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┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~│ │ /----- ----- /---- -------- | | ----- ------- -----│ │ /---- /----/ /____ / | | | | | |--- │ │/ / / _____/ / \____/ |_____| | |_____│ │ │ │~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~│ │ │ │==== *FastVote(tm)* - The Multi-Compatible BBS Voting System ====│ │ Version 3.21 │ │ │ │***********************************************************************│ │ This documentation, FASTVOTE.EXE, FVSETUP.EXE, and all accompanying │ │ FastVote files and documentation are: │ │ Copyright (C) 1989,90,91,92 CollisionWare(tm) Premium SoftWare │ │ All Rights Reserved. │ │ Written by Kito D. Mann │ │***********************************************************************│ │ No part of this docmentation may be used with any other software, │ │ publication, or any such entity without the expressed permission of │ │ CollisionWare(tm) Premium SoftWare and Kito D. Mann │ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Guidelines for FastVote distribution can be found within the manual and within VENDOR.DOC. Welcome to the sixth full manual for the Fast Voting System. Sixth Edition -- July 1st, 1992 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Data Support: Kito Mann Collision Theory(tm) BBS 24 Hours/7 Days a week (703)503-9441 300/1200/2400 baud * Please address messages in the CollisionWare(tm) Support area. Voice Support is not available at this time. Mailing Address: CollisionWare Premium SoftWare RE: FastVote 9525 Heathwood CT Burke, VA 22015 United States of America Technical and non-technical support is available at the above number and location for registered and non-registered users of FastVote(tm) and all CollisionWare(tm) Premium SoftWare at this time. TRADEMARK INFORMATION =========================== FastVote, CollisionWare, and Collision Theory are trademarks of CollisionWare Premium SoftWare. All other names of companies and products used throughout this documentation are the trademarks and/or property of their respective owners. FastVote(tm) v3.20 Complete SysOp Reference Manual Copyright (C) 1989,1990,1991,1992 CollisionWare(tm) Premium SoftWare TABLE OF CONTENTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INTRODUCTION Introduction................................1 Features....................................1 BBS Compatibility...........................2 Hardware Compatibility......................2 Disclaimer..................................3 Files Included..............................4 SETUP System Requirements.........................5 Upgrading from Unregistered to Registered...5 Converting to v3.20 from Previous Versions..5-6 Error Levels................................6 FVSETUP (The FastVote Setup Utility)........6 The .CFG files..............................7 The FASTLEV.INF file........................8-9 The .VTE files..............................10 The .DAT files..............................11 Sample Batch Files..........................11 The FASTVOTE.ANS and FASTVOTE.TXT files.....11 The FASTBULL.ANS and FASTBULL.TXT files.....12 The FVMENU.ANS and FVMENU.TXT files.........12 Multi-Node Support..........................12 Command Line Parameters.....................13-15 Examples....................................15 CREATING BOOTHS (from within FastVote) Creating a new Booth........................16 DELETING BOOTHS (from within FastVote) Deleting a Booth............................17 EDITING BOOTHS (from within FastVote) Using the Booth Editor......................18-22 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION Online SysOp Functions......................23 Online User Commands........................23 Credits.....................................24 Distribution Guidelines.....................25 APPENDIX A: Upgrade Information.................26 APPENDIX B: Update Log..........................27-36 APPENDIX C: Other CollisionWare Software........37-38 APPENDIX D: The History of FastVote.............39-40 FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 1 (Introduction) INTRODUCTION =========================== FastVote is a colorful and easy to use voting program written for Fido, Opus, QuickBBS, RemoteAccess, WildCat, RBBS, WWIV, PCBoard and other bulletin board systems. It is one of the most powerful voting systems available simply because it has a lot of useful features and remains very configurable and expandable. The program is unique in that it supports many BBS systems internally. Your users will enjoy FastVote, it's color displays, and many nice features. The program is a great tool to take user surveys or just learn more about your user preferences. We hope that this program will be as useful for you as it has been for us. FEATURES =========================== * Compatibility with most major BBS systems * Ability to handle up to 100 voting booths * Up to 40 choices per voting booth * SysOp-controlled access level defaults * Multiple configuration files * Multi-Node support * Full-fledged interrupt-driven communications routines * Internal ANSI driver (for faster screen writes) * Optional writing to a selected log file * Local test mode * Optional changing of original votes * Colorful ANSI graph results * Ability to vote or view results for all booths with one keystroke * Complete Booth Editing, Creating, and Deleting functions built-in * All data files are plain ASCII text files for easy editing * Easy to use setup utility (FVSETUP) * Full-fledged SysOp functions (including on-line chat, shell-to-DOS, and others) * Both FVSETUP.EXE and FASTVOTE.EXE have been compressed with PKLITE in order to conserve disk space * And much more... FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 2 (Introduction) BBS COMPATIBILITY =========================== Simply put, FastVote was written for and works with Opus (up to and including 1.1x), Fido v11w (all 11? versions), the QuickBBS 2.xx series, RemoteAccess, WildCat! 2.00 and higher, more recent versions of RBBS, WWIV, PCBoard 14.5, and any other BBS that creates a DORINFO1.DEF (RBBS/QuickBBS/RA mode), CALLINFO.BBS (WildCat mode), LASTUSER.BBS (Fido /Opus 1.03 mode), LASTUSxx.DAT (Opus 1.10 mode), CHAIN.TXT (WWIV mode), or DOOR.SYS (PCBoard 14.5 mode). In this document, the term "Opus 1.10" refers to all versions after 1.10 that are downward compatible with 1.10. In order to use FastVote with any other BBS, one of these six files MUST be created. This can normally be done by using one of the many conversion programs available for BBS systems. These programs convert your BBS' data files to ones that can be used by FastVote and other doors. HARDWARE COMPATIBILITY =========================== FastVote was originally written on an AT&T PC6300 with one 21.4 meg hard drive, one 360k floppy, a color CGA monitor, a 1200 baud modem, and 256K of RAM. Although the original system and FastVote itself have both grown incredibly, FastVote should run on just about any IBM compatible system. However, if you are running with a small amount of memory like the system on which the program was written, you may have to do some tricky things for FastVote to operate correctly with all of the BBS in memory. Most likely you will end up having to exit with an errorlevel from your BBS, instead of shelling to FastVote (which is the preferred way to run the program). All you need to run FastVote is 200-250k of available RAM, an IBM PC compatible, and a directory on your hard drive (or at least a 360k floppy) to place the program and its supporting files in (this is, of course, assuming that you have a BBS program setup and a working modem). FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 3 (Introduction) DISCLAIMER ========================= The following applies to all versions of files included with the FastVote Multi-Compatible Voting System: NEITHER THE AUTHOR OF THIS PROGRAM NOR COLLISIONWARE PREMIUM SOFTWARE SHALL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OCCURRING AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF THIS PROGRAM OR THE FILES DISTRIBUTED WITH IT. IN NO WAY IS THIS PROGRAM GUARANTEED TO BE FREE OF ANY PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER. THERE IS NO WARRANTY ON THIS PROGRAM EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED AND THE USER OF THIS PROGRAM ASSUMES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY PROBLEMS WHICH MAY ARISE AS A RESULT OF ITS USE. FastVote has been tested on many different systems. We seriously doubt that there are any problems with the program, but we have made every effort to make this program as error-free as possible and we want to make sure that neither the author nor his company are held responsible for anyone else's mistake(s). FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 4 (Introduction) FILES INCLUDED ========================== The following files should be included in the FastVote distribution zipfile: FASTVOTE.EXE - FastVote v3.20 (Release) executable FASTVOTE.DOC - Documentation for FastVote 3.20 release README!!.COM - Last minute notes and Quick Startup information FVSETUP.EXE - FastVote Setup Utility (edits FASTVOTE.CFG) SODA.VTE - Sample voting