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Chapter 7:
Text and Data Files
7.1.1 Overview
The text files section holds all the text files for the BBS. These
can range from bulletins, help files, caller logs, to all kinds of screen
sets. Some of these screen sets include the logon, stats, logoff and
waiting screens.
7.2.1 Bulletins Editor
The bulletins editor allow the sysop to setup a text file, to be
displayed to the users when the logon. These files have several different
flags which can be set to display the bulletin either once, until a certain
date, or forever. You can have up to 10 different bulletins setup at one
time, along with 3 bulletins, that are access specific.
7.2.2 Creating a Bulletin
The first screen of bulled displays the current 10 bulletins, and the
status of the access bulletins. To create a new bulletin, you need to
select an empty spot. Simply enter that number, 0-9 and you will be asked
the name of the bulletin. Enter any dos acceptable name of up to 20
characters for the name.
Next, you will be asked how often you wish the bulletion to be
displayed. Select the option, 1-4, which corresponds to yout choice. If
you select forever, the date and time will be set to all nines. If you
select once, the date/time will be set to the current, and "Once" will
appear to the right of the time in the list. Selecting "Display Until.."
will cause bulled to ask you for the date and time which the bulletin
should displayed until. Selecting "Not Yet" will cause zeros' to be put
into the date and time fields.
The file name that you choose for you bulletin should be a file in the
TEXT: directory. If you have not yet created this file, you may select
the Edit file option, in which bulled will ask you for the number to edit,
and then bring up an editor for you to edit the file with.
7.2.3 Editing a Bulletin
To edit the status of a bulletin, simply follow the same steps as if
you were creating a bulletin. You will be asked for the new status, or
return to keep the same status.
To edit the bulletin, select Edit from the main screen, and enter the
number of the bulletin you wish to edit.
To change the name of the bulletin, you have to delete the bulletin, and
create a new one.
7.2.4 Access Only Bulletins
Access only bulletins, are bulletins that are only shown to users who
have an access status. To channge these, hit A from the main bulled
screen, and you will be prompted frow which group to change. Select the
access you wish to change, and bulled will either load the file for you to
edit, or load an editor, and let you create the file.
To delete one of these bulletins, select Delete from the main bulled
screen, and then enter N, M, or S depending on which access group bulletin
you wish to delete.
7.2.5 Bulletin Filenames
All bulletins should be stored in the TEXT: directory under the
assigned name in the bulletins editor. Access only bulletins are called
NewUser.Only, Sysop.Only, Member.Only, and NoAccess.Only, respectably.
7.3.1 Help Files
There are several help files availible on-line which a user can bring
up. These help files should only be in ascii format, as there is only one
file displayed for both ANSI and ASCII modes. All files are located in the
TEXT: directory, and should be straight forward. Fancy help files most of
the time are not needed and are usually more trouble to a user who is
trying to find help quickly.
Filename Description
------------ ---------------------------------------------------------
Color.Help Explains how to use the color functions of 4D-BBS. This file
is not specifically shown anywhere, but should be accessible
from a menu somewhere, preferably in the message bases.
Editor.Help Explains the different / commands in the message editor.
Shown when a user hits /? in the message entry system.
ReadMsg.Help Lists commands for read, when a user is reading E-Mail,
public messages, or doing a global quick-scan. Show from
the message read prompt by hitting ?.
7.3.2 New User Text File
When a new user logs onto the system, and enter new, the new user text
file will be displayed to them. This file should contain the requirements
(if any) to become a member of the BBS, and instructions for filling out
the new user questionaire. This file is called NewUser.Txt
After a user enters the appropriate information, the BBS will look for
a file called PostNewUser.Txt. If this file is found, it will be displayed
to the user. You can use this file to welcome the user to the BBS, or
embed an EIC to allow the user to send E-Mail to a specified account.
7.4.1 Caller Logs
For every call, 4D-BBS will append caller information to a file in the
sub-directory of the TEXT: directory called LOGS. The name format of this
file is LOG.YYMMDD where YY is the last two digits of the year, MM is the
month, and DD is the day. IE: the caller log file for July 4, 1992, would
be LOG.920704.
These files are NOT deleted by 4D-BBS, and it is up to the SYSOP to
remove or delete these files. A simple crontab scheduler can do nightly
maintenance, including deleting old log files automatically every night.
The current file is accessible on the BBS via the last callers menu
function.
The format of the log files, are pure ascii, and two lines per call.
The first line contains the user name, time logged on, time logged off,
number of posts made, and number of uploads. The second line contains the
calling baud rate, number of e-mail message send, and number of downloads
made. There are several utility programs availible that can give statistic
about your BBS according to these caller logs.
7.5.1 Screen Sets
A screen set different from a text file in that it normally is a
single screen file that does not explain something to the user, but rather
shows the user something. Screen sets have BOTH an ASCII and ANSI version,
unlike most text files. The base name of the screen set does not change,
and an .ASCII or .ANSI is appended to the screen set name, to distinguish
between the two.
Filename Description
------------ --------------------------------------------------------
Logon.Txt Screen Displayed after the user enters their name and
password. (Does NOT have a .ascii or .ansi form.)
Stats.TXT Screen to display system and user stats to the user
after they have entered their user name and password.
Logoff.TXT Displayed to the user by the slow logoff menu function
before logging the user off the system
7.5.2 Waiting Screen
The waiting screen of 4D-BBS is a text file, which includes EICs to
display information to the SYSOP. This screen is completely configurable
and the SYSOP should creat it to display desired information. If this
screen does not exist 4D-BBS will simply display a 3 line screen, telling
you to creat the waitscreen. You can still run the BBS without the
waitscreen file. The correct filename for this is TEXT:WaitScreen.TXT