home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
The Pier Shareware 6
/
The_Pier_Shareware_Number_6_(The_Pier_Exchange)_(1995).iso
/
gap
/
msgmkr10.zip
/
MSGMKR.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-07-23
|
12KB
|
297 lines
Message Maker Version 1.0 - For GAP Version 6.x BBS Systems
Copyright (c) 1994, Anthony Summy - The Main Shop
WARRANTY - (aint there)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Main Shop, and Anthony Summy, (herein known as AUTHOR), disclaim all
warrenties of any kind as to the usability or fitness of this product for any
specific or particular purpose. AUTHOR can not and shall not be liable for
any incidental, consequential, indirect or direct damages due to the use of
this product, including but not limited to loss of data, equipment, or any
other reason, even if the AUTHOR or representative of AUTHOR has been advised
or has received prior knowledge of the possibility of such damage. The user
of this product assumes ALL risk as to the quality and performance of this
product. <so there...>
LICENSE - (legal stuff)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Message Maker is SHAREWARE! As such, license is hereby granted for use of
this product for a REASONABLE amount of time from your FIRST execution of the
program in any form. A REASONABLE amount of time can not be definitively
limited by AUTHOR, due to the nature of the product, and therefore it is left
up to the user of the product to define a length of time which you deem as
REASONABLE. It is assumed by this license agreement that the user of the
product will either immediately have a basis for determining usefullness, or
will remove the product from your personal computer. If usefullness is
determined, you are required by fedral law to register the product with the
AUTHOR.
REGISTRATION - (send me money)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You may register the product by sending the enclosed REGISTER.DOC along with a
check or money order for $20.00 to the address on the form.
This product is NOT fully functional when not registered! However, the only
functions disabled prior to registration are the ability to disable or alter
taglines, and the ability to attach a file to the imported message. The
'-TAG:', '-AF:' and '-NT' parameters outlined below are simply ignored.
I regret having to do this, but in my past experience with shareware, products
released as shareware with all features fully functional do not get
registrations. I therefore decided to offer, as an incentive, a more capable
product once it has been registered.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT - (only a phone call away)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Comments and suggestions about Message Maker For GAP are welcome and
encouraged. Please call The Main Shop BBS at the number below. I can also be
reach through any of several national and international networks, including
RIME (in the MainMail/GapDoors channel), Intelec (in the MainMail Support
forum), HCSNet and others. I also monitor the support forum on The Crow's
Nest BBS, home of GAP Development Company.
The Main Shop
P.O. Box 4284
Orange, CA 92613
(714) 288-1411 - Voice
(714) 288-1320 - Data
Now, on with the show.....
WHAT IS MESSAGE MAKER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The purpose of this product is to import an ordinary TEXT file as a
message into a GAP BBS system. Message Maker uses a config file or
command line parameters (or both) and an ascii text file to do so.
Command line parameters consist of the name the message is to be sent
to, the name of the ascii text file to import, and many others
outlined later in this manual.
HOW TO INSTALL MESSAGE MAKER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Installation is very simple. Place the EXE in your path. That's it! Message
Maker uses your GAPCNF environment variable to find GAPBBS.CNF & DOOR.SYS if
needed, (or you can specify the path to your default directory on the command
line), and then reads those files to access the GAP user file, forum file, and
any necessary message base(s).
MULTI-NODE
~~~~~~~~~~
MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL!!! There are TWO versions of Message Maker For GAP, a
single node version, and a multi node version. If you are using the single
node version of GAP, then you MUST use the single node version of Message
Maker. If you are using the multi node version of GAP, then you MUST use the
multi node version of Message Maker. DO NOT MIX VERSIONS! Doing so could
PERMINANTLY DAMAGE YOUR GAP USER FILE! ---- Just dont do it! ----
The Multi user version is named : MSGMKRM.EXE
The Single user version is named: MSGMKRS.EXE
When using the multi node version, you can use Message Maker while any number
of nodes are active. There are absolutely no restrictions regarding file
sharing and multi user file locking. Message Maker uses the same database
routines as GAP, so as far as the other nodes of GAP know, Message Maker is
simple an additional node.
COMMAND LINE SWITCHES AND PARAMETERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: You may substitute a forward slash '/' for a dash '-' used in the
examples below. '/' and '-' are interchangable, but ONE of them MUST be
used.
-A:<#>
Area (forum) number, to import into (default = 0 <main board>)
-AF:<filename> REGISTERED VERSION ONLY!
Path and file name of an ATTACHED file. Message Maker will attach this file
specified as <filename> to the imported message. This parameter is ignored if
the product is not registered.
-CFG:<filename> (required, or '-M:' with '-D' or '-T'. see notes)
If specified, Message Maker will use <filename> to read command line
parameters from. <filename> should be a straight ascii text file,
with each parameter on a single line. ANY command line parameter
except '-CFG:' can be placed into the config file. If a parameter is
specified both in the config file, and on the command line, the
command line takes precedence.
-D
Tells Message Maker to read DOOR.SYS for the name of the user to send the
message to.