booth FAVORITE.VTE - Sample voting booth THISBBS.VTE - Sample voting booth THISBBS.DOC - Sample voting booth description FASTLEV.INF - Access level control file (for important commands) FASTVOTE.CFG - Default Configuration file for FastVote FASTVOTE.NEW - List of changes to FastVote since v1.00 (Appendix B) FASTBULL.ANS - ANSI FastVote bulletin file (optional) FASTBULL.TXT - ASCII FastVote bulletin file (optional) FASTVOTE.ANS - ANSI welcome screen (mandatory) SAMPLE.BAT - Sample batch file LOCAL.BAT - Sample local test batch file FVMENU.TX1 - Sample ASCII Menu (rename FVMENU.TXT to use) FVMENU.AN1 - Sample ANSI Menu (rename FVMENU.ANS to use) FVUPDATE.ZIP - FastVote version converter (1.x or 2.0 to 3.2) zipfile (originally by John Mann II) FASTBULL.ZIP - FastVote bulletin generator zipfile (by Joe Reeves) REGISTER.DOC - Information on registration REGISTER.FRM - Complete registration form VENDOR.DOC - Excerpt from FASTVOTE.DOC outlining distribution guidelines CWFILES.COM - List of all CollisionWare(tm) Releases FILE_ID.DIZ - File description for PCBoard systems FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 5 (Setup) SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ============================ Basically, all FastVote needs is its own directory or floppy disk, as it can create many files which could easily clutter up another directory (and a working BBS). The program handles all communications functions and ANSI processing internally. UPGRADING FROM UNREGISTERED TO REGISTERED ========================================== When upgrading from the ShareWare version of FastVote to the REGISTERED copy of the program (assuming they are the same version), you need not edit any of the data files. All that you have to do is copy the new FASTVOTE.EXE over the old, and enter your Registration Key Code in the correct line of your .CFG file or from within FVSETUP. If you have received the disk in the mail, we recommend that you do not use that disk to run the program from, but rather as a backup. FVUPDATE.EXE - UPGRADING TO V3.20 FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS ======================================================== If you are upgrading from version 3.xx of FastVote to version 3.20, all you have to do is copy the new FASTVOTE.EXE and FASTVOTE.ANS files over the old. You may also want to use FVSETUP to edit your .CFG files as opposed to a text editor. To upgrade from versions prior to v3.00 to version 3.20, you only need the two executables FVUPDATE.EXE and FASTVOTE.EXE, along with the new welcome screen FASTVOTE.ANS. If you haven't already done so, you may also want to add .DOC files to your current FastVote directory, which are descriptions of each voting booth carrying the same base name as the booth itself. Once you have copied the files above to your current running FastVote directory, simply run FVUPDATE.EXE. The program will ask you a series of questions about your current version of FastVote and other questions pertaining to the upgrades required for v3.20. When specifying the name of the Booth Creator and the date created, it is sometimes useful to use the name "SysOp" and a default date (like the date you perform the conversion). After the questions have been answered, the program will proceed to go through your existing booth files and update them, and also modify your current FASTVOTE.CFG for use with v3.20 of FastVote. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 6 (Setup) FVUPDATE.EXE - UPGRADING TO V3.20 FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS (Continued) ==================================================================== If you are upgrading from v1.0x of the program, you must also rename the FASTVOTE.DAT file to FASTVOTE.CFG, and the FASTLEV.DAT file to FASTLEV.INF. It is important that you do this AFTER running FVUPDATE.EXE. ERROR LEVELS ============ FastVote now exit with two different error levels when the program is halted: 0 = Normal exit; no problems (or unknown runtime error) 1 = File not found (could be a data file like DORINFO1.DEF) These error levels have been added just incase you need to do something about these errors in your batch file (most likely you won't need to, but...). Normally, if there is no log entry specifying some file error or a normal logoff, an unknown runtime error has occurred. FVSETUP (the FastVote Setup utility) ==================================== FVSETUP has been provided to ease in the installation and maintenance of FastVote. The program provides an easy interface to edit multiple configuration files without a text editor, as well as the ability to load the booth creation, deletion, and editing features of FastVote, in addition to general local testing of the FastVote. With the exception of FASTLEV.INF, all FastVote maintenance can be carried out from this module (and therefore, knowledge of the format of the .CFG files and .VTE files is NOT necessary unless you are creating extra booths in the unregistered version of FastVote). FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 7 (Setup) The .CFG files (formerly FASTVOTE.DAT) ====================================== The following is the format for all .CFG files (FASTVOTE.CFG is the default): 1st line: Type of BBS 1 = Fido or Opus 1.03 compat. (LASTUSER.BBS) 2 = QuickBBS/RA/RBBS compat. (DORINFO1.DEF) 3 = WildCat! 2.0x compat. (CALLINFO.BBS) 4 = Opus 1.10 compat. (LASTUSxx.DAT) 5 = WWIV compat. (CHAIN.TXT) 6 = PCBoard 14.5 & others compat. (DOOR.SYS) 2nd line: * Communications port you are using 3rd line: Minimum SysOp level (for Fido/Opus just put any integer) 4th line: The path for FastVote data files -- blank = current path 5th line: Path and filename for the LOG file you want FastVote to use 6th line: The name of your BBS 7th line: SysOp's name 8th line: Registration Key Code (blank for unregistered users) 9th line: Number of voting booths you will have * THE COMMUNICATIONS PORT IS ONLY USED FOR BBS TYPE #1 (FIDO/OPUS 1.03) The next lines contain the file names of your booths followed by a 60 character or less description. For example, if you have the number of voting booths set to 2 then it would be something this (omit the parentheses): 10th line: 2 (Number of booths) 11th line: Names (Name of booth #1) 12th line: What name should the board have? (Description of booth #1) 13th line: Hours (Name of booth #2) 14th line: What should the knew hours be? (Description of booth #2) This would set it up with two booths, one named Names.VTE and the other named Hours.VTE. In the actual program, it would display the filename followed by the description like this: 1. Names - What name should the board have? 2. Hours - What should the new hours be? FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 8 (Setup) FASTLEV.INF (formerly FASTLEV.DAT) ================================== FastVote has the ability for you to set the level for certain commands. This can be done simply by editing the FASTLEV.INF text file. There is no need to explain the structure of the text file, because each command is listed above the access level. It is as simple as this: <V>ote on available voting booths 10 means that a user can't vote on a booth if his/her access level is less than 10. FastVote requires different access level values depending on which BBS system you are using. For Fido/Opus 1.03 Mode: -2 = Twit 0 = Disgrace 2 = Normal 4 = Privel 6 = Extra 8 = AsstSysOp (Opus only!) 10 = SysOp When using Fido/Opus 1.03 mode you MUST use the integer number equivalent rather than the actual name of the access level. Example: <V>ote on available voting booths -2 This would would make it so anyone over level -2 (Opus/Fido 1.03 twit) could vote. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 9 (Setup) FASTLEV.INF (formerly FASTLEV.DAT) (Continued) ============================================== For Opus 1.10 Mode: TWIT = 16 DISGRACE = 48 LIMITED = 64 NORMAL = 80 WORTHY = 96 PRIVEL = 112 FAVORED = 128 EXTRA = 144 CLERK = 160 ASSTSYSOP = 176 SYSOP = 208 HIDDEN = 224 The HIDDEN access level can be used just like it is in Opus, to hide commands that you don't want anyone (not even sysops) to access. If you are using Opus 1.10 you may use EITHER the actual name of the access level or the corresponding integer. Examples: <V>ote on available voting booths 80 is the same as <V>ote on available voting booths NORMAL Each of these would allow only users equal to and above Opus 1.10 NORMAL access level to vote. ======= For all other BBS Modes: Simply put the integer access level that a user is required in order to have access to that command. Remember that QuickBBS can handle up to 32,000 and RemoteAccess can handle up to 64,000 access levels; therefore FastVote can too (if it is using QBBS/RA/RBBS mode). FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 10 (Setup) The .VTE files =========================== NOTE: An internal booth creation feature is included, but is limited to the first few booths in the unregistered version. To create more booths manually, it is necessary to create and place the following lines in an ASCII text file corresponding with the file name in the .CFG file. In each of the .VTE files (the names of which