Data Management Systems Presents Custom Prompts for PCBoard v.15.1 & 15.2x Collection #1 - DMSPPE1B.ZIP v.1.0b - 01/11/95 INTRODUCTION Thanks for taking the time to download DMSPPE1B.ZIP. This collection of lite-bar and multi-level scrolling prompts will add a new level of sophistication to your PCBoard system. The following files should be contained in DMSPPE1B.ZIP: FILE_ID.DIZ - file description INSTALL.DOC - installation instructions and information DMSPPE1B.NEW - what's new w/this version ORDER.FRM - registration information EOM.PPE - end of message prompt EOM.HLP - help file for EOM.PPE EOMATTCH.DIS - attached file message display MORE.PPE - replacement MORE prompt MORE.HLP - help file for MORE.PPE SCANMAIL.PPE - scan mail prompt SCANMAIL.HLP - help file for SCANMAIL.PPE NEWMAIL.PPE - new mail prompt NEWMAIL.HLP - help file for NEWMAIL.PPE NEWMAIL.SCR - display screen for NEWMAIL.PPE CMDLINE.PPE - replacement command line MENUS.PPE - replacement menu command line XON.PPE - expert on / menus off If any of these files are missing, please call The File Bank BBS (619-728-7307) and download a fresh copy of DMSPPE1B.ZIP. This and other DMS products for PCBoard can be found in conference #258 (DMS Shareware Products - Unregistered), directory #1. Although The File Bank BBS is a subscription board, all DMS products are available for downloading by any caller. All of these replacement prompts and commands support GRAPH, ANSI, and CTTY display modes, although the lite-bar and context-sensitive help features are available only in GRAPH and ANSI modes. Navigation through the lite-bar options can be accomplished in many ways: Cursor Right move hilite / cursor to the right Space move hilite / cursor to the right Cursor Left move hilite / cursor to the left BackSpace move hilite / cursor to the left Home move hilite / cursor to left-most option End move hilite / cursor to right-most option trigger keys move hilite / cursor to desired option Enter execute hilited / underlined option Navigation keys for the multi-level menus on scrolling prompts (ie.. EOM.PPE) include the following keys: > move hilite / cursor to 'next menu' option . move hilite / cursor to 'next menu' option < move hilite / cursor to 'previous menu' option , move hilite / cursor to 'previous menu' option 1 ... 9 hot-key directly to menu #1 .... #9 (as applicable) Most of the PPE files have an associated .HLP file detailing any specific actions and other useful tips. Please review these files for more information regarding a specific prompt. LEGAL STUFF This software is presented as is, with no warranties expressed nor implied. DMSPPE1B and its constituent components are copyright 1994 - 1995, Data Management Systems, All Rights Reserved. PCBoard is a trademark of Clark Development Company, Inc. The File Bank is a trademark of Data Management Systems SHAREWARE EVALUATION PERIOD This software is distributed as Shareware. The user is allowed a thirty-day evaluation period. At the end of the thirty-day evaluation period, the user must either register the software or discontinue using it. REGISTRATION The on-line help option for all prompts is disabled for unregistered versions of DMSPPE1B. Instead of displaying a help file, a copyright and registration reminder is displayed. Other than this limitation, all features of the prompts are active. Should you decide to register, you will receive a full copy of the PPS source code and a new set of .PPEs with the help feature enabled. Registrations can be mailed or faxed in, or handled on-line on The File Bank BBS. You have the option of receiving the registered software via mail or it can be downloaded directly from The File Bank. Please see ORDER.FRM for more information on registering DMSPPE1B. GENERIC INSTALLATION INFORMATION The enclosed .PPE and support files can be placed anywhere on your system. There are no hard-coded paths to worry about. Support files should be copied into the same directory as the .PPE file (ie.. NEWMAIL.PPE & NEWMAIL.SCR should be in the same directory). For purposes of this document, C:\PCB\PPL\PROMPTS will be the directory used in the examples below. Most of the .PPEs in DMSPPE1B.ZIP require modification of the file PCBTEXT. The record