GAP COMMUNICATIONS Test Drive Version - August 1, 1988 (C) Copyright 1987, 1988 The GAP Development Company ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 2 GAP COMMUNICATIONS FEATURES 2 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS 5 SETUP 7 DIRECTORY STRUCTURE 7 FILE LOCATIONS 8 FORUM FILE LOCATIONS 9 INSTALLATION 9 CONFIGURATION 10 SYSOP SECURITY LEVELS 11 FILE NAMES 11 DRIVE / PATH SPECIFICATIONS 12 MODEM CONFIGURATION 12 MAIN MENU COMMANDS 13 FILE MENU COMMANDS 13 VIEW/CHANGE STATS COMMANDS 13 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION - 1 13 DEFAULT FORUMS 14 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION - 2 14 STRINGS AND PROMPTS 15 GAPCALL CONFIGURATION 16 FUNCTION KEY MACROS 16 FORUM CONFIGURATION 17 SYSOP CONFIGURATION 22 SYSTEM FILES 23 DEFAULT DIRECTORY 23 HELP DIRECTORY 28 MAIN DIRECTORY 28 GEN DIRECTORY 31 FORUM FILES 33 MODEM CONFIGURATION 35 DOORS 39 QUESTIONNAIRES 40 GAP EVENTS 51 SECURITY MENUS 55 CALLER FILE AND ERROR CODES 56 CALL WAITING 58 USER EDITOR 60 SYSTEM OPERATION 61 MAIN MENU COMMANDS 61 VIEW/CHANGE STATS COMMANDS 64 FILES SYSTEM COMMANDS 65 FILE COMMANDS 65 ARCHIVE COMMANDS 66 SYSOP COMMANDS 67 FUNCTION KEYS 67 SYSOP FUNCTIONS 68 MESSAGE READ FUNCTIONS 70 GAPCALL - CALLER ANALYZER 71 CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 76 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION 79 LICENSES, WARRANTIES, AND UPGRADES 79 FILE STRUCTURES 79 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company INTRODUCTION ------------ Welcome to GAP Communications! This document is written to assist you, the new GAP Sysop, to install, run, and maintain the GAP BBS software. Our goal is to get you up and running in the shortest possible time and to answer any questions which you may have. This documentation covers all aspects and features in GAP Communications and was written specifically for the test drive version. In addition, it includes information we felt some sysops may need to know (IE, multi-user facts). Before beginning the installation process, please read this document carefully. Installing a BBS system can be complicated due to the many individual files involved. Please read and understand the Licensing Agreement (in a separate file) and its supplement in the MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION section of this document. It is important for you to understand that this program is NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN nor is it for sell. You are granted a limited license to use the programs as covered in the Licensing Agreement and its supplement. If you continue to use this product after a period of 30 days, you are REQUIRED to register. This program is being provided so that you may take it for a "test drive" and determine if it suits your needs. GAP COMMUNICATIONS FEATURES For The Current Production Version 2.1 MESSAGES -------- - Up to 1.3 billion messages per file. - Up to 199 lines per message. - Up to 72 characters per message line. - Message numbers to 99,999. - Interactive message editor. - User changeable subject field when replying to messages. - Messages can be moved from one "area" to another. - Message headers can be "edited" after save. - A single message can be found in less than 1 second. - Messages show the date and time they were received. Page 2 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company - Import and export messages from / to text files. - "Thread" reading does not interfere with "last message read". - Full (message text) or partial (subject) text search with the ability to "remember" up to 300 messages for later reading. - A quick New Mail feature which checks the main board mail as well as each forum and shows the message numbers of any unread mail. - 4 indexes per message file which are contained in one single index file. The messages are indexed on the following fields : TO - FROM - SUBJECT - MESSAGE NUMBER USERS ----- - Up to 2 billion users. - Less than one second to find any user. - Complete user database which holds, among other things, total bytes downloaded and uploaded, total number of files downloaded and uploaded, total number of messages left and read, total number of forums joined, total number of bulletins read, and total number of doors opened. - users can update their complete statistics. GENERAL ------- - ISAM for messages and user files. - Up to 40 forums. - Up to 4059 file directories. - Up to 4059 bulletins. - Up to 4060 questionnaires. - Supports 2 separate events. - Unlimited number of doors. - Instant forum access with no message loading or reloading. - Detailed caller logging including every possible system error. - Separate Files system for more user friendly support. - Complete file archive manipulation including Listing archive file contents, reading text files from within an archive, and transferring a single file from within an archive. - "Intelligent" questionnaires. - Supports directory uploads for easier sysop maintenance. - Full support for Doors authors. - Allows any file to override the "more" prompt. - Sysop can perform DOS commands from within the program. - Sysop can activate a special function which gives him/her complete control while a user is on line. Page 3 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company - Instant user notification of new mail at log on. - Detailed sysop status line. - The ability to force bulletins at log on. - Internal support for the most popular transfer protocols including Ymodem batch, Sealink, and Zmodem. - Sysop can limit the number of files that can be downloaded during any one day either thru "byte" counts or by "file" counts. MISCELLANEOUS DETAILS --------------------- GAP Messages and User Files use the B-Tree ISAM "keyed access" method. This allows for quick retrieval of data records and in most cases a record can be found with one disk access. For Uploads and Downloads, GAP uses file buffers as large as 16k. If the sysop has enough memory to spare, then the default file buffer will be 16k bytes, decreasing in size until GAP can find free memory to work with. The minimum size is 1k. What this means to the person downloading or uploading files, is that GAP makes fewer disk reads/writes and that the file transfers will be less dependent on the hardware or the network traffic (if the BBS is multi-user). It also means the fastest file transfers of any BBS system. GAP utilizes a POWERFUL script processor that allows it to "think" the way a sysop thinks while GAP processes a questionnaire. The sysop is NOT limited to a simple set of "display prompt, get answer" scenarios. With a limited but very powerful script language, the sysop can set up his questionnaires and determine what to do with the answers. The sysop is no longer dependent on an external "event" program to analyze his questionnaires. The sysop is now completely in control of his questionnaires and his BBS. Nothing is "hard coded" except for the actual script language. Yes/No answers, "anything" answers, required answers, multiple choice answers are among the few features. Two special commands allow for gathering fully formatted dates and phone numbers. GAP even allows the sysop to direct the "flow" of a questionnaire to another area depending on the answer the user gave. Not only can the sysop upgrade a user's level based on the answers given, but the sysop can also register users in specific forums! Page 4 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company GAP is a full multi-user system which allows "reading" a record while it is locked. There is a special version which can be run on the Alloy "Slave" card which eliminates the "jerkiness" caused from protecting a part of the local screen (sysop status line). The sysop is free to change any and all fields in a user file while the user is on-line with another node. All of the sysop's changes will remain intact. GAP works with the user's file record, not with some "variables" held in memory. With GAP, there is no such thing as an "exclusive" record lock!!! GAP allows the sysop to set up forums that allow handles. In this respect, the sysop can force valid user registration and still allow people to "cut loose" while in a specific forum. When manipulating archive files, GAP does not create any temporary files on the sysop's hard drive. All archive functions are performed internally for faster access. The sysop, from remote or local, has full control over how he/she views a text file or the callers files. Sysops which support users with a variety of hardware configurations can elect to "close" off the main board file system and restrict certain files to specific forums. In this manner the sysop can accommodate IBM, APPLE, COMMODORE, TANDY and a host of other hardware specific files GAP includes interactive configuration and user file editors. A Caller Analyzer program is included with GAP which creates and maintains a data base based upon the information it reads from the caller logs and the user file. At the sysop's discretion, the main board bulletins can be updated with this information. Sysops need not keep archival copies of their caller logs to feed into a separate program on a periodic basis. