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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BOARDS.EXE Revision 2.1 By Mel Warwick. * * * * The POACHER CBCS on 2:252/93 * * * * Grantham UK * * * * Data: 44-476-62450 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * What it's for. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Many bulletin boards carry a list of other bulletin boards for the benefit of their users. A problem with this is keeping the list updated and valid. One of the most up to date lists around is the Fidonet Nodelist. Published weekly it lists the details of all bulletin boards world-wide that form FidoNet. The purpose of BOARDS is to use the FidoNet Nodelist to generate a bulletin board listing in a format suitable for viewing by users of a BBS while online. Overview ~~~~~~~~ BOARDS.EXE scans a raw FidoNet Nodelist and extracts details of all boards within a given Fidonet Region or Zone. The extracted information is reformatted and placed into a file (or files) ready for display online. The file produced may be in Avatar, ANSI or plain ASCII format. An information screen may be included at the start of the generated listing. This is achieved by the provision of a 'header file' which may be used to pass information to your users or to simply advertise your own board. Usage: ~~~~~~ BOARDS.EXE is run from the command line or from within a batch file. One or more optional arguments may be passed to BOARDS.EXE to tailor it to your system. All arguments will assume the default values detailed below if they are not declared in the command line. Usage details are available from within the program. The best time to run BOARDS.EXE is immediately after processing the weekly Nodelist update. If you process the Nodelist update automatically via a batch file then include a call to BOARDS.EXE in that batch file. Syntax ~~~~~~ BOARDS [?] [/Z n] [/R n|*] [/N path] [/O filespec] [/X filespec] [/H filespec] [/M filespec] [/S string:string] [/L string] [/F n] [/P n] [/Qn] [/K] [/C1 n] [/C2 n] [/C3 n] [/C4 n] Arguments. ~~~~~~~~~~ 1. All arguments are optional. 2. Arguments may appear in any order on the command line. 3. Spaces are not needed in the command line. 4. In cases of duplicated arguments..... only the first occurrance on the command line will be recognised. /? A question mark placed anywhere in the argument list will cause the program to display help screens with information on correct program usage. There are two levels of help available. The first is internal to BOARDS.EXE and gives brief usage details. The second level of help, giving fuller details of program usage, is provided by a file called BOARDS.HLP which should reside in the current directory. This extended help is optional and BOARDS.HLP may be deleted if desired. /Z number [ Zone ] Declares the FidoNet Zone you wish to extract the selected region(s) from. Currently, Zone numbers range from 1 to 6. 1 = North America 2 = Europe 3 = Oceania 4 = Latin America 5 = Africa 6 = Asia Default: Zone 2 Example: BOARDS /Z 3 /R number | * [ Region ] Defines the FidoNet Region to extract from the NODELIST and build into the online listing. If, instead of a Region number, an asterisk is used then ALL regions from the selected Zone will be extracted to individual listings (see /O argument). Default: Region 25 Example: BOARDS /R 20 or: BOARDS /R * /N path [ Nodelist ] Points to a disk directory containing an uncompressed copy of the FidoNet Nodelist (e.g NODELIST.272). To ensure the bulletin boards listing is reasonably up to date - BOARDS.EXE will not process a FidoNet Nodelist that was issued more than 21 days prior to the current system date. Do not include a trailing backslash '\' at the end of the path. Default: Current disk directory. Example: BOARDS /N C:\Opus\Nodes /O filespec [ Output file ] Declares the full path and filename of the file to be created for display to users. If a complete Zone is being extracted (see /R argument) then the root of the filename will be discarded and a system generated filename root used in its place. System generated filenames take the form of "Zx_Ryyy.ext" - where 'x' is the Zone number being processed and 'yyy' is the Region number being extracted. Default: BOARDS.BBS in the current disk directory. Example: BOARDS /O C:\Opus\Misc\Edtorial.bbs /X filespec [ eXit file ] Declares the full path and filename of an OPUS Avatar file to be displayed if the user terminates viewing of the bulletin board listing. The existence of any declared file is checked. If it is not located a warning will be given and the program will proceed. (Note: This option is only valid when used on an OPUS system.) Default: Exits to the calling menu. Example: BOARDS /X C:\Opus\Bulletin /H filespec [ Header file ] The full path and filename of the file to be included in the bulletin board listing for display prior to the actual listing. This file should be in a format that is compatible with the output file (see /F argument). If the stated or default file does not exist then the listing will be produced without a header and a warning issued. /H without any following filespec indicates no header is to be used. Default: BOARDS.HDR in the current directory Example: BOARDS /H C:\Opus\Misc\Advert.bbs /S string:string [ Substitute ] Carries out a string substitution on the IDC (International Dialing Code) section of a boards telephone number. The string in front of the colon is replaced by the string after the colon. Should the Region you choose to extract be that of your own country, the inclusion of the IDC for that country may confuse local users who will attempt to dial the number including the IDC. This argument enables the removal of the IDC and its replacement with the local code. Default: 44-:0 (Replaces UK IDC with normal UK prefix.) Example: BOARDS /S 44-:0 /L string [ Location ] Declares that the given country name be stripped from