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User Manual for TPBoard Version 7.1 Copyright (c) 1991 by: Jim McDaniel-Webb 2452 Milburnie Road Raleigh NC 27610 Distributed by: Online Communications, Inc 22 State Street Bangor, Maine, U.S.A. 04401 (207) 941-1110 Fidonet 1:132/300 Copyright (c) 1987-90 by Jon Schneider & Rick Petersen ======================== N O T I C E ======================= TPBoard and it's associated support files are Copyright (c) 1987 thru 1990 by Jon Schneider & Rick Petersen. Current copyright is held jointly by Jon Schneider & Rick Petersen and by Jim McDaniel-Webb. Non-commercial use and/or public distribution of this system is permitted pursuant to the conditions listed below. ALL commercial rights are reserved. ------------------------- TPBoard is based on the Pascal Integrated Communications System (PICS), Copyright 1986, 1987 by Les Archambault, and the Remote Operating System (ROS), Copyright 1985, 1986 by Steve Fox. 1 - INTRODUCTION 2 - SYSTEM PROMPTS 3 - COMMAND LINE ENTRIES 4 - FILENAME WILDCARDS 5 - LOGGING IN 6 - HELP SCREENS 7 - SYSTEM MENUS MAIN MENU MESSAGE SUBSYSTEM FILES SUBSYSTEM USER/UTILS MENU DATABSE MENU SYSOP MENU INTRODUCTION ------------ This document is the User's Manual for TPBoard. In addition to serving as your guide to TPBoard, it should be made available for your remote users' use. It's a lot easier to refer them to this manual when they have questions than it is to be continually answering the same questions from new users. You may distribute this document in ANY form you desire, whether as-is or edited to suit your system. The following is a brief synopsis of TPBoard's features. You will find it is as full featured as any other currently available Bulletin Board system for the PC. * Multiple message areas, including support for Fido-Net and EchoMail areas. * Multiple file areas. * 'Type' files on-line, including 'Squeezed' and individual LBR, ARC, ZIP, PAK, and LZH member files. * Send and receive files using all the popular protocols. (Xmodem, Ymodem, Ymodem Batch, YmodemG, and Zmodem). You can even send individual compressed member files using any of the protocols. * Split screen Chat with SysOp. * File directories can be shown using file size or transfer time. * Tag files (up to 20) for downloading. Edit your list of tagged files. * Support for ANSI graphics (user selectable). * Unlimited length file descriptions. * Internal support for the XRS off-line reader. * Sort file area listings by Name, EXT, Size, or Date! * Online caller help for EVERY command in the system. * Support for online dBase compatible databases with searching, filtering, reporting, etc. TPBoard versions ---------------- The menus and commands we are about to describe assume a fully registered version of TPBoard (called TPBoard+) with all features enabled by the sysop. The system you call may not have all of these commands enabled or may be running an unregistered copy of TPBoard which will not allow certain commands. Regardless of which version your local sysop runs, the menus will ALWAYS be the same (in terms of commands structure) from one system to the next. TPBoard does not allow rearranging of menus! This should greatly help you as you learn to navigate TPBoard systems. Consider the following: A)bandon Conference G)oodbye (Hang Up) O)perator Page T)rans. Protocol B)ulletin Listings H)elp Functions OPEN a DOOR (#) TS Txt Srch Msgs CHAT to NODEs(Soon) I)nitial Welcome PAGE "Top Dog" U)pload a File C)omment to SYSOP J)oin a Conference P)age Length Set UB Upload Batch D)ownload a File K)ill a Message Q)uick Msg Scan V)iew Settings DB Download Batch L)ocate Files(Name) R)ead Messages W)rite User Info E)nter a Message M)ode (Graphics) REPLY to Msg(s) X)pert On/Off F)ile Directories N)ew Files (Date) RM Re-Read Mem # Y)our Per. Mail FLAG for download NEWS file display S)tart HERE! Z)ippy DIR Scan What do you think of that? Every available command on one "menu?" Kind of confusing isn't it, especially with the message and files commands all mixed together in one very cramped screen? Or, what about the following from a local board: ={ The Veggie Stew Main Menu - 20 Minutes Left }= A - AUTO CALLER VERIFICATION SYSTEM! M - Messages of a Local Kind E - Echomail Messages F - Files to git and send Y - Yo! Is de Sysop der? W - What's Happenin? Q - Questions D - Doors To Run Stuff C - Change Your Personal Stuff L - Leave the System (But why would you want to?) =[ Well? ]= Well indeed! Does that REALLY look like a menu to you? What sort (if any) callers do you think would want to look at menus like that for any length of time? Now, wouldn't you want a menu system that works like ALL other menu system you've encountered, commands grouped together in a top-down, structured submenu system? You know, where Message commands are on one menu, Files command on another menu, etc? Sort of like all your other application software? ------------------------------------------------------------- The Board Room's Main Menu TPBoard v7.1 ------------------------------------------------------------- [D] Doors menu [U] User/Utils Menu [M] Message Menu [N] News bulletins [B] dataBase menu [F] Files Menu [E] Edit user data [A] Articles to read [G] Goodbye/Logoff [C] Call the sysop [W] Welcome screen [H] Help [I] new user Info [O] Other notices [Q] Quote display [X] Sysop Menu Every TPBoard you call will have the same commands (although the commands you see may be limited by your access level) and every TPBoard system will have message commands on the Message menu. The Files commands will always be on the Files menu. You won't have to hunt through an entire screen full of non-mnemonic commands or wade though countless sysop created sub-menus. I saw one bbs that had over a hundred menus with the same commands were duplicated all over the system and with some menus having as few as one command! SYSTEM PROMPTS -------------- Before we get into the explanation of the way that TPBoard is organized, it is important to learn about the prompts that the system gives you when it is waiting for you to type in a command (at subsystem menus). The system prompt is the line that you see whenever the system is waiting for an input from you at one of the sub-system menus. Prompts consist of several components: A. Your time remaining on the BBS in hours and minutes B. Current Subsystem (Message, Files, or Utilities) C. Current Message Area or File Section. D. Library or Archive name (if one is active) For example: 00:32-Files NEWIN [press "?" for menu]> ^ ^ ^ A. B. C. The above line indicates that you have 32 minutes remaining on the system, are currently in the files subsystem, and are logged into the NEWIN files area. Should you enter an Archive, your prompt might look something like the following: 00:13-Files NEWIN [VECTOR.ARC]> ^ ^ ^ ^ A. B. C. D. We will discuss the enter A)rchive command later. Some of the system commands themselves have several command options available. For example, in the Message Read command, you can read all message TO you, From you, Since last logon, etc. When you are NOT at a system menu prompt but still have multiple options available, you will see something like: Mesg read command (a,b,c,d,e,q,?) > Here the possible commands are the letters contained inside the () symbols. Enter one of these, then a carriage return, and the command will execute. Generally, whenever you see a (q) the Q may be used to Quit the command presently being executed and return to the previous menu. Using the ? will display an additional line of help for the single letter commands, then prompt you again for an answer. 