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS -------------------- - IBM XT or AT or 100% compatible - 640K memory - 1 360K floppy drive - 1 Hard Disk (20MB minimum) - CGA, EGA, or Monochrome monitor - Hayes Smartmodem or 100% compatible - DOS 3.1 or greater. - ANSI.SYS which is loaded upon boot up Page 5 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company - SHARE.EXE (if running under a network or other type of multi- user system). Multi-tasking programs are NOT supported although they may be used. A working knowledge of DOS is mandatory. The ability to create and/or understand batch files is needed. Since GAP was designed for the professional, this document assumes the sysop has a great deal of knowledge concerning BBS operation and DOS essentials. You should have or create a CONFIG.SYS file with the following parameters : FILES=99 <<-- IMPORTANT! BUFFERS=40 Your autoexec.bat file should contain a path statement that includes the GAP default directory : PATH=C:\;C:\DOS;C:\GAP To run the program efficiently, you should be using some type of Disk Caching program with a minimum of 256k allocated to the cache in extended memory. If you are using an XT, allocate 128k of regular memory to the cache. Page 6 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company SETUP ----- DIRECTORY STRUCTURE ------------------- In order to insure correct operation of your BBS, the following directory structure should be used: C:\ | +---------C:\GAP GAPBBS default directory | | | +----C:\GAP\GEN General Directory | +----C:\GAP\MAIN Main Directory | +----C:\GAP\HELP Help Directory | +----C:\GAP\UP Upload Directory | +----C:\GAP\DIRxx Download Dirs (1-99) | +----C:\GAP\FORUMxx Forum Directories (1-40) | +----C:\GAP\FORUMxx\GEN | +----C:\GAP\FORUMxx\UP | +----C:\GAP\FORUMxx\DIRxx The forum default directory is equivalent to the \MAIN directory and the forum \GEN directory is equivalent to the \GEN directory. Forums need not have a \GEN directory nor do they need an \UP directory unless you choose to keep all uploads inside the forum. The forum download directories are necessary only if you have additional file directories available in the forum. Page 7 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company FILE LOCATIONS -------------- The following is a list of the actual files which should be placed in their respective directories: C:\GAP C:\GAP\MAIN C:\GAP\GEN C:\GAP\HELP DOOR ANSWERxx 7E1 Help Files DOOR.SYS CALLER BLT GAP.BAT DUMMY.LOK BLTG GAPBBS.CNF FORUM.DAT BLTxx GAPBBS.EXE FSEC COMMENT GAPBBS.P MESSNO.DAT DIR GAPBUILD.EXE MSGS.DAT DIRG GAPCALL.EXE MSGS.IDX DIRxx GAPDOOR.EXE NETWORK.DAT DOORM GAPDOS.DAT NEWQUEST DOORMG GAPMENU.EXE QUESTxx DOORS.DAT GAPPACK.EXE REGIS ENEWS GAPREBLD.EXE SECLEV FILEM GAPSETUP.EXE TCAN FILEMG GAPUSER.EXE USERS.DAT FORUMM GAPUSER.P USERS.IDX FORUMMG REMOTE KEEPUP LOCKOUT MAINM MAINM.10 MAINMG MAINMG.10 NEWS NEWSG NEWUSER PAGE PRIVATE QMENU QMENUG SMAINM SMAINM.100 SMAINMG SMAINMG.100 TWIT WELCOME WELCOMEG Note that some of these files will be created by the setup program and are not included with the distribution files. Also many of them are optional (they must be created by you if you wish to utilize them). Page 8 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company FORUM FILE LOCATIONS -------------------- C:\GAP\FORUMxx C:\GAP\FORUMxx\GEN C:\GAP\FORUMxx\UP ANSWERxx BLT Forum Uploaded Files DIRxx BLTG MSGS.DAT BLTxx MSGS.IDX DIR PRIVATE DIRG QUESTxx DIRxx DOORM DOORMG DOORS.DAT FILEM FILEMG MAINM MAINMG NEWS NEWSG QMENU QMENUG SMAINM SMAINMG A forum does not have to have any GEN files as it can share the equivalent main board files. At the very minimum, a forum can have 2 files (MSGS.DAT and MSGS.IDX). INSTALLATION ------------ To install the GAP files use the file layout chart as a guide. Create a DOS subdirectory called \GAP. Create the following subdirectories : \GAP\MAIN \GAP\GEN \GAP\HELP Place the files from GAPTD1.ARC and GAPTD2.ARC into the \GAP directory. GAPTD3.ARC contains three archives called GAPGEN.ARC, GAPHELP.ARC and GAPMAIN.ARC. Place the files inside GAPGEN.ARC into your \GAP\GEN directory. Place the files inside GAPHELP.ARC into your \GAP\HELP directory. Finally, place the files inside GAPMAIN.ARC into your \GAP\MAIN directory. Page 9 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company CONFIGURATION ------------- Before you can run any of the GAP programs you must create and/or verify that the startup batch file is correct. A sample batch file was provided (GAP.BAT). The file should appear as follows: echo off if exist remote.bat ren remote.bat remote if exist door.bat del door.bat if exist event1.bat ren event1.bat event1 if exist event2.bat ren event2.bat event2 gapmenu if exist remote.bat remote.bat if exist door.bat door.bat if exist event1.bat event1.bat if exist event2.bat event2.bat if errorlevel 99 gap To insure proper operation of the BBS, GAP must be run from a batch file. If you are running multiple nodes, you may rename the file but its contents should remain the same. Each node must have its own copy of the batch file and the last line of the file must reflect the name of the individual batch file. Throughout this document, the name "GAP" will be used when referring to the startup batch file. This is the default name of the main node's batch file. When running secondary nodes, substitute the name of the startup batch file for a particular node with the node's own startup file. For instance: Node 1 = GAP.BAT Node 2 = NODE2.BAT Node 3 = NODE3.BAT The only difference between the files should be the last line where the batch file invokes itself. This document will describe the configuration of a single node system only. If you are running a multi-user system, you will need to perform the configuration from each of your node's "default" directories. It is not necessary to have multiple copies of any of the programs if you have a DOS path set to your main node's default directory. To configure GAP for your particular installation, from your GAP default directory, type GAP. Since this is a first time installation, you will see the Call Waiting Screen and will be taken immediately to GAPSETUP where you may configure your individual options. Page 10 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company Most of the configuration options are self explanatory. However any option which requires more explanation will be described here in more detail. SYSOP SECURITY LEVELS The Sysop's Name is the name that GAP uses at various points during the program's operation when referring to you. The Logon Password is the password required to log onto the system from the local console. The various security levels are the levels required to perform their respective sysop functions. FILE NAMES Any text file which is shown to the user can be either plain ascii or ansi color graphics. Refer to the sample files provided. Please see the section SYSTEM FILES for further explanation of many of these files. These are the names of various system files. It is suggested that you leave these names as they are. All of these files are "shareable" across a network. The Message and User files will be created when you save your configuration. The Caller File will be created by GAP when the first user logs on. This file can grow quite rapidly so it is suggested that you archive it about once a week and then delete the old copy. The Welcome File is displayed to users when they first log on. The Newuser Welcome File is similar to the main welcome file. It is shown to all new users. Normally its purpose is to describe your board to new users and perhaps set forth a few "house rules". After reading this file, the new user will be asked if he/she wishes to register. The Time/Bytes File is a file which contains security levels, time allotments, and maximum allowable download bytes. The File Security File contains security levels associated with various download files and/or directories. The Trashcan File contains names that you consider to be distasteful. Any user who tries to log on with a name that is found in the trash can will be denied access. Page 11 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company The Questionnaire Files are described in more detail in the section QUESTIONNAIRES. If the new user questionnaire exists, all new users will be forced to fill it out before being allowed onto the system. The Doors Data File is a file which list the available doors on your BBS along with the security levels necessary to access them. The Exit News File (if it exists) will be shown to users when they log off. The Remote Batch File is a batch file which GAP will run when the sysop exits to DOS from remote. The Forum Data File holds the forum configurations. DRIVE / PATH SPECIFICATIONS Each entry must begin with a drive designator and the entries must conform to valid DOS path specifications. The Upload Directory Path is the disk directory where the main board uploads will be placed. The General Directory Path is the disk directory where most of GAP's text files are placed. This may be a RAM Disk. The Main Directory Path is the disk directory where GAP's data files are placed. The Help Directory Path is the disk directory where all the help files are located. The Upload DIR Directory Path is the disk directory where the file which contains the descriptions of the main board uploads is placed and written to. This must NOT be a RAM Disk. The individual Download Directories fields are where you enter the disk directories which contain your downloadable files. To insure correct system security, you should NOT include any of your GAP system directories in any of these fields. MODEM CONFIGURATION Please see the section MODEM CONFIGURATION for further details on setting up your modem. The Modem Reset String is the string to reset the modem. The Modem Init String is the string to initialize the modem. The Modem Off-Hook String is the string to take the modem off the hook. Page 12 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company The Seconds To Wait For Carrier is the number of seconds GAP is to wait while trying to establish a connection with a remote modem. This should match the "S7=" parameter in the modem init string. The Initial Baud Rate is the baud rate in which to open the comm port. This should be set to the highest speed at which your modem can operate. Answer On True Ring Detect tells GAP to answer the phone when the modem asserts the ring detect line. This should be set to "Y". If your modem is incapable of asserting ring detect you should set this to "N". The configuration for 300 baud callers allows the sysop to either deny access to 300 baud callers or to limit the times in which they may gain access. MAIN MENU COMMANDS These are the security levels necessary to access a particular main board command. FILE MENU COMMANDS These are the security levels necessary to access a particular files system command. VIEW/CHANGE STATS COMMANDS These are the security levels necessary to access a particular command at the View/Change Stats Menu. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION - 1 If the Enforce Time Limit is set to "Y", users will not be allowed access if their time limit for the day has expired. They must wait until the following day before GAP will allow them back on. If the Enforce Byte Count is set to "Y", users will not be allowed to download any files on any particular day if they have already used up their allotted count. They must wait until the following day before they will be allowed to download any files. If Private Uploads is set to "Y", all main board upload descriptions will be written to the sysop's private upload directory. This allows the sysop to review any uploads prior to making them available for downloading. Page 13 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company If you are running a closed board, set the Closed Board option to "Y". A closed board is a board in which NO new users are allowed access. A user must already exist in the user file in order to gain access. If the file NEWQUEST is present in the MAIN directory, new users will be asked to fill it out before being disconnected. In addition, the user file contains a field for "private board user" which must be set to "Y" for any user that is to have access to a private board. Forums may be set up to allow users to use a handle instead of their real name while they are in the forum. If you wish to allow this handle feature, set the Allow Handles field to "Y". Users may then give themselves a handle at the View/Change Stats Menu. If you wish to allow users to change their name while on line, set the Allow Name Changes field to "Y". Force Registration will insure that new users enter the required information at registration. If this flag is set to Yes, any user who leaves an invalid phone number will be locked out as soon as they get to the main command prompt. Experienced users will type Y Q NS or N Q NS at logon in order to avoid having to read the welcome and news files. If you wish to force users to view the news file, set the Allow Quick Logon to "N". If the Force BLT Menu At Log On is set to YES, then whenever there are NEW bulletins, the user will automatically be taken to the Bulletin Menu. DEFAULT FORUMS Enter the total number of forums you wish to set up in the first field. Set each of the default fields to "Y" or "N" depending on whether or not you wish the forum to be a "default" forum. When new users register, they will automatically be made members of any default forum. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION - 2 The Network Node Number must be set to the node number to which this particular configuration applies. Each node must be given a unique number. GAP allows for two timed events. Please see the section GAP EVENTS for more information. Page 14 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company The default color is the color that is displayed at various points while a user is online : 1 - Blue 9 - Light Blue 2 - Green 10 - Light Green 3 - Cyan 11 - Light Cyan 4 - Red 12 - Light Red 5 - Magenta 13 - Light Magenta 6 - Brown 14 - Yellow 7 - Light Gray 15 - White Note that 8 will result in a non-display condition on some monitors. The Minimum Free Upload Space is the amount of free space that must be left on the hard drive before GAP will accept an upload. If the Show Free Upload Space is set to "Y", GAP will display the free upload space to the user on the file transfer screen. The Maximum Number Of Messages is the total number of messages that will be allowed in any one message file. The Maximum Number Of Message Lines is the total number of lines that will be allowed per message. Note that GAP may adjust this limit depending on how much free memory is available at the time of entering a message. Users may address a single message to up to 10 different people providing the message is private and the Allow Carbon Copy Messages flag is set to "Y". If the Validate Messages field is set to "Y" a user will not be allowed to leave a message to anyone who is not a member of the BBS or, if in a forum, anyone who is not a member of the forum. If you do not wish to allow ansi color graphics in a message, set the Allow Ansi Messages field to "N". If a user subsequently tries to enter an Ansi message, GAP will abort the message and issue a notice to the user. If you do not wish to allow users to delete messages, set the Allow Killing Of Messages field to "N". You have the option to force all main board mail to be private. To do so, set the Make All Mail Private field to "Y". STRINGS AND PROMPTS The additional board name is any text that you wish to have displayed after your BBS name. Page 15 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company The TWIT string is displayed to the user when the sysop presses the F8 (TWIT) key to log a user off. The LOCKOUT string is displayed to the user when the sysop presses the F2 (LOCKOUT) key to lock a user out and to log him/her off. The COMMENT prompt is displayed to the user when he/she leaves a comment. There are 3 combinations for the TWIT, LOCKOUT, and COMMENT prompt strings. If TWIT and COMMENT are empty, then nothing will be displayed to the user. If the LOCKOUT string is empty, then the user will be displayed a standard prompt generated by GAP. If the strings do contain information, then whatever they contain will be displayed. If any of these 3 strings starts with a "?" then a file will be displayed to the user. The filenames are called, respectively, TWIT, LOCKOUT, and COMMENT and they are located in the GEN directory. Of course, as with any GAP file, they can have a "G" appended to them for color displays. If a "?" is used in the COMMENT field, you must still enter a comment prompt after the "?". Without the comment prompt, the user would NOT know that he/she is supposed to type a response after viewing your file. The following example will cause a file to be displayed to the user, and will then ask the user if he/she wishes to leave a comment. Notice that the default response is NO. Comment Prompt : ?Leave Comment To Gary? [Enter] = No The lockout text file will also be displayed to a locked out user trying to log on (if it exists). GAPCALL CONFIGURATION Please see the section GAPCALL for further information. FUNCTION KEY MACROS The Shift Function Keys may be programmed to display any information you like. Page 16 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company FORUM CONFIGURATION For each of your forums, there will be a forum configuration screen. The meaning of each of the fields on the screen is described below: Forum Name ---------- This is the name that GAP will display to the users at various points while they are in the forum. Forum Directory Path -------------------- This is the drive\path to the forum default directory. The msgs.dat, msgs.idx, and the forum upload directory (if it has any additional file directories) will be placed here. Gen Directory Path ------------------ This is the drive\path to the forum GEN directory. If the forum uses its own specific menus or file directories, they must be placed here. This path can be set equal to the default directory path. See the file layout chart for more information as to which files go in this directory. Upload Directory Path --------------------- This is the drive\path to the forum UPLOAD directory. If the Keep Uploads Inside flag is set to "Y" and a user uploads a file while inside the forum, the file will be placed in this directory. Number Of Bulletins ------------------- If the forum is to have its own set of bulletins, enter the total number here. Don't forget to create a BLT file to list the bulletins and place it in the GEN directory. Page 17 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company Number Of Directories --------------------- If the forum is to have any additional file directories, enter the number of ADDITIONAL directories here. Note that the forum upload directory will be the highest directory number. Example : If the main board has 10 directories and the forum has 2 additional directories, while