ProfitPress Mega CDROM2 …eeware (MSDOS)(1992)(Eng)/ProfitPress-MegaCDROM2.B6I/BBS/MISC/HEAD_117.ZIP/HEADEDIT.DOC

Text File | 1990-11-27 | 14.6 KB | 308 lines

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        Documentation for HeadEdit v1.16:


   HeadEdit is a Fidonet-compatible sysop reader and point system.  If
you're an XBBS sysop, about all you need to do is edit HEADEDIT.CFG
(place it, HEADEDIT.EXE and HEADEDIT.HLP on your DOS Path and you can
invoke it from anywhere) and type HEADEDIT.  Help is eternally available
via the F1 key (you can edit HEADEDIT.HLP to add your own hints and
tips).  As of HeadEdit 1.13, optional LZSS compression of message text
is supported.  As of 1.14, a simple internal editor is provided, but it
is still recommended that you use an external editor if you do anything
more complicated than type "Hay D00de!"

If you have a mouse, load its driver and HeadEdit will use it.

If you are using the 80x86 version of HeadEdit, rename it to HEADEDIT.EXE
from HEADI286.EXE before trying to run it.  (Note: the 80x86 version of
HeadEdit is not distributed in the SDS version)



 --Installation:

Step 1:  Finish reading this doc file.
Step 2:  Load HEADEDIT.CFG into your text editor and edit to taste.
Step 3:  Run XEDIT.EXE and set up your message areas (see discussion of
         XEDIT below)
Step 4:  Create a batch file for XMSG to maintain your message areas
         (see discussion of XMSG below)
Step 5:  Run HEADEDIT.EXE.  Make liberal use of F1 Help Key.



 --IF YOU'RE A POINT:

   You're going to need XST v1.09c or better (1.2x suggested) for
packing and unpacking your mail.  You'll also need a mailer to
communicate with your Boss; I highly recommend BinkleyTerm 2.30 or
better for this purpose, though others may work.  HeadEdit shares
BinkleyTerm's free-for-the-asking policy and plug-and-play philosophy
(see XBBS_11?.DOC for full license agreement, and for warrantee (or lack
thereof)), although it is not connected with Binkley or Bit Bucket
Software in any way.

The enclosed MAIL.BAT can be run from HeadEdit via a Spawn key to invoke
Binkley and/or XST (you'll need to go through and edit path information
to match your setup).  XMSG should always be run as an external event so
it doesn't boggle your last message read pointers.

While XST is the recommended interface between your message bases and
packets, you can use HeadEdit's built-in message import/export functions
if you are running as a point.  These functions are customized for
points; they do not create PATH or SEEN-BY lines, do not forward
misaddressed messages to other systems, and so on.  If you have more
than one point address, be sure you use XEdit to put the appropriate
point address on each echo.  Also be sure that the area names in your
MSGAREAS.XBS file are the actual area tags if you're using the built-in
tosser/scanner.  Note that you'll probably still want to run oMMM or
MakeArc to archive (and possibly route) exported packets.  HeadEdit
assumes all your netmail will go DIRECT, not through your Boss, and that
all your echomail will go through your Boss, not direct, so you might
want to route netmail.

HeadEdit is an expert system (by that I mean, it assumes you understand
how FidoNet works).  If you aren't an expert, you may want to look for
something easier to learn with.  If you're good, HeadEdit provides total
control over your message areas and a compact and fast method of storing
those messages without the risks associated with keeping all your eggs
in one basket (one mammoth msg base file) and without the slowness and
size of keeping individual *.MSG files laying around everywhere.  It
supports true message threading by MSGID's, carbon copies which take up
only the space of a header on your drive, netmail replying to echomail
(uses MSGID to find the originator's address), originless and/or
tearless conferences, and is fully Zone and Point aware, and partially
Domain aware.



 --XMsg

   XMsg is the program that maintains the XBBS message areas. It is
recommended that you run XMsg nightly to compact your message bases,
removing deleted messages and other special functions you may want to
invoke.

