Searchlight BBS Owner's Manual

                                                      Version 3.0, May 1993
                                        Copyright 1993 Searchlight Software

Contents:

Introducing Searchlight..................................1
What Do I Need To Run Searchlight BBS?...................2
Searchlight Differences..................................2
  User Interface.........................................2
  Message System.........................................3
  Electronic Mail........................................3
  Bulletins..............................................4
  Flow Control...........................................4
  Doors..................................................5
  Menu Editing...........................................5
  Mouse Support..........................................5

Searchlight BBS Installation And Setup...................7
The CONFIG.SYS File......................................7
File Sharing.............................................8
Installing Searchlight From Your Distribution Disks......9
SLBBS Environment Variable...............................9
Upgrading From Older Versions............................10

Searchlight BBS Configuration............................13
Searchlight BBS General Setup Menu #1....................14
Searchlight BBS General Setup Menu #2....................16
Searchlight BBS Communications Setup.....................20
  COM Port Setup.........................................23
Searchlight BBS Pathnames Setup Menu.....................25
Searchlight BBS Protocol Setup Menu......................29
Searchlight BBS Screen Colors Setup......................31
Searchlight BBS AutoDoors Setup..........................32
Searchlight BBS Function Attribute Setup.................34
Default Access Level Setup...............................35
Pitfalls And Errors......................................38
Overlay Setup............................................38
Text Files Setup.........................................39
  Default Subboard Entry Messages........................40
  Default File Directory Messages........................41
Color Codes And Macros...................................41

Multinode Setup..........................................43
Multinode Operation......................................44

Searchlight BBS Subboard Maintenance.....................47
Add Subboard.............................................47
Edit Subboard............................................48
Delete Subboard..........................................52
Subboard Utilities.......................................53
File Directory Maintenance...............................54
Custom Ordering..........................................56

Running Searchlight BBS..................................59
Auto ANSI Detect.........................................60



Things To Do When First Logging In.......................61
Using The Status Display.................................62
SLBBS Command Line Parameters............................62
Adding New Users To The System...........................64
  Guest Account..........................................65

Configuring User Options.................................67
User/Info................................................67
User/Preference..........................................69
User/Stats...............................................70
User/Access..............................................71

Searchlight Message System...............................75
Entering Messages: The POST Command......................75
Retrieving Messages: The READ Command....................75
Mail/Subboard Disposition Prompts........................81
Message Threading: Using the THREAD Command..............81
Selecting Message Areas: The LIST and JUMP Commands......84
Reviewing Messages: The SCAN Command.....................84
Finding New Messages: The NEW Command....................85
  Subboard Navigation with NEW...........................86
Maintaining Messages: The EDIT and KILL Commands.........88
Maintaining Member Files: The 1-Member Command...........88
Other Message Management Features........................90
Using Electronic Mail....................................91
  Netmail................................................94
  A Word about Mailboxes.................................94

Using The Bulletins System...............................96
Using Chat Mode..........................................97
  Sysop-To-User Chatting.................................97
  Internode Chatting.....................................97

Other Commands...........................................99
  ANSI Command...........................................99
  FILES Command..........................................99
  GOODBYE Command........................................99
  INFO Command...........................................99
  QUOTES Command.........................................99
  TIME Command...........................................99
  USER Command...........................................100
  VERSION Command........................................101
  WHO Command............................................101

Sysop Functions..........................................102

The Status Line..........................................104
Hot Keys.................................................104
  Output Logging.........................................105
  Exit Key...............................................106
  Hangup Key.............................................106
  Command Keys...........................................107

Text Editing: Introduction...............................108
Using The Line Editor....................................109
Using The Full Screen Editor.............................112
Wordstar Compatibility...................................112



Screen Editor Subcommands................................113
  Reply-Quote Line Selection.............................116
  Message Uploading......................................117
  Message Preview........................................118
  ANSI Compatibility.....................................118
Embedded Color Codes.....................................119
Message Macros...........................................121
Using Prepared Text Files................................122

Searchlight BBS File Transfer System.....................125
  Setting Up Directories.................................125
  Setting A Default Text Message.........................126
  Loading Filenames......................................126
Using The File Transfer System...........................126
  Files System Commands..................................126
  Protocols..............................................127
  Uploading..............................................127
  Downloading............................................127
  Directory Listings.....................................128
  File Maintenance.......................................128
  Password Protection....................................128
  File Names.............................................129
  File Tagging...........................................129
  Tagging and Ratios.....................................130
  Sysop Functions........................................131
Setting Up External Protocols............................132
  Download Commands......................................132
  Upload Commands........................................133
  Upload AutoDoor........................................133
  Bi-Directional File Transfer...........................134
  External Protocol Examples.............................134
Summary Of Files System Commands.........................135
Importing File Lists.....................................142

Searchlight Menu Editor..................................145
Components Of A Menu.....................................146
Commands.................................................147
Menu Header..............................................147
Editing Commands.........................................149
Edit Command Screen......................................152
Controlling Command Availability.........................153
Internal Commands........................................156
External (DOOR) Commands.................................157
Menu Commands............................................157
Changing Command Types...................................158
Guide To Menu Setup......................................159
  Standard Menu Names....................................159
  Menu Levels............................................159
  Executable Menus.......................................160
  Files System Commands..................................160

Searchlight BBS Doors Subsystem..........................163
Setting Up Doors.........................................163
Door Parameters..........................................164
What Programs Can Be Used As Doors?......................168
  Using COMMAND.COM as a Door............................168
  Using Batch Files as Doors.............................169



Passing Parameters to a Door Program.....................170
  Using Command Line Metacharacters......................170
  Running PCBoard Doors With Searchlight.................171
  Direct Use Of Searchlight Files........................172
How The Doors System Works...............................173
  Some Door Programming Tips.............................176

Searchlight Sysop Utilities..............................177
Change User's Name.......................................177
Purge User File..........................................178
Purge Message Files......................................181
Purge Member Files.......................................183
Mass Validate Users......................................184
Purge File Areas.........................................186
Sysop Utility Notes......................................187

Introduction To Netmail..................................189
  What is Netmail?.......................................189
  Who can use Netmail?...................................189
How Searchlight Handles Netmail..........................190
Netmail Import & Export..................................194
Nodelist Index...........................................195
Using Searchlight Netmail................................197
  Receiving Netmail......................................197
  Replying to Netmail....................................197
  Originating Netmail....................................198
  Sending Netmail to a Sysop.............................198
  Sending Netmail to Others..............................199
  Creating an Explicit Netmail Command...................199
  Creating Netmail Routing Addresses.....................200
  Routing Address Edit...................................201
Additional Netmail Considerations........................201
  Netmail Scope..........................................201
  Bad Messages...........................................202
  Listed vs. Unlisted Addresses..........................202
  Origin Addresses.......................................202

Introduction To RIP Graphics.............................203
  What is RIPscrip?......................................203
  How Searchlight Supports RIP...........................203
  How can I create RIP files?............................204
  Setting up Searchlight for RIP Support.................204
  RIPscrip Guidelines....................................205
  Additional Comments....................................205

Using Searchlight With DESQview..........................207
  Environment Setup......................................207
  Interrupts.............................................207
  DESQview Setup.........................................208
  Program Setup..........................................208
  Memory Issues..........................................210
  Performance Issues.....................................211
  Fine Tuning............................................211

Appendix A: Using The Activity Log.......................213

Appendix B: Guide To Error Messages......................217



  Errors 2 and 3 (File/Path does not exist)..............217
  Error 4 (Too many open files)..........................217
  Error 100 (Disk read error)............................217
  Error 101 (Disk or Directory is full)..................218
  Error 202 (Stack Overflow)Error 203 (Heap Overflow)....218
  SHARE Errors...........................................218
  Other Errors...........................................219

Appendix C: Automatic Events.............................221

Appendix D: Modem Configuration..........................223
  Remote Baud Detection..................................224
  Modem Output Buffering.................................225
  COM Port Addresses.....................................225
  High Speed Modems......................................226
  Recommended Modem Init Strings.........................227

Appendix E: Using Alias Names............................229

Appendix F: The SLMAIL Command Line Utility..............231
Syntax...................................................231
Reading and Sending Text Files...........................232
  Reading Personal Messages..............................233
  Reading New Messages...................................233
Importing and Exporting Echomail Messages................235
  Fido Export............................................235
  Fido Import............................................236
  SLMAIL Configuration File..............................237
  Echomail Network Addresses.............................237

Appendix G: Internal Command Reference...................239
Common Parameters........................................240
Message (Main) System Functions..........................241
Main Command Options.....................................243
Files System Functions...................................246
  Directory Jump Command (301)...........................246
  Tag List Management....................................247

Appendix H: Digiboard Installation and Use...............249
  DigiBoard Hardware Installation........................249
  DigiBoard Software Installation........................249
  Using DigiBoard With Searchlight.......................251
  System Checkout........................................252

Index....................................................253



                                                               Introduction

INTRODUCING SEARCHLIGHT

The Searchlight Bulletin Board System (SLBBS) is a powerful software
package that allows you to set up and run an online electronic service
right from your PC. Using your computer, a modem, and the Searchlight
software, you'll have a complete bulletin board system that will:

  o  Allow others to access  your PC via  telephone and exchange  mail
     and other messages, even when you are not at your computer.

  o  Provide password access and multiple levels of security, enabling
     you to  control exactly  who has  access to  information on  your
     system.

  o  Allow unattended, error-free transfer of programs and data  files
     between your PC and other PC's via telephone.

  o  Provide a complete, user friendly environment that's easy  enough
     for most  people to  use intuitively,  without the  need for  any
     documentation or assistance from you.

Those familiar with the BBS community, and especially those who have used
other BBS software, will appreciate Searchlight's long list of advanced
features:

  o  Full screen text editor for easy  entry and editing of  messages,
     mail and text files, even from a remote terminal.

  o  Unique user interface with built in Online Help facility provides
     both  you   and  your   users  full   access  to   the   system's
     documentation.  Complete  menu  editing  function  allows   total
     customization.

  o  ANSI and RIP graphics support for flexible screen displays.

  o  Advanced "lock  and key"  access  system providing  thousands  of
     security profiles.

  o  Powerful  messaging  system  including  message  threading,   NEW
     message scans, search functions, and unlimited message areas.

  o  SYSOP utilities allow you to adjust most aspects of the system to
     your liking and give you powerful mass deletion commands. You can
     control the entire system from a remote location.

  o  FILES system featuring alphabetical and date sorted  directories,
     passwords and access  levels, up to  12 file transfer  protocols,
     ZIP, ARJ and LZH file directories, etc. FAST file transfers  with
     advanced buffering techniques.

  o  DOORS system  gives you  infinite expandability:  run almost  any
     program from within  your BBS, write  your own  commands (in  any
     language),  even  give  DOS  commands  from  a  remote  terminal.
     Searchlight is compatible with most popular door programs.


                                                                          1



                                                               Introduction

WHAT DO I NEED TO RUN SEARCHLIGHT BBS?

The answer:

  o  An IBM compatible personal computer (XT,AT,PS/2,386 or 486) with a
     hard disk drive;
  o  A Hayes compatible modem;
  o  RS232 serial port(s) and modem cable(s) (for external modems only);
  o  At least 250K of available memory;
  o  DOS Version 3.1 or higher (for multiuser systems, DOS 3.3 or higher).

Although Searchlight has been successfully tested on many compatibles (and,
indeed, has not yet proved incompatible with any of them), we cannot
guarantee that it will run on every computer. In particular, you need IBM
hardware-compatible serial ports if you want to use Searchlight's built-in
modem drivers; if you have nonstandard hardware (such as multiport COM
cards), you must provide a FOSSIL compatible software interface (FOSSIL
Driver). (Searchlight also works with DigiBoard hardware and Digiware
software drivers).

You will need a telephone line, preferably a separate line devoted entirely
to your computer. Avoid lines with "call waiting" or other features that
might interrupt a call in progress.

If you will be running a multinode BBS system, you'll need either a
multitasking program such as DESQview, Windows, or OS/2, or a local area
network (LAN).

Although not stated in any manual, also required for running a BBS is a
somewhat fanatical ability to spend your hard earned time and money for the
pleasure of having strangers (often in faraway lands) use your computer
with seemingly little or no gratitude. If you feel as though you don't have
this capacity, don't worry about it because it usually develops soon after
your BBS first goes on line.



DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SEARCHLIGHT BBS
     AND OTHER BBS SYSTEMS

Before you begin using Searchlight, we'd like to provide a short
explanation of some of the major design features of the system and show you
how these compare to other BBS systems. It seems that all of the common BBS
systems that we can think of are based on a similar set of standards, and
we have noticed a lot of people become confused when Searchlight does
things they don't expect. A quick look at some major features of
Searchlight will clear up most questions. If you come to a point where you
can't figure out how to do something that you know Searchlight can do,
there's a good chance that you are simply going about it the wrong way.


User Interface

Most BBS services still use a "teletype" style interface -- the kind of
line by line, unformatted output that dates from the days when most people

                                                                          2



                                                               Introduction

used terminals that printed on paper or didn't offer any screen formatting
options. This raw command-line style interface is what's most often
associated with "non user friendly" software.

Searchlight BBS is different. We take full advantage of the formatting
capabilities of modern terminals and terminal emulation software to provide
you with a friendly, screen oriented interface, complete with moving
menubars, highlighted menu choices, and a full screen editor that uses the
standard PC keystrokes you already know. Using Searchlight, whether you're
right in front of your PC or at a remote site thousands of miles from home,
is just as easy as using any modern PC application program.


Message System

Many BBSs have a "flat" message system structure; that is, all the messages
on the BBS are viewed as one long list, with the oldest messages at the
beginning of the list, and the newest messages at the end. Still others
have message sub-sections (often called Conferences or Subboards) that
provide you with, essentially, several smaller lists of messages rather
than one long list.

Searchlight is, for the most part, similar to these systems. On Searchlight
the message subsections are called Subboards, and you can have as many of
them as you like, each with a different name and access requirement. In
addition, you can assign a "Subsysop" to each message section who acts as a
moderator for the discussion and has special privileges to edit and delete
messages under his or her domain.

Unlike most BBS systems, Searchlight uses short alphanumeric names, rather
than numbers or single letters, to designate its message bases and file
areas. We think you'll find it much more convenient to refer to areas by
name than to memorize a numeric list, particularly when your BBS contains a
large number of message and file areas.


Electronic Mail

On most systems, sending a private message to another user is possible by
specifying the name of the user to whom the message is directed. Such a
message cannot be read by others, but it still appears on the message
subsection with the other messages. Typically, you can find messages
directed to you by performing an automatic search of all the messages in
the system, looking for ones with your name on them.

Searchlight uses a different approach. Rather than placing private messages
in with the general message base, you send messages directly to another
person on the system. This operation is called Electronic Mail, and it is
similar to the way real mail works. When you decide to send a personal
message to someone, the system looks up their name and places your message
into that user's personal "mailbox". To read a personal message, you
inquire into your own mailbox to see what mail other people have sent to
you. This method is a lot faster than the traditional approach and gives
you an easy way to manage your own messages, separate from the main stream
of things.

                                                                          3



                                                               Introduction

Searchlight's public message system does, in fact, have to fields on
messages and supports an extremely efficient personal mail search -- so you
really have the best of both worlds with Searchlight BBS. Be sure to
understand the distinction between public messages and private mail,
though, in order to get the most out of using Searchlight.

Incidentally, writing a public message on Searchlight is known as "Posting"
the message, and is done with a command called POST. Sending a private
message is referred to as "Sending" the message, and is done through the
MAIL command.


Bulletins

Searchlight BBS has user-definable bulletins. Unlike other systems, where
the bulletin feature is defined by the sysop, users can post bulletins (if
you choose to allow it). The bulletin function is actually a special
message base with features that make it ideal for posting announcements and
urgent messages. Complete details on how it works follow in the body of
this manual.


Flow Control

The term "flow control" refers to the flow of characters between your
computer and a remote terminal, and it's very important on an interactive
system like Searchlight BBS. During almost all operations, you can pause
the output from Searchlight by pressing control-s, and abort a message or
listing by pressing the letter "S", the spacebar or control-c (to enter a
"control" character, you hold down the key marked "Ctrl" on your keyboard
and press the desired character, then release both keys. In this manual,
control keys will generally be indicated with the ^ symbol; in other words,
^C means control-c).

Whenever you request a message, display or listing in Searchlight that's
larger than a single screen, you'll usually see Searchlight pause at with a
prompt that has the options "Continue" and "Stop", allowing you to view
that page of the output and then continue, or abort the listing. File
listings also offer a "Tag" option that lets you mark particular files for
later download. Although there is an explicit prompt for the continue and
stop options, you can actually stop a listing at any time by pressing the
"S" key or the other keys noted above.

In addition, Searchlight features intelligent command type-ahead that lets
you bypass most menus when you already know the command you want. For
example, if you press "N" while a message is being displayed, or while the
message submenu is being drawn on your screen, Searchlight will stop its
output immediately and proceed to the "Next" message. This feature works
while reading messages and mail, in the Bulletins area, on subboard and
file directory listings, on all submenus such as the Mail and User command
menus, and even at the "more" prompt. It's an extremely valuable and time
saving feature, especially when using Searchlight from a remote location at
slower baud rates.



                                                                          4



                                                               Introduction

One final word about flow control: in practically every situation where
Searchlight requires you to answer an input prompt with a single character
response, you need only type the desired character, NOT type the character
and then press RETURN. You only need to press RETURN after typing a whole
line of input. If you forget, and DO press the return key, it will be
stored in memory (all input is fully "buffered") and used as the response
to the NEXT input prompt. This can be quite undesirable and confusing, if
you do not understand what's going on -- so be a little careful at first.


Doors

In contrast to other BBS systems, Searchlight provides full modem support
when running external "Door" programs. That means you don't need to use
external support programs, batch files, or device drivers when running
Doors; Searchlight handles the modem internally, while consuming less than
30K of memory above DOS (leaving the rest free for your Door). And
Searchlight makes it easy for you to run almost any program as a Door,
including existing programs not designed for use with a BBS, and programs
you write yourself (in any language). Plus, Searchlight is compatible with
most of the programs written for the other BBS systems -- giving you access
to thousands of the most popular games and utilities written for BBS use!


Menu Editing

Virtually every menu you see when using Searchlight BBS is user definable;
that means you can change the appearance, commands and even the entire
structure of our menus if you wish. If the default menus we've provided
don't suite your needs, you'll be able to modify the menus, or even create
brand new menus from scratch. You can also change the names we use for
commands without affecting their function, and even change the text and
messages that appear in the software.


Mouse Support

Searchlight features mouse support. If you have a local mouse attached to
your system, you can use it in many places in the main program and CONFIG
program instead of the keyboard. Some places that mouse usage is supported
include:

o Selection of items from menubar style menus
o Selecting fields in Options type screens, and changing field values
o Moving the cursor around during full screen message editing
o Tagging lines when using the reply-quoting feature

Mouse usage is supported in most other areas of the program where a menu
choice or command choice is displayed on the screen. You can also click on
the commands that appear when doing a "Help" command on a word type menu
(like the default main menu). The right mouse button acts like an Enter or
ESC keypress and can be used to exit most menus and as a substitute for
pressing Enter or ESC at many textual prompts.



                                                                          5



                                                               Introduction

Remote callers can also use mouse functions when calling Searchlight BBS
with a RIP graphics compatible terminal. Remote mouse functions are similar
to local mouse functions, except that the right mouse button is not used
with RIP. Mouse functions are not available to remote callers with standard
ANSI or non-ANSI terminals.


And More!

There are many more interesting Searchlight features, but rather than go
into detail here, let's get started with the installation instructions.
These are the major points we want you to keep in mind as your system
unfolds, and we'll get to the rest of the goodies in turn.











































                                                                          6



                                                               Installation

SEARCHLIGHT BBS INSTALLATION AND SETUP

Searchlight BBS requires an IBM PC or compatible, running DOS version 3.1
or higher. You need a Hayes compatible modem, a serial (RS232) interface
(if your modem is external), and about 1.5MB of hard disk space. If you are
setting up a multinode system, you'll need a serial port and modem for each
node in your system, as well as the appropriate multitasking or network
operating system software. Multiuser systems will also require DOS version
3.3 or higher.

Make sure your modem is installed and turned on before you install
Searchlight; refer to your modem's documentation for more information. If
you are using a new modem or computer, you should verify that the modem is
working correctly by running the modem software that came with your modem.
This way, if you have trouble setting up your BBS, you'll know whether the
modem itself might be at fault.

Some sort of text editor or word processor will generally be required for
creating/editing text files used by Searchlight. Since most people already
have their favorite, we'll assume you know how to "edit" text files (such
as CONFIG.SYS) on your system.

Please note that Searchlight BBS software is available in both single and
multiuser configurations. This manual covers both single and multiple user
usage. If you purchased a single line version, the multiuser information
does not apply to you.



THE CONFIG.SYS FILE

Somewhere in the root directory of your hard disk, there should be a file
called CONFIG.SYS. This file is used to configure various aspects of your
computer as it boots.

Using a text editor or word processor, examine the CONFIG.SYS file and make
sure it contains at least these three lines:

     Files   = 30
     Buffers = 20
     Device  = ANSI.SYS

These commands ensure that your computer allocates enough file buffer space
for the BBS, and that the ANSI.SYS driver is loaded. If your CONFIG.SYS
file already contains lines like those shown above, make sure the values
for Files and Buffers are at least as large as those shown; otherwise,
change them to the above values. If your disk does not contain the
CONFIG.SYS file, create it, and add the three lines shown above.

If too few file buffers are allocated when you try to run Searchlight BBS,
the program may crash with an I/O error. If this occurs, check to make sure
your CONFIG.SYS file contains the appropriate commands. If you continue to
see file errors (usually Error 100, Error 103 or Error 104) you may need to
increase the value of "Files" in your CONFIG.SYS; this is particularly true


                                                                          7



                                                               Installation

if you run a multitasking operating system, network driver or similar
resident software.

The ANSI.SYS driver is not required by Searchlight, but it is necessary if
you wish to display text files which contain ANSI escape sequences. While
we recommend running with ANSI.SYS installed, we strongly recommend that
you do NOT use one of the many ANSI.SYS replacements (commonly found on BBS
systems and as commercial products) designed to speed up screen output.
Many of these drivers bypass the BIOS level of I/O, which will make it
impossible to run the DOS command shell and other programs through our
built-in Doors system (see the Doors Setup section for details).



FILE SHARING

Multiuser versions of Searchlight BBS perform file sharing in order to
control access to data files by several users at the same time. File
sharing requires that SHARE.EXE, or its equivalent, be available when
Searchlight runs.

If you run multiple copies of Searchlight BBS on one machine using
DESQview, Windows or a similar multitasking system, you will probably need
to run the DOS program SHARE.EXE as you boot your system. Make sure the
SHARE.EXE file is available on your disk, then load it by entering the
command "SHARE" into your AUTOEXEC.BAT file (and rebooting your system).

Because of its low memory requirements and overall efficiency,
Quarterdeck's DESQview is the recommended multitasking operating software
with which to run Searchlight BBS. You can also run Searchlight with
Microsoft Windows or IBM OS/2.

If you run Searchlight on a local area network, your LAN probably provides
the Share function automatically. Do not load SHARE.EXE unless your LAN
documentation instructs you to do so, or you receive a share related error
message when you run Searchlight BBS.

Please see Appendix B, Guide To Error Messages, for more information about
loading Share and the share related error messages provided by Searchlight
BBS.

More information on the CONFIG.SYS, ANSI.SYS and SHARE.EXE files can be
found in your DOS manual.













                                                                          8



                                                               Installation

INSTALLING SEARCHLIGHT FROM YOUR DISTRIBUTION DISKS

Installing Searchlight BBS into your computer is a simple procedure, thanks
to the easy to use INSTALL program we've provided.

If your computer's floppy disk drive is drive A:, simply insert the
Searchlight disk and type:

     A:INSTALL

Of course, if you're using the B: floppy drive, type "B:INSTALL" instead.
When the installation menu appears, just select "New Installation" if
you're a first time customer, or "Update Installation" if you already have
a copy of Searchlight on your system.

Proceed with the installation process by following the instructions that
appear on your screen. The INSTALL program automatically creates
appropriate directories on your hard disk, loads the Searchlight program
files, and creates Searchlight data files for you. When the installation is
complete, your DOS prompt re-appears.

Searchlight contains a number of optional components, such as an external
version of the Zmodem protocol, which may be installed if you choose after
the main programs are installed. Each optional component that you load
contains its own documentation (.DOC) file that you can read to find out
more about using that option.

You're now ready to run Searchlight BBS! There are two main commands you'll
need to know right now. To start Searchlight itself and begin waiting for
an incoming phone call (or initiate a local session), type at your DOS
prompt:

     SLBBS

To access Searchlight's configuration menus and sysop utilities, enter this
command:

     CONFIG

We recommend running CONFIG first, in order to set Searchlight's options to
your own preferences before you actually run your BBS. We'll talk more
about the configuration program's features in the next few chapters.



SLBBS ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE

In most cases, you'll be located in Searchlight's "home" directory every
time you start the main program or run one of the utility programs. While
you should always be in the home directory when you enter the command to
start Searchlight, you can run utilities (like the CONFIG program or the
auxiliary programs found on your distribution disk) from any directory, as
long as you set up a DOS environment variable to tell Searchlight where the
home directory is loaded.


                                                                          9



                                                               Installation

To set up the environment variable, type "SET SLBBS=<directory>" at your
DOS prompt, like this:

     SET SLBBS=C:\SLBBS

You need to set this variable BEFORE running Searchlight or any Searchlight
utilities. It's best to put the command into a startup file (like
AUTOEXEC.BAT) to save you the trouble of having to enter it every time you
boot your system. If you run a multiuser system, be sure that each node has
its own 'SLBBS' environment variable pointing to its own home directory.




UPGRADING FROM OLDER VERSIONS

All versions of Searchlight BBS provide an upgrade path that allows you to
upgrade to newer versions of the software without losing any messages, user
records, or setup information stored on your system. You can upgrade to the
latest version even if you are currently using as old a version of
Searchlight as 1.28, which was released in 1988.


Upgrading From Searchlight 2.x

If you are upgrading from Searchlight 2.x to 3.x (for example, from version
2.25 to 3.0) the upgrade is automatic: simply select Upgrade Installation
when you run the INSTALL program. New versions of the Searchlight program
files will replace your existing files. Since the data files for all 2.x
and 3.x versions of Searchlight are compatible, there is no data file
upgrade procedure necessary, and all of your existing information will be
retained.

If you are upgrading from Searchlight 2.15, the upgrade program will also
install the MENU FILES that are used by Searchlight version 2.25 and later.
The menus files provided emulate the built in menus that were incorporated
into Searchlight 2.15, but now you can change them: see Menu System (p.
145) for more information.


Upgrading From Searchlight 1.x

Upgrading from versions of Searchlight older than 2.0 requires the use of a
special UPGRADE program, which converts your existing data files to the new
formats. Before you begin, you will need to download the upgrade program,
which is distributed as UPGRADE.ZIP on our main BBS in New York. (If you
cannot access our BBS or cannot download the file, please call our
technical support line and we'll send you a copy of the upgrade utility on
disk).

The recommended upgrade procedure is to first create a new Searchlight 3.0
installation by following the New Installation instructions, taking care to
use a different directory name than the one containing your old
installation. Fill in the information required by the installation program,
but don't run the CONFIG program or modify any of the additional

                                                                         10



                                                               Installation

configuration fields (they'll be filled in automatically when you run the
upgrade program).

Once Searchlight is installed, run the UPGRADE program to convert your
existing data. (See the upgrade program's included documentation file for
more details).


















































                                                                         11




                                                              Configuration

SEARCHLIGHT BBS CONFIGURATION

Searchlight's CONFIG program allows you to add, edit and delete message and
file transfer sections and menus, and edit a variety of available options
as needed. You can run CONFIG whenever you want to modify system options,
such as default access levels, modem setup strings, external protocols and
screen colors. If you're just starting out, you'll almost certainly want to
use the CONFIG program to set preferences like the name of your BBS before
you start using Searchlight.

You should always be located in the "home" directory -- the directory where
your Searchlight BBS data files are located -- when you run CONFIG.EXE. Run
the configuration program by typing CONFIG at your DOS prompt. For example:

     C> CONFIG

If you see a message indicating that your Searchlight files can't be found,
you should either make sure you are located in the directory that contains
the files (the directory you specified during the install process), or set
an SLBBS= environment parameter.

Your screen should now show Searchlight's main configuration menu. CONFIG
divides the setup procedures into several categories, as follows:


                    A. General Configuration
                    B. Message Subboard Maintenance
                    C. File Directory Maintenance
                    D. User/Subboard/File Utilities
                    E. Searchlight Menu Editor

Begin by selecting the first item, General Configuration, by pressing the
"A" key on your keyboard (don't press RETURN -- just press "A"). The screen
now shows a new menu that looks like this:


                    A. General Setup Menu #1
                    B. General Setup Menu #2
                    C. Communications Setup
                    D. File Pathnames Setup Menu
                    E. Xfer Protocols Setup
                    F. Screen Colors Setup
                    G. AutoDoors Setup
                    H. Command Access Setup
                    I. Default Access Levels


We'll begin at the top with General Setup Menu #1, so press "A" at your
keyboard again (or, if you prefer, "click" on the first menu line with your
mouse), and follow along with the menu options as we describe them in the
following pages.





                                                                         13



                                                              Configuration

SEARCHLIGHT BBS GENERAL SETUP MENU #1


 1. System Name ................... Searchlight
 2. Allow New Users ............... Yes
 3. Initial Help Level ............ Novice
 4. Min. Access Needed to Log In ..   0
 5. Node Number ...................   1
 6. Number of Active Nodes ........   1


The first field, System Name, is highlighted by a reverse-video bar. To
change the value of a field, you can type over the existing string, or edit
it with the cursor keys. To switch to other fields, press the up and down
arrow keys, or use your mouse to highlight the desired value. Numeric
values are entered by typing a number within the allowable range, which is
indicated to the right of the field when the field is selected, or by
clicking the arrows with your mouse. Other fields can be changed by
pressing the spacebar/backspace keys or left mouse button to display the
available options. When you are done editing the above fields, press the
ESC or ^Z (control-Z) key or the right mouse button to exit back to the
CONFIG main menu. You may now go on to the next screen of configuration
options, or exit the program by pressing ESC or the right mouse button
again.

Here is a detailed description of the functions of each option. As you move
down the list, change the options as necessary or desired for your
particular system.


1 -- System Name

This is an alphabetic field that you can use to enter an identifying name
for your BBS. This name is used at the login message, on the help screen
display, at the top of the Bulletin listing, and in the logoff message.


2 -- Allow New Users

This option, normally set to "Yes", determines whether your system will
allow new users to register their names and passwords. When set to "Yes",
new users will be allowed to register by typing "NEW" at the login prompt.
If changed to "No", your BBS becomes a closed system, allowing only those
users with passwords already on file to log in.

If you decide to run a closed system, you must still set this option to
"Yes" initially to allow users to register. You can either allow your users
to register themselves or you can register the names yourself by logging in
locally and typing "NEW" at the login prompt. (You can also create new user
accounts with Searchlight's User Editor software; contact us for more
information).





                                                                         14



                                                              Configuration


3 -- Initial Help Level

This field can be set to "Novice", "Intermediate" or "Expert", and it
determines the default help level assigned to new users. We suggest that
you use Novice if most of your new users will be people who are, for the
most part, unfamiliar with BBS systems or Searchlight BBS, and Intermediate
or Expert if most of your new users are expected to be familiar with BBS
systems and Searchlight BBS software.


4 -- Min. Access Needed to Log In

This field defines the minimum access level that a user needs to log in via
this particular node. You can use this feature on multinode systems to set
up a system where some nodes are public access, and some are restricted to
users with a certain access level. Normally, at least 1 node should have a
minimum access level of 0 (allowing public access).


5 and 6 -- Node Numbers

These fields determine the node number of the current node and the total
number of nodes in the system. When you copy your CONFIG.SL2 file to a
different directory and change the node numbers, you can create additional
nodes that allow multiple users to access your BBS at the same time. For
more information, see Multinode Setup (p. 43).

The maximum number you can type in lines 5 and 6 depends on the product
license level you purchased when ordering Searchlight BBS. For example, if
you own a 1 to 10 user license, you can enter a maximum value of 10. If
you'd like to upgrade your license level at any time, please contact
Searchlight Software for upgrade information.























