旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � � � Lightbar Construction Set � � Version 1.0�1 � � � � Written by Gregory Gulick � � (c)Copyright 1994 - All Rights Reserved � � Documentation Written by Gil Gulick � � A Power Software Production � � � � 頰 Another Quality PowerPPE from the SysOps at The Power Supply! 頰 � � (813)949-7153 � � � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� !!! DISCLAIMER !!! The author is is no way responsible for anything that happens as a result of your choosing to unarchive or execute this software. Use this program at your own risk. Furthermore, this program is free. The author is under no obligation to offer support for this software. He may cease to program PowerPPEs at any point at which he is bored. Let it be known hereforth, you get what you pay for. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 - Introduction - What is the Lightbar Construction Set? Simple. The Lightbar Construction Set (LBCS) allows you to replace internal PCBoard prompts with lightbar prompts. It simply allows you to design a lightbar prompt to fit your tastes. The concept is simple. You design the lightbar prompt, tell the config file how many options are on the prompt (a maximum of 10), what keystrokes activate an option, and how each menu option behaves. Options can keyboard stuff characters, run other PPE's, display text files, and more! Easy enough, huh? So let's get to work and talk about configuring and installing the Lightbar Construction Set. - Installation - To install LBCS simply add a line to your CMD.LST, or replace a prompt with LBCS.PPE followed by the name of the config file. LBCS will look in the path it was run from for the PPE file. Example: C:\PCB\PPE\LBCS.PPE QWK.CFG This command will run LBCS and load the QWK.CFG file. It will look for the file in C:\PCB\PPE because that is the path where the PPE was run. For program information, hit ! at any LBCS prompt. The version of LBCS you are running will be displayed. Obviously, you should not use ! as a hotkey. - Configuration File - The configuration file is a text file consisting of 34 lines. Don't let this number overwhelm you. Most of the lines to the same thing. You'll see... let's talk about them (This would be a good time to refer to the included sample configuration file: QWK.CFG): � Line #1 - This line simply contains the total number of options on the lightbar prompt. Again, you are limited to a maximum of 10. � Line #2 - This line is the way the prompt would appear WITHOUT any options highlighted. � Lines #3-12 - These lines are the prompts with their respective options highlighted. The way the lightbars work is that the prompt is shown initially with the first option highlighted. After arrow keys or the space bar has been pushed LBCS backs up and replaces the old line with the line representing the currently highlighted option. This allows maximum flexibility for color, etc. Notice that line 3 is option number 1, line 3 is option number 2, etc. This idea remains constant throughout the configuration file. If this idea seems unclear to you now, load one of the sample config files into an editor compatible with PCBoard's @ codes. This should help. � Lines #13-22 - These lines represent the key to activate the options on the prompt. You will notice (if you ran this program or loaded the sample config file into your editor) that all of the lightbar options have brackets around the first letters of the option. This is, of course, optional. I just include it so that ASCII users will still be able to use this program without color or lightbars. (Try one of the sample files without ANSI on). It just appears to be a little menu. Again, notice that these line correspond to the different options. Line 13 is the hotkey for option number 1, line 14 is the hotkey for option 2, etc. � Lines #23-32 - These are the command lines for each option. A command may stuff characters to the keyboard, or use one of the LBCS extended commands. Extended commands allow you to display files, run other PPE's and much more! All LBCS commands are explained in the next section of the documentation. - LBCS Commands - Here are some examples of keyboard stuffing with LBCS: Y If the only thing on this line was a "Y", the result would be to stuff into the keyboard a "Y" without a carriage return. To stuff a Y followed by a carriage return: Y^M This would stuff a carriage return after the Y. "^M" is the symbol often associatied with a carriage return. In some prompts you may require a carriage return, and in others you may not. It is dependent on specific situation. You can also stack commands, such as: Y;N;S;ALL^M This would stuff "Y" then "S" then "S" then "ALL" followed by a carriage return. - LBCS Extended Commands - Light Bar Construction Set also has many additional and powerful commands. These commands are placed on the command lines instead of keyboard stuff characters. Note that