number(s) for each .PPE are detailed in the description of each .PPE later in this document. The steps required to modify PCBTEXT include: 1. Run MKPCBTXT (MKPCBTXT C:\PCB\GEN\PCBTEXT) 2. Goto the desired record # (F3 key) 3. Type in the changes (see detail for each .PPE below) 4. Save changes and quit (ESC key) Please see the PCBoard Technical Reference Manual for more detailed instructions on changing PCBTEXT information. END OF MESSAGE PROMPT - EOM.PPE The end of message prompt appears as the user finishes reading a message. EOM.PPE is a multi-level, scrolling prompt with seven different sets of options. The first level is shown below; see EOM.HLP for examples of the remaining sets. (xxx min. left) [ conference name / number ] End of message command: 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � Cont Next Prev Reply Kill reDisp nonStop + - Adv Quit Help ->� � -> read next message in current direction (+/-) � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� The options Cont, Next, Prev, ... appear as a horizontal lite-bar menu. Help for each option is displayed on the line below the menu as the user moves the lite bar from option to option. Two options allow free-form entry by the user: Adv (advanced) allows the user to type in any valid combination of PCBoard commands. # (message #, found on set #5) allows the user to type in the message number to read next. The ESC key allows the user to clear any characters typed for these two options. Installation notes: PCBTEXT record # .. 197 .. 612 Support files ..... EOM.HLP (help file, displayed w/registered version) EOMATTCH.DIS (display file, optional, see below) Example PCBTEXT line: !c:\pcb\ppl\prompts\eom.ppe An additional option for EOM.PPE is the display of a customized notification to the user that a message has an attached file. The file EOMATTCH.DIS has been included with DMSPPE1B for this purpose: Installation notes: PCBTEXT record # .. 624 Example PCBTEXT line: %c:\pcb\ppl\prompts\eomattch.dis MORE PROMPT - MORE.PPE The more prompt is displayed by PCBoard whenever more than a screen-full of information will be presented to the user. MORE.PPE replaces PCBoard's standard prompt with a lite-bar: More -> Yes No nonStop Help Installation notes: PCBTEXT record # .. 196 Support files ..... MORE.HLP (help file, displayed w/registered version) Example PCBTEXT line: !c:\pcb\ppl\prompts\more.ppe SCAN MAIL PROMPT - SCANMAIL.PPE The user is asked if they would like to scan mail as part of the PCBoard login process. SCANMAIL.PPE replaces PCBoard's default prompt with a lite-bar: Scan mail since last read -> Current Selected All No Help Installation notes: PCBTEXT record # .. 296 Support files ..... SCANMAIL.HLP (help file, displayed w/registered version) To allow this prompt to work correctly, fire up PCBSETUP and review the following setting: 1. 'G' (Configuration Options), 'A' (Messages) 2. Ensure that 'Default to Scan ALL Conferences at Login' is set to 'N'o 3. This change must be made on each node if you are running a multi-node system and each node has its own setup file. Example PCBTEXT line: !c:\pcb\ppl\prompts\scanmail.ppe NEW MAIL PROMPT - NEWMAIL.PPE If the option is turned on via PCBSETUP, the user is shown a list of conferences in which they have mail waiting as part of the login sequence. NEWMAIL.PPE replaces PCBoard's default prompt with a display file and a lite-bar prompt: 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � 複� � � � 읕컴컴컴컴� � 栢栢栢栢栢� � � 栢栢栢栢栢� 읕컴컴컴컴� � 볶 You have new mail waiting in the 읕컴컴컴컴� � 볶 following conferences: � � 볶 읕컴컴컴컴� 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 Read new mail now -> No Yours All Help Installation notes: PCBTEXT record # .. 662 Support files ..... NEWMAIL.HLP (help file, displayed w/registered version) NEWMAIL.SCR (display file, optional, see below) To turn on this feature for your system, fire up PCBSETUP and make the following change: 1. 'G' (Configuration Options), 'A' (Messages) 2. Change 'Prompt to Read Mail when Mail Waiting' to 'Y'es 3. This change must be made on each node if you are running a multi-node system and each node has its own setup file. Example PCBTEXT lines: !c:\pcb\ppl\prompts\newmail.ppe An additional option for NEWMAIL.PPE is the display of a customized new mail screen. The file NEWMAIL.SCR has been included with DMSPPE1B for this purpose: Installation notes: PCBTEXT record # .. 