a user is in this forum, there will be a total of 12 directories. DIR10 will be the main board upload directory and DIR12 will be the forum's upload directory. Additional Security ------------------- If you wish to increase a user's security level while he/she is in the forum, enter the additional level to add to the user's normal level here. Additional Time --------------- If you wish to grant your users any additional time while they are in the forum, enter the number of minutes to add to their time here. Note that a user will be granted additional time one time only. Also, they will not loose the additional time when they abandon the forum. Allow Handles ------------- If this forum utilizes handles, enter "Y" in this field. While in a forum that allows handles, a user's name will change to their handle. Auto Rejoin Forum ----------------- If this field is set to "Y" and a user logs off from inside the forum, they will automatically "join" the forum on their next call. Private Uploads --------------- If you want all the forum uploads to be private (as in the main board) set this flag to "Y". Page 18 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company Keep Uploads Inside ------------------- If you want all the forum uploads to be kept in the forum upload directory, set this flag to "Y". Otherwise, the user will be asked if he/she wishes the upload to stay in the forum. If the user answers Yes, the upload will be kept in the forum upload directory. If the user answers No, the upload will be placed in the main board upload directory. Make All Mail Private --------------------- If you want all the messages to be private, set this flag to "Y". Make All Mail Public -------------------- If you want all the messages to be public (with the exception of comments), set this flag to "Y". Note that the sysop can override this setting and leave private mail. Space is provided so that you may enter any additional download directories. Note that if the file DIR (the file that lists the available file directories) is not available in the forum GEN directory, the user will be told that the forum has no file directories and will not be allowed to utilize any of the file system functions. All other files are shared with the main board. If the forum has its own set of menus, questionnaires, doors, etc., GAP will use those files instead of the main board versions. Page 19 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! --------------------------------------------------------------- Anytime you wish to add any new forums, it is imperative that you add the new forums to the end of the list. In other words, if you have 5 forums and you wish to add a 6th you must add the 6th forum in the 6th slot! You must not attempt to insert a new forum in the middle of a set of existing forums. Doing so will render your forum message bases useless! There are a lot of configuration possibilities with the Forums. A Forum can be set up to have NO Files System whatsoever or it can be set up to simply use the main board file directories with no additional file directories of its own, or it can be set up to use the main board file directories along with its own directories which can be seen only while in the forum. In addition, there are combinations of private/public uploads as well as the ability to keep all uploads in the forum. The following is a sample Forum Configuration. It was taken from the Support Forum configuration on the Crow's Nest : ----------------------------------------------------------------- Forum Name : Support Forum Directory Path : C:\GAP\SUP Gen Directory Path : C:\GAP\SUP\GEN Upload Directory Path : C:\GAP\SUP\UP Number Of Bulletins : 0 Auto Rejoin Forum : N Number Of Directories : 2 Private Uploads : N Additional Security : 0 Keep Uploads Inside : Y Additional Time : 40 Make All Mail Private : N Allow Handles : N Make All Mail Public : N Additional Download Directories [C:\GAP\SUP\DIR11 ] [ ] [ ] [C:\GAP\SUP\UP ] [ ] [ ] ----------------------------------------------------------------- When this configuration is saved, the setup program will automatically create the forum disk directories. Notice that this forum has its own GEN directory, UPLOAD directory, and 1 DOWNLOAD directory. When GAP searches for a file, it will search the main board directories as well as the two directories listed in the Additional Download Directories fields. Since the main board has 10 file directories (DIR1 - DIR10), the names given to this Forum's 2 additional file directories would be DIR11 and DIR12. DIR11 is the download directory and it would be located in the Forum GEN disk directory. DIR12 is the upload Page 20 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company directory (for this Forum) and it would be located in the Forum default directory (\GAP\SUP). The reason one directory goes in the GEN directory and the other stays in the default directory is so that you may use a ram disk if you desire. Since upload directories are written to, they MUST NOT go on a RAM disk. If there were 4 additional directories in this forum they would be named DIR11 - DIR14, where DIR14 would be the upload directory which would go in the forum default directory and the first 3 dirs would go in the GEN directory. Note that it is NOT necessary to even have a GEN directory. All files can be placed in the forum default directory if you wish. Included in the GEN directory are the two file menus DIR and DIRG. These are simply the same as the main board files but were modified to show the two additional file DIRS (DIR11 and Forum Upload (DIR12)). Since the "Keep Uploads Inside" flag is set to YES, all uploads that take place while a user is inside this forum will remain in this forum. The user will not have an option of specifying where the uploads are placed. In addition, this forum has its own questionnaire so the forum GEN directory contains a QMENU and QMENUG. It also has a news file which is located in the GEN directory. All other "GEN" files as shown in the file layout chart are shared with the main board. The actual disk directories for this forum contain the following files : C:\GAP\SUP C:\GAP\SUP\GEN MSGS.DAT DIR MSGS.IDX DIRG DIR12 DIR11 QUEST1 QMENU NEWS C:\GAP\SUP\UP C:\GAP\DIR11 All forum uploads Any forum files posted for downloading In contrast to this setup, the Ads Forum on The Crow's Nest contains only two files (MSGS.DAT and MSGS.IDX). The Forum Directory Path, Gen Directory Path, and Upload Directory Path are all 3 the same (C:\GAP\ADS). Since there is no DIR (File Directory Menu), the users are not allowed to access the files system while inside the Ads Forum. By simply copying over the main board DIR and DIRG, you would open up the files system inside this forum but it would be identical to the main board Page 21 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company with no additional directories. Uploads would automatically be placed in the main board upload directory. At this point, the configuration is nearly complete. Press [ESC] to end GAPSETUP. Answer "Y" to save changes. You must now enter into the User Editor and establish yourself as sysop. SYSOP CONFIGURATION It is imperative that you perform this step prior to running GAP for the first time. Failure to do so will cause GAP to NOT recognize you as the sysop, whether you call from remote or log on locally. From GAPMENU, type "U" or use the down arrow key to move the cursor to the selection USER EDITOR and press [Enter]. During a first time installation, the sysop will automatically be placed as the first record in the file. You must now edit that record and change any fields to suit your own preference. The first name, last name, and password are the names you must enter if you call from remote and wish to be recognized as the sysop. For security reasons, the first and last names should not be your real name. GAP will never refer to you by these names, their sole purpose is to get you into the system, as the sysop, from remote. Your GAP is now fully configured! If you used most of the default responses during the configuration and if you have installed the sample files you may jump right in and log on as the sysop to explore the system. You will still need to create a great many files and the rest of this documentation will help you do just that. There is at least one sample file provided for each of the GAP system files. Study them carefully. In order to fully customize GAP for your system, you will either need to modify the sample files or create your own set. Good Luck! And let us know how the setup and configuration worked for you. We are always eager to provide assistance and make things easier on the number one person: the sysop! Page 22 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company SYSTEM FILES ------------ The system files are the files GAP needs to run. Some of them are created automatically by the setup program while others must be created by the sysop. Most of them are provided as sample files on the distribution diskettes. Any file which is displayed to the user, from the time the user logs on to the time he/she logs off, can have an ansi color equivalent. If the user chooses color at log on, the color equivalent of any file listed here will be displayed (if it is available) rather than the normal ascii version. Ansi color files can be created with any of the shareware Ansi Editors available. DEFAULT DIRECTORY