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Text File | 1993-01-05 | 17.9 KB | 395 lines

January 6, 1993 E X P R E S S (tm) Bulletin Board Registration System ═════════════════════════════════════════ (C) 1992-1993 by Mario Giordani. All Rights Reserved. Posted On BBS's As: EXP_GEN2.ARJ OR EXP_GEN2.ZIP [[[ GENERIC VERSION 1.4 ]]] ┌───────────────────────────┐ │ What is New │ └───────────────────────────┘ ** SPECIAL VERSION WITHOUT THE ALL THE .VOCS AND INTRODUCTIONS ** If you want the full-blow version download expres12.zip from Salt Air Support BBS or our Home BBS. The registration price for the generic version or the complete version is the same! The only difference is that the full-version has more .VOC files and intro screens. 1. Added Sound Blaster Support For Several Screens and Error Messages. The REGISTERED Version will play the .VOC file of your choice named Welcome.VOC and run your Opening.Scr created with The Draw! ** Using a SB Utility such as BlasterMaster you can record your own "Welcome to My BBS" .VOC file and using The Draw(tm), create your personalized opening screen. The second opening screen will be removed and the program will go straight into the Line Menu Options. You can save your BBS.COM as a bSave command and use it as your OPENING.SCR if you prefer. OPTIONALLY: You can keep the introductions by marking it on your Registration Form or we can delete it for you in case you don't like it. Let us know which option you prefer on your Registered Version. ** If you want to modify the opening screen from Express to something else and the Welcome.VOC that says "Welcome to Express" to "Welcome to BBS NAME ", do the following: (Registered Only!!) A. Create A Screen using The Draw and SAVE IT AS bSave or a file with a .SCR Extension. Name that file OPENING.SCR B. The sentence "Registered to YOUR BBS NAME" will be posted on the following part of your newly created OPENING.SCR, first in Red then In Yellow, With Grey Background, at: Row: 18 Column: 38 ** NEW ** Just make sure you use a background color which can be suitable to display your registered name. Now you're set! Express will read your .VOC file named CHIMES.VOC and your new OPENING.SCR. The second welcome screen previously named BBS.COM is now DELETED FROM THE REGISTERED VERSIONS OF EXPRESS for your convenience. If you don't have a Sound Blaster or Compatible Card, the .VOC file becomes obsolete but you can still change the opening screen to something else. You're probably wondering how in the world you are going to create your own CHIMES.VOC file, right? Well, look around for Blaster Master, in my opinion, the best SB editor on the shareware market today! It will do the job for you. If you don't have a Sound Blaster Card but would like to purchase one, our company has one of the best prices as follows: ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ New, Unopened ║ ║ Sound Blaster .................................. $115.00 ║ ║ Sound Blaster Pro Basic..........................$169.00 ║ ║ Sound Blaster....................................$199.00 ║ ║ * Prices as of Jan 1, 1993 ║ ║ Shipping $5.00 UPS Ground ║ ║ Terms: Money Order or Check (Subject to Clearance) ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ** Free Registration Included With A Sound Blaster Purchase. ** 2. Enhanced a few things here and there. Thanks for your support! 3. Added a "V" option on the Quit Menu for those of you who want to display your BBS Bulletins, BBS Rules or User's Guide. I have enclosed a sample MANUAL.COM for your reference. ┌────────────────┐ │ Note To SySops:│ └────────────────┘ You may want to delete this document or remove it from the edited program after you are finished creating your screens. ┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ What Can This Program Do For You? │ └────────────────────────────────────────────┘ This program has been designed for SYSOPS who want to have a nicer looking "MEMBER", "REGISTRATION" or "BBS INFORMATION" file for their new users to download. Many "new" users don't know how to load up a Text Editor to view ASCII files! Express(tm) will be very user friendly to them. Add Sound Blaster Support to it and your users will immediately see that they are not dealing with another "average BBS". Express(tm) portrays an image of creativity for you as a SYSOP and for your BBS, whether you are just starting out or have been around for years! Express(tm) is written to give your BBS a "touch of class" by eliminating traditional ASCII files and allow your users to have an immediate "feel" about your Bulletin Board System. After you have edited a few screens using a program called THE DRAW(tm), you will be ready to make this program available for download to your NEW users. Express is also another way to nudge users to contribute by printing out your text application form. Hint: There are (2) ways you can go about editing your screens: ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┌───────────────────┐ │ I. USING THE DRAW │ └───────────────────┘ a. Load up THE DRAW and do an ALT-L Command. b. When