NOTE: This version of the INTERCOM will only work properly when calling the Omicron BBS. If you attempt to call other PCB BBSs you will have some success, but will ultimately fail on message downloads as it looks for a downloaded message file called "OMICRON.ZIP" or "OMICRON.CAP" Following are the changes which have been implemented in version (1.02á) 1. Changed the order of options on the MESSAGES menu to be more intuitive. Thanks to Kathy Taylor 2. Fixed the READ Messages so that if you had no messages in INCOMING you can still get to the ARCHIVE (this was a really stupid oversight sorry about that) Thanks to George Chalian 3. Purge now removes DELETED records from the ARCHIVE DATABASE. Regardless of which purge option you select, DELETED records will be removed from ARCHIVE. READ messages will NOT be reomved from ARCHIVE. If you want to get rid of ARCHIVE messages you must delete them. Thanks to George Chalian 4. Added conference checking to upload and download so you don't get hung up on a conference that you don't have access to. 5. When downloading or uploading a file, if you didn't connect and effect the transfer, your upload or download info was lost. **** FIXED **** 6. Added error trapping for "not enough download credits" 7. Other small cosmetic problems fixed. ***************************************************************************** Following are the changes which have been implemented in version (1.03á) ***************************************************************************** 8. Changed the download allfiles so it downloads a self extracting archive file called allfiles.exe, runs it to extract the allfiles list into allfiles.txt. Now you can view allfiles.txt with the file viewer on the files menu. Thanks to Herb Curlee 9. Did some clean up to delete unwanted files at the appropriate times. 10. Implemented code to check to make sure all databases and indexes exist at startup time. If they don't, they get created. 11. Added some more context sensitive help screens at the field level in the configuration screen. Thanks to Herb Curlee ***************************************************************************** Following are the changes which have been implemented in version (1.04á) ***************************************************************************** 12. Added More Error Trapping for user hitting ESCAPE. Thanks to David Calef 13. Added More Error Trapping for when carrier (DCD) is lost 14. Added Auto Redial feature 15. Fixed a bug in a previous fix having to do with sending a message to someone in a conference they belonged to but you didn't. That was a really dumb one. Thanks to David Calef 16. Added error trapping for user not registered on BBS 17. Added code to insert user name into users file to allow access to the main board if user was not previously in users file. While this will allow a user to proceed to dialing the BBS, it can do nothing if he is not properly registered on the BBS. When his name and password is sent to the BBS if he is not registered, he will still get kicked off. Solution ? Dial the BBS in interactive mode and register or call the sysop and request access. 18. Fixed bug in send message routine which would prevent some messages from being sent if one had been deleted. 19. I am surprised no one found this one! If you tried to respond to a message from the ARCHIVE and tried to scroll the original text or quote from the original text, you would get garbage (if anything). The problem was that I was not selecting the Archive database, but had Incoming.dbf hard coded. ***FIXED*** now reads from the selected .dbf. ***************************************************************************** Following are the changes which have been implemented in version (1.05á) ***************************************************************************** 20. Cleaned up the memoedit routines to solve wordwrap problems 21. Cleaned up the F4 quote routines to solve wordwrap problems 22. Added beginning and end of file messages in message reader ***************************************************************************** Following are the changes which have been implemented in version (1.05aá) ***************************************************************************** 23. Added call to set caps lock off when exiting to DOS Thanks to Mark Freedman 24. Changed *** DELETED *** in message reader to say "*** DELETED *** press F4 to Un-Delete" - Thanks to Mark Freedman 25. Fixed bug where tagline was not sent if bbs editor was set to line mode As my friend Greg Lief would say "My kingdom for a space" ***************************************************************************** Following are the changes which have been implemented in version (1.06á) ***************************************************************************** 26. Changed YES_NO box in respond-to-message to default to the appropriate yes or no for the question about the response being private. The default is now based on the private status of the original message. 27. Added color coding to the message browse window to hilite messages addressed to YOU. Now you can tell at a glance which messages are yours. No more guessing! ***************************************************************************** Following are the changes which have been implemented in version (1.06aá) ***************************************************************************** 28. Minor cosmetic fixes..... ***************************************************************************** Following are the changes which have been implemented in version (1.07á) ***************************************************************************** 29. Added ability to delete messages from the browse window Thanks to Lenny Dozois 30. Changed modem initialization command to cause a delay between sending ATZ and ATQ0V1X0 Added same pause between sending ATZ and any user defined modem setup string. NOTE: you do not have to add ^M to your setup strings as it is being sent automatically by the