                                                                         15



                                                              Configuration

SEARCHLIGHT BBS GENERAL SETUP MENU #2


 1. Screen Write Method ........... Direct
 2. Idle Time Limit ...............  15
 3. Quotes File ................... On
 4. Return to DOS on Logoff ....... No
 5. Hangup Phone on Logoff ........ Yes
 6. Allow Console Hotkeys ......... Yes
 7. Date Format ................... USA
 8. Time Format ................... 12 Hour
 9. Upload Time Repay Rate ........  1
10. ROM File Handling ............. Direct
11. User Log Status ............... Public
12. Clock Tick Source ............. Direct
13. Use Session Time Limits? ...... No
14. Expired User Action ........... None
15. Enable RIP Graphics ........... Yes


Option screen B displays some more configuration switches for customizing
your setup. Adjust your options as follows:


1 -- Screen Write Method

This can be set to either BIOS or Direct. In BIOS mode, Searchlight will
use BIOS calls to send all its output to the screen. In Direct mode, the
BIOS is bypassed and screenwriting occurs via direct access to your
computer's video hardware.

In general, Direct mode is faster than BIOS mode. BIOS mode offers
compatibility with standard system I/O functions, and is preferable when
running Searchlight in a windowed environment (such as DESQview or
Microsoft Windows). If you use a multiple window environment and you have a
problem with Searchlight overwriting other windows on your screen, select
BIOS mode; if you run only a single copy of Searchlight on any given
machine, use Direct.


2 -- Idle Time Limit

The value in this field determines the amount of time, in minutes, that
Searchlight will wait for keyboard input. If Searchlight stops to wait for
input and no keys are pressed after this amount of time has passed,
Searchlight will abort the call and recycle back to the Login screen.

Please note that the idle time limit is NOT enforced during a local login.


3 -- Quotes File

Searchlight's user quotes feature (the "Please leave us a quote" prompt
displayed at logoff time) can be enabled or disabled with this option. If
enabled, users are able to enter short quotes each time they access the

                                                                         16



                                                              Configuration

system, and the Quotes command (on the main menu) can be used to browse
through the quotes left by others.


4 -- Return to DOS on Logoff

This option controls the behavior of the system when a user logs off, hangs
up, or is otherwise disconnected from your BBS. In the default mode, with
Return to DOS set to "No", the system will reset the modem, recycle to the
Login program, and begin waiting for the next call. If "Yes" is selected,
Searchlight will return to DOS when a user logs off.

Return to DOS is provided to enable Searchlight to be used with a "front-
end" program. Typically, such a program will monitor and answer the
telephone, start Searchlight BBS when a call is received, and regain
control of the system when the call is finished. These programs are used
for special purposes such as the interception of network mail. If you will
not be using this type of program, leave this option set to "No".

If Return to DOS is used, Searchlight will return a nonzero return code
(errorlevel) if ALT-X is pressed by the Sysop or if there is an error
encountered while running the BBS. The front end program should be set up
to terminate to DOS when this happens, rather than recycle.

If this option is selected, the only way to start Searchlight is with
command line parameters for the baud rate and maximum time limit. See
Command Line Parameters (p. 62) for more information.


5 -- Hangup Phone on Logoff

This option controls whether you want Searchlight to hang up the phone when
a user logs off. Normally, select "Yes" to hang up the phone and recycle
the system for a new user. Use "No" if you are running your copy of
Searchlight BBS as a door or from a front end program which requires that
the connection be maintained after Searchlight completes.


6 -- Allow Console HotKeys

This switch controls whether the special "HotKey" functions (ALT-L, ALT-S,
etc.) will be available at the local keyboard. Normally, leave HotKeys
enabled if you or other Sysops will be the only people with access to the
local PC. If you're running Searchlight in a situation where non-Sysop
users will be logging into the system in local mode (such as in a local
area network), turn HotKeys Off to disable unauthorized use of sysop
functions.


7 and 8 -- Date and Time Formats

These switches control the format in which dates and times are displayed.
Dates may be displayed in the USA format, MM-DD-YY, or the European format,
DD/MM/YY. Notice that Searchlight uses the "-" character as the separator
in the USA format, and the "/" in the European format; this is done to help

                                                                         17



                                                              Configuration

distinguish the different formats. Inputting of dates, where required, must
be done in the selected format.

Times can be displayed in 12-Hour or 24-Hour formats. The 12 hour format
includes an "am" or "pm" indicator.


9 -- Upload Time Repay Rate

This option determines the amount of "repay" time that the system will give
for uploaded files. If the repay rate is set to 1, users will be credited
with the same amount of time that it took to upload a file, so that if a 10
minute upload occurs, an additional 10 minutes of time are granted when the
upload completes. If the repay rate is 2 to 1, an additional 20 minutes of
time would be granted for a 10 minute upload, etc. If the repay rate is 0,
then no additional time is credited for uploads.

Searchlight will reduce the amount of additional time granted after an
upload if the additional time would interfere with a scheduled event, or
exceed the maximum session time limit.


10 -- ROM File Handling

This switch specifies whether files which reside on read-only devices, such
as CD-ROM drives, will be accessed directly off the ROM device or copied to
hard disk first.

When this option is set to "Copy", Searchlight handles all files on read-
only devices (those file directories for which the "Path to DIR File" is
different from "Path to Files") by copying files from the ROM device to the
DIR file path when Download or View commands are used. The directory
containing the DIR file, rather than the ROM device itself, is made the
active directory when external protocols are invoked. After the command is
completed, Searchlight removes the copied files from your hard disk.

File copying should be used if you experience sluggish operation or
compatibility problems when accessing files on a CD-ROM or similar device.
Please see the File Transfer System section of this manual for further
details.


11 -- User Log Status

This option allows you to designate the status of your user list and caller
logs as either Public or Private. When Public is selected, the USER command
on Searchlight's main menu is available to all callers and can be used to
search and display your user log and last 75 callers log. If you select
Private, your user logs are kept private and the USER command is made
unavailable to all callers except the Sysop and Co-Sysops.

You can also restrict or eliminate the USER command, or any other command,
by editing your menus directly with Searchlight's menu editing features.



                                                                         18



                                                              Configuration


12 -- Clock Tick Source

This option controls whether Searchlight uses a DOS call, a BIOS call or a
direct memory read to obtain real-time clock information. Use "Direct"
unless it conflicts with your operating system, otherwise use "DOS" or
"BIOS" methods. If you experience problems such as system lockups,
extremely short or long time delays, or inaccurate system dates, change
this option.


13 -- Use Session Time Limits?

Searchlight supports the ability to limit a user's time limit per session
(per login) as well as per day. If you'd like to use this ability, set this
field to "Yes". Otherwise, leave it set to "No".

If you do choose "Yes", you must be sure to set your user accounts up so
that they have the desired Session Time Limit attributes. You can adjust
accounts manually (via 2-Sysop/Options command on Searchlight's main menu),
or you can perform global changes with the Sysop Utilities menu in the
CONFIG program.


14 -- Expired User Action

This field determines what to do with user accounts which have "expired" --
in other words, which are older than the expiration date specified in the
account. The default action is "None", which means that nothing happens to
these accounts (in effect, expiration dates are not used).

If you'd like to use expiration dates on your system, set this field to
either "Reset Access" or "Delete Account". The former setting will cause
the user's access level to fall back to the New User level when their
account expires. The latter will cause the account to be deleted. In both
cases, users receive a 30 day warning message before the action occurs (the
warning message appears as part of their log-in sequence).

Expired user actions only take place if and when a user with an expired
account attempts to log in to your BBS -- no action is taken if such a user
never calls back.


15 -- Enable RIP Graphics

This switch lets you enable or disable Searchlight's RIP graphics support.
RIP is a terminal protocol that can be used to provide features like mouse
support and VGA graphics to your callers. For more information, see page
203.







                                                                         19



                                                              Configuration

SEARCHLIGHT BBS COMMUNICATIONS SETUP


 1. COM Port ......................   1
 2. Support 300 Baud .............. Yes
 3. Support 1200 Baud ............. Yes
 4. Support 2400 Baud ............. Yes
 5. Support 4800 Baud ............. No
 6. Support 9600 Baud ............. No
 7. Support 19200 Baud ............ No
 8. Remote Init String ............ ATH0M0&C1&D3S0=1!
 9. Local Init String ............. ATH1!
10. Baud Detect Method ............ Modem Msg
11. Locked Baud Rate .............. None
12. Hardware Flow Control ......... Off
13. Output Buffering Factor .......  32
14. Buffer Door Programs? ......... Yes
15. COM Port Setup [...]


The modem setup screen is very important. Please read the following
information carefully. Additional information about modems can be found in
Appendix D, Modem Configuration, later in this manual.


1 -- COM Port

This controls which communications port, 1 through 4, will be used to
communicate with the modem. Make sure you set this option to the correct
value for the modem in your system. If you have no modem or serial port,
you may give a value of zero for COM Port; this prevents Searchlight from
attempting to initialize or otherwise access the modem and allows you to
run the system in local mode only.

The COM Port number is really an index into a table of communications
ports, which you can customize by using the COM Port Setup option in line
15. If you are using a port other than a standard COM1 or COM2 port, you'll
probably need to customize your port setup; see below.


2 to 7 -- Baud Rate

Searchlight recognizes modem speeds of up to 19200 baud, depending on the
modem used. The default setting, as shown above, is for a 2400 baud modem.
In lines 2 through 7, specify which baud rates you'd like your BBS to
support. Be certain that you do not enable any speeds higher than the
highest speed your modem actually supports. You can disable or "lock out"
lower baud rates, in particular 300 baud, if you do not wish to support
them even though your modem is capable of doing so. Users who attempt to
communicate at a "locked out" speed will be not be allowed to access your
BBS in any way.

If you have a high speed modem, or any modem faster than plain 2400 baud,
pay particular attention to lines 11 and 12 in order to get maximum
performance from your modem.

                                                                         20



                                                              Configuration


8 -- Remote Init String

This field defines the string of characters that will be sent to your modem
whenever Searchlight begins running or resets itself after completing a
call. You can use this string to send whatever initialization commands your
modem requires before being able to accept a call.

Besides regular letters and numbers, there are two special characters that
you can insert into the modem init string:

     ~ .................. Provides a 1/2 second delay between characters
     ! .................. Sends a carriage return (CR) to the modem

NOTE that it is important to end the string with a ! character if you want
it to terminate with a carriage return keystroke. The ! can be used several
times within the string, allowing you to send several commands to the
modem.

In the above example, the string ATH0M0&C1&D3S0=1 followed by a carriage
return is send to the modem for initialization. Various modems may require
additional commands for proper operation. Check the manual that came with
your modem and Appendix D of this manual for more information.

The init string is sent to the modem at the highest speed indicated in
options 2 through 7. For many modems, it is essential that at least some
command is sent to the modem after each call in order to initialize the
modem to the proper transmission speed. Therefore, we recommend that you
always have something in this field, even if it's just the empty modem
command (AT!).

Please read Appendix D, Modem Configuration, for more information about
modem setup.


9 -- Local Init String

This string is similar to the Remote Init String, except that it is sent to
the modem whenever you initiate a "local" logon to the system (by pressing
the return key at the keyboard while the system is waiting for a call), or
when the system goes off line to execute a scheduled event. In the above
example, ATH1 is sent. This command places the phone "on hook", that is, it
tells the modem to make the telephone line busy. This is very useful, since
any users who attempt to call your BBS while you are logged on locally will
receive a busy signal, rather than no answer.


10 -- Baud Detect Method

This option determines how Searchlight will set the baud rate for a remote
call. When set to "Modem Msg", the software will set the baud rate by the
Modem Message method; that is, it expects the modem to send a message that
says "CONNECT xxxx" (where xxxx is the baud rate) upon answering a call.
Searchlight reads this message and uses it to set the baud rate.


                                                                         21



                                                              Configuration

If this field is set to "Key Hit", the program will determine the baud rate
via the Keystroke method. It will cycle through the defined baud rates
until the user presses the RETURN key on the remote end. If you use this
method, you must press the RETURN key several times upon connecting with
the BBS in order to establish the proper baud rate.

"Modem Msg" is the default and preferred method. This topic is discussed
further in Appendix D.


11 -- Locked Baud Rate

This field can be used to select a fixed baud rate of up to 38,400 baud for
use with high performance, buffered modems that allow a fixed baud rate.
When a locked baud rate is selected, that baud rate is used for all
communications with your modem regardless of the actual baud rate used by a
remote caller. Locked baud rate should only be used with modems which can
support this feature; set this option to "None" if you are using a standard
1200 or 2400 bps modem.

See Appendix D for more information about locked baud rates and high speed
modems.


12 -- Hardware Flow Control

Hardware flow control enables Searchlight to perform I/O handshaking with
your modem. Normally, hardware flow control is required when a locked baud
rate is used and can be left "Off" for standard 1200/2400 baud modems. Be
aware that turning flow control "On" when your modem is turned off,
disconnected, improperly configured of improperly connected can cause
Searchlight to freeze during operation or behave erratically.

Locked Baud Rate and Hardware Flow Control should always be used together,
and only with modems that support fixed baud rate (fixed DTE rate) with
hardware handshaking (also called CTS handshaking). Be sure that your modem
is properly configured for handshaking before you turn these options on.
Most 9600 & 14,400 baud modems require an &K3 command in the modem init
string for proper operation.


13 -- Output Buffering Factor

This value controls the size of Searchlight's output buffer during
interrupt driven communications. The default value is 32. On slower
systems, or when multitasking, setting the output buffering factor to a
higher value increases the total speed of the system. Output buffering
tends to place a larger interrupt overhead on your system; therefore, if
you use multitasking or extensive background processing on your computer,
and you experience problems such as lost data over your communications
port, set this value to a smaller number or 0.

The actual buffer sized used is scaled according to the baud rate and is
equal to the output buffering factor * (baud rate/300). Notice that this


                                                                         22



                                                              Configuration

value affects the output buffer only, not the (more important) input
buffer, which is fixed in size at 512 bytes.

This option is strictly for "fine tuning" the performance of your BBS and
it will not affect performance greatly in either direction.


14 -- Buffer Door Programs

This option determines whether output buffering (if defined in option 13)
remains in effect during execution of DOOR programs. In general, you should
buffer door programs. However, be aware that buffering such programs can
result in sluggish reaction to the ^C key if the Door program uses it to
interrupt output. Also, if you have problems with door programs such as
lost characters, try turning Buffer Door Programs off.


15 -- COM Port Setup

To select this option, place the cursor on line 15 and press Return, or
click line 15 twice with your mouse. A new options screen appears which
allows you to custom configure four communications ports for use with your
BBS:


 1. Port 1 Type ................... Standard
 2. Base Address .................. 3F8
 3. Interrupt .....................   3
 4. External Port Number ..........   1



Port Type

The port type can have one of three values. Standard enables Searchlight to
talk directly to a regular IBM compatible serial port, like COM1 or COM2,
using built in communications drivers.

FOSSIL lets Searchlight use a serial port defined by an external FOSSIL
driver program. If your system contains a serial port which cannot be
accessed directly by Searchlight, but which has a FOSSIL driver program
available, you can access that port through its driver by setting the port
type and External Port Number appropriately. It is usually not necessary to
use FOSSIL drivers unless you want to use a non-standard device, like a
multiport communications card.

DigiBoard allows you to use a DigiBoard multiport communications card. For
more information about this setting, see Appendix H, Digiboard Installation
and Use.







                                                                         23



                                                              Configuration


Base Address
Interrupt

Because there are no hardware standards for COM ports beyond COM2,
Searchlight allows you to customize the hardware base address and interrupt
for all com ports on your system. If you use ports other than the standard
IBM compatible COM1 and COM2, find the base address and interrupts used by
your ports in the hardware manuals that came with them, and input those
values into these fields.

If you run a multinode system on a single PC (using a multitasker such as
DESQview), it is important that each node uses a unique interrupt and base
address for its serial port. For example, many COM3 ports available
actually use Interrupt 3 with a different base address than COM1. Such a
serial port cannot be used simultaneously with your COM1 port since they
share the same interrupt. When purchasing hardware to expand your system
beyond COM1 and COM2, purchase serial ports that can be configured to use
interrupt 2, 5 or 7. (Note: it is only necessary to supply base address and
interrupt data for the COM port actually being used by a particular node).

Base Address and Interrupt have no effect if you are using a FOSSIL or
DigiBoard type or port.

Be aware that the standard base address and interrupt for COM1 is 3F4 and
4, and COM2 is 2F8 and 3. We suggest you do not alter these unless you have
a specific requirement.

If you do not know the hardware base address and interrupt of the serial
ports on your system, run another application that uses those ports (like a
terminal program) and check that software's configuration menus for the
proper values.


External Port Number

When you use the FOSSIL or Digiboard port type, use this line to specify
the actual physical COM port number you want to use. The value entered here
is what is actually sent to the FOSSIL or Digiboard software driver to
indicate which port should be used.

The External Port Number has no effect when using Standard port types.














                                                                         24



                                                              Configuration

SEARCHLIGHT BBS PATHNAMES SETUP MENU


 1. Primary Program Path .......... C:\BBS
 2. Alternate Program Path ........
 3. Data Files Path ............... C:\BBS
 4. Text Files Path ............... C:\BBS\TEXT
 5. Include Files Path ............
 6. Mail Files Path ...............
 7. Default Log File ..............
 8. Activity Log Filename ......... ACTIVITY.LOG
 9. Files Log Filename ............ FILES.LOG
10. Default Passwd for Uploads ....
11. DOOR Parameters Filename ......
12. Chat File Path ................ C:\BBS
13. Primary Menu Path ............. C:\BBS\MENU
14. Alternate Menu Path ...........


These options select path and filenames that Searchlight will use when
accessing your disks. Flexible pathname selection is provided so that you
may make the best use of available disk drives.

If you just installed Searchlight, these fields will contain the proper
values for your system. We recommend that you do not alter any of these
fields until you are familiar with the field's function.


1 -- Primary Program Path

This option determines where Searchlight will look for its executable
(.EXE) files, overlay (.OVR) files, and the STRINGS.SYS file. If no
pathname is given, it defaults to the current directory.

Use this field if you wish to have some or all your program files located
on a different drive or directory than your data files. You can use this
option to place your .EXE files into a high-speed RAM-disk for faster
access.


2 -- Alternate Program Path

If an executable file can't be found in the Primary location, Searchlight
looks to this path for the file. For example, if you use a high-speed RAM
disk as your primary program path, but not all of your program files fit on
the ramdisk, store the most important ones there and store the rest in
another location specified by the Alternate program path.

We recommend storing the following files in a high speed disk drive (as
specified in your Primary path) if available: BBS.EXE, BBS.OVR, BBS.INT;
FILES.EXE, FILES.OVR, FILES.INT; STRINGS.SYS; and LOGIN.EXE. The remaining
EXE files are not accessed directly by Searchlight and would not benefit by
being placed in high speed storage.



                                                                         25



                                                              Configuration


3 -- Data Files Path

This option provides the path that the system with use to access its data
files (all files ending in .SL2 and .DEF, except for CONFIG.SL2 and
EVENT.DEF, which are always located in the current directory). On multiuser
systems, you use this option to create multiple nodes which reference the
same database (see the following pages for additional multinode setup
information).


4 -- Text Files Path

The Text Files path is the directory where Searchlight will look for all of
its text files. These include the user-defined login and info files,
subboard and file directory signon messages, help files, and any files
referenced in messages via the @@FILENAME directive. Note: Text files
ending in "DEF" (i.e. EVENT.DEF) should be located in the current or data
file directory, rather than the text directory.

For security reasons, we recommend that the Text directory be different
from the current directory and the Program File path. This is because the
@@FILENAME command can access any file in the text path, and can lead to
unwanted access to system or other private files (@@FILENAME is discussed
further in the Text Editing section of this manual).


5 -- Include File Pathname

This pathname allows you to specify a directory which the users of you BBS
can access for the purpose of "including" text files in messages (via the
"%%FILENAME" directive, as discussed in the Text Editing chapter).
Normally, if you use this pathname, you'll also have a file transfer
directory set to the same path. See File Transfer System for more details.


6 -- Mail Files Path

The directory specified by this path is used for mail logging. The mail
logging option, which can be turned on or off for each user in the system
(via the 2-Sysop/Options command), provides an automatic log of all mail
sent and received by users who have mail logging enabled. Searchlight
stores each user's mail in a separate file; these files will have filenames
created by a concatenation of the user's first and last name (for example,
SYSOP.LOG or FLAROSA.LOG). The mail files path is where these files will be
written. If no mail file path is given, it defaults to the current path
when Searchlight is loaded.


7 -- Default Log File

Default Log File is a default name that will be shown whenever a log (ALT-
L) or forward to disk operation is selected. A default name is not
required, and is only a convenience that allows you to log messages and
information to one file without having to enter its name each time.

                                                                         26



                                                              Configuration


8 -- Activity Log Filename
9 -- Files Log Filename

These options provide the filename, and optionally drive letter or
pathname, for the text files which will hold your system's activity logs
and files system logs. As shown above, the default filenames are
ACTIVITY.LOG for the login activity logs and FILES.LOG for the files system
log. These filenames can be changed (or redirected to devices such as PRN)
if desired. No logging takes place if these filenames are left blank.

Note that by default, each node on a multinode system will generate a
separate set of log files for each node (located in each node's home
directory area).


10 -- Default Passwd for Uploads

This field, if filled in, defines a default password that will be assigned
to each new file that is uploaded to your BBS via the File Transfer system.
The purpose behind having a default password is to allow you to have
control over new files. Once a file is uploaded and assigned the default
password, no one will be able to download the file until you remove the
password, thus giving you the opportunity to check each new file before you
allow it to be downloaded by your users.

Most sysops leave this field blank, allowing all new files to be downloaded
without having to be cleared. If you do set this field, remember that you,
or a co-sysop, must reset the passwords on all new files before they can be
accessed (see File Transfer System for more information).


11 -- DOOR Parameters Filename

This field can be used to set the filename, including drive and/or path, of
the PCBoard parameter file created by the DOORS system when an external
program is run. The DOOR Parameters File is a file containing information
about your BBS that can be accessed by an external program; it is provided
primarily for compatibility with PCBoard door programs. The format and use
of this file is discussed further in the Doors Subsystem section of this
manual.

This field should specify a full filename, like "C:\SLBBS\PCBOARD.SYS", not
just a path. If you leave this field blank, no parameter file is generated.


12 -- Chat File Path

This option determines the drive and path where the file CHAT.SL2, used to
hold the messages transmitted via the system's internode chatting facility,
will be created. Since the messages in this file are short and of a
temporary nature, and since the chat function accesses this file
frequently, we recommend that you create a small RAM-disk or other high
speed drive in your system for the purpose of containing this file, in


                                                                         27



                                                              Configuration

order to maximize the speed and efficiency of the chat system. Chat File
Path has no effect in single user installations.

Unlike Searchlight's other data files, CHAT.SL2 need not be present in the
designated path when the system is started, and will be created if not
available. Thus, you will not need to back-up or copy CHAT.SL2 to or from
temporary disk drives each time your system is reset.


13 -- Primary Menu Path
14 -- Alternate Menu Path

These fields specify the path where Searchlight will find its menu files.
Menu files are the external files (ending in .MNU) that describe the menus
used by the system. When you install Searchlight, the default menus are
loaded onto your system and the path where they are located is placed in
the Primary Menu Path field. If you wish to change the location your menu
files, type the new location here, after moving the MNU files to the
correct path.

When both a primary and alternate menu path are provided, Searchlight first
checks the primary path when attempting to load a menu file. If the file is
not found in that directory, then the alternate path is used. This allows
you to create alternate menus for a particular node without providing two
different copies of all your menu files.

Notice that when you run the CONFIG program and select the Menu Editor
option, only those menus in the Primary menu path are displayed. In a
multinode system with several menu paths, switch to the home directory of
the desired node in order to edit its menus.


Relative Versus Absolute Pathnames

As absolute pathname is a pathname that contains a drive letter and begins
at the root directory. A relative pathname is one which begins at the
current directory or omits a drive letter. For example, a pathname such as
"C:\SLBBS\TEXT" is absolute; whereas "SLBBS\TEXT" is relative.

We recommend that you use only absolute pathnames when configuring
Searchlight BBS. The reason for this is that some Searchlight BBS programs
and utilities can run from outside your "home" directory, and therefore
will require absolute pathnames to locate your data files. This is
especially true for multiuser systems, and systems which run in a local
area network environment.

If you do run a LAN, we further recommend that you use the same drive
letters on each workstation to refer to the drives on which your
Searchlight files are stored. Otherwise, nodes on other workstations may
not be able to locate message subboards, file directories and DOORS defined
in the Node 1 directory.





                                                                         28



                                                              Configuration

SEARCHLIGHT BBS PROTOCOL SETUP MENU

Searchlight BBS provides a total of 15 "slots" for the designation of file
transfer protocols. Protocols can be either internal (supplied by
Searchlight BBS) or external. An external protocol is a program which is
capable of transferring files to or from a remote system via modem.
Typically, such programs are written to be used from the DOS command line
or as part of a BBS like Searchlight, where they can provide new transfer
protocols such as Ymodem, Kermit, Bimodem, etc. in addition to
Searchlight's built-in protocols.

Each protocol consists of a name (which is displayed by the Files system),
a type, and for external protocols, a send command and a receive command.
To add or change a protocol, select one of the protocol slots from the list
of 15 possible slots displayed by the Protocol Setup menu. Searchlight will
display a setup screen with these options:


 1. Protocol Name ................. Zmodem (Internal)
 2. Protocol Type ................. Zmodem
 3. External Send Command .........
 4. External Receive Command ......


In line 1, enter the name of the protocol. Line 2, Protocol Type, selects
whether a particular protocol is an external protocol (like DSZ) or one of
Searchlight's built in protocols. The built in protocols include Xmodem,
Xmodem/CRC, Xmodem/1K, and Zmodem. To select which type of protocol you
want, toggle this line to the appropriate value.

For internal protocols, no further action is necessary. For external
protocols, you need to supply the appropriate commands needed to implement
that protocol on your system. In general, commands should include the full
pathname to the DOS file containing the command to execute, including the
COM, EXE, or BAT file extension. Searchlight metacharacters can be used to
provide information such as baud rate, COM port, etc. on the command line
(see Doors Subsystem, page 170, for more information on metacharacters).

Where external protocols that require filenames on the command line, two
special parameters, "%F" for single filenames and "%W" for wildcards, can
be used to specify the filename(s) to send or receive when these programs
are invoked. Protocols which support the use of an indirect file can
specify it on the command line as "@Filename".

Press ESC when done. To review or change external protocol setups later,
just select the protocol you wish to view or edit from the External
Protocol setup screen.

Please consult External Protocol Setup in the File Transfer System section
of this manual (page  132) for further details and examples of external
protocol command lines.

Notice that lines 3 and 4 apply only to external protocols, and are ignored
unless "external" is selected as the protocol type in line 2.


                                                                         29



                                                              Configuration

























































                                                                         30



                                                              Configuration

SEARCHLIGHT BBS SCREEN COLORS SETUP


 1. Normal Text Color ............. Blue
 2. Normal Background Color ....... Black
 3. Inverse Text Color ............ White
 4. Inverse Background Color ...... Blue
 5. Command Color ................. Magenta
 6. Subboard Highlight Color ...... Yellow
 7. Heading Color ................. Lt Cyan
 8. Input/Chat Mode Color ......... Green
 9. Prompt Color .................. Lt Magenta
10. Special Messages Color ........ Red
11. Error Messages Color .......... Lt Blue
12. Alternate Color ............... Magenta


The sixth selection on the Setup menu is used to set screen colors. When a
color CRT is used, Searchlight can display up to ten different foreground
and two background colors, selected from a palette of 16 colors.

The colors you enter into the above fields are used when run on a computer
with a color display, or when color mode is selected by a remote terminal.
In order to see the colors, the remote terminal must have a color CRT and
it must recognize the ANSI escape sequences used to create colored text
(the specific ANSI sequences used to create each of the above colors can be
found in your DOS manual).

Normal Background Color (field #2) affects only the background color of the
local PC. The background color of the terminal is always black, except when
highlighting input fields.

Searchlight is capable of supplying color or monochrome text to the remote
terminal independently of the local PC. That is, if the local PC (the
computer running the Searchlight BBS Software) has a color CRT, but the
logged-in user selects Monochrome graphics, color will still be displayed
on the local screen, even though only monochrome codes are being sent to
the terminal. Similarly, if the system is run on a Monochrome display, only
monochrome graphics are sent to the screen even though color graphics are
being sent to the terminal. Note that while the colors sent in Color mode
can be adjusted, the monochrome mode is fixed and will always appear the
same regardless of the colors selected for Color mode.

If you don't own a color display, it is suggested that you leave the colors
set to their default values. Experience has shown that it is difficult to
estimate how a particular color combination will look without actually
viewing it on a color CRT.









                                                                         31



                                                              Configuration

SEARCHLIGHT BBS AUTODOORS SETUP

The AutoDoors setup screen lets you specify "automatic doors", or door
programs which execute automatically rather than on command as regular
doors are used (see Doors Subsystem later in this manual for more
information about door programs). Four AutoDoor settings are provided: New
User AutoDoor, Login AutoDoor, Logoff AutoDoor and Upload AutoDoor. The
Login and Logoff AutoDoors, if specified, execute automatically when a user
logs in or logs off. The New User AutoDoor executes immediately after a new
user registers with your system.

Upload AutoDoor is a function that executes after any upload of a file to
your BBS. Typically, it's used to scan uploaded files for viruses, repack
files into selected formats, and so on. Please see File Transfer System
later in this manual for more information.


 1. Command .......................
 2. Directory Path ................
 3. Communications Support ........ None
 4. Abort Method .................. None
 5. Write Protection .............. No
 6. Parameter File ................ None
 7. Pause After Door .............. No


The parameters for AutoDoors are very similar to the parameters used in
regular doors; please see the Doors Subsystem section of this manual for
more information. Here is a brief summary:


1 -- Command

This is the command name used to start the AutoDoor, including any command
line parameters or Searchlight metacharacters necessary to start the
program running. Programs other than batch files or DOS commands should
include the .COM or .EXE extension on the program filename.


2 -- Directory Path

This parameter specifies the directory which will be made active before the
AutoDoor command is executed. If you wish to remain in the current
directory, specify "." for this parameter.


3 -- Communications Support

For this field, specify "Standard" if the AutoDoor does not provide its own
RS232 serial support, "None" if it does. "Force-Color" may be used to force
a program which uses color to run in color mode on a monochrome system.





                                                                         32



                                                              Configuration


4 -- Abort Method

This field specifies the action to take if a carrier loss is detected
during the execution of the door. Select "Terminate" for a normal program
exit, "Reboot" to reboot the computer, or "None" to take no action in case
of a carrier loss.


5 -- Write Protection

A value of "Yes" forces software write protection of all drives during the
execution of the door. You must use "No" for any program that needs to
write to disk.


6 -- Parameter File

This option lets you create a "drop" file, such as a DOOR.SYS file, for use
with this door program.


7 - Pause After Door

If set to Yes, Searchlight will pause with the "Press any key to continue"
prompt after running the door.

You can also set up programs to auto execute during Searchlight's login or
logoff sequence, or at other times, by adding the commands directly to
Searchlight's menus. See Menu Editor later in this manual for more
information.

























                                                                         33



                                                              Configuration

SEARCHLIGHT BBS FUNCTION ATTRIBUTE SETUP


 1. Forward Messages ..............   0
 2. Internode Chatting ............   0
 3. Editor Text Quoting ...........   0


This CONFIG program selection lets you regulate, by security attributes,
several important functions.


1 -- Forward Messages

This field regulates the ability to forward messages. Forwarding messages
means being able to copy a message from one place (such as a subboard or a
mailbox) to another place, via the Other/Forward command. If you want to
restrict this activity, specify security attributes here. Only users who
have all of the attributes listed here will be able to forward messages.


2 -- Internode Chatting

If you want to regulate the use of internode chatting, place specific
attributes here. Only users who meet these attribute requirements will be
considered available and able to use chat functions.

This field actually controls the prompts that appear during the login
sequence, and access to the "Chat" command from the message disposition
line. The main "Chat" command (on the main menu) is regulated separately
(you need to use the menu editor, described later in this manual). In most
cases you will want to make sure that the attributes listed here match the
ones listed in the main menu for the "Chat" command.


3 -- Editor Text Quoting

Text Quoting means the ability to copy the contents of a message into the
editor screen when making a reply to that message, via the F4 or ^KG
command sequence. If you wish to regulate who has the ability to perform
such quoting, list the desired attributes here.



Searchlight BBS provides much more extensive customization of main menu and
submenu functions using the Menu Editor, which is described in more detail
in section 11 of this manual.