-F:<first last>
User name whom this message is to be FROM (default = "SYSOP")
-G:<gap default dir path> (required or GAPCNF environment variable)
Path to your GAP default directory (where GAPBBS.CNF is) (default = read the
GAPCNF environment variable). NOTE: This parameter is required if the GAPCNF
environment variable is not present.
-M: (required - see notes)
Full path and name of the ascii text file to import as a message. If the text
file is in the current directory, then you need not specify the path, only the
file name.
-NT REGISTERED VERSION ONLY!
'No Tagline'. When specified, there will not be any tagline appended to the
message. This parameter is ignored if the product is not registered.
-P
Make message PUBLIC. (default = PRIVATE)
-S:<message subject> (limit 25 characters)
Alternate message subject. (default = "Important Message")
-T:<first last>
Name of the receiver of the message ie: -T:FRANK HAGAN (default = "SYSOP")
-TAG:<alternate tagline> (limit 50 chars) REGISTERED VERSION ONLY!
When specified, this text will be placed after the '■ MsgMkr vX.XX ■' portion
of the tagline. This parameter is ignored if the product is not registered.
-V
Verbose. Display message as it is being imported. (Message Maker displays
the message header information at all times)
NOTES - MINIMUM COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You must specify at the very least, either on the command line or within the
config file, a message file to import, and a TO: name or a FROM: name.
-M:<message file> <required>
-T:<first last> or -D or -F:<first last> <at least one is required>
Default for both TO: and FROM: is "SYSOP" and a message cannot be both
TO and FROM the SYSOP. An alternate of at least one of these is
required. TO: can be specified with either '-T:' or '-D', and FROM:
can be specified with '-F:'
If a config file is used, then the only required command line parameter is
'-CFG:'. If any parameter(s) is (are) specified BOTH on the command line AND
in the config file, the COMMAND LINE will override the config file.
ERROR CONDITIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Should an error occur, Message Maker exits with an error level. The error
levels and their descriptions are below:
1 - Command line parameters '-D' and '-T:' used simultainiously.
Must use only one or the other.
3 - No message text file specified. Use '-M:' command line parameter.
4 - No path to GAP default directory specified.
Use 'GAPCNF' environment variable or '-G:' command line parameter.
5 - GAPBBS.CNF not found, or path incorrect.
6 - FORUM.DAT not found, or path incorrect.
7 - Memory allocation error.
Out of memory during allocation or corrupted heap space.
8 - Error opening MESSNO.DAT, not found or path incorrect.
9 - Error while obtaining lock on MESSNO.DAT.
10 - DOS error while opening message text file.
11 - ISAM error occured. Process aborted.
12 - Error while attempting to open DOOR.SYS.
13 - Invalid user name in DOOR.SYS.
14 - Invalid name in CFG file.
15 - Message cannot be FROM and TO Sysop. Use '-F:' or '-T:' for alternate.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Message Maker is written in Borland C/C++ 3.1 and is highly optimized for
speed. Every effort has been made to make Message Maker safe and fast, and we
think you'll find that it meets or surpasses all expectations.
The following libraries and aftermarket utilities were used in the production
of Message Maker For GAP:
- C-TREE Ver 4.3 (c) Copyright 1988, Faircom Corporation
- BUFIO Ver 2.0 (c) Copyright 1988-1994 by Mark Turner,
and (c) Copyright 1994 by Anthony Summy - The Main Shop
- MAINLIB Ver 6.4 (c) Copyright 1991-1994 by Anthony Summy
Some routines (c) Copyright 1988-1994, The GAP Development Company
OTHER PRODUCTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Main Shop is author of a host of utilities and products. Here is a list
of the most popular ones:
The MainMail System
GAP'S QWK mail door. The MainMail System operates as a door on your GAP
bbs system, and allows your users easy and fast access to QWK packets. Up
to 20 compression methods, and 20 file transfer protocols, up to 64
networks, and unlimited forums, Pre-scanned packets and much MUCH more.
Look for MM3DEMO.ZIP for a full featured trial. Registration is only
$35.00.
QXL
QWK Translation Utility. Translates a QWK reply (REP) packet from one hub
ID to another quickly and transperently. Usefull if you are a network node
in a QWK based network, obtaining mail from a thrid party source such as a
sattelite, and uploading to a normal QWK hub. Written using the same fast
I/O routines used in Message Maker. Registration is $10.00 and it's well
worth it! Look for QXL10.ZIP for the full package.
MAINPACK
Selectively packs your GAP ISAM files. Using a config file, MainPack
checks the size of your GAP message base against a pre-determined maximum,
and calls GAPPACK if the message file is larger. Allows you to monitor
your GAP message bases without having to pack them all, each day. Creates
a log of it's activities so you can easily determine any needed
adjustments. Registration is FREE. Look for MPACK32.ZIP for the full
package.
PURGEM
Purge your MEMBER file based on 'last date joined'. Most of us have users
who join a forum, only to find that they are not interested in it. This
creates a MEMBER record that will never again be used. PurgeM detects
these records, and removes them from your MEMBER file. This keeps your
MEMBER file trim and fast. Registration is FREE. Look for PURGEM.ZIP for
the complete package.
If you have any questions on any of the above products, please give me a call
and I will be happy to help in any way I can. Thank you for trying Message
Maker.
Tony Summy - Author
07/23/94