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( T.A.G. 2.5g - Copyright (C) 1986-1990 Robert Numerick, )
\________________ and Victor Capton. _________________/
\__________________________/
T.A.G. BBS Version 2.5g - Update Documentation - Page 1
***************************
* Changes to Version 2.5g *
***************************
-----------------
Conversion Issues
-----------------
1. Changing LOGON.BAT and NEWLOGON.BAT files:
*** IMPORTANT ***
A correction has been made to the parameters passed to the
LOGON.BAT and NEWLOGON.BAT files. They now follow the generic
door parameters passed on all door calls. Normally you should
have never used parameters %1 and %2 in your batch files, so all
the is necessary in most cases is to subtract two from any
remaining parameters in your batch file (e.g. "%5 %7 %3" becomes
"%3 %5 %1"). Please check both your LOGON.BAT and NEWLOGON.BAT to
see if they are effected (call back verification doors are one
common program likely effected). The generic door parameters are
as follows:
1 = Baud rate
2 = Time remaining on-line in minutes
3 = User number
4 = First name
5 = Last name
6 = ANSI graphics (1=On, 0=Off)
7 = Communications port
T.A.G. BBS Version 2.5g - Update Documentation - Page 2
2. Setting "Uses custom menus" flags on existing users:
To turn ON the new "Uses custom menus" flag on all your existing
users and the new user record, the following step must be taken:
1. Enter the user editor.
2. Select the new user record with the "\" command.
3. Choose the extended display with the "N" (New list
mode), "E" (Extended), "Y" (Yes, Autolist mode)
keystrokes.
4. On the second to last line just to the right of the
center, check to see if the "Custom" flag Is "On". If
so, the new user record is already correct and you can
proceed to step 6. If OFF, continue with step 5.
5. Select "+" for the Configuration Flags and select flag
"A". This toggles the flag OFF. Verify that Custom is
now displayed as ON.
6. Enter the Options Menu with the "O" command.
7. Select "Config. flags set" with the "+" key and toggle
the "A" flag.
8. Using the "L" command, verify that the Config. flags set
are "A-----------------------" and that all other
options are <<Inactive>>.
9. Use the "T" command to tag all users with the A flag and
select Union by pressing "1". All users who have the
Uses Custom Menus flags have now been tagged.
10. Invert the tag table with the "I" command. Now only
users with the A flag OFF will be tagged.
11. Press "S" to show tagged users. If none are found, you
are done; otherwise continue with step 12.
12. Press "Q" to go back to the User Editor.
13. Press "/" for a tagged change.
14. Select "+" for Configuration flags, answer the warning
question "Y" and toggle the A flag. This will turn the
flag ON for all tagged users.
You are done! <whew!>
T.A.G. BBS Version 2.5g - Update Documentation - Page 3
3. Clearing any existing "C" flags on your users:
The "C" special flag is no longer used by the system for
prevention of posting the auto message. This restriction should
be placed on the menu command itself if you wish to specifically
restrict users. To clear all existing "C" special flags following
these steps:
1. Enter the user editor
WARNING: Exit the user editor and reenter it if you are
already there from the previous step.
2. Select the new user record with the "\" command.
3. On the third line on the right side, check to see if the
"SF" flag "C" is active. If it is "-" (not active), the
new user record is already correct and you can proceed
to step 5. If it is active ("C") continue with step 4.
4. Select "E" for the special flags and choose flag "C".
This toggles the flag OFF. Verify that "SF" flag "C" is
now displayed as "-" (inactive).
5. Enter the Options Menu with the "O" command.
6. Select Special flags set with the "4" key and toggle the
"C" flag.
7. Using the "L" command, verify that the Special flags set
are "--C---------------------" and that all other
options are <<Inactive>>.
8. Use the "T" command to tag all users with the C special
flag and select Union by pressing "1". All users who
have the C special flag have now been tagged.
9. Press "S" to show tagged users. If none are found, you
are done; otherwise continue with step 10.
10. Press "Q" to go back to the User Editor.
11. Press "/" for a tagged change.
12. Select "E" for Special flags, answer the warning
question "Y" and toggle the C special flag. This will
turn the special flag C OFF for all tagged users.
That's it!
T.A.G. BBS Version 2.5g - Update Documentation - Page 4
3. Setting new options in system configuration:
Single value security settings:
$. SL/AR/Password for the Control-U command (** IMPORTANT **)
Optional flagged functions:
3. Force scan before upload
4. Local logon SysOp window
5. Show files open
NOTE: Option 5 is a last minute undocumented feature to
display and log the number of open files in DOS and
the number of open files T.A.G.
NOTE: You may have to toggle these options more that once
initially to get them in "sync" and get rid of any
garbage information in that location.