you see the prompt <previous>, type *.COM and press <Enter>. c. Start editing the screens to your taste. d. If you forget the name of the screen you are editing, press ALT-V or do a DIR *.COM >FILENAME.EDT and print the .EDT file so you know which screens to edit and mark them off as you go. ┌─────────────────────────┐ │ II. ASC2COM.EXE UTILITY │ └─────────────────────────┘ Contact: MorganSoft 2170 Raynor St. SE Salem, OR 97302 ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │** IMPORTANT** -> Some drawing programs may create a different type of │ │ .COM file which will require you to press the Space Bar "twice" │ │ before returning to the Main Menu. │ │ We STRONGLY suggest you only use The Draw! │ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ If you have a utility that converts an ASCII file to an executable .COM file, you can also use this process. Your users will be able to page up and down the text file with the directional arrow keys. Just keep the .COM file names the same. This is probably a faster way to get you up and going in the shortest period of time. Express is very flexible in this regard. How Much Is The Registration Fee? ════════════════════════════════ (IF YOU WANT DISKS, THEN ADD $5.00) $5.00 AND SPECIFY THE SIZE YOU WANT) ~~~~~~ That's right! For only $5.00 you can pick up a KEY with your registration and BBS name in it and use the program for as long as you want and re-edit the screens as often as you like. Just make sure you never rename them to something else. Registered screens will be available on our BBS only! ANSI.SYS is NOT REQUIRED! ════════════════════════ This program has been written not use ANSI.SYS as a device driver. To my understanding, THE DRAW .COM files do not require an ANSI driver. This way new users that may not be so accustomed to color graphics will not get a bunch of garbage character on their screens. You should, however, recommend that they install DEVICE=C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS anyway to take advantage of the nice colors on your bbs next time they call! EXPRESS(tm) Prints Out Your BBSDOC.TXT File ═══════════════════════════════════════ Insert your .TXT ASCII file into the same directory before you PKZIP the program. JUST BE SURE THE ASCII FILE HAS A .TXT extension for proper print out! If you don't want your users to automatically have your Registration Form Printed out, then omit it from the directory. The program will run just fine without it... That's It! Take out THE DRAW(tm) and edit the files listed below to describe your Bulletin Board System. ╔╦═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╦╗ ║║** IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU NAME THE EDITED FILES E-X-A-C-T-L-Y ║║ ║║ As listed below or the program will not run!!! ║║ ╚╩═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╩╝ Registration will also input the name of your BBS to replace the blinking : "Unregistered" opening screen and "This Bulletin Board" closing screen with the name of your BBS System. Edit but.... -> **** DO NOT RENAME THE SCREENS **** ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Express(tm) "calls" the following file names: BBS COM 1303 Your Main BBS screen DATE_01 COM 621 Where the BBS started WHY_01 COM 821 Why You Started USERS_01 COM 689 How many users FUTRE_01 COM 674 Future Plans HIST_01 COM 675 Your History OTHRS_01 COM 549 Other comments GNRIC_01 COM 808 Generic Files SPEC_01 COM 640 Special Sections ONLNE_01 COM 648 Online Games COLEC_01 COM 702 Special CD or Other Info COMPUTR COM 636 Your Computer System Set Up BYTES_01 COM 708 How Many Bytes (1gig, etc) NET_01 COM 812 Network or other Info SAFE_01 COM 752 Anti-Virus Care MISC_01 COM 725 Misc. Other Info NODESNDS COM 721 Total Nodes NODE_1 COM 599 Specs on Node 1 NODE_2 COM 599 Specs on Node 2 OTHERNDS COM 751 Other Nodes FAVOR_01 COM 549 Your Favorite Hobbies NODE_3 COM 599 Specs on Node 3 *** MANUAL.COM -> A converted to .COM ASCII file. Your BBS Manual. WELCOME.VOC -> Customizable .VOC File. **** THE ALL IMPORTANT ASCII FILE! **** SAMPLE.TXT - Replace this with your own ASCII APPLICATION FILE AND name it whatever, as long as it has a .TXT extension, it will print just fine! MAIL YOUR REGISTRATION TO: MG Marketing International 2077 East Royal Farms, Suite 20 Salt Lake City, Utah 84121 Check or Money Orders Only, Please. BBS: Utah Data Link BBS (801) 943-4616 2400 24 hours (801) 942-2533 38400 7pm to 7am MOUNTAIN TIME DISCLAIMER: ════════════ Use the Express program at your own risk. I shall not be responsible for any direct or indirect damage you or anyone else may occur as a result of running the program on your system or others. The program has run without any problems on my machine. You are not allowed to edit, change, rename or reverse engineer this program in any way. You can only modify the screens specified in the original documentation that comes with this program and as available on Utah Data Link BBS. You are free to distribute the program on your own BBS or others as long as no unauthorized changes are made to