00:32-Files NEWIN [press "?" for menu]> Do you see where the above says "press ? for menu"? Well, that's pretty much what it means. The sysop can display menus automatically following every command but few actually do that; auto menus just take up your time and the system's time. If you want or need a menu at any time, just press the '?' key shifted or unshifted (yes, the '/' works exactly the same. COMMAND LINE ENTRIES -------------------- A command line entry is what you type in at the command prompt. A general rule is most commands require a single letter followed by a carriage return (CR) or [Enter]. The exception is where names are required. For example: 32-Message PC [press "?" for menu]> C;POST;R;S;C Where the command you entered is: C;POST;R;S;C [ENTER] This translates into: CHANGE AREA; POST AREA; READ MESSAGES; SINCE LAST ON; CONTINUOUSLY The delimiter used above was a semi-colon, however a space or a comma is also accepted. (i.e., C POST R S C or C,POST,R,S,C will both work). The user may ask for help by typing "?" at any prompt. The commands available for that particular area and their meanings will then be displayed. During most system display operations, TPBoard will respond to Xon/Xoff control, i.e. when ^S (Xoff) is entered, the display will pause until another key is pressed. Usually this will be ^Q (Xon), but any key except ^C (ETX) or ^S will continue the listing. ^C will stop the listing completely and usually return you to the command prompt. TPBoard recognizes the following during the editing of system commands (these are based on the WordStar command set): ^S move cursor one space left ^A move cursor to far left ^D move cursor one space right ^F move cursor to far right ^X delete entire prompt line ^V toggle insert mode ^G delete character at cursor TAB insert 5 spaces at cursor BS the backspace, treated as a destructive overwrite If you terminal package sends ansi escape sequences when you press extended characters (like the arrow keys), and most do, these keys are translated during the editing of TPBoard prompts as: left arrow becomes ^S home key becomes ^A right arrow becomes ^D end key becomes ^F DEL becomes BS So, if you enter the command D TPBEDIT.PAS IMPMSGS.PAK CONS.PAK and see that the file extension for TPBedit is wrong, you can back up with the left arrow key or ^S and fix the error, then press END or ^F to bring the cursor back to the end of the line. That's ab important tip to remember because you can't do that on most boards. HELP throughout TPBoard is available whenever you see the "?" in a prompt line. The "/" also works in place of the "?" HOT KEYS -------- TPBoard does not (and probably never will) support hot keys. Hot keys means that the bbs responds immediately to every keypress from the caller. While there are limited advantages to this, there are disadvantages as well. Programs that utilize hot keys *seem* to respond quickly to your commands and you THINK that by not having to press the [ENTER] key that you are saving keystrokes. But, look at the following command string for TPBoard: - M C POST R S This command will: take your to the Main menu, select the Messages menu change to the POST message area perform a read Since last logon And you won't even see all the prompts along the way as these commands are processed. This would not be possible if TPBoard used hot keys because TPBoard would react immediately upon receiving the initial '-' command. There are proponents of hot key based systems but we feel that the ability to type commands into a queue is far more powerful. Clearly, it is faster for the experienced user. FILENAME WILDCARDS ------------------ TPBoard responds to wildcards in exactly the same manner as DOS. If you are not familiar with their use, we would suggest that you read your DOS manual. You can use wildcards when downloading files. LOGGING IN ---------- You will log in to a TPBoard system in much the same way as you would log on to any other system: TPBoard will ask a series of questions and will expect certain answers in return. The very first thing you will see is the copyright information: TPBoard+ 7.0 11-30-91 #0007000707 registered to Jim McDaniel Copyright (c) 1987-91 From the above, you can already tell that this is a registered version of TPBoard. That means the sysop has taken the time to send in a registration form for TPBoard and has received a "key" file in return. This particular copy of TPBoard is registered to a "Jim McDaniel." No one but the person who actually registered that copy should run/use that copy of TPBoard! You should never see a copy of TPBoard registered to "Jim McDaniel" running on a board owned by "Joe Smith!" You can also tell that this is the Plus version of TPBoard by the "+" letter following the TPBoard. Many of the commands and features available in TPBoard are only available in the Plus version. The first question you will see will depend on the system you are calling. The sysop can change to wording of this question but the meaning is the same on every system. Mine looks like this: Do you want ANSI Color Graphics (y/N) >> However this question is worded, it is asking whether your system is capable of ANSI screen displays. You should know whether you can display ANSI graphics. If you can, you would answer "Y" to this question. If you cannot display ANSI or do not want a colorized display, enter "N" and press [ENTER]. TPBoard also allows the sysop to set up different language versions of the bbs. In some areas (Canada, for example) this ability is really needed. If the sysop has set up more than one language version of the bbs, you will see a prompt similar to the following: The current language is: <name of kanguage> 1: English 2: German 3: French Select a language for system text (1..3) > Select a language by entering the number of the language you wish to use. If you press [ENTER] without selecting a language, you will get the current language. Following the welcome screen for the board you are calling, you will be asked for your name. You MUST use your real name at this question. Enter your name as FIRST name followed by your LAST name ending with a [ENTER]. If you are a new caller, (your name isn't in the caller's file) TPBoard will ask if you are really a new caller in case you just mis-typed your name. If you did mess up, you can go back and re-enter your name. If you are a new caller to that system, answer "Y" and continue with the login process by answer each question that comes appears. Iemsi ----- A few terminal and communications programs support IEMSI, a protocol that allows comm programs to talk to one another without the user having to do anything. If your comm program is capable of IEMSI, you will have to configure it to send certain information to IEMSI capable bulletin boards. This information is sent automatically to the bbs and includes items such as your name and password and other logginf in information. When TPBoard talks to an Iemsi capable comm program AND the name of the person calling is already on file (new callers cannot use Iemsi to log on), and if the password matches the passwrod on file for that name, the caller doesn't have to enter any information to get to the first Main menu prompt. In addition, you can configure Iemsi to send other information as well: whether you want ANSI or not, whether you want to check for new mail or not, etc. If your comm program is not capable of IEMSI sessions, simply press the ESC key when TPBoard announces that it is attempting an IEMSI session. Also, some systems may not have IEMSI turned on; in which case you won't ever see the message abut IEMSI during your login. HELP SCREENS ------------ Providing that the sysop has installed them, TPBoard makes available a help screen for EVERY command in the menus. If