4. Adding new commands to the standard menus:
Personal Data Menu
Long desc. : (8)Toggle use of custom menus ON/OFF
Short desc. : (8)Toggle menus
Key : 8
Program key : D
Program data : "23"
File Transfer Menu
Long desc. : (/U)sers with access to the current section
Short desc. : (/U)
Key : /U
Program key : M
Program data : ""
Long desc. : (/I)nterior listing of archives by description
Short desc. : (/I)nteriorDesc
Key : /I
Program key : I
Program data : "@"
Long desc. : (//INTGLOB)Interior listing for all sections
Short desc. : (//INTGLOB)al
Key : /I
Program key : I
Program data : "G"
T.A.G. BBS Version 2.5g - Update Documentation - Page 5
------------
New Features
------------
A limited number of SDR (System Data Reference) codes are now available
for the SysOp to use in text files. These codes are dynamically
replaced with the current available user/system information when the
file is actually printed. Be advised! Theses are NOT consistent with
the proposed v2.6/3.0 TAG codes. So the screens you do today will not
work when Victor gets done. But these are here today. See the main
documentation for detailed information on implementing SDR codes.
Events have been completely reworked. The event editor is still
accessible through the normal method, either Control-"Q"/(E)vents or
using a command on a menu with PKey="1" and PData="V". However all
your original events must be re-entered into the new event system.
T.A.G. now allows you to define an unlimited number of events. Events
fall into two different categories, Internal and External. What
follows is only a brief overview of the new event system.
Internal Events
---------------
An internal event is a condition defined by the SysOp that exists
for a specified period of time. There are two types of internal
events, Logon events and Chat events. A logon event may be used
to modify the user's access to your system; a chat event may be
used to modify the status of the SysOp Available flag (note this
effect will not be seen on the wait screen because events are user
dependent). At logon, T.A.G. will determine which events are
active and make any adjustments to the user's access required or
allocated time. Both logon and chat events can be classified as
either restriction or permission events. Optional messages are
available when a user is either "affected" or "unaffected" by a
particular event. The four different combinations of logon/chat
and restriction/permission events are:
1. Internal Logon Restriction Events: Logon restriction
events are used to prevent a user who matches certain
defined criterion (out-of-balance, baud rate, SL, DSL,
AR flags) from being able to log onto your board during
specified times.
2. Internal Logon Permission Events: Logon permission
events permit the SysOp to define that the system will
change a user's permissions at logon in one of two ways.
1) By setting or clearing an AR flag, and/or 2) reducing
his/her allocated time.
T.A.G. BBS Version 2.5g - Update Documentation - Page 6
3. Internal Chat Restriction Event: Chat restriction
events are used to turn off the SysOp Available flag
when a user who matches certain criterion
(out-of-balance, baud rate, SL, DSL, AR flags) logs onto
your board during specified times.
4. Internal Chat Permission Event: Chat permission events
are used to turn on the Sysop Available flag when a user
who matches certain criterion (out-of-balance, baud
rate, SL, DSL, AR flags) logs onto your board during
specified times.
External Events
---------------
An external event is an activity that will be executed from T.A.G.
at a scheduled time from the wait screen. There are two types of
external events, hard and soft events. Hard events are similar to
T.A.G.'s original event system - an activity is scheduled at a
given time and, if necessary, T.A.G. adjusts a user's time to
force him/her off of the system so that the event will occur at
exactly the time specified. Soft events function like hard
events, except they are set to occur at the first available
opportunity at or after the specified time without restricting a
user's time. External events are executed in one of two ways, 1)
by halting T.A.G. completely and allowing the controlling batch
program to run a program(s) based on the error code set by T.A.G.
upon exit and, 2) through a DOS shell.
The is now another SysOp Hot Key available in several areas of the
board. The control-U key, (Dubbed "Quick User Editor") a "smart" entry
into the user editor. The control-U will bring up the user editor,
displaying the record of the user whose message/file you were looking
at. If it can't find the user of interest, it brings up the record of
the person currently on-line. Control-U is configured in the system
configuration similar to the control-Q command. Additionally there is
a YES/NO option to bypass the normal password request. The Control-U
is active during the following operations:
1. Reading private mail (yours or all)
2. Reading public messages
3. Browsing files
4. Editing files
5. Validating files
T.A.G. BBS Version 2.5g - Update Documentation - Page 7
This upload command now optionally permits SysOp to force users to scan
for duplicates prior to upload. Toggle this option ON/OFF in the
system configuration under optionally flagged functions, option "3".
When active, T.A.G. analyzes the upload file and intelligently modifies
it for a "best" scan. For example, a user uploading TDRAW330.ZIP would
be given a file mask of TDRAW*.* for the scan. The user has the option
of accepting or modifying the mask provided that s/he does not make it
too general or so that it no longer matches the file to be uploaded.
Normal users can abort this scan immediately or during the scan.
However, a user who has been given the "C" special flag cannot abort
the scan and must scan before uploading.
A new command has been added to the file section which allows a users
to list all users with access to the current file section. This
command functions the just like the (U)sers with access command in the
message section.
A new command "(%)User History" has been added in the user editor to
show the a user's log history. This command traces back through your
SYSOP###.LOG files and shows the activities of the user that you're
currently looking at.
The SysOp can now configure the system to leave the SysOp window off
during local logons.
An "I" sub-command has been added on the reading public mail menu to
allow a user to ignore all remaining unread messages in the current
base.
