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BULLET1
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1986-03-16
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9KB
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173 lines
What's New with CPC14-1A
----------------------------
CPC14-1A is a complete and total re-write of the earlier versions of RBBS-
PC. CPC14-1A must be used in conjunction with it's companion program
CONFIG.BAS -- version 1.95. Release CPC14-1A of RBBS-PC reflects the
capabilities of the two new BASIC compilers for the IBM PC that were
announced in July of 1985. Specifically it allows two seperated .OBJ
modules to be compiled (RBBS-PC.OBJ and RBBS-SUB.OBJ) and then linked
together to form a single .EXE program (RBBS-PC.EXE). This way ANY
feature, command, or enhancement can be incorporated into RBBS-PC.EXE
simply by
1. Adding the appropriate code to RBBS-PC.BAS to call the subroutine that
performs the new feature (i.e. a validation feature, as an example).
2. Compiling seperately the BASIC program that will do the new feature
(i.e. NEWFEAT.BAS) to create an additional .OBJ module (i.e.
NEWFEAT.OBJ).
3. Re-LINKing RBBS-PC with this additional .OBJ deck.
Microsoft announced the QuickBASIC compiler with a suggested list price of
$99. International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) announced Version 2
of the IBM BASIC compiler with a suggested list price of $495. Both
compilers are products of Microsoft. QuickBASIC essentially has 95% of the
functionality of IBM's Version 2 BASIC compiler. QuickBASIC is 100%
compatible with IBM's Version 2 BASIC compiler. When you purchase Version
2 of the IBM BASIC compiler for approximately $400 more than QuickBASIC you
get:
1. An .OBJ module librarian.
2. The ability to have arrays larger than 64K.
3. The ability to use indexed files (i.e. ISAM).
4. Two volumes of well written manuals on the BASIC language.
5. The ability to use the Version 1 BASIC compiler's statement
"CALL ABSOLUTE".
6. The ability to use the Version 1 BASIC compiler's statement
"BLOAD".
7. The ability to use the Version 1 BASIC compiler's statement
"BSAVE".
Both products support the full range of capabilities included with
Microsoft's BASIC 2.0 Interpreter.
RBBS-PC's self-imposed constraint that each version be upward compatible
has been extended to be QuickBASIC compatible. This is because QuickBASIC
is 100% compatible with IBM's Version 2 of BASIC compiler and because,
philosophically, RBBS-PC is founded on the belief that low-cost/high-
quality software should be encouraged wherever possible.
RBBS-PC version CPC14.1A will run under either the QuickBASIC or IBM's
Version 2 compiler. CPC14.1A will not function if compiled using the IBM
BASIC Compiler version 1.0, nor will it run under any of the current BASIC
interpreters.
SYSOPS that do not have access to either of the new compilers can run RBBS-
PC version CPC14.1A using the RBBS-PC.EXE and CONFIG.EXE files as
distributed and which are available from many RBBS-PC systems around the
world.
The new compilers relieved RBBS-PC from having to abide by the limitations
of the earlier BASIC compiler. In so doing RBBS-PC version 14-1A was able
to accommodate many of the enhancements that others had incorporated in
their versions of RBBS-PC. These enhancements had not been included in
previous version of RBBS-PC primarily because they violated the cardinal
principle of RBBS-PC -- upward compatibility!
To appreciate the differences of RBBS-PC version CPC14-1A over the version
that immediately preceeded it, CPC13-1A, here are some comparisons:
+----------+----------+
| CPC13-1A | CPC14-1A |
+-----------------------------------------+----------+----------+
|Release date of RBBS-PC versions | 12/01/85 | XX/XX/XX |
|-----------------------------------------+----------+----------+
|Lines of source code | | |
| RBBS-PC.BAS | 6,249 | 5,472 |
| RBBS-SUB.BAS | N/A | 2,112 |
| | ----- | ----- |
| Total Lines of Source Code | 6,249 | 7,584 |
|-----------------------------------------+----------+----------+
|Size of RBBS-PC.BAS (as an ASCII file) | | |
| RBBS-PC.BAS | 218,752 | 191,104 |
| RBBS-SUB.BAS | N/A | 82,312 |
| | ------ | ------- |
| Total | 218,752 | 273,416 |
|-----------------------------------------+----------+----------+
|Size of RBBS-PC.EXE (compiled & linked) | 154,986 | 132,866 |
+-----------------------------------------+----------+----------+
The source code provided with CPC14-1A is structured and readable. This is
intended to allow stll more enhancements to be incorporated into RBBS-PC by
even more SYSOP's.
1. ERROR 75 caused when a user entered the command "J;;" to join a
conference has been fixed.
2. Users who attempt to list reserved device names are locked out.
3. Previously users couldn't reply to messages that exactly equaled the
page length. This has been corrected.
4. Q>uick scan of messages now works for message numbers less than 1000.
5. SYSOP's who set up a bad password file (i.e. one that does not have two
commas on each line) will no longer get ERROR 62 in line 5151.
6. Users who logged on with SYSOP privileges no longer will get "time
limit exceeded" message.
7. If a SYSOP denies access to 300 baud users, registered users can now
get on if they dial in at 300 baud. This sometimes necessary when you are
outside the United States.
8. Because not all modems are equal, RBBS-PC now waits 3 seconds for
carrier to be detected when the phone is answered. Previously if carrier
didn't occur within one second, RBBS-PC re-cycled.
9. RBBS-PC would sometimes get confused if you were in a conference and
issued J;L to list conferences and then typed M to return to the main menu.
This has been corrected.
10. The number of times files where locked have been reduced dramatically.
This should significantly improved performance in a multi-node environment
with three or more concurrent users on-line at the same time.
11. If all doors where closed, a user is returned to the DOOR menu and not
the main menu.
12. If the DOS directory on the upload disk is full, additional error
trapping has been added to RBBS-PC to inform the user.
13. CONFIG was fixed such that options 143 (printing of message headers),
144 (renumbering messages), and 145 (repairing the message file) now work
correctly in version 1.95 of CONFIG.
14. SYSOP's can elect to have "comments" be private messages, thus making
it easier to reply.
15. The date and time a message was read by either the sender or the
receiver for any message not to ALL is recorded and displayed whenever it
is read by either the sender or the receiver.
16. The END key on the keyboard of the PC running RBBS-PC is now active
and can be used to log off and lock out a user who is unacceptable to the
SYSOP.
17. The PgUp and PgDn keys on the keyboard of the PC running RBBS-PC are
now active and will display all the information about the current or past
user without interrupting the user.
18. Up to 999 messages can be active within a conference or the main
message base.
19. "K>ill" protected messages no longer require a password as they may
only be killed by either the sender or the receiver.
20. File security now works correctly when RBBS-PC is set up to use DOS
sub-directories.
21. SNOOP mode under ALL conditions now works correctly.
22. Word-wrap, blanking out a word that you are entering and re-writing at
the beginning of the next line if it exceeded the message margin that you
had set, now works correctly for the remote user.
23. RBBS-PC version CPC13-1A would occasionally log a user off on the hour
(i.e. when the time went from 9:59:58 to 10:00:03). Typically this was
recorded as a "sleep disconnect." This has been corrected.
24. The SYSOP occasionally would not get the system next depending on when
he hit F7. This has been corrected.