GAP.BAT This file is the workhorse of the system. It is responsible for running GAP as well as making sure that all the individual GAP files function together as one unit. ------------------------------------------------------------- echo off if exist remote.bat ren remote.bat remote if exist door.bat del door.bat if exist event1.bat ren event1.bat event1 if exist event2.bat ren event2.bat event2 gapmenu if exist remote.bat remote.bat if exist door.bat door.bat if exist event1.bat event1.bat if exist event2.bat event2.bat if errorlevel 99 gap ------------------------------------------------------------- It is suggested that you leave this file as is unless you have changed the name of the remote file. Since GAP always exits to DOS when it terminates, the last line in the batch file is an absolute necessity. When GAP wants to recycle, it will issue an error level of 99 to DOS. The last line insures that GAPMENU will be run. The four lines after "echo off" simply check for the existence of any files which may have been created while GAP was running. If they are found they are either renamed or deleted. The four lines after "gapmenu" will be explained in later sections. If you are running multi-nodes, you will need a copy of this file in each of your nodes' default directories. The name of Page 23 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company the file should be unique for each node and the last line in the file should reflect the changed name. REMOTE When a sysop exits to DOS from remote, GAP will run this file. It may contain any commands you wish, however it must load a secondary copy of COMMAND.COM if you wish to perform any dos functions and return to the file when you are finished. The example and explanation that follows describes operation for COM port 1 only. ------------------------------------------------------------- echo off watchdg1 on ctty com1: echo ******************************************************* echo **** Sysop In Dos From Remote *** echo **** *** echo **** Type 'Exit' To Return To GAP *** echo ******************************************************* command c: cd \gap ctty con: watchdg1 off gap ------------------------------------------------------------- Watchdog is a public domain program which will monitor the com ports for a carrier. If it fails to find one, it will reboot your computer. Such a program is necessary. If the person who has exited to DOS from remote drops carrier, your computer will be sitting idle waiting for input from the comm port, and of course, there will be nobody there! The documentation for Watchdog gives further instructions on its use. Watchdog is NOT provided with the GAP distribution files. The "ctty com1:" command redirects all input/output to the comm port. Please refer to your DOS manual for explanation as to its use. The "echo" commands simply remind the sysop to type EXIT to return to the BBS. The last line in the file invokes the startup batch file for GAP. This should be renamed to whatever name you gave your startup batch file (GAP.BAT). Don't forget the "CTTY CON:" command or all keyboard activity will be ignored and all output will be sent to the comm port. Page 24 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company DOOR When a users selects "OPEN" from the main GAP Command prompt and opens a valid door, GAP will run the associated batch file. DOOR setup and files are explained in more detail in a later section. The batch file that invokes the door program is a regular DOS batch file without the ".BAT" extension. GAP will rename this file at the appropriate time. ------------------------------------------------------------- echo off cd \doors door c: cd \gap gap ------------------------------------------------------------- GAPBBS.CNF This is the configuration file for GAP. It Is created auto- matically by the setup program. GAPBBS.P GAPUSER.P GAPCALL.P These files are the ISAM parameter files. They are created automatically by the setup program. Never attempt to edit them or modify them in any manner. GAPDOS.DAT DOOR.SYS These two files are created when a user enters a door. GAPDOS.DAT is used by GAP to log the user back into the system. DOOR.SYS is a standard door interface which is used by many door authors. EVENT1 EVENT2 These are the event batch files which you must create. Notice that they do not have a ".BAT" extension. Events are covered in more detail in a later section. GAPBBS.EXE This is the main GAP Communications program. Page 25 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company GAPMENU.EXE This is the program that directs various functions. It is responsible for answering the phone, running events, allowing you to configure your system, etc. GAPSETUP.EXE This is the program that allows you to configure your system. GAPUSER.EXE This program is the "off-line" user editor. NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE ------------------------------------------------------------ Do NOT attempt to run GAPBBS.EXE, GAPSETUP.EXE, or GAPUSER.EXE from the DOS command line. These programs may be run from GAPMENU ONLY! GAPCALL.EXE GAP's own Caller Analyzer! GAPREBLD.EXE This program will allow you to rebuild your message and user file indexes. GAPREBLD should be used whenever you receive an ERROR message that tells you to rebuild your index files. In addition, should you ever encounter a problem with GAP not being able to "find" a user or a message when you know that the user or message exists, you should run this program. This program rebuilds ONLY index files and ONLY if one or more of those files is either missing or corrupted. GAPBUILD.EXE This program will forcibly rebuild your message and user files when there is a serious problem with them. It should be used whenever GAPREBLD does not seem to work. It will rebuild index files whether or not they are corrupted and it will "fix" the header record of each .DAT file to match the ISAM parameter file. Page 26 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company GAPPACK.EXE Message and user files fill up with outdated information. This program will purge those files of unneeded data. It features a single pass purge routine for message files wherein messages can be stripped of "refer to" message numbers at the same time they are being "purged"! It is also used to purge corrupted records from the ISAM data files. The program may be run from the command line or interactively. To invoke the program, you must supply the full path to the file you wish to pack and specify if the file is a user file or a message file : GAPPACK C:\GAP\MAIN\MSGS.DAT M GAPPACK C:\GAP\MAIN\USERS.DAT U The 'M' tells the program that you are packing a message file and the 'U' specifies the user file. In addition, you may pass optional parameters that tell the program what to do with the file. When packing the user file, the options are : Y or N - where 'Y' means to delete locked out users and 'N' means to keep locked out users. xxx - represents a time frame (number of days) a user must have called within, to be exempt from purging. xxx - represents the security level that is exempt from purging. GAPPACK C:\GAP\MAIN\USERS.DAT U Y 120 90 The above example would purge the user file, deleting all locked out users and any user that has not called within the past 120 days. Any user with a level of 90 or greater will be kept in the file even if they have NOT called within the past 120 days. When packing the message files, the options are : xxx - Purge any message older than xxx number of days. Y or N - where 'Y' means to delete private/received messages and 'N' means to keep those messages. GAPPACK C:\GAP\MAIN\MSGS.DAT M 120 Y The above example will pack the main board message file deleting any message older than 120 days and any private message that has been received. It is good practice to pack all of your message files at least once a week. This keeps the message file clean and removes any deleted messages. Page 27 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company HELP DIRECTORY All help files are placed here. Sample files are provided. MAIN DIRECTORY Because of the delicate nature of ISAM files, the MAIN directory should be backed up periodically. We suggest every other day as a minimum. QUESTxx NEWQUEST ANSWERxx REGIS These are the questionnaire files. ANSWERxx and REGIS are created automatically when a user fills out a questionnaire. Questionnaires are described in more detail in a later section. CALLER This file is created automatically, the first time you run GAP. It contains detailed information about the caller's activities. Its structure is described in a later section. DUMMY.LOK This file will appear only if the system is multi-user. It is created automatically by the setup program. This file allows us to overcome the MS-DOS limitation of NOT being allowed to read a record in a file while it is locked by another process. FORUM.DAT Contains configuration information for each of the 40 forums. FSEC This is the download security file. D:\PATH\FILENAME LEVEL PASSWORD - All entries must be in upper case. - All three fields must be used. - If no password is used, the word NONE must be put in the password field. - Each field must be delimited with 1 space. Page 28 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company Example FSEC File : ------------------------------------------------------------- C:\GAP\GAP*.* 110 NONE <-line 1 C:\GAP\BETA\GAP*.* 50 BETA <-line 2 GAP*.