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CHAT (Current Version 1.04 (beta)) By: Tom Evans Jax C-Scape (Opus 1:112/1027.0) (904) 724-1377 Specializing In Custom Opus Utility Software and Custom C Programming Documentation For CHAT Program The CHAT program is a utility program for OPUS bulletin board systems that will allow your users that use ansi graphics to chat with you in a split screen mode with the text that the sysop types on the bottom, and the text that the user types on the top. It also allows for both parties to talk at the same time. Unlike previous versions of this program, version 1.02f and above does check whether or not the user has ansi graphics enabled. If they do not, and you allow the chat, they will see a normal chat without any ansi graphics, while you will see the screen as normal. I will explain how to install this program as part of your OPUS board, but first, I would like to explain the parameters that CHAT uses on the command line when activated. The first and second parameter on the command line are reserved for the sysop's name. These are the only required parameters. Actually, they are not even required. If they are not supplied, then CHAT, instead of displaying the sysop's name in the lower window, will display "Sysop". One word to note here. It does not matter if you put your name in all caps or all lower case letters, or however you want. When activated, CHAT will automatically convert all of the characters to lower case, except the first character of each part of the name. For example: CHAT tom evans Will display the sysop's name as Tom Evans. The next parameters are optional. There are a number of things you can put here. The first is the port number. CHAT defaults to using COM1 as the communications port. This may be changed with the /P:n parameter. Specifying 1 for this will default to COM1, 2 will use COM2, and so on. To use COM2, for instance you would include /P:2 on the command line. The next thing you may specify is for those sysops who wish to use the CHAT program when they want to chat with a user. This is normally accomplished using the opus "c" command when the user is at a menu. If you use the AUTOCHAT feature, then CHAT will start up and go directly into the chat mode. This will alleviate CHAT from paging the sysop when it is the sysop who is requesting the chat. To do this, just include /AC on the command line. Another option you may specify is the hours for which CHAT will be avaliable. You may only specify one start time and one stop time (to be changed in a future release). For instance, you may want to turn chat on at 11:00 am, and off at 10:30 pm. To use this feature, just include something like 1000/2300 on the command line. This would enable CHAT from the hours of 10:00am until 11:00pm. The time specified is in 24 hour format. If you wish for CHAT to NOT display the "Press enter ...." prompt when you exit from chat, you may specify the /NP qualifier. This is useful in cases where OPUS may already provide a similar prompt for the user to return to OPUS. This will alleviate the user from getting one "Press enter" prompt from CHAT and another from OPUS. If you are running multiple copies of OPUS and you need for CHAT to use something other than the LASTUSER.BBS file (i.e. LASTUSE1.BBS or equivalent), then you can use the /U:filename qualifier. To use LASTUSE1.BBS, just include /U:Lastuse1.Bbs on the command line and CHAT will use it instead of the default filename. If you are running a serial printer as COM1, or you are experiencing some problems with your users receiving garbage when CHAT starts up, it is probably due to the COMmunications port setup on your machine. For my intents and purposes, DOS effectively makes COM1 dissappear and will make COM1 be your modem and COM2 be non-existant. This may sound strange, but it happens. Anyway, if your users receive garbage and you are using COM2, you may try the /BP:1 qualifier. This will switch the port from which I detect the user's baud rate to the I/O port specified at the COM1 address. This usually takes care of this kind of problem. If you try this and still experience garbage, just let me know and we will see what can be done. That's the end of the qualifiers, but there are still some other new items that bear mentioning. In versions previous to 1.04, you could press any key to enter CHAT while you were being paged. Now you HAVE to press the C key to enter CHAT. Also, for you sysops who may have CHAT enabled from within a BBS file and get annoyed when a user attempts to chat during unauthorized times, but you would still like to chat with them, you used to have to wait until they switched to the main menu to be able to chat with them. No more, now, when they receive the "Press enter..." prompt, (only available if you DID NOT specify /NP on the command line), you may still press the C key and start the chat. For those sysops who were annoyed when their users pressed CTRL-G while they were in chat, it has now been disabled. CTRL-G for a user no longer works. Another new item, actually just a previously undocumented feature, is the disallow feature. If you have certain users on your board who you do not want to give chat privilege, even during normal chat hours, then you can put a file in your OPUS root directory (Normally C:\OPUS) called CHAT.DIS. In this file, you may place the first and last name of users who you wish to "lock-out" from chat. If the user tries to chat, they will be told that they have insufficient privilege for the chat operation, and you (the sysop) will also be informed that the user trying to yell has insufficient privilege. Now, for the new keyboard assignments. One word to note here. These are the key assignments for CHAT 2.0. The 1.04 version is intended as an "In-House" upgrade path and "Personal" bug fix version. In short, this is where I will test my newly added features. The 1.04 version you have may or may not support all of the items listed below. If it does, then you should feel privileged, since even my version doesn't include all of them yet. The only way to tell if someone else's 1.04 version has more capabilities than yours is to check the actual file date or file size. Generally, the larger or