at any time you are unclear on what to do next, simply enter 'H' for HELP. If you press 'H' by itself, you will get the help screen for the current menu. If you enter 'H' followed by any other command letter from the current menu, you will get a help screen for that command. When you begin using the database commands, you will probably appreciate the HELP screens. SYSTEM MENUS ------------ Approximately 100 commands are available to users of TPBoard on the various menus. These commands are grouped into 5 command subsystems which are accessible from one MAIN menu. Subsystem Primary Use -------- ----------- Message Subsystem Enter and read messages to/from other users Files Subsystem Send and Receive files Utilities Subsystem Miscellaneous functions Edit User Subsystem Edit user record settings Doors Subsystem Run an external door program Database Menu Access/search databases Sysop menu Sysop commands and board maintanence The menus you will see in the following examples are for illustration only; the screens you will actually see when you log into a TPBoard system can be customized by the sysop (although commands must remain on their original menus!). MAIN MENU --------- [D] Doors Menu [U] User/Utils Menu [M] Message Menu [N] News Bulletins [B] DataBase Menu [F] Files Menu [E] Edit User Data [A] Articles to Read [G] Goodbye/Logoff [C] Call The Sysop [W] Welcome Screen [H] Help [I] New User Info [O] Other Notices [Q] Quote Display [X] Sysop Menu [D] DOORS MENU The Doors Menu is where all the external programs, such as games, voting on certain objects, On-line time banks, etc., will be found. After selecting Doors Menu you will be presented with another menu which will list the available Doors on THIS system. Simply select the Door you want opened and the system will run it. What happens after that is up to you. After exiting the Door you will be returned to the Door menu. [-] Will get you back to the Main Menu. [N] NEWS BULLETINS This is where the Sysop places items of interest that can pertain to anything he chooses. Most likely it will be about the BBS in some regard. A new hard drive added, new features of the BBS, an upcoming User Party. You are also shown these bulletins upon log- on. [C] CALL THE SYSOP During certain hours, the sysop may be available to chat. When this command is entered, the system will try to summon the sysop (if during the chat period). If the sysop is available, you will be notified and a two way conversation may begin. If the sysop is not available or if the current time is outside the hours to chat, you will be given the opportunity to leave a message. If you have selected ANSI mode, your CHAT session will be in split screen mode. [I] New User Info This will display information that a new user will need to know about the BBS. Each Sysop has their own ideas on how to handle new users and this will explain what the BBS is about and what is expected of you as a user. This is also displayed the first time you log on. [Q] Quote Display During your login, you may have been shown a quote or saying. [Q] will display another Quote of the Day (or whatever the Sysop decides to put in the file). Repeated [Q] commands will display the next item in the file. [U] User/Utils Menu This command transfers you to the Utilities menu. From Utilities, you can change the selected graphics mode, view your system statistics, list other system callers, etc. [B] DataBase Menu This command transfers you to the Database menu. TPBoard allows the Sysop to place databases on-line for your access. You can create, view, and download reports created via the Database function. [A] Articles to Read This command will display a list of articles (viewable files actually) that the sysop has placed on-line for viewing. You can select an article from the list to view or return to the Main Menu. [W] Welcome Screen This command will display the same Welcome screen you saw when you first logged in. [O] Other Notices This command will display a special file that the sysop has placed on-line for your viewing. Normally, this file contains a list of other bulletin boards that may interest you. [M] Message Menu This command transfers you to the Message menu. [F] Files Menu This command transfers you to the Files menu. [G] Goodbye/Logoff This command terminates the current session and logs you off. TPBoard will ask ONCE if you are sure you want to logoff. [H] Help Every menu in TPBoard has a help screen available that contains information specific to that submenu. More important is that you can request help for a specific command by entering H followed by a space and the command you need individual help on. For example, from the Files Menu: H D [ENTER] displays the help screen for Download H U [ENTER] displays the help screen for UpLoad H [ENTER] displays the help for the entire FILES menu MESSAGE SUBSYSTEM ----------------- This is the Message Subsystem menu. A detailed explanation of each command follows the menu. Remember that the commands are represented in the menu by the [A] notation where the command is the letter inside the [] symbols. [C] Change Message Area [R] Read Messages [-] Main Menu [E] Enter Message [M] Make MSG from Upload [F] File Menu [Q] Quick Text Search [S] Scan Message Headers [G] Goodbye [D] Dload XRS Mailbag [U] Upload XRS Mailbag [H] Help [T] Toggle Combined Areas [C] Check for New Mail [A] Ascii Mailbag DnLoad Remember that in the Message Menu and the Files Menu, the "area" you are in displays inside the prompt itself so you always know where you are in the board. Think of an area as a part of the message base that contains messages on a narrow topic. For example, the sysop might have areas for entering/reading messages about cooking or politics. When you are in the cooking area, you should only enter messages that pertain to COOKING. [C] Change Message Area TPBoard supports multiple message areas, i.e. messages are filed in groups by topic. After typing "C", enter the name of the desired message area or enter "?" and <RETURN> to get a menu of the message areas available. If the entry cannot be found, a short version of the menu will be displayed and the system will once again prompt for the message area. Version 7 of TPBoard currently supports up to 255 message areas. ALL TPBoard systems should have a minimum of the following areas: POST - This is the area for posting general messages to the Sysop or to other users of that bbs. ALL messages in Post remain on that bbs. BULLETINS - This is the area where the sysop enters the messages that appear at caller logins as bulletins. This is generally a restricted access area. NETMAIL - This area is used for sending FidoNet netmail. On most boards, you must have an account set up to send NetMail messages. You may still be able to receive messages, however. COMBINED - This pseudo-area is actually 10 areas that act like a single area. Using the [T] command, you can select the ten areas you want in your Combined area. Then, when you are in the Combined area, all Message Menu commands will act upon ALL areas you have selected. Also, if you have asked for a new mail check at any time during the current session, an asterisk will display next to the message area name is there is any new unread mail waiting in that message area. This is not to be confused with the similar asterisks that display during Combined Areas Toggle. [E] Enter Message Until you are validated, this command will automatically enter all messages to the sysop. Use this command to send a message to another user, the sysop, or to all users (like posting a message on a bulletin board). If you enter only a <RETURN> in response to the "FIRST name" prompt, the message will go to all