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-
- RACE v1.40 - Update info
-
- If you are currently using RACE v1.30 there is little you have to do to
- install v1.40. One item, Jump/Utils password, does need to be updated
- even if you do not wish to use this option.
-
- JUMP/UTILS PASSWORD
- -------------------
- Run the new RACECFG provided in the RACE update archive or the full
- RACE140.ZIP package. Go to the "Miscellaneous" selection on the
- main menu and hit <enter> to pull down the miscellaneous setup screen.
-
- Using your cursor keys, move to the last field. There is a good chance
- this field will be filled with garbage. This garbage =MUST= be cleared
- out. Once in the field, press CTRL-END to clear the field. If you
- wish to use the Jump/Utils password feature, enter the password now.
-
- You =MUST= use CTRL-ENTER to save the changes as indicated on the
- RACECFG main screen. Even if you merely cleared the field, CTRL-ENTER
- must be used. It is important to keep this in mind as I have received
- a number of 'bug' reports because a user of RACE could not change the
- last field in a screen and make it 'stick'. This is because using <ESC>
- while in an edit field aborts any changes. You may move to another
- field and then hit <ESC>, but it's much easier to just hit CTRL-ENTER.
-
- If you enter a password, any time <J>ump or <U>tils is selected in
- RACE, the user, yourself included, will be asked for the password.
- Typing the password echos asterisks and if entered correctly, you will
- have access to the command selected. If the password is not correct,
- RACE will merely return to the main screen.
-
-
- RACEEDIT - RACE message editor
- ------------------------------
- RACEEDIT.DOC, provided in the distribution archive, provides most info
- on RACEEDIT. To enable this editor you need only place RACEEDIT.EXE in
- the same directory as RACE.EXE. Then, any time you press ALT-E within
- the main screen, RACEEDIT will pop up and you may enter a message to
- the user currently on-screen.
-
- If you are a registered RACE user and have your RACE.KEY file, ALT-E
- will also function in both <V>alidation modes and will allow you to
- write a message to the user currently being validated.
-
- Most info for the message header is taken directly from the Welcome
- message set up in RACECFG. Keep this in mind when setting up this
- portion of RACE. It is NOT necessary to have the welcome message
- feature enabled but you must have the Sysop name, message board number,
- subject and private status, defined. The TO: name is the user
- currently on-screen.
-
- It was a design decision to not allow editing of the message header.
- This is to prevent inadvertant posting to non-existant boards, boards
- that are not local, users that don't exist, etc.
-
- RACE has been updated to the RA 1.01 message base locking standards and
- you should have no problems posting a message while a user is online.
-
- DON'T FORGET TO RUN SHARE.EXE if you plan on posting messages with a
- user online!!
-
- TODAY'S CALLERS and USERS ONLINE
- --------------------------------
- If you are a registered RACE user, you may easily pop up a window
- showing the contents of RA's LASTCALL.BBS and USERON.BBS. LASTCALL
- contains the names (among other things) of the users that have
- called your bbs today. USERON contains the names of users that
- are currently online.
-
- ALT-L will bring up the TODAY'S CALLERS window.
- ALT-U will bring up the USERS ONLINE window.
-
- The following info applies to both of these commands.
-
- Once one of the above windows is up, you may move through the listing
- and select a user whose record you would like to view. Simply move the
- highlight bar to the desired name and hit <enter>. RACE will search
- out that user and display his/her record.
-
- All of the regular cursor movement keys will work in either of these
- windows. In addition, you may type a FIRSTNAME LASTNAME and RACE will
- go through the list trying to find a match to what you are typing. If
- you are a speed typist, slow it down a bit for the best performance.
-
- In the case of USERS ONLINE, any lines that are not occupied will be
- indicated by a "Line x unoccupied" message in the appropriate postion
- in the window.
-
- ALT-M MODE SWITCH COMMAND
- -------------------------
- Prior to version 1.40, RACE forced the screen into 25 line mode. It
- would restore it to whatever mode you were in before starting RACE but
- a few users expressed a desire to be able to use RACE in 43/50 line
- mode.
-
- RACE no longer forces a change into 25 line mode on start up and will
- run in whatever mode you are currently in when RACE starts. For the
- most part, RACE does not take any special advantage of more than 25
- lines. The exception is in Reports sent to the screen and the User
- List option in the main Report menu. These two items will fill the
- screen to whatever size that may be.
-
- ALT-M may be used while in the main screen to switch from 25 line to
- 43/50 line. This command will do nothing if you don't have an EGA/VGA
- card with more than 128k of ram. RACE considers these loTek cards to
- be CGA cards and mode switching is not possible.
-
- RACE also provides a command line switch to force 25 line mode Use
- "/F" (no quotes of course) on the command line if you want RACE to
- force your screen into 25 line mode. Note that RACE will NOT restore
- your screen in this case but will leave it in 25 line mode upon exit.
-
-
- MESSAGE BASE LOCKING
- --------------------
- RACE v1.40 has been updated to RA 1.01's message base locking standard.
- What this means is that you will be able to post a message, either via
- the validate welcome message or the ALT-E editor, while a user is
- online.
-
- REMEMBER, you MUST use SHARE.EXE. RACE will still be able to post the
- message if you don't run SHARE, but you run the risk of causing major
- problems with your message base.
-
-
- VALIDATION CHANGES
- ------------------
- A few items have been changed/added to the validation functions in
- RACE. ALT-E to write a message to the user whose answers are currently
- on screen is the most notable of the changes. This is a registered
- user feature. If you are not registered, pressing ALT-E will give you
- a "Not available in unregistered version" message.
-
- <P>ick has been added to the validation menu. This will pop up a small
- window and allow you to select an answer file that is different that
- the default answer file defined in RACECFG. Selecting a new answer
- file via the <P>ick option only makes that answer file active for the
- current session. It does not change your default answer file as
- defined in RACECFG.
-
- When pressing <P>ick, RACE lists all files in the RA system directory
- that have a filename extension of .ASW. In addition, subdirectories
- are listed so that you may move around your drive if you have answer
- files in other directories. This is not likely but it's there if you
- need it. In any case, RACE will only list *.ASW files or
- subdirectories.
-
- When selecting a different answer file, RACE will scan the new file for
- answers from the user currently on-screen.
-
- <F>ind answers has been changed to allow you to search for another
- answer set for the current user. At present, <F>ind will only move
- forward through the answer file. You cannot back up to a previous
- answer set from the current user.
-
- <S>ave answers to a storage file has not really been changed, but it
- still only stores the answers currently on-screen. If you use <F>ind
- to view multiple answers from one user and you wish to <S>ave them, you
- must use <S>ave each time you come across a set of answers you wish
- saved.
-
- PACKing the user file
- ---------------------
- Group numbers have been added as a criteria for packing the user file.
- The default is to ignore group numbers and pack a user out based only
- on other settings you may have entered. This is indicated in the GROUP
- number entry field by a -1. If you wish to pack users out that belong
- to any ONE group, enter that number. If you change your mind, enter a
- -1 to reset this option to ignore groups.
-
- Context sensitive help has been added to all PACK entry fields.
- Pressing F1 while in an entry field will provide help specific to that
- field.
-
-
- <EOF>
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