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- What's new in Synchronet BBS Version 2.20
- =========================================
-
- General
- ~~~~~~~
- o Support for WIP (Windows Interface Protocol) terminal programs (DCTERMW.ZIP)
- by automatically detecting WIP terminals and displaying WIP menus
- o Each security level can be set to expire to a specific security level, the
- default expired level, or a specific quick-validation set
- o Loadable module can be executed during daily maintenance for each expired
- user enabling custom expiration options/features
- o New exemption (E) keeps specific users from expiring when their time runs out
- if the "Expire when out-of-time" option has been enabled in SCFG
- o Expired users are written to the detailed log with a !% line for each user
- o New SBBS command line switch (o) to force all pending events to execute
- and then immediately exit (for use with Front-end mailers)
- o New system toggle to disallow credit to minute conversions
- o Timed events can be forced by creating a semaphore file in the DATA directory
- (similar to forced QWKnet call-outs)
- o Number of seconds between checks for node semaphores (down/rerun/event/etc)
- and seconds between checks for waiting for call statistics can be
- configured on a per-node basis
- o Each node can be individually toggled to disallow local beeps
- o New user locations can be allowed without commas (between city and state)
- if the sysop wishes
- o Quick-validation hot-keys require locally input system password if changing
- a user with level 90 or higher (reduces accidental Quick-validations)
- o If daily statistics database (DSTS.DAB) time stamp is more than 24 hours
- in the future (apparently corrupted), a critical error is generated
- o Last few callers and callers today listing can be custom colorized and
- easily removed from the logon procedure for some or all users
- (number of callers displayed for last few callers is Baja modifiable)
- o Low-priority input toggle available on a per-node basis to fine-tune
- aggregate system performance under multitasking environments
- o ARS keywords SUB and DIR now support sub-board and directory internal codes
- (static) as well as the area number (dynamic) for the value argument
- o Doors can be configured for maximum time allowed (in drop file)
- o Waiting for call configuration (SCFG) command line configurable for each node
- o 32-bit DOS and OS/2 versions of the Synchronet configuration (SCFG) program
- o RIP and WIP screens are not displayed locally for a cleaner local console
- o E-7-1 remote terminals are now directly supported by Synchronet
-
-
- Message Networks
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- o New FA: (file attachment) status override for sysops and 'F' exempt users
- to send file attachments from anywhere to multiple addresses
- o Sub-boards can be toggled for "Internet Networked" to allow posts to unknown
- user names and the 'N' restriction to work properly with NetXpress
- o QWK NetMail imported for an unknown address will be returned to the sender
- (bounced) with "BADADDR: address" in the subject of the message
-
-
- Message Base
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~
- o Moderated messages now show Moderated and Validated attributes
- o When changing message attributes, a hot-key menu interface is used
- o When moving messages between sub-boards, the original message may be left
- intact (copying messages rather than moving)
- o When deleting messages from a message base, they are only flagged for
- deletion later by message base maintenance, allowing the user to
- undelete the message
- o More than 3000-4000 messages per sub-board supported (if memory allows)
- o Messages and text files of any size (no maximum length) can be viewed online
- o File attachments (e-mail) can now be forwarded among users
- o Local posts and e-mail from user #1 may contain @-code variables/actions
- o Sub-boards can be configured with static QWK conference numbers instead of
- the default dynamic numbering scheme
-
-
- Guru Chat
- ~~~~~~~~~
- o New response variables:
- `O SysOp's name
- `S System name
- `G Guru's name
- `I System's QWK ID
- `L User's level (previously `m)
- `T Time
- `M Month
- `W Day of the week
- `J Day of the month
- `Y Year
- `Z User's zip/postal code
- o AR strings can be used in Guru expressions by enclosing them in brackets
- e.g. (HELLO&GURU&[LEVEL 90 OR FLAG S])
- o Guru starts conversation in "Local" mode (not multinode chat mode)
-
-
- File Transfers
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- o Non-Synchronet color codes (@-codes, pipe-codes, etc) are now supported in
- the descriptions of extended file listings (&E toggled ON)
- o Files moved from the upload or sysop directories automatically have their
- upload date set to the current date so they will appear in new-scans
- o When in novice mode and batch flagging is enabled, file scans clear the
- screen and display the batch flag command reference at the top of the
- screen between each group of files
- o File areas can be configured for maximum file age in days for the new
- file maintenance utility (DELFILES) to purge by upload date, last
- download date, and/or files not on disk
- o Users can select a default download protocol and enable auto hang-up after
- download (sysop can configure new user default values for these too)
- o Files placed in the batch download queue, but not downloaded during the call
- will be automatically added to the batch download queue during the
- user's next logon
- o File contents can be viewed from the (R)emove/Edit file prompt
- o External programs can place files in the batch download queue by creating a
- list of files as DATA\FILE\####.DWN (where #### is the user number)
- o File areas can be set to deduct users' time online during uploads (instead
- of the default behavior of suspending their time while uploading)
- o File areas can be set to award uploaders with minutes instead of credits
-
-
- PCMS (Programmable Command and Menu Structure) Enhancements
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- o Login procedure is controlled by a loadable module instead of hard-coded,
- allowing custom login protocols and matrix menus
- o Loadable logon module has greater control over logon procedure, assuming
- responsibility for displaying logon screens, initiating logon events,
- displaying auto-message, last few callers, etc.
- o Optional synchronization module to be executed whenever nodes and displays
- are synchronized (very frequently)
- o Optional logout module to be executed offline during logout procedure
- (after disconnection)
- o Optional expired user module to be executed offline during daily maintenance
- when users expire
- o Modules can be loaded and executed from anywhere by placing @EXEC:MODNAME@
- in TEXT.DAT lines (excluding lines with % specifiers), menus, text
- files, and even e-mail messages (optional)
- o Command shells and modules can use dynamic global and local variables
- (character strings and 32-bit integers)
- o Direct file i/o operations available for command shells and modules
- o Maximum binary executable size increased from 32k to 64k
- o Read/write access to over 100 internal system string and integer variables
- o Ability to dynamically load alternate TEXT.DAT files allowing complete
- foreign language and graphical protocol shells
- o Additional TEXT.DAT line to specify which keys are to be used for Yes and No,
- completing the support necessary for foreign language shells
- o Comments allowed in TEXT.DAT by placing '#' at the beginning of the line
-
-
- Baja Compiler Version 2.00 Enhancements
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- o Compiler supports C-like macros (!define) for pre-processor definition of
- integer and string constants
- o Compiler supports multi-file projects using a C-like pre-processor directive
- (!include) for combining multiple source/include files
- o Many enhanced functions
- o New String Manipulation functions
- o New Integer Manipulation functions
- o New Logic/Control Flow functions
- o New Display functions
- o New Input functions
- o New Miscellaneous functions
- o New File Base functions
- o New Chat functions
- o New File I/O functions
- o New File system functions
- o New Directory system functions
-
- /* End of V220A.NEW */
-