 Usage:
 XMsg -P [LoBd#] [HiBd#] (options) Packs out deleted messages
 XMsg -T [LoBd#] [HiBd#] [#mess] (options) Trim to specified #
 XMsg -D [LoBd#] [HiBd#] [#days] (options) Delete older than # days
 XMsg -R [LoBd#] [HiBd#] (PRIVATE) (options) Deletes received messages

(XMsg operations take place on all boards between [LoBd#] and [HiBd#])

Options (separated by a space if more than one is used):
B (delete backups after packing is complete)
V (verify deleted messages present before packing)
M<path> (path to msg areas, needed if CONFIG.BBS is not present (i.e.
         point system usage)
N<#> (number of area LMRs you're tracking, needed if no CONFIG.BBS)

XMsg is sensitive to the order of its arguments.  Its source code is
available in XDEV_???.LZH

(Note: XMSG has been expanded lately.  Run it without arguments for
 details on many new features)

XMsg can be run from within HeadEdit.  You'll need a batch file called
RUNXMSG.BAT available in the default directory or on your DOS Path.
ONLY RUN XMSG FROM WITHIN HEADEDIT BY USING THE MAIN MENU MSG AREA
MAINTENANCE OPTION.



 --Wrapper

   Wrapper is designed to strip the cr/lf off the end of each line of a
text file created with a text editor.  It's fairly intelligent, in that
it will check the line after the one it's processing to see if the first
word on the next line would have fit on the previous line.  If not, it
puts on a soft cr.  If so, it puts on a hard cr.  Exceptions: if the
next line is blank, or begins with a space, or contains ">" in the first
few bytes (assumed to be a quote).

Wrapper takes one command line argument: the maximum length of your
line.  This lets it be flexible enough to handle margins you like.  For
QEdit, it seems to work best at right margin-1 (with no left margin, of
course).  Its source code is available in case you want to tweak it to
work just the way you like it (which is why it's external and not
built-in).

You can turn wrapping on and off from with HeadEdit for times when you
don't want wrapping to take place (like when posting source code or
tables).



 --MSGAREAS.XBS

The hardest thing about setting up HeadEdit is the construction of a
MSGAREAS.XBS file, which lists all your areas and their attributes. By
far the easiest way to edit this file is by using XEdit (which I've
included in the archive this time around), which gives you a windowed
fill-in-the-blanks environment to work on MSGAREAS.XBS with.  XEdit can
be run from within HeadEdit if you have it in the default directory or
on your DOS Path.  ONLY RUN XEDIT FROM WITHIN HEADEDIT BY USING THE MAIN
MENU MSG AREA MAINTENANCE OPTION.


For those of you who are die-hard edit-it-yourselfers, MSGAREAS.XBS can
be editted with a text editor.  The basic format of a MSGAREAS.XBS file
is (one entry per line):

   Area Name,Attribute,Maximum,Number,SubStat0,SubStat1,ForceTo,Descr,
   Age,Flags,Address,Name-to-use,MinWrite

          Area Name should not contain commas, which are used as
          delimiters.  Maximum refers to the maximum number of messages
          you want to allow in the area; overwrite will occur when the
          area is full.  Number is the number associated with the area,
          and should normally be unique for each area.  SubStat0 and
          SubStat1 refer to the security levels #0 and 1 required for
          XBBS to consider a user a subop in a given area.  ForceTo is
          the name of the user you want to Force an entered message to
          be addressed to.  Address is your address for a particular
          echo, and Name-to-use is the from-name that HeadEdit should
          default to for that particular area.  MinWrite is minimum
          write access required.  Neither SubStat0, SubStat1, ForceTo,
          Age, Flags, Description nor MinWrite are applicable to
          HeadEdit usage.  Attribute can be one or more of the following
          (add the values together to get multiple attributes. Note not
          all are really applicable to a standalone HeadEdit):