                                                                         34



                                                              Configuration

DEFAULT ACCESS LEVEL SETUP

This configuration option lets you define up to 12 default access levels.
Although each user in a Searchlight BBS system can be individually assigned
access levels, time limits, attributes and so forth, often you will want to
group sets of these items together into default groups. For example, you
may have default groups for New Users, Validated Users, Adult Users,
Members, and so forth. Default Access Levels gives you a way to predefine
the parameters for these groups and quickly assign them to individual
users.

The first two items on the Default Access Levels menu are predefined as
"New User" and "Validated User". Although you can change the name and
definitions of these access levels, Searchlight will always assign access
level "A" to new users, and will always assign "B" to users when you press
the ALT-V (validate) key.

To define a new access group, go to the first "Unassigned" selection and
press Return. The following menu items appear:


 1. Name .......................... New User
 2. Message/Doors Access Level .... 2
 3. Files Access Level ............ 2
 4. Security Attributes ........... ABC
 5. Download:Upload Ratio .........  3
 6. Daily Time Limit .............. 40
 7. Session Time Limit ............ 40
 8. Days Until Expiration .........365



1 -- Name

This field defines a descriptive name for the access level. This is the
name that appears when you use the 2-Sysop/Validate or Other/Validate
commands from Searchlight BBS.


2 -- Message/Doors Access Level

This field is the numerical access level (from 0 to 255) that is used for
access to message areas and DOORS.

In Searchlight BBS, access levels and security attributes work together to
define which users have access to particular features. In order for a user
to access a subboard, for example, that user must have at least the access
level required to access that subboard, and all the security attributes
required for it. (You determine what those requirements are when you create
the subboard). The only access levels which have absolute meaning in
Searchlight are levels 254 and 255, which define cosysops and Sysops
respectively (Sysops and cosysops have general access to all features on
the system).



                                                                         35



                                                              Configuration


3 -- Files Access Level

This field defines the user's access level in the Files section of the BBS.


4 -- Security Attributes

Security attributes are letters from A to X which work in conjunction with
access levels to provide a more flexible level of regulation. Security
attributes are non-hierarchical in nature: whereas an access level of 100,
for example, grants a user all the privileges of access levels 0 through
99, security attribute 'X' does not automatically grant a user access to
attributes 'A' through 'W'.

Security attributes can be thought of as individual "keys" that a user most
possess in order to open (access) a particular item on your BBS (that item
can be a subboard, file directory, DOOR, or a command, like POST). Suppose
a particular item has "locks" (attributes) A,B and C associated with it:
then in order to "unlock" that item, a user must have keys A,B and C. A
user who has, for example, keys B and C, but not key A, can't use the item,
even if the user has many other keys.

Security attributes give you the ability to mutually exclude groups of
users from areas of your BBS. For example, if one group of users has
attribute "A" only and another, attribute "B" only, no users from the first
group will have access to subboards that have the "B" attribute, and none
from the second group will have access to subboards with the "A" attribute.
Of course, if you might wish to assign some user attributes A and B, in
which case that user would have access to both areas.

Keep in mind that you can define security levels using any number and
combination of the 24 attribute levels. You're not limited to 24 security
levels: the actual number of combinations available is in excess of 16
million.


5 -- Download:Upload Ratio

This field defines a user's maximum downloading privilege as a ratio to the
amount of data uploaded. For example, a value of 2 in this field would mean
that the user could download twice the amount of files uploaded. Ratios are
computed from the total amount of KBytes uploaded and downloaded, without
regard to the actual number of files transferred.

For greater control over uploading and downloading, you can also define a
downloading "grace period" for new users, and value multipliers to
individual directories. See File Transfer System for more information.


6 -- Daily Time Limit

This field defines the user's maximum daily time limit in minutes. Values
can range from 0 to 1440 (the total number of minutes in one day).


                                                                         36



                                                              Configuration


7 -- Session Time Limit

This field defines the maximum amount of time a user may spend in any one
particular session (log-in). Values can range from 0 to 1440 minutes. Note
that the value in this field means something only if Session Time Limits
are enabled (see General Setup Menu #2).


8 -- Days Until Expiration

This field defines the number of days until the account "expires".
Actually, this number is used to compute an expiration date for the user
account. The expiration date is set by adding this number of days to the
current date when validating the user, or to the current expiration date if
one exists for that user.

Expiration dates are used only if they are enabled (see General Setup Menu
#2).





































                                                                         37



                                                              Configuration

PITFALLS AND ERRORS

Searchlight 3.0 requires a minimum of 250K of free memory to operate. If
you were running an earlier version of Searchlight in which less than 250K
of RAM was allocated to any node, you will need to rearrange your system
resources to allow at least 250K for each Searchlight 3.0 node. If you
receive error messages such as "Error 202", "Error 203" or "Program too big
to fit in memory" when you attempt to load Searchlight, it usually
indicates that there is insufficient free memory for Searchlight to
operate.

Searchlight 3.0 opens and manages many files, and therefore uses more file
handles than the average program. In order to accommodate this, we
recommend that you use the command FILES=30 in your CONFIG.SYS file
(located in the root directory of your boot drive) for single node systems.
For multinode systems running under DESQview -- or for systems running
large TSRs like network drivers -- more file handles will be necessary. If
you encounter problems such as inability to access subboards, file areas,
or menus, or if you receive "Error 004" or "Error 103" messages, you should
try increasing the FILES= value in your CONFIG.SYS file. Lack of available
file handles is one of the most common causes of problems that involve
opening and accessing files.

If you encounter a message that says "Error Loading Menu" when you first
start Searchlight 3.0, it's probably because the Menu Files Path set in
Pathnames Setup is incorrect, or points to a directory which does not
contain your menu (MNU) files. If you upgraded a multiuser system from
Searchlight 2.15 to 3.0, you need to update each node's CONFIG file with
the menu file path. If you still get this message after confirming that the
menu files have been installed and their path properly specified, increase
the FILES= value in your CONFIG.SYS file.



OVERLAY SETUP

Searchlight's main executable file, BBS.EXE, uses and overlay file. The
overlay contains additional program code which is loaded from disk to
memory as a program runs.

Overlays are primarily used to reduce the amount of memory that Searchlight
requires to run, in exchange for some loss of execution speed as modules
are loaded from disk. However, if your computer contains ample memory, you
can increase Searchlight's execution speed by allocating a larger overlay
"buffer" area, or loading the entire overlay file into expanded memory. A
text file called BBS.INT is used to adjust these options.

If you have conventional memory available, you can improve Searchlight's
execution speed by increasing the overlay buffer area within the program.
Edit the file BBS.INT with a text editor and locate the line containing a
decimal number: this is the overlay buffer size in bytes. The minimum
buffer size is 15,000 bytes. Since Searchlight requires approximately 250K
of conventional memory to run, any available memory you have beyond 250K
can be used to expand the overlay buffer. The maximum buffer size you
should use is the size of the overlay (OVR) file.

                                                                         38



                                                              Configuration

If you have expanded (EMS) memory available, Searchlight will load the
entire overlay file into EMS, which is much faster than loading overlays
from disk. You enable this option simply by typing the command "EMS" in the
BBS.INT or FILES.INT file. If insufficient expanded memory is available at
runtime, Searchlight will not load its overlay into EMS but will continue
to operate by reading it from disk.

You can examine the actual size of your overlay buffer, EMS usage and
available free memory anytime SLBBS is loaded by pressing the F8 key
several times until a memory status line appears at the bottom of your
screen. Use the memory information to determine the available resources on
your system and make appropriate adjustments to your INT files.



TEXT FILES SETUP

Searchlight provides you with a way to customize your BBS by defining your
own messages that will be displayed by various parts of the program. You
can define a "greeting" message that will be shown to all users when they
connect with your system, a message to be shown to new users, a general
information message, etc. In addition, you can set up separate messages for
RIP, ANSI and non-ANSI terminals, or use the same message for all.

Setting up text files is not required, but most people will want to do so
before running their system. If you're in a hurry, you can skip this
section of the manual and set up your text files later.

The messages you define will be saved in files. To write them, you must use
a word processor or text editor that can write standard ASCII files to
disk. You can use the Searchlight's built-in text editor for this purpose,
provided that it is adequate for the files you intend to produce.

Files that end in .TXT are "standard" text files. These should contain only
ASCII text. The standard text file will be used when ANSI graphics
capability is not selected. Files ending in .ANS are ANSI files. These can
contain ANSI escape sequences, as well as IBM character graphics (i.e.
eight-bit character codes). The ANSI version of the file is used when ANSI
graphics are enabled. Files ending in .RIP are RIPscrip files; RIPscrip is
a special terminal protocol that encompasses ANSI but includes graphics
primatives, fonts, icons and other feautres. RIP files are displayed only
if Searchlight detects RIP compatibility on the remote terminal. For more
information about RIP files and RIP graphics, see page 203.

You do not need to create three versions of a file if you don't wish to
send separate text to RIP, ANSI and non-ANSI users; simply create one file
with the TXT extension, and it will be used in all cases.

All text files should be located in the "text" directory, as defined in
your configuration file. The following files are defined:






                                                                         39



                                                              Configuration


LOGIN (.TXT/.ANS/.RIP)

This file is displayed immediately after the "Select Graphics" prompt
during the login sequence. It normally contains a welcome message with the
name of your BBS, etc.


NEWUSER (.TXT/.ANS/.RIP)

This file contains information for new users. It is displayed when someone
logs in as NEW and attempts to register their name. You can use this file
to communicate any requirements or rules to new users of your system. Each
user sees this file only once, when first registering with the BBS.


INFO (.TXT/.ANS/.RIP)

The "info" file can be used to enter a short description of your system. It
is displayed whenever the INFO command is used.


FILES (.TXT/.ANS/.RIP)

This text file is displayed whenever you enter the FILES system. Use it to
provide news and information about your file transfer directories.


LOGOFF (.TXT/.ANS/.RIP)

Similar to LOGIN, these files contain a short message to be displayed on
the screen when a user logs off (disconnects).


Default Subboard Entry Messages

For each message subboard, you can define a text message that will be
displayed upon entry to the subboard. To define a message for a subboard,
create a file using the name of the subboard and the extension ".TXT",
".ANS" and/or ".RIP". For example, the files

     GENERAL.TXT
     GENERAL.ANS
     GENERAL.RIP

would contain text messages to be displayed upon each access to subboard
'GENERAL' (the .TXT file is displayed if ANSI graphics are not selected,
the .ANS file is displayed if they are, and the .RIP file only if RIP mode
is enabled).

You don't have to define text messages for any subboard. If no message file
exists, no message is printed upon entry to that subboard.




                                                                         40



                                                              Configuration


Default File Directory Messages

You can define a default text message to be displayed upon each entry to a
file directory in the FILES section of the BBS. To do so, create a text
file with the directory's name followed with a ".TXT", ".ANS" and/or ".RIP"
extension. For example, if you have a directory called UPLOADS, the file

     UPLOADS.TXT

would be used to contain the message to be displayed each time the UPLOADS
directory is accessed.

Note that the file directory text messages should be in the text directory,
as with the other text messages; not in the directory containing the
uploaded files for that directory.



COLOR CODES AND MACROS

Searchlight supports a set of mnemonic, two-character color codes and
macros that can be embedded into any message or text file used with the
system. For more information, see the section on Embedded Macro Codes later
in this manual.



EVENTS

In addition to "Door" programs, which can be set up to run on-demand from
the BBS system's menus (see Doors Subsystem later in this manual),
Searchlight supports automatic or timed "events". An event is a program,
DOS command, or batch file that executes automatically at a certain time
and date, usually late at night when the system is unattended. You can
create automatic events that happen once or events that execute on a daily,
weekly, or monthly basis.

For a full explanation of events, refer to Appendix C, Automatic Events.



MENU EDITING

Searchlight BBS has a full featured menu editing system that allows you to
modify or replace the menus that are included with the package. You can't
modify the CONFIG menus described in the previous section, but you can
examine and change most of the menus that appear in Searchlight BBS itself,
and you can create new menus.

Please be aware that the majority of this manual describes Searchlight
using the default menus that come with the system. If you make changes to
these menus, you won't see the same screen displays or use the same
keystrokes to access Searchlight's features that are described in the


                                                                         41



                                                              Configuration

documentation. However, the behavior of the commands themselves is the
same, regardless of how they are executed.

For more information, see Menu Editor later in this manual.




















































                                                                         42



                                                            Multinode Setup

MULTINODE SETUP

With multiuser versions of Searchlight BBS, you have the capability of
setting up two or more "nodes". Each node runs as a separate task or on a
separate PC (using a local area network), but accesses a common set of data
files, thus enabling you to have two or more people logged in to your
bulletin board at the same time.

To run a multinode Searchlight, you need two things: a multinode version of
the SLBBS software, and a multitasking operating system. Multitasking
systems are programs that allow you to run two or more programs at the same
time on your PC, or allow two or more PCs to access the same database of
files (as in a local area network). Common systems are DESQview, Microsoft
Windows, OS/2, Lantastic, and Novell.

After installing your system for a single node (Node 1), follow these steps
to bring additional nodes online:

[1] Each additional node you set up requires its own directory and its own
copy of the CONFIG.SL2 file. You do not need to copy any other files. To
create node #2, make a second BBS directory and copy your existing
CONFIG.SL2 file into it; for example, at the DOS prompt enter

     MKDIR C:\BBS2
     COPY C:\BBS\CONFIG.SL2 C:\BBS2

Before copying the file, you should check to make sure that complete
pathnames are specified in the Pathnames Setup portion of the CONFIG
program. Repeat the process for each additional node, using C:\BBS3,
C:\BBS4, etc.

[2] Each node must be assigned a unique, sequential node number. To do the
setup, you run the CONFIG program for each node, including the original
node. Since CONFIG looks for the file CONFIG.SL2 in the current directory
when it runs, you must switch to each node's directory, run CONFIG, set the
required options, then exit CONFIG and go on to the next node. To configure
node 2's options, you might type this:

     CHDIR C:\BBS2
     C:\BBS\CONFIG

Notice that we typed "C:\BBS\CONFIG" as the command to run the CONFIG
program; this is because CONFIG.EXE no longer resides in the current
directory. However, you can avoid having to type an explicit pathname if
you use DOS's PATH command to set the search path to the directory
containing the Searchlight program files (see your DOS manual for further
assistance).

[3] Select the first CONFIG item, General Setup Menu #1. The screen will
show the last two menu items as follows:


 5. Node Number ...................  1
 6. Number of Active Nodes ........  2


                                                                         43



                                                            Multinode Setup

Each node should be assigned a different node number. Use 1 for your
original node, 2 for the second node, etc. In addition, each node must know
the total number of nodes in your system. If you will be running a two-node
system, for example, each node must have item #6 set to 2. If you add or
remove nodes, each node's CONFIG file must be updated.

[4] Each node on the same machine must access a separate serial port. Be
sure to configure the "Communications Setup" parameters correctly. If you
will be running one or more nodes in "local" mode only, set the COM Port to
a value of 0. Each node can have its own separate baud rates, modem init
strings, COM port setups, etc.

[5] Each node, with the exception of the original node, must be programmed
with the appropriate program pathname and data pathname in order for it to
locate and use the original node's files. To do this, execute the CONFIG
program and select item #D, Pathnames Setup. As an example, if your
original node is in C:\SLBBS, you would set up your additional nodes as
follows:


 1. Primary Program Path .......... C:\SLBBS\
 3. Data Files Path ............... C:\SLBBS\


In addition, you will want to update text, mail, include, and log file
pathnames if necessary. Also, be sure that the "Chat File Path" option is
set to the same value for each node; this will enable users to communicate
using the chat facility (see additional information about the Chat File
Path in the preceding configuration instructions).

[6] To begin running a node, change to the node's directory and execute the
SLBBS program. Again, you should set a search path to your program
directory or give the full pathname to SLBBS.EXE. Each node must be started
up separately (your multitasking system or network should already be in
place, enabling you to start two or more processes running at once).



MULTINODE OPERATION

Here are some notes and tips on running in the multinode environment:


When logged in to a particular node, you can use the Who command from the
main menu to see the names of users logged on to other nodes. A user cannot
be logged on to more than one node at a time. The login program will reject
you if you try to log in and your name is already active on another node.

If two or more users attempt to save, delete, or edit messages at once, the
system will process the requests in order; as a result, you may have to
wait several seconds for your request to be honored. This is normal.


File locking: If your computer crashes while one or more nodes are engaged
in a disk-writing operation, the system may remain permanently "locked" in

                                                                         44



                                                            Multinode Setup

such a way that no node can save a message. If this happens, shut down all
remaining nodes and reboot your computer(s). This will return your system
to normal operation.

Certain sysop commands (such as Subboard Repair facilities) should not be
used while other users are on the system. You must shut down all nodes and
leave them down while running these commands.


Use complete pathnames to designate directories in Searchlight BBS. By
"complete" pathnames, we mean a pathname that contains a drive letter and
starts at the root directory, such as "C:\BBS\NODE1", rather than a
pathname which omits the drive letter or which doesn't contain a leading
backslash. Complete pathnames are important because the paths pointed to
should be accessible from anywhere in your system.


LAN Setup: If you are running Searchlight with a local area network, you
must make sure that two users do not attempt to access the same node at the
same time. This will usually mean constructing a node for each PC on the
network. Alternately, a batch file or other front end program can be
written to automatically select the proper home directory when starting
SLBBS.

On a LAN, we strongly recommend that each workstation use the same drive
letters to refer to drives that contain Searchlight BBS files. This is
necessary in cases where all nodes refer to a common setup file (like the
SUBBOARD.SL2 and FILEDIR.SL2 files) in order to prevent ambiguity which
might arise if workstations used different drive letters to refer to the
same volume. If it is impractical for you to assign the drive letters
directly in your LAN operating software, use DOS's SUBST facility to create
substitute drive letters.

To run Searchlight in a local-only mode, you can set the "Return to DOS on
Logoff" feature (found in the CONFIG program) and start the system with the
command "SLBBS Local". You may want to disable the system hotkeys if
allowing non-sysops to run the program in local mode.


If you run multiple nodes on a single PC (using a multitasking operating
system such as DESQview), each node must use a unique hardware interrupt
value for its serial port. Normally this will not be an issue if just 2
nodes are run, but will need to be considered when you expand to a third
node and beyond. Be sure to purchase communications hardware which is
capable of addressing unique hardware interrupts. On most PCs, interrupts
2,3,4,5 and 7 are available for use with modems.

Searchlight has special support for the DigiBoard brand of multiport
hardware. If you are using a DigiBoard product, consult Appendix H,
Digiboard Installation And Use.

Selection of a unique interrupt is not necessary for nodes that do not use
a modem (i.e. local use nodes with the COM port designated as 0). Of
course, if you use a LAN, each PC on the network can use whatever local COM


                                                                         45



                                                            Multinode Setup

port is available without regard to interrupts used on other PC's in the
LAN.


Chatting: Inter-Node Chatting (the ability to exchange short messages with
users at other nodes) is available in multiuser systems. See "Using Chat
Mode" later in this manual for details.

















































                                                                         46



                                                       Subboard Maintenance

SEARCHLIGHT BBS SUBBOARD MAINTENANCE

Message Subboard Maintenance, the second choice on Searchlight's CONFIG
program main menu, provides you with a way to create, change, and delete
message areas or subboards. Searchlight subboards are independent message
areas that contain public or semi-private group discussions: they're
equivalent to forums or conferences used in other online systems.

To access the Subboard Maintenance screen, simply select item "B" from the
CONFIG main menu. You can also call Subboard Maintenance up directly from
the DOS command line by typing:

     CONFIG B

You'll see a list of the subboards that are available on your system, along
with these options:

   <Enter> Edit Entry  <F1> Add  <F2> Delete  <F3> Utilities  <ESC> Exit

Except for the Add option, these commands operate on the subboard that's
pointed to by the cursor position. To edit, delete, or perform utilities on
a subboard, move the cursor to the desired subboard by pressing the
direction keys (Up/Down arrow, PgUp, PgDn), then press <Enter>, F2 or F3.
Or, if you have a mouse, simply point to the desired subboard and "click"
the left mouse button once to move the cursor, or twice to edit the
subboard. You can scroll the list or operate any of the F key options by
"clicking" on the names of the commands as they appear on your screen.

To quickly locate a subboard when your subboard list is large, press the
first letter of the subboard name. This will move the cursor to the first
entry that begins with that letter. Since the CONFIG program always
displays the subboard lists in alphabetical order, the desired subboard
will then be either at or very near the cursor position.

Searchlight creates three default subboards, MAIL, BULLETIN and GENERAL,
when you first install it. MAIL and BULLETIN are "hidden" subboards that
are generally not used directly by your callers; we recommend that you do
not change or delete these subboards. GENERAL is intended to be a "general
purpose" subboard for use by callers; you can edit or remove it if you
wish, however, be sure that there is always at least one subboard available
for callers to use when they log in to your BBS.



ADD SUBBOARD

Press F1 to create a new subboard. Searchlight will prompt you for a
subboard name, and a path in which to store the data files for the
subboard. The subboard name must be a unique, 1 to 8 character, legal DOS
filename. The path must refer to an existing drive and directory (it
defaults to the current directory, but may be changed).

We suggest you create one or more subdirectories for storing your subboard
files, rather than keep them in the default current directory. Create the
directories from DOS, using MKDIR, before running the CONFIG program.

                                                                         47



                                                       Subboard Maintenance

If the name or path you enter contains an error, Searchlight will prompt
you to enter new information. Otherwise, it creates the data files for the
new subboard. Each subboard you create will have three files: a header
file, a message text file, and a member file; the filenames for these files
are the subboard name followed by the extension .HDR, .MSG and .MBR. For
example, if you created a subboard called "BUYSELL" on your system, the
following files are created on disk:

     BUYSELL.HDR
     BUYSELL.MSG
     BUYSELL.MBR

As you can see, the subboard name "BUYSELL" is used as the actual filename
for the subboard data files, which is why the subboard name is required to
be a legal DOS eight character filename. Subboard names may contain numbers
(as is allowed by DOS) and a few symbols (such as "-" or "!") but may not
contain blank spaces, back or forward slashes, periods, or other reserved
characters.

New subboards are created with a number of default options that can be
changed to suit your needs. Once the file creation sequence is complete,
the Add Subboard procedure moves directly to the Subboard Edit screen,
where you can enter a descriptive name for your subboard and edit the
default options as needed.



EDIT SUBBOARD

Whenever you create a new subboard, or edit an existing subboard, the
following input screen will appear:


 1. Subboard Name ................. GENERAL
 2. Subboard Description .......... General Messages
 3. Data Files Path ............... C:\BBS
 4. Required Access Level .........    0
 5. Join Attributes ............... ABC
 6. Post Attributes ............... ABCD
 7. Subboard Sysop ................
 8. Max. Messages ................. 1000
 9. Max. Message Size .............  400
10. Anonymous Messages ............ No
11. Auto Purge Old Messages ....... No
12. Compress Message Texts ........ Yes
13. Allow Users to Join ........... Yes
14. Display on Subboard Lists ..... Yes
15. Echomail Zone Number .......... 0
16. Echomail Net Number ........... 0
17. Echomail Node Number .......... 0
18. Echomail Point Address ........ 0





                                                                         48



                                                       Subboard Maintenance

As with the general configuration options, edit these fields by moving the
cursor to the appropriate location and entering or editing the data within.
Here is an explanation of each field:


1 -- Subboard Name

The DOS filename for the subboard. This is the name by which you will refer
to the subboard whenever you access it in Searchlight BBS, SLMAIL or other
Searchlight utility programs.


2 -- Subboard Description

This is a long description which you can use to further describe the
message subboard. Your description is displayed with the List command from
Searchlight BBS.


3 -- Data Files Path

This is the path that contains the data files (header, message and member
files) for the subboard. It must be a legal DOS pathname that exists on
your system.


4 -- Required Access Level

This is the access level that users must have to use the subboard. Users
who have at least this access level, along with any required attributes,
may Jump to and read messages on this subboard; otherwise, the subboard
does not appear on the subboard list and is not accessible.


5 -- Join Attributes

This field defines the security attributes (keys) needed to access and join
the subboard. Attributes defined here must match those defined in the
user's information record in order for that user to be able to use the
subboard.


6 -- Post Attributes

This field defines the attributes required to Post a message on the
subboard. Those users who have attributes sufficient to Join a subboard
(line 5) but not Post, will be able to read messages on the subboard but
will not be able to write messages. This includes replying to messages, and
forwarding messages to the subboard.


7 -- Subboard Sysop

If filled in, this field defines the name of the person who is Subboard
Sysop for this subboard. The Subboard Sysop has the ability to moderate the

                                                                         49



                                                       Subboard Maintenance

subboard discussion by editing or deleting any messages on the subboard. Be
sure to spell the Subboard Sysop's name exactly as it is spelled in your
User file.


8 -- Max Messages on Subboard

This field defines the maximum number of messages that can be posted on the
subboard at any given time. The maximum value that can be defined is 32767;
or you can define a lower value if you wish to limit the number of
messages. (Note: see Auto Purge Old Messages below).


9 -- Max Message Size

This defines the maximum message size in lines that may be input and posted
on this subboard. The maximum value that can be defined is 400. Use a lower
value if you wish to limit the length of messages posted.

Max Message Size only defines the maximum size that will be allowed for
messages entered directly through Searchlight's built in editors. Messages
posted via external utilities like SLMAIL or an offline message reader, or
messages Forwarded to the subboard, can be longer.


10 -- Allow Anonymous Messages

If set to Yes, Searchlight allows messages to be posted anonymously (i.e.
without indicating the name of the author in the message header). A "Post
Anonymously? Yes/No" prompt will appear each time a new message is entered.
Otherwise, this prompt does not appear and anonymous posting is not
allowed.


11 -- Auto Purge Old Messages

If set to Yes, Searchlight will delete the oldest unprotected message on
the subboard when the subboard is full (that is, when it reaches the
maximum messages value defined in line 8) and someone tries to post a new
message. If set to No, Searchlight will not allow a new message to be
posted once the maximum value is reached.

You can protect individual messages from being deleted as part of the Auto
Purge sequence. Use the Edit command to edit the desired message, and
change the protection status when prompted.


12 -- Compress Message Texts

If set to Yes, Searchlight uses its built in text compression algorithm to
reduce the size of message data as it is saved to disk. Otherwise, message
data is not compressed.

Compression reduces the overall size of your message text (MSG) file by
about 30%, but requires additional time when saving and reading messages.

                                                                         50



                                                       Subboard Maintenance

We recommend turning data compression off if you have an extremely slow PC,
if you have a large amount of storage space and desire the fastest possible
operation, or for instances where you need to save a lot of messages at one
time (such as during a Fidonet message import via SLMAIL). Otherwise, turn
data compression on to achieve optimal storage space.

You can turn data compression on or off at anytime, however, only messages
that are saved after making a change will be affected by the new setting.


13 -- Allow Users to Join

If set to Yes (the default), users can join this subboard by using the 1-
Member/Join command. Otherwise, users may not join the subboard.

Joining a subboard is a requirement for use of the New command and is
generally recommended for anyone who plans to read the subboard regularly.
You may wish to disallow joining for special subboards (such as BULLETIN)
or for subboards with a private membership.


14 -- Display on Subboard Lists

If set to Yes (the default), Searchlight displays the subboard when the
List command is used, provided that the person using the command has access
to the subboard. Otherwise, the subboard is not displayed (but may still be
accessed via the Jump command).

The No setting is primarily designed for special subboards like MAIL and
BULLETIN, which are accessible to Sysops but which you may desire not to
appear on regular subboard listings when you use your BBS.

























                                                                         51



                                                       Subboard Maintenance


15 thru 18 -- Echomail Network Numbers

These fields define the echomail network numbers used on Fidonet systems.
If you are a member of Fidonet or a Fidonet compatible network, use these
fields to fill in the proper values for the subboard if this subboard is to
be used for echomail. Searchlight's SLMAIL software uses these values to
construct the origin line when it exports messages from the subboard.


Additional Information

If you run a multinode system and you change subboard information while
other users are online, the new information may not take effect until the
current users log off.

Occasionally, you may wish to add a subboard for which you already have
data files (for example, if you have obtained a copy of a subboard from
another Searchlight BBS and wish to install it on your own). Searchlight
supports this. Be sure the files are installed in the proper directory,
then proceed to add the subboard with F1. Searchlight will read the
existing data files rather than create new ones.

Because Searchlight's subboard files (the HDR, MSG and MBR) files are
designed to be independent of the main *.SL2 files, you can back up,
restore, and transfer message subboards as independent units. However,
within each subboard, the three subboard files should always be moved as a
unit: that is, do not mix the HDR file from one subboard with the MSG file
from another, nor should you combine one file from a backup disk with your
main files or files from a different backup disk.



DELETE SUBBOARD

To delete a subboard, position the cursor at the desired subboard and press
F2. The CONFIG program will prompt you as follows:

     Delete From Subboard List? Yes/No
     Erase Files From Disk? Yes/No

Assuming you really want to delete the subboard, select "Yes" as your
response to the first question. The file is removed from your subboard list
(SUBBOARD.SL2) file.

You can choose whether or not you wish to delete the data files (HDR, MSG,
MBR) from disk or retain them. If you delete these files, your subboard
data is erased and may not be recovered. However, if you retain them, you
will be able to reinstate the subboard later by adding it back to the
subboard list.






                                                                         52



                                                       Subboard Maintenance

SUBBOARD UTILITIES

The Subboard Utilities menu provides several options for use in maintaining
your subboard files. Position the cursor at the desired subboard and press
F3 for the utilities menu:

          A. Repair/Rebuild Header File
          B. Repair/Rebuild Text File
          C. Repair/Rebuild Member File


Repair Header File

This option performs an integrity check on the header (HDR) file and
rebuilds the indexes in the header file, repairing any damaged areas. Use
this option if you are having a problem with a subboard (such as unreadable
or garbled messages, lock ups when saving or reading messages, etc).
Invalid index information, which may have gotten into the header file as a
result of a disk error, a system crash, or other abnormal situation, will
be corrected.


Repair Text File

This option verifies and repairs the text (MSG) file. Unless you are sure
that a problem is in the header or the text file, we suggest running option
A, B and C in that order so that a subboard is fully repaired.


Repair Member File

This option verifies and repairs the member (MBR) file. In addition, the
member file is rebalanced (placed in an optimally sorted order) which
reduces the time necessary to lookup member names in the file.






















                                                                         53



                                                 File Directory Maintenance

FILE DIRECTORY MAINTENANCE

To create or modify file directories (areas from which your users can
upload and download files), select option C, File Directory Setup, from the
CONFIG program main menu. (You can also type CONFIG C from your DOS
prompt).

File directory maintenance is similar to subboard maintenance: to edit or
delete a filedir, select it with the cursor, and press <Enter> to edit or
F2 to delete. F1 is used to add a new directory.

A Searchlight File Directory or "Filedir" is a special file that contains
information such as descriptions, number of times downloaded, etc. about
files on your system that are available for download. The filedir contains
the names of available files, but not the files themselves. It is important
to realize that most of Searchlight's file library management commands deal
with the filedir, and not the physical DOS directory itself; you need to
create filedirs, and create entries in them, before any file on your
computer can be downloaded.

Here are the options available when adding or editing a subboard:


 1. Directory Description ......... Recently uploaded files
 2. Path to DIR File .............. C:\BBS\UPLOADS
 3. Path to Files ................. C:\BBS\UPLOADS
 4. Required Access Level .........   2
 5. Required Attributes ........... ABC
 6. Read Only Directory ........... No
 7. Write Only Directory .......... No
 8. Duplicate File Scan ........... Yes
 9. Free Files (K) ................ 100
10. File Value Multiplier .........  10



Directory Name

This is the 1 to eight character name for the directory. As with subboards,
directory names must be legal DOS filenames and may not contain spaces or
other illegal characters.

The data file used to hold the file descriptions and other information for
a directory is created by using the directory name with an extension
".SL2".


1 -- Directory Description

In this field, enter a verbose description of the file directory. The
description appears whenever you use the List command in the files system.





                                                                         54



                                                 File Directory Maintenance


2 -- Path to Dir File

This is the path to the directory that contains the directory data file
(*.SL2 file). By default, this is the same as "Path To Files", but may be
changed. In this example, the file C:\BBS\UPLOADS\UPLOADS.SL2 contains all
of the filenames and descriptions for the files in this directory.


3 -- Path to Files

This is the path to the data files that will be uploaded and downloaded. Be
sure that this pathname exists before you attempt to create a new
directory.

In most cases, "Path to Dir File" and "Path to Files" are the same. The
primary instance in which they will be different is in the case where "Path
to Files" refers to a read-only device, such as a CD-ROM. Since the
directory SL2 file needs to be on read/write media, it would be necessary
to place this file on a different drive. This is also useful when making
file directories that reside on floppy disks.


