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1991-03-10
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┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ -*- ReadLog -*- │
└─────────────────────────────┘
v1.00
For RemoteAccess v1.00+
by
Bob Ransom
Copyright (c) 1991
All Rights Reserved
ReadLog - What It Is -
--------------------
ReadLog is a little utility that takes advantage of a new
feature in registered versions of RemoteAccess BBS v1.00.
If you have registered your copy of RA, you'll notice that
when a user reads messages on your BBS, RA now takes note
of that in the system log. ReadLog was designed to use
those log entries to compile a list of all the message
areas that are read, how many times they're read, and what
the percentage of the total is.
"So what?" you ask. Well, if your system is anything like
mine, you carry a pile of echomail areas -- of which you
read very few (I carry something like 50 echoes and have
time to read 4 or 5 - sometimes.) Unless you sit and
stare at your monitor day in and day out, you have no idea
whether anybody actually reads any of the messages in the
different messages areas. That's where ReadLog comes in.
ReadLog - How To Use It -
-----------------------
ReadLog can be run from anyplace on your hard drive(s) and
requires one command line parameter. A second command
line parameter is optional. Syntax:
READLOG <system log filename> [<-Opus>]
The first parameter is your RA system log name (most often
RA.LOG). You may optionally include a full path here or,
if you use the logfile name only, ReadLog defaults to the
current director. No checking of the RA environment
variable is done.
ReadLog v1.00 Docs Page 1
The second parameter is "-Opus" (case is unimportant).
This denotes that you're using Opus-style system logs.
ReadLog defaults to using FrontDoor-style logs and will do
so unless it finds "-Opus" as the *second* command line
parameter.
Here are a couple of working examples:
READLOG ra.log ;ra.log in current dir and
;FD logs.
READLOG c:\ra\ra.log -opus ;ra.log in c:\ra. Opus logs.
ReadLog - What's Written To Disk -
--------------------------------
When run, ReadLog does it's stuff and shows the results on
the screen. It also writes two files to disk:
READLOG.ASC, a text file suitable for BBS display showing
the same info as shown on screen, and READLOG.CTL, a
control file used internally by ReadLog to keep track of
things as time goes by. You may want to put READLOG.ASC
into your BBS textfiles area to be displayed as a bulletin
on your system.
ReadLog - Misc. -
---------------
You can run ReadLog on the same log over and over again if
you wish. It uses a sort of "last processed" pointer in
the .CTL file to determine which lines of a log have been
processed and which haven't.
When a user executes a message Scan or QuickScan (menu
type 24 or 25), RA puts the same notice in the system log
as it does when a user actually reads messages. So
ReadLog counts these along with any real message reads,
throwing the totals slightly out of whack. There's
nothing that can be done about this until (or if) RA is
fixed to only say "read" when messages are actually read.
Besides, I figure the totals will all average out over
time.
ReadLog will probably become confused if you switch log
types in mid-stream. If you do want to switch, I'd
suggest at least deleting the existing system log before
running ReadLog again. It may or may not be a bad idea to
kill the READLOG.CTL file, too.
ReadLog will also become confused if run it with the wrong
type of log - i.e. set for FD logs but run on an Opus log,
ReadLog v1.00 Docs Page 2
and vice versa. Your results will probably be extremely
weird.
ReadLog - Legal -
---------------
Very little to say here except that ReadLog is mine -- I
wrote it and I own it, but you may use it all you'd like
for free. You may copy it and you may give it away, but
you may not sell it nor change it or its documentation
(this file).
ReadLog - Support -
-----------------
I doubt there's much call for support given the extreme
complexity of the program. <grin>
Seriously, if you have problems with it, please let me
know. I'm available via netmail (address below) or
through the RA_SUPPORT and RA_UTIL echoes.
Hope you find it useful.
-Bob Ransom
The Creative Connection BBS
Southfield, Michigan
(313) 559-9039
1:120/96.0