          1     No Origin or tear in this echomail conference
                  Use this with care, as almost all echomail conferences
                  today require a tear line and an origin line.
          2     ANSI Graphics
          4     Private
          8     Public
          16    Echo
          32    Net
          64    MCI
                MCI is a way for users to enter some of the more
                harmless special print routines that you have available
                as SysOp in the text files.  Note that you shouldn't use
                MCI in echo areas that interface with anything but other
                XBBS' as the other systems won't know what the hell
                you're doing.
               MCI Commands:
                    ^H# (print # backspaces)
                    ^U# (print name...#=0=full name, #=1=first, #=2=last)
                    ^B  (print a bell)
                    ^T  (print the current time)
                    ^D  (print the current date)
                    ^R  (print user's remaining time in minutes)
                    ^A# (change screen colors and attributes for ANSI users.
                         Possible values for #, and results:
                         0...restore normal attributes (bright green on black)
                         1...bright
                         2...dim
                         3...flash on
                         4...reverse on
                         5...red
                         6...green
                         7...yellow
                         8...blue
                         9...magenta
                         A...cyan
                        )
                    ^S  (slow-print this line)
          128   ReadOnly             (No meaning in HeadEdit)
          256   Alternate Net Area   (HeadEdit treats like any net area)
          512   Alternate Echo Area  (HeadEdit treats like any echo area)
          1024  Anonymous            (Don't use for an echo)
          2048  Real Names
          4096  Is Associated with file area
                If both the current message area and the current file
                area have the Associated flag set, when a user uploads a
                file, the user is given the opportunity to post a
                descriptive message as well as give the description for
                FILES.BBS.  This message a ^AASSOC: FileName.EXT kludge
                line prepended to it. When this message is read later,
                an extra [V]iew option pops up at end-of-message.  If
                selected, this begins reading VIEWFILE.XBS.  This can
                call Peeker, allow a download, or whatever else you can
                think of.  See sample menu XBBS.XBS for an idea of how
                to implement this.  HeadEdit doesn't care about this.
          8192  Gives Extern prompt As with the Associated flag, this
                causes a new prompt to pop up at end-of-message:
                [E]xtra.  This will read EXTRAMSG.XBS with KeyMess set
                to the message's number.  You could then use XPort
                to get the message as an ASCII file and easily write a
                simple program to extract information from it.  Possible
                uses might be to provide more information about the user
                who posted the message or the node that an echomail
                message originated from.  HeadEdit doesn't care about
                this.
         16384  Causes message to be forced to force-to name even in
                Bulls-mode.  Use with care; may make it impossible to
                reply to a user's message without addressing it to
                yourself.  HeadEdit doesn't care about this.
         32768  Messages in this area may be compressed using the LZSS
                compression method.  Messages must also meet or exceed
                the length specified in CONFIG.BBS (wouldn't do much
                good to compress a 12 byte message).


          Area names are limited to 48 characters. Note that XBBS (and
          HeadEdit) can have up to 4095 message areas (1-4095).  The
          X????.### files are in hex (XDATA.010 is area #16's header
          file).


 --Overlays

   HeadEdit is overlayed, which is to say that not all of the program is
kept in memory at once.  Parts of the program remain on disk and are
recalled as needed.  This means that HeadEdit needs to be able to find
itself again while running.  Also, since the overlay manager is rather
dumb, you can't rename the executable unless you use a sector editor
(PCTOOLS, DEBUG, etc.) to change the reference embedded in the program
code (always HEADEDIT.EXE, even in HEADI286.EXE, which should be renamed
to HEADEDIT.EXE before running it).  As with all overlayed programs,
installing on a RAM disk is recommended for fastest operation.


 --Advanced Features

    There are a lot of them.  Look through HEADEDIT.CFG for
explanations.  For instance, you can change screen colors, force
deactivation of the mouse, set up multiple AKAs and addresses, use an
internal or external (external recommended) text editor, set up "spawn
keys" to activate often-used external programs (like AMAX, LIST, SHEZ),
and many other things.  Have a ball.



 --Support

   I'll support HeadEdit by either netmail or U.S.nail, your choice.
You foot the bill for support either way (if you send 5-1/4" (360 or
1.2) pre-formatted disks for updates, include an S.A.S.E. or I'll just
keep the disks; if you send netmail, poll for the reply or you won't get
one).  The software's free to non-commercial users, and so is the
support, but don't expect me to *pay* for it, okay?  I intend to
continue development on HeadEdit and XBBS as long as it holds my
interest (which has been a few years so far), and always listen to, but
don't always take, advice and suggestions.  Detailed bug reports are
welcome, undetailed bug reports are ignored, flames go to NUL, praise
goes to my head, and I'm going to bed.



M. Kimes
1:380/16
[phone] data
542 Merrick
Shreveport, LA  71104