users. If you send to a particular person, the system will verify the recipient name. If the system cannot find the addressee, you will be informed and given the opportunity to try again. At the completion of message entry, you will be asked if you want the message to be Public (available for all validated users to read) or Private (just addressee [and sysop] can read). To send a message to the sysop, enter "SYSOP" as the full name. You will not be prompted for a last name. During message entry, TPBoard allows entering blank lines in a message (when you hit [ENTER] without anything else on that line). This allows for better handling of ASCII UPLOADS into the message editor. When you are finished with the current message or if you want to activate the editing commands menu: /SAVE or /S will save the current message and return you the prompt before you began entering this message. /QUIT or /Q will exit without saving the current message and will return you the prompt before you began entering this message. /EDIT or /E will activate the editing commands. This prompt appears something like: Edit command (c,d,e,i,l,s,q,?) > These commands are: <C>ontinue <D>elete line <E>dit a selected line <I>nsert line <L>ist current message <S>ave message to disk <Q>uit (DON'T save message) <C> continues the message where you left off. <D> prompts for the start end end line numbers you wish to delete. You can eliminate the prompts by entering: D 2 4 which would delete lines 2, 3, and 4 from the message. <I> adds a line before the line number you specify. <L> displays the entire message as entered. After using the message editor you will be returned to the subsystem command prompt. Remember, if you want the message recorded, use the <S> command instead of the <Q> command. All other commands will return you to the message editor prompt for further editing. One important thing to keep in mind is that if a message area is an "Echo", any message that you enter is going to go to hundreds of other Bulletin Boards. For this reason, it is important to make sure that any message entered in an "Echo" is on topic, and doesn't contain any private information. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ | Advertisements are never considered appropriate in an echo | | area. | ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A fast method of entering messages is to edit your message using an ascii editor (as opposed to a word processor) before you call the bulletin board. You can tell if your file is ascii by typing it from the DOS prompt; if it contains funny letters, it isn't suitable for ascii upload. To upload an ascii file, begin to enter a message as you normally would by selecting the [E] command. Once you are actually editing the message, begin an ascii upload from your system. The text of the file your edited will be received by TPBoard as if you were typing the letters from the keyboard. FidoNet Message Areas (if implemented): There are some minor differences between the message entry functions available while in the normal TPBoard areas, and when in the FidoNet areas. If you are in an EchoMail area, ALL messages are Public. The user base is not searched to see if there is a user by the same name as the person you are sending the message to. Hundreds or thousands of other people will see all messages you enter in an echo area so make sure you are in the area you want to be in before entering messages! [Q] Quick Text Search This will allow you to search for a "text string" in a message in whatever area you are logged into. For example, you are logged into the HST echomail area and you want to search for "new roms". The Q command will ask for search string, you enter "new roms" and then it searches and tells you the message numbers in which that phrase is found. TPBoard currently searches the subject line of the messages, as well as the From and To names during a Quick search. [D] Dload XRS Mailbag XRS is a program written by Mike Rateledge that allows you to perform message functions on your system and at your leisure just as you would while on-line to the bulletin board. Most boards that provide an XRS function will have the XRS program available for downloading. You can also reach Mike Ratledge at: Mike Ratledge, 995 Buck Hall Landing, McClellanville, S.C. 29458 (USA) Fidonet: 1:372/6666 To use XRS (assuming you have the XRS program), you need only to select [D]ownload_Xrs_Mailbag. This function will write all messages you select (by area, including Combined) to a format expected by XRS. TPBoard then compresses the mailbag using either: zip, zoo, arc, or lzh. Compression is NOT an optional step and will be performed by TPBoard after you select the method you wish to use. Note that the compression step can take a while on larger mailbags so BE PATIENT. If you get logged off during the compression step, you most likely need to check your modem settings. Specifically, the S19 register sets the number of minutes the modem can be idle without any detected data transmission. If this value is too low, your own modem could be dropping carrier on you. Set S19=0 for NO modem activity monitoring. [T] Toggle Combined Areas This is a very handy feature that allows you to read several areas without actually Changing areas. You can select as many or as few as you want and then just start reading. The system will show you all the messages in one area then go onto the next area, without you changing areas. The system keeps track of your last-read pointers so you can just get on each day, read your combined areas new messages. This also works for the XRS mailbag function. When you select [T], TPBoard will display a list of all areas just like when Changing areas. Any areas currently selected for your Combined will have an asterisk between the area number and the area name. [R] Read Messages After entering "R", this command will prompt for the following information about which messages to read. All commands are just for the Message Area you are currently in. This prompt appears something like: Read Search Option (a,f,t,n,s,q,?) These options translate as follows: <A>ll read ALL messages in this area <F>rom you previously entered messages from you <T>o you read Any message TO you <N>umeric similar to ALL but you are prompted for the starting message number <S>ince your last call. TPBoard remembers the number of the last messages you read. <Q>uit return to subsystem command prompt without reading any messages. After entering "A, F, T, N, or S" the system will respond by displaying the header of the first requested message and then prompt you with: Read (y,n,c,p,+,-,q,?) > These commands translate as follows: <Y>es display text of message (same as pressing [ENTER]) <N>o skip to next message <C>ontinuous displays all messages from here with no pauses <P>revious go to last message <R>everse change the direction you are reading, forwards or backwards in the message base <+> if this command shows, you can read the next message in the thread <-> if this command shows, you can read the previous message in the thread <e> if this command shows, you are in a thread and <e> exits the thread. <Q>uit end message reading and return to subsystem menu prompt. If you select <N>o, then you will not read the message, and your "last read" message counter will NOT be updated for the area that you are in. If you select one of the commands that displays the message, the after you have read the message, you will be presented with another prompt: Action (r,d,n,p,+,-,CR,?) > If you are the addressee or originator of the message, the "d" command is shown. If there are message links, then either a "+" or a "-" will be shown. The commands are as follows: <R>eply to current message even if not addressed to you <D>elete the message <+> next message in the message thread <-> previous message in the message thread <CR> go to next message, remaining in the thread if you are in one. A note on threading. A "thread" in message base terms is similar to a thread of thought -- a continuous stream on a similar topic. To a message base, this means ALL messages with the same subject line. Typically, when more than one message in a message area has the same subject line, they are all replies to a single original message or to one another. "Following the thread" means reading these related messages by following all that share the common subject line. If there are any messages with the same subject line (if a thread exists), you will see the '+' and/or '-' in the prompt lines. Once you begin following a thread, you will return to the original message from which you entered the thread when you either reach the end of the thread or when you decide to <e>xit the thread or when you use any command which automatically exits a thread (Reverse direction, Quit, Continuous). [M] Make MSG from Upload This allows you to upload an ASCII file to be made into a message. There are a few restrictions to this. First of all you MUST use Xmodem (NOT Xmodem-1k) to upload your message with. The system then sends the file to a private area and then inserts it into your message. After it is finished you will be asked WHO the message is to be addressed to, the subject and whether or not it should be Public. The better way to upload an ascii file into a message is to begin E)ntering a message as your normally would and initiate an Ascii upload from your comm program. The test of the ascii file will be sent to TPBoard just as if you were entering the text from the keyboard. [S] Scan Message Headers This allows you to Scan the Headers of messages. The header of a message contains the FROM and TO names, the date, and the subject line. [U] Upload XRS Mailbag If you have downloaded an XRS mailbag and have entered messages to return to this bbs, this command receives your mailbag and processes it into the message base after you logoff. For further information you should download the XRS package that your sysop should have on-line. [C] Check for New Mail This will check all areas you have access to to find your new mail. It will tell you which areas have new mail for you. This is only for new mail addressed TO you. It is the same command you are asked upon log-on. [A] Ascii Mailbag DnLoad Very similar to XRS download except that the single file created by Ascii_Mailbag is an ascii file not intended for use by any other program. It is merely a faster means of collecting all messages for reading than performing a screen capture during a continuous read. FILES SUBSYSTEM --------------- This is the Files Subsystem menu. A detailed explanation of each command follows the menu. [C] Change File Area [F] File Descriptions [-] Main [R] Directory of Files [L] Locate Files [M] Message [V] Verbose Directory [N] New Files Listing [G] Goodbye [A] Arc/Pak/Zip Entr/Exit [Q] Quick File Search [H] Help [Z] Toggle Dir Cmand Info [T] Type (Display) a File [D] Download Files [U] Upload Files [P] Change your Protocol [C] Change File Area When you first log in, you will be placed in the "LOGIN" files section. (In the Message subsystem, there were Message Areas; here we switch the terminology to Sections.) To access other files sections in the system, use this command. After typing "C", enter the name of the desired file section or enter "?" to get a menu of the file sections available. If the section name cannot be found, you will be shown a list of the section names available and the system will once again prompt for the section name. If you are in a compressed file (see [A] command) when this command is entered, the compressed file will be closed before the system prompts for the new section. The Files sections that most TPBoard systems will have are: NEWIN - this is the file section where all new uploads are placed pending release by the sysop. LOGIN - a default section to place callers in. [R] Directory of Files This command displays the directory of files for the current section. If you are in a Lbr, Arc, Pak, Zip, or Lzh, then only those files contained in that compressed file will be displayed, otherwise, the Section directory will be displayed. The file size will also be displayed according to the current filesize mode (see filesize description). This command is very similar to a DOS DIR command with the /W option. [V] Verbose Directory This command displays the directory of files for the current section. If you are in a Lbr, Arc, Pak, Zip, or Lzh, only those files inside of the compressed file will be displayed; otherwise, the Section directory will be displayed. This display differs from the <D>irectory display in that the filesize is shown in bytes, not kilobytes, and the time stamp of the file is shown. One file is listed per line. [A] Arc/Pak/Zip Entr/Exit Archives are used to place a group of related files in a single file known as an ARChive file. For example, a single archive might contain source code, object or executable code, and documentation for a particular system. Such an archive is actually a single file which contains compressed versions of the files. The compression of the data saves time on file transfers, and also helps cut down on the amount of disk space used. You probably know archives as Zips, Arcs, Paks, or ARJ files. In order to simplify archive usage on this system, the "A" command may be used to "enter" an archive or a Library. When this is done, the system will prompt for the archive or library file name and then attempt to open the file for use. If successful, all subsequent Files subsystem commands will relate to the files within the chosen archive or Library. The other files in the present File Section will not be accessible. If not, an appropriate error message will be issued. If you are already in an archive or library, entering "A" will cause the system to close the archive or library and return to normal display of the files in the present File Section. [Z] Toggle Dir Cmand Info Initially, the file sizes in the directory display will be shown in "k" (1024 bytes). The system can also display file sizes in minutes and seconds of transfer time (based on the current modem speed). Each time this command is entered, the system will alternate between these two methods. [D] Download Files Use this command to send files from TPBoard to your computer. After entering "D", you will be prompted to enter the file name of the program you want sent to your computer. If the system can find the file in the current area, it will display the transfer time and then the message "Ready to send..." At this point, if you are not using a batch protocol, you must initiate the download from your end (PgDn in ProComm). When the file transfer is complete, the system will return to the Files subsystem prompt. As of version 6.34 of TpBoard, you can request files that are not in the current files section. For example, if you just performed a Quick Scan and located a file called MODEMS.PAK, you can request that file for download regardless of its location. Hints for downloading: Using TPBoard's capability to override you default protocol, you can request a file with a different protocol without changing your default first. DZ MODEMS.PAK would Send Zmodem the file MODEMS.PAK DB MODEMS.PAK would Send Y-Batch the file MODEMS.PAK If you are using a batch protocol, you may request a series of up to 10 files, each of which may be in different files sections. D MODEMS.PAK INFO.PAK MANUAL.DOC If you have