it. ILLEGAL STUFF ══════════════ It is illegal to modify or temper with any part of this program. If you see this program hacked in any way please report it through echo messages ,the Hack Report or call us at (801) 942-2533 during business hours. We have all the legal means to trace and sue any violators. This program is so inexpensive that it is not worth any decent person's time to temper with it! So don't! DISTRIBUTION SITES & USERS ═══════════════════════════ We can't possibly list all boards, but here are a few carrying and using the latest versions of Express(tm): The Soul Connection BBS Mike Demski (210) 674-1242 Node 1 (210) 674-3308 Node 2 City Lites BBS North Dakota John Lundell (701) 772-5399 Intimate Visions -Northeast Massachussets Richard A. Crowell (414) 229-2163/0126 COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS ═════════════════════════ Please let us know how we can improve this program for you and your users. DISTRIBUTION SITES ════════════════════ If you would like to become a distribution site for Express(tm), simply send in your registration fee and download the latest version which as of today is Version 1.3 zipped as EXPRESSx.ZIP. ** Please upload this program to any other service such as CompuServe, AOL and others if possible. Help us get the word out! FINAL NOTE ABOUT THE PROGRAM ══════════════════════════════ After you have edited your screens, you may want to delete any files which do not pertain to the program you want your users to download. In order to make things easier for your users to view the program you can create a simple batch file to install and run Express(tm) for them, this way: @ECHO OFF CLS ECHO. ECHO. ECHO. ECHO I am ready to decompress all files into the current drive and run Echo the program for you. Press your favorite key when ready or CTRL-C Echo to abort... Pause >nul BBSNAME.EXE -> Created with ZIP2EXE that comes with PKZ110 IF EXIST BBSNAME.EXE DEL BBSNAME.EXE CLS EXPRESS The above batch file will decompress the self-extracting file into the user's current directory, delete the self-extracting file and then run the program automatically. TROUBLESHOOTING ═════════════════ The beauty of Express(tm) is that it is so easy to install and you should not have to edit your screens more than once unless you want to change the info or the look. The few minutes or hours your may spend editing your screens will be well worth it in the long run, even for future versions of Express(tm). Q. Can I use the same Install Process for my users? A. No. The Install works only the first time you run Express(tm). In fact, using the batch file mentioned above, and erasing uncessary files after editing, the program will be much smaller in size (To accomodate 2400 baud users). You will notice that after Express(tm) is installed into the \Express directory, that all "unecessary" files are automatically deleted. Total File Size After Editing is approximately: EXPRES12.ZIP COMPLETE EXPRESS GENERIC VERSION ────────────────────── ─────────────────────── 220K compressed as a .ZIP file 146K compressed as a .ZIP 200K compressed as an .ARJ file 136K compressed as an .ARJ Q. During the install process, the install program asks if I want to see the message window, when answer Y to that prompt the system freezes up. A. Express(tm) requires 484K of free memory to run and that includes the install program! Just go back and re-install answering "N" to the that prompt. Q. Is Express Desqview aware? A. We have run it several times under DV without any problems. It all depends on how much memory you have available. Q. Does the user need a an EGA/VGA Monitor to view this program? A.: No. Express will run just fine on CGA's too. Q. Can I run this program under DOORWAY and make it a DOOR for my users? A.: The next version of Express will allow you to run it under DOORWAY. Q. Does this program support Sound Blaster? A. Yes! Q. Why is your registration fee so low? A. I don't believe in high prices for shareware programs. Q. I have to press the Space Bar twice before going back to the main screen! A. Mostly likely you have used a screen grab utility such as the one from Laughing Dog and converted the file to a .COM file. Even though Laughing Dog is a great program for its purposes, its converted .COM file DO wait for user input, thus creating an extra "wait for input" option which causes the blank screen forcing you to press a key again! UsingThe Draw(tm) to create your .COM screens will eliminate the problem. Q. How do I register Express(tm)? A. Easy. Send your $5.00 dollars to the address provided above. Give it about 3-5 days to allow me to receive it. Then pick up your key under the first 5 digits of your bbs plus _reg.zip from our BBS. The key will have the name of your BBS on the opening screen and on the closing screen. Otherwise the program is not crippled in anyway. I will always post a message to you when your key is ready. An example of a key for Lites BBS would be LITESREG.ZIP. ** USE THE ENCLOSED REGISTRATION FORM TO SEND YOUR $5.00. (You can also upload it to us for fast processing).