corollate with the booth names in the .CFG file) you would put the following: 1st line: Name of the booth 2nd line: name of person who created the booth 3rd line: date the booth was created 4th line: 'yes' if you want users to add to this booth 'no' if you don't 5th line: 'yes' if you want users to CHANGE votes on this booth, 'no' if not 6th line: total number of votes 7th line: access level for this booth 8th line: the actual question 9th line: the number of choices The next lines contain the number of votes followed by the choice. The number of votes for each choice should always be set to 0 when making a new booth. If you are transferring this booth from another voting program, the total number of votes should be whatever it was in the other voting program. Remember that if you make the number of votes greater than zero, you must also edit that booth's .DAT file accordingly (.DAT files are discussed below). For example: 7th line: 2 8th line: 0 9th line: Yes 10th line: 0 11th line: No This would set this booth up for two choices, one being 'Yes' and the other being "No". Each would start out with 0 votes (as it should). FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 11 (Setup) The .DAT files =========================== Each booth will also have a .DAT file containing the name of every person who voted for that booth and the number of the choice they voted on. It doesn't matter if you create them or not; FastVote will create them itself if you don't. The file is set up like this: if John Doe voted on booth one and Janet Finch voted on choice two, making a total of two votes for the booth, its .DAT file would look like this: JOHN DOE 1 JANET FINCH 2 This setup makes who voted for what easy to read, understand and edit. SAMPLE BATCH FILES =========================== Two sample batch files, SAMPLE.BAT and LOCAL.BAT have been included in the FastVote package to ease the strain of setup. They simply give you an example of how you might set up your FastVote batch file(s). The FASTVOTE.ANS and FASTVOTE.TXT files ======================================= FASTVOTE.ANS and FASTVOTE.TXT are the welcome screens used by FastVote. The .ANS file is displayed to ANSI users, and the .TXT file to non-ANSI users. If FASTVOTE.ANS can not be found, FASTVOTE.TXT will be displayed. If neither of the welcome screens can be found, a default text intro- duction will be displayed. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 12 (Setup) The FASTBULL.ANS and FASTBULL.TXT files ======================================= FastVote has the ability to display a bulletin to users before the main menu. This can be used to explain any new SysOp-added booths, or to explain guidelines for user-created booths. FASTBULL.ANS is displayed to ANSI users, and FASTULL.TXT to non-ANSI users (if neither of the files exist, no bulletin is displayed). The FVMENU.ANS and FVMENU.TXT files =================================== FastVote allows the SysOp to create his or her own custom menus for use with the program. In order to take advantage of this function, it is necessary to create two copies of the same menu, one in ANSI, the other in ASCII. The two file names are FVMENU.ANS and FVMENU.TXT. Two examples are now included under the file names FVMENU.AN1 and FVMENU.TX1. In order to use them, you must rename the extensions .ANS and .TXT. Keep in mind, ALL commands must be shown in the menu, and unlike the default FastVote menu, the commands that a user can not access will be shown. Also, when an external menu is used, keep in mind that the actual display of the menu is slightly slower than that of the internal menu. MULTI-NODE SUPPORT =========================== Starting with v3.00, FastVote now has full multi-node support. In order to invoke this feature, SHARE.EXE (distributed with DOS) must be run prior to executing FastVote. The only other thing you need to do is make sure that you use the /Pbbspath (explained on the next page) parameter for each separate node, specifying the correct BBS file path for THAT node. All file-sharing is handled internally by FastVote, so that the program can be run on multiple nodes simultaneously. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 13 (Setup) COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS =========================== FastVote offers numerous command line parameters for versatility: '/Pbbspath' : This is the most important parameters used by FastVote, and defines the path where the program can find the BBS data files (namely DORINFO1.DEF, CALLINFO.BBS, etc). If this parameter is not used, FastVote assumes that these files can be found in the default directory. '/L' : This parameter disables writing to the SysOp selected log file. '/T' : This parameter enables the SysOp local test mode. With this option enabled, the SysOp can log on with any name (FastVote prompts you for one) and have sysop access. .CFG filename : FastVote now gives you the option of using different control (.CFG) files. This can be done by specifying the filename at the dos prompt. This parameter is also optional; if you do not use it, FastVote automatically uses FASTVOTE.CFG. YOU MUST SPECIFY THE COMPLETE FILENAME AND PATH. While it is suggested that you use the extension .CFG, it is not required. '/C' : This parameter loads FastVote automatically activating the Create-a-booth procedure ONLY. '/D' : This parameter loads FastVote, automatically activating the Delete-a-booth procedure ONLY. '/E' : This parameter loads FastVote, automatically activating the Edit-booth procedure ONLY. '/Axx' : This parameter specifies the default access level for users when they are creating a new booth. When a user creates a new booth, instead of being prompted for the minimum level to access the booth, this number (the 'xx') is automatically used. '/Q' : "QuickStart." When this option is used, the welcome screen, bulletins, and system identification are all bypassed, thus speeding up access to the main menu. This is good for SysOps when testing the program, and also for SysOps who don't like the lengthy logon of the program. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 14 (Setup) COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS (Continued) =================================== /LOFF : This command line parameter disables operation of the <L>ist available booths command. While this may seem like a useless option, for those SysOps who feel that the command itself is rather useless, this parameter allows them to remove it from all users. The default, of course, is to have the <L>ist booths command always active for all users. /Ofilename : This parameter is used only for Opus 1.10 SysOps under BBS type #4. If the task of Opus you are running under does not create a LASTUS00.DAT, you must also use the /Ofilename parameter like so: FASTVOTE /OLASTUS01.DAT. Hopefully this will eliminate any need for other utility to run FastVote under Opus 1.10. NOTE: The /Ofilename is NOT necessary when using the /T (local test mode) parameter and therefore they can not be used together. Examples: FASTVOTE /L /T TEST1.CFG (suspends writing to log file runs in local test mode and uses TEST1.CFG as a config file) FASTVOTE /L /PC:\BBS (suspends writing to log file reads BBS data files from C:\BBS) FASTVOTE NODE3.CFG /PC:\NODE1 (uses NODE3.CFG as the config file reads BBS data files from C:\NODE1) FASTVOTE /T (runs in local test mode) FASTVOTE /Q /A20 /T (Runs FastVote using QuickStart, defaulting to level 20 [for Create- Booth] and in test mode.) FASTVOTE /OLASTUS05.DAT (Runs FastVote under Opus and checks for LASTUS05.DAT instead of LASTUS00.DAT reads BBS data files from the current directory) FASTVOTE /C (runs in Create-only mode reads BBS data files from the current directory) FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 15 (Setup) COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS (Continued) =================================== FASTVOTE /Q /LOFF /PF:\NODE4 (Runs FastVote using QuickStart and disabling the <L>ist booths command READS bbs data files from F:\NODE4) NOTE : Unless you are copying the data files into the FastVote directory, YOU MUST USE THE /P parameter. Also, it is a good idea to use the /L, /T and /Q parameters when testing the program locally. EXAMPLES ============================ For further examples, look at FASTVOTE.CFG and sample .VTE files as well as the .DOC file included in the archive (or disk). FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 16 (Creating a booth) CREATING A NEW BOOTH ==================== NOTE: The unregistered version of FastVote only allows you to create the first few booths from within the program (the others must be created manually). FastVote's CreateBooth procedure is self-explanatory and rather easy to use. It can be accessed by simply pressing the "C" command at the main FastVote menu and is available if the current user's access level is greater or equal to that specified in FASTLEV.INF. However, if the user's access is less than the "SysOp" access level in FASTVOTE.CFG, the user will only be able to edit booths that he/she has created. Once you begin creating a new booth, you then will receive a series of questions about the