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---- The Ultimate File Request Door ---- Version 1.00 Written By: Paul Taylor 15 March 1993 Copyright (c) 1993, Paul Taylor. All Rights Reserved Ultimate File Request v1.00 Sysop Documentation Foreword I apologize in advance for this document. This is my first attempt at writing documentation for any product, so give me a little slack, please. Thanks.. I knew all of you would understand. If there are any points in this that you need clarification on, please contact me. I can be reached at ShadowRift BBS (Number & other info at end of document). Thanks again! Registration The software in this package is a fully functional version of the Ultimate File Request Door. It is completely functional, but it does not include the data file editors (which are needed for maintaining your Request List) nor the Data File to Text File conversion utility. Everyone is granted a limited 30 day license to use this program, but after that you must register. Please remember, this is not freeware and is copyrighted. Registration is only $20 and it gets you the most up to date version, support and assistance (beyond basic installation help that is available for everyone). You also receive the Request Editor, which allows you to unfulfill requests (in the case of accidental fulfillment) and edit and delete tag messages as well as the requests themselves. Along with this you will get the RDAT2TXT utility which converts the current version of your Request Data file into a text file, suitable for posting as a bulletin or download. If this all sounds like a good deal, please fill out the registration form and make your check or money order payable to: Paul Taylor P.O. Box 26190 Jacksonville, Fl. 32226-6190 If all goes well, within 3 weeks you should receive a disk in the mail. You can, however, download your registered version from ShadowRift BBS. We recommend that you call and let us know your registration is on its way so that way we can post your registered version as soon as we receive the registration. If you have a valid FIDO net address, please let us know and we can send it to you directly if you have no objections. Disclaimer The Ultimate File Request Door is distributed as is. There are no warranties, expressed or implied. By setting up and running the Ultimate File Request Door, you are releasing Paul Taylor and ShadowRift BBS from any liability for any damage that may occur by the use or misuse of our programs. Features The Ultimate File Request Door is a utility to help the users of your BBS find the files they need the most. It allows your users to enter up to an 8 line description of the type of file they are looking for. Other users can then look at this list of requested files and, if they have one and are willing to upload, they can fulfill one of those requests. If set up properly, the user who requested the file will get a message next time he logs on, telling him that his request was uploaded and it's filename. If a user requests a file that is already on the system, and another user notices it, he can let the person know by adding a "Tag Message" to the request. Entering the Request Door Upon entering the door, the user will be displayed a message indicating the name of the door and the current version number, followed by a sysop defined ANSI file (INTRO.ANS). This ANSI file is typically used to let users know the rewards of fulfilling requests. Sometimes, users even offer some of their upload credit for a specific file. Main Menu From the main menu, the users can add a request, view all current requests, add a Tag Message, or indicate that he has fulfilled a request. (Some Sysops encourage their users to fulfill requests by offering extra upload credit as incentive.) Adding a Request First asks the user for a filename, then for a description, up to 8 lines. Then, it stamps the request with a date and regurgitates the colorized version to the user to make sure it's what he/she wants. Viewing Requests This option asks the user if they want a Limited listing or an extended listing. The Extended listing shows all lines of the description plus all Tag messages attached to them. (The tag messages are intended for other users to HELP the user who originally requested the file, not to express their personal thoughts). The Limited listing shows only the first two lines of each file, without tagged messages. NOTE: In local mode, the CYAN blocks (■) next to the filename indicate that it has not yet been fulfilled. If a file has been fulfilled, it is no longer shown to users, but in local mode (and in REDIT) files who have been fulfilled have Red blocks next to them, instead of cyan