Placing a Control-P (^P) on a line by itself inside a test file will
not force a pause at that point when printing the file.
The SYSOP.LOG now closes at the first opportunity at or after midnight
even when a user is on-line (rather than waiting for the first caller
of the day).
T.A.G. BBS Version 2.5g - Update Documentation - Page 8
A new file (placed in the alternate directory) called NOBOARD.MSG/CLR
has been added. Use of this file by the SysOp will help to reduce a
new user's confusion when s/he tries to access file boards which are
restricted solely because s/he has not been validated. Because a new
user can see these boards from the "File Areas" command, s/he may try
to access them only to be told "Invalid board number". This is
especially a problem when the new user does not have color and cannot
see the difference between green and yellow (which distinguishes
restricted boards from unrestricted ones). In addition, The internal
phrase printed if the file is not present has been softened to "Board
only available to validated users".
A new configuration flag now exists to allow users to optionally turn
off custom menus which the SysOp may have created and use T.A.G.'s
internal menus.
The GIF resolution routines have been modified to support Compu$erve's
new GIF89a resolution.
The download commands now recognize "relaxed" file specifications like
the MOVE, EDIT, INTERIOR, SCAN and LIST commands already have.
The TRASHCAN.TXT file now allows comments. Follow the name by a space
and a semi-colon, then whatever text you like. This will make it easy
for you to remember why a user was put in the trash can.
Examples:
GEORGE WILBERSKIN ;Logged on 3 account names, FLIPPER, ZORRO and BUD
PETER ELBLITZ ;Tried to hack board on 7/12/90
There is a new option in the protocol editor. Pressing control-<P> <R>
will produce the user's real baud rate so it can be passed to external
protocols. This is mainly used to the protocols to let the protocol
calculate the real transfer time (for locked baud systems).
T.A.G. BBS Version 2.5g - Update Documentation - Page 9
Custom menus for T.A.G. can now be created by SL (security level).
Before discussing how to make an SL specific menu, let's review the
convention for a generic custom menu. The first part of the filename
for the menu is derived from the HELPID file name in the menu when it
is created. For example, the name "MAIN" might be used for a custom
menu for the main menu. Then, the particular help level is attached
(eg. "MAIN2","MAIN3", or "MAIN4"). Then, the extension is applied,
depending on whether the user's ANSI flag is on, resulting in the
full names "MAIN2.CLR", "MAIN2.MSG" ... "MAIN4.CLR", "MAIN4.MSG". We
tried to keep this scheme. To create an SL specific menu, you just
append a -<SL> to the file name. The only problem is that you may need
to shorten your menu names to accomplish this, since "MAIN1-255" is one
character too long. But "MAI1-255" is just right. Why the dash?
Because it's easier to see the SLs for which you have designed custom
menus when doing a directory at DOS. One final note: An SL specific
custom menu overrides the normal custom menu. If "MAI3-100.CLR" and
"MAI3.CLR" both exist, a user with an SL of 100 will see the "MAI3-100"
at help level 3.
The entire scanning/searching process has been cleaned up to be more
informative to users about what is going on, and what the results were.
Two new versions of the interior list command have been added to the
system. Previously PKey "I" in the file section did not take PData.
It has been modified so that when the P-Data is "G", the interior
listing will be global in nature, scanning all file sections available
to the user and producing an interior listing of all files matching the
file mask. When the PData is "@", the user will be prompted for a file
description. The interior listing could be
global or local in nature, depending on the user's response to the
search all areas question.
Two new files are now available after file transfers. POSTUL.MSG/CLR
and POSTDL.MSG/CLR are now optionally displayed after successful single
or batch transfers. These files are be used to print the users UL/DL
status or other sort of message.
Added a ARFLAGS.MSG/CLR file to display when you go to edit a users AR
flags. This will allow a SysOp to define a reminder to themselves and
remotes of what each flag means.
T.A.G. BBS Version 2.5g - Update Documentation - Page 10
Added tracking of modifications to user records. A field in each user's
record indicates the user number which made the last modification to
that record. It is a display only option under the "9" command in the
user editor. If the last change user number is the same as the user
number, the change was done while the user was on-line, either by
him/her or from the keyboard.
A SysOp debugging feature now exists to display the number of open
files DOS is using in addition to the number of open files T.A.G. is
using. This feature may come in handy for determining if a
utility/door program is leaving files "open" and thus eventually
exhausting using up all the available "FILES" as defined in your
CONFIG.SYS.
T.A.G. BBS Version 2.5g - Update Documentation - Page 11
------------------
Notable Bugs Fixed
------------------
Using the //MAILR command when no messages exist no longer causes a run
time error.
The problem caused by entering the menu editor while on-line, modifying
a menu and then exiting back to the board no longer places you at a
random menu (//FALLBACK bug).
The bracket commands no longer require a section mask in order to link
additional commands.
The parameters for LOGON.BAT now follow the generic door parameters.
Problems with using the external editor as a new user or from the wait
screen hopefully have been squashed this time around.
ANSI graphics can now be used in all private mail.
Other minor problems too numerous to mention.