4 -- Required Access Level
5 -- Required Attributes

These are the access level and attribute requirements needed to use the
file directory. As with subboards, a user must meet both the access level
and attribute requirement before he or she can use the directory.


6 -- Read Only Directory

If set to Yes, the directory becomes read-only; that is, users are
permitted to download files from the directory, but may not upload new
files (or move files from another directory).

The Sysop and those with sysop level privileges can place new files into a
read only area.


7 -- Write Only Directory

If set to Yes, a write only directory is created. Write only directories
allow users to upload files, but do not allow them to download, type, or
view other files in the directory. Write only areas are useful as a means
of sending private files to the Sysop or for screening files before moving
them to another directory where downloading is permitted.


8 -- Duplicate File Scan

This options lets you exclude directories from the duplicate file search
that normally takes place before a file is uploaded. This is desirable with
systems that have a large number of directories which do not need to be

                                                                         55



                                                 File Directory Maintenance

checked against new files for duplication. Excluding multiple directories
from the upload scan helps speed up the scan.


9 -- Free Files (K)

The "Free Files" field is a value, expressed in Kilobytes, that determines
the amount of files that a new caller may download before their
upload:download ratio takes effect. If you use ratios on your BBS, this
allows you to create a "grace period" during which new users can download
files before being required to upload files in order to maintain a ratio.

Although a different free files value may be expressed for each subboard on
your BBS, the decision to allow a new user to download is based upon the
total size of files they have downloaded from all directories in the BBS as
compared with the Free Files value for the directory from which the
download is requested.


10 -- File Value Multiplier

This field defines a multiplier for the size of files in a directory as
recorded in user downloading statistics. The multiplier is actually equal
to this field divided by 10; therefore, a value of "10" is a multiplier of
1.0.

The value multiplier lets you make certain files more or less valuable in
terms of the way they will affect the upload:download ratio when
downloaded. For example, if a directory contains a value multiplier of 2.0
(field 10 equal to 20), then files in that directory will register as twice
their actual size in Kilobytes when downloaded. A 100K file will count as
200K, 150K as 300K, etc. In a directory where the value multiplier is .5
(field 10 equal to 5), files downloaded would register as half their actual
size. To make files completely free (i.e. no impact on download ratio), set
the value multiplier to zero.

File Value Multipliers can range from 0 to 9.9 (i.e. 0 to 99).



CUSTOM ORDERING

By default, Searchlight lists your file areas and subboards in alphabetical
order when you use the List command. However, you can define the order in
which you would like subboards and directories to appear by creating a
customization file.

Customization files are just text files containing a list of subboards or
file directories, one per line. To customize the display of your subboards,
create a file named MAIN.SUB, and place it in your Searchlight BBS home
directory. MAIN.SUB should contain a list of your subboards in the desired
order. To do the same for your file directories, create a file called
MAIN.DIR.



                                                                         56



                                                 File Directory Maintenance

In addition, it's possible to create a custom directory list for any
subboard on your system, so that when the Files system is invoked from that
subboard, only the directories associated with the subboard are available.
Create a text file with the name of the subboard and the extension .DIR,
and place this file in the directory that contains the other data files for
the subboard. As an example, if you wanted to create a custom dir list for
the GENERAL subboard, it would be called GENERAL.DIR.

If you use a custom subboard or directory file, remember that new
directories and subboards must be added to the custom file as they are
created; otherwise, the new areas won't be available from your BBS.













































                                                                         57




                                                 Startup, Login & New Users

RUNNING SEARCHLIGHT BBS:
     LOGGING IN FOR THE FIRST TIME

Once Searchlight BBS is set up and configured according to the previous
instructions, running it is a relatively simple matter. Once again, make
sure that you're in the same directory as the Searchlight data files (the
"home" directory) and also make sure that your .EXE files are available in
the directory you've defined for the program path (if you left this field
blank, then the program files should be in the current directory as well).
Run Searchlight by typing the command

     SLBBS

and pressing RETURN. In a few seconds, your screen will clear and you will
see a status box showing your system's name, the current time, and other
information. At the bottom of the box it will say,

    RETURN for Local Login  ESC to Toggle Display On/Off  ALT-X to Exit

along with the letters "sacnl" in the lower right hand corner of the screen
(these are status indicators; we'll get to them later). There are a couple
of other ways you can start Searchlight by adding parameters to the command
line -- we'll outline these in a moment.

If your computer beeps at you and puts the words "No Response" on the
screen in reverse video, check the modem -- it indicates that the modem did
not respond to the modem init string with an OK message. Check to make sure
that

  o  the modem is turned on
  o  the modem is connected to the proper COM port
  o  Searchlight is configured for the proper COM port
  o  the baud rate(s) selected correspond to the modem's speed

If all else fails, please reread the Communications Configuration section
of this manual and consult Appendix D, Modem Configuration.

Assuming you now see the status box, strike the RETURN key on your keyboard
to initiate a local login session. Searchlight will look for the text file
called LOGIN.ANS or LOGIN.TXT, if it exists, and display it on your screen,
followed by the prompt

     Enter your name, or type NEW
     >

If you had called Searchlight from a remote location with a modem, you'd
see a message like this upon connecting:

  ANSI Auto-Detected. (Press D to disable ANSI).
  Do you have a Color Screen (Yes/No/Disable)?

In response to this question, you would type Y if you were using a color
CRT, N otherwise. You can also type D here to disable Searchlight from
sending ANSI codes -- this causes Searchlight to work in a simpler mode
without full-screen text controls. Non-ANSI mode is suitable for older

                                                                         59



                                                 Startup, Login & New Users

terminal emulators which don't support the full ANSI specification. More
information on this topic is presented below.

Since ANSI is always available when logging in locally (it will operate
correctly even if you don't boot DOS with the ANSI.SYS driver), Searchlight
doesn't ask this question for a local login (and it determines whether to
use Color or Monochrome mode by looking at your system's video card).

Now, back to that "Enter your name" prompt. Searchlight is asking you to
type the name of a valid user account. Since your system is new, there are
only two valid accounts on file: one called SYSOP and one called GUEST. The
SYSOP account is provided as the default "superuser" account. Many sysops
will want to use the SYSOP account as the account they use to log into
Searchlight regularly, whereas others will want to set up an account with a
different name for themselves; we recommend using SYSOP, because most
people recognize that as the name they can use to reach the operator of the
BBS. If you choose to use another name, you might want to delete your SYSOP
account.

For now, respond to the "Enter your name" prompt by typing SYSOP.

Searchlight now executes its standard login sequence. First, you'll see a
greeting message that displays some information about the system, the
previous caller, and total number of callers to the system. On multiline
systems with more than one node defined, a list of other concurrent users
is shown.

Next, the Login Autodoor, if one is defined, is executed. Many sysops use
the Login Autodoor to display additional system information, daily news,
quotes, etc.

After pressing the RETURN key, as prompted, you will enter Searchlight's
Bulletins menu, where new and important messages will usually be displayed
to callers as the log in. However, since there are no Bulletins on file
yet, this section is skipped. Finally, a check of your mailbox is made.
Searchlight displays the total number of messages and number of new
messages in your mailbox, and gives you the opportunity to read new
messages if they exist. In this case, you'll see a message indicating that
you don't have any mail, and the system will deposit you at the main
command prompt, which looks like this (the underscore shows your cursor
position):

     [GENERAL] Command: Help   _

You are now ready to use the Searchlight BBS system.

The login sequence described above, like most aspects of Searchlight, is
configurable; you can modify or replace the commands used at login by
editing the STARTUP menu. See Menu Editing in this manual for more
information.



AUTO ANSI DETECT


                                                                         60



                                                 Startup, Login & New Users

Searchlight has an auto ANSI detect feature. Each time a caller connects to
your BBS, Searchlight sends a special sequence of commands to their
terminal to determine whether the caller can support ANSI graphics and
screen controls. If ANSI is detected, Searchlight displays this prompt:

  ANSI Auto-Detected. (Press D to disable ANSI).
  Do you have a Color Screen (Yes/No/Disable)?

Since Searchlight cannot determine whether a caller has a color or
monochrome screen, it prompts the caller to enter Yes for color, or No for
monochrome. "D" may also be pressed to disable ANSI screen controls and
operate Searchlight in non-ANSI mode; users may wish to select this option
if they do not wish to use ANSI even though it may be available in their
terminal.

For compatibility with previous versions of Searchlight, callers can also
press "C" at the above prompt to select color ANSI mode, or "M" to select
monochrome ANSI mode.

If Searchlight fails to detect ANSI, it displays this prompt:

  Select Graphics Mode: [C]olor, [M]onochrome, or [N]one?

Since some ANSI compatible terminal software does not support the auto-
detect feature, users can still manually select color ANSI, monochrome
ANSI, or non-ANSI mode with this prompt.

Because of its many full screen oriented display modes (such as the full
screen editor, options fields, and reply-quote editor), Searchlight
operates properly in ANSI mode only when the remote terminal uses an 80x24
screen size. Although Searchlight cannot force a terminal into 80x24 mode,
it can usually detect whether a terminal is not set to this mode during the
ANSI detect sequence. If it does, the following informational message is
displayed:

  Searchlight requires a standard 24 line screen for full screen ANSI mode.
  Switch your local terminal to 24 lines now, or press D to disable ANSI.

It is recommended that callers make sure their screen is set to 24 lines by
80 characters before continuing in ANSI mode, if this message is displayed.
If a larger screen size is desired, callers may proceed in non-ANSI mode,
which does not require a 24 line screen.

Incorrect screen size on the remote terminal is the cause of many common
display problems, such as lines overwriting other lines or messages
appearing in the wrong location on the screen. Note that some terminal
software allows you to disable the status line, providing an 80x25 line
screen. With such software, the status line should always remain enabled so
as to provide the correct 80x24 line screen size.



THINGS TO DO WHEN FIRST LOGGING IN



                                                                         61



                                                 Startup, Login & New Users

Here's a quick checklist of some of the things you should do the first time
you log in to your new Searchlight BBS system:

  o  Familiarize yourself with the user interface. It's quite easy to use.
     Try selecting different commands, and reading the online help text by
     pressing the F1 or ? key.

  o  Use the OPTIONS command to assign a password to your SYSOP account.
     This is very important! If you forget to assign yourself a password,
     others will be able to use the SYSOP account and that can compromise
     the security of your system. Don't forget the password you choose;
     write it down if you must.

  o  Post a few messages and bulletins. This will not only help you learn
     how the text editor works but it will give your first users something
     to read when they call your BBS. To post a bulletin, Jump to the
     BULLETIN subboard and use the Post command.



USING THE STATUS DISPLAY

The status box displayed on your screen between calls shows some important
information. The first line displays your BBS's name and node number (in
multinode systems). Line 2 shows the modem's baud rate and COM port. If an
error occurred when Searchlight attempted to set-up the modem using the
modem init string, the phrase "No Response" is printed here, otherwise "Ok"
is displayed. The third line shows the last caller to the system, and the
right-hand part of the screen displays the current time, and the time that
the LOGIN program started waiting.

If you use preprogrammed events (via the EVENT.DEF file), line 4 shows the
name and execution time of the next event. See Appendix C, Automatic
Events, for complete instructions.

If a call is not received within five minutes, Searchlight will blank the
screen. This is done to prevent screen "burn-in" that can be caused on some
CRT's when the same image is displayed for a long time. To restore the
display, just press the ESC key.



SLBBS COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS

Normally, you type the command "SLBBS" from the DOS prompt to load
Searchlight BBS, initialize the modem, and begin waiting for a call.
However, under certain circumstances you may wish to bypass the modem
initialization and make a direct connection at a specified baud rate.
Searchlight provides command parameters to allow you to do this. The
complete syntax is:

     SLBBS <BaudRate> <TimeLimit> [/C] [-uUsername] [-pPassword]

To start Searchlight with a specific baud rate, just type the baud rate on
the command line after SLBBS; for example, "SLBBS 2400" to start the system

                                                                         62



                                                 Startup, Login & New Users

up at 2400 baud, bypassing the modem init string. If you want to connect to
a remote terminal but don't know the baud rate, enter "SLBBS K". This will
cause Searchlight to connect and begin sampling keyboard input to determine
the proper baud rate -- hit the RETURN key on the remote end a few times to
establish a connection. Finally, a local login can be initiated with "SLBBS
Local" or just "SLBBS L".

Command line parameters are useful for two main purposes: to allow an
external "front end" program to answer the phone, and to make direct
connections without using a modem. In the first case, a separate program
runs before Searchlight, monitors the phone, and makes a connection. Then,
this program calls Searchlight, passing it the baud rate so that
Searchlight can make a direct connection without resetting the modem.

A direct connection involves connecting two computers or a computer and a
terminal together with RS232 cables and "Null" modem connectors. To
establish a direct connection, without requiring a "carrier" signal to be
present, simply give the desired baud rate on the command line when
starting SLBBS.

When passing a baud rate on the command line, you'll usually want to follow
it with a time limit. The time limit, expressed as a number of minutes,
specifies the maximum amount of time that may expire during that session.
The /C parameter forces carrier checking. As an example, the command

     SLBBS 2400 30 /C

will load Searchlight at 2400 baud, limit the session to a maximum of 30
minutes, and force the system to check for carrier. The session time limit
is useful if your front-end program needs to execute some event at a
certain time, since it will ensure that Searchlight will return to the
front end program in time for the event. It is recommended that the /C
parameter be used under normal conditions when calling SLBBS from a front
end program; omit it when a direct (modemless) connection is being used.

Parameters -U and -P let you provide a username and password to
Searchlight. When a username and/or password are provided in this way,
Searchlight skips its usual "Enter your name" and "Password" prompts. Of
course, the name given must match a valid username in your system and the
password must be valid. Otherwise, a "Name not on file" or "Invalid
password" message will appear (followed by prompts for the correct
information).

Note: If you use the /C, -U or -P parameters, you must specify a baud rate
and time limit first. Use "L" or "Local" for the baud rate if you're doing
a local connection; use "1440" for the time limit if you don't need to
limit the session time to any particular length.

If you wish to use the ALT-X hot key in conjunction with a front end
program, your front end program should exit to DOS if Searchlight returns a
nonzero error code (which it will do when ALT-X is pressed). An error code
of 0 indicates a successful run.

Finally, notice that if you have General Setup #2 option #4 (Return to DOS
on Logoff) set to "Yes", then the only way to get Searchlight to run is to

                                                                         63



                                                 Startup, Login & New Users

call it with a command parameter! Otherwise, the system will simply exit,
expecting a host to regain control of the line.



ADDING NEW USERS TO THE SYSTEM

New usernames and passwords are added to Searchlight BBS by typing NEW in
response to the login prompt. In order to use this facility, you must have
the "Allow New Users" option (in the CONFIG program) set to "Yes".

Typing NEW will present the New User menu, which looks like this:

     Searchlight New User Menu

     [R] ..... Register as a New User
     [G] ..... Enter the system as a GUEST
     [C] ..... Call the SYSOP to Chat
     [E] ..... Re-Enter your Name
     [D] ..... Disconnect (Hang Up)

     Command ->_

To register his or her name in the user database, a new user would press
the "R" key to access the Register option. Searchlight will

  o  Display the new user message (NEWUSER.TXT), if it exists;
  o  Prompt the user for their name, location, phone number, system type,
     and password;
  o  Enter the user's info into the Searchlight database;
  o  Execute the New User Autodoor, if one is defined;
  o  Log the user in to the BBS system.

New user information is entered via an easy to use, full-screen input
system that works like the system you used to enter and edit information in
the CONFIG program. Users can edit data and change fields with the standard
cursor and editing keys (check the Text Editing section of this manual for
a full description of Searchlight's editing functions).

A new user is given initial access levels and time limit as defined in the
CONFIG file. Duplicate user names or blank passwords are not allowed. If
the new user tries to enter a name that already exists in the user file, or
does not fill in a password, a warning message is printed. The user may re-
enter the bad data or return to the New User menu.


Other New User Options

The "C" option will issue a page to the SYSOP (if the "Sysop Available"
(ALT-A) flag is set). You can answer the page by pressing any key at the
keyboard; after you're done chatting, press the ESC key to exit from chat
mode. You may notice that the tone emitted from the speaker by the CHAT
command is lower than usual when a new or nonvalidated user is paging.
Thus, you can discern a new user's page without having to look at the
screen.

                                                                         64



                                                 Startup, Login & New Users

An "E" option is provided to allow re-entry of your name. If the "NEW"
command is selected in error, typing "E" will return you to the original
"Enter Your Name" prompt. Finally, a disconnect option, "D", will
disconnect the remote user and recycle the system back to the call waiting
screen.


Guest Account

Searchlight provides a default account called GUEST, which is designed for
people who want to use your BBS once or twice but do not wish to establish
a password for themselves. New users can log on as GUEST either by typing
"G" at the New User menu, or by typing GUEST directly at the login name
prompt.

Many sysops find the GUEST account useful for allowing casual callers to
find out about their BBS. You can provide the GUEST account with any access
level, security attributes, time limits, and other attributes you choose.
GUEST users cannot change their own user information or preferences.

The GUEST account may be deleted if you do not wish to allow this form of
access to your BBS. If you delete the GUEST account, an attempt to use the
"G" option will simply result in a message stating that the guest login is
not available. GUEST can be restored later by re-entering the GUEST name as
a new user; after doing so, remove the GUEST account's password via the
Options command on the main menu (enter a blank space in the Password
field).





























                                                                         65




                                                   Configuring User Options

CONFIGURING USER OPTIONS

When new users register with your BBS, Searchlight prompts them to enter a
name, location, computer type, phone number, and password. These items, in
addition to some others, can be changed by the user at any time by using
the Options command on Searchlight's main menu1.

When Options is executed, it displays a screen like this:

     Info  Preference  Stats  Access  Quit  [?=Help]

Each selection displays and/or allows you to edit various aspects of the
user account. The "Access" setting controls user security levels, and is
available only to Sysop level accounts.



USER/INFO


 1. Location ...................... Stony Brook, NY
 2. System Type ................... IBM 386
 3. Phone No. ..................... 516-689-2566
 4. Password ...................... <not shown>


This selection controls demographic information about the user, and the
user's password. Field numbers 1 through 4 can be adjusted. In ANSI modes,
use the cursor keys to highlight and edit the desired data; in non-ANSI, a
prompt appears and you can type the field number to change, then the new
data.


1 to 3 -- Location, System Type, Phone No.

These fields allow you to enter the described information. Location and
System Type can be any alphanumeric characters, and are displayed along
with your name in user lists and searches. The phone number field is
strictly confidential and can be viewed only by the SYSOP.


4 -- Password

This field lets you enter a new password. For the sake of security,
existing passwords are not shown, and dots are displayed when typing a new
                    

1Searchlight's Menu Editor system makes it possible to change the names of
commands and their placement on menus. Throughout this manual, we use the
command names that appear on the default menus that are included with
Searchlight. You should be aware that if you change your menus, the exact
screen display and key sequences used to access a particular function may
be different than what is show in the manual, although commands themselves
will function the same way regardless of how they are executed.


                                                                         67



                                                   Configuring User Options

password. To change your password, type the new password over the "<not
shown>" message. When you exit the Options command, Searchlight will ask
you to verify the password by typing it again (if you mistype a password,
the old password will not be changed).




















































                                                                         68



                                                   Configuring User Options

USER/PREFERENCE


 1. Help Level .................... Novice
 2. ANSI Compatibility ............ Generic
 3. Screen Length .................    24
 4. File List Format .............. Prompt
 5. Pause Between Messages ........ Yes
 6. Subboard Disposition Prompts .. On
 7. Mail Disposition Prompts ...... On
 8. Preference Attributes .........


These fields display and edit user-controlled preferences. Each user can
set his or her own preferences in these fields, in order to modify
Searchlight's behavior.


1 -- Help Level

Possible values for this field are Novice, Intermediate and Expert. In
Novice mode, Searchlight displays the main command menu after each command,
provides verbose descriptions of menu selections, and shows additional help
text at several points in the system. Intermediate mode is similar to
Novice mode, but does not provide the automatic main menu display or the
NOVICE.TXT help file at login. In Expert mode, all help messages and menus
are suppressed (but you can always display help and menus on demand with
the F1 or ? keys).

Choose Novice if you're new to Searchlight BBS, Intermediate or Expert once
you've become more accustomed to the system.

The actual behavior of these modes is determined by each menu in
Searchlight, and can be changed by using the menu editing features. You can
also create new menus or modify menu commands based on the help level
switch.


2 -- ANSI Compatibility

This field can be set to Generic, Procomm, or Full, and configures the
Searchlight full-screen text editor for use with different types of ANSI
terminals: Generic for minimally-compatible terminals, Procomm for the
Procomm or Telix terminal software, and Full for fully capable ANSI
terminals or terminal emulators. See the discussion of ANSI terminals in
the Text Editing section of this manual for further information.


3 -- Screen Length

This field describes the length in lines of the remote user's screen, and
is used for placement of the "more" message during text output. If Screen
Length is set to zero, "more" prompting is disabled.



                                                                         69



                                                   Configuring User Options

The maximum supported screen length is 24. We recommend that you use
Searchlight only with terminal software that supports a 24 line screen.


4 -- File List Format

This option controls the display of long file descriptions in the Files
system. If set to "Long", Searchlight always displays long file
descriptions with the Files and New commands in the Files program. If set
to "Short", the Files system always displays short listings. If set to
"Prompt", the Files program will prompt you as to whether you want long
descriptions displayed at the beginning of each command that displays
descriptions.


5 -- Pause Between Messages

This option defines whether Searchlight stops between messages (i.e.
displays the message disposition prompts) when reading messages. The
default setting is "Prompt", which means that you are prompted with "Pause
Between Messages?" each time you read messages or mail.

Change this setting to "Yes" if you wish to avoid the "Pause Between
Messages?" question, and always see disposition prompts between messages.
Select "No" if you wish to have a non-prompted message read by default.


6 -- Subboard Disposition Prompts
7 -- Mail Disposition Prompts

These options determine whether the subboard and mail disposition prompts
(the "coNtinue, Post, Unmark" prompts) appear after reading subboards or
mail. The default is "Yes".


8 -- Preference Attributes

This field contains a series of user-selectable attributes that work in
conjunction with Searchlight's menu system to allow users to choose between
different menu systems. See the Menu Editing information later in this
manual for details.



USER/STATS

This selection displays non-modifiable account statistics, as follows:

Stats for SYSOP
 First Logon : 10-08-90    BBS Access   : 255     Kb Uploaded   :  1117
 Last Logon  : 11-19-92    Files Access : 255     Kb Downloaded :  2023
 Total Calls : 4414        Time Limit   : 1440    Xfer Protocol : Xmodem
                    Security Attributes : ALL



                                                                         70



                                                   Configuring User Options

SYSOP-CONFIGURABLE SETTINGS

In addition to the user-configurable options, there are additional data
fields associated with each user record that may be accessed only by Sysop
or CoSysop level users. These fields store the user's access levels, time
limit, and other information. To view and/or change these protected values,
you must log in as the Sysop, execute the "2-Sysop" main menu command,
select "Options" from the menu bar, and type in the name of the user who's
options you want to look at. Then pick "Access" from the menu bar.



USER/ACCESS


 1. Security Attributes ........... ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
 2. BBS Access Level ..............   255
 3. Files Access Level ............   255
 4. Daily Time Limit ..............  1440
 5. Session Time Limit ............  1440
 6. Time Left Today ...............  1440
 7. Expiration Date ............... 0-00-00
 8. Download/Upload Ratio .........     3
 9. Mail Logging .................. Off



1 -- Security Attributes

This field defines which of the 24 security attributes is associated with
the user. Security attributes control a user's access to subboards, file
areas, and other functions on the BBS. In order to access a secure feature,
a user must have all of the attributes associated with that feature, in
addition to meeting an access level requirement if there is one.

You can specify security attributes either by typing the letters A to X, by
typing subranges (such as A-D or G-P), or by typing the word ALL to
indicate all security attributes.


2 and 3 -- BBS and Files Access Levels

These numbers define the user's access levels for the main BBS and the
Files systems. Basically, the function of the access level is to define
which message subboards, file areas and menu choices a user may access.

Normal access levels range from 0 to 253. Access level 254 designates a
"CoSysop"; CoSysops have the power to access all message and file areas,
edit or delete messages and files, and view or change the user accounts of
other users with access levels of 239 or less. CoSysops cannot (for obvious
reasons) change their own access level, or assign an access level of 240 or
greater to any other user; they also are prevented from using the "2-
Sysop/TextEdit" command, running Doors with access level 255, and
downloading password-protected files (unless they know the password).


                                                                         71



                                                   Configuring User Options

Access level 255 defines the Sysop, who has ultimate power to perform all
operations on the BBS without restriction. Extreme care should be taken in
allowing users other than yourself to have 255-level access, since such
users have the capability to not only delete messages, files, and users
from your system, but also to edit text files and possibly access DOS
itself.. We recommend that you use access level 255 only for yourself, and
give 254-access where necessary to CoSysops.


4 -- Daily Time Limit

This field defines the amount of time per day (in minutes) that a user may
access your system. Values from 1 to 1440 minutes may be entered.

Sysops and CoSysops are untimed, and may use the system for any amount of
time regardless of the Time Limit value.


5 -- Session Time Limit

This field provides a per-session time limit. This is the maximum amount of
time that a user will be allowed to spend on any particular login.


6 -- Time Left Today

This value is the number of minutes left in the user's allocation for
today; it's equal to the daily time limit minus the amount of time the user
has been online since midnight. You can view or manually adjust this
option.


7 -- Expiration Date

An expiration date defines the date when a particular user loses certain
access rights, and may define a date when that user record is deleted
altogether.

A couple of special values are available. First, you can set any expiration
date to "00-00-00", indicating no expiration (the account will never
expire). Secondly, if zero is specified as the "Days Until Expiration" in
the default access level setup, then the special "00-00-00" date is
assigned to the user account, exempting it from any expiration. You can
also use the Mass Validate procedure in the SYSOP program to specify these
values.

What Happens When An Account Expires? By default, nothing happens to a user
account when it expires (i.e. when the current system date passes the
expiration date specified for the user). If you don't wish to use
expiration dates on your system, you do not need to make any modifications
to your user files or default access levels; expiration date processing is
turned "off" by default.

To enable expiration dates so that they actually have an effect, go to line
14 on menu B in the CONFIG program. This switch can be set to one of three

                                                                         72



                                                   Configuring User Options

choices: "None", the default choice that does nothing; "Reset Access", and
"Delete Account".

If Reset Access is selected, Searchlight reduces the access level of an
expired account to that of a new user (i.e. the first default access level
choice) whenever that user tries to log in on a date that's past his
expiration date. The user's expiration date itself is not changed. When the
access level modification occurs, the user is told of the change and will
continue to be reminded of it at each subsequent login, until you modify
their expiration date (either manually or via an access level upgrade).

If Delete Account is selected, then accounts are simply deleted from the
user file when they expire.

Both Reset Access and Delete Account options supply a warning message for
30 days prior to the expiration of the account, giving users the
opportunity to contact you about extending their access rights before their
account is terminated or reset.


8 -- Download/Upload Ratio

This field defines the user's Download to Upload ratio. If, for example, a
value of "3" is entered, it indicates that the user may download 3 Kbytes
worth of files for every 1 Kbyte uploaded. If an attempt to download more
than this amount is made, the Files program will not allow the download to
proceed until the user has uploaded additional file(s).

This field is initially set to the Default DL/UL Ratio entered in the
CONFIG program, but may be changed for each user in the system.

A DL/UL ratio value of 0 indicates that no ratio is to be enforced.


9 -- Mail Logging

This switch activates Searchlight's Mail Logging feature. When turned On,
Searchlight will generate a log (text file) containing the headers and text
of all mail received and sent by a particular user. Each user's mail is
stored in a separate file; the filename is generated by a concatenation of
the user's name (for example, SYSOP.LOG or MSMITH.LOG). Mail files are
stored in the directory specified as the "Mail Files Path" in the CONFIG
program (or in the current directory if no Mail Files Path is specified).

Mail log files are intended for your own use in archiving your mail, and
should be periodically compressed or moved offline to prevent the log files
from growing unreasonably large. Searchlight doesn't truncate or otherwise
manage these files in any way.

When mail logging is Off (the default), no mail log is generated.






                                                                         73




                                                             Message System

SEARCHLIGHT MESSAGE SYSTEM

The heart of Searchlight BBS is its public message system. Searchlight
handles multiple subboards or subtopics, each of which can have any number
of active messages. You can read existing messages, enter or "post" new
ones, list the available subboards and available messages, and search for
particular messages or for all new messages. In addition, messages can be
replied to, edited, deleted, and copied to disk or to other message areas.
Finally, a powerful "Thread" command is included to allow related messages
to be treated as a unit.

In general, message base operations affect the currently active subboard.
The "current sub" is the last subboard jumped to (with the Jump, New, or
List commands); its name is displayed to the left of the command prompt and
in the upper right hand corner of the screen at most times. When you first
log in, the current subboard is either the last subboard accessed during
your previous login, or the first available subboard.

Searchlight's Menu Editor makes it possible to change the names of commands
and their placement on menus. Throughout this manual, we use the command
names that appear on the default menus that are included with Searchlight.
You should be aware that if you change your menus, the exact screen display
and key sequences used to access a particular function may be different
than what is show in the manual, although commands themselves will function
the same way regardless of how they are executed.



ENTERING MESSAGES: THE POST COMMAND

The Post command adds a new public message to the current subboard. To use
it, enter Post and type in the name of the recipient (or press Return for
the default "All"), and then a short title for the message. Then, you'll be
placed into one of the system's message editors where you'll be able to
enter the text of your message.

If anonymous posting is enabled for the current subboard, you'll be
prompted as to whether you wish to post your message anonymously. Reply
with Y or N as desired.

Use of the message editors (both a line editor and a full-screen editor are
available) are discussed further later in the manual. It is possible to
"import" text files into a message via several methods; this, too, is
discussed later.

When you SAVE your message, it is added to the subboard as the last
available (highest-numbered) message. You can also post messages by
replying to existing messages; this is discussed below.



RETRIEVING MESSAGES: THE READ COMMAND

There are a couple of ways to begin reading posted messages; the most
straightforward of these is via the Read command. To use it, enter Read,

                                                                         75



                                                             Message System

then give the message number of the message where you want to begin
reading. The Read command displays the message header, showing the subject,
time, date, and person who posted the message, followed by the message
text. If the text is longer than your "Screen Length" (set in user
Options), the prompt "--more--" is displayed every screenful. Press any key
to continue reading. At anytime, press the spacebar or ^C to abort a
lengthy message.

There is one additional prompt you may see displayed when you begin reading
message and that is:

    Pause Between Messages? Yes/No

Normally, select "Yes". After each message is displayed, the Read command
presents a prompt such as this:

     Again  Reply  Mail  Prev  Next  Goto  Thread  Other  Quit

In response, select the appropriate command depending on what you want to
do next. You can select commands by pressing the first letter of the
command you want, or by moving the menu bar to the desired command and
pressing the RETURN key.

If you do select "No" to the "Pause Between Messages" option, Searchlight
skips the command prompt and displays messages continuously. This type of
continuous message "dump" is primarily of use to remote callers who will be
capturing the text to a local buffer for later digestion.

The Read command options are generally available anytime you're reading
messages, whether via the Read command itself, the Mail command, or as part
of a New message scan. Here's a summary:


Read/Again

The "Again" option clears the screen and re-displays the last message read.
Use this option when you want to review a long message; it is also useful
for redisplaying a message in case the message is garbled by line noise.


Read/Reply

This option lets you reply to the message you've just read. The reply is
either a public message or a private (electronic mail) message depending on
whether the message is public or private. Replying to a public message is
similar to Posting a message, except that the reply contains additional
information in the message header indicating that it's a reply.

When replying to a message, the sender and subject of that message are
displayed as default responses for the reply (the designator "Re:" may be
added to the subject if it was not already present). If you want to use
those defaults, just press Return. To change them, type new information.

After writing the reply, the current message is redisplayed.


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                                                             Message System


Read/Mail

Sometimes you may wish to send a private reply to a public message; this
option allows you to do so. Selecting Read/Mail is similar to Replying to a
message, except that the reply is saved to the MAIL subboard as a private
reply rather than to the current subboard as a public message.


Read/Prev

The "Previous" subcommand lets you read the preceding, or next lowest
numbered, message. If there is no previous message, then the Read command
exits.


Read/Next

The "Next" subcommand is used to proceed to the next message on the active
subboard. If there is no next message, the command exits.