newer the file, the more features you will have. Note: This list is subject to change at programmer discretion. While in CHAT, both the sysop and user will be able to use certain keys on their keyboard to help them out while chatting. Key Sysop User Description --- ----- ---- ----------- F1 Yes No Display help screen F2 Yes No Capture I/O Toggle F3 Yes No Bell Noise Toggle F4 Yes No Re-size windows F5 Yes No Printer I/O Toggle F6 Yes No Read File into window F7 Yes No Jump to DOS F8 Yes No Immediately Hangup on caller F9 Yes No Toggle ANSI/Non-ANSI mode F0 ? ? ? Arrows Yes Yes Move cursor around window Home Yes Yes Move cursor to beginning of line End Yes Yes Move cursor to end of line CTRL-L Yes Yes Clear current window CTRL-R No Yes Re-draw screen Some examples of use: To start CHAT on com2 (user invoked): CHAT tom evans /P:2 To start CHAT on default com port of com1 (sysop invoked): CHAT tom evans /AC To start CHAT on com2 (sysop invoked): CHAT tom evans /AC /P:2 To make CHAT available only from 11:15 am to 10:35 pm on com1 (user invoked): [Note the 24 hour format for the start/stop time] CHAT tom evans 1115/2235 Same as above only using com2: CHAT tom evans 1115/2235 /P:2 Don't display "Press enter..." prompt upon exit: CHAT Tom Evans /NP To fix user's garbage problem sometimes encountered on COM2: CHAT Tom Evans /P:2 /BP:1 You may not specify /AC with a time value, but this is irrelevant, since if the sysop is initiating the chat, then there needs to be no start/stop time. INSTALLATION NOTES: There are many ways to install this program with opus. I will discuss each one of them briefly. To install CHAT as a sysop invoked program to chat with a user, you may use one of the Function keys on your keyboard to activate CHAT. If for example, you wanted F6 to invoke the CHAT program, then you would create an F6.BBS file with the following line in it: (Note that ^O is control-O) ^OCc:\opus\chat tom evans /AC (NOTE: If you use something like F6.BBS then make sure that there is no F6.GBS file that may interfere with it for your ansi callers.) To install CHAT as a user invoked program to chat with the sysop, while retaining the normal OPUS Y)ell at sysop function, you could put the following line in your bulletin.bbs file if a user selects a particular choice from your bulletin menu: ^OCc:\opus\chat tom evans 1115/2235 /P:2 To install CHAT in place of the OPUS Y)ell at sysop menu selection at the MAIN MENU, you can use a program such as OPRIV to edit your mainpriv file to change the Y)ell at sysop selection to something else and making the menu selection hidden. For instance, change "Y)ell at sysop" to "Z)ell at sysop" and make this selection "hidden". This will keep the normal OPUS chat routine from running when the user types "y" at the MAIN MENU. Now, to install CHAT into the MAIN MENU, you can change the "O)utside" selection or the "E)ditorial" selection to be "Y)ell at Sysop". If you use the "O)utside" approach, then in your OPUS.CTL file, you will need to change the line which selects the program to run as an OUTSIDE program. First, comment out (place a "%" in front of the line) the: Uses Outside c:\opus\misc\leaving Also, comment out the line: Uses Return c:\opus\misc\return Then, remove the comment from the "outside dos" line to read: Outside Dos c:\opus\chat tom evans The easiest way to install CHAT in your OPUS is to create a YELL.BBS file in your OPUS Root directory. (NOT your miscellaneous BBS file directory) In this file put the command: ^OCc:\opus\chat Tom Evans /NP (along with any other qualifiers) Next, use OPUS or OEVENT or some similar program to modify your schedule file and disable or delete your YELL event. This will cause OPUS to look for the YELL.BBS file to start your custom chat program whenever your users hit Y)ell at sysop. You must however, have the Y)ell option available at the MAIN MENU for your users to be able to select it. (Note: Always save the easiest method for last to guarantee that all your users will know how to install your program in any given situation.) Advanced users will note that you could make one selection activate CHAT with a time specification on it for normal users, and make another CHAT available as the normal OPUS chat routine for your special users. This will allow normal users to page during certain hours only, but will allow users with higher privilege levels to chat with you at any time. One final note. As with all my programs, there is no warranty. Especially since this version is not even a public release version. The program has been tested on a few systems however, and no known bugs exist. If you do however, find an undocumented "feature" of this program, please send mail to me at my board noted at the beginning of this document describing the problem. I will more than likely make repairs immediately, (with the exception of the Backspace/Return problem during Non-ANSI mode chat. I know this feature exists and will eventually get around to fixing it when I have finished working on the ANSI section.) Revision Notes: 1.03a Added some minor improvements to chat for testing (paving the way for version 2.0). Improved Clear Window speed. 1.03b Fixed infamous bug which may have caused problems on ports other than COM1. 1.04 This is not a release version, but a continuous upgrade version. This version is used "in-house" during the upgrade to version 2.0. Many features will be added in this version and the version number will not change. The only way to tell how recent your 1.04 version is would be to look at the file date. Version not for general distribution. In general, adds MANY new features. Future Expansion: 1.) Use the OPUS schedule file for the chat times instead of specifying them on the command line. 2.) Read the OPUS.PRM file for things like the sysop's name, and the COM port that is being used. Done 3.) Make a check for users who do not have ansi graphics enabled or do not have an 80x24 screen, and make the program go into a line mode chat, similar to the current OPUS 1.03a version chat mode. 4.) Anything other features I can think of to make this program better. If you can think of any other expansions or changes that you would like to see, just drop me a line, and I will see what I can do.