* 110 NONE <-line 3 *.* 50 NONE <-line 4 ------------------------------------------------------------- LINE 1 - protects all files in the \GAP directory that begin with GAP. To download any of these files, the user must have a security of 110 or greater. No password is required. LINE 2 - protects all files in the \GAP\BETA directory that begin with GAP. A security level of 50 or greater is needed to download any of these files, and the user will be asked to enter a password which must match with BETA. LINE 3 - protects all files that begin with GAP no matter which directory they are found in. LINE 4 - protects ALL files on the BBS and requires that the user have a level of at least 50 in order to download the file. Note that if a file beginning with GAP is found in the\GAP\BETA directory first and the user has the level and knows the password, the protection in line 3 will never be enforced. Global file protection such as that in line 4, should come after any specific file protection. SECLEV This is the times/download byte file. When a user logs on, this file is scanned to determine the user's allowed time in minutes and the total bytes that are available for any single day. This file MUST exist or you and your users will have just 12 minutes per day and no download privileges! LEVEL MINUTES BYTES - All three fields must be used. - Each field must be delimited with 1 space. - The download bytes are the number of "K" bytes a user is allowed to download per day. GAP will multiply the number you enter in this field by 1000 to determine the user's allowable download bytes. Page 29 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company Example SECLEV File : ------------------------------------------------------------- 5 12 0 20 15 9 50 50 999 60 60 999 70 70 999 80 80 999 90 90 9999 100 120 9999 110 220 9999 ------------------------------------------------------------- If a user's level cannot be found in this file, the user will receive the time and bytes associated with the next highest level. TCAN This file contains the undesirable names which you wish to prohibit your users from using. If a user tries to log on with a name that is found in this file, he/she will be denied access to the system. ------------------------------------------------------------- MARY POPPINS DOCTOR HELL MR. DEVIL EVIL ------------------------------------------------------------- MESSNO.DAT This file is used internally by GAP. It is created automatically and must remain in the MAIN directory. MSGS.DAT MSGS.IDX These are the main board message files. They are created automatically and are maintained by the program. USERS.DAT USERS.IDX These files contain the statistics on all of your users. Page 30 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company NETWORK.DAT In a multi-user system, this file contains information that is shared across the network. It is created automatically by the setup program. GEN DIRECTORY The GEN directory can be a directory on a RAM disk or a hard disk. If you use a RAM disk, be sure that your upload directory is set up to reside on a hard disk. 7E1 This file will be displayed to callers who use 7 E 1 communi- cations parameters. It should be a text file written in upper case and perhaps 40 columns. Its use is to inform the caller that some of the screens may appear garbled, that they will be limited to ASCII downloads, and that on subsequent calls they should use 8 N 1 parameters. BLT BLTG BLTxx These are your main board bulletin files. BLT is the menu which lists the bulletins and their numbers. There can be up to 99 bulletins. BLTG is an ansi color version of the menu. Samples of these files are provided. COMMENT This is the file that is displayed (if it exists) to your users whenever they attempt to enter a comment. Many sysops feel that a comment is just that and deserves no reply. Such a text file will allow you to express your thoughts to your users. DIR DIRG DIRxx DIR is the file directory menu that lists the file directories available on your system. DIRG is an ansi color version of the menu. DIRxx is the file that lists the actual files. There can be up to 99 file directories. Please follow the directory format as shown in the sample files provided. NOTE that the upload directory is the highest numbered directory. If you have 10 file directories, the upload directory will be DIR10. Page 31 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company DOORM DOORMG DOORS.DAT DOORM is the menu that lists the available doors. DOORMG is an ansi color version of the menu. DOORS.DAT is the data file that holds the actual door information GAP needs in order to run the batch files that invoke the doors. DOORS are explained in more detail in a later section. ENEWS ENEWSG These are the exit news files that are displayed (if they exist) when a user logs off. FILEM FILEMG These are the files system menus. They list the available file commands. FORUMM FORUMMG These are the forum menus that list the available forums. LOCKOUT This file is optional. If it exists, it will be displayed to a user when you press the F2 (LOCKOUT) Key. It will also be displayed to any locked out user attempting to log on. MAINM MAINMG These are the main menus that list the available commands in the main section of the board. NEWS NEWSG These are your news files. They will be displayed to the users after log on. The news file is displayed once per day. NEWUSER This is the new user welcome file. It is displayed to all new users. Page 32 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company PAGE PAGEG These files are optional. If they exist, they will be shown to the user if you do not answer the page bell. You may use them to give your "office" hours or other information. PRIVATE If you make all uploads private or if a user uploads a file and leaves it to you personally, the file name and description will appear in this file. QMENU QMENUG These are the menus that list the available questionnaires. SMAINM SMAINMG These are similar to the main menus except they list the available sysop commands in addition to the regular commands. TWIT If this file exists, it will be displayed to a user when you press the F8 (TWIT) Key to log the user off. WELCOME WELCOMEG These are the welcome files that are displayed to users at log on. FORUM FILES ----------- DEFAULT DIRECTORY The default directory is the only directory that is required for a forum. In addition, only two files are required (MSGS.DAT and MSGS.IDX). If you have a Forum called ADS, you could create a DOS subdirectory called \GAP\ADS. This directory would then become the forum "default" directory. In this directory, the configuration program will create two files called MSGS.DAT and MSGS.IDX. Page 33 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company You do not need to create the default, gen, or upload directory as they will be created automatically for you during configuration. Please see the file location chart for the names of the files you can create to cause a forum to run as a mini-bbs. Please note that if you wish your forums to share the main board file directories, you must keep a copy of your main board DIR file in the forum GEN directory. If this file is not present, your users will be told that the forum has no file directories any time they attempt to access the [F]iles System command from the main menu. Except for the DIR menu, if GAP fails to find a unique forum file, it will use the equivalent file from the main board. GEN DIRECTORY As with the main board GEN directory, the forum GEN files may reside on a RAM disk. You may also use a hard disk GEN directory simply to keep the forum GEN files separate from the DEFAULT files. UP DIRECTORY If you wish to keep forum uploads inside the forum, they will be placed in this directory. There are two additional files associated with the forums : KEEPUP KEEPUPG If used, these files are placed in the main board's GEN directory. They are kept there so that they may be shared between all forums. As explained previously, when a user attempts to upload a file while inside a forum, and if that forum has additional file directories, and if the sysop as specified that all uploads are not to be kept in the forum, GAP will asked the user if he/she wishes to keep the file inside the forum. The above two files will help explain the reasoning prior to asking the question. Page 34 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company MODEM CONFIGURATION ------------------- The modem used with GAP must be of the "smart modem" variety where it is capable of sending verbose result codes (IE, RING, CONNECT, CONNECT 2400). In addition, you must be able to configure the DTR and CD lines. If your modem does not meet any of these requirements, GAP will not run. The modem cable must have pin 22 (the Ring Indicator line) connected. If it does not you will have to configure GAP to NOT answer on True Ring Detect. The following modem conditions must be set : - DTR false - Send result codes - Full result words sent - Commands are not echoed back to computer - Auto answer is off - Carrier detect is off - Normal phone jack configuration - Enables modem to recognize commands - Use normal "AT" command set You may have to do some experimenting with the modem INIT and RESET strings in order to "fine tune" it to GAP. In many cases, a simple "ATZ{" for the RESET string is all that is needed. In other cases, you may need