ones. Indicate you have Fulfilled a Request This option firsts asks which filename has been fulfilled. If the user enters a valid filename, they will be asked if they uploaded under the exact filename that it was requested under. If not, it asks them for the exact filename, and then saves off a message to the requester of that file. RMAIL, upon the login of the user who requested the file, will let that user know his request has been answered. Once a request has been fulfilled it is no longer displayed to users. REDIT has the option to unfulfill as request in the event a mistake has been made. Installation Unzip the REQUEST archive into the sub-directory that you plan to run the REQUEST from. Depending on which type of BBS software you are running, you should choose the appropriate command line parameters from the listing below: Parameter Drop file BBS Software - Notes --------- ------------ ----------------------------- /1 PCBOARD.SYS PCBoard 12.x (See /P) /2 JUMPER.DAT 2 A.M. /3 OPUS 1.12 (not available) /4 CHAIN.TXT WWIV, VBBS, TAG, Telegard /5 CURRUSER.BBS RyBBS /6 SFDOORS.DAT SpitFire /7 AUNTIE.SYS Auntie BBS (Same as /1) /8 Sapphire BBS (not available) /9 cmdline SearchLight,Remote Access, etc. /D DOOR.SYS DoorWay to Unlimited Doors, GT (See /S) NOTE : This is the 'Short' DOOR.SYS /F USERINFO.TXT Forum /G CALLINFO.BBS Genesis (Beta) /H INFO.TXT Phoenix /M NUMBER.TXT ModuleX /O LASTUSER.DAT Opus 1.14 /Oxx LASTUSxx.DAT Opus 1.14 ('xx' is the task number in hex) /P PCBOARD.SYS PCBoard 14.x (See /1) /S DOOR.SYS GAP, Force, Wildcat 3.x,Telegard (See /D) NOTE : This is the "Long" DOOR.SYS /W CALLINFO.BBS Wildcat! 2.x, Telegard /R DOORINFO.DEF Most widely used file /R# DORINFO#.DEF "#" represents NODE number EIS-PC, FoReM, OLEcom, QuickBBS, RBBS, Remote Access, TAG, TPBoard, UBBS, VBBS. ****If this parameter is missing, UFRD will default to LOCAL mode.**** Drop File Path If you do not run doors from your BBS's home directory (as recommended) you will need to tell REQUEST where to find the drop file. You can either copy the file to the directory that holds the REQUEST files, or add the drop file's path to the command line. Here's an example of how to do that running PCBoard 14.x, assuming the home directory is C:\PCB. REQUEST /P:C:\PCB\ NOTE: The '\' on the end of the path is required. Other Command Line Parameters: Local Mode Operation -------------------- /L Forces LOCAL mode. Can NOT be overridden. If either /C or /I are present REQUEST will exit. FOSSIL Drivers -------------- F- Do NOT use FOSSIL (/I gives same result) F+ Force FOSSIL use. (Ignored if /I is present) F@ Deinitialize FOSSIL when through. By default, the Request door keeps the FOSSIL "HOT". This can be combined with the above option (F+@). /C:n Comport to use (See /C:n below) Internal Comm Routines ---------------------- /B Locked Baud rate. If you are running a Locked comm port you will need this command line switch if you aren't using a FOSSIL. /C:n Serial Port to use. You can force the program to use a given serial port. Valid values are from 1 to 8, but a FOSSIL must be used for serial ports above 4. /I:x:nnnn Non Standard IRQ specification. If you are not using a FOSSIL, and you have a non standard serial port configuration you can use this option to specify your IRQ/port address info. The default settings are equivalent to: Com1 : /i:4:03f8 Com2 : /i:3:02f8 Com3 : /i:4:03e8 Com4 : /i:3:02e8 The 'x' is the IRQ number. It is a HEX value from 0 to F. The 'nnnn' us the port address for communications. If this is present, the FOSSIL routines will not be used. Other Misc. Cmd Line options ---------------------------- /N User Name (/N:Paul_Taylor) This option allows you to pass the door the users name through the command line. This is useful for BBSes like Search Light, or if you are playing locally from DOS. (Underscores are converted to spaces) /Q Quite Mode This prevents the Bells from sounding on the local console. /Z:x User time limit - X is an amount of time between 10 and 50. The users time in the door will be the lesser of this value and the amount shown in the BBS drop file. The Above command line options work for the REDIT.EXE, REQUEST.EXE and RMAIL.EXE programs. To run any of the above BBS Types Follow this easy layout: REQUEST <BBS Type:Path To Drop file> <Optional Parameters> For Example: On a PCBoard (14.x) with the Home Directory located at C:\PCB\ the correct command line would be: REQUEST /P:C:\PCB\ If you were running a Telegard with a DOOR.SYS drop file, (current dir) the correct command line would be: REQUEST /S The following is a copy of the batch file ShadowRift uses to run it's copy of the Request door: F: CD\DOOR\REQUEST BNU -L0=19200 Loads BNU - Locked port REQUEST /P:F:\PCB\NODE1 Loads Request.exe for PCBoard 14.5 (See Note) BNU -U Unloads BNU CD\PCB BOARD Note: In /P:F:\PCB\NODE1 /P: is for PCB 14.x and F:\PCB\NODE1 is the path to the PCBOARD.SYS file. Sysop Function Keys The Sysop has the following Function keys during the programs execution. Key Action ----- ------------------------------------------------ F2 Toggle User Status Line. This will toggle between the following Modes: Display Time Remaining (Default) Display Active Communications Display Remote Graphics F7 Reduce users time remaining by 1 minute. F8 Increase users time remaining by 1 minute. F9 Drop carrier. This disconnects the current user and simulates line noise. F10 Forces the return to the BBS. This gives the user a message informing them that the Sysop has terminated the session. It then returns control to the BBS. Sysop Utilities RMAIL.EXE --------- RMAIL is included in the unregistered version. This program is designed to be set up as an Autologin door (for PCBoard). It functions as a mailbox, basically. When a user Requests a file, his name is kept in the record. When that request finally gets fulfilled, the user who requested it gets a message written to him in the file MESSAGES.DAT. RMAIL, upon login, checks the current users name against this file. If the user's request has been fulfilled, RMAIL will show them a message letting them know it has been fulfilled, the filename it has been upload under and who uploaded it. If they don't have any 'mail' it will drop them back to the bbs. NOTE: To test your copy of RMAIL thoroughly, you should have a user call and enter a request for any file. Then, fulfill that request. The user should then call back and login as usual. If you have RMAIL set up properly, it should display a message to that user that their request has been fulfilled. RMAIL should work fine for any BBS system that has the ability to run autologin doors. (Maybe even running it as a regular door through a login.bat file. Not sure if that would work for every BBS, though). REDIT.EXE --------- Included with the Registered version is the program REDIT. REDIT allows you to edit/delete Requests and Tag Messages, and UnFulfill requests. REDIT can be set up as a door as well, allowing a co sysop or some other "responsible" person to maintain your Request door. The one thing you will have to be careful of is if you run a multi-node BBS, you MUST not run REDIT and have another user in the Request door at the same time. There could be no problems, but I wouldn't chance it!... RDAT2TXT.EXE ------------ Also included in the Registered version is a utility to convert the data files for the Request door into a text file. Possible uses for this are running a batch file (in nightly maintenance), then copying the resultant text file REQUEST.TXT file to a pre-determined area: CD\DOOR\REQUEST RDAT2TXT COPY REQUEST.TXT \DLS\FILELIST This way, you can have it set up to automatically update a downloadable text file each night, or a bulletin. Known bugs and anomolies Currently, there are very few (known, that is. Heh). The only problems encountered have been with those using QEMM, occasionally. Sometimes it does not like to load correctly with QEMM. I have had users report that by removing the first colon from the command line, it seems to work correctly. Example: Regular use: REQUEST /P:F:\PCB\ Modified : REQUEST /PF:\PCB\ If you find any problems with this software, it would be very much appreciated if you could report these. You can report them directly to the author on ShadowRift BBS (Number at end of docs). Just send private mail to Paul Taylor. Credits The REQUEST program and associated programs were written in Turbo Pascal 6.0 using Andy Mead's BOI 2.00 door writing routines. These programs have been alpha and beta tested at ShadowRift BBS and Fear & Loathing BBS. All requests for support and registration should be directed to: Paul Taylor P.O. BOX 26190 Jacksonville, FL. 32226-6190 Electronic mail can be left on: ShadowRift BBS (HST) 904-696-9238 Fido net (1:112/63) (V32) 904-696-9322 Closing Kudos The original ideas for these programs were dreamed up by The Doctor and Empedocles, of Fear & Loathing BBS. They had been looking for a good File Request door for quite some time, and put together all the features they have looked for in a File Request door. This Door is the result. Thanks a lot guys! Andrew Mead, for his great communications and door routines. (BBS Onliner Interface) He helped me out a lot while I was learning to use his routines. I didn't know someone could have that many patience! Without his help, I would never have been able to write these programs.