all filenames are graphics, language, and security level sensitive. :END_WITH_DISP If ":END_WITH_DISP" is placed on a line to be stuffed, LBCS will interpret this to me "EXIT THE PROGRAM, STUFF NOTHING, AND DISPLAY THE EXITING TEXT FILE." (The exiting file is discussed later) :END_NO_DISP If ":END_NO_DISP" is placed on a line to be stuffed, LBCS will simply take this to mean "EXIT THE PROGRAM, STUFF NOTHING, AND DO NOT DISPLAY THE EXITING TEXT FILE" (The exiting text file is explained later) ** Note ** I do not recommed using the "END_..." commands when replacing an internal PCBoard prompt. This would cause the program to default back to the internal prompt and would be very unattractive. :DISP_NORETURN Displays the file specified and ends. This command does not display the exiting file. Example: :END_ALT_DISP C:\PCB\GEN\LOGO This command would display the file "LOGO" and exit the program. No other functions will be performed. :DISP_RETURN This command will display a file and return to the LBCS prompt. Example: :DISP_RETURN C:\PCB\GEN\QWKH This command will display the QWKH file for the current language, security level, and graphics mode and then return to the LBCS prompt. :DISP_END This command will display the specified file, then display the exiting file and exit LBCS. Example: :DISP_END QWKF This command would display QWKF, display the exiting file, and then exit LBCS. :INPUT "", Displays the , and accept up to characters of input from the user. LBCS then stuffs the input string and a carriage return. Note: must be between 1 and 80. Otherwise, LBCS will default to 10. Example: :INPUT "Enter Name ",20 This command would display "Enter Name" to the user and then allow him to enter a name up to 20 characters in length. :PPE_RETURN This command will execute a PPE and return to LBCS when the program is finished. Example: :PPE_RETURN C:\PCB\PPE\CALLBACK.PPE This command would execute the callback ppe, and then return to the LBCS prompt. NOTE: LBCS remains in memory, so watch your memory usage! :PPE_NORETURN This command will execute a PPE, and then exit LBCS. Example: :PPP_NORETURN C:\PCB\PPE\LOGOFF.PPE This command will execute the logoff ppe and then exit LBCS. NOTE: LBCS remains in memory, so watch your memory usage! - Quick Reference - : Stuff character w/ no carriage return. ^M : Stuff character w/ carriage return. :END_WITH_DISP : End program and display the exiting file. :END_NO_DISP : End program and do not display the exiting file. :DISP_NORETURN : Display a file and end. This will NOT display the exiting file. :DISP_RETURN : Display a file, but do not end. :DISP_END : Display a file, display the exiting file, then end. :INPUT "", : Display the , and accept up to characters of input. Stuff the results and exit the program. :PPE_RETURN : Execute a PPE and return to the program when finished. :PPE_NORETURN : Execute a PPE and do not return to the program. - Registration - This is the part all BBS SysOps hate. Isn't running a BBS expensive?! Yes, it is. And the interesting thing is, many of the people that make running a BBS more expensive are the BBS SysOps themselves. These are the BBS SysOps that write ShareWare software. ShareWare is a terriffic concept, however it is probably abused in the SysOp community. When was the last time you called a BBS to register a program, and saw the SysOp running other programs that said unregistered. And how many times have you seen a SysOp like this beg and plead with you in his documentation to register his software. I'm sorry, but if you write ShareWare software and EXPECT people to register your software, you'd better be registering all the ShareWare software you run. If you can't afford to register the software, why do think other SysOps can. It should be easy to see, that very few people are making money. Let's say I write a ShareWare PPE and get a couple of registrations, but there are some other BBS utilities I like and use, so I register them. So, I didn't make anything because I had to use the money I made on my PPE's to register the other utilities. The money just goes round and round, and nobody makes anything. This, of course does not apply to all BBS utilities. There are some EXCELLENT utilities out there that should be ShareWare, and absolutely should be registered. As a result, we have decided to release Light Bar Construction Set as FreeWare software. There is no charge for using this software, and no registration is required. However, if you like the program, consider dropping us a line. - Support - We appreciate all comments, suggestions, and bug reports. There are several ways to reach us, but FidoNet is the fastest and best way to reach us. Send a message on a PCBoard echo or NetMail to Gil Gulick at 1:377/64. We can also be reached on Internet via the PCBoard Usenet newsgroup or at ggulick@ibm.net. Of course, you could always call the BBS as well! The Power Supply (813)949-7153 FidoNet: 1:377/64