to use an INIT and a RESET string. If your modem is incapable of asserting the Ring Indicator line or if for some reason your modem cable does not have pin 22 hooked up, be sure to set the flag for answering on true ring detect to "N". It is important that your modem be set to NOT automatically answer the phone. If a user disconnects while inside of a door and the modem subsequently answers a call while GAP is recycling, it is possible for a different user to gain access to the system as the person who disconnected. The disconnected user could have been YOU! A sample Reset and Init string for a compatible internal Hayes modem follows : RESET : ATZ{ INIT : ATM0H0Q0E0V1X2S0=0S7=60{ Note that you must provide your own C/R (carriage return) and delays in your strings. A '{' represents a C/R and GAP will send the modem a C/R when it encounters this character in your strings. Page 35 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company A '~' represents a 1/2 second pause. Some modems may need pauses where appropriate. If you have a modem where you cannot configure the DTR line so that you can set it and cause it to NOT be asserted at all times, then you should STOP now and not read any further. GAP Communications will not work for you. DTR must be OFF! The modem must NOT have control over this line. If you cannot configure this setting on your modem, then you are simply wasting your time trying to run this program! SAMPLE CONFIGURATIONS --------------------- If a modem has external switches, the state of the function controlled by those switches is given (NOT the state of the switch). USRobotics VARModem Internal 2400 USRobotics Courier 2400 External RESET String : ATZ{~~ATZ{ INIT String : ATM0Q0E0H0V1X4S0=0S7=60{ Answer On True Ring Detect : YES External Switches : YES DTR : OFF VERBAL / NUMERIC Result Codes : VERBAL Result Code Display : ON Echo Commands Back : OFF Auto Answer : OFF CD True : OFF Recognize AT Command Set : YES Ven-Tel half-card internal 2400 bps RESET String : NONE INIT String : ATV1Q0E0X4S0=0S2=43{ Answer On True Ring Detect : NO External Switches : NO Uses the factory default settings other than those changed by the INIT string. Page 36 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company Packard Bell 2400 Internal RESET String : {~~ATZ{~~~ INIT String : AT&D2E0M0Q0V1X1S0=0S7=30S10=50{ Answer On True Ring Detect : NO External Switches : NO Use &D2 to return to command mode after DTR loss, with AA Disabled. &C1 asserts CD only if remote CD detected. S0=0 disables AA. EVEREX EV-940 INTERNAL 2400 RESET String : ATZ{ INIT String : ATS0=1x2${{ Answer On True Ring Detect : YES External Switches : YES DTR : OFF VERBAL / NUMERIC Result Codes : VERBAL Result Code Display : ON Echo Commands Back : OFF CD True : OFF Recognize AT Command Set : YES Anchor 1200 Internal Modem RESET String : INIT String : Answer On True Ring Detect : NO External Switches : NO Uses a configuration file that inits the modem. CTS Datacomm 2424ADH RESET String : ATZ{ INIT String : ATM0V1&C1&D2X4S7=30S10=50&W{ Answer On True Ring Detect : YES External Switches : NO Configure to disconnect and return to command mode after loss of DTR and disable autoanswer until DTR is re-asserted. Page 37 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company Anchor Lightning Internal F/I 2400 RESET String : ATZ{ INIT String : {AT&FX1V1Q0M0E0S7=60{ Answer On True Ring Detect : NO External Switches : NO To configure use the above init string with an " &W". Page 38 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company DOORS ----- Gap allows you to set up external programs to be run by your users. Such programs are called "DOORS". Door programs generally provide for their own communications routines. As such, you need not worry about a loss of carrier while a user is in the door. It is suggested that you NOT use any door program which depends upon CTTY or any other form of redirection and that you NOT use any program which requires the use of an external carrier detect monitor (WATCHDOG). To run doors, you will need to create a door menu. This menu will list the available doors on your system. The user will choose a door by typing its corresponding number. To tell GAP how many doors you have and what their names are, you must create a file called DOORS.DAT. This file contains the name of the batch file (without the extension) that runs the door and the security level the user must have in order to invoke it. NAME LEVEL The fields must be delimited by a space and the name must be 8 characters or less. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ADV 50 POWER 50 TW 50 MAX 50 BBSDB 50 ----------------------------------------------------------------- The first field in each line is the batch file that invokes the door. The batch file is placed in your DEFAULT directory. Such a batch file might look like this : POWER ----------------------------------------------------------------- echo off cd \gap\doors ps power-1.cfg c: cd \gap gap ----------------------------------------------------------------- The last line in the batch file must invoke the batch file which starts GAP. The DOORM, DOORMG, and DOORS.DAT files should be placed in your GEN directory. Page 39 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company QUESTIONNAIRES -------------- DESCRIPTION ----------- The GAP questionnaire system utilizes a POWERFUL script processor which allows it to "think" the way a sysop thinks while GAP processes a questionnaire. The sysop is NOT limited to a simple set of "display prompt, get answer" scenarios. With a limited but very powerful script language, the sysop can set up his questionnaires and determine what to do with the answers. The sysop is no longer dependent on an external "event" program to analyze his/her questionnaire answers. The sysop is now completely in control of the questionnaires and their answers. Nothing is "hard coded" except for the actual script language. Yes/No answers, "anything" answers, required answers, multiple choice answers are among the few features. GAP even allows the sysop to direct the "flow" of a questionnaire to another area depending on the answer the user gave. Not only can the sysop upgrade a user's level based on the answers given, but the sysop can also register users in specific forums! There can be 99 main board questionnaires plus one questionnaire for new users. In addition, each forum can have its own set of files (questionnaires, menus, and answer files). This allows a GAP BBS to have a total of 4060 questionnaires! The sysop no longer need tell a new user that registration may take 2 or 3 days. GAP's questionnaire processor can take the drudgery out of new user registrations! New users can be registered immediately and automatically with no extra effort on the sysop's part other than to create a powerful questionnaire script! SETUP ----- Menus = QMENU and QMENUG - Located in \GEN Questions = QUESTxx and NEWQUEST - Located in \MAIN Answers = Sysop specified - Located in \MAIN In GAPSETUP, the sysop specifies the first 6 characters of the answer files. There are two files. One is for new user registration that the new user will be forced to complete if the Page 40 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company file NEWQUEST exists, and the other is for the general questionnaires. There is one answer file for each questionnaire file. Each forum can have its own set of questionnaires. The \GEN directory is equivalent to the forum \GEN directory and the \MAIN directory is equivalent to the forum \DEFAULT directory. Two menu files must be created. Their format is similar to the doors menu files. One file (QMENU) is a plain ascii file. The other (QMENUG) is an ansi color version of the same file. Examples of the actual questionnaires are given later in this section. The answer files will be created by GAP as needed. OVERVIEW -------- Gap will NOT ask the user if he/she wishes to fill out the chosen questionnaire. It is up to each questionnaire to ask the user if he/she wishes to continue if the sysop wants to verify that the user has chosen the correct questionnaire. There is no predetermined header to a questionnaire file. The sysop is free to format the headers anyway he chooses. He may also choose to NOT have a header and simply begin right away with the questions. Anything the user is to see must be preceded with an '*'. All user input takes place on a separate line. Labels are 8 character (or less) names. They may NOT begin with one of the processor commands. There is no case distinction with labels. Lower case characters are converted to uppercase before any comparison takes place. Goto's must reference a label. If a label is not found, the questionnaire is aborted and the user is told the questionnaire is not valid. A regular goto '>' directs the flow forward in the questionnaire. A reverse goto '<' directs the flow backwards towards the start of the questionnaire. In fact, the processor starts over from the beginning of the questionnaire looking for the label you specified. Caution must be used with goto's. It is very easy to become lost in your own questionnaire if there is an excessive number of goto's. The basic use for a goto is to redirect the flow back up to a prompt and question in case an incorrect answer was given (IE, didn't answer 'Y' or 'N', or didn't give one of the choices Page 41 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company in a multiple choice). Another use might be for directing the flow to a label that will raise or lower the user's security level. Raising security levels will not affect a user if he/she already has a level that is higher than the level specified. Lowering security levels should be used with caution. GAP will make sure that a person with a level of 100 or greater will not be affected by this command. Keep in mind that some of your better callers with higher levels than most may find that they are suddenly at a lower level! 