TopBases v2.2 Standard
Written by Richard Landskroener
Copyright (c) 1993,94 TNT Software
For T.A.G. 2.7 Standard
All Rights Reserved
(Updated on 10/10/94)
-] Complete Documentation [-
Table of Contents
I. Boring, but important, stuff you should know first.
1. Legal Notice
2. Slamming the Shareware Concept
3. Warranty
4. What This Program Does
5. System Requirements
II. Installation Instructions.
1. Upgrading from Previous Versions
2. First-time Installation
3. Configurations.
III. Troubleshooting.
1. Bugs in the Program
2. Known Problems With TopBases.
IV. Other Stuff.
1. Technical info
2. Other products by TNT Software
3. About TNT Software
4. Contacting the Author
5. Acknowledgements
I. Boring, but important, stuff you should know first.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
1. Legal Notice
───────────────
This program is copyrighted software but you are free to distribute it as long
as all files remain in their original, unmodified state, and that the PKZIP -AV
(authenticity verification) remains in-tact as well.
You can this program as much as you want, as often as you want, provided that
you do not attempt to hack the software and re-distribute it. You're permit-
ted to modify it with a HEX editor, debugger, etc as long as you don't re-dis-
tribute it after you have modified it (much like the T.A.G. BBS policy).
2. Slamming the Shareware Concept
─────────────────────────────────
This program is not, hasn't been, and never, EVER will be shareware. This
program is absolutely FREE to everyone.
No one in the world should have to pay ANYTHING to run my programs, especially
since they come with no guarantees, and I could simply run off with your money,
or quit writing the software. If you ask me, a great deal of shareware is
nothing but worthless junk, why should you have to pay hard-earned cash for a
small TAG BBS utility (written for a freeware BBS program, I might add) to an
author that gets 100% profit from the money you send in? Seems like baloney to
me.
Think about this -- add up the total price of all the "registration fees" of
the demo versions of shareware programs that you've had. You would undoubtedly
be rich if you had that sum. The simple joy and challenge of programming
should be more than a enough incentives for BBS utility authors to write their
programs.
You can count on TNT Software for creating free, non-crippled, highly-reliable,
often-updated software for T.A.G. BBS -- I didn't pay anything to make it, you
shouldn't have to pay anything to use it.
3. Warranty
───────────
This program comes with NO warranty of any kind. Any loss of data, damage to
your system, or unexpected/unexplained/unwanted results are NOT the author's
fault and are NOT the author's responsibility. This program is only guarant-
eed to take up hard disk space!
However, if you DO have a problem, I would be more than happy to help you
figure out a solution to what ever your problem might be and offer my services.
4. What This Program Does
─────────────────────────
TopBases will scan through the SysOp logs and will pick out all the posts,
based on which base types you have enabled in the configuration file, sort them
by number of posts made in each base, and create a bulletin showing the results
of the logs. Here's a brief overview of some of the features in TopBases:
- Runs reasonably fast.
- Supports multiple configuration files for multiple lists - you could have
one with just local bases, one with just echoes, and so on.
- Supports up to 301 message bases total.
- You can completely configure full path/filename to write the listing to.
- Configurable colors for almost everything in the listing.
- 100% Freeware.
- Multinode support.
- First and last log day scanning configurability.
- Choice of which types of message bases to include in the listing.
- The ability to choose the highest security level to include in the list.
- AR flag toggling (to choose which bases with AR flags you want included
in the listing.)
5. System Requirements
──────────────────────
There are four basic requirements for running TopBases; they are:
1. An IBM-compatible computer with at least an 8086 processor.
(The faster the processor, the faster your list is made).
2. A somewhat-fast hard disk with at least 100K or so free on it.
(The faster the hard disk, the faster your list is made).
3. A MS-DOS v2.1-compatible operating system, such as MS-DOS v6.2.
(Anything that will run MS-DOS programs will suffice).
4. A fairly-recent copy of T.A.G. BBS.
II. Installation Instructions.
══════════════════════════════
1. Upgrading from Previous Versions
───────────────────────────────────
Upgrading to v2.2 from v1.2 or v1.1
-----------------------------------
Just overwrite your v1.2 or v1.1 TOPBASES.EXE file with the new v2.2
TOPBASES.EXE file, and you're all set and ready to go! There have been a few
new options added for the config file. Set those to the way you like them and
you're ready to go!
2. First-time Installation
──────────────────────────
Okay, I'll run this through step-by-step as simple as possibly. Of course, this
documentation file will end up huge, but I am going to make this sound very
simple even though it's a bit complicated.
-] Step One: Location of Files [-
---------------------------------
First off, place all TopBases files in your main BBS directory.
TopBases gets path information from the STATUS.DAT file, so TopBases must be
ran from your main BBS directory. The only files that are necessary for
execution are TOPBASES.EXE, and your configuration file.
TOPBASES.EXE - TopBases executable file.
DEFAULT.CFG - TopBases default configuration file.
