CD Shareware Magazine 1997 January

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The Library (C) 1996 LloydWare ------------------ Copyright Notices: Turbo Pascal is Copyright Borland International Kdrive is Copyright SHARKware LORD (Legend of the Red Dragon) is Copyright Robinson Technologies RIP Playroom and ANSI Playroom is Copyright FireHawk Software DSZ is Copyright Omen Technologies RIP is Copyright Telegraphics Inc. ------------------ Description: What is the Library? The Library is a Door program that displays selected text files, and allows the user the option of downloading them from the door. Why Use the Library? I didn't like the way that my particular BBS system did it's Bulletins, and didn't like the idea of using the "View Text Files" option off of the file menu either. The Library allows you to categorize your Text files into different sub-menus (Maximum of 10 sub-menus), then describe the files contained in the sub-menu (Maximum of 10 files per sub-menu), and allow the user the option to read or download the chosen text file from that menu. ------------------ DISCLAIMER: ----------- The author (Lloyd Lewis) has taken every precaution to insure that no harm or damage will occur on computer systems operating this package. Nevertheless, the author shall NOT be held liable for whatever may happen on your computer system or to any computer systems which connects to your own as a result of operating this package. The user assumes full responsibility for the correct operation of this software package, whether harm or damage results from any software error, hardware malfunction, or operator error. NO warranties are offered, expressly stated or implied, including without any limitation or restriction any warranties of operation for a particular purpose and / or merchantability. If you do not agree with this, then absolutely do NOT use this program! ------------------ LICENSE AGREEMENT: ------------------ The door program, support files, and documentation are copyrighted products of LloydWare. The author reserves all rights to these products. This is protected by the United States of America (USA) and International Copyright Laws. In no way shall the components of the door software package be reproduced or modified in any form or method without prior expressly written permission from the author. Tampering with or altering the contents or integrity of the door software package is prohibited. No fee may be charged by any agency other than the author beyond the cost of distributing unregistered copies without prior expressly written permission from the author. ------------------ Registration: The Library is being released as Freeware. No registration fees are required or asked for. Of course, if you wish to make a donation, it will not be turned down! :) If you have any questions or comments about "The Library", please feel free to contact me at the following addresses: Fidonet 1:114/464 Internet lloyd.lewis@stallion.nlife.com Realm of the Black Stallion BBS (602) 993-1844 Or, you can send me snail-mail at the following address: Lloyd Lewis P.O. Box 39564 Phoenix, AZ 85069-9564 ------------------ System Requirements: This program should work fine on any IBM compatible system, under any operating system. This program supports multitasking, and is DesqView, and OS/2 aware and will release time slices as necessary. This program is usable under a multi-node BBS. DSZ, or an Equivalent Protocol driver is required for the download functions of this progam. Simply modify the X/Y/Z Batch files to work with your program. RIP Version 1.54 Support is implemented in the door as well. All ANSI and RIP screens are hardcoded into the door. ------------------ Setup and Installation: Before you can use The Library, you must create the DAT file required to store the Menu Names, File Descriptions, and Path/Filename for the Text Files to be viewed/downloaded. Type "LIBRARY SETUP" (Without the quotes of course) from the DOS command line. The setup routine isn't pretty, but it works. The Screen displayed will look something like this: M> Unused 1> A> Unused 2> B> Unused 3> C> Unused etc... The Left and Right arrow keys will move you up and down through the Sub-Menu record (The sub-menu number will be listed on the bottom of the screen.) The 'M' is the name for the Sub-Menu. The letters 'A through J' are the descriptions for that particular text file. The numbers '1 through 0' are the path and filename for the textfile listed below it. (ie. 1 is for A, 2 is for B, etc...) 