code. Additionally, you don't need to start off with ATZ as that is also being sent first. If you want to send a string like ATZ1 to initialize the STORED setup number 1 in your modem, you will have give the command ATZ1. In effect what will then happen is the program will send ATZ ^M -pause- ATZ1 ^M. All that should be in your setup string is ATZ1. For the most part it is NOT NECESSARY to put anything into your modem initialization string. Don't put anything there unless you really know what you are doing!!!! You have been warned. If you have problems dialing out, make sure your modem initialization string is empty. Thanks to David Frier 31. Fixed a typo in an error message from overlay() thanks Owen Hawkins 32. Added the abilty to set a filter to show only messages addressed to YOU. Hit Y to set the filter and hit Y again to clear it. If a filter is set, the top right hand corner of the header box will say "FILTER ON" Thanks to me! 33. Sorted the array of file names in the pick box for View an ASCII File so that they are now displayed in alphabetical order rather than unsorted. Made sense to me? 34. Added file pick list for downloads. You can move through the records with the standard navigation keys, or search for a file name by typing the name. This is a progressive seek. The more of the name you type the closer you get to it. If you enter a character that can't be found in the index it beeps. The search string you have entered appears on the bottom row of the browse window. Backspace removes the last character entered and repositions the record pointer accordingly. 35. If the file you want to download is not listed in the browse, you can press F10 and type the name of the file and then select which conference to search for the file. This comes in handy for times when tech support may put a file up just for you. It won't appear in the dir listing so you won't be able to find it in the pick list, but it is there just the same. Also hand for downloading files that have been added since the last time you got a filelist. 36. Another new feature is the NEW FILES LIST. Every time we get a new filelist, we check it against the existing files.dbf. If a file is new or changed since the last filelist download, it is flagged as such. When you download the new list you are prompted to look at the new files if any exist. Also, while in the file pick list, you can hit F2 to set the NEW FILES FILTER. Yes, it is a FILTER and is therefor rather slow. I am looking for a faster method of doing this. ***************************************************************************** Following are the changes which have been implemented in version (1.07aá) ***************************************************************************** 37. Minor cosmetic fixes only, not released ***************************************************************************** Following are the changes which have been implemented in version (1.07bá) ***************************************************************************** 38. Fixed a problem where when you downloaded a new allfiles list, the new files filter was not being properly set 39. Added the current directory to the search path for PKUNZIP. The function that was searching the path for PKUNZIP was not looking in the current directory. Thanks to Mark Freedman 40. Added help for the PICK A FILE browse window. Thanks to Len Dozois 41. Fixed a little oversight that was causing the modem hangup string (if defined in config) to never be sent. Thanks to Len Dozois The way this works, is first I try to drop DTR, if that isn't successful, I send +++ a delay and ATH to the modem. If that doesn't work on your modem, you need to find a string that will work with it. You only need to send the string, a carrigae return is automatically sent after the string. *************************************************************************** KNOWN BUGS *************************************************************************** There is currently only one known BUG which we are working on. 1. Sending Large messages (over 20 some-odd lines) to the BBS sometimes causes a loss of carrier in the middle of sending which causes the system to hang. Downloading is ok though. At this time the source of this problem is unknown. It happens on the USCIB BBS and the DCG BBS but not on Omicron's BBS. Still investigating. The solution may be to limit the length of a message that you can send. It appears to have something to do with 9600 baud modems though. Owen Hawkins tells me that this might be able to be fixed by adjusting the S register in your modem initialization to higher number like maybe 25. This is only pertinent to the HOST modem (the one that PCBoard is actually running on). I don't have access to any 9600 baud modems right now, so I can't check it out. I feel relatively confident that the problem is not in my code. It almost certainly is a modem or PCBoard problem. Please report any further bugs to JOHN STOLTE via the INTERCOM on the OMICRON BBS or by phone at 804-598-2500. Suggestions for future enhancements will also be appreciated. Thanks John H. Stolte, Sr. Author P.S. If you operate a PCBOARD BBS and would like to have a custom copy of The INTERCOM for your use with your members give me a hollar. This is not going to be cheap though. My intent with this program is not to target the hobbiest BBS operator, but the companies or trade associations etc that wish to use it for setting up special systems for their clients or members. For example, the INTERCOM is currently being used by software development companies for supporting their customers and also by the United States Council on International Banking for supporting their membership (I think it will run to about 4000 people) They will use it to disseminate information to the user base saving about $50,000.00 a year in postage and mailing expense. You get the idea! Download Intercom.txt from the OMICRON BBS (804) 598-2871 for more info. The INTERCOM is Copyright 1991-92 John H. Stolte, Sr. All Rights Resrved.