With both the Next and Previous subcommands, if the messages being read are
part of a set selected via a search string (Scan/Search command), or part
of a message thread (see the Thread command below), then Next and Previous
display the next or previous message in the set or thread being read,
rather than the next or previous message in numerical order.


Read/Goto

The "Goto" command lets you ahead or skip backward to any message on the
subboard, by entering the desired message number.


Read/Thread

You'll see this option on the menu if the message you're reading has been
replied to, or is itself a reply to a previously posted message. What the
Thread command does is to let you view some or all of the replies and
original messages directly, ignoring (temporarily) other messages which are
not part of that message "thread". This submenu appears when you use
Thread:

     Next  Prev  Original  First  Quit

To read the next or previous message in the thread, use N or P commands.
"Original" takes you directly to the message to which the current message
is a reply; "First" brings you to the very top of the message thread (the
first message about a particular topic). Threading is discussed in more
depth on the following pages.






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                                                             Message System


Read/Other

This option presents a new menu of additional choices that are available,
including:

     Download  Forward  Edit  Kill  Post  Chat  Validate  Options  Quit


Read/Other/Download

This function lets you download a message or a thread to your remote
terminal, via one of the internal protocols. Select whether you wish to
transfer the message or thread; then begin your download when prompted. See
below for more information on global thread operations.

Local use of the message "Download" commands are supported in Searchlight
3.0. Instead of sending the message to a remote user via a file transfer
protocol, Searchlight saves the message as a file in your local node's home
directory. The name of the file is the subboard name plus the message
number modulo 1000 -- for example, if you were logged on locally and
"downloaded" message number 1292 from the GENERAL subboard, it would be
written to disk as a text file called GENERAL.292. Note that the same
naming convention is used for remote callers who select Zmodem as their
default internal protocol for message uploads and downloads.


Read/Other/Forward

The "Forward" subcommand is used to forward a copy of the message you just
read to another place on the bulletin board. In general, messages can be
forwarded to a public message subboard or to a particular user's mailbox;
Sysops and Cosysops can also forward messages to Bulletins, and Sysops only
can forward them to text files on disk. For public messages, the Forward
command is available only to Sysops, cosysops, the subboard subop, or the
person who posted the message; private mail can be forwarded by the
recipient of the message.

Pressing "F" prompts you with one or more of the following:

     Forward to:  User  Subboard  Bulletins  Disk  Quit

If you wish to forward the message to a public message board, press "S";
Searchlight will then prompt you to enter the name of the board you wish to
use. To forward the message to a user, type "U"; you will then be prompted
to enter the name of the user to whom you wish to send the message. "B"
forwards the message to the Bulletins menu without further ado.

When forwarding a message, you have the option to add comments to the
message. When you add comments, the result is a message which contains the
text of the original message below a line of dashes, and your comments
above that line. Notice that if you choose to add comments, the resulting
message contains your name and the time you entered your comments in its
message header; otherwise, the message's original header is retained.


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                                                             Message System

Selecting Disk allows you to write the message directly to a text file on
your disk. It will prompt you to enter the filename, which may include a
drive letter or directory path. If the file exists, the message is appended
to the end of the file, otherwise a new file is created. The Disk option is
only available to Sysop level users.


Read/Other/Edit

This option lets you edit the message at hand. You can change both the
header information and text. For more information, see the Edit main menu
command.


Read/Other/Kill

This command deletes the current message, after verification.

Kill and Edit subcommands are only available to Sysops, the subboard
Cosysop, or the person who posted the particular message.


Read/Other/Post

This option lets you post a new message on the current subboard. If you are
reading mail, this option appears as Send instead of Post, and lets you
send a new mail message to another user.


Read/Other/Chat

This command is available on multiuser systems. It lets you chat with other
users without exiting from the Read command, or losing your place in the
current message area.


Read/Other/Validate

This command lets you validate the sender of the message by assigning one
of the default access levels set up in the CONFIG program. This is the same
as 2-Sysop/Validate (see that command for more information).


Read/Other/Options

This command lets you edit a user's options screen, as with 2-
Sysop/Options. Of course, this command and the Validate subcommand are
available to Sysops only.


Read/Quit

Select this option when you wish to quit reading messages and exit back to
the main system prompt.


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                                                             Message System


Notice that in addition to being able to abort messages with ^C, you can
type the first letter of one of the above subcommands while the message is
being displayed, at the "more" prompt, or while the menu is being drawn on
your screen. Searchlight will immediately stop and execute the desired
command. This intelligent command type ahead feature works in most other
situations, such as Mail, Bulletins, and subboard lists, as well.


In addition to these READ command options, there are several other commands
available for listing, selecting, and updating messages and message bases.
These operations are described in detail on the following pages.












































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                                                             Message System

MAIL/SUBBOARD DISPOSITION PROMPTS

A prompt is available whenever you exit from reading a public message
subboard or reading mail; it's called the Mail Disposition or Subboard
Disposition prompt. The choices are:

    Subboard Disposition:  coNtinue  Post  Unmark

The default choice here is "Continue". Notice that "N" is the hotkey for
this choice; Searchlight permits a key other than the first key of a choice
to be the hotkey. "Continue" simply exits back to the previous menu (if you
were using a Read or Mail command) or continues to the next subboard (if
you were using a New command). If you read new messages on that subboard,
then your new message pointer is updated.

Unmark lets you exit a subboard without updating your new message pointer
for that subboard (or without marking new mail messages as read), thus
causing any new messages there to continue to appear in the next New
message scan. This can prove useful in a variety of circumstances; for
example, you might wish to "browse" through the new messages on a subboard
with the intention of returning to them later for a more thorough reading
and reply. Selecting "Unmark" after the initial browse lets you do that
without the need to remember a specific message number

Continue automatically "joins" users to a subboard if they were not already
subboard members. Joining and unjoining subboards can also be accomplished
manually via 1-Member.

Post lets you post a new message on the current subboard. On Mail commands,
Post is replaced with Send, which lets you send a mail message to any user.
Both commands appear only if the user has access to perform the associated
action.

Both subboard and mail disposition prompts can be disabled on a user by
user basis. The switch to turn these prompts on and off is located in the
Options/Preference command. When the prompts are disabled, the default
choice, "Continue", is executed.



MESSAGE THREADING: USING THE THREAD COMMAND

Message Threading is a powerful concept that lets you display and follow
"threads" of message replies within a message area. Searchlight's Thread
command is unique in that it gives you the option to read a thread from
several different places. You can read forward or backwards through a
thread, and use all of the regular message subcommands (Again, Reply,
Forward, etc.) while reading a message thread.

Selecting the Thread command after reading a message brings up a submenu
with options Next, Prev, Original, First and Quit. You can begin reading
the thread at the Next message, backward to the Previous message, from the
Original message (relative to the current message) or the First message in
the entire thread. A reply thread contains all the original messages
leading up to the current message (including originals of the originals),

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                                                             Message System

and all replies to that message (again, including all replies-to-replies).
Notice that as you read a thread, the Next and Previous commands now
deliver the next or previous message in the thread being read. When you're
done reading the last message in the thread, or you select Sequentl from
the menu, you'll return back to the original message (the message you were
reading when you first pressed "Thread").

Threading scans a chain of replies recursively; ie. if a reply has replies,
those additional replies are scanned, and so forth. Therefore, the message
thread will not necessarily be in numerical or chronological order, but
will list all replies to a message in sequential order right after that
message. Of course, only messages which were posted as replies to an
original message (via the Reply message subcommand) can be considered as
part of a thread.

When reading a thread, Searchlight keeps track of which messages you have
read. After exiting from the thread, when you continue reading messages in
order, messages you've already looked at (as part of a previous thread
command) are skipped. These message markers are cleared when you exit the
Read command back to the main menu prompt. Although the previously read
messages are skipped when using the Next command, you can back-up and read
them again with the Previous command if desired.

Threading is usually used when you read a message that has replies (as
indicated in the message header) and you want to see those replies
immediately, or when you're reading through a subboard with a large number
of messages and want to restrict yourself to reading only messages
belonging to a particular topic.


Global Thread Operations

Searchlight features commands that allow you to treat a thread as a unit,
and perform actions on all the messages in a thread (or a specific part of
a thread) with a single command. In particular, you can forward, delete, or
download and entire group of related messages.

The ability to forward or delete more than just a single message is
available only to the Sysop, a CoSysop, or the Subboard Sysop of a
particular message area. Downloading of threads is available to any user.
Whenever you are reading a message and you activate the Kill, Forward or
Download option from the message disposition menu (ie. Other/Kill,
Other/Forward or Other/Download), the following new prompt will appear:

    Message  Replies  Thread  Quit

If you want to delete, forward or download only the one message you have
just read, select the default choice, Message.

If you want to include the current message, plus all of the direct replies
to that message, select Replies. This choice is different from selecting
the entire thread, because it does not include any messages previous to the
current message, nor does it include later messages except those that were
entered directly as replies to the current message.


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                                                             Message System

Finally, the third choice, Thread, selects every message in the current
message thread, starting at the top of the thread.






















































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                                                             Message System

SELECTING MESSAGE AREAS: THE LIST AND JUMP COMMANDS

Searchlight supports an unlimited number of independent message areas or
subboards. To get a list of the message areas available, use the List
command. When List is done displaying the available areas, it supplies a
prompt that enables you to enter the area of your choice (by keying the
area name). The selected area then becomes the active area, and you are
able to read, scan, and post messages to that area. If you just hit RETURN,
the active area is unchanged.

In general, you do not need to type the entire subboard name of the area
you wish to access; in most cases, the first two or three letters of the
area name will suffice. It is also possible to select a subboard area by
entering any combination of letters found in its area name; however, be
sure to type in enough letters to avoid ambiguity, which can result in
selecting the wrong subboard.

If you want to switch message areas without viewing the list of available
areas first, use the Jump command.

By default, Searchlight displays all available message subboards in
alphabetical order when the List command is used. However, you can change
the list order and contents by specifying a text file called MAIN.DIR. For
more information, see Custom Ordering on page 56.



REVIEWING MESSAGES: THE SCAN COMMAND

While the Read command is versatile, Searchlight provides additional
commands that give you a brief summary of the messages on a subboard, allow
you to search for particular messages, and allow you to check for new
messages posted since the last message you've read.

Use the Scan command to list or search the current message area. Scan
presents a submenu with these options:

     Forward  Reverse  Search  Personal  Quit

To list messages in ascending order, hit Forward; to display them in the
opposite order, use Reverse. The listing shows the message number, date,
person posting the message, and the message title for each message. You can
abort the listing early with ^C.

The Search option operates a little bit differently; it allows you to find
specific messages by giving a search string. For a quick search, the search
string you type can match any part of a message's title or a sender's name;
you can also search the entire message (text as well as header
information). After selecting Search, you will be prompted with:

    Enter Search Key:
    >




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                                                             Message System

Enter the text for which you wish to search. The search is always case
insensitive (all combinations of upper and lowercase will match). Next, you
will see:

    Search Text of Messages? Yes/No

If you choose "Yes", Searchlight will search the headers and text of all
messages for your search string. If you want to search only for messages
from a particular author or about a particular subject, you can answer with
"No", and search only the message headers. A header-only search takes much
less time than a full-text search. You can abort the search at any time by
pressing ^C.

The Personal subcommand searches the current subboard for messages which
are addressed to you. Note that the personal search can only find messages
which were posted after you joined the current subboard (and it will not
work at all if you haven't joined the subboard).

After a successful search, this prompt will appear:

    Read Matching Messages? Yes/No

If you press Y, you'll be transferred to the Read command, where you'll be
able to read the first of the matching message. When you use the Next and
Previous subcommands on the message menu, Searchlight will display the next
or previous message in the list of messages matching your search string,
rather than the next or previous messages in numerical order. Thus, you can
easily view some or all of the messages you've searched for without having
to key in the individual message numbers.



FINDING NEW MESSAGES: THE NEW COMMAND

Searchlight provides a powerful New command that can automatically take you
to new messages each time you log on to your BBS. The New command uses the
high message pointer that's saved in each subboard member file (when you
Join that subboard) and accurately finds all new messages, regardless of
the date you last logged in.

To begin the new message scan, enter the New command. These suboptions
appear:

     All  Joined  Subboard  Personal  Quit

Here's a rundown of the New subcommands:


New/All

This function scans for new messages on all available, subboards, whether
or not you are a member of the subboard. Because Searchlight BBS only keeps
a new message pointer for subboards in which you are a member, any non-
member subboards will indicate that all the messages on the subboard are


                                                                         85



                                                             Message System

new; however, you will have an opportunity to join these subboards as you
encounter them, and start reading at a later message if you wish.

New/All is the recommended command for new callers to use in order to
familiarize themselves with your BBS and "tour" the message areas available
to them.


New/Joined

This command scans for new messages only on subboards which you have
joined, skipping those in which you are not a member.

Experienced callers can use this command to selectively read those
subboards on your BBS that interest them while ignoring others. All that is
required is that users join those subboards which they are interested in,
and not join (or unjoin) the others (we'll explain how to join and unjoin
subboards in a moment).


New/Subboard

This command performs a new message scan only on the current subboard.
Searchlight lists the new messages on the subboard, then allows you to read
them.


New/Personal

The personal subfunction lets you scan either the current subboard, or the
entire BBS, for new messages that are addressed specifically to you.
New/Personal is similar to Scan/Personal, except that it scans only new
messages, and gives you a choice to scan either the current subboard or all
subboards.


Subboard Navigation with NEW

The global New functions (those that scan for new messages on all
subboards) provide several options for reading messages. At each subboard
in which new messages exist, you'll see the subboard name and (except in
the case of personal scans) the number of new messages available. Following
this, another menu choice appears:

     Read  Goto  Next  Join  (Unjoin)  Quit











                                                                         86



                                                             Message System

Here, select the appropriate choice depending on what you wish to do about
reading the new messages on that subboard.


Read

If you select Read, you'll begin reading from the first new message on the
subboard. As you read messages, the various message disposition commands
(discussed in detail on the previous pages) are available to you. If you
select Quit while reading, the new scan resumes and goes to the next
available subboard (press 'Q' at the next submenu to exit from the New
command entirely).

The first time you read messages, this prompt may appear:

    Pause Between Messages? Yes/No

If you want Searchlight to provide a continuous dump of the new messages on
this subboard and all subsequent subboards, select "No". Otherwise, select
"Yes".

The "Pause Between Messages" prompt does not appear if you have your
preference option for Pause Between Messages set to Yes or No. See page 70
for details.


Goto

This command lets you skip to any message on the subboard by entering its
message number. Goto is often convenient when you encounter a subboard with
many new messages, and you desire to skip ahead and read only the most
recent messages instead of reading them all.


Next

Select Next if you want to skip this subboard. The New command continues to
scan for the next available subboard with new messages.


Join

If you are using the New/All command and you are not a member of the
subboard shown, you can use the Join command to become a member. Remember
that joining a subboard is required if you wish Searchlight to remember the
highest message you have read on that subboard and be able to identify new
messages each time you log on.

When you join a subboard, Searchlight will prompt you to enter a high
message number. If you want to read messages on the subboard from the
beginning, just press Enter to accept the default value. When a subboard
has many messages, you may want to set your high message pointer to a
higher value, thus skipping ahead to a more recent message at which to
begin reading.


                                                                         87



                                                             Message System

Searchlight automatically joins you to a subboard if you read messages
there, and select "Continue" from the message disposition prompt when
leaving the subboard.


Unjoin

If you want to discontinue membership in a particular subboard, use this
command. Searchlight will confirm that it is your intention to unjoin, and
remove you from the subboard's member list. Unjoining a subboard will
prevent that subboard from appearing when you select the New/Joined command
in the future.

Remember that Searchlight determines new messages based on the high message
pointer kept in your subboard member files. This number points to the
highest message you've read, and Searchlight assumes that all messages
above that value are new, and all below it are old. When you read messages
nonsequentially -- if you use the Goto command, or perform personal message
scans, for example -- your high message pointer may be set higher than some
messages which you have not actually read. If you want to reset your high
message pointer at any time, use the 1-Member/HighMsg command.

New is Searchlight's "workhorse" command. It is the one command you'll use
most often to read messages on your BBS and keep up with the activity on
your subboards.



MAINTAINING MESSAGES: THE EDIT AND KILL COMMANDS

These two commands on Searchlight's main menu facilitate the editing and
deletion of messages. To edit or delete a message, you must either be the
person who posted the message, or a Sysop, CoSysop, or Subop of the current
subboard.

The Edit command lets you edit the title and text of a message, using the
system's text editors. When you save the changes, the new message replaces
the old. If you use the Abort editor command, no changes take place.

Edit allows you to assign a "protected" status to messages. Protected
messages can be edited and can be deleted on an individual basis, but a
protected message will not be deleted during any mass message deletion.

The Kill command lets you delete a message or a range of messages. Only
Sysops, CoSysops or Subops can specify ranges with Kill. Normally, each
message's header is displayed before it is deleted and you can opt to
delete or keep the message. With range delete, it is possible to kill all
messages in the range without verification (you are prompted for this
option).



MAINTAINING MEMBER FILES: THE 1-MEMBER COMMAND



                                                                         88



                                                             Message System

The 1-Member command is used to maintain the member (.MBR) file for the
current subboard. The member file is primarily used to hold high message
pointers for use with the New command. On the MAIL subboard, the member
file contains user "mailboxes".

These subcommands are available with 1-Member:

     HighMsg  Search  List  Join  Unjoin  Quit

1-Member commands are generally available to both Sysops and regular users.
However, Sysops can perform these commands for any member in the member
file (by typing the name at the prompt), whereas regular users can only
perform these commands on their own member account.


1-Member/HighMsg

This subcommand lets you view or directly modify your high message pointer
(the value used with the New command) for the current subboard. Although
Searchlight normally maintains this value on its own, you may wish to
modify it manually under certain circumstances.


1-Member/Search
1-Member/List

The list and search commands operate similarly to User/List and
User/Search; List allows you to list the members of the current subboard,
while Search lets you search for a particular member name. The list or
search result shows members' high message pointers and date of last
subboard access.

Please refer to the User command in the next section of this manual for a
little more information about these suboptions.


1-Member/Join

This command joins you (or any specified user, if you're a Sysop) to the
member file for the current subboard. Upon joining the subboard,
Searchlight prompts you to enter a value for the highest message read. You
can press Enter to accept the default value or, if you wish to skip older
messages in the subboard, you can enter a different value.

Subboard member files can contain entries that are not users in your main
user file; the most common example is Searchlight's SLMAIL program, which
inserts a member record for itself when used to read new messages on a
subboard, even though 'SLMAIL' is probably not a valid login name on your
BBS. As the Sysop, you can use 1-Member commands to examine the member
record for SLMAIL or any other specialized entry in your member files.






                                                                         89



                                                             Message System


1-Member/Unjoin

This is the complementary command to 1-Member/Join, and allows you to
remove yourself (or if you are the Sysop, remove any user) from the
subboard membership file. Searchlight confirms the deletion request with a
Yes/No prompt before removing the member.



OTHER MESSAGE MANAGEMENT FEATURES

Searchlight's CONFIG program contains other useful message management
facilities, including the ability to purge old messages and member files.
See Sysop Utilities later in this manual.









































                                                                         90



                                                            Electronic Mail

USING ELECTRONIC MAIL

Searchlight BBS provides a complete electronic mail facility, in addition
to the public message base. Some features of electronic mail are:
individual, private mailboxes for each user; read, list, search, and new
mail commands; message reply and forwarding; automatic message logging; and
unlimited number of messages per user mailbox.

What is the difference between private mail and public messages? Although
Searchlight BBS allows you to designate a recipient for both public and
private messages, the Mail command is specifically designed for sending
private mail to a particular user. The main advantage to Mail is that your
private messages are separate from the main public message sections of
Searchlight and easily accessible at any time, from any subboard, by using
the Mail command.

In actuality, Searchlight stores mail messages in a subboard called "MAIL".
If you examine this subboard, you'll find that it looks exactly like any
other subboard on Searchlight BBS; you can even Jump to it and execute
regular subboard commands like Read or Post. However, because the MAIL
subboard contains private messages, you will want to prevent any users
except authorized Sysops from accessing the mail area in this manner (by
default, the MAIL subboard is set to access level 255). In addition, we
recommend that you press the ALT-I hotkey anytime you jump to MAIL as a
subboard (doing this prevents your actions from affecting the number of
times read indicators in the mail headers).

Think of the Mail command as a special way in which you access the subboard
called MAIL: special because it allows users to read only those messages
which are directed to them, while allowing them to send messages only to
users who are actually valid members of your BBS.

When you log in to Searchlight, a check of your mailbox is automatically
made and the number of messages displayed. If you have any new mail, the
system lets you enter the Mail/New command immediately. All other Mail
operations are selected via the Mail command on the main menu. Mail
presents this submenu:

     Read  Send  List  New  Find  Inquire  Purge  Quit

Select a command as follows:


Mail/Read

The Read command lets you read your private messages sequentially,
beginning with the first message in your mailbox. Those messages which are
new (have never been read before) are presented with this prompt:

    Read Now? Yes/No/Quit

You can press Y to read the message, N to skip it and go on to the next
message, or Q to abort the mail command.



                                                                         91



                                                            Electronic Mail

As you read messages, the standard message disposition commands (Next,
Prev, Reply, etc.) are available from the command line. Note that the Goto
command is not available when reading mail.


The Delete Prompt

After reading each message in your electronic mailbox, and responding to it
with one of the above subcommands, an additional prompt appears:

    Delete this message? No/Yes

Press "Y" if you wish to delete the message you just read; or "N" if you
don't want to delete the message. Because private mail is only readable by
the person to whom it's addressed, the software encourages you to delete
messages after you've read them. That's why this prompt appears when
reading mail.


Mail/Send

Send is the command to use when you want to send private mail to one or
more users. Remember that mail is strictly for private messages, and you
cannot send mail to "ALL" users (although you can send the same message to
a small group of users).

Send prompts you with:

    Send To :

Enter the name of the person to whom you would like to send mail. You must
enter a valid username that exists in Searchlight's database. However, you
do not need to type the entire name; typing the first few characters of the
name is sufficient to locate the correct user. If you type a partial
username and there are several possible matches, Searchlight will prompt
you for the correct one.

Next, the prompt

    cc To :

will appear. If you wish to send mail to more than one person, you can type
the name of the next user here; if you have more usernames, more "carbon
copy" prompts will appear to take them. When you're done entering names,
just hit RETURN without typing anything.

When sending mail to multiple recipients, Searchlight automatically
includes a "CC:" line in the editor when you enter the message, listing
those names. If you wish, you can modify or delete this line before you
save the message.

You may now enter a title and text for the message you want to send using
the system's text editing facilities. When you're done, the message is
added to the mailbox(es) of the designated recipient(s).


                                                                         92



                                                            Electronic Mail

You can also type "alias" names and "group" names in response to these
prompts. For more information, consult Appendix E, Using Alias Names.

You can also create Mail Send commands that send mail to a particular
person, disallow carbon copy, or override certain access privliges. For
more information, see Appendix G.


Mail/List

The List option provides a sequential list of the messages on file in your
mailbox. The list shows the message number, date, sender, and subject of
each message.

Searchlight prompts you for a "Start Date" with the list command; if you
press RETURN, it will list all messages in your mailbox. If you provide a
date, only messages posted on or after that date are displayed.

When the list is complete (or ^C is pressed), you can read a specific
message by keying in the message number at the prompt.


Mail/New

The New subcommand lets you search for new (unread) messages in your
mailbox. This command is similar to Mail/Read, except that only the new
messages are displayed for reading.

Note that the Mail/New command decides a message is new solely based on the
number of times read indicator in the message's header, not via a high
message pointer. Therefore, it does not matter if you skip around when
reading mail.


Mail/Find

The Find option lets you search for specific messages by sender or subject
text. In response to the prompt, enter the information to be searched for.
Find then operates like List, except it displays only messages which match
the search text.


Mail/Inquire

This subcommand is used to check, or inquire into, the status of messages
you have sent to other users. When you use Mail/Inquire, you are prompted
with:

     Search All Mailboxes? Yes/No

If you choose "Yes", Searchlight will look at all the mail you have sent
and which still exists (i.e. has not been deleted), starting with the last
message sent and working backwards from there. If you choose "No",
Searchlight will prompt you for a specific user name, and a start date, and


                                                                         93



                                                            Electronic Mail

will display mail sent to that person on or after the specified date,
working forwards.

After each message is displayed, this prompt appears:

    Again  Next  Forward  Edit  Kill  Quit

You can choose Again to view the message again, or Next to proceed to the
next message.

Use the Forward option if you'd like to forward a copy of this message to
another person, a subboard, a text file, etc.

If the message has not yet been read by the person to whom it is addressed,
you can Edit or Kill it. These options don't appear if the message has
already been received.


Mail/Purge

The final Mail command is Purge. It lets you delete some or all of the mail
in your mailbox automatically, based on these suboptions:


 1. Start Date ....................  1-01-87
 2. End Date ......................  5-24-92
 3. Purge New Mail? ............... No
 4. Purge Unanswered Mail? ........ No


The Start Date and End Date define a range of dates for which you would
like to purge messages. If "Purge New Mail" is set to No, then new (unread)
mail won't be deleted, regardless of its date. Similarly, "Purge Unanswered
Mail", if set to No, will preserve any mail which has not been answered.
Press ESC when you have filled these fields in with the desired settings.

Before any purge takes place, Searchlight confirms the command by asking
"Begin Mailbox Purge?"; to continue, press Y, or press N to abort the
command.


Netmail

Searchlight supports Netmail -- the ability to send private messages via
Fidonet or a similar network using Fido technology. Sending and receiving
netmail is similar to sending and receiving regular mail, with some
exceptions; for more information, please refer to page 189.


A Word about Mailboxes

Having a mailbox on Searchlight BBS is the same thing as joining the MAIL
subboard. However, it isn't necessary for any users to explicitly join MAIL
-- it's done automatically, the first time someone sends mail to a


                                                                         94



                                                            Electronic Mail

particular user. In general, new users won't have a mailbox until someone
sends them a message.

Some Mail commands will report "Mailbox not available" when used by someone
who has never received mail and therefore doesn't have a mailbox, however,
this doesn't mean that user cannot send mail, nor does it mean they can't
receive mail if some is sent to them.

You can regulate the sending of mail, though, by setting the post
attributes field in the MAIL subboard (use the CONFIG program to do this).
Users who do not have these specified attributes won't be able to send mail
messages (but can still read any messages sent to them).

If for any reason you wish to manually create or delete someone's mailbox,
Jump to the MAIL subboard and use the 1-Member commands. Notice that
deleting a user's mailbox does not delete any of the messages in that
mailbox, it only removes the user's access to those messages.







































                                                                         95



                                                                  Bulletins

USING THE BULLETINS SYSTEM

Bulletins are a small, special group of messages maintained by Searchlight.
These are the messages that are listed when a user first logs in, or when
the Bulletin command is executed from the main menu.

As you may have guessed, bulletins are actually stored in the BULLETIN
subboard that was created by default when you installed Searchlight BBS.
Although Bulletin is a subboard, the Bulletins command is a special way to
read that subboard: it lists the messages in reverse chronological order
and allows you to select them with a sequential number (regardless of the
actual message numbers).


Reading Bulletins

To read bulletins, simply execute the Bulletins command and enter the
number of the bulletin you want to read. This menu is also displayed as
part of the login sequence.


Maintaining Bulletins

To post, edit, delete, or otherwise maintain your bulletins, simply Jump to
the BULLETIN subboard. Use Searchlight's standard message commands to
modify or enter new information. Don't worry about the message numbers that
are assigned to new bulletins, as the Bulletins command automatically
assigns sequential values to your bulletins.

By default, BULLETIN is a high access level, protected message area that is
accessible only to you as the Sysop. However, you might want to allow some
or all of your users to access the BULLETIN subboard and perform
modifications. To do that, just edit the access levels and attributes of
the bulletin area via the Setup utility program.

If you do allow your users to post bulletins, you will usually want to
insure that the number of bulletins available doesn't go beyond a certain
value (say 15 bulletins). We recommend setting this as the maximum number
of messages via the CONFIG program. As well, use the "Auto Purge" feature
to automatically purge old bulletins after the limit is reached (protect
important bulletins by editing them and setting the protect flag on).















                                                                         96



                                                            Using Chat Mode

USING CHAT MODE

"Chat Mode" is a feature which allows you to "talk" to, or exchange short
messages with, a user logged on to your BBS. There are two kinds of
chatting: Sysop-To-User chatting, which enables the SYSOP to talk to a
logged in user, and Internode chatting, which allows two logged-in users to
communicate.


Sysop-To-User Chatting

The Sysop-To-User chat feature is invoked when the Sysop responds to a
"page" by a logged-in user, or by the Sysop by pressing ALT-C anytime at
the local console. The local chat mode simply lets you type messages back
and forth, and provides word-wrapping; the conversation may be logged by
using the ALT-L logging facility. To exit chat mode, the Sysop presses the
ESC key.


Internode Chatting

A more powerful Chat command, available only with multiuser versions of
Searchlight, allows two or more logged-in users to communicate directly,
instead of just being able to chat with the SYSOP.

An internode chat session is initiated when one user enters the Chat
command from the main menu. Chat displays the list of available nodes, and
prompts the user to enter the desired node number to chat with. If you
enter 0, Chat performs a local Sysop-To-User page, as with single-user
systems. If you enter a nonzero node number, however, Chat prints the
message

    Entering Chat Mode. Enter a period (.) to exit, .H for Help.

followed by a right-bracket prompt. You may now type a short text message,
pressing RETURN when you are finished.

At another node, the user to whom your message is directed will continue to
work. However, the next time the user's screen is cleared, Searchlight will
display the message from you. If this user wishes to respond to you, he or
she will then enter Chat mode from the main menu and begin sending messages
to you (your terminal will display the sent messages either immediately, if
your cursor is just to the right of the ">" prompt and you haven't typed
anything, or immediately after you finish typing the current line). When
you're done talking, just type a period at the ">" prompt and hit RETURN.

The chat facility can buffer up to four lines of text. After four lines are
sent, you cannot send any more text until the receiver has received the
four buffered lines. When this happens, you must either wait for a
response, or give up trying to chat. Notice that since messages sent to a
user are only displayed when the screen clears, a user may not receive your
message immediately; you should wait several minutes after sending the
initial message before you can expect a reply.



                                                                         97



                                                            Using Chat Mode

At anytime during the chat, you can get a list of currently logged in users
by typing ".W" at the prompt. To switch nodes and chat with another user,
you can enter ".n" where "n" is the node number you want to chat with next.

Messages are exchanged through a file called CHAT.SL2, which will be
created on your disk if it does not exist. Since the messages in CHAT.SL2
are of a temporary nature, and since interactive chatting is disk-
intensive, we strongly recommend that you use a small RAM-disk to hold the
CHAT.SL2 file. You can specify the drive and pathname where CHAT.SL2 will
be created using the option in the "Pathnames Setup" section of the CONFIG
program. If you do so, however, remember that each node in your system MUST
be set to the exact same chat path. Otherwise, chatting between some nodes
won't work. The amount of disk space needed for the CHAT.SL2 file will be
512 bytes plus 512 times the number of nodes in your system.

Since Searchlight will create CHAT.SL2 if it does not exist, there is no
need to copy this file to or from your RAM-disk when the computer is reset.







































                                                                         98



                                                             Other Commands

OTHER COMMANDS

Here's an outline of miscellaneous Searchlight BBS main menu commands that
were not covered in previous chapters:


ANSI Command

The Ansi command can be used at any time to change the current ANSI mode to
Color, Monochrome, or None. Normally, this selection is made before logging
in, but it can be changed afterwards.


FILES Command

Files transfers you to the Searchlight File Transfer system, a program used
to upload, download, and maintain libraries of files. Before you can use
the Files system, you must set up directories using the CONFIG program. For
more information see File Transfer System in this manual.


GOODBYE Command

Goodbye logs you off the system, resetting Searchlight for the next call.
If the "quotes file" is enabled, Searchlight will prompt you on logoff:

     Please leave us a quote:
     >

You can type up to 72 characters. The message you leave is stored in the
quotes file and can be viewed by later callers with the Quotes command.


INFO Command

This command looks for a file called INFO.TXT (or INFO.ANS for ANSI users)
in your text directory area, and displays it if it exists. You can use the
Info file to provide a brief description of your system, an editorial, etc.


QUOTES Command

Quotes looks into the QUOTES.SL2 file and displays the quotes entered at
logoff (when the quotes file is active).


TIME Command

This command shows you the current time and date, the time you logged in,
your elapsed time, and the amount of time left in your current session.






