WARNUSER - A PCBOARD V15.21 UTILITY by Peter Deegan - My Computer Company, Australia PURPOSE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To display a text file to callers who may have accidentally changed the following user options: - Expert Mode ON - No Protocol Selected Also to show text to first time callers in places other than in the NEWUSER. file. BACKGROUND ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've often noticed users in Expert mode fumbling around the BBS system, obviously very lost. What has usually occured is that the caller has pressed X at some stage unwittingly and put themselves in Expert mode. Since all the menus have now disappeared, they don't know how to get them back again! Thus was born, WarnUser ... Insert this PPE as an included file in one of your logon text files (like the security display files 10. 20. etc) and if the user is in Expert mode they see a short display at logon telling them what has happened and how to get out of it! After only a few days, I noticed lots of callers switching out of Expert mode and leaving heartfelt thanks to the Sysop. Aw, shucks . So I extended the PPE to cover those who selected "N" as their default protocol and also to allow displays to first time callers in places other than NEWUSER. HOW IT DUZZIT WORK? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WarnUser first checks to see if any of the warning states exist, if not then it exits quickly. Otherwise it will read your WARNUSER.INI settings and display whatever text files are appropriate. To make sure WARNUSER does not interfere with anyone's logon scripts, there is a automatic delay that you can configure (instead of a forced pause, that a script could choke on). After that timed delay the PPE will return to PCBoard. CONFIGURATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- All the configuration options are contained in the file WarnUser.INI which must be in the same directory as the WarnUser.PPE itself. This INI file operates on the same basis as the Windows style INI files that we are all used to these days. Any unformatted text editor can make any changes required. WarnUser is fully documented internally, so have a look there for configuration details. Any line that starts with a semi-colon ; is a comment line that is ignored by WarnUser. INSTALLATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is suggested that you create a separate directory for each PPE you run, it makes it a lot easier to find and sort them out later on. I suggest a directory like: C:\PCB\PPL\WarnUser\ Extract the files WarnUser.PPE, WarnUser.INI, WarnUser.TXT and the sample text files into that directory. Then insert the PPE in a text file that is displayed wherever you want the warnings to be shown like this: !c:\pcb\ppl\warnuser\warnuser.ppe The line must start with a ! mark in column 1 followed by the full drive/path/filename of the PPE. You can insert this PPE in any PCBoard text file, NEWS. the security specific logon files (eg 10. 30. 60. etc), you could put it in your main menu BRDM file, but that's not recommended (it would operate every time the main menu is displayed). TEXT FILES The text files displayed by WarnUser are fully editable by the sysop, sample files are included in this archive for you to edit as you see fit. The base file names are fixed as follows: Expert warning ....... XPRT. No Protocol .......... NOPR First Time Caller .... 1ST. All the files can accept Security, Language and Graphics variants, if required. (eg for French language XPRT.FRE NOPR.FRE and 1ST.FRE) MULTIPLE CONFIGURATIONS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can run multiple copies of WarnUser, with different configurations at various places on your BBS displays. Just copy WARNUSER.PPE and WARNUSER.INI to new names (same extensions) Example: If you wanted to have a special text file only displayed to first time callers, but still have WarnUser working elsewhere, copy the PPE and INI to a new name like: 1STIMER.PPE 1STIMER.INI You can then edit the 1STTIMER.INI file to only trigger for first time callers as follows Expert=0 NoProtocol=0 FirstCall=1 TESTING ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you want to try out WarnUser before putting it online, then insert this line in your CMDS.LST file (from PCBSetup | File Locations | Configuration Files ) Charges Per PPE/MNU File Specification -or- Command Sec Minute Use Keystroke Substitution ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ ÍÍÍ ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ WARNUSER 110 0 0 C:\PCB\PPL\WARNUSER\WARNUSER.PPE You can then logon as Sysop and type WARNUSER at the BBS main menu. Change your Expert status and/or T)ransfer Protocol then run WARNUSER again to see how it operates. REGISTRATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Registration is a mere US$5 for lifetime registration and for all uses of WarnUser on your BBS. Use the attached registration form REGISTER.FRM and either - email to ORDER@mcc.com.au - or fax it to My Computer Company, Australia + 61 2 550 4459 - or Fidonet to 3:712/411 (crash mail accepted 24 hours) Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Diners Club is accepted. A registration key will be emailed or faxed to you promptly. Registration will remove the 10 second delay and credits after display of warnings. In other words, the registered version looks like a seamless, integrated part of your BBS. UPDATES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The latest version of WarnUser will always be posted on - Clark Developments, SaltAir BBS - My Computer Company / Telix Australia BBS + 61 2 565 1044 Fidonet BBS can also File Request the latest release from 3:712/411 using the Magic Name WarnUser (original eh?) HELP ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope that this humble little PPE will need little assistance, but if you do get stuck send Internet email to: peter.deegan@mcc.com.au Please include: - a copy of your WarnUser.INI - a copy of any relevant parts of the WarnUser.LOG - full description of your problem - Version of PCBoard (WarnUser needs PCBoard v15.21 or later) I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can, usually within a day or two. SUGGESTIONS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have any ideas for improvements to WarnUser you can send email to WarnUser-suggest@mcc.com.au Your message will be acknowledged and idea will be go into the pool for future releases. ACKNOWLEGEMENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PCBoard.............Clark Development FILE LIST --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is a list of the files in the WarnUser archive: WarnUser.TXT This file! WarnUser.PPE the program itself WarnUser.INI default configuration file REGISTER.FRM registration order form HISTORY.TXT chronological list of revisions FILE_ID.DIZ BBS file listing entry XPRT. Sample warning files NOPR. " " " 1ST. " " " CREDITS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- You really have to hand it to David Terry and the rest of the gang at Clark Development ... not only have they given us a powerful PPL language to play with, they gave us lots of ways to plug PPE's into the BBS. PPE's continue to amaze me, they can create full blown BBS doors all the way down to minor adjustments to prompts. Sure, there are things that could be better in the PPL language, but just look at the cool stuff we can do with what we have.