TAGGED (see the [F] command) any files and select the Download command, TPBoard will attempt to send ALL tagged files. You can tag files during the [F], [N], or [Q] file commands. [P] Change your Protocol This command will allow you to change the default file transfer protocol that you selected on your first login. You will be prompted for a new protocol, and can hit '?' to obtain a listing of the available protocols. TPBoard uses the default protocol that you have set whenever it performs file transfers. You can change it for the current transfer only by giving the command followed by the protocol letter. For example, if you default protocol was Zmodem, and you wanted to switch to Ymodem Batch for this upload only, you would give the command 'DB' instead of only 'D'. [F] File Descriptions This function will give a list of files that are in the file section you are currently in, and a one line description of each file. Additionally, there is a file search option in the <F>ile list command. This will keep you from having to scan the entire list list just to get a description of a particular file. This search option supports partial filenames and will show all files that match the partial name. Once TPBoard has displayed a screen full of filenames and one-line descriptions for each file, the prompt line will allow several options. For example: 64270DOC.PAK No: 2 9/24/91 Downloads: 11 Size: 13745 DOCS for the new features in v7.0 ADDSYSOP.EXE No: 3 9/30/91 Downloads: 2 Size: 7792 Adds an accidentally deleted Sysop back to USER.DAT BBSV1_04.PAK No: 4 11/16/90 Downloads: 7 Size: 18811 Text file viewing door. CONS.PAK No: 5 10/ 8/91 Downloads: 30 Size: 160526 Integrated utility for TPB7. C)ontinuous Q)uit I)nfo M)ark (0 marked) CR) next page The prompt line above means: C)ontinuous - TPBoard will display all files without stopping for Pause or prompt lines. Q)uit - Quit to the Files menu. I)nfo - If the sysop has placed extra info for this file on-line, [I] allows you to view it. M)ark - Up to 20 files can be marked/tagged for downloading. ALL marks are remembered until you either logoff or successfully download them. (1 marked) - the number of marked files, if any. U)nMark All - If any files are marked, the U will unmark all of them. CR) - removes the prompt and displays the next page of filenames. [L] Locate Files This command allows you to search through all available file sections to locate a particular file or file group. Partial filenames are accepted, DOS wildcards are not. [N] New Files Listing After entering this command, you are prompted for the number of days previous that you want the listing to stop at. If you just hit return, the list will show only those files that have been uploaded since you were last on. The three line format is as follows: 1. FILENAME.EXT SECTION UPLOAD DATE NAME OF UPLOADER 2. TIMES DOWNLOADED LAST DOWNLOAD DATE 3. [-----------75 CHARACTER DESCRIPTION OF FILE------------] The File Section name is entered by the sender to tell the sysop where the file should eventually be stored. If a file is listed as "GAMES SECTION", after upload it will stay in the NEWIN section for a while and then be moved to the GAMES section. (The Section names here are only an example, and may not exist on all systems.) [Q] Quick File Search This function works essentially the same as the Locate command in that it will search ALL file areas. However, where Locate asks whether you wish to search for any files by the leading characters of filenames, Quick Scan prompts for a phrase to locate anywhere in the filename OR description. If you enter MODEM as the search string using Locate, you would find all files whose names begin with MODEM. If you enter MODEM as the search string using Quick Scan, you will find all files that contain the phrase MODEM either in the filename or description. [T] Type (Display) a File A Text file is one that contains readable characters rather than machine code. This command may be used to display the contents of these files. You will be asked if you want page breaks which will pause the display at the number of lines per page as set in your user parameters. Xon/Xoff may also be used to pause the display (^S, ^P) NOTE: This command may be used to transfer readable files even though your computer does not support the Xmodem protocol. If your machine has a feature to 'Capture' what is printed on your screen, you can use it to get the file transferred. [U] Upload Files This command allows TPBoard to receive a file from you. The System will automatically respond using whatever protocol you chose as your default. Files will be received in a private area for Sysop approval before being released for others to download. If you are enrolled in a conference section, TPBoard will write files that you send to the conference section directly. They will be visible immediately for other conference members to download. TPBoard will tell you where the file will be written before you send it. To use this command you should first give the <U> command and then the file name if requested. TPBoard will tell you how much disk space is available and that it is Ready to Receive. If there isn't enough for the file that you are sending, type Control X (^X) until TPBoard aborts the receive mode and returns to the command mode. If everything is OK at the "Ready To Receive" prompt you should start the send process. After the file transfer has completed successfully, TPBoard will ask for a Section designation and short description of the file. This description will be shown by the <N>ewin command after the sysop reviews the file. Uploads are always welcome. NOTE that Zmodem uploads can be initialed by you at any time while in the Files menu without actually selecting the [U] command. TPBoard will recognize that a file is coming and will be to receive it. [E] Edit User Data Menu This is the menu where you'd change any of the permanent information in your user record. Note that your original record will be restored if you DO NOT specifically save your changes by using the [F]ile_Changes command! [#] Edit User Phone # [P] Edit User Password [-] Main Menu [C] Edit User City [S] Edit User State [G] Goodbye [L] Edit Lines per Page [R] Auto Clear Screen [H] Help [X] Auto Full Menus [A] Edit User Address [B] Bell After Prompt [O] Edit Screen Columns [Y] Edit Your Birthday [F] File Changes [Q] Quit User Edit [D] Display User Data Each Option will now be explained. [#] Edit User Phone # Change User phone number whenever it changes. [C] Edit User City Change the City where you live in the event you move. [L] Edit Lines per Page Change the number of lines your terminal can support and still give you a full screen of information. For most IBM and compatible displays 24 lines will give a full page. This is adjustable between 22 and 50 lines per page. Use 99 for NO Pause. [X] Auto Full Menus This is basically a toggle for Expert mode and Novice mode. In Expert mode only the prompts will be shown. Use this if you already know what all the commands are. A [?] will always give you a list of commands and their description. Expert mode will speed up your activities considerably because the system doesn't have to display the full menu every time. In Novice mode (Auto Full Menus ON) you will see a list of commands with descriptions all the time. [B] Bell After Prompt This will simply ring your terminal bell at each command prompt. This is done by sending a Control-G to your terminal. [Y] Edit Your Birthday Use this to change your birthday if you entered it incorrectly the first time you logged on. This can be important because your Sysop may have certain areas accessible by age restrictions. The sysop may also