566 Example PCBTEXT lines: %c:\pcb\ppl\prompts\newmail.scr COMMAND LINE PROMPT - CMDLINE.PPE The command line is presented to the user whenever they are in the expert mode (no menus). CMDLINE.PPE provides for a two-line prompt, allowing for a cleaner display of the extra long conference names allowed in PCBoard v.15.2x: (xxx min. left) [ conference name / number ] Command (? = Help ) -> Installation notes: PCBTEXT record # .. 396 Support files ..... none Example PCBTEXT line: !c:\pcb\ppl\prompts\cmdline.ppe MENU PROMPT - MENUS.PPE The menu prompt is shown whenever the expert mode is toggled off and you are using some type of menuing system (.MNU files). MENUS.PPE provides for a two-line prompt, allowing for a cleaner display of the extra long conference names allowed in PCBoard v.15.2: (xxx min. left) [ conference name / number ] xxxx Menu Command (? = Help ) -> Installation notes: PCBTEXT record # .. 682 Support files ..... none Example PCBTEXT line: !c:\pcb\ppl\prompts\menus.ppe EXPERT MODE ON / MENUS OFF - XON.PPE If you are using a menu system (.MNU files) for displaying menu files to a user when in the non-expert mode, you may have found that turning the expert mode on is a bit messy. Included in DMSPPE1B is our solution for this problem - XON.PPE. Mapped to the 'X' command in all appropriate .MNU files, XON.PPE forces the expert mode on and stops displaying the menus to the user and clears the currently displayed menu off of the screen. Although PCBoard allows for a 'XPRT'-type keyword in .MNU files, their option leaves the menus in place and does not allow the user to switch expert modes again. An unwanted side-affect to using menus for the non-expert mode is the trapping of the Quick Scan (Q) command by PCBoard. When in a menu mode, PCBoard translates the 'Q' command into Quit Menu. The top-level menu is displayed, but any keywords defined in the .MNU file are no longer recognized. Our solution for this is to include a 'Q' keyword in the .MNU file, stuffing the keyboard with a 'Q'. Use the MKPCBMNU.EXE utility (included with PCBoard) to install either of these options for your system. Please see the PCBoard Technical Reference Manual for more detailed instructions on using the MKPCBMNU.EXE utility. The keyword definitions should be modified to add these new keywords: Keyword Sec Type Parameters ------- --- ---- ---------------------------------------------- X 20 PPEX c:\pcb\ppl\prompts\xon.ppe Q 20 STFS Q @PARAMS@ The security level is up to you - we allow all users to access these commands (20 is the lowest security level on The File Bank BBS). The path for XON.PPE should reflect the drive and directory where you copied XON.PPE to. To keep things clean, we put it in the same directory as our prompts. That's about it - for this collection anyway. If you like what you see, please register. The cost is modest, the users enjoy some advanced features, and we'll be encouraged to bring out additional collections of custom prompts, commands, and utilities for PCBoard. THE FILE BANK BBS Started in 1987 as a single node XT-based BBS, we're currently running 25 nodes of PCBoard v.15.2x in Sunny Southern California. Highlights include: - incoming and outgoing Internet connectivity w/115.2K bandwidth (telnet bbs.tfb.com or telnet 198.68.171.210) - toll free call in the San Diego (619) area (540-2409) - low or no-toll call if you have an Internet account - choice of WWW, PCBoard, or plain old Unix interfaces on incoming Internet * - 40,000+ files - 500+ conferences including RIME and Internet newsgroups - USR v.Everything (including v.34, 28,8K, v.FC, v.Fast) modems - Planet Connect satellite feed - special discount subscription rates for SysOps * these features in beta as of this writing. DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Parent company for The File Bank BBS and a VAR in the San Diego County area. Specialists in Novell Netware, Artisoft LANtastic, SCO Unix, IBM OS/2 and Windows NT platforms (we had to be - The File Bank runs on a combination of most of these systems).