booth you are going to create, the first of which is the FILE NAME for the booth. Keep in mind that this is the FILE NAME for the booth and NOT the actual booth name! Also, DO NOT PLACE ANY PERIODS OR EXTENSIONS IN THE FILE NAME! The program will ask you for everything needed to create a new booth. If you want to quit, simply press return at any prompt. All Yes/No questions are hot keyed. When you are finished the program will display all the data you have selected and then ask if you whish to create the booth. If the /Axx parameter has been passed to FastVote at startup, the booth creator will not ask for the default access level, but will instead use the number passed. Otherwise, FastVote will prompt you for the minimum access level (in which case you will need to have some idea of the access levels available for your particular BBS program). If you make just a little mistake (not in the filename), don't worry - you can simply use the booth editor to fix it after the booth is created rather than using CreateBooth all over again. Once the new booth has been created, you will then be asked if you would like to create an "extended explanation" that will be saved as a .DOC file with the same filename as the booth. This new feature will allow you to write an explanation of up to 99 lines using a standard BBS-type line-oriented text editor. If you are familiar with most BBS messages editors, you should have no trouble using the .DOC file editor. If you have any questions about the actual aspects of a booth, refer to the information on the Booth Editor for details. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 17 (Deleting a booth) DELETING A BOOTH ================= NOTE: The unregistered version of FastVote only allows you to delete the first few booths from within the program (the others must be deleted manually). FastVote's DeleteBooth procedure is probably the easiest to use function in the entire program, but as always, documentation can be useful. The function can be executed by using the "D" command from the main FastVote menu. As with the Create-a-Booth command, the access level for this command can be found in FASTLEV.INF. If the user does access the delete command, they can only delete booths they have created unless they are a SysOp, in which case they can delete ANY booth. Once you run the procedure, you then will receive a choice of booths to delete. Once you choose the booth you wish to delete the program will display all the information on the selected booth and then ask you if you are sure you want to delete it (HOT KEYED prompt!). After you have pressed "Y" or "N" the program will then ask you if you want to delete another booth (obviously after deleting the last booth if you pressed "Y"). FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 18 (Editing a booth) USING THE BOOTH EDITOR ========================== NOTE: The unregistered version of FastVote only allows you to edit the first few booths from within the program (the others must be edited manually). The editor is a pretty simple concept, but the logistics of the function make it more difficult to maneuver than the other booth manipulation features. The Booth Editor feature can be activated from the main menu through the "E" command, and like the CreateBooth and DeleteBooth features, it will not allow non-sysop users to edit booths that they didn't create. Once you first enter the Booth Editor, you will be asked which booth you would like to edit. After choosing the booth, the program will display a main menu that will look something like this: Booth #3 0) File name: Compress 1) Booth Name: Compression Methods 2) Created by: Kito Mann 3) Created on: 08-11-91 4) Description: Which compression method do you prefer? 5) Question: -=-=-=ARC, PAK, ZOO, or ZIP? Which is best?=-=-=- 6) Total votes: 0 7) Minimum access level: -2 8) Can users add choices? yes 9) Can users change votes? yes A)dd a choice D)elete a choice E)dit a choice L)ist choices U)sers who have voted S)ave all changes Dele(T)e .DOC file V)iew .DOC file M(O)dify/Create .DOC file R)esults *)Reset booth C)hange booth M)ode - ANSI ON/OFF X)pert mode ON/OFF Q)uit Booth Editor All changes are not permanent until saved. (200m left) Booth Editor Command [?=help]? The Booth Editor allows the user to edit every aspect of any voting booth. Most of the commands are self-explanatory, but in order to ease any confusion, the next page contains a brief summary of every Booth Editor command listed above. Remember that you can exit almost any prompt with ENTER, and Yes/No questions result in the lower case of the two when ENTER is pressed. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 19 (Editing a booth) USING THE BOOTH EDITOR (Continued) ================================== Key Function Tips/Help/Info ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "0" | Changes current file name | This function basically renames your | booth, so that next time it is listed | or accessed, it will be using the new | file name chosen. The Booth Editor | automatically checks for duplication. "1" | Changes booth name | Remember that the booth name and the | file name are different! The booth | name is what it will be displayed | when voting or viewing results, while | the file name is the .VTE file that | will be read by the program and | displayed when listing booths. "2" | Changes name of booth | The name of the booth Creator has creator | no baring on the actual program, | but is useful for information | purposes. "3" | Changes creation date | This feature has been added for use | with future versions that may need | the creation date field. In order to | keep compatibility with newer | versions, it is necessary to keep the | date in the MM-DD-YY format. "4" | Changes the description | Remember that the description does NOT | have to be the same as the question. | The description merely gives an idea | of what the booth is like. "5" | Changes the question | Remember that the question is the | actual topic your users will vote on | such as "Which is best?" FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 20 (Editing a booth) USING THE BOOTH EDITOR (Continued) ================================== "6" | Changes the total votes | We ask you to be careful with this | command as it can destroy your booth. | This command will give you the choice | of deleting a voter or adding a voter. | The number of votes is edited by voter | simply because for every vote there is | a voter, and you can not change the | number of votes without adding or | deleting a voter. Once you have chosen | to add or delete a voter, you will be | asked for the name of the voter. The | name must be typed correctly, but | capitals or lower case are not | required. For each voter you add, one | vote will be added, and the opposite | will happen for each voter you delete. "7" | Changes minimum access | Here only remember that users under level | this access level will not be able to | vote or see the results of this booth. | However, they WILL see the file name | and description. SysOps of Fido & Opus | systems will be shown a list of access | levels (such "twit") as they COROLLATE | by number before being asked for the | level. "8" | Toggles the adding of | This command produces a yes or no choices | question on wether the users should | add choices. If the answer is "yes" | then users will be able to create | choices OTHER than the ones you | have created. If the answer is "no," | they will have a choice of only | the ones you have created. "9" | Toggles the changing of | This command produces a yes or no votes | question on wether the users are | allowed to change their votes. If | the answer is "yes" then users will | be able to change their vote no matter | how many times they have done it | before. If the answer is "no," they | can only vote on the booth once. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 21 (Editing a booth) USING THE BOOTH EDITOR (Continued) ================================== "A" | Allows you to add a choice | This command is similar to the | "other" choice on certain voting | booths. It will list the current | choices and then ask you for the | name of the new choice. "D" | Allows you to delete a | As you would expect, this command is choice | the exact opposite of the add a choice | command. After you have chosen the | choice to delete, it will show all the | current information on the choice | and then prompt a yes/no question. | Starting with the Booth Editor v2.0, | you no longer have to delete all of | the voters in order to delete a choice | (the Editor does this automatically | now) "E" | Allows you to edit a | After you have chosen the choice to choice | edit, you will be asked to edit the | name of the choice or the number of | votes. If you choose the name then | you will simply be prompted to enter | a new name for the choice. If you | choose the number of votes, you must | add or delete a voter just as the | "Change total votes" command. Refer | there for more details. "L" | Lists current choices | This command will list all the current | choices in memory (including the ones | you may have just added). This does | NOT necessarily include the same | choices in the .VTE file unless you | have just saved the current | information. "U" | Lists current voters | Simply lists every user who has voted | on that booth as well as the choice | each of them have voted on. This | command is helpful when you are | changing the amount of votes or | deleting choices. "S" | Saves all changes | This command will write all the info | that currently exists in memory to | the correct files. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 22 (Editing a booth) USING THE BOOTH EDITOR (Continued) ================================== "T" | Deletes .DOC file | Simply deletes the .DOC file (if it | exists) "V" | Views .DOC file | Displays the .DOC text file | extended explanation. This function | is good to use if you are not sure | if the file needs to be edited. "O" | Modify/Create .DOC file | Either edits existing .DOC file or | creates a new one using a line- | oriented BBS-type editor. This option | should be used if you feel the booth | needs an explanation or if you have | found a mistake in the existing one. "R" | Results of current booth | This command is identical to the | text display of results found in | the FastVote main program. "*" | Resets current booth | This command simply resets the number | of votes to zero; useful if you want | to start over again. It will also | delete all current voters for the | booth. "C" | Change editing booth | This command allows you to select | another booth for editing. It asks | if you wish to save any changes you | have made on the current booth before | doing so. "M" | Toggles ANSI color | FastVote has ANSI support built in, | so ANSI.SYS is not required. "X" | Toggles expert mode | When expert mode is on, the menu | of commands will be suppressed. "Q" | Quit Booth Editor | First asks you if you want to save | changes and then exits the program. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Booth Editor will tell if you have made any changes to the booth and therefore will not ask you if you want to save every time you stop editing a booth. However, it is still a good idea to save your changes before quitting or C)hanging on to another booth. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 23 (Misc. Info) ONLINE SYSOP FUNCTIONS =========================== Beginning with version 3.20 of FastVote, the program now supports simple sysop functions--available during a user's entire visit. These functions are: online chat (Ctrl-C), shell to DOS (Ctrl-J), Snoop mode toggle (Ctrl- S), and a user disconnection function (Ctrl-X). The chat function provides simple SysOp-to-user chat with word wrap that can be exited by pressing the ESC key. The DOS shell function allows the SysOp to shell to DOS, leaving the user suspended. This function may not work if a large amount of memory is not available. The snoop function toggles wether or not the user's visit is outputted to the local screen (it is ALWAYS OUTPUTTED remotely). Ctrl-X simply disconnects the user without any warning. This is useful for users who are abusing the system. All command functions and keys can be displayed by typing Ctrl-H anytime within FastVote. ONLINE USER COMMANDS =========================== FastVote offers an array of commands to the online user. All of the necessary documentation for those commands are contained in the program itself, but as the SysOp you may want a few notes. The user on-line can only see the commands that are at or below his or her access level. Most of the other commands are rather self-explanatory to the user and therefore, should not be difficult to understand. Basically, there are two main commands: <V>ote and <R>esults. There are also commands to <L>ist the booths, see the <F>astVote version information, toggle e<X>pert mode and <A>nsi mode, view the help screen <?>, and, of course, <Q>uit. Then there are the booth manipulation commands, which include commands to <C>reate a booth, <D>elete a booth, and enter the Booth <E>ditor. Keep in mind, if allowed to create booths, non- SysOp users can only edit the booths they have created. Basically, the online user should have no trouble, and if he/she does, the user can simply use "?" for help, as denoted by the prompt "(xxm left) FastVote Command [?=help]:," where 'xx' is the number of minutes left. When the user is using results, list, or vote, they are given a list of the available voting booths. They are then asked to choose one booth and, in results, they are prompted with a "<G>raph Results, <C>hart, <B>oth, or <Q>uit? [Enter=Both]:" FastVote was designed to be colorful, fast, and easy, so your users (and you) should not have any trouble when online. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 24 (Misc. Info) CREDITS ========================== We would like to thank the following people for their help with FastVote: Turbo Power SoftWare - Authors of the excellent Async Professional communications toolkit utilized within FastVote. John A. Mann II - Wrote some of the code in the very early stages, edited the manual, and wrote the original versions of FVUPDATE and FASTDATA (the latter is no longer available). P.H. Rankin Hansen - Wrote the excellent internal Pascal ANSI driver named PingAnsi. Truly an excellent implementation. Peter Blahut - One of our first registered users, and instrumental in testing and updating the program for use with newer versions of Opus. Paul T. Koloch - Gave us a lot of advice and tested the program. Joe Reeves - Helped us figure out the incompatibilities of FastVote with PCBoard; he was the first PCBoard SysOp we know who actually ran the program. Also, our most faithful beta tester. Rob Dekelbaum - Wrote Registration Key Code Unit, and also helped with a lot of testing. FastVote was written using Borland International's Turbo Pascal. We would like to thank everyone listed above, wether they contributed knowingly or unknowingly. We would also like to thank those few beta testers who actually gave us some advice and help with the program. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 25 (Misc. Info) DISTRIBUTION GUIDELINES ========================== The unregistered version of FastVote is now distributed under the SHAREWARE concept of software distribution. This policy states that after a trial period, in this case, 60 days, if the end user still wishes to continue using the product, they are required to register their copy. Under this premise, the distribution zipfile package you have received may be distributed freely PROVIDING NO FILES HAVE BEEN ALTERED IN ANY WAY, AND ALL FILES ARE INCLUDED. For a list of the files originally inluded in the zipfile, please view the "FILES INCLUDED" section in the manual or README!!.COM. Any files received exclusively with the registered version may NOT be distributed in any form. Any software distribution houses wishing to distribute FastVote as part of their library may not charge a fee exceeding $5 for the diskette on which FastVote is contained and must obtain written permission from CollisionWare Premium SoftWare before adding the product to their catalogue. For information on the registering FastVote, please read the file REGISTER.DOC included in the distribution zipfile. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 26 (Appendix A) UPGRADES ========================= Every time FastVote itself is updated (this does NOT include Beta versions or minor updates), all registered users will be sent a letter informing of such an occurrence. As stated in the registration documentation, registered users may receive the latest version of the program by doing one of the following: either downloading it from the Collision Theory BBS for free, or sending $5 (US funds only) and the upgrade registration form filled out with the correct information. If there is currently no new version of FastVote when we receive your fee, we will promptly return it. Simply send it in with the upgrade registration form. NOTE: CollisionWare(tm) Premium SoftWare is NOT obligated to continue updates to this program. However, if the program is permanently discontinued, all registered users will be notified, and all money for non-existent upgrades received after discontinuation will be returned. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 27 (Appendix B) UPDATES to FastVote ==================== Version 3.20 6/24/92 - Ninth Release. Although this is a minor update, it represents many hours of work and modifications, as well as 14 beta test versions (our thanks goes out to our team of beta testers). The major purpose of this release is to quell communications problems with high-speed modems. Utilization of the Async Professional communications library has greatly simplified communications support. FastVote v3.20 also introduces a new setup utility which should ease setup of FastVote for new users and current users alike (basically, it eases editing of .CFG files). * Changed: Completely new interrupt-driven communications routines have been added, for better functionality with high speed modems. * Added: FVSETUP setup program, which simplifies editing of the .CFG files and provides easy access to the booth manipulation functions. * Changed: Both FVSETUP.EXE and FASTVOTE.EXE have been compressed with PKLITE to conserve disk space. * Fixed: The error that caused an extra pause prompt if FASTBULL.TXT did not exist. * Added: Support for a FASTVOTE.TXT file (in addition to FASTVOTE.ANS) * Added: Support for a FASTBULL.ANS file (in addition to FASTBULL.TXT) * Fixed: Page pausing when voting and viewing the results. * Fixed: File-sharing errors in the editor. * Changed: The information at the top of the .CFG files is no longer required (it is now placed at the end of the file, and that isn't required either) * Changed: When you change a filename inside the Booth Editor, it will now rewrite that booth to that filename and optionally delete the old file. * Fixed: The spacing problem in the Booth Editor results function. * Fixed: A problem in the Booth Creator that told registered users they couldn't create any more booths because they were unregistered. * Added: A more BBS-like SysOp interface has been, providing for rudimentary online chat, shell to DOS, user disconnection, and other features. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 28 (Appendix B) UPDATES to FastVote (Continued) =============================== Version 3.11 3/02/92 - Eighth Release. Version 3.11 of FastVote represents a very minor but important update. Special thanks to Keith Cochran for reporting these errors. * Fixed: A bug that caused the program to bomb when using BBS Types above 1 (Fido/Opus) and a com port in the .CFG file that was different than the one actually being used. Now, either the com port line in the .CFG can be left blank for non-Fido/Opus 1.03 systems, or any number can be put there. * Fixed: The change in v3.10 that allowed FastVote to read config files either with or without the extra info at the top was not working correctly. --- Version 3.10 2/17/92 - Seventh Release. This represents a minor update to the Fast Voting System. Most significantly, this version should remedy memory problems reported with version 3.00 (especially on systems using QEMM). In addition, several smaller bugs have been fixed. * Fixed: Memory management that caused errors with QEMM and on some systems. * Fixed: An error that caused systems to lock up when files could not be found at startup. * Fixed: In the unregistered version, users could not edit the fourth voting booth (it should allow editing of booths 1-4). * Changed: Most SysOps were confused by the fact that FastVote required the extra info at the top of the configuration file. The program now functions normally wether the sample information at the top is there or not. Version 3.00 12/15/91 - Sixth Release. FastVote v3.00 is probably the most significant update to the system throughout its history, and has spent the most amount of time in development (almost a year, on and off). This version adds new features such as full-fledged communications routines, multi-node support, support for WWIV and PCBoard 14.5, more features for unregistered users, and also consolidation of the booth manipulation utilities into the main module. Also, a new bulletin generator, FASTBULL.EXE (written by Joe Reeves of the Midnite Rider BBS) has replaced FASTDATA.EXE and provides more colorful bulletin results. NOTE: For this release, the .CFG structure has been changed. To update from an earlier version of FastVote, please run FVUPDATE.EXE. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 29 (Appendix B) UPDATES to FastVote (Continued) =============================== * Added: Registration Key format for registered users (as well as registration numbers). * Added: Multi-Node support. This requires DOS' SHARE.EXE as well as use of the new /Pbbspath parameter (see below). * Added: Full-fledged interrupt-driven communications support for communications ports 1-4. * Changed: The Com Port is now read from the user information file (like DORINFO1.DEF). However the field still remains in the .CFG files to retain compatibility with Fido 11w and Opus 1.0x (which do not pass the com port in their user information files). * Added: Two new BBS Types - 5 = WWIV (CHAIN.TXT), 6 = DOOR.SYS/ PCBoard 14.5. These values must be placed within the .CFG file. * Changed: Time limits are now read from user information file (they are no longer read from the .CFG file). * Added: /Pbbspath command parameter. This parameter directs FastVote to a specific path to look for the BBS-created user information files. This parameter replaces the line that was previously in the .CFG file for the BBS Path. The use of this parameter is REQUIRED IF YOUR BBS DATA FILES ARE NOT IN THE FASTVOTE DIRECTORY. See below for examples. * Added: Users can now vote/see results on A)ll booths with a single keystroke. * Changed: Multiple cosmetic changes to voting and result menus, as well as the help screen. * Added: New fields for the date a booth was created and the person who created the booth. * Added: SysOp-definable directories for .VTE, .DAT & .DOC files (located in the .CFG files). * Added: FastVote can now detect local users without the /T parameter, although that parameter is still useful for testing purposes. * Added: Internal ANSI driver, ANSI.SYS no longer required. * Added: User information status bar at bottom of screen. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 30 (Appendix B) UPDATES to FastVote (Continued) =============================== NEW REGISTERED FEATURES: * Added: Consolidation of all FastVote utilities into the main module. * Added: /C, /D, and /E command line params for each of the former external utilities: Create-a-Booth, Delete-a-Booth & the Booth Editor, respectively. * Changed: General Create-a-Booth, Delete-a-Booth, and Booth Editor modifications to support new features. * Added: Improvements on ANSI Graph. * Added: Smart Editing (i.e., Users with less than sysop access level can only edit or delete booths they've created. Some examples of the 4 new command line parameters (/Pbbspath, /C, /D /E) are as follows: FASTVOTE info.cfg /pc:\bbs (Runs FastVote using INFO.CFG, and reading BBS info from C:\BBS) FASTVOTE /C /pF:\BLAH (Runs FastVote in Create-only mode, reading BBS info from F:\BLAH) FASTVOTE /PD:\NODE1 /e (Runs FastVote in Edit-only mode, reading BBS info from D:\NODE1) ---- Version 2.20 10/6/90 - Fifth Release. This version is basically an update for Opus v1.1x (finally...). We know there are conversion programs for DORINFO1.DEF already, but it's always easier and faster when the support is built in. This version also includes other minor additions which improve the power and flexibility of FastVote. In this document, the term "Opus 1.10" refers to all versions after 1.10 that are downward compatible with 1.10. ## Indicates features changed or added since v2.20 BETA-1 of FastVote. * The /Axx command line parameter has been added to support the same parameter in CreateBooth. Please see CREATE.DOC for more information on this parameter, as it is simply passed to CreateBooth when it is executed from FastVote. This parameter is of no use to non-registered users. * FastVote now capitalizes the first letter of every booth when listing all voting booths. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 31 (Appendix B) UPDATES to FastVote (Continued) =============================== * The /Q Parameter has been added to speed up the beginning of FastVote. When this option is used, the welcome screen, bulletins, and system identification are all bypassed, thus speeding up access to the main menu. This is good for SysOps when testing the program, and also for SysOps who don't like the lengthy logon of the program. * The /LOFF Parameter has also been added. This command line para- meter disables operation of the <L>ist available booths command. While this may seem like a useless option, for those SysOps who feel that the command itself is rather useless, this parameter allows them to remove it. The default, of course, is to have the <L>ist booths command always active. * FastVote now tells users when they can't access a certain command (like the Booth Editor) instead of just ignoring the key pressed. * FastVote now allows the SysOp to create his or her own custom menus for use with the program. In order to take advantage of this function, it is necessary to create two copies of the same menu, one in ANSI, the other in ASCII. The two file names are FVMENU.ANS and FVMENU.TXT. Two examples are now included under the file names FVMENU.AN1 and FVMENU.TX1. In order to use them, you must rename the extensions .ANS and .TXT. Keep in mind, ALL commands must be shown in the menu, and unlike the default FastVote menu, the commands that a user can not access will be shown. Also, when an external menu is used, keep in mind that the actual display of the menu is slightly slower than that of the internal menu. * The default menu has been modified in hopes of making it more attractive. * Coding errors that could have affected FastVote's operation have now been corrected. * Opus 1.10 and higher compatibility has been added with the use of the BBS type #4 and the /Ofilename command line parameter. To configure FastVote to run directly under Opus 1.10, you must change the first line in FASTVOTE.CFG (or whatever .CFG file you are using) to the number four (4). If the task of Opus you are running under does not create a LASTUS00.DAT, you must also use the /Ofilename parameter like so: FASTVOTE /OLASTUS01.DAT. Hopefully this will eliminate any need for other utilities to run FastVote under Opus 1.10 (aside from DOORWAY or GATEWAY). Note: The /Ofilename and /T (local test mode) parameters can NOT be used together. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 32 (Appendix B) UPDATES to FastVote (Continued) =============================== * ## If you are using Opus 1.10, you may now use specific access levels in FASTLEV.INF. In other words, you may either use the string access level (such as SYSOP or TWIT) or the correlating number. The Opus 1.10 priv levels and their CORRESPONDING numbers are as follows: TWIT = 16 DISGRACE = 48 LIMITED = 64 NORMAL = 80 WORTHY = 96 PRIVEL = 112 FAVORED = 128 EXTRA = 144 CLERK = 160 ASSTSYSOP = 176 SYSOP = 208 HIDDEN = 224 The HIDDEN access level can be used just like it is in Opus, to hide commands that you don't want anyone (not even sysops) to access. NOTE: If you are still using Opus 1.03, you must use the integers as they correspond to the old Opus priv levels (this information is found in FASTVOTE.DOC). * ## Fixed: An error in the change-vote function that displayed the wrong vote when a user was changing his/her vote has been fixed. The program now shows the correct choice number when a user changes his/her vote. * ## The main executable (FASTVOTE.EXE) is now smaller and slightly faster due to exclusion of unneeded code added by the Turbo Pascal (Borland International) compiler. Some examples of the 4 new command line parameters (/Axx, /Q, /LOFF & /Ofilename) are as follows: FASTVOTE /Q /A20 /T (Runs FastVote using QuickStart, defaulting to level 20 [for CreateBooth] and in test mode.) FASTVOTE /OLASTUS05.DAT (Runs FastVote under Opus and checks for LASTUS05.DAT instead of LASTUS00.DAT) FASTVOTE /Q /LOFF (Runs FastVote using QuickStart and disabling the <L>ist booths command) This version is a drop in replacement for 2.00 and 2.10. If you are NOT using Opus 1.10 or higher, you will not need to bother with FASTLEV.INF, BBS Type #4 and the /Ofilename parameter. If you are running Opus 1.10 or higher, you will need to change the BBS Type to 4 and most likely use the /Ofilename Parameter. You will also need to edit FASTLEV.INF to corollate with the new OPUS privilege values. ---- Version 2.20 (BETA-1) 7/23/90 - Closed beta testing. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 33 (Appendix B) UPDATES to FastVote (Continued) =============================== Version 2.10 4/3/90 (release date) - Fourth release. As you can tell by the version number, this is only a minor update of the program. After SIGNIFICANT testing of v2.00 with PCBoard, my faithful tester Joe Reeves has come up with an easy interface for PCBoard v14.x SysOps. During this testing we also noticed a problem with the WildCat interface, and hopefully that too has been remedied. The next major release of this program will most likely have fully-implemented communication routines. * Fixed: Previously, FastVote read the ANSI color variable from line 6 of CALLINFO.BBS on WildCat systems. The program now reads this variable from line 7, which (hopefully) is the correct line. * Enhanced: The time-limit checking has been enhanced to check the amount of time the user has left in the door continuously (previously it only checked at certain intervals). BTW, the program exits with errorlevel 2 when this happens. * Changed: The "Press enter to continue..." prompt no longer backscrolls. On PCBoard systems using DOORWAY, this feature was VERY slow (it worked normally under GATEWAY). * Fixed: When the an unknown BBS type was specified in the .CFG file, FastVote previously wrote the the screen twice instead of writing to the log file. This has been remedied. BTW, the program exits with errorlevel 2 when this happens. * The program archive PCBOARD.ZIP (from Joe Reeves) has been included in order to give PCBoard SysOps a standard way of running FastVote on their BBS. This archive includes a conversion program as well as documentation (the need for other PCBoard door conversion programs has been eliminated). ---- Version 2.00 3/10/90 (release date) - Third full release. This version of the program has spent a VERY VERY long time under development, and still does not show too many differences. * Removed: PCBoard compatibility has been totally removed. Apparently there were a lot of problems with it and it was much easier to remove direct support totally. However, you can still use FastVote with the aid of PCBoard to QuickBBS/RBBS conversion utilities (one is called PCB2QB). Direct PCBoard support may be added once the C structures for PCBoard 15 (not yet released) are available. * Removed: No longer asks for ANSI in systems that use either DORINFO1.DEF (QuickBBS & RBBS) or CALLINFO.BBS (WildCat). FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 34 (Appendix B) UPDATES to FastVote (Continued) =============================== * Enhanced: When a user is either voting or viewing the results, FastVote only lists the available booths ONCE. Afterwards, the users can once again view the available booths by pressing either R or L for ReList. * Enhanced: FastVote no longer requires the name FASTVOTE.DAT for its config file. The program now defaults to the name FASTVOTE.CFG, but will take any 2 - 8 character filename plus its extension. This function is useful for having different groups of voting topics, or running the program under a multi-node environment. (However, FastVote does NOT have any file sharing capabilities). * Changed: The main menu previously displayed registered commands with an asterisk denoting that they were commands available only to registered users of the program. This annoyed many SysOps, and has now been removed. * Changed: Also at the main menu, users can only see the commands they have access to. * Enhanced: The help screen has been changed into a more readable (non-paragraph) form. * Added: The program now automatically logs off users after an inactivity period of five minutes. * Enhanced: FastVote now gives the user the option of relisting the available choices when voting using the R or L command. * Changed: The files FASTLEV.DAT and FAST.DAT (used only in regist- ered versions) have been renamed FASTLEV.INF and FAST.INF to avoid conflict with voting booth data files. * Added: The /T parameter has been added in order to allow local test mode access for sysops. This parameter allows the sysop to enter any name to use while in the voting booth (the access level will default to the sysop access level in the .CFG file used). * Added: FastVote now uses errorlevels when the program exits for any reason other than runtime errors. Refer to the documentation for details. * The program archive FASTDATA.ZIP (by John A. Mann II) has been included in order to give FastVote users means of creating external bulletins of FastVote results for their BBSes. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 35 (Appendix B) UPDATES to FastVote (Continued) =============================== * The program archive FV1TO2.ZIP (by John A. Mann II) has been included in order to simplify the process of upgrading from v1.x to v2.0 released. For details, read either the FV1TO2 documentation or the FastVote documentation (you must read either one of these if upgrading from v2.0 (Beta-1) as well). * The upgrade fee for registered users has been raised back up to $7. Version 2.00 (Beta-1) 8/28/89 - Not a full release. This version of FastVote is not a full release, and was originally intended for closed beta-testing. However, we decided to release it on a limited basis. Anyone is free to use it, but we do not encourage uploading until the final version 2.00 has been released. * The most important modification to FastVote is the added compat- ibility with WildCat, PCBoard, RBBS, and others which are compat- ible with them, along with the already installed Fido, QuickBBS, and Opus compatibility. Support for PCBoard 14.x includes use of the USERS and PCBOARD.SYS files. WildCat support uses the CALLINFO.BBS file, and RBBS support is the same as QuickBBS, using the DORINFO1.DEF file. * Added: error checking on booth selections when more than 40 voting booths are available and the add a choice option is ENABLED. * Added: The sysop controlable ability for users to change their vote. * Added: "More" (seen as "Continue [Y,n]?") prompts during booth and choice listings. * Added: The ability to display a .DOC file explaining the booth to the user before he votes. * There is now a different (and better) ANSI screen (FASTVOTE.ANS). * Changed: Maximum length for booth descriptions has been limited to 60 due to changes in the booth display format. * The /S option has been removed. This switch disabled the option to subtract used time and write it to the user file. This option is no longer available. * Registrations: We have lowered the main registration fee to $15, and the update fee to $5. Hopefully this will provide more of an incentive for non-registered users. Those who have already payed the full registration fee will receive a discount of $5 on their next transaction. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 36 (Appendix B) UPDATES to FastVote (Continued) =============================== Version 1.01 6/03/1989 - Second release. Well, this version of FastVote indicates a minor but important update. * It seemed that version 1.00 had a bug regarding Fido & Opus systems. The program simply read the wrong variable from the LASTUSER.BBS file, thus forbidding users who had not been on for more than 2 minutes access. The problem has (as far as we can tell) been remedied, and FastVote no longer reads any time limit variables from LASTUSER.BBS. * The time limit of users in the program now relies totally on the variables for SysOp and other user time limits in FASTVOTE.DAT instead of any variables obtained from LASTUSER.BBS or DORINFO1.DEF. Hopefully this fixes the problems Fido & Opus SysOps had with FastVote v1.00. ---- Version 1.00 5/11/1989 - First released version. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 37 (Appendix C) COLLISIONWARE SOFTWARE ======================= You can always obtain the latest versions of the following CollisionWare releases from the Collision Theory BBS (information given at the beginning of the manual). * All of the following programs work like a charm in as little as 256k of memory. Program name: LZHConvert Latest Version (at the time of this writing): 1.5 12/15/89 Archive name: LZHC15.COM (or .ZIP) Description: Nice ARC/PAK/ZIP to LHARC Converter. This program is different from other archive converters in that it is small, fast, and easy to use. It has a lot of helpful little features including retaining the original archive file date, creating and writing to a log file, handling read-only files and creating self-extracting LHARC files. LHARC is a good archive program that compresses files about as small or smaller than the latest version of PKZIP. LZHConvert requires LHARC and the archive program(s) you plan to convert from. Program name: ZIPConvert Latest Version (at the time of this writing): 1.0A 12/13/89 Archive name: ZIPC1A.ZIP Description: Nice ARC/PAK/LHARC to PKZIP converter. This program was created before LZHConvert, and released the same day, with the same focus. ZIPC is probably the smallest memory gobbler of all archive converters. The emphasis on memory is not quite as important in LZHConvert because LHARC takes much less memory, but PKZIP requires a lot of memory, and ZIPC makes it easier. Requires PKZIP and the other needed archive utilities. Includes the Turbo Pascal 4.0 to 5.5 source code. Program name: Breaker Latest Version (at the time of this writing): 3.00 11/10/89 Archive name: BREAK300.ZIP Description: Interesting little utility with the Turbo Pascal 4.0 to 5.x source code that separates text files into smaller text files from one line to another. Version 3.00 adds windowing as well as the ability to view the text file before splitting it. Very handy, especially for programming purposes. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 38 (Appendix C) COLLISIONWARE SOFTWARE (Continued) ================================== Program name: CollisionWare(tm) (Turbo Pascal Unit) Latest Version (at the time of this writing): 1.1 12/13/89 Archive name: CWTPU11.ZIP Description: Helpful collection of Turbo Pascal routines contained in a Turbo Pascal 4.0 to 5.x unit with source code. Includes helpful routines for strings, directories and more. Program name: SetAttr Latest Version (at the time of this writing): 2.0 3/28/92 Archive name: F-ATTR20.ZIP Description: Very small utility to change the attributes of a file to hidden, system, read-only, and archive (regular), with full wildcard support. Helpful when testing programs, or for a file you don't want to delete. Includes Turbo Pascal Source. Program name: AnsiDemo Latest Version (at the time of this writing): 2.0 12/13/89 Archive name: ANSIDEM2.ZIP Description: Small demo in Turbo Pascal 4.0 to 5.x of ANSI escape sequences. Very helpful for those who want to use ANSI color in their programs. Includes the source code. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 39 (Appendix D) THE HISTORY OF FASTVOTE =========================== "A note from the author" For you to understand why and how I wrote FastVote, it is necessary to begin with information about my BBS. In August of 1987 my brother started a Fido bulletin board system on our two drive floppy system. I became increasingly interested in the computer and soon began to call local bulletin boards and participate in my brother's BBS. By August of the next year, I had become rather fluent in Turbo Pascal. During that time we had changed to the Quick Bulletin Board System, and had been running the program for a few months. Previously we had a voting system for our Fido board entitled "Votesys" that worked for both Fido and Opus. We were not very fond of the system, but we still attempted to set it up for QuickBBS. Unfortunately the program was not compatible with QBBS, so late one night I decided to write my own. The program was originally entitled "QuickVote", and worked only for QuickBBS v1.02 (which was the version we used then). We used the program for a while, but, as it turned out, QuickBBS was too much work for our floppy system and we were forced to return to Fido. At this time, the Turbo Pascal 3.01AA program would not compile correctly for some reason still unknown today and therefore it was not possible for me to make it Fido compatible. Dishearted, I backed up the source and forgot about it for a few months. During that time I worked on my own BBS program, all the while steadily increased my programming knowledge. Also during that time I obtained a voting program also called "QuickVote", which was written in Israel. This too was only compatible with QuickBBS. I then remembered the old program, and seeing that the original name had already been taken, I decided to rename it "FastVote". I dug up the old code and converted it to Turbo Pascal 4.0 (I had by then upgraded), and began to make it Fido & Opus compatible (as they had the same structure) yet retain the QuickBBS compatibility (mainly because I still liked QuickBBS and planned to run it again). At the end of 1988 we received a twenty meg hard drive, thus making programming much easier. Somewhere around the next few months I also received Turbo Pascal 5.0, and upgraded the program once again. I continued improving the program, and by February of 1989, FastVote 1.00 (Beta) was run by local SysOps. During the time between February and May, when FastVote was finally released to the general public, I turned out a few small utilities, once again increasing my knowledge. I also decided during this time to enhance the system by creating the Booth Editor, CreateBooth, and DeleteBooth for registered users. That basically explains the delay between the beta releases and the first public version. So on May 11, 1989, FastVote version 1.00 was released. It was some time before I received any feedback from BBSes other than the ones I hounded to run the program. Now the program has reached at least as far as Canada, and it seems to have gained some popularity. FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 40 (Appendix D) THE HISTORY OF FASTVOTE (Continued) =================================== Subsequent versions of the program followed: 1.01, which fixed a problem with Opus systems, 2.00 (beta) which added RBBS, WildCat and PCBoard compatibility as well as .DOC files and changeable votes, and 2.00 (released) which contributes the benefits of different config files, test mode, and more, while removing direct PCBoard compatibility. Then came the most SIGNIFICANT FastVote update ever, in the summer of 1991: I finally added full communications support, eliminating the need for DoorWay or the GateWay/WatchDog combination. In addition, I fumbled with a status-line/sysop key interface, but ended up leaving the SysOp with a simple status-bar (which is still an improvement over previous versions). Other additions also included up to 100 voting booths, consolidation of the utilities (CreateBooth, DeleteBooth, and the Booth Editor) into the main FastVote module, the ability to vote or perform results on all booths (instead of one-by one), multi-node support, an internal ANSI driver, SysOp-definable directories, and much more. This was by far the most tiresome programming I had done in a long while, and hopefully those strange errors which I encountered during the early morning hours have been completely eradicated. With the release of FastVote v3.10, I think those strange errors (which caused memory problems with QEMM) have been eradicated, along with a few other inconsistencies. Version 3.20 of FastVote marked the use of commercial communications routines (Async PROFESSIONAL) within the program to ease compatibility problems with high-speed modems, and also the introduction of a setup program, FVSETUP. This version of FastVote went through the most extensive beta-testing ever--14 beta test versions over a 3 month period. We're glad this versions has finally been completed! FastVote Complete SysOp Reference Manual - Page 41