have you re-enter your birthday every so many logins as an added security measure. [Q] Quit User Edit Return to menu you accessed User Edit from. No changes are saved. [P] Edit User Password Use to change your password you use to log-on to this BBS. This should be a minimum of 4 characters and something that only you can know. NEVER give your password to anyone, including friends. Anything done on your account, regardless of who actually did it, will be seen as you doing it and you WILL be held accountable for it. You should change your password AT LEAST once a year and never use the same password on any other BBS. [S] Edit User State Change the State you live in. Depending on how your Sysop set this up it will be either a 2 letter abbreviation or the full name. This has nothing to do with your mental state. [R] Auto Clear Screen This is a toggle you can use to clear the screen each time a command prompt appears. If turned off then your screen will be full all the time. For example if you want to dump all messages in a certain area to a buffer for later reading you will want to turn this off. If you like to know exactly where you are and not be confused by having a screenful of information then turn this on. [A] Edit User Address Used to change your address when you move. This is important, along with all mailing information, as the Sysop may want to send out mailers of some sort to all his users. He needs accurate information for this to succeed. [O] Edit Screen Columns Change how many columns are supported by your display. Typically it will be 80 columns for all IBM and compatibles. This can be set for 40 columns or 80 columns only. [F] File the Changes This will permanently save any changes you make to your User Record. If you just Quit the changes will NOT be saved. You must file the changes to have them take affect each time you log on. [D] Display User Data This gives a list much like the one seen at log on to show the specifics of your Data. [U] USER/UTILS MENU The following menu lists the commands available in the utilities subsystem. Subsequent paragraphs describe each command in more detail. [Z] Toggle Graphics [T] Show Time and Date [-] Main Menu [U] User List [S] System Usage Stats [M] Message Menu [Y] Your Statistics [E] Change Message Editor [F] Files Menu [G] Goodbye/Logoff [H] Help [Z] Toggle Graphics Use this to turn ANSI Graphics on or off. This also turns color on and off as color is considered to be a Graphic function. For a full description of ANSI see your DOS manual. [U] User List Alphabetically lists all the validated users on the system. This command may be used to check the spelling of a user to whom you wish to send a message. You may start the list with any name or part of name by entering one or more letters at the appropriate prompt. [Y] Your Statistics This command displays the login statistics that you saw when you first logged in. Login Time/Date Last On System Time/Date User Name Downloads Caller Number Uploads Access Time Today Account Balance Access Time Total Default protocol [S] System Usage Stats This command displays a bar chart of the percent of system usage by hour. From the information on this chart, you can plan your calls for times when the system is less busy. [T] Show Time and Date This command will display the current time and date, the amount of time spent on the system today, and the amount of time remaining today. If you have sysop access, you can set the time and date as well. [E] Change Message Editor This will allow you to change the editor you use on the BBS. There is a simple line-type editor and a full ANSI-type editor. This toggles between the two. [B] DATABASE MENU The following menu lists the commands available in the Database subsystem. Your sysop may or may not allow access to databases and may not have any databases set up for you to access. -={ The Board Room TPBoard Support BBS TPBoard v7.1 }=- (C) Change database (R) Select report format (-) Main menu (M) Make a report file (V) View a report file (G) Goodbye/Logoff (D) DnLoad a report file (S) Sort database (H) Help (L) List fields in dbase (F) Filter on field (B) Browse the Database Before we discuss the individual commands, we need to describe what the database menu actually provides. First, why a database menu? Well, many bulletin boards are run for a specific topic or interest. For example, a birdwatching bbs. A sysop of a birdwatching bbs might want to place a database of all birds online with desciptions, scientific and common names, geographical ranges, etc. A database of this sort might be of great interest to his callers. You can probably think of other types of boards and databases that they might have online: order databases, sports stats, real estate listings, etc. Unlike the Message and Files subsystems, when you enter the Database subsystem from the Main menu, you will NOT be automatically placed in your last database area. Instead, you will be asked to select a database from a list of available databases as soon as you select Database from the Main menu. You will also be asked to select a report format. If this is all new to you on your first experience with a TPBoard database, relax; you can always change your selections from the Database menu itself. The best thing we can do to illustrate how database access works is to show you a sample session working with the Birds database. 04:14-dBases *NONE* (press "?" for menu)> C 1 LIFELIST 2 NODELIST Enter Database ## or name, ("?" for Descriptions)> 1 Now select a report format. 1 BIRDLIST.SPC 2 ALLINFO.SPC 3 MERGE.SPC Enter Format ## or name, ("?" for Descriptions)> / 1 BIRDLIST.SPC Listing by Common Name with Y/N if observed. 2 ALLINFO.SPC Listing by Common Name with ALL info. 3 MERGE.SPC Tests mail merge function with several fields. Enter Format ## or name, ("?" for Descriptions)> 1 04:14-dBases LIFELIST (press "?" for menu)> F Filtering selects the records for your database report. 1 - Select all records for this report 2 - UNSelect all selected records 3 - Select a field and a data range 4 - Select a field and a data phrase Select a Filter method: (1..4)> 4 1 COMMON_NAM 2 OBSERVED 3 DATE_OBS 4 OBSERVER 5 COMMENTS 6 GENUS 7 SPECIES 8 STATUS 9 CODE Enter the ## of the field to filter on> 1 You must now enter a value that will be searched for in any record containing that value in the selected field. You will be asked to add such records TO or removed FROM your final report. Data phrase:> SPARROW Perform filter how? 1 : Add matching records to currently selected records 2 : Remove matching records from currently selected records Select 1 or 2, (CR to exit)> 1 Press ^C to stop... Please wait, working: You now have 34 records selected. 04:14-dBases LIFELIST (press "?" for menu)> B Press ^C at any time to stop processing... Birds database for monitoring birdwatching, sightings, and comments Common Name Genus Species =========================== ========== ================== Abert's Towhee Pipilo aberti Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum Aleutian Tern Sterna aleutica Can you follow what just happened? Let's look at the system prompts and follow through the sequence: 04:14-dBases *NONE* (press "?" for menu)> 1 LIFELIST 2 NODELIST Enter Database ## or name, ("?" for Descriptions)> 1 1> Ok, first we selected the LIFELIST database. This is no different from selecting the PASCAL message area or the GRAPHICS file area. Now select a report format. 1 BIRDLIST.SPC 2 ALLINFO.SPC 3 MERGE.SPC Enter Format ## or name, ("?" for Descriptions)> / 2> Here we wanted to see the descriptions of the report formats. A "Report format" is the actual layout of what you will see when you access the database; different formats mean different data and layouts. 