (Quit Program) You can change your Default Screen Color Command# B. Archive Previous Month from Callers Log This command is used by sysops that do want wish their CALLERS file to get too Big. What it does is, moves all data within specified date into a 'Archive' file. An 'Archive' file is in the SAME file format and Sequence as the CALLERS file except that it will only contain data within the specified date. (Hence, you can specify this 'archive' filename if needed for future searchs and inquiries.) Example: Today's date is 04/03/88. The sysop on his monthly maintenance wishes to remove all Info for March 1988 from the CALLERS log and move into a file called CAL0388. He would type 03/01/88 and 03/31/88 for the Date Range at the beginning of this command, then press ENTER to default to use the filename of CAL0388. The program then will move all Caller Data that took place in March (03/01 to 03/31) into the file CAL0388. Upon completion, the CALLERS file would then not have Any Info that has to do with March (03/01 to 03/31) Information. This CAL0388 file can be used later by this program, if any more analysis is needed. [[[ Limitations of the Program ]]] The program will not Handle; More than 32000 Calls during a Time Period. More than 32000 Downloads/Uploads " " . More than 32000 Operator Pages/System " . More than 32000 System Violations " " . More than 9 Gigs of Download/Upload Sizes . More than 1000 Hours of Download/Upload # . These problems will cause either the program to Abort or the Formatted printing to be Offset. Also, the string capacity is 64K, so you may get a Out of String Space error using very large TextFiles or doing a Top40 on a lot of Files, or Command #5 may also come back with Out of String Space Error, if there isn't enough total memory allocated. In most situations, Out of String Space Error should be very rare, yet since most of the program will only read your data files, there is very little chance that Bugs, System Errors, or User error can cause it to eat your data. If you do have problems, erase your SmlCall.CNF file and start over. [[[ Revisions to the Program ]]] I found some earlier versions of SmlCall had been hacked up and passed around. I guess somebody was trying to get to the passwords or something. Please verify that you have the most recent version and that the files contain the same date. New releases will come out about every 2 to 4 months. [[[ IF YOU FIND BUGS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. ]]] Version 2.1 (release 03/31/88) The CALLERS file for RBBS 16.1A seems to be compatible. Have added Command B Archive the Callers File. Counted Ymodem Batch the same as Ymodem for Callers Summary. It is possible to use Script files other then the one with the filename of Smlcall.scr (ie. smlcall callprn.scr) You can use the ESC key virtually at every prompt to return to Menu If you type a + infront of the File name to save a screen, then the screen text will be appended to the specified Filename. (This was suggested by Michael Davis of Horizon RBBS (214) 881-9346, that would like to stack multiple data screens onto one file, without having to use a Batch (copy .Bat) to do it.) Version 2.01 (release 02/18/88 ) This release is a preliminary release of the Version 2.x series. (Registered Users will get latter versions of 2.x) This version does not have 16.1A support, but had received a Callers file from Aviation Connection, and found it to be compatible. I have basically only added support for Remote and Batch Usage. Imodem replaced MetaLink (haven't heard from anyone using MetaLink) Other replaced Ascii (does anyone still use the ASCII protocal ?) Version 1.3 (release 11/21/87 ) As far as I know this works with 15.1C with no Problems . Multi Node capability was added. You can select Node 1, 2 or 3. Command Option 0 is created to illustrate the amount of actual System Usage and Caller Usage for given Date ranges. I used some Standard Deviation equations to provide the range that 'most' caller/system info fit into. The program can now handle more then 32767 records ( > 2Meg file ) in the CALLERS file. Dave Crane (Sysop of Dallas RBBS-PC) was easily able to get the program to error out on his monstrous Callers File. 9600 Baud was added. This function was never tested though. Metalink replaced Ymodem G in the Stats. Registered Users can have any protocal they wish in their registered copy. If you wish a different protocal, please let me know. Also