'Q' will exit out of the setup program. Any Sub-Menu, or Text File Description that has 'Unused' in it will not allow the user to access it (thus preventing your system from crashing!) Simply enter your own Descriptions, and it will open them up to your user. (Make sure that you have a file assigned to your file description!) BATCH FILES: This archive should contain three batch files needed by The Library to run the download routine. They are named X.BAT, Y.BAT, and Z.BAT. DO NOT RENAME THEM! You will get an error if you do. These batch files are written with DSZ in mind, but they can be suited to your needs if you use a different Protocol Driver other than DSZ. The Z.BAT file looks like this: dsz port %1 handshake both z sz %2 Note: This batch file has two parameters passed to it. %1 is the Comport number, and %2 is the path/filename of the download. If you modify the BAT files to suit your system, make sure that %1 will allways be the Comport number, and %2 as the path and filename of the download. DSZ or whatever Protocol Driver you're using should either be in the same directory as The Library (not a good idea, but it'll work), or within your PATH. COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS: Commandline parameters that can be passed to The Library program. The Library will always load locally, unless you pass a Dropfile parameter.{ Ex. /TRBBS} /B# Locked baud rate {300-115200} /C# Comport {1-8} /D Use for Digiboard support. /F Use for Fossil support. The Library defaults to its built in Async handler. /I# Use to specify a different IRQ number than the defaults. In order to use this you must use the Default Async Handlers! /K# Keyboard Time out in seconds. {30 to 300} /L* Logging. Turns the Logging Boolean to True for programs. You can define a path and/or file name for your log, if you do not wish for the default log filename. /N# Node Number{1-255} /P* Path to drop files. Multi Node could be something like, /Px:\BBS\node%1 where %1 is the node number passed from the BBS program. /R Force RIP /SSysopFN_SysopLN Sysop name. Must use the _ in place of a space. Use if not passed in Dropfile. (ie. /SLloyd_Lewis ) /Tbbstype BBS type. List below: QUICK - Quickbbs,Force,RemoteAccess. (uses DORINFO1.DEF) RBBS - Rbbs version 16.1+ (uses DORINFO1.DEF) PCB12 - Pcboard version 12 (see COMPORT note below) PCB14 - Pcboard version 14 PCB15 - Pcboard version 15 WWIV - WWIV bbs (uses chain.txt) PHOENIX - Phoenix bbs CALLINFO - Old Wildcat 2.xx WC30 - New Wildcat 3.xx DOORSYS - The DOOR.SYS format (Wildcat! 3.xx, TAG,etc) SPITFIRE - Spitfire SFDOORS.DAT format 2AM - 2AM TRIBBS - TriBBS /W# Maximum time for user to be in door in minutes. Default is 1440 or User's time left from BBS. /Zbbsname BBS name. Use _ for spaces. {Use only if not passed in Dropfile} (ie. /ZRealm_of_the_Black_Stallion ) Notes: PCB12 : When using this option, make sure you pass the Comport information by using the /Cx option. DORINFO : When using this option, the newer DORINFO1.DEF is used, not the DORINFOx.DEF. You may need to rename your drop file to use this, if you are using older BBS software. All data passed to The Library is through Command line usage, no .CFG files are needed to get the program running. So, for example, if you are running The Library from your C: drive, in a sub-directory named 'LIBRARY', using DOOR.SYS as your drop file, your calling batch file might look like this: REM The Library Door C: CD\LIBRARY LIBRARY /TDOORSYS /PC:\BBS That's all there is to it! Of course if you are using Multi-Node, then you would want to use DORINFO?.DAT (Where ? is the node number) and pass the node information to the BAT file. Look at the above /P statement for an example of using Multi-Node support. (NOTE: SFDOORS.DAT gives me some problems, so I suggest not using it if you run a Spitfire BBS. Instead use DOOR.SYS, it works just fine!) Most BBS programs should pass all other data to the program through the drop file, so it probably won't be necessary to pass any of the other parameters to The Library. But, they are available if you need them. ------------------ Color Codes: If you want, Color codes can be inserted into your text files to liven them up a bit. Note however, that if that text file gets downloaded, the user is going to have a text file with a bunch of wierd codes in it, along with the text. This is entirely up to you, but here is the list of color codes available, and how to implement them: (Excerpt from Kdrive documentation) COLOR CODES : KDrive uses the following color codes for changing colors. They can be added to any string if you do not wish to use the SetColor/SetFore/SetBack commands. They are very useful. KDrive automatically converts the LORD color codes for compatibility. When using KDrive for IGMs you may use the LORD color codes instead. Char Byte ForeColor/ BackColor Code Color LORD Code LORD Color 0 00 Not Used! Black Black 1 01 `1 Blue Blue 2 02 `2 Green Green 3 03 `3 Cyan Cyan 4 04 `4 Red Red 5 05 `5 Magenta Magenta 6 06 `6 Brown Brown 7 07 `7 Grey Grey 8 08 `8 Light Grey Black (Blinking Fore) 9 09 `9 Light Blue Blue (Blinking Fore) A 10 `0 Light Green Green (Blinking Fore) B 11 `! Light Cyan Cyan (Blinking Fore) C 12 `@ Light Red Red (Blinking Fore) D 13 `# Light Magenta Magenta (Blinking Fore) E 14 `$ Yellow Brown (Blinking Fore) F 15 `% White Grey (Blinking Fore) 128 Blink (Add to Byte color for ForeColor to get the color to blink. LORD uses the tilde {`} symbol to represent the