1 BIRDLIST.SPC Listing by Common Name with Y/N if observed. 2 ALLINFO.SPC Listing by Common Name with ALL info. Enter Format ## or name, ("?" for Descriptions)> 1 3> The sysop has setup only two formats for this database. That means that we have only two choices on how we can display the data from this database. 04:14-dBases LIFELIST (press "?" for menu)> F Filtering selects the records for your database report. 1 - Select all records for this report 2 - UNSelect all selected records 3 - Select a field and a data range 4 - Select a field and a data phrase Select a Filter method: (1..4)> 4 4> Before we B)rowse the database (or MAKE a report file to download), we need to select which records from the database we want to see. We can see all of them or use the filtering options to select by specific fields in the database. Above we selected to use Filter method #4, a data phrase. 1 COMMON_NAM 2 OBSERVED 3 DATE_OBS 4 OBSERVER 5 COMMENTS 6 GENUS 7 SPECIES 8 STATUS 9 CODE Enter the ## of the field to filter on> 1 You must now enter a value that will be searched for in any record containing that value in the selected field. You will be asked to add such records TO or removed FROM your final report. Data phrase:> SPARROW 5> In the last two steps, we selected to Filter by Field #1, the COMMON NAME field. Because we are Filtering by data phrase and we entered SPARROW as the phrase, we will see all records in this database that have the phrase SPARROW in the COMMON NAME field. Perform filter how? 1 : Add matching records to currently selected records 2 : Remove matching records from currently selected records Select 1 or 2, (CR to exit)> 1 6> Yes, add the matching records to those we have already selected (which is none, actually). You can use these commands to continue to modify your selected records. Press ^C to stop... Please wait, working: You now have 34 records selected. 7> Ok, so TPBoard found 34 records with the phrase SPARROW in the COMMON NAME field. 04:14-dBases LIFELIST (press "?" for menu)> B Press ^C at any time to stop processing... 8> So, let's see what our 34 records look like in our selected report format by doing a B)rowse: Birds database for monitoring birdwatching, sightings, and comments Common Name Genus Species =========================== ========== ================== Abert's Towhee Pipilo aberti Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens (C) Change database After typing "C", enter the name of the desired database or enter "?" to get a menu of the databases available. If the database name cannot be found, you will be shown a list of the database names available and the system will once again prompt for the section name. (M) Make a report file Once you have selected some records by filtering, you can either B)rowse the selected records to the screen OR M)ake a report file to disk to be downloaded to your system. If you haven't selected any records by Filtering, all records will be selected for your. (D) DnLoad a report file Assuming you've selected M)ake a report file and a report actually exists for this database, you can download the report to your system. Select [D] and TPBoard will begin the download to your system. (L) List fields in dbase If you want to know what information is contained in this database, you can list all the fields (that you have access to see) by this command. (B) Browse the Database Browse is exactly like the M)ake_report command excpet that the output of this command goes to your screen, not to a report file. All the records in the database that you have selected will be shown in the current report format. If you haven't selected any records, TPBoard will temporarily select ALL records for this browsing of the database. Browsing to the screen with a capture enabled at your end is essentially the same as a download. (R) Select report format TPBoard does not just dump all data from the database to the report file. Instead, the sysop designs reports (output) with the data formatted as the sysop wants. Different reports will contain different data from the same database. Or, a sysop MAY have a format that dumps all data. (V) View a report file Only valid when you have already made a report file, this command displays the contents of the report file. Similar to B)rowse except that the output to the screen is coming from a disk file. (S) Sort database Not implemented yet................ (F) Filter on field The process used to select which records from the database you want in your report. For a description of how filtering works, see the explanation above for the Birds list database. [X] SYSOP MENU The following menu lists the commands available in the Sysop subsystem. You should not allow access to this menu to any but the most trusted users. (A) Audit trail toggle (O) Macro operations (B) Build msg from file (P) Purge file ops (D) Delete user (R) Read messages (E) Edit user (S) System directory (L) Log file display (T) Toggle printer (N) Newin processing (V) Validate a user (Y) Yank Newin files (!) Run DOS command (X) Shell to DOS (A) Audit trail toggle Opens (or closes, if open) the audit file. This file is named according to the current date. When the audit file is open, TPBoard writes very nearly every activity to that file. (B) Build msg from file Adds a message to the message base from a text file. This is generally used to added predetermined files (created by some external utility) as bulletins on a daily or weekly basis during macro processing. (D) Delete user Deletes a user from the user file by user name. (E) Edit user Edits most of the information stored in a user record. You can enter a partial spelling and TPBoard will locate the nearest match and allow you to scroll through the user file. (L) Log file display Lists the current log file to the screen in chronological order. (N) Newin processing A separate submenu for moving files between sections, hiding files, releasing individual files, etc. (Y) Yank Newin files This is the primary command for Files system maintanence. When you "yank" newin files, all files that have NOT been copied from the NEWIN file area and which have aged the selected number of days will be released. Releasing means copying to the proper destination as well as marking the file as downloadable. (X) Shell to DOS Thiscommand will drop to the DOS prompt when TPBoard is being run in local mode to allow the sysop access to DOS commands. When the sysop calls in via remote, this command is inoperable UNLESS you have enabled a remote shell by creating a file called Remote.Bat. Within this batch file you must turn the system over to a CTTY device such as Doorway. (O) Macro operations Tells TPBoard to begin processing the commands in the Macro string. (P) Purge file ops Database file maintanence functions. For a description of PURGING, see the Q&A section of the Install manual. Essentially, these functions remove old, read, or deleted records from the TPBoard database files. The normal purge schedule for each file is weekly (I purge Newin.dat and User.dat MONTHLY) with the exception of the message base. A small board running with a typical message base of under 5000 messages can afford to purge and renumber the message base once a week. If you message base is over 15-20k messages, you may need to purge every 2-3 days. Purging the message base can be a lengthy process. (S) System directory Creates the SYSTEM.DIR listing of all files on your bbs (or for the selected areas. (T) Toggle printer Turns copying ALL system display to the printer. (V) Validate a user Validates the selected user. (!) Run DOS command Allows running a dos command without shelling to dos. *** End of Document ***