-] Step Two: Batch File Setup and Execution [-
----------------------------------------------
Now, all you need to do is edit your nightly maintenance batch file or
whatever other batch file(s) that you want to update TopBases bulletin in.
In my DAILY.BAT file, I have the following:
@ECHO OFF
CD\TAG
TAGMATE TAGMATE.CFG LOG /L TopBases Bulletin Maintenance
TOPBASES TOPBASES.CFG
CD\TAG
EXIT
In other words, simply add "TOPBASES <configuration filename>" where
ever you deem it necessary.
3. Multiple Configurations/Lists
────────────────────────────────
If you want to make separate lists (i.e. one for local bases, one for
all echos, one for groupmail bases, etc) this section is for you.
TopBases can read any number of configurations, only limited by the size
of your hard disks. It reads the configuration file that you specify on the
command line, and goes by that file the whole time it is executing. It will not
mess with any other configuration file except the one that you specify on the
command line.
The configuration file is basically self-explanatory as far as what
each of the functions do.
Therefore, you have to make separate configuration files named dif-
ferently (or in different directories and/or different drives) in order for it
to read an alternate configuration. For instance, if you wanted one listing
(LOCAL.CFG for example) to include only local base posts, you would edit
"LOCAL.CFG", and configure it to include the line uncommented in your file:
UseLocal
;UseEcho
;UseNet
;UseGroup
then you would save it and execute "TOPBASES LOCAL.CFG" to create the list. But,
if you wanted an echobase only list to be made, you would have to have two
separate executions in your batch file(s) that you ran TopBases in, for
instance:
@ECHO OFF
CD\TAG
TOPBASES LOCAL.CFG
TOPBASES ECHO.CFG
EXIT
And in your ECHO.CFG, you would have it set to:
;UseLocal
UseEcho
;UseNet
;UseGroup
...Like that. The basic idea being: One configuration file and execution in
your batch file per listing created.
But, as always, you could create ONE list that shows ALL 4 types of bases, just
by having the configuration file say:
UseLocal
UseEcho
UseNet
UseGroup
and you would get a listing with all of them. If you're still unsure, consult
the standard configuration file that came with this program.
You can also now decide which message bases to include by AR flag now in the
config file. This can give you endless lists by using different AR flags along
with the lines to just use local, echo, etc. For example, say you have a
programming echomail network on your board and also local programming
bases, both with an AR of 'P', but you only want the echo posts with that AR
flag in the list. The way you could set that up would be as follows:
;UseLocal
UseEcho
;UseNet
;UseGroup
NoGlobalFlag
UseFlag P
... and you would be all set. Nothing really too trivial about it. :)
III. Troubleshooting.
═════════════════════
1. Bugs in the Program
──────────────────────
Please note that TopBases is definitely not guaranteed to be bug-free,
and probably ISN'T bug-free!
If you suspect that there is a bug in TopBases and would like to report
it, here's what you need to do:
1. Figure out some way to repeat the problem, and repeat it at least
once so you know for sure what causes the problem.
2. Be sure that it's definitely NOT a configuration problem or operator
error on your part. Check your configuration, paths, directories,
help files, and documentation files, etc and see if they say any-
thing about the suspected "bug".
Once you're sure of all that, NetMail me an explaination (addresses and
such can be found at the end of this documentation file), or call my BBS and
E-Mail an explaination to "Sysop".
2. Known Problems With TopBases
───────────────────────────────
Well, as of this version, and the testing I did on it after compiling
it, there are no bugs (or major bugs I should say) that would conflict with
the operation of TopBases. If you do happen to find a bug, please netmail me
(contact information is stated elsewhere in the docs) and let me know, and if
it bombed out with a runtime error, please include the RUNERROR.LOG so I can
determine exactly what happened. Thanks!
IV. Other Stuff.
════════════════
1. Technical info
─────────────────
What is TopBases written in?
I have written everything that I've ever released for T.A.G. BBS (back when I
was writing NewLog) in Turbo Pascal Version 7.0. Everything, so far, has been
compiled in Real Mode.
2. Other products by TNT Software
─────────────────────────────────
TAGMate v1.16 Standard - FREQ: "TAGMATE" from 1:2410/331.
---------------------------------------------------------
Release date: October 1994.
TAGMate is what "DoorStat", "NewLog", "AutoMail", and "Top 15" were. It does
everything all four of those programs did and more. AutoMail now has JAM
support, Top 15 has been revived and re-updated, and there have been several
minor additions and bug-fixes made to DoorStat and NewLog. All problems with
file board exclusion/access restriction have been fixed in Top 15 as well.
Also, a text file colorizer may also be implemented into TAGMate where you
can completely colorize (with T.A.G. ^C# codes) any ASCII file so it will look
nicer on your system when a user with ANSI graphics displays the file.
TNTFLIST v1.05 Standard - FREQ: "TNTFLIST" from 1:2410/331.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Release Date: May 6, 1994.