beginning of a color sequence. Ex. ~@ to change the text color to Light Red. KDrive uses C to represent the beginning of a color sequence. However, two codes are needed to complete the sequence. C04 would mean you want red text on a black background. To get KDrive to blink using it's internal code, add 8 to the Background color you want, and use the proper Foreground color. C8E gives a blinking yellow text on a black background. KDrive also uses a sequence code to allow cursor movement in the string. Use X01 to move the cursor to the X 01 position. Use Y01 to move the cursor to the Y 01 position. Can replace the cGotoXY(x,y) command. Example "X05Y03C04Hello." Would print Hello. Red, at the 05,03 cordinates. EMBEDDED CODES FOR KDrive C## Color changing(Back,Fore).{# is 0 -F} F# Color change Fore only. B# Color change background only. W Clears the screen X## Cursor movement to X## cordinates. Y## Cursor movement to Y## cordinates. Z Clears to the end of the line. So, as you can see, the embedded codes can do a lot for your text files. All you have to do is precede the text with a color code, and it will change the color of the text displayed. (Example) C03Hello C02Hello C34Hello The above line would display the word Hello three times on the screen, the first time Magenta on a Black Background, the second would be Green on a Black Background, and the third would be Red on a Cyan Background. Take a look at the TEST.TXT file in this archive to see how it works. The X/Y codes should work as well, but I have not tested them. To get the '' symbol to appear, go into your text editor and hit CTRL-P twice. NOTE: Do not try this with the LORD color codes, as they are not implemented in this program. ------------------ Kdrive: Kdrive is a fantastic new Door Development Kit written by Korombos of SHARKware. It is still in Beta-Testing, and is not available to the public yet. It is very stable, and should be released (hopefully) in the near future. ------------------ Special Thanks! Many thanks go out to my good friend Korombos! Without him, The Library would have been on the back burner for quite some time. Thank you Korombos for developing Kdrive (the wonderful door driver that The Library works with), for all your support and friendship that you have given me in the years that I have known you, and most of all, for teaching me to program in Turbo Pascal! Korombos is the author of several terriffic Shareware/Freeware programs through SHARKware. Take a look at some of his terriffic programs that can be downloaded/FREQ'd from his system at Fidonet 1:114/465, or Terra BBS (602) 433-7863 Additional thanks go out to: Brion Neeley - Thanks for putting up with my clacking away at the computer at all hours of the day to get this, and other projects going. Mike Ritchie - Thank you for all the support that you have given to me! You have encouraged me to do more with my life, and make of myself what I want to be. Mike Copeland - For all your help with getting the download routines in this program to work. You have taught me much in the short time that I have chatted with you on the FIDO "Pascal Lessons" conference. I expect that I will have much more to learn from you in the future. Cliff & Susana Emberg - For your friendship, help, support, and ideas. It was from your FireHawk Software programs ANSI Playroom, and RIP Playroom that this idea stemmed from. Also, one of Susana's RIP drawings is used in this program. (Note: FireHawk Software can be FREQ'd from my system at 1:114/464. Just use the Magic name FILES and it will give you the file list for my whole system. This is terriffic software, quite affordable, and well worth the download!) Cathy Keller - For your encouragement with all the projects and lessons that we have worked with together. I know that you will make a fine Pascal Programmer! Kim Kokkonen - President of TurboPower Software, for his wonderful ExecSwap utility that helped out so much with the release of this software. ExecSwap is Freeware. Andy Forget - I borrowed one of his RIP drawings for this program. Andy is a very talented artist, and has gone out of his way for me. Take a look at some of my RIP menus on my BBS (the Phoenix Roadrunners ones), these were all drawn for me by Andy. Thanks for everything! Last, but not least, to all the programmers on FIDO's "Pascal" and "Pascal Lessons" conferences, as well as those on SFNET's "Pascal Programming" conference. Thank you for all the help and encouragement that you have all given to me, and the answers to my questions. Without you all, I'd still be stuck on too many things with my programs. ------------------ Author's Note: This is my first Door program ever written. I do have some other, better ideas on the burners, so keep an eye out for them in the future! Thanks for looking at my work. I hope that it is something that you can find useful for your system. This is my gift back to the BBS community for all the years that I've been working with it. Thanks, Lloyd Lewis August 14, 1996