                                                                         99



                                                             Other Commands


USER Command

The User command is used to list or search for users in the user database
or to get a log of the last 75 callers. It has these subcommands:

     CallLog  Search  List  Find  Delete  Balance  Quit

To get the list of the last 75 successive calls to the system, select the
CallLog option. You can abort the list with ^C if desired.

Search lets you enter usernames to search for. If the user is found, the
system displays his or her location, system type, total calls, and dates of
first and last login. You can specify partial user names here; for example,
typing TOM would display all users on your system named Tom.

The List function gives an alphabetical list of users on your system. You
can start the list anywhere, by typing the first few characters of the name
you want to begin with; or press RETURN to view the entire list. If you are
the Sysop or a co-Sysop, Searchlight prompts you:

     Enter Min Access Level [  0]:
     Enter Max Access Level [255]:

If you press RETURN (to use the default values in brackets), all users are
displayed. If you specify an access level range, however, only users who's
access levels fall within that range are displayed.

The Find option works like List, but allows you to specify an arbitrary
search string. Only users who's user records contain the search string in
the name, location, or system type fields are displayed. You can abort the
search with ^C.

Notice that the List and Find commands display user access levels, but only
when used by a Sysop or co-Sysop.

Use the Delete option if you want to delete a user from your user file.
Naturally, this command is only available to you as a Sysop, and not to
your regular callers.

Deleting a user in this manner does not delete any mail or messages on the
system for that user. The sysop utilities menu in CONFIG can be use to
purge these items if desired.

Balance performs an optimization and repair function on your user file.
Balance sorts your user file to make sure that names are placed in an
optimal order for retrieval, and can also repair any errors within your
user file. Use this function if you suspect a problem with the user file
(for example, if an error occurs when you try to access usernames) or
periodically to ensure that your userfile is in top shape (an especially
good time to balance the user file is right after making extensive changes
to it, like deleting or adding users).




                                                                        100



                                                             Other Commands


VERSION Command

This command displays: the version number of Searchlight BBS being used,
the public portion of your software registration number, and the user
license level (single user, three user, etc.) that you purchased.


WHO Command

In multiuser systems, you can use the Who command to display the number of
active nodes and the names of the users logged in to each node. On single
user systems, this command displays the current user's name and location.











































                                                                        101



                                                            Sysop Functions

SYSOP FUNCTIONS

A special command is provided on Searchlight's main menu that's available
to Sysops and CoSysops only. This is the "2-Sysop" command and it lets you
change access levels and options, read other users' mail, edit text files,
and more. When you execute it (type "2" at the main menu and press RETURN),
this subcommand menu appears:

     Options  Adjust  Validate  Mail  TextEdit  DosShell  Relog  Quit

Select "Quit" to abort the command, or select one of the command options as
follows:


Sysop/Options

This option lets you edit a user's record, including user information,
preferences, access levels, attributes and time limits. Complete details
are given in the Configuring User Options section of this manual (see p.
67).


Sysop/Adjust

The Adjust feature is similar to Options, but allows you to edit four
fields which are normally system-maintained: a user's upload and download
amounts, first login date, and last login date. Normally, you will not need
to change these fields as they are updated by the system; however, you may
wish to do so in special circumstances, such as to correct inaccurate
upload/download ratios.


Sysop/Validate

This command lets you "validate" a user by assigning one of the 12 preset
access levels to that user's record. When you select Sysop/Validate and
enter a username, Searchlight displays a list of the default access levels;
choose one by pressing the appropriate letter. Default access levels are
configured by using option "I" on the CONFIG program's main menu (see p.
35).

Validating a user assigns the values associated with the selected access
level to that user's account. You can individually adjust user records,
though, by using the Sysop/Options facility.

You can also invoke the Validate command by using Other/Validate from any
message disposition line.

Updating a particular default access level (via CONFIG) does not
automatically update users to whom that access level has been assigned. Use
the Sysop Utilities portion of the CONFIG program to effect such changes
when required.




                                                                        102



                                                            Sysop Functions


Sysop/Mail

The Mail subcommand lets you access the mailbox of another user. You can
read, list, or search the user's mail, purge or delete messages, and write
mail to other users "as" that user. First, pick the desired operation from
the options displayed; then enter the desired user name.

You can also access user mail by JUMPing to the "MAIL" subboard.

Note that when you read a user's mail in Sysop/Mail mode, the "number of
times read" indicators do not increment.


Sysop/TextEdit

This command loads a text file from disk and puts it into the Searchlight
text editor. You can edit the file and resave it to disk, thus giving you
the ability to edit files used by Searchlight (such as ALIAS.DEF) or other
short text files without exiting from Searchlight or using another editor.

Searchlight's full screen editor allows you to edit lines longer than 76
characters by appending an underbar character to the end of long lines and
continuing them on the next line. If you edit such lines, you must manually
maintain the position of the underbar at the end of the line. Do not use
TextEdit to edit files longer than 400 lines or files which contain non-
ASCII characters.

Only the Sysop (access level 255) is allowed to use TextEdit.


Sysop/DosShell

This command calls up a shell to the operating system (DOS) by running the
COMMAND.COM program. This is similar to pressing ALT-D, but it's also
available from a remote login (limited, of course, to Sysops with the
highest access level).


Sysop/Relog

Relog can be used during a remote call to log off of Searchlight but return
the system to the "Select Graphics Mode ..." prompt instead of hanging up
the telephone. By doing this, you can allow someone else to log on to the
system without having to redial and make another connection.


Additional sysop utilities that let you purge messages, users and files are
available in the CONFIG program. See "Sysop Utilities" on p. 177 for more
information.






                                                                        103



                                                      Status Line & Hotkeys

THE STATUS LINE

Whenever someone is logged into your BBS from a remote terminal, the local
PC screen will display a status line in inverse video at the bottom of the
screen. The status line gives you information about the currently logged in
user. It looks something like this:

   Online: USER NAME     Access: AAA/BBB   Time: XXX/YYY  Node N  sacnl

USER NAME shows you the name of the person who is logged in. AAA and BBB
are the user's BBS access level and FILES access level, respectively. XXX
is the amount of time (in minutes) that the user has been logged in, and
YYY is the user's time limit for this session. Node indicates the node
number (in multiuser systems) of the node you are looking at. The lowercase
letters to the right are status flags, as explained below.



HOT KEYS

As the SYSOP, there is a group of operations that you can perform through
the use of what we call "hot keys" at the local keyboard. A "hot key" is a
special key that can be pressed at almost any time the Searchlight is
running, without disturbing the call in progress. For example, ALT-V is the
hot key for validating users. If you press ALT-V while a new user is logged
in, that user will be instantly validated, and the status line on the
bottom of the screen will be updated to show the user's new status.
Pressing ALT-V while a validated user is online results in un-validating
the user, or returning the user to the defined new user access levels and
time limit. The user at the remote terminal doesn't see any of this
happening.

The F9 and F10 keys can be used to adjust a user's time limit. Pressing F9
adds five minutes to the currently logged in user's time limit, and
pressing F10 subtracts 5 minutes. The new time limit is in effect only for
the current call.

The F8 key is a status line toggle. Pressing F8 changes the format of the
status line, swapping the above access level/time limit display with one of
three others showing the user's location, computer type, phone number, and
current baud rate, or the system's memory usage.

The letters "sacnl" on the lower right hand side of the screen are flags,
and they are controlled with hot keys as well. The "S" flag is called the
superuser status flag. When the flag is OFF, a lowercase s is displayed.
When it is ON, an uppercase S is shown. You toggle it on or off by pressing
the ALT-S key on the local keyboard.

When superuser status is ON, any user who is logged in is granted full
SYSOP privileges. Normally, you use this command in order to allow yourself
to execute sysop commands while someone else is logged in. You can also use
it to grant temporary SYSOP access to the logged in user. Note that if you
turn this switch ON, it remains ON until you turn it off, or until the
current user logs off (or hangs up).


                                                                        104



                                                      Status Line & Hotkeys

The "a" and "c" flags control the operation of the chat command. The "a"
flag is the Sysop Availability flag. When it is ON, an uppercase "A" is
displayed, and paging is enabled; that is, the system will beep to inform
you of an attempt by a user to call you with the "Chat" command. If
availability is turned OFF, the computer will remain silent, and inform all
users attempting to chat that no sysop is available. The sysop availability
mode is turned on and off by pressing ALT-A.

The "c" flag tells you whether or not the current user has attempted to
page you since logging on. If a capital "C" is displayed, it means the user
attempted to Chat. This is true regardless of the setting of the "A" flag.

ALT-C is the chat hotkey. At most times when the Searchlight is running,
you can "break in" to chat with the logged user by pressing ALT-C. This
causes you to go into chat mode immediately, suspending any operation in
progress. When you exit the chat mode (by pressing the ESC key),
Searchlight restores the original screen display and returns the user to
the exact place where he or she left off.

The "n" flag and the ALT-N function key toggle Searchlight's Sysop-Next
option. Sysop-Next is a flag which you can set to indicate that you would
like to system to revert to a local login immediately after the current
user logs off, thus giving you the opportunity to log onto the BBS yourself
or take the BBS down to perform maintenance functions. When the ALT-N flag
is set, Searchlight will, upon recycling back to the call waiting screen,
immediately issue the local init string to your modem, sound a short alert
tone from the speaker, and go into a local login mode.

You can turn the Sysop-Next flag or off by pressing the ALT-N key at any
time. A capital "N" indicates that it is on, while a lowercase letter means
that it's off.

If a front-end program is being used (that is, if Searchlight is set to
Return to DOS on Logoff), it will exit with a result code of 3 when the
Sysop-Next flag is set. It is up to the front end program to recognize this
as a request to allow the sysop to log in next; if your front end software
cannot do this, then you won't be able to use the ALT-N feature.

ALT-I is Searchlight's "invisible" hotkey. Actually, what ALT-I does is
allow you to read messages on any subboard, or in your mailbox, without
updating your high message read counter, or the "number of times read"
counters in message headers. (An uppercase I appears on the status line
when you press ALT-I and disappears when you press it again). ALT-I is
particularly useful when you want to review private messages by Jumping to
the MAIL subboard, without affecting the counters for those messages.


Output Logging

The "L" status flag and the ALT-L command control output logging. Logging
allows you to capture all of the text being sent to and from your BBS and
output it to a disk file or device. For example, you could use this feature
to record a conversation with a user while in CHAT mode, or to make ASCII
text files containing listings of your upload/download directories, or to


                                                                        105



                                                      Status Line & Hotkeys

get a printout of almost any listing, message, or display that Searchlight
normally sends to the screen.

To begin logging, press ALT-L; you are prompted to enter a filename. If you
defined a default log file in the CONFIG program, it is displayed, and you
can use it by pressing RETURN. Otherwise, enter the desired filename.
Logging begins, and continues until you press ALT-L again, change from one
program module to another (i.e. run the Files program or quit from Files to
the main menu), log off, exit via ALT-X, or execute a DOOR program. All
text normally displayed on the screen is copied into the log file.

If you wish to obtain a hard copy (printout) of BBS activity, use PRN as
the output filename. PRN is the printer device file, and it will cause
subsequent output to go to the printer.

Backspace characters are processed out of the logged output, and ANSI
escape sequences are removed. Also, the "-- more --" prompt is disabled
during logging.


Exit Key

ALT-X can be used to temporarily exit Searchlight and return to DOS. When
you press ALT-X (from the local keyboard only), all files are closed,
Searchlight terminates, and you return to DOS. When you re-run Searchlight
(by executing SLBBS.EXE), you are returned to your BBS and positioned at
the main menu.

If you use ALT-X while a remote user is online, the modem will not hang up
the telephone, but the remote user will cease to receive output or be able
to give input to the system until you return to the BBS.

You don't have to return to Searchlight after ALT-X: it is safe to shut
your computer off, or run another program. However, the next time you run
Searchlight it will return to the current session. You must log off (using
the GoodBye command) in order to allow Searchlight to receive new calls.

ALT-X will exit with a return code (errorlevel) of 1. This allows an
external front-end program, if used, to distinguish between an exit to DOS
and a normal logoff.

Pressing ALT-X loses your current menu position and may make it impossible
to return to previous menus, if you have made changes in your menus. If you
encounter menu-related problems after using ALT-X, we recommend you either
avoid using ALT-X (use GoodBye instead), or, when re-starting Searchlight,
type "SLBBS Local".


Hangup Key

The ALT-H key has been provided to enable you to terminate a user's session
immediately. If you press ALT-H from the console while a user is logged in,
the modem will hang up on the user and Searchlight will recycle to accept
another call.


                                                                        106



                                                      Status Line & Hotkeys

ALT-H will, of course, terminate a user's session abruptly and may cause
that user to lose any message being typed. ALT-H is provided for use at
your own discretion. If someone is on your BBS and you need to use your
computer, we suggest you use ALT-C first to chat with the user, and ask him
or her to log off normally.


Command Keys

Two special keys are provided to allow access to other programs while
running Searchlight. The ALT-F key runs the Searchlight CONFIG program. To
use it, your CONFIG.EXE program must be loaded into your SLBBS program
directory.

ALT-D provides a shell to DOS. It requires that COMMAND.COM be available in
the path specified in the COMSPEC environment variable. To return to
Searchlight, give the command EXIT at the DOS prompt.

Both ALT-F and ALT-D will return you to the last menu you accessed before
using the command. However, if you press ALT-F or ALT-D while entering a
message, you will lose any text which has not been saved. You can also lose
new message pointers and lose your place while reading messages or mail. We
recommend using ALT-F and ALT-D while situated at a menu prompt, rather
than while reading or entering messages.
































                                                                        107



                                                               Text Editing

TEXT EDITING: INTRODUCTION

Searchlight contains two text editors that are used whenever you enter a
message or send electronic mail. The text editors, while not full-fledged
word processors, contain many features and commands that allow you to
easily compose, enter, and change short to medium length messages. In
addition, you can use Searchlight's text editing capabilities to edit text
files on disk, even from a remote terminal.

A line-oriented text editor, similar in nature to the DOS EDLIN editor and
to the editors found on many BBS systems, is provided for use with non-ANSI
terminals. The line editor provides a fast and simple way of entering
messages, with rudimentary editing facilities, and it works from almost any
kind of remote terminal, from IBM PCs to older home computers to printing
terminals.

Searchlight also contains a full-screen text editor that resembles the
types of editors most people are used to working with on the IBM PC. It
gives you an exact representation on the screen of what your message will
look like when read back, and it allows you to move the cursor anywhere on
the screen and insert, change, or delete text with simple keystrokes. The
commands used are a combination of standard PC editing keys and a subset of
the popular "Wordstar" command set, so chances are you already know how to
use Searchlight's editor.

The main disadvantage of the full screen editor is that it's not compatible
with all terminals -- you must have an ANSI (or vt100) compatible terminal
(or terminal emulator) to use it in remote mode. Fortunately, software to
emulate ANSI terminals is available for most microcomputers -- for the IBM
PC, we recommend Procomm, Procomm Plus, and Telix. In addition, you'll find
that certain operations, such as PageUp and PageDown, are inherently slower
when running from a remote terminal than when executed on a normal word
processor: that's because Searchlight can only send text at the speed of
the modem being used, and cannot manipulate the screen at high speeds the
way regular text editors can. However, Searchlight makes extensive use of
ANSI control sequences to minimize the amount of text that must be
retransmitted to the remote screen. In local mode, it operates at speeds
comparable to most full screen text editors.

Searchlight determines which editor to use based on the status of the ANSI
graphics mode. When ANSI (color or monochrome) is enabled, the full screen
editor is used; otherwise, the line editor is used. You can change the
status of the ANSI flag from the main menu with the ANSI command.













                                                                        108



                                                               Text Editing

USING THE LINE EDITOR

When ANSI mode is not selected, Searchlight uses a line oriented editor.
The editor is invoked whenever you POST a message or bulletin, EDIT an
existing message, or send a message via the MAIL command.

When the line editor is running, you'll see the message

     Enter text; type a period (.) when done.  Max NNN lines.

followed by the number "001". NNN is the maximum number of lines that you
may enter into the message (it can be anywhere from 5 to 400, as defined on
the subboard definition screen in CONFIG).

You would now begin typing your message. As you type, you can correct
errors by pressing the BACKSPACE key. There's no need to press the RETURN
key when you reach the end of a line; instead, the editor automatically
performs "word wrapping", that is, it breaks the line at the nearest word
boundary and moves the last word on the line down to the next new line. As
you type, you'll see the line numbers to the left of your text increase.

When you are done entering text, press the RETURN key once (so that the
cursor is directly to the right of a line number). Then type a single
period (.), and press RETURN again. This takes you out of the text
insertion mode and places you at the line editor's subcommand prompt, which
looks like this:

     Cont  Edit  Ins  Del  List  Abort  Save  -?

You can now enter an editor subcommand by typing the first letter of one of
the above command words at the prompt. The commands work as follows:


Save

This is the command that saves the message you just entered (or edited)
onto the disk. You use this command when you are done with the message,
unless you've changed your mind and decided not to send the message at all.


Abort

The abort subcommand can be used to throw away the message in case you
decide you don't want to send it. It will prompt you to make sure that's
what you really want to do, in order to insure that you don't abort the
message by mistake.


Cont

The cont, or continue, subcommand lets you continue entering lines at the
end of the message. It places you back into the text entry mode at the next
highest line number.



                                                                        109



                                                               Text Editing


List

This command can be used to list, or review, the message just entered. It
will prompt you for a line number; if you enter 1, or simply press RETURN,
the message is listed from line 1 to the end. If you wish the listing to
start at a specific line number, you can enter that line number.

You can pause the listing with ^S, and cancel it with ^C.


Ins

This is the insert command. It lets you insert one or more new lines of
text in between two existing lines. You are prompted to enter the number of
the line that you want to insert BEFORE; for example, to insert between
lines 11 and 12, you'd give line 12 as the target of the insertion.

Once in insert mode, you can type as many new lines as you like. To exit
back to the subcommand prompt, once again enter a period at the beginning
of a new line.


Del

The delete command lets you delete one or more entire lines of text from
the message. It prompts you to enter the starting and ending line numbers
of the range of lines that you want to remove.


Edit

This command gives you a way to edit the individual characters on a line.
It prompts you for the line number of the line you wish to edit, and gives
you a choice:

     Change or Retype?

Respond by pressing "C" to change the line, or "R" to retype it. Retyping
simply lets you re-enter the entire line of text from scratch. You can only
retype one line at a time.

Change gives you the opportunity to edit portions of the line without
having to re-key the entire line. It works by prompting you for a "source"
and a "replacement" string. The "source" is a portion of the text, exactly
as it appears in the line. The "replacement" is a string of text that will
replace the source string. As an example, suppose we typed this into our
message at line number 7:

 07 Beethoven was bitten by a communist roach when he visited New York.
 08 .

Obviously, we meant to type the word "salmon" instead of "roach". To
correct it, we would edit the line and enter "roach" as the source string,
and "salmon" as the replacement:

                                                                        110



                                                               Text Editing

     Cont  Edit  Ins  Del  List  Abort  Save  -? E
     Line Number: 7

     Change or Retype? C
     Source String: roach
     Replacement  : salmon

Although the corrected line is not displayed on the screen, we could view
it by using the List subcommand. The new version of the line would look
like this:

 07 Beethoven was bitten by a communist salmon when he visited New York.

Notice that you can replace a string with a string of a different length
(or even a null string, in which case the original text is deleted
entirely). However, the total length of the line cannot exceed 76
characters.



EDITING EXISTING MESSAGES

The line editor can also be used to edit existing messages via the "Edit"
command on the main menu. When used in this fashion, it operates
identically to the above description, except that you'll go right to the
"Cont Edit  List..." prompt rather than to the "Enter Text" prompt. Saving
the message results in the edited version of the message replacing the old
version on disk. If you abort the edit, the changes you've made to the
message, if any, are not saved; the original message is left intact.



























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                                                               Text Editing

USING THE FULL SCREEN EDITOR

When using an ANSI compatible remote terminal, or when logged in locally,
you'll be able to enter and edit text via Searchlight's full screen editor.
The screen editor signs on by displaying an inverse video bar near the top
of the screen that contains this message:

   Editing, max NNN lines | ESC/^Z Exit | F1/^J Help | F6/^P Color Codes

If entering a new message, the lower portion of the screen will be clear
and the cursor will be positioned at the top of the text entry "window" on
the screen. If editing and existing message, you'll see the first few lines
of the message, with the cursor positioned at the first character in the
first line. You are now ready to enter or edit text.

To enter text, simply begin typing. As with the line editor, you can
correct single character mistakes as you type by pressing the BACKSPACE
key. As you approach the end of a line, the text will "word wrap" down to
the next line, so there's no need to press the RETURN key at the end of
lines (unless, of course, you wish to type lines shorter than the width of
the screen).

Unlike the line editor, which has subcommands for performing editing, you
can edit text in the full screen mode interactively, using the cursor
position keys and control keys. As you change the text, your screen is
updated instantly to reflect exactly what the file looks like. If you've
ever used a word processor on your IBM PC, you're probably very familiar
with this method of editing: you'll need only learn a few of the commands
and keystrokes that are specific to the Searchlight editor.



WORDSTAR COMPATIBILITY

When we say Searchlight's editor is "WordStar Compatible", what we mean is
that, in most cases, we've used the same key sequences to perform the same
editing tasks as the Wordstar word processor. We picked Wordstar because
its command set is a well-known standard, and because its use of control
key sequences (rather than menus or function keys) is particularly suitable
for use with modems and remote terminals.

Searchlight doesn't support ALL of Wordstar's commands; in fact, it uses
only a small subset of them. In addition, we've incorporated a few special
commands and keystrokes that are unique to our editor.












                                                                        112



                                                               Text Editing

SCREEN EDITOR SUBCOMMANDS

If you press either F2 or ^J (control-J) while in the editing mode, you'll
see one of three help messages at the top of your screen. Press F2 again to
see the remaining messages. The help text looks like this:

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  -----
   Left/^S  - Cursor left        ^A  - Word left     DEL/^G - Delete
  character
   Right/^D - Cursor right       ^F  - Word right       ^T  - Delete word
   Up/^E    - Cursor up       INS/^V - Insert mode      ^Y  - Delete line
   Down/^X  - Cursor down      CR/^N - Insert line      ^B  - Reform
  paragraph
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  -----

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  -----
   PgUp/^R - Page up             ^QR - Top of file       ^QY - Truncate
  line
   PgDn/^C - Page down           ^QC - End of file       ^QL - Restore line
  Home/^QS - Begin of line    F3/^KO - View reply-text    ^L - Redraw line
   End/^QD - End of line      F4/^KG - Get reply-text     ^W - Redraw
  screen
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  -----

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  -----
    OI - Toggle indent mode      ^KP - Message Preview   ^KU - Upload text
  via
   ^OC - Center line          F5/^KS - Exit & Save             XMODEM
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  -----

These are the main editing commands. Many are self-explanatory, some need
further study as we'll divulge below.

The ^ character means CONTROL. To generate a control key, you hold down the
key marked "Ctrl" on your keyboard, then press the indicated letter key,
then release both keys.

Notice that some commands have two ways of being entered, either via a
control key or via a function key. This is done because some remote
terminals don't configure the function keys the same way they're supposed
to be set up on the true ANSI terminal. If a key such as F1 or HOME doesn't
work on your terminal, you can always use the control key instead.

Remember to press ESC (or ^Z) to exit the full screen editor. You can also
exit by pressing F5 (or ^KS); this skips the "Continue, Save, Abort" prompt
and goes directly into "save" mode.




                                                                        113



                                                               Text Editing


Cursor Movement

To edit text, you must first move the cursor to the character, word, or
line that you want to change. The cursor movement keys accomplish this.

The four arrow keys (left, right, up, down) move the cursor one character
in the indicated direction. If you move up or down past the top or the
bottom of the screen, the screen will scroll to display the previous or
next line of text. You cannot move the cursor past the beginning or end of
the file, but you can append text to the end of the file.

Press the HOME key to move the cursor to the beginning of the current line.
The END key takes the cursor to the end of the line.

The ^A and ^F keys move you left and right a word at a time. In local modes
only, you can use ^LeftArrow and ^RightArrow as well.

You can scroll a long message forward and backward one full screen at a
time. Press the PgUp and PgDn keys for this. On a remote terminal, you must
use ^R for pageup and ^C for pagedown.

Finally, you can move directly to the beginning or end of the text. Press
^QR to get to the top of the file, ^QC to go to the bottom.


Deletion

You can delete text by characters, words, or lines.

To delete the character under the cursor, press either DEL or ^G. Pressing
the BACKSPACE key deletes the character to the left of the cursor. When you
delete text, the text to the right of the cursor moves left to fill the gap
left by the deleted characters.

Text can be deleted a word at a time. Place the cursor on the first
character in the word and press ^T.

You can delete all the text on the current line from the cursor position to
the end of the line. Press ^QY to perform this function.

To delete an entire line, position the cursor anywhere in the line you wish
to delete, and press ^Y. When you delete a line, the remaining lines in the
message move up to fill the gap left by the deleted line.


Insertion

Searchlight's editor supports either insert or overstrike mode. In insert
mode, text you enter in the middle of a line causes the text to the right
of the cursor to shift, making room for the new characters. In overstrike
mode, new text overwrites any text underneath it, and no scrolling occurs.
The editor is in insert mode each time it starts up, but you can toggle
between modes with the INS or ^V key.


                                                                        114



                                                               Text Editing

When insert mode is active, the indicator "Ins" appears at the top of the
screen. When overstrike mode is selected, "Ovr" is displayed instead.

In insert mode, an attempt to insert characters into a full line causes the
line to be split in half at the cursor position. The message "Press ^B to
reform paragraph" appears at the top of the screen. After typing your new
text, press the ^B key and the subsequent text will move back up and
reformat into a paragraph. In overstrike mode, press ^N to force a line
break before entering new text.

You can also press the RETURN key to enter a new line in the text. In this
case, the cursor moves down to next line, rather than remaining stationary
as it does with ^N.


Error Recovery

If you make a mistake, you can restore the contents of the current line
provided the cursor has not left the line. Press ^QL for this function.


Reformatting Text

After performing many insert and delete operations, your text will no doubt
have lost its original format: you'll have some lines that are shorter than
others. Never fear; you can reformat any continuous piece of text back into
neat paragraph form by using the ^B command. Simply move the cursor up to
the first line in the paragraph and press ^B. The editor will format all
the subsequent text into a paragraph, until it reaches a blank line or a
line that begins with a space or another non-alphabetic character.


Indent Mode

Pressing ^OI activates Indent Mode (you'll see the letters "Ind" near the
top of the screen when indenting is active). In indent mode, the editor
will match your indent when typing lines -- for example, if you manually
indent the first line of a paragraph by 5 spaces, then type some text,
Searchlight will automatically insert 5 spaces before each new line as the
text wordwraps or you press RETURN to end lines. This is useful, for
example, when you want to indent an entire block of text.

You can reformat indented text with the ^B command; Searchlight will
continue to obey the indent, and format the text with the proper number of
blank spaces before each line.


Centering Lines

A center line function is provided by pressing the ^OC keys. This command
will center the current line of text, and move the cursor down to the next
line.




                                                                        115



                                                               Text Editing


Reply Text

Often, when you reply to a message by selecting the "Reply" option on the
menu line, you'll want to be able to read the original message again while
you're typing the reply. You may even want to insert a few lines of the
original message into the message you're writing. Searchlight provides a
way to do this with the "View reply-text" and "Get reply-text" functions.

If, while typing a reply, you want to look at the original message again,
press F3 (or ^KO). The screen will clear and the text of the message will
be displayed. At the end of the message, you'll be prompted to press the
RETURN key to go on; when you do so, the editor redraws the screen and
returns you to the message you were typing at the exact spot you left off.


Reply-Quote Line Selection

The F4 (^KG) key lets you do even more with the original message. When you
press F4, Searchlight places the original text into a selection mode that
lets you review the text and tag specific lines for importing into your
editing screen.

To begin the reply-quote process, reply to a message and press F4 or ^KG. A
full screen display such as this one will appear:


Select lines to quote from original message

 |Greetings!
 |    Received SLBBS today and am delighted! In only an hour I already have
 |the main makings of the BBS and a couple of friends are equally amazed
 |with what's been done in a small part of one afternoon!!
 |
*|    So far... not a single hitch in setting this thing up... of course I
*|can see that my first problem is going to be resisting the urge to have
*|ump-teen hundred different Subboards... they are almost _too_ easy
*|to setup :)
 |
 |    Congrats on an absolute DYNAMITE program!
 |
 |Regards,
 |Bob
<End of Listing>


The full-screen display can be paged and scrolled by using the standard
cursor control keys, including page up and down, home and end, and the
arrow keys. To "quote" some lines, position the cursor to the left of the
desired line, and press the spacebar. An asterisk appears to the left of
the line, indicating that it is tagged; continue pressing spacebar to tag
more lines in succession. In the example above, four lines starting with
the text "So far..." have been selected for quoting. If a mouse is
available, you can tag lines by clicking on the area to the left of the


                                                                        116



                                                               Text Editing

line. You can untag lines by clicking or pressing spacebar on the line
again; or press F4 or F5 to automatically tag or untag all lines.

Once the desired lines are tagged, press Enter or ESC. The tagged lines are
imported into your reply:


>    So far... not a single hitch in setting this thing up... of course I
>can see that my first problem is going to be resisting the urge to have
>ump-teen hundred different Subboards... they are almost _too_ easy
>to setup :)


If desired, you can tag more lines later by pressing F4 or ^KG again, and
repeating the process.

Wise use of the reply-text function can aid you in replying to a long
message with many specific points, and it can help end ambiguous electronic
mail replies by reminding the original sender what question or statement is
being addressed by your letter.


Message Uploading

Uploading a text file as a message to Searchlight BBS is accomplished by
pressing ^KU. The text file to be uploaded should be a plain text file with
lines of no longer than 76 characters, and the total length of the message
should be no larger than the total number of lines that are permitted to be
entered for the current message area.

Upon pressing ^KU, Searchlight prompts you to begin sending the file. As in
a normal file upload, the remote user should then activate the a file send
procedure from his terminal program and begin transmitting the file. Upon
completion of the transfer, Searchlight loads the text file into the
editor. At this point, the text can be saved immediately or edited.

If any text is already in the message editor prior to an upload (such as if
you have typed some text in manually) then the uploaded text is appended to
the text already present. If desired, two or more uploads can be used to
create one large message from several smaller message files.

Searchlight can use any of its internal protocols, including Zmodem,
Xmodem, Xmodem/CRC or Xmodem/1K for message uploads. Select a default
internal protocol on the Options/Preference screen.

Searchlight automatically truncates lines longer than 76 characters,
filters any non-text characters from an attempted upload, and truncates the
entire message if it is longer than the maximum allowed message length.
Should any of these modifications occur, a warning message appears
following the upload to inform the user of the situation.






                                                                        117



                                                               Text Editing


Message Preview

The ^KP key sequence provides a message preview feature (a display showing
what the message will look like when it is read back later). The preview
shows how color codes and included files will look (see the next two
sections for information about color codes and file inclusion).


ANSI Compatibility

Searchlight's full screen editor actually has three modes of operation,
designed to allow it to interface with a variety of popular terminal
software. When editing remotely using an ANSI terminal, certain operations
(such as inserting and deleting lines) require that the terminal software
implement the appropriate ANSI escape sequences that will cause the remote
screen to scroll appropriately. Unfortunately, many terminal programs are
geared for more traditional BBS systems without full screen editors, and
thus do not support the required commands. To work with such terminals,
Searchlight includes a "Generic" ANSI mode. To select the editor's mode of
operation, type the "Options" command (on Searchlight's main menu) and
adjust option number 5, called "Ansi Compatibility Mode". There are three
possible settings: Generic, Procomm, and Full.

In Generic mode, the Searchlight editor minimizes the types of ANSI
commands sent to the terminal to a small subset of the most widely
supported ones. Instead of scrolling the screen and performing inserts and
deletes directly on the terminal, Searchlight redraws portions of the
screen when a change needs to be made. Of course, the time it takes to
continuously redraw the screen can range from long to unbearable, depending
on the speed of the modem used; but all of the supported features will work
correctly.

In Full mode, Searchlight will edit with the full set of ANSI commands for
the fastest possible output, and will require a full featured ANSI
terminal. The remaining mode, Procomm, is similar to Full but takes into
account several quirks found in the Procomm (TM Datastorm Technologies)
terminal software.

The New User Registration procedure displays information about ANSI modes,
and prompts each new user for the correct mode as they log in.


Additional Thoughts On Full Screen Editing

Notice that, when you're using Searchlight in ANSI mode, the above full
screen editing commands are actually available everywhere in the system
where a line of input is required. This includes entry of message subjects,
user names, etc.; you can edit the line of text being typed with all of the
commands that pertain to editing of the current line, including the ^L
command to redraw the line.





                                                                        118



                                                               Text Editing

EMBEDDED COLOR CODES

One command that appears on the full screen editor's menu bar that we
didn't mention yet is the F6/^P command, Display Color Codes. If you press
F6 (or control-p) while within the editor, Searchlight will display a menu
of two-character color codes in the help window at the top of the screen.
By typing these codes into your messages, you can make your text appear in
different colors.

Here are the color codes as displayed by the editor:

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  -----
  \BK - Black   \RD - Red       \DG - Dk. Gray    \LR - Lt. Red   \IV -
  Inverse
  \BL - Blue    \MG - Magenta   \LB - Lt. Blue    \YE - Yellow    \BI -
  Blink
  \GR - Green   \BR - Brown     \LG - Lt. Green   \LM - Lt. Mag.  \NO -
  Normal
  \CY - Cyan    \GY - Gray      \LC - Lt. Cyan    \WH - White
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  -----

If you have a color CRT, the menu will appear in 16 different colors. On
monochrome screens, the first eight colors will appear as normal text, the
remaining eight as bright or highlighted text.

To use color, just enter the above sequences into your message text. For
example, if you wrote

     Jim left the \BLblue\NO book by the \GRgreen\NO tree,

The words "blue" and "green" would appear blue and green when you read the
message back. The \NO code is used to reset the color back to the "normal"
text color (as defined in the CONFIG menus). If you want to insert the "\"
character itself into your message, enter "\\".

The inverse code, \IV, reverses the foreground and background colors. On
monochrome screens, \IV provides a black-on-white display. With a color
CRT, you can create any background/ foreground combination; for example,

     \BL\IV\WH This text will be printed white-on-blue. \NO

Searchlight translates embedded color codes according to the ANSI graphics
mode selected at login. If monochrome mode is selected, only normal,
highlight, inverse, and underline attributes are used. In non-ANSI modes,
no colors or attributes are used at all, but the color codes are still
removed from the text; therefore, text with embedded color codes will
appear readable in any of the three graphics modes.

If you'd like to see what the actual colors you are using will look like,
use the message preview command (^KP).

Finally, note that color codes are not restricted to the full screen
editor. You can insert color codes into messages using the line editor, and

                                                                        119



                                                               Text Editing

you can also use them in login screens, include files, custom menus, and
other text files displayed by Searchlight.






















































                                                                        120



                                                               Text Editing

MESSAGE MACROS

Several message macros are available. These macros are special three
character sequences -- very similar to color codes -- that can be inserted
into messages, text files, and other places where color codes are allowed.
When read back, these macros are expanded by Searchlight to display
information.

For example, the macro "\SB" stands for "Current Subboard". When this three
character sequence appears in a message, text file, or menu prompt, it's
replaced with the name of the current subboard. Searchlight's default main
menu uses this sequence as part of its prompt.

Here is the complete list of macros available:

     \SB  Current Subboard
     \FD  Current File Directory
     \%N  Current User's Name
     \%U  Current User's Name, with spaces replaced by underbars
     \%K  Current User's First Name
     \%A  User's BBS Access Level
     \%F  User's FILES Access Level
     \%G  ANSI Graphics Mode (C, M, or N)
     \%T  User's time limit, in minutes
     \%M  Amount of time left in current session (in minutes)
     \%L  Time the user logged in (HH:MM)
     \%B  Current Baud Rate
     \%P  Active Communications Port (0-4)
     \%C  Sysop 'Chat Available' status (Y or N)
     \%S  BBS System Name
     \%O  Node Number (Multiuser systems only)

























                                                                        121



                                                               Text Editing

USING PREPARED TEXT FILES

Sometimes, instead of typing a message by hand, you'll want to insert a
previously written file of text into a message, bulletin, or electronic
letter. There are several ways to accomplish this with the Searchlight's
editors.


Uploading

The simplest way to insert a text file into a message is to log on from a
remote location using a terminal that's capable of Xmodem file transfers.
By pressing ^KU in the full screen message editor, you can begin an Xmodem
transfer of your text file, which will be loaded into the editor upon
completion of the transfer.

There are a couple of things to look out for when using this method of
sending text. First, the text file should not contain lines longer than 76
characters; if it does, Searchlight will try to wordwrap the text,
resulting in a sloppy format. Also make sure the text doesn't exceed the
maximum line length of the message.

You can't send text that contains embedded ANSI escape sequences, such as
text that moves the cursor around on the screen or effects color changes
(although eight-bit IBM graphics characters CAN be used). If you want
embedded control codes, use one of the other methods for inserting text
into messages.


Loading Files

The text editors feature a special function, executable only by SYSOPs,
that lets you load a text file directly into a message. To use it, press
ESC and then "L" for the full screen editor, or press "F" at the subcommand
prompt of the line editor.

The editor will prompt you for a filename, and load the text of the
specified file into the message. You can give a full pathname and drive
letter if you want.


The %%FILENAME Directive

A third method of including text in messages is to use the '%%FILENAME'
directive inside of a message. This method involves placing a special line
within the message. It doesn't matter which editor you use to create the
message. Let's suppose we have a text file called "PHONE.TXT" that we wish
to include in a message we're sending to someone. We could write the
following:

     01 Bill,
     02 Here's that phone number list I promised you:
     03
     04 %%PHONE.TXT
     05

                                                                        122



                                                               Text Editing

     06 Enjoy.

When we list, save, or edit this message later on, it looks exactly like
the six lines shown above. However, when the message is read by
Searchlight's read routines, something special happens when line 4 is
encountered. Instead of printing line 4 verbatim, Searchlight looks into a
special directory for a file called PHONE.TXT, and displays the contents of
that file on the screen. When the PHONE.TXT file is done, Searchlight goes
back and prints out lines 5 and 6.

The '%%FILENAME' directive is convenient because the included file doesn't
take space in Searchlight's message file, doesn't have to be less than 400
lines long, and can contain any ANSI sequences that you desire. Notice,
however, that you may give ONLY a filename with this directive, NOT a drive
letter or pathname. The text file must reside in the directory you
designated as the "include" directory when configuring your system via the
CONFIG program. This is done for the purpose of security; since anyone can
enter a '%%' directive into a message, you want to ensure that users don't
try to read files which they don't have access to. It is assumed that
anything in the "include" directory is public knowledge.

The '%%' characters must be in the first column on the line, and the line
must not contain any other text after the filename. You can have more than
one include file in a particular message, however.

If you only use file inclusion yourself, it doesn't matter what you choose
as your "include" directory, as long as you store all the files which you
want to include in messages there. However, if you want your users to be
able to upload files to the system and include them in messages, make the
"include" directory accessible via the FILES system; that is, define a file
directory that uses the include directory to store the uploads. This way,
your users will be able to upload files to the include directory, and
access them in messages they post or send. Using include files this way,
for example, is the only way to allow users to post messages containing
ANSI escape sequences on your BBS.


The @@FILENAME Directive

In addition to including files in the "include" directory, we've also
provided a way to access files in your "text" directory from within a
message. It's similar to the "%%filename" construct used above, but you
type "@@filename" instead.

This directive lets you access any of your system's text files -- including
custom menus, help files, login screens, etc. -- from within a message. We
don't recommend letting your users have upload access to your TEXT
directory, however, since these text files are used by Searchlight BBS and
you'll want to remain in total control of their contents.







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                                                            Files Subsystem

SEARCHLIGHT BBS FILE TRANSFER SYSTEM


Introduction

One of the most valuable features of the Searchlight BBS is its file
transfer system. With file transfer, Searchlight gives you the ability to
transmit files of any type from one computer to another over the telephone,
with the capability to check for errors. It lets you set up multiple
directories where users can "upload" a file or choose from a selection of
files to "download". You can have as many file directories as you need,
and, if desired, you can use a different set of directories for each
message subboard on your system, giving you thousands of possible directory
setups. As the sysop, you can assign different access levels to control
what users have access to what files.

The Searchlight file system has many useful features: alphabetical and
chronological directory listings, wildcard directories, global directory
scans, three built-in plus nine external transfer protocols, password
protection, and private file transfers. Batch uploading and downloading are
supported. Users can view the internal directory of ZIP, PAK or LHARC files
while online. Sysops can delete files, move and copy files between
directories, and import filenames from existing files on disk quickly and
easily. You can modify file descriptions and other information after it's
been entered. Plus, Searchlight's file transfer programs are the fastest
available, due to advanced two-way interrupt driven RS232 handling.


Setting Up Directories

Before you can use Searchlight's file transfer system, you need to set up
directories from which to transfer files. Directory setup is accomplished
via the CONFIG program, as covered at the beginning of this manual (see p.
54). Although the directory setup facility is easy to use, it's worth
noting that you should create the actual DOS directories you want to use
with Searchlight before defining them in CONFIG.

A word about what we mean by "file transfer directories". You are
undoubtedly aware that the DOS operating system uses directories and
subdirectory structures. For the purposes of Searchlight, however, we will
be defining our own directory structure, partly to afford a greater level
of security than is available with DOS, partly to extend the functionality
of the directory beyond what DOS provides. Still, your upload/download
directories can, and should, be constructed so that they correspond to
actual DOS directories.

One directory that almost every BBS has is called UPLOADS, and it's used to
contain all the "new and recently uploaded" files on the system. As an
example, we will create this directory in the "root" directory of the C:
drive. The proper command, from the DOS prompt, would be:

     MKDIR C:\UPLOADS

Next, we have to configure the FILES program to use the new UPLOADS
directory. Run CONFIG and select option C at the main menu; then press F1

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to add a directory. At the prompts, enter 'UPLOADS' as the directory name,
and 'C:\UPLOADS' as the path. Searchlight creates an UPLOADS.SL2 file
(which holds such information as file descriptions).

Repeat this procedure to create other directories as needed.


Setting A Default Text Message

You can create a message that will be displayed automatically each time the
FILES program is run. This message can contain any instructions or comments
that you wish to give each time someone enters the file transfer system.

The FILES default message is a text file called FILES.TXT and/or FILES.ANS.
It must be located in your user-defined "text" directory. As with BBS text
files, you can either provide both a .TXT and an .ANS version of the file,
or just the .TXT version, which will be delivered to everyone. The FILES
text message is optional; if you don't provide one, no error message will
be generated.


Loading Filenames

Normally, Searchlight enters new filenames and descriptions into its
directories as files are uploaded to the system. However, you may have an
existing library of files which you wish to include in your BBS
directories. Searchlight provides two commands, 2-Sysop/Get and 2-
Sysop/Import, which facilitate the loading of existing files from disk and
the importing of existing filename/description lists. These commands are
described in more detail below.



USING THE FILE TRANSFER SYSTEM

To use the file transfer system, log in to Searchlight and execute the
FILES command from the main menu. You'll see a message indicating that the
files system is active, followed by your text message (if you created one),
and finally a command prompt similar to Searchlight's main menu prompt.
From here, you can execute the FILES system commands, as we'll describe in
a moment.

If no subboard-specific .DIR file exists for the subboard you're using when
you execute FILES, all accessible directories defined in CONFIG are
available. If a particular subboard's .DIR file is available, it is loaded,
and the message "Loading Subboard Directories" appears, informing you that
a special group of file directories, available only from that subboard, is
becoming available (please see File Directory Setup on page 54 for
information about custom file directory setups).


Files System Commands

Accessing the FILES system presents you with a new command prompt and a new
set of commands. The new prompt works the same way as Searchlight's main

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                                                            Files Subsystem

command prompt; it allows you to enter commands by typing the first letter
of the command or by scrolling through the commands with the SPACEBAR and
BACKSPACE keys, it will list available commands via the "Help" command, and
it will display an explanation of each command when the F1 key is pressed.
The name and letter of the currently active file directory is displayed to
the left of the prompt. To return to the message system, use the "Quit"
command.


Protocols

You can select an upload/download protocol using the Xproto command.
Xmodem, CRC Xmodem, and Ymodem protocols are available; in addition, up to
9 external protocols can be selected, as described below.


Uploading

Use the Upload command to upload files to Searchlight. "Uploading" means to
send a file from the remote terminal to the BBS. The remote terminal must
support one of the file transfer protocols used on the BBS system.

For upload protocols which support only single file uploads, you must enter
the exact filename of the file you wish to send. External protocols which
have been configured to allow for "batch" uploading will allow you to
specify anywhere from zero to 40 filenames and descriptions before
uploading begins. If no filenames or descriptions are specified prior to a
batch upload, you'll be prompted for a description when the upload
completes.

Before an upload begins, Searchlight checks available directories to see if
any file of the same name already exist on your BBS. If the file is a
duplicate, the message

     File <filename> already exists.

will appear. For non-batch uploads or for batch uploads where all of the
specified files exist, Searchlight will abort the upload at this point.
Note that the upload is not aborted when one of several filenames in a
batch upload is found. In this case, the uploader should simply not send
the duplicate file(s). A properly configured external protocol command
should not accept duplicate files in the same directory, but may accept
duplicates if the duplicate is in another directory area.

Don't attempt to use the Upload command when logged in to the system
locally. Instead, you can use the 2-Sysop/Get or 2-Sysop/Import commands to
load existing files into your BBS's list of files available for
downloading.


Downloading

Files in the currently active directory can be downloaded, or sent from
your BBS to a remote terminal, via the Download command. Don't use Download
during a local login.

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                                                            Files Subsystem

If a user's download/upload ratio exceeds the maximum value assigned to
them, no downloading is allowed until the user has uploaded enough to
reduce his or her ratio to within the allowed range ("free" downloads are
exempted).

Multiple file downloads are allowed for external protocols if the external
protocol supports it. To specify multiple files, give one or more filenames
or wildcard specifications when inputting the name of the file to be
downloaded (use blank spaces to separate filespecs). All files must reside
in the same directory.

The approximate time for the download is computed before the file transfer
begins. If the time to download the file exceeds the amount of time left in
the current user's session, the download is not allowed.


Directory Listings

There are several types of directory listings that can be obtained using
the Files and New commands. Wildcard, alphabetical, and date-sorted
listings are available.

To switch from one download directory to another, use the List command for
a list of available directories, and Jump to move between them.


File Maintenance

Sysops and co-sysops can delete files, move files from one directory to
another, rename files, and change the description associated with a file.
The commands to execute these functions are Kill, Move, Rename, and Edit.
These operations can also be performed by the user who uploaded the file.


Password Protection

Passwords can be assigned to files on an individual basis using the Passwd
command. Once a file is assigned a password, it cannot be downloaded or
deleted without giving the password. Even cosysops must know the password
of a protected file to download it; only the SYSOP can access the file
without using the password.

A typical use of passwords would be to allow two users to exchange a file
privately. The sender would upload the file and assign a password to it. He
or she would then communicate the password to the intended receiver (by
sending a private message), who would then use the password to download the
file. If more than one user needs to access the file, the sender gives the
password to each person who needs to be able to download it.

Another way password protection can be used is via the "Default Password
for Uploads" field in the CONFIG file. If this field is filled in, each new
file that is uploaded to the system is assigned the default password. Thus,
newly uploaded files cannot be accessed by the general user population;
only the SYSOP, and those who know the default password, can access a new
file. Typically, you'd use this option to give yourself the opportunity to

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                                                            Files Subsystem

check all new files before they can be downloaded by the users of your BBS.
After confirming that the file is OK to download, you would remove the
password (by using the Passwd command).

A "+" sign appears in the directory listing of a password protected file.
This allows you to identify such files easily.


File Names

The filenames used by Searchlight are in the same eight characters with
three character extension format used by DOS. In addition, Searchlight
allows the use of wildcards with most commands. You can enter "*" and "?"
wildcard characters, and you can enter two or more filenames or wildcard
masks by separating each with a space.

In general, you do not need to enter the full filename when entering
filenames for the Download, View, Move, and other commands. Just enter the
first few letters, and Searchlight will pick the correct file, filling in
the remainder of the filename right on the screen.


File Tagging

Searchlight 3.0 includes file tagging, a shortcut method of selecting a
list of files for downloading (or other operations) while viewing file
listings. File tagging lets you conveniently select files with just one
keystroke whenever filenames appear on the screen.

File tagging is available with the Files, New and Zippy commands. These
commands display files in a new format that includes a one letter "tag" to
the left of the filename:




 A F2DIRM2.ZIP      16k  35  10-24-92  Import 'files.bbs' to Searchlight
   Faster! No longer needs DIRMAINT! Import from text file
   lists such as provided by Tick, Flea, and other BBS types.

 B FARMRAT3.ZIP     38k  23  12-31-92  UP/DWN ratio checking program.
   Uses DOOR.SYS file and shows up/dwn ratio, security level, ect.

 C FD-SLBBS.ZIP      4k   3   3-02-93  Batch files for SLBBS and Front
Door!
 D FIAUDIT.ZIP      10k  61   3-29-92  File Area Audit trail program
   lists file area name & security aspects

More... Continue Tag Stop


Notice the Tag option available at the "More" prompt; it's used to select
any of the files on the current screen. For example, suppose we wanted to
select the files F2DIRM2.ZIP and FD-SLBBS.ZIP from the above listing.
Simply select "Tag" from the prompt above. Searchlight responds with:

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                                                            Files Subsystem

Tag Items:

Now simply type the letters A and C -- the "tag" letters associated with
the desired files. Searchlight adds those files to an internal list, and
continues with the file display. You can tag additional files, and even run
other listings and tag more files there. Later, you can download the entire
list of tagged files by giving the Download command. Searchlight prompts
you with:

Select 2 Tagged File(s)?  Yes No Edit

Enter "Yes", and Searchlight will select the two files tagged earlier and
place them into your download list. You can then enter additional
filenames, or just press Enter to begin downloading. If you select "No",
Searchlight disposes of the previously tagged file list, and allows you to
enter new filenames manually.

The "Edit" option shown above lets you edit the list of tagged files. A
full screen display appears showing the files currently tagged. You can
scroll through the list with arrow keys, PgUp and PgDn keys, etc.; press F2
to remove a file from your list. You may wish to use the edit option if you
decide against downloading a particular tagged file, or if more files were
tagged than may be downloaded given your current file ratio or time limit
(see below). You can also edit the tag list at any filename input prompt by
typing L and pressing Enter.

Regular users can use the tag option to select files for downloading. In
addition, Sysops and co-sysops in the file areas can use file tagging with
the Kill, Copy and Move commands.


Tagging and Ratios

The file tag command allows you to select any files that you can view --
including files that may be password protected, located in write-only
directories, or that would exceed your download limits. However, the
Download command will never allow a user to actually download such files:
the entire tag list is always scanned immediately prior to a download, and
any files which cannot be downloaded because of the above conditions are
removed from the list (the remaining files may be downloaded).

To aid users in deciding how many files should be selected for download,
Searchlight displays a running total of the number of kilobytes selected,
and the number of kilobytes available to download, at the top of each file
listing screen (see the example above). The same numbers are also displayed
to the left of the prompt that is used for traditional filename inputs when
selecting files for download:

You may enter up to 40 Filenames.
Press F for File List, ? for Help, ENTER when Done:

(   0k Total/ 1540k Avail) :

Total Kilobytes is the total number of K selected for download. Available
Kilobytes is the total number of K that may be downloaded in the current

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                                                            Files Subsystem

session. This number is computed based on the user's file ratio, baud rate,
and time left in the current session (note that since time is part of the
computation, available kilobytes decreases as time goes on). Although the
Tag command while viewing file lists will accept tags on files which might
cause total K to exceed available K, when typing filenames in manually,
they will be rejected if they cause the total to exceed the available
number.

Available Kilobytes is also based on the "Free Files" and "File Value"
parameters associated with the current directory. Because of this, it is
possible that a file in another directory may be selected for download even
if its size exceeds the displayed K Available number, since the displayed
number is only accurate for the current directory.

The tag list can hold up to 40 filenames. The list itself is "global" and
remains available in memory until a successful download, kill, move or edit
command uses the list. The list is also cleared if a door is executed.


Sysop Functions

A 2-Sysop command in the Files section gives you additional Sysop commands
to load or import filenames from disk, update file sizes, and "balance" the
directory tree. These are discussed further in the following pages.
































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                                                            Files Subsystem

SETTING UP EXTERNAL PROTOCOLS

An external protocol is a program which is capable of transferring files to
or from a remote system via modem. Typically, such programs are written to
be used from the DOS command line or as part of a BBS like Searchlight,
where they can provide new transfer protocols such as Ymodem, Batch Ymodem,
Kermit, etc. in addition to Searchlight's built-in protocols.

To set-up external protocols, run the CONFIG program and access the
"Protocol Setup" section. Each of the 15 possible protocol choices has a
submenu which looks like this:


 1. Protocol Name .................
 2. Protocol Type ................. External
 3. Protocol Send Command .........
 4. Protocol Receive Command.......


Each protocol consists of a name (which is displayed by the Files system),
a type (set this to "External" to install external protocols), a send
command, and a receive command. Send and receive commands are the commands
normally used to execute the required external program from the DOS command
line, including all parameters. You should specify the exact filename and
path (including COM, EXE or BAT extension) to the external program. Where a
filename is required on the command line, Searchlight provides three
special character sequences which are substituted with actual filenames
when the command is used. The special characters are:

     %F ................. Specifies a single filename (for uploads or
downloads)
     %W ................. Specifies one to three filenames (downloads only)
@FILENAME ............... Specifies an "indirect" file (download only)

You don't have to specify both a send and receive command for each
protocol. If a receive command is missing, then the protocol can be used
only for sending (downloading) files, and vice-versa.

Note that since the directory from which an external protocol is "launched"
can change, it is recommended that a full pathname be specified for each
protocol (i.e. "C:\BIN\DSZ.COM ...").


Download Commands

Download commands should contain either the %F, %W or @FILENAME parameters
in the command line where filenames are required by the external protocol.
The %F parameter specifies a single filename; %W specifies one to three
filenames. Each filename will be passed to the command line in sequence
separated by a blank space. Wildcard characters are not passed to the
command line, but are expanded to their full filenames.

The @FILENAME parameter provides an alternate means of passing filenames to
a download command (for use with those programs that support it) and allows
multifile transfers of up to 40 files at a time, from any number of

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                                                            Files Subsystem

directories. The @FILENAME parameter (where "FILENAME" is any filename,
optionally including a drive letter/drive path) writes an indirect text
file to disk. The indirect file contains a list of the files requested for
download by the user, including full pathnames and drive letters. Many
external protocols -- such as DSZ.COM -- can use such a file list instead
of command line parameters.

All download commands are launched from the Searchlight home directory
area; the indirect text file is created in the home directory unless a
specific drive/path is specified.

Searchlight creates a file called FILELIST.BBS in your home directory
during external download procedures. This is a temporary file and need not
be backed-up (it will be created again if missing).


Upload Commands

Searchlight supports single-file or batch uploading (uploading two or more
files with one command) in conjunction with external protocols that allow
it. Batch uploading is assumed if no filenames (i.e. no %F parameter) is
specified on the command line for a given upload protocol. For nonbatch
protocols, add the %F parameter where a filename is expected.

When performing a batch upload, Searchlight can accept up to 40 filenames
and descriptions before the upload begins. After uploading is completed,
Searchlight locates the actual file(s) sent, and matches them to the
descriptions provided prior to the upload. Should any files lack a
description, the system will prompt for one after the upload. A default
message of "description not available" is used if no description is
provided by the user.

Searchlight executes all external upload procedures from a temporary
directory called UPLOADS.BBS, which is created as a subdirectory of your
BBS home directory if it does not already exist. After each external upload
procedure completes, Searchlight checks the UPLOADS.BBS directory to locate
all uploaded files, then moves these files to the appropriate files area.
(Please note that if an uploaded file already exists in the current
directory, Searchlight will delete the duplicate file). The UPLOADS.BBS
directory is expected to be empty before uploading begins, so do not store
any files in this directory.

Searchlight creates a temporary file called UPLIST.BBS during external
upload procedures.


Upload AutoDoor

You can add procedures to Searchlight that process files immediately after
uploading by using an Upload AutoDoor. The upload autodoor is a program or
batch file you can set up in the CONFIG program (see p.32). Upload
autodoors can process newly uploaded files in the UPLOADS.BBS directory
before they're registered in Searchlight: you can scan new uploads for
viruses, repackage archives, remove unwanted file types, etc. Whatever


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                                                            Files Subsystem

files remain in the UPLOADS.BBS area after the autodoor processing is
complete are the files actually seen by Searchlight as the new uploads.

Since upload autodoor processing takes place while a user is online and
waiting, autodoor processing should be brief, or else it should send
progress messages to the COM port.


Bi-Directional File Transfer

Searchlight actually checks the UPLOADS.BBS directory for newly uploaded
files after executing either upload or download commands. Thus, Searchlight
supports two-way file transfer via such programs as BiModem, as long as all
uploaded files are stored in the UPLOADS.BBS directory. To perform such a
transfer, configure the protocol driver to direct all uploads to the
UPLOADS.BBS directory, then install it as a download protocol via the
directions outlined above. Should a remote user choose to upload files when
executing a download command, Searchlight will recognize these files upon
completion of the download and will prompt the user for descriptions (note
that it is not possible to prompt for descriptions prior to the file
transfer when using a bidirectional protocol).


External Protocol Examples

The popular program DSZ (Omen Technology Inc.) can be used to add protocols
like Ymodem Batch to Searchlight. With the DSZ.COM executable file
installed in the root directory of drive C:, you can use it like this:


 1. Protocol Name ................. Ymodem Batch
 2. Protocol Send Command ......... c:\dsz.com sb -k @c:tempfile.txt
 3. Protocol Receive Command ...... c:\dsz.com restrict z pr1 rb


Here we're using DSZ.COM to implement the Ymodem protocol by specifying the
"sb -k" and "rb" command line parameters. Filenames are passed via an
indirect file called "c:tempfile.txt" (note that the drive letter is
required by DSZ in order to recognize an indirect file). Searchlight will
allow you to enter up to 40 filenames and will allow filenames from
multiple directories to be selected when you use this command.

These commands are specific to DSZ; other software will use different
commands. In general, any program can be set up to run as a protocol. It is
up to you to install programs with the correct parameters for the transfer
desired.

As a final thought, note that external protocols can do other things
besides straight uploading and downloading of files. For example, an
external protocol could perform processing, such as extraction of PKZIP
files, before performing a file transfer. External protocols gives you a
way to interface custom file handling procedures with Searchlight.




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                                                            Files Subsystem

SUMMARY OF FILES SYSTEM COMMANDS

Here's a printout of the File System's main menu of commands, followed by
an explanation of what each command does.

----------------[ Searchlight Files Command Summary ]----------------
 Copy ...... Copy File to New Dir    Passwd .... Assign/Change Passwords
 Download .. Download File           Quit ...... Return to BBS
 Edit ...... Edit File Descriptions  Rename .... Rename File
 Files ..... Directory of Files      Status .... Ratios & Disk Space
 Goodbye ... Log Off System          Type ...... Read Text Files
 Jump ...... Jump to Directory       Upload .... Upload File
 Kill ...... Delete File             View ...... View Compressed Files
 List ...... List of Directories     WideDir ... Brief File Listing
 Move ...... Move File to New Dir    XProto .... Change Xfer Protocol
 New ....... New Files by Date       Zippy ..... Zippy Dir Scan
 Owner ..... Show Add'l File Info    2-Sysop ... Sysop Command Menu
------------------[ Press F1 or ? for Online Help ]------------------


Files/Copy

The Copy command copies files from one directory to another. The disk file,
as well as the file's description, are copied to the new location.

Copy is similar to Move, except that Move removes the original file after
copying it, whereas Copy does not. You may specify a single filename or
multiple filenames with this command.


Files/Download

The Download command is used to transfer files from the BBS to you. Your
computer or terminal must be capable of receiving the file using one of
three internally supported transfer protocols (Xmodem, CRC Xmodem, 1K
Xmodem) or an externally supplied protocol (use the Xproto command for a
list). If no protocol has been previously selected when you give the
Download command, you will be prompted for a protocol; otherwise, the
protocol used last is used.

To begin downloading, enter the name of the file you wish to receive. You
need not type the full filename. When Searchlight displays the message
"Ready to send", the file transfer is ready to begin. However, before you
can receive the file, you must give your terminal the proper command.
Usually, this is done by selecting an option to receive files from a menu.

Some external protocols allow you to specify multiple filenames and/or
wildcard filespecs. The "*" and "?" characters may be used. All files
specified must reside in the current directory.

A file may be password protected. If you attempt to download such a file,
you will be prompted for a password, and the download will proceed only if
you provide the correct password.



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                                                            Files Subsystem

An auto-logoff feature is supported. If selected, the system will log you
off after the download completes, allowing you to leave your computer
unattended during the transfer.

To get a directory of the files available for downloading, use the Files
and New commands.


Files/Edit

This command allows you to change the one to three line description
associated with a file. You can only change a file that you uploaded,
unless you have sysop status, in which case you may edit any file's
description.


Files/Files

The Files command displays a listing of files available for downloading. It
prompts you to enter the "Starting Filename or Wildcard" of the directory
you wish to view. There are three ways to respond to this prompt:

Pressing RETURN without typing anything gives you a list of all files in
the current directory. The list is in alphabetical order and shows the
filename, date uploaded, size in Kilobytes, number of times downloaded, and
a description of the file.

Typing a filename, or the first few characters of a filename, WITHOUT a
wildcard, lists files in alphabetical order starting with the filename
entered. For example, if you enter "L", you will get a list beginning with
the files that start with the letter L, and continuing to the end.

Finally, you may type a wildcard (a filename containing one or more "*" or
"?" characters). In this case, only those files that match the wildcard
specification are shown. In addition, the prompt "Search all directories
(Y/N)?" appears. If "Y" is selected, Searchlight will list all files in all
directories that match the wildcard; otherwise, only files in the current
directory are listed.

A "+" sign displayed in the file listing indicates a password protected
file. You can view or download such a file only if you know the password.

Notice that Searchlight displays file sizes in terms of Kilobytes rather
than bytes. One kilobyte equals 1024 bytes.

You may abort any file listing at any time by pressing the <spacebar> or
<ctrl-c> keys. Also, refer to the New command for information about date-
sorted file listings.


Files/Goodbye

Use this command when you are ready to log off, or disconnect, from the
BBS. The computer may prompt you to "Please leave us a quote". Type a short
1-line message and press RETURN.

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                                                            Files Subsystem

Note that is considered good practice to always log off properly by using
the Goodbye command, rather than simply hanging up. However, hanging up
will not cause any damage to the system.


Files/Jump

This command is used to access the various file directories available on
the system. Type the name (or partial name) of the directory you want.

To see the list of available directories, either type "?" in response to
the Jump command's prompt, or use the List command.


Files/Kill

The Kill command deletes files. If you have Sysop or Co-Sysop access, you
may delete any file; otherwise, you can only delete a file if you uploaded
it.

Kill can take a single filename, or one or more filenames and/or wildcard
filespecs. The "*" and "?" characters are supported.

SYSOP ONLY: You may delete files from Searchlight's list of files without
actually deleting them from the disk. You will be prompted for this option.


Files/List

The List command gives you a list of available directories. In order to
view or download files in a specific directory, you normally make it the
current directory; do this by responding to the List command's prompt with
the directory name, or by using the Jump command (see Jump).


Files/Move

Use the Move command to transfer, or move, files from one directory to
another. The files are copied into the destination directory and then the
original files are deleted. Both Searchlight's entry for the file, and the
actual file on disk, are moved to the appropriate directories.

Move can take a single filename, or one or more filenames and/or wildcard
filespecs. The "*" and "?" characters are supported. Only one destination
directory may be entered at a time.

Note that the Move command performs a byte-by-byte file copy only when the
source and destination are on different drives; otherwise, it performs an
efficient file rename without a physical file move.

Users with Sysop access can move any file. Otherwise, you can only move
your own files (files you have uploaded) into directories to which you have
access.



                                                                        137



                                                            Files Subsystem


Files/New

The New command allows you to get a listing of "new" files since the last
time you logged on, or since any specified date.

To use the New command, answer the prompt with the desired target date. The
date shown in brackets, which is the date you last logged on, is used as
the default date if you press RETURN. A second prompt appears, "Scan all
directories (Y/N)"- if you enter Y, all directories will be searched for
new files, otherwise only the current directory is searched.

Dates are entered in either USA (mm/dd/yy) or European (dd/mm/yy) format,
depending on your Configuration (see CONFIG menu #2). You can use dashes,
slashes, or any nonnumeric separators. If you don't include the year (e.g.
"9/21"), it defaults to the current year.

The new file listing appears in reverse date-sorted order. It is often
useful to run the NEW command with a very early target date, as this gives
you a chronological file listing rather than an alphabetical listing as
with the FILES command.


Files/Owner

This command prompts you for a filename and it displays the file's owner
(the name of the person who uploaded the file) and the number of times that
the file has been downloaded.


Files/Passwd

The Passwd command lets you assign a password to a file. Once a password is
assigned, only users who know the password are able to download the file.

You can only assign a password to a file that you have uploaded. If the
file already has a password, you can only change it if you can give the old
password. Note that the SYSOP can assign an automatic password to all newly
uploaded files, thus preventing anyone from downloading a new file until it
has been cleared by the sysop.


Files/Quit

The Quit command returns you to the Searchlight BBS Main Menu.


Files/Rename

Searchlight's Rename command is similar to its DOS counterpart. It will
rename a single file; you must be a SYSOP or the uploader of the file you
want to rename. Both the directory entry for the file and the actual file
on disk will be renamed.

You cannot rename a file if the file resides on a read-only disk.

                                                                        138



                                                            Files Subsystem


Files/Status

The Status command shows various information, including: the current time
and date, time left in the current session, your current download:upload
ratio and dl:ul limit, and the amount of free disk space remaining on the
current volume.


Files/Type

The Type command allows you to read a text file. The output will pause
every 24 lines and can be controlled with pause (^S) and break (^C) keys,
just like when you read messages and other text.


Files/Upload

The Upload command is used to send files from your computer to the BBS.
Your computer or terminal must be capable of sending the file using Xmodem,
CRC Xmodem, 1K Xmodem, or one of the supported external protocols. If no
protocol has been previously selected when you give the Upload command, you
will be prompted for a protocol; otherwise, the previously selected
protocol is used.

To begin uploading, enter the filename of the file you wish to send. You
must enter a legal DOS filename (8 character filename with optional 3
character extension). Do not include drive letters or directory pathnames.

Before the file transfer begins, you will be prompted to enter a short and
long description of the file to be displayed so that others will know what
information the file contains. (Long descriptions are optional and may be
0, 1 to 2 lines in length).

If less than 200K of disk space is available, Searchlight will display the
amount of space left and ask if you wish to continue. Press "N" if your
file is larger than the amount of space available, or "Y" to go on.

Searchlight features an auto-logoff option. If this feature is selected,
you will be logged off immediately after the upload completes. Thus, you
may leave your computer unattended without worrying about terminating your
session when the upload is finished.

When Searchlight is ready to receive your file, it will display the message
"ready to receive". What happens next depends on the terminal software that
you use. In most cases, you must give a command to your software that tells
it to load the file and begin sending it using the proper protocol.

If the SYSOP has assigned a "default" password to the files system, your
file will be password protected until it is cleared by the sysop.

After a successful upload, Searchlight will increase your time limit for
the day according to the amount of time required for the upload, multiplied
by the Upload Repay Rate (set by the Sysop on CONFIG menu #2).


                                                                        139



                                                            Files Subsystem


Files/View

This command displays the internal directory of a compressed file, such as
a ZIP or ARJ file. You are prompted for the filename, which may be
abbreviated. The directory of the compressed file is displayed in a format
similar to that of the "verbose" directory option found in the compression
utility programs.

Searchlight's View command supports ARC, ZIP, LZH, ARJ, SQZ and GIF file
types (for GIF files, Searchlight displays only the file dimentions and
color depth). The View command determines the file type by looking at the
data in the file, rather than by the filename; therefore, you can view
compressed files even if the filename does not have the expected extension.
The View command can also be used like the Type command to look at text
files.


Files/WideDir

This command gives you a "wide", four-across file listing which shows only
the filename and file size in Kilobytes. It is similar to the DIR/W command
in DOS. There is no parameter for WideDir; all files in the current
directory are listed. You may abort the listing with ^C.


Files/XProto

This command lets you change the transfer protocol used for uploading and
downloading files. Searchlight supports three internal protocols (Xmodem,
CRC Xmodem, and 1K Xmodem); in addition, up to 9 external protocols can be
supplied by the Sysop.

Once a protocol is selected, it is used by default for all subsequent
transfers until you change it again with the XProto command.


Files/Zippy

The "Zippy Directory Scan" command searches one or more file directories
for a specific search string. The search string can be any group of
characters, and both filenames and descriptions will be searched. It is not
necessary to use wildcard characters with Zippy, and the search is case-
insensitive when searching file descriptions.

Searchlight's Zippy command is dedicated as a tribute to the folks at
PCBoard for creatively allocating the last letter of the alphabet as a
command, and to comic artist Bill Griffith for the inspiration provided to
this author via his Zippy The Pinhead comic strips.

You can abort the search by pressing ^C.





                                                                        140



                                                            Files Subsystem


Files/2-Sysop

This command allows you to access several subfunctions related to the
maintenance of your file system. Only Sysops can access these commands.

Get -- The Get command is used to load the names of existing files into
Searchlight's directory, without having to upload them.

To add files to a directory, first use DOS commands to copy the files to
the appropriate disk and directory. When you execute GET, Searchlight reads
the disk directory of the active drive and compares the filenames it finds
to the filenames in its own internal directory list. When a new file is
found, its name is printed and you are prompted to enter a description of
the file. If you enter no description, the file is skipped; otherwise, it
is added to Searchlight's list of files.

To use GET, you must specify a filename or wildcard mask for the file(s)
you wish to add. Enter "*.*" to search all the files in the directory.

Import -- The Import command is similar to Get, but allows you to load
filenames, descriptions, sizes and dates into Searchlight BBS from an
external text file list. Import allows you to use generic directory
listings, as well as directory listings from many other BBS programs, with
Searchlight BBS. See the following section for more information.

Update -- This command compares Searchlight's directory with the DOS
directory of the current drive. It is used to update the sizes of files
which have changed size since they were uploaded or added to the
Searchlight directory.

Update will place a "*" next to the directory listing of any files which
have been deleted from the disk but remain in the system's file list.

Balance -- Similar to the "Balance" function on the main program User
command, this command reorganizes (and repairs, if necessary) the binary
tree structure used to hold the filenames, descriptions, passwords, and
other information associated with files. Use this command if you suspect
that your "*.SL2" file has been damaged.

















                                                                        141



                                                            Files Subsystem

IMPORTING FILE LISTS

The 2-Sysop/Import menu option in the Files system is a flexible command
that allows you to use filename/description lists from other bulletin board
software with Searchlight BBS.

Unlike most other systems, Searchlight BBS stores filenames and
descriptions for its file transfer directories in binary rather than text
files. This gives Searchlight the unique ability to maintain both
alphabetical and date sorted indexes to its files, as well as file
passwords, ownerships, and running download counts. One limitation of
binary files is that file listings from other BBS software or generic file
listings (such as those provided with CD-ROM systems) cannot be used
directly. However, the Import facility converts such listings for use with
Searchlight and also allows you to freely edit Searchlight directories by
listing to a text file, editing the text file, and importing the results
back into the system.

The Import command expects to read a text file containing filenames in the
following general format:

     <filename>  [size]  [date]  [description]

The filenames must begin in column 1, and can be expressed as

     NAME     EXT   or
     NAME.EXT

The file sizes can begin in any column, and may appear in bytes or Kbytes:

     153506   or
     149.9K

The date can begin in any column, can be parsed with either "-" or "/"
characters, and can appear as "MM/DD/YY" or "MM/YY":

     10/91      or
     10/23/91   or
     10-23-91

The remainder of the line after the date contains the description. If a
date is missing, Searchlight substitutes the current system date.
Additional fields, such as the "times downloaded" field used in Searchlight
file lists, may appear but will be ignored. Any lines which do not conform
to the above, such as blank lines or heading lines, will be ignored when
the file is processed. Any lines which contain an invalid filename, size,
or date will also be skipped.

Files can be imported into an existing directory or a new directory. To
begin, log into your Searchlight system as the SYSOP, enter the Files
section, and Jump to the directory where you'd like to add the files. If
you want to create a new directory for the imported files, you should do so
in the usual manner before importing.



                                                                        142



                                                            Files Subsystem

Enter the 2-Sysop command from the Files menu, and select Import from the
menu bar. The Import command will prompt you to enter the name of the text
file containing the file names to be read. Next, you'll be prompted:

     Update Existing Files (Y/N)?

If you answer "N", any files found in the import list which already exist
in the Searchlight directory will be skipped. If you type "Y", then
existing files will be updated with the file size, date, and description
found on the import file list.

Searchlight will proceed to read the import file list, and will report the
number of files added and updated at completion. All newly added files will
be assigned an ownership of SYSOP (or the name of whomever executes the
Import command) and will have the times downloaded counter set to zero.


Tips On Importing

For best results when importing large amounts of new files, the import file
should be sorted in ascending order by date. If your file list is sorted
alphabetically, use the DOS SORT command to sort it by date or size before
importing with that file.

It is recommended that you run the 2-Sysop/Balance command after an import
operation, to ensure that the directory is in an optimal tree sorted
structure.

Import does not check the file sizes of the files it reads. To do that,
execute 2-Sysop/Update after importing.

When specifying the name of the import file, Searchlight will be looking
for that file in the DOS directory containing the files for the currently
active file area. If your import file is in another directory, you can
specify the drive letter and/or path.

The Import command can read files created with Searchlight's SLDIR utility.
You can use SLDIR to create a text file listing of your directory, then
edit file descriptions, sizes, or dates with a word processor, and load the
changes back into Searchlight by specifying "Update Existing Files" when
you import the list. There is no need to remove the headings or blank lines
from the SLDIR list, as these will be ignored when the file is imported.

Importing works on the current directory only. If you want to import files
from a large list into several directories, you'll need to split your list
into several smaller lists and import each one into the appropriate file
area.









                                                                        143




                                                                Menu Editor

SEARCHLIGHT MENU EDITOR

Searchlight uses an externally stored menu system that directs the flow of
commands, and forms most of the menus you and your callers will see when
using the software. Because menus are stored externally in files, and
because Searchlight's internal command structures include command-line
style options, you have a tremendous amount of flexibility to decide how
your system will look and work.

With Searchlight and its companion menu editor software, you'll be able to:

  o  Rename, rearrange, eliminate, or regulate by access level and
     attributes, any command on the default menus provided. Even translate
     commands (including the command names and their associated "hot key")
     into other languages.

  o  Create new commands on any menu. Your commands can be internal
     Searchlight functions (like List Subboards or Read Messages), external
     DOOR programs, or other menus.

  o  Create commands that do something different, depending on the access
     level, attributes, and/or help level of the user who selects the
     command.

  o  You can even execute a list of commands (both internal commands and
     DOORS), creating commands that can perform complex sequences of
     events.



USING THE MENU EDITOR

The core of Searchlight's menu system is a series of menu (*.MNU) files
located in a directory on your hard drive. The menu editor function (part
of the CONFIG program) can be used to examine and alter existing menu files
or to create new ones from scratch. Note that it is not necessary to use
the menu editor to use Searchlight; the default menus provided with the
system can be used as-is. You need to use the menu editor only if you want
to alter, or add to, the stock menus.

All of the command descriptions and examples in this manual assume you are
using the default menus provided with Searchlight. If you change menus
using the menu editor, you should be aware that the exact menu choices and
keystrokes described in this manual may no longer be accurate for your
system. However, commands themselves will operate the same.


Starting The Menu Editor

To start the menu editor, run CONFIG and select item E, "Searchlight Menu
Editor". You can also type from the DOS prompt:

     CONFIG E



                                                                        145



                                                                Menu Editor

The menu editor starts up by displaying a list of available menus. The
first time you run the menu editor, you will see a list of menus similar to
this one:

     FILES       23  Searchlight Files System
     FSYSOP       6  Sysop Command Menu
     MAIL         8  Electronic Mail
     MAIN        25  Searchlight BBS Main Menu
     MEMBER       6  Subbd Member List/Options
     NEW          5  New Message Scans
     OPTIONS      5  Your Options & Stats
     SCAN         5  Quick Scan Messages
     STARTUP      7  SLBBS Startup Menu
     SYSMAIL      8  Electronic Mail/Sysop Access
     SYSOP        8  Sysop Options Menu
     SYSOPT       5  Sysop Options/Stats Access
     USER         7  User Lists & Information
     <End of Listing>

These are the default menus provided with Searchlight BBS. As you add your
own menus, those choices will also appear.

From the menu editor's main screen, you can select a menu for editing by
placing the cursor on the desired menu and pressing Enter, or by double-
clicking the menu name with your mouse. You can add menus by pressing F1
and delete menus with F2. If the list of menus is longer than one screen,
you can scroll with PgUp/PgDn keys, arrow keys, or by using the mouse to
click on the screen messages.

The menu editor always uses the "Menu Directory" that's specified in the
CONFIG file for the node in which you are working, and all menus are
searched for (or created in) that directory. If you need to change the
default menu directory, you can do so by accessing the Pathnames Setup
portion of the CONFIG program prior to running the menu editor software.



COMPONENTS OF A MENU

Each menu file consists of two distinct parts: a "header" part which
contains information about the menu as a whole, and a body part, which
consists of a list of commands on the menu. Every menu has one header and
menus may have up to 64 commands.

There are three basic menu types, and several options that control how a
particular menu is displayed. A Word style menu is the kind of menu that
makes up Searchlight's default main menu and files menu. That is, it
consists of a series of one word commands, which can be selected by
pressing the spacebar or backspace key or the first letter of the command,
and then pressing Enter. A list of all the commands on this type of menu
can be displayed, typically by selecting a "Help" command; the listing can
be generated by Searchlight or displayed from and external file.

Character style menus are similar to Word menus, except that no scrolling
list of options is displayed. Users select commands by pressing 1 key, and

                                                                        146



                                                                Menu Editor

the command is immediately executed. With this type of menu you'll normally
want to display a list of the menu's commands every time that menu is used,
although the exact behavior is up to you.

MenuBar menus are the typical "Lotus 1-2-3" style menus found in areas such
as the Mail or User command submenus. With MenuBars, the commands are
always displayed, and must fit on a single line (typically there are
between three and eight selections on any MenuBar style menu).



COMMANDS

Every menu contains a series of one or more commands. Commands consist of
several components: a one to fifteen character command name, a "hotkey"
that selects the command, a description of what the command does, access
level/attribute information, and specific actions that Searchlight will
take when executing that command. There are three basic command types:
Internal commands execute a function that's built into Searchlight BBS;
Door commands run external programs; and Menu commands transfer control to
other menus.

Menus can contain up to 64 commands. Not every command on every menu need
be available to every person who uses the menu. Access level and attribute
restrictions allow you to design commands that only certain groups of
people can use -- you can even have two or more commands with the same name
that perform different operations, provided that you arrange it so that
only one is available to any particular user. You can also place commands
in any order on the menu that you choose.

Word, Character and MenuBar type menus all contain the same types of
commands. The only difference is in how the menu is presented and how the
command is selected.



MENU HEADER

The first screen that's displayed when editing a menu is its header
information. Menu headers consist of 13 fields, as shown in this example:

 1. Title ......................... Searchlight BBS Main Menu
 2. Clear Screen? ................. No
 3. Display Title? ................ Yes
 4. Display Filename ..............
 5. Display Menu (Novice) ......... Yes
 6. Display Menu (Intermed) ....... No
 7. Display Menu (Expert) ......... Yes
 8. Prompt Type (Novice) .......... Word
 9. Prompt Type (Intermed) ........ Word
10. Prompt Type (Expert) .......... Word
11. Prompt String 1 ............... \ye[\cy\sb\ye] \noCommand:
12. Prompt String 2 ...............
13. Prompt String 3 ...............
14. Use RIP Mouse Areas ........... Yes

                                                                        147



                                                                Menu Editor

Here's a description of each field:


1 -- Title

The title field contains a title, or description, for the menu as a whole.
For MenuBar type menus, this title is displayed before the menu is
generated when field 3 is set to "Yes"; for Word and Character style menus,
it's displayed whenever the menu is printed, unless and external file is
used for menu display.


2 -- Clear Screen?
3 -- Display Title?

These fields determine whether Searchlight will clear the screen, and
display the menu title, before displaying a menu. With MenuBar menus, this
is every time the menu is called; for Word and Character type menus,
whenever a display of the menu is requested.


4 -- Display Filename (Optional)

This is an optional field. For Word and Character style menus, this field
allows you to name a file that will be displayed in place of the default
menu generated by Searchlight. This file can be any text, ANSI or RIP file
contained in your system "Text" directory. Notice that omitting the file
extension causes Searchlight to select between ".TXT", ".ANS" and ".RIP"
files as appropriate -- .TXT for a pure text file, .ANS for an ANSI
graphics file, and .RIP for RIP graphics images.

For MenuBar type menus, this file does not replace the default display, but
contains a message that's displayed before the default menu is generated.


5 -- Display Menu (Novice)
6 -- Display Menu (Intermediate)
7 -- Display Menu (Expert)

These three fields determine, for users with the three possible help level
settings, whether or not a listing of all the commands on a Word or
Character type menu is generated each time the menu is entered (or re-
entered after executing a command). These fields have no effect on MenuBar
menus.


 8 -- Prompt Type (Novice)
 9 -- Prompt Type (Intermediate)
10 -- Prompt Type (Expert)

These fields determine the type of menu, Word, Character or MenuBar, that's
generated from this menu file. It's possible to have one menu appear in
several different ways, depending on the user's selected help level:
although in most cases, you will design a menu to be displayed one


                                                                        148



                                                                Menu Editor

particular way, and thus will set all three of these fields to the same
value.

MenuBar style menus may not contain more choices than will fit in one
screen line (80 characters). It is up to you to assure that menus will fit
on a single line before selecting this type of menu.


11 thru 13 -- Prompt Strings

These three fields provide you with one to three lines to create a prompt.
A prompt is short text that appears right before the cursor pauses to
accept keyboard input for the menu selection. For example, on the default
main menu, the prompt string consists of the current subboard name in
brackets, followed by the word "Command:".

Notice that Searchlight color codes and macros are available for use in the
prompt strings. "\sb" is an example of one of a macro code; it displays the
name of the current message subboard or file directory. A complete listing
of these sequences appears earlier in this manual (see p. 121).


14 -- Use RIP Mouse Areas

Since Searchlight provides its own mouse support with built in menubar
menus, and may support other RIP features internally, this command is
included in the menu setup screen to disable Searchlight from producing
mouse areas for its internal menus. Set this option to "No" if you are
using RIPscrip files to generate your own menus with mouse areas.
Otherwise, leave it set to "Yes". The "No" setting prevents Searchlight
from interfering with mouse areas that may have been created by your
external file.



EDITING COMMANDS

Once you have entered or changed the header information for a particular
menu, you can move on and examine or create the commands for that menu. To
access the command editor, press F1 from the header editing screen. Your
screen will now show a list of the menu's commands, like this:


  <Enter> Edit  <F1> Add  <F2> Delete  <F3> Copy  <F4> Move  <Esc> Exit

 
 Kill          K Delete Messages        INTERNAL 104
 List          L Subboard List          INTERNAL 102
 Mail          M Electronic Mail        MENU     MAIL
 New           N New Message Scan       MENU     NEW


Command, Key, Description and Type are some of the parameters that are
associated with commands. For now, we'll ignore the meaning of these fields


                                                                        149



                                                                Menu Editor

and concentrate on using the command editor's functions to manipulate the
command list; individual command options will be discussed shortly.


Command Editor

To use the command editor, you select a command by positioning the cursor
to the left of the command name. Use the up and down arrow keys to move the
cursor; on menus where the number of commands exceeds the screen size, you
may use PgUp and PgDn to view additional commands. You can also go directly
to a command by pressing the first letter of its name (when there is more
than one command with the same first letter, continue pressing that letter
until you arrive at the desired location), or by using the mouse.

Note that all menu editing takes place in RAM only. The actual menu file on
disk is not updated until you exit the menu editor and save the file.
Therefore, should you make a mistake when editing any part of a menu, and
wish to go back to the original, simply exit the menu editor and choose NOT
to save that menu back to disk.


Editing Existing Commands

To edit a command, simply press <Enter> once the cursor is located on that
command. You will be presented with the Edit Command screen, which is
discussed shortly. You can also click twice on a command with your mouse to
edit it.


Adding Commands

Press F1 to add a new command. You'll be asked to select the type of
command you want to create, and then the Edit Command screen will appear,
allowing you to enter the specifics for the command.

When you add a command, it's added into the menu directly before the
current cursor position. Therefore, you'll want to position the cursor to
the desired location before pressing F1. To add a command to the end of the
menu, place the cursor 1 line past the last command.


Deleting Commands

F2 is the delete command key. Press it to remove the currently selected
item. The menu editor confirms the deletion with a Yes/No prompt.


Copy Command

The F3 key performs a copy function. It lets you create a new command by
duplicating an existing command. This is useful when you want to create
several commands that are similar, as it saves you from re-entering the
elements that are common to each command.



                                                                        150



                                                                Menu Editor

To copy a command, place the cursor on the existing command and press F3.
Then, move the cursor to the place where you'd like the new command
inserted, and press <Enter>. As with the F1 key, the new command is
inserted before the cursor position. You can now press <Enter> once more to
edit the new command's parameters.


Move Command

Use the F4 key to move an existing command to a new position in the menu.
Begin by placing the cursor on the desired command; then press F4. Now,
move the cursor to the location where you'd like that command to be moved,
and press <Enter>. The command is moved, and the screen is redrawn to show
its new location.

Press the <ESC> key when you are done editing commands.








































                                                                        151



                                                                Menu Editor

EDIT COMMAND SCREEN

Whenever you edit a command or insert a new command, the Edit Command
screen appears, allowing you to enter specific information about the
command. This screen consists of two parts. The first nine lines of the
Edit Command screen are the same for any command. The remaining lines vary
according to the type of command (Internal, Door, or Menu) that's being
edited.

For existing commands, the correct screen is selected based on the type of
command. When entering new commands, a prompt appears allowing you to
select the desired type:

  Select Command Type:  Internal  Door  Menu  Quit

The first part of the Edit Command screen looks like this:


     Press F1 to Change Command Type

 1. Command Name .................. Bulletin
 2. Command Key ................... B
 3. Description ................... System Bulletins
 4. Minimum Access Level ..........   0
 5. Maximum Access Level .......... 255
 6. Required Attributes ...........
 7. Exclude Attributes ............
 8. Require Preference Attrib .....
 9. Exclude Preference Attrib .....
10. Help Levels ................... All


The first three options on this menu control what the command will look
like when it appears on a menu. The last six items control which users can
access the command. Here's a line by line breakdown:


1 -- Command Name

This is a short name for the command, of between one and 15 characters.
This is the name that's displayed by Searchlight's default menu listing
(for Word or Character style menus) or in the menubar for MenuBar type
menus. If you use an external file to replace the default display for a
Command or Character menu, then this name is not displayed, and is
unimportant.


2 -- Command Key

The most important attribute of a command is the key that needs to be
pressed in order to trigger it. In almost all cases, this character is the
first letter of the command name itself. However, it may be any other
character (it is recommended that you use a character which appears
somewhere in the name of the command, however). You may wish to use
something other than the first character of the command name in order to

                                                                        152



                                                                Menu Editor

resolve the problem of having two commands on a menu which start with the
same letter. Searchlight always highlights the appropriate letter when
drawing a menu display or menubar.

Notice that the menu editor does not check to see if you enter two or more
commands with the same command key. In fact, this is not only possible but
it's something you'll want to do often -- as long as you insure, through
the use of options 4 through 9, that two such commands are never available
to the same user.


3 -- Description

The command's description is used on the Searchlight generated main menu
display (for Character or Word type menus) and in the help field below the
cursor, when selected, in Menubar and Word menus.



CONTROLLING COMMAND AVAILABILITY

Searchlight contains a rich set of configuration parameters that control
which commands are available to a user whenever a menu is loaded or
executed. Not only can certain commands be regulated by minimum access
level and attributes, but you can omit low-access level commands from a
menu when an experienced user logs on. In fact, you can even make the same
command perform different actions depending on the user that executes the
command. How is this done? Simply by having two or more commands with the
same name, and same command key. Through proper configuration of access
levels and other parameters, you set it up so that only one of the
identically-named commands is available to any particular user.

In exploiting these options, you may create menus which contain more
commands than will ever actually appear at one time, and menus where the
same command name and key appears more than once. That's not only OK, but
recommended -- it lets you build very powerful menu systems.


4 -- Minimum Access Level
5 -- Maximum Access Level

These two fields work to regulate which users "see" this command when the
menu is displayed on screen. If a user has an access level between the two
values, and meets the other requirements in lines 6-9, then this command is
made available. Otherwise, it is not displayed, nor can it be executed in
any way.


6 -- Required Attributes

This line gives the required attributes necessary for this command to be
executed. Similar to the way subboards and file areas use attributes, if a
particular user has the attributes listed here, then the command is
available; otherwise, it's omitted from the menu and can't be executed.


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                                                                Menu Editor


7 -- Exclude Attributes

This field specifies a set of attributes which -- if the user satisfies the
condition of having all of the attributes specified -- causes the command
to be omitted from the menu.

Typically, this line is used the way the Maximum Access Level line might be
used: to omit commands from a menu: not because a user does not have the
privilege of using that function, but because the command is designed for
someone with a lesser overall access level. For example, a command to
request validation instructions might be omitted if the user is already
validated, as determined by examining their attributes.


8 -- Require Preference Attrib
9 -- Exclude Preference Attrib

These fields modify command access by user preference attributes.

Preference attributes are a group of 24 flags that users can set to choose
between two or more possible ways that your BBS will look or work.
Preference attributes are like the security attributes that you assign to
your users' accounts, except that a preference attribute is something that
users themselves can set or clear using the OPTIONS command on
Searchlight's main menu. Whereas security attributes are something you use
to grant or deny access to particular areas of your BBS, preference
attributes enable the user to select between two or more alternatives, all
of which are equally accessible.

Like security attributes, you can set up menus so that particular
preference attributes are required for the command to appear, or you can
set it up so that particular attributes exclude that command from being
available.


10 -- Help Levels

This field controls whether or not the command appears on the menu based on
the help level of the current user. The default is "All", meaning that the
command is available to all help levels (Novice, Intermediate, and Expert).
By changing the value of this field, you can limit the command to only one
or two of those help levels.

As an additional note on the issue of command regulation, it should be
stated again that ALL of the requirements presented in fields 4 through 9
must be satisfied before a particular command will appear on a menu. If a
user fails to meet any of these requirements when the menu is loaded, then
that command is omitted.

The default values for these fields when entering a new command (and for
most of the commands in the standard menus) is either blank, or the minimum
or maximum value of the field, meaning that the command is available to
everyone. Typically, only one or two of these fields are used at any one


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                                                                Menu Editor

time, although more sophisticated menu systems may of course take advantage
of all of them.






















































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                                                                Menu Editor

INTERNAL COMMANDS

Now that we've discussed how to specify command names and regulate who can
use a command, let's get down to the business of discussing what commands
do, and how to specify those actions on the menus.

The three basic kinds of commands are Internal commands, Doors, and Menus.
When you create a new command, you are prompted to select a command type.
When you edit an existing command, the command type is automatically
selected. Fields 10 and up on the Edit Command screen vary depending on
what type of command you're looking at.

For internal commands, you'll see these fields:


10. Command Number (1) ............
11. Command Parameters (1) ........
  ...
16. Command Number (4) ............
17. Command Parameters (4) ........


Command Number is the number of a built in Searchlight function. Whenever
someone selects this command choice off of a menu, what's actually executed
is the internal function associated with the function number indicated
here. For example, the function to read messages is function number 100;
any internal command which specifies "100" in the Command Number field will
cause the "read message" function to execute. This is true regardless of
the name or key associated with the command.

Command Parameters is an optional alphanumeric field that can be used to
supply parameters to certain internal functions. Command parameters
typically consist of either short strings of characters (such as a subboard
name) or option flags, specified as a slash or dash followed by a letter,
much as you would specify parameters for a command line program from the
DOS prompt. For example, the parameter "/X" can be used with any internal
function number to suppress that function from clearing the screen, and
displaying its description, before it executes.

A complete list of the internal function numbers and the parameters
associated with them appears in Appendix G, Internal Command Reference.

Internal commands let you specify up to four pairs of command numbers and
parameters (fields with zero do nothing). When several functions are
specified, they execute at once, in the order given, each time that command
is selected. Therefore, it's possible for a single command that appears on
a Searchlight menu to actually execute two, three, or four built in
functions. (It's also possible to execute more functions than this,
including external functions, by executing menus -- we'll describe that
process shortly).






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                                                                Menu Editor

EXTERNAL (DOOR) COMMANDS

The second major category of command that can be included on a menu is a
DOOR command. This type of command, when selected from a menu, executes an
external program, such as a database program, a utility like CONFIG.EXE, a
BBS game, or other program.

When the command is a door, these fields appear in the Edit Command menu:


10. Door Command .................. c:\command.com
11. Directory Path ................ .
12. Communications Support ........ Standard
13. Abort Method .................. Reboot
14. Write Protection .............. No
15. Parameter File ................ None


The example above shows a typical "Shell To DOS" command that might be
included on a Sysop function menu. For more information about the above
parameters, please see the Doors Subsystem section of this manual.

After a door is finished executing, control returns to the menu from which
the door was selected; thus, doors can be integrated into any menu in a
seamless manner.



MENU COMMANDS

The third type of command that you can place on a Searchlight menu is a
Menu command -- basically, a link that starts up and displays a new menu.
Menu commands are quite powerful, since you can use them to connect dozens,
even hundreds, of menus together to form a comprehensive user interface.

The options that appear for Menu commands are:


10. Menu Name ..................... MAIL
11. Execution Method .............. Display


Menu Name is the eight-character filename of the new menu that you wish to
load when this command is selected. Provide the menu name exactly as it
appears in the menu editor. Note that the named menu must exist in your
specified menu directory when the attempt is made to load it. Otherwise,
Searchlight will exit with an error message. Therefore, it is recommended
to test all menu commands at least once before placing your system online.

Execution Method tells Searchlight what to do with the menu specified in
line 10. The usual function is called Display, and it does what you might
expect: displays the new menu, and allows the user to select a choice from
that menu.



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                                                                Menu Editor

The other option available here is called Execute, and it's one of the most
powerful aspects of the entire Searchlight menu system. When you Execute a
menu, Searchlight does not display the menu and solicit a choice from the
user. Instead, it automatically executes every command on that menu in
sequence. By setting up menus for execution, you have the capability of
running long sequences of commands one after the other: those sequences can
include internal functions, DOOR functions, and even other menus.

Menu execution can be used anytime you want to string a series of commands
together. As a typical example, the first thing Searchlight does after a
user logs in is it executes a special menu called "STARTUP". This menu
contains a series of commands that tells Searchlight to perform its usual
log-in sequence: display the bulletins, check for new mail, etc. Since that
command sequence is a menu, it's completely modifiable.



CHANGING COMMAND TYPES

You can change the command type of an existing command by pressing F1 while
on the Edit Command screen. You'll be prompted to pick a new command type
from the command type menu (Internal, Door or Menu). You can abort the
change and retain the current command type by selecting the current type
(highlighted on the menubar) or by selecting "Quit".

Be aware that all command parameters specific to a particular type of
command (that is, all items on the Edit Command screen after line 9) are
cleared if you change the command type. Changing the command back to its
original type will not restore the original information. Therefore, be sure
you want to change the command type before doing so, and save a backup of
the menu file (or a printout of the Edit Command screen) if you wish to
have a record of the previous settings.

More information about menu execution, and menu setup in general, is
provided in the following section.





















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                                                                Menu Editor

GUIDE TO MENU SETUP

In the previous sections, we described how you can create and edit menus
using Searchlight's menu editor. Here, we'll talk more about what you need
to know to actually create working menu systems, along with tips and
pitfalls to watch out for.


Standard Menu Names

There are only two menu names that are hard-coded into Searchlight BBS, and
therefore required for it to operate. Those names are STARTUP and MAIN.

STARTUP is the name of the menu that's executed as soon as Searchlight
completes the process of logging in a user, and transfers control to the
BBS.EXE program module. The STARTUP menu is executed, not displayed; that
means the commands it contains are run one after another. In the standard
menus that are supplied with Searchlight, the last command in the STARTUP
menu is a command to load the MAIN menu.

Something to notice about the STARTUP menu: since it's always executed
rather than displayed, the names of the commands in it don't matter too
much, except perhaps as comments you can refer to when examining the menu.

MAIN is typically the name of the menu called by STARTUP, although it
doesn't need to be. The only time that a MAIN menu must be available is if
you exit Searchlight by pressing ALT-X and wish to resume your current
session by restarting the program from the command line. When you press
ALT-X Searchlight loses track of the name of whatever menu you were using,
and any previous menus that were loaded; therefore it resorts to loading
the MAIