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- RAHelp
- Help/TextFile Full-Screen Driver
- Written by Ken Reily and Chris Bongaarts
-
- Gotta get this outta the way...
-
- If any computer related component blows up, it's not my fault.
-
- Ok, now to the fun stuff...
-
- What is it: It's a program!
-
- Besides that: It's a full-screen text(help) file driver for RA or
- QuickBBS. It was intended for scrolling through help files, but it can
- be used for just about anything.
-
- Installation...
-
- Ok, here's basically how it works. UnZIP this archive into a separate directory
- on your HD. Put the RAHELP.CFG file in the path that RAHELP will be called from
- (usually the RA system directory or, if using a type 15 exit, wherever you
- decide to CD to in your batch file.) You should call this from a type 7 menu
- item in RA (Or type 15 for patient people). Since this program is not exactly
- memory efficient, we strongly suggest you use the swap to disk function. Call
- RAHELP from your menu item's
-
- Optional Data line like this:
-
- <path>RAHELP.EXE*M <FILENAME> [DEBUG]
-
- Where: RAHELP.EXE is the program.
-
- <FILENAME> is the file name to display before the
- main menu. This is usually the help file for the
- current area the user is in. This file need not be
- in the RAHELP.DAT file.
-
- [DEBUG] is a parameter that will cause the program to stop
- and display all system variables. Use this if you
- think that something is not being read correctly
- from the config file.
-
- *M, of course, indicates the Swap function.
-
- The two Data files you will need are RAHELP.CFG, the configuration file, and
- RAHELP.DAT, the file containing the files to be displayed and their
- descriptions. Let's go through RAHELP.CFG.
-
- RAHELP.CFG is the configuration file. This must be placed in the
- directory that RAHelp is called from. This is the first file RAHelp will
- read, and contains all the names of operating directories that will be
- used in the course of the programs operation. Please refer to
- instructions placed inside the config file. All lines beginning with ;'s
- are ignored.
-
- The RAHELP.DAT file is basically your menu file. It is entered as an ASCII text
- file in the following format:
-
- Column 1 Column 15
- MSGHELP Help Entering Messages
- FILEHELP Help with File XFers
- DISCLAIM.TXT Disclaimer! Read this!
-
- The file to display, extension or no extension, should begin on column one(1).
- The description (What actually appears on the main menu) should start at column
- 15 and go through column 72. Any ASCII text can be entered for either of these.
- If there is no extension specified, then .ASC or .ANS is used depending on the
- status of the users ANSI bit. You may have up to 100 help files in RAHELP.DAT
- as of this writing. Future versions may include formatting of menus, thus
- shortening the description length; you should plan your descriptions
- accordingly.
-
- Registration of this program as of v1.0 costs only $5. Future versions
- may have increased registration fees, so getting your registration
- number now insures minnimum investment. Your registration number will be
- good for all future versions of RAHelp. Send $5 check or money order
- with the registration form to:
-
- Ken Reily
- 8432 Virginia Rd.
- Bloomington, MN 55438
-
- Thanks to:
-
- John Parlin (Author of JPDoor) for his perserverence in answering my
- stupid questions, and for making this program so much easier to
- bring to you
-
- John Jacobs for being a great guy, and lending a routine or two
-
- All the users of "The Game Center BBS" for helping me during the
- seemingly endless period of testing and re-working
-
-
- For more info, comments, suggestions, a good
- conversation, and a great time, call
-
- The Game Center BBS (612) 942-7531
- 2400 baud -- 24 hours
-
- FidoNet 1:282/54
- TheNet 60:1/100
- MetroNet 200:5005/13
- SpudNet 103:1001/11
-