Miscellaneous Bugs and Not-thought-Of Logic Bugs were fixed. Version 1.2 (release 09/13/87) This version will see the Entered Doors command (extended logging may have to be toggled ON in RBBS). So, this program will not count the user as two calls for Door operation, yet will still record time used. (When a User Enters Doors, RBBS writes the Caller header in the file, and then when the caller returns from Doors, RBBS acts a second header for the caller. Most stat programs say that the caller called twice.) David McAnally of RF's & Lectrons RBBS needed the output on Disk ... Suggested that more of the output be reroutable to Disk or Printer. This was done, I call it, Echo output. Zmodem replaced Imodem in the Program. Estimated Times for Downloads and Uploads are more accurate. I redid the calculations and added a efficiency factor. This Efficiency factor may edited using Command #8. This method makes it more Accurate and configurable by You ! Added Command #5 List Download to Upload Ratio by Callers This option will list all Users from Highest Ratio to Lowest. (by number of (# of DL Files) / (# of UL Files + 1). Also, will display Kbytes Uploaded and Downloaded. Version 1.1: (release 07/12/87) (my birthday) New Things Added: The Ability to add text to the End of the Messages File was added. Users can save the Top 40 Download/Upload screen to a TextFile. Search Text typed in by the User will be converted to UpperCase, so that the user's Caps Lock Key does not need to be used. To be more compatiable with earlier versions, the Paths are stripped from the Upload/Download FileNames. Fixed: A Bug that will sometimes not allow a user to save a Screen. If the FilesSize was big, the program would Errorout. Also, other Bugs that Dave Crane (Sysop of Dallas RBBS-PC) found and notified me of. I thank him very much for his responses on my First Version. Version 1.0: The very first version of this program. Released around the last few days of June 1987. [[[ MoDS that you may find usefull to put into RBBS if you use Normal ]]] Caller monitoring (For Versions 15.1A to 15.1C ) You may want to modify RBBS to be able to record the number of times that Dropped Carrier, Doors Usage, and Sleep Disconnects. You will only need to put these slight mods in, if you do not want to have Extended Logging but would like to see this info. ((To me, I do not have enough disk space for All the details that extended logging shows (like time logged off, ...)) RBBS uses a subroutine called UPDTCALR to Update the CALLERS file. If you change the 1 to a 2 then it will always be recorded, when that event occurs. You will need to search for the following text in RBBS-PC.BAS, RBBSSUB1.BAS and RBBSSUB2.BAS . A sample of the original text to search and change : CALL UPDTCALR ("Carrier dropped",1) CALL UPDTCALR ("Read Messages...",1) CALL UPDTCALR ("Sleep disconnect",1) CALL UPDTCALR (LEFT$(Z$,LEN(Z$)-4) + " door opened!",1) Again, you would ONLY need to change the 1 to 2 . Nothing else should be changed ! Note: The 1 tells RBBS to record the event only if Extended Logging is used. The 2 tells RBBS to record the event Always ! Thats it... please, leave message if you have a problem ═══ END OF SMLCALL DOCUMENTATION ═════════════════════════════════════════════ ------ Okay, now commercial time !!! for any Unregistered ones -------------- The 1988 software concept so far involves... (As of 03/31/88) 1. SY <Can you complete your assignment?> (Still in Development) A very MultiPlayer DoorGame 2. SIDROIDS (Command BattleDroids in a 30,000 cell field, with the use of Messages, Teams, and Scripts that will control your Droid during anothers play period) (Current ShareWare version 2.01. (Registered version also has some more stuff..(2.3x) 3. THAI The UnderGround Thai Lottery - A Lottery Simulation DoorGame (Play the Thailand Lottery...) Current Version 1.11 ((This Game is to me, a minor program...) 4. SMLMESS Small Message Utility is created for RBBS sysops Perhaps, the Ultimate Utility for MESSAGES maintenance? Add,Edit,Delete,Pack,Extract,Search,Insert,Node Status,Secity, Read for Messages(conferences) by Remote,Batch, or Local. RBBS 15.1a to 16.1a compatible! 5. SMLCALL Small Caller Analyzer - is utility created for RBBS sysops wanting to do simple but effective analyzing on their Callers and System. Remote and Batch Support. Current version 2.1 and few other worthless RBBS help files and text stuff... (like ColorMods, Conference stuff, and other patches)