'Y' (yes/no) answers MUST be followed by 3 commands which can either be labels to do nothing, or goto's to other areas of the questionnaire. They can also be either the [A]bort or [E]xit commands. The third line is for a response that was neither a 'Y' or a 'N'. The basic format for the Y command is as follows : Y tells processor to accept a yes/no input x processor does this if answer is Yes x processor does this if answer is No x processor does this if answer is not Y or N The 'x' can be a goto, a label, [A]bort or [E]xit. If it is simply a label, then the flow will "fall through" to the next valid command. If the answer were a [Y]es, and the following line is a label, the next three lines would be skipped. For Yes/No responses, the user is allowed to type in the words as well as 'Y' or 'N'. 'M' (multiple choice) answers MUST be followed by an equal number of commands as there are choices plus 1 extra line for a response that was not one of the choices. Similar to the 'Y' command, these lines can be either labels, or goto's to other areas. They can also be either the [A]bort or [E]xit commands. The 'M' command must be followed by the number of choices (up to 9). For instance M9 means there are 9 choices. Following the Mx command, you would then have 10 lines to tell the processor what to do with the responses. The choices for multiple choice MUST be numeric. It is extremely important to adhere to the required format for the 'Y' and 'M' commands. For the 'Y' command, there must be 3 additional commands following the 'Y'. The 'M' command must be followed by an equal number of commands after the 'M' as there are choices (+ one extra command for a response that was not one of the choices). Failure to follow these guidelines will Page 42 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company result in the processor becoming confused and not knowing how to deal with your questionnaire. If an [A]bort or an [E] command is found as one of the additional commands to the 'Y' and 'M' commands, the user will be displayed an appropriate message. For instance, if in a Yes/No command the user types 'NO', and the command you entered for a 'NO' re- sponse was the [A]bort command, the user will be displayed a message that his/her answers are being discarded. It is not necessary for you to direct the flow to a different area with a goto so that you can tell the user his/her answers are unac- ceptable UNLESS YOU WANT to do so! '?' and 'R' responses are limited to 60 characters. In addition, the text following an '*' is limited to 80 characters. For the [R]equired command, you must specify the minimum number of characters that the user must enter. The user is given 3 tries to "get it right". If, after the third try, the answer is still unacceptable the processor aborts the questionnaire and returns the user to the main command prompt. For [D]ate fields, the user will NOT be allowed to enter an invalid date. After 5 tries, if the date is still invalid, the processor will abort the questionnaire. If the user returns out of a [P]hone field without entering all of the digits of the phone number, the processor will abort. All processor commands with the exception of labels, MUST be in upper case! All commands must begin flush left! The entire script of the questionnaire will be written to the answer file. This is done because if the answers were simply written to the file, and there were numerous flow changes, you would not know what answers went with what questions. Also, the use of the [E]nd command can cause a termination of the questionnaire without all questions having been answered. The questionnaire should end with the [E]nd command. Page 43 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company PROCESSOR COMMANDS ------------------ * - Print anything following. ? - Get an answer. Anything allowed. Answer not required. Rxx - Get an answer. Required. Minimum of xx characters must be entered. Y - Yes / No Answer. Mx - Multiple choice. Up to 9 choices. D - Gets a formatted date. IE, 99/99/99 P - Gets a formatted phone number. IE, (999)999-9999 A - Abort questionnaire. Do not save answers. E - End questionnaire. Save answers. >aaaaaaaa - Goto Label. Label must exist. quest2 /* yes answer, goto 'quest2' */ A /* no answer. Abort ?aire */ A /* not Y or N. Abort */ quest2 /* this is a label */ * *The Love Forum is an adult forum and requires that you be over *the age of 18. Are you 18 years of age or older (Y/N)? Y >quest3 A A quest3 * *Now that we know you are old enough, please leave your voice *phone number. You will not be called but it is required for *registration. P /* Get a formatted phone # */ * *Since you stated that you are over the age of 18 and left your *phone number, you may now have access to the Love Forum. Your *responses to this questionnaire will be kept on file. * *Did you lie about your age (Y/N)? Y /* get a yes/no response */ A /* Yes is not acceptable, abort */ >end /* yep, this is the one we want */ A /* sorry charlie, Y or N only */ end /* notice this begins with 'E'! */ * *You may now join the Love Forum. Thank you for completing this *questionnaire. F3 /* register user in forum 3 */ E /* end and save answers */ Page 45 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company You may have noticed that the label 'end' begins with one of the reserved commands? So why is this allowed? It is allowed because the processor looks for commands in upper case. If it finds a line and it doesn't know what to do with it, it will simply skip over the line and read the next. It is best to not tempt fate and keep your labels in lower case and not begin them with one of the reserved commands. If the sysop chooses to not use the default abort message that is shown with the 'Y' or 'M' commands, he could use a goto for a non acceptable command instead of the 'A' to direct the flow to the end of the questionnaire where he can display his own message and then use the 'A' command to abort. Remember, the default abort message is displayed only when the 'A' command is found as one of the subcommands to the 'Y' or 'M' commands. If you use a goto, display a message, and then use the 'A' command, the user will see only what you show him and not processor's default. The resultant answer file looks like : 01/26/88 16:37:37 HIS MAJESTY! ***************************************************************** ** Love Forum Registration Questionnaire * ***************************************************************** Do you wish to be registered in the Love Forum (Y/N)? A: YES The Love Forum is an adult forum and requires that you be over the age of 18. Are you 18 years of age or older (Y/N)? A: YES Now that we know you are old enough, please leave your voice phone number. You will not be called but it is required for registration. A: (714)493-3819 Since you stated that you are over the age of 18 and left your phone number, you may now have access to the Love Forum. Your responses to this questionnaire will be kept on file. Did you lie about your age (Y/N)? A: NO You may now join the Love Forum. Thank you for completing this questionnaire. Page 46 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company An example of a MULTIPLE Choice questionnaire which raises and lowers the new user's security level is shown below : * **--------------------------------------------------------------* ** WICKED SCHERZO BOARD NEW USER QUESTIONNAIRE * **--------------------------------------------------------------* * *Are you a writer? (Y/N)? Y >quest2 >other >other quest2 * *The Wicked Scherzo Board is for writers. Since you answered *"yes" to the first question, please pick the number that closest *describes your writing expertise or interest. (1-6): * * 1. Motion Pictures * 2. One-Hour Television * 3. Sit-Com * 4. Technical * 5. Novels * 6. Short Stories, Poetry M6 >hooray >hooray >hooray >hooray >hooray >hooray >other hooray * *The Wicked Scherzo Board is the place for writers. You will * now be given access to the system and to all public forums. *Thank you. +80 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F8 F9 E other Page 47 GAP COMMUNICATIONS - Ver TD (C)Copyright 1987,1988 The Gap Development Company * *Please choose a number that best describes your reason for being *here: (1-3) * * 1. Member of Alcoholics Anonymous or another 12-Step Program * 2. Sysop * 3. Interested in software M3 >twelve >sysop >bye >bye twelve * *Members of AA and other 12-Step Programs like Cocaine Anonymous, *Narcotics Anonymous, etc. are welcome here. You will be upgraded *and registered in Forum #2 -- The AA Forum. Thank you for your *patience. +80 F1 F2 F3 F4 F6 F8 F9 E sysop * *Since you chose "Sysop", what is the name of your board? R7 * *What is the Primary Phone Number of your Board? R7 * *Does your board have a specialty? (not required) ? sysop1 *Are you interested in running GAP BBS on your system (Y/N)? Y >out >out