TNTFLIST is a flexible, configurable file list generator.
TAGCFG v1.50 Standard - FREQ: "TAGCFG" from 1:2410/331.
-------------------------------------------------------
Release Date: October 5, 1994
TAGCFG allows you tro configure your T.A.G. BBS by writing your STATUS.DAT to
a text file to modify settings, and then read the text file with the new
settings back into the STATUS.DAT.
(If you would like more information about any future updates/programs of TNT
Software, NetMail Richard Landskroener @ 1:2410/331).
3. About TNT Software
─────────────────────
TNT Software (TNTSoft) is a [very] small association of T.A.G.
programmers that was started mid-1992 in the Detroit area. We've been dedicated
to bringing you high-quality, no-cost software since then. The head programmer
of TNT Software is Joe McElmeel, 17, who's hobbies include programming,
listening to music, and talking about himself in third person [credit Brian
Dodds].
Richard Landskroener, 19, is the other programmer for TNT Software that
originally wrote NewLog and has designed and wrote this program, TopBases. As
a matter of fact, I'm the one that initially taught Joe the basic Pascal
language!
The name "TNT Software" was thought up by Jeff Witt, 17, another pseudo-
programmer/Alpha site. "TNT" stood for "The NewLog Team", because NewLog was
our original program, but as most of you know by now, it has been merged into
one new program called "TAGMate".
Here's a listing of TNT Software support sites as of 10/10/94:
(In alphabetical order by the SysOp's last name).
-] TNTSoft Alpha Sites [-
SysOp Name Fido Node BBS Name Phone Number Location Key
─────────────── ────────── ──────────────── ───────────── ──────────────── ───
R. Landskroener 1:2410/331 Emergency Scene (313)941-2176 Romulus, MI A
R. Landskroener [No Node] Emergency Scene2 (313)941-0153 Romulus, MI A
Mike Lowe 1:112/99 Marauder's Hidea (904)292-0531 Jacksonville, FL D
Joe McElmeel 1:2410/480 The Galaxy BBS (313)284-5455 Riverview, MI E
Dan Smith 1:318/7 Unknown Gateway (505)784-3275 Clovis, NM A
-] TNTSoft Beta Sites [-
SysOp Name Fido Node BBS Name Phone Number Location Key
─────────────── ────────── ──────────────── ───────────── ──────────────── ───
Brian Dodds 1:101/200 Purple Cowz ][ (617)373-7404 Boston, MA B
Alex Mcneilly 1:2410/278 The CPF (313)386-7054 Lincoln Park, MI F
Alex Mcneilly 1:2410/0 The CPF (313)386-1884 Lincoln Park, MI B
Tim Steffes [No Node] My BBS! (313)595-6785 Westland, MI F
Wanda Hall [No Node] Rosie's Place (313)941-0865 Romulus, MI F
Don Davis 1:2410/314 The Danger Zone (313)782-4524 Flat Rock, MI A
Edward Tracy 1:2410/217 Cheers (313)838-4172 Detroit, MI G
The "Key" means:
A = Supports v.32bis/v.42bis 14400 BPS.
B = Supports v.32bis/v.42bis 14400 BPS, as well as HST 16800 BPS.
C = Supports v.32/v.42bis 9600 BPS, as well as HST 14400 BPS.
D = Supports v.32bis/v.42bis 14400 BPS, as well as ZyXEL 16800 BPS.
E = Supports v.34/v.fc 28800 BPS.
F = Supports v.fc 28000 BPS.
G = Supports v.32/v.42b 9600 BPS.
4. Contacting the Author
────────────────────────
Richard Landskroener, programmer of TopBases, can be contacted in any
of the following ways:
1. Through the InterNet via mail to rjl@iconnu.org or rjland@gatecom.com.
2. Through FidoNet NetMail at 1:2410/331.
3. Calling The Emergency Scene directly and leaving E-Mail to SysOp.
The Emergency Scene is Node 1: (313)941-2176, 14.4k v.32bis/v.42bis,
and Node 2: (313)941-0153, 14.4k v.32bis/v.42bis.
4. In any of the backbone T.A.G. echos such as: TAG, TAGMULTI,
TAG_DOORS, TAG_OS2, and net 2410's LOC_TAG_TECH echo.
5. Acknowledgements
───────────────────
All programs, operating systems, products, brand names, etc are all
property/under the ownership of/a trademark of their respectable owners.
Thanks to Mark Watts, who asked me to write this program, and I'm
thanking him cause it made me have a good, fun challenge getting everything in
working order. :-) (Sorry that it's 2 years late though, Mark! <grin>).
Thanks to Joe who helped me out with the code on a couple of occasions.
(grin).
Thanks to Jeff Witt for thinking of the name "TNT Software".
Thanks to Paul Williams, Victor Capton, and Randy Goebel for creating
an excellent, freeware BBS package and releasing the data structures for it!
Thanks to the Alpha and Beta team for testing my software and putting
up with me!
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