************************************ THE WEATHER FORECASTER ************************************ The ultimate Weather PPE Version 1.04 03-24-97 Copyright (c)94,1997 Practical Computer Services Courtesy of: The TAO BBS (609) 587-2672 300 - 33.6K USR Dual Standard v.34+ 24 Hours a Day Written by: Robert Watson Gary Smith Practical Computer Services 483 Klockner Road Hamilton, NJ 08619 INTRODUCTION: This PPE is written exclusively for PCBoard version 15.x. The purpose of this PPE is to allow your users to view weather reports & forecasts online. View severe/special advisories, local & regional forecasts & climate data. They can also download WEATHER.ZIP, which can contain satellite images from Planet Connect or whatever you want it to contain. The PPE is fully functional & registration removes the UNREGISTERED beg lines. FILES: Below is a list of files that come with the unregistered version. If any files are missing please call the BBS listed above. Please do not modify any of the files except the ones indicated, as the program will not run properly if these are modified. WEATHER.PPE ---- The main PPE program. WEATHER.DOC ---- Program documentation (You are reading it now) HISTORY.DOC ---- Program release history. REGISTER.FRM ---- Registration form. SUB1 ---- The report selection menu screen. * SUB2 ---- The forecast by county screen. MAINMENU ---- The main menu screen. * TFXR ---- The weather.zip file transfer screen. * CLI-GONE ---- No climate data present file. * EXT-GONE ---- No extended forecast present file. * SEV-GONE ---- No severe advisories present file. * WT-NJ.xxx ---- Examples of weather data files you will capture. * Indicates the only modifiable files. Modifying the others will render the program useless. -1- SETUP: 1) Create a directory and UNZIP all files for the PPE into it. Installing the PPE is straight forward and simple. For those of you who don't know how to setup a PPE, please consult your PCBoard documentation. 2) Run PCBSETUP 3) Choose B-File Locations, then B-Configuration Files. 4) Highlight and edit your CMD.LST file. (F2) 5) Create a new entry in the CMD.LST (ALT-I) and fill in the following information: Command Security PPE/MNU File -or- Keystroke Replacement ---------- ----------- ------------------------------------------- 1) WX 10 C:\PPE\WEATHER\WEATHER.PPE NJ ^^ The command can be anything you want the user to type to activate the PPE. The security will be the lowest security level you wish to allow a user to access the PPE. The PPE/MNU file will include the path and the file name of the PPE in this case the path of the created directory and the PPE called WEATHER.PPE. NOTE: The command line argument is your 2 letter designation for your state. ...ie...NJ for New Jersey etc... 6) Edit the SUB2 screen to reflect the counties in your state. They MUST be listed in order as registered with the NWS. You can contact them for a listing of your county zone numbers. 7) Edit the TXFR screen if you are going to put something in the weather.zip file other then the satellite images from Planet Connect. The transfer protocols MUST remain the same. 8) Now all you have to do is get your weather reports/forecasts from somewhere. The best location is the Internet. You can gopher to WX.ATMOS.UIUC.EDU and get all of the reports needed for this PPE. If you know of any other places, please let us know so we can include the information in our documentation. 9) Once you get your data files, you must rename them in the following manner and place them in your weather directory. Edit the data files as needed. WT-xx.SEV -- Severe weather reports WT-xx.ZON -- Zone reports WT-xx.EXT -- Extended/State report WT-xx.CLI -- Climate data NOTE: Replace the xx with the 2 letter designation for your state you entered in the CMD.LST file. With all this done, you can now go into the BBS and type the command you enter in your CMD.LST and run the PPE. If you have any problems in getting the program to run, you may contact me for support by calling my BBS listed below. -2- REGISTRATION: The Weather PPE is not free; nor is the un-registered version crippled in any way to force registration, it is fully functional. Why register? Besides a clean conscience, you will receive a registered copy that will work with all future versions of The Weather PPE, and will remove the Nagware line at the bottom of the screens -UNREGISTERED-. The advantage of registering the program is that you will be supporting the many hours that went into making this PPE possible by a fellow Sysop, and encourage me to continue making other quality shareware programs in the future. The cost of registration is only $10.00 ALL registered versions must be downloaded from the support BBS. To get your registered copy of The Weather PPE with a credit card please call (609) 587-2672 and type PCS at the Main Board menu. Orders are processed in 24 hours. You can then download your registered version in Conference #55 by typing SUPPORT. Our web site is located at: http://www.nerc.com/~pcs/ If you prefer to pay by check or money order (Credit cards also) please fill out the REGISTER.FRM and mail it to: Practical Computer Services 483 Klockner Road Hamilton, NJ 08619 Make checks/money orders payable to: PRACTICAL COMPUTER SERVICES SPECIAL THANKS: I would like to thank a few people who helped me complete this project: Gary Smith (Computer Profiles BBS) for writing the origional code for Bill Roman at The Detour BBS. Bill Roman (The Detour BBS) for testing and writing the documentation. Also for allowing me to modify the code and granting me exclusive rights to distribute it. -3- LICENSE AND DISCLAIMER LICENSE: You are allowed to use the Weather PPE for 30 days, after which you must either register it or stop using it completely. You are granted, the purchaser - and the purchaser accepts - a non-transferrable and non-exclusive license to use, on any computer, the software products and accompanying materials provided to the downloader by me. Purchaser is hereby licensed only to read the program from its medium into memory in as many computers as they so warrant, solely for the purpose of executing the program. I shall have the right to terminate this license if purchaser violates any of its provisions. Purchaser agrees that the software products and accompanying materials are the property of the author Robert Watson, and that he shall maintain title to and ownership of the software products at all times. Purchaser agrees to make no more than one (1) additional working copy and one (1) backup copy of the software for their personal use only. I make no warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, with respect to the performance, accuracy, or fitness of the software products for any particular purpose. In no event shall the author or any if its representatives, be liable for any loss of profit or any other damages, arising out of the use of this product. DISCLAIMER: There is made no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied including, without limitation, any warranties of merchantability and / or fitness for a particular purpose. I shall not be liable for any damages, whether direct, indirect, special or sequential arising from failure of this program to operate in the manner desired by the User. I shall not be liable for any damage to data or property which may be caused directly or indirectly by the User of this program. DISTRIBUTION: You may make the SHAREWARE version available for downloading from your BBS or you may upload it to any BBS of your choice, provided that you do not make any changes to the contents of the archive (ZIP file). The archive and its individual contents may not be used by any service that charges any money whatsoever, without the written permission of the author. You may NOT distribute the REGISTERED version in any way, shape or form! -4-