the end of a boards listed location. If the listing you produce is for your own country then users will recognize the locations as being in their own country and adding that information to the listing is a bit superfluous. The test for the existence of the given string in each boards entry in the listing is case sensitive so an input of 'Norway' would not match 'NORWAY' or 'norway'. Default: UK Example: BOARDS /L Sweden /F number [ Format ] Sets the display format of the output file to one of three styles. The three styles selectable are: 0 = OPUS Avatar + IBM graphic characters 1 = ANSI colour + IBM graphic characters 2 = Plain ASCII text Default: 0 Example: BOARDS /F 2 /P number [ Pagination ] Sets the number of bulletin boards to be displayed per page. Omitting this argument causes default to the details of 16 boards being displayed per page. Setting to a value of zero will prevent pagination of the listing. The zero setting is a good way of getting rid of the OPUS specific 'More?' prompt and letting your system handle pagination. Default: 16 Example: BOARDS /P 10 /Qn [ Qwiksort ] Sorts the Bulletin Board listing on one of the four displayed fields. By placing a minus sign in front of the field number (e.g. /Q-3 ) the direction of the sort will be reversed. /Q1 Sort the listing on the `Baud Rate' field. /Q2 Sort the listing on the `Board Name' field. /Q3 Sort the listing on the `Telephone Number' field. /Q4 Sort the listing on the `Location' field. Default: Sort by Location Example: BOARDS /Q4 /M filespec [ Map ] Creates a MAP file for use by the companion program BOARDSMU. The parameter 'filespec' is optional. If given, it declares the full path and filename of the map file to be created. If omitted, the file BOARDS.MAP will be created in the current directory. See the documentation to BOARDSMU.EXE for further details. Default: No map file produced Example: BOARDS /M C:\Opus\Menus\Reg25.map /K [ Keep ] BOARDS.EXE will, by default, not include in the listing any boards that has the same telephone number as a board already in the listing. Should you wish to keep all entries.. then including this argument in the command line will prevent the deletion of these duplicate entries. Default: Delete duplicated entries Example: BOARDS /K /Cn [ Colour ] Sets the colour (range 0 - 15 ) to be used for sections of the display in Avatar and ANSI output. All display is on a black background. Parameter values out of range will revert to their default values. Possible colour values are: Value Colour Value Colour ~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~ 0 use default colour 8 Grey 1 Blue 9 Light Blue 2 Green 10 Light Green 3 Cyan 11 Light Cyan 4 Red 12 Light Red 5 Magenta 13 Light Magenta 6 Brown 14 Yellow 7 White 15 Bright White /C1 and /C2 Each boards details are displayed in one of two alternating colours. The parameters to arguments /C1 and /C2 set these two colours. The two colours may be the same if desired. Default: Light Green (10) & Light Magenta (13) Example: BOARDS /C1 12 /C2 14 /C3 To separate portions of the display.. lines are ruled across the screen. The parameter to this argument declares the colour to be used for drawing these lines. Default: Bright White (15) Example: BOARDS /C3 4 /C4 Headings are displayed at the top of each page of the listing for each column of bulletin board information. The parameter to this argument declares the colour to be used for these headings. Default: Yellow (14) Example: BOARDS /C4 4 Exits and Errors ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BOARDS.EXE keeps a wary eye out for things going wrong during its operation. If it spots anything it will issue a message and set its exit errorlevel to one of the values listed below. These may be tested for in a calling batch file and handled appropriately. The values and their meanings are: 0 - Great!!! As far as BOARDS.EXE is aware, everything went according to plan and the listing has been produced. 1 - Indicates trouble with the Nodelist. Either a valid one couldn't be found or it did not contain the selected Zone or Region. No listing is created. 2 - The output file could not be created. Check any filespec given to the /O argument. No listing is created. 3 - Major trouble was found getting hold of enough memory for BOARDS.EXE to get itself going. You shouldn't ever see this as BOARDS.EXE is as frugal as possible with memory and would rather bow out gracefully than fail with this error. No listing is created. 4 - BOARDS.EXE was aborted from the console by the user pressing Ctrl-C or Ctrl-Break. No listing is created. 5 - A warning was issued by BOARDS.EXE which, although it should be heeded, is not fatal to the programs operation. Possible things that may go wrong, and the programs response, are as follows: Header file not located. - Listing will be created without use of a header file. Exit file not located. - Listing will still include a call for display of the exit file. Unless you subsequently create the declared exit file this call will fail in use and the listing will exit to the calling menu. Insufficient memory. - You shouldn't suffer this one unless you are being really stingy in buying memory chips. If it does occur then BOARDS.EXE will process as much of the listing as it can with the memory available to it. The listing will be truncated but still valid. End Zone ~~~~~~~~ BOARDS.EXE is released as Zero Cost Software. You can do what you like with it within the privacy of your own home. You are at liberty to distribute copies as long as no monetary charge is made and the program and its documentation are not altered in any way. Any problems or questions may be addressed to the author on the bulletin board listed at the head of this documentation. You own and run copies of BOARDS.EXE entirely at your own risk. It is provided `as is' and it is up to you to determine whether to let it anywhere near your beloved machine.