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Text File | 1993-02-22 | 17.0 KB | 439 lines

RAPNOTE.DOC February 22, 1993 R A P N O T E version 2 written by Jonathan H. Goldberg The STUDIO BBS (508) 872-5865 What this program does ====================== This program allows the Sysop to have his/her users leave a Registration ============ RapNote is distributed as shareware. Please read and return the registration form at the end of this document with $15. Registration of this version of RapNote will entitle you to an update version of RapNote. Updated versions can be downloaded from The STUDIO BBS 508-872-5865. Warranty ======== This product is provided "as is" without any warranty of any kind. The entire risk as to the results and performance of the program is assumed by you. I, the author, do not warrant, guarantee, or make any representations regarding the use of, or the results of the use of the program, and you rely on the program and results soley at your own risk. I the author cannot accept responsibility for system damage, loss of profit, or any other special, incidental, or censequenial damages resulting from the use of inability to use this product. Copyright ========= The RapNote Log Off Note is distributed as SHAREWARE. Under this concept you may use the SHAREWARE (unregistered) version for a reasonable period of time, which I consider to be thirty days, after which you must either register your copy or discontinue usage. Distribution ============ You are free, in fact encouraged, to distribute the SHAREWARE (unregistered) version of RapNote provided that all files contained in the original RapNote archive are distributed in their original unmodified state. File List ========= RAPNOTE .EXE - the excutable program that makes the text file RAPNOTE .DOC - this file RAPNOTE .CFG - the control file (* this must be edited for proper usage *) RAPNOTE .GRX - the graphics file that contains the header and footer to be used for the text file ***************************************************************************** Setting Up ========== 1) Unzip the file, and read this doc file. 2) Edit the RAPNOTE.CFG file so that everything matches the proper placement of your files (see bottom for explanation of RAPNOTE.CFG) 3) Optional -- you may edit the RAPNOTE.GRX file. This file contains a three line header followed by two lines. The two lines seperate the text that the user inputed from the header and their name. 4) Make sure that the text file that RapNote is creating will be viewed. On my bbs I have the RapNote appear before the log off menu. So in my main menu I have a command (G)oodbye which first shows the RapNote text file then goes to the log off menu. 5) Write a batch file which will call RapNote. Rapnote uses the following Command Line Directives /a Again? mode switch /n Name switch /q Quiet mode switch /x Hall of Fame Limiting switch /y Hall of Fame Redirection switch /z Time Limit switch /i IRQ/PortAddress Customization switch /l Force Local Mode switch /c Communication Port Override switch /b Locked Baud Rate RTS/CTS switch /k Carrier Detect Override switch ** Notes on the Command Line Directives - /a will allow players to play multiple games at one time. If they have more than x minutes left (/a:x), they will be asked if they want to play again. This option carries no recommendation. -NOTE: This option does not work with all games (i.e Galactic Empires). /n this switch is only necessary for use with the /9 SearchLight switch or other BBS systems that run the game with command line directives instead of using drop files. It also can be used if you run the game locally from DOS. /q will keep the game from beeping on the host computer. This enables the SysOp to get a good nights sleep. /x will limit the number of times a player's name will appear on the Monthly Hall of Fame. I recommend /x:2. This keeps one or two good avid players from monopolizing the Hall of Fame. -NOTE: This option does not work with all games. /y I heavily recommend using the text Hall of Fames as bulletins and such. The BBSs in this area that make these files available for the users to see tend to have about 5 to 10 times as many players as the BBSs that don't. The ability to look at the top 10 as well as see last months top three, and the all time high score tends to highten the sense of competition. -NOTE: This option is not applicable to all games. /z sets a maximum time limit. Normally the game will allow the player as much time as he has left to play. This allows the SysOp to encourage players not to fall asleep during games. The game will execute an inactivity time-out at approximately 2 minutes. It will beep at the halfway point and then again when it returns control to the BBS. The game will auto-detect local play, so you can safely play the same door locally that the remote users play. /i allows for customization of your serial communications. If you are using a PS/2 on Com3 or above, or if you are using any non-standard IRQ/port address set-up, this option will allow you to get the game playing. This option will not interfere with the game auto-detecting local play. This option (or the /c or /l options) should not be used unless absolutely necessary. NOTE : If you think the game is being forced into local play, check the following. If a remote user is playing the game, the bottom line of the host computer will say 'Current User : User's Name or Alias here'. If the line is there, then the game is not locked into local mode. In local mode, the game never displays the 'Current User' line. /b - Locked BAUD Rate : These programs use RTS handshaking. If you are using a modem with the baud rate locked, then you will want to use this switch. '/B' implements RTS/CTS handshaking, and prevents the game from overrunning the modems internal buffer. /k turns of the games carrier detect routines. This option is a 'last resort' option. If your modem does not properly maintain a Carrier Detect' signal, the game will automatically abort. This option supresses this activity. If the user does drop carrier, the game will still do an inactivity timeout after 2 minutes. If you are forced to use this option, you probably are having hardware problems with the modem or RS-232 connector (bad pin or broken wire). ** In addition, use the following command lines for the appropriate bbs software 2 A.M. BBS Notes - /2 Jumper.Dat Auntie BBS Notes - /7 Auntie.Sys Force, GAP Notes - /S Door.Sys (long) Forum Notes - /F UserInfo.Txt Genesis Notes - /G CallInfo.BBS GT, DoorWay Notes - /D Door.Sys (short) ModuleX Notes - /M Number.Txt Opus-CBCS 1.13 Notes - /3 LastUser.BBS Opus-CBCS 1.14 Notes - /O LastUsXX.Dat PCBoard 12.x Notes - /1 PCBoard.Sys PCBoard 14.x Notes - /P PCBoard.Sys Phoenix Notes - /H Info.BBS RyBBS Notes - /5 CurrUser.BBS Sapphire Notes - /8 Sapphire.Dat Search Light Notes - /9 Search Light Spitfire Notes - /6 SFDoors.Dat WildCat Notes - /W CallInfo.BBS WWIV Notes - /4 Chain.Txt DoorInfo Notes - /R# DorInfo#.Def EIS-PC, FoReM, OLEcom, QuickBBS, RBBS, Remote Access, TAG, TP-Board - 2 A.M. BBS Notes - - The /2 option reads a 'Jumper.Dat' file. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. - Auntie BBS Notes - - This option is currently in the BETA stage. - The /7 option reads a 'Auntie.Sys' file. You will need to include the /c or /i directive with this set-up. Auntie.Sys does not tell which communications port is being used. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. If you have documentation on this file, or possibly other files that Auntie BBS creates, please let me know. - Force, Gap Notes - - The /S option reads a 'Door.Sys' file. This is the new proposed standard for doors. This format is currently used by Force and GAP. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. - Forum Notes - - The /F option reads a 'UserInfo.Txt' file. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. - Genesis Notes - - The /G option does not currently work. I do not have sufficient information on Genesis' CallInfo.BBS. It seems to match WildCat's upto line 28. Line 29 should contain communication port information. If it does, use the /W directive instead. I would really appreciate some more complete documentation on Genesis. - GT, DoorWay Notes - - The /D option reads a 'Door.Sys' file. This is the same Door.Sys that is used by Marshall Dudley's DoorWay to Unlimited Doors Program. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. - ModuleX Notes - - The /M option reads a 'Number.Txt' file. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. - OPUS-CBCS 1.13 Notes - - This option does not currently work. - The /3 option reads a 'LastUser.BBS' file. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. If you have documentation on this file, please let me know. - OPUS-CBCS 1.14 Notes - - The /OXX option reads a 'LastUsXX.Dat' file. The 'XX' is the OPUS task number; if it is absent the program will attempt to read a file called 'LastUser.Dat'. an example with a task number (hexadecimal) of 'e' would be madness /o0e:c:\opus\ ... the c:\opus\ tells it to look for 'LastUs0E.Dat' in the C:\OPUS\ directory. The '...' is the other command line options (check the WWIV example for a more thorough example). - PCBoard 12.x Notes - - This option is currently in the BETA stage.. - The /1 option reads a 'PCBoard.Sys' file. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. If you have documentation on this file, please send it to me. - PCBoard 14.x Notes - - The /P option reads a 'PCBoard.Sys' file. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. - Phoenix Notes - - The /H option reads a 'Info.BBS' file. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. - RyBBS Notes - - The /5 option reads a 'CurrUser.BBS' file. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. - Sapphire Notes - - This option does not currently work. - The /8 option reads a 'Sapphire.Dat' file. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. If you have documentation on this file, or possibly other files that Sapphire BBS creates, please let me know. - Search Light Notes - - The /9 option is the reverse of the rest of these BBS switches. Since the program is being run directly by SLBBS instead of from a batch file, the current directory is the same as the BBS's directory. /9 will tell the game to get the path from the command line. c:\slbbs\games\stars\starsbbs /9 This will tell the game to get 'c:\slbbs\games\stars\' from memory. You will need to pass more information to make the game run. I have added a /n switch to read the users name. You should use the %U switch so that SearchLight passes the complete name like Andy_Mead. It should look something like /n:%U or /n%U. The next switch you should use is the /z directive to get the user's time remaining. I believe the SL switch is %M, so you should have /z:%M or optionally you can set a specific time limit (i.e. /z:20). The final piece of information need is communication port. My games use /c and SL uses %P. Therefore /c:%P should fit the bill. A final example (check elsewhere for descriptions of /a, /q, and /y) would be c:\slbbs\games\mad\madness /9 /n:%U /c:%P /z:%M /a:15 /y:c:\slbbs\text\ /q The spaces between switches is mandatory. - Spitfire Notes - - The /6 option reads a 'SFDoors.Dat' file. For actual installation, follow the WWIV example. - WildCat Notes - - use the /y command to rename the text hall of fame for your bulletins menu. /y:c:\wildcat\bull34.bbs will rename the Hall of Fame 'Bull34.BBS' and place it in the c:\wildcat directory. - WWIV Notes - - sample WWIV installation (using Star Traders - starsbbs.exe) WWIV,chain.txt directory - C:\WWIV batch file - stars.bat stars.bat directory - C:\WWIV\GAMES starsbbs.exe directory - C:\WWIV\GAMES\STARS hall of fames directory - C:\WWIV\GFILES\HOFSDIR stars.bat listing echo off cd c:\wwiv\games\stars starsbbs /4:c:\wwiv\ /q /x:2 /z:20 /y:c:\wwiv\gfiles\hofsdir\ cd c:\wwiv chainedit setting file - c:\wwiv\games\stars.bat dos interrupts - off, this game handles it's own communications shrink - doesn't matter - recommend NO ansi - required allow 300 bps users - recommend NO - If you are NOT using WWIV then substitute your BBSs switch for '/4'. - In WWIV mode, the current user line will also display user's number and real name. - DoorInfo Notes - - EIS-PC, FoReM, Professional OLEcom, QuickBBS, RBBS, Remote Access, TAG, and TP-Board. - If you use RBBS (or another DorInfo generating BBS), you will need to let the program know what node the program is on. If you use /R by itself, the program will look for a file called DoorInfo.Def. /R1 will look for DorInfo1.Def, /R2 will look for DorInfo2.Def, etc... A sample command line for node 1 (using OilField.exe) would be oilfield /r1:c:\rbbs\ /x:2 /z:35 /y:c:\rbbs\bulletn\ /q /a:25 where the program looks for DorInfo1.Def in c:\rbbs and when the game is over it places OilHOF.Txt in c:\rbbs\bulletn ** SysOp Control F-10 SysOp Abort Key F-9 Line Noise Disconnect Key Current User Line - The bottom line (line 25) on the BBSs monitor will display the name of the player currently logged on. This will not display if the game is being played locally. F-10 - SysOp abort. Pressing this key on the host keyboard will abort the game in progress, and return control to the batch file, or BBS. The user will be notified that the SysOp has terminated the session. F-9 - Line Noise. Pressing this key on the host keyboard will simulate line noise, then hang up the phone. It will appear to the user as if the connection was trashed. ####RAPNOTE.CFG############################################################ #The STUDIO BBS (* BBS NAME *) # #0000 # #c:\TG\RAPNOTE.GRX (* HEADER FOR TEXT FILE *) # #c:\TG\AFILES\RAPNOTE.TXT (* OUTPUT FILE *) # ########################################################################### The above RAPNOTE.CFG file is a sample of the one that comes with your RapNote archive. Line 1 is your bbs name. Line 2 is your bbs's registration number. Line 3 is the path to the RAPNOTE.GRX file This is the RapNote Graphics file Line 4 is the output file. The output file is the file that you want the program to output with the user's log off message and the appropriate graphics Communication with the author ============================= Jonathan Goldberg is the SysOp of The STUDIO BBS which can be reached at (508) 872-5865. Registration Form ================= This form should be returned to with the $15.00 registration RapNote C/O Jonathan Goldberg 12 Vaillencourt Drive Framingham, MA 01701-8824 Version: 2 Name :____________________________________________________________________ Address :_________________________________________________________________ Town/City :_________________________________ State :________ Zip :________ Voice Phone :(______)_____________________________________________________ BBS Name :________________________________________________________________ BBS Phone :(_____)________________________________________________________ Thank you for registering RapNote!! Future Plans ============ Word wrap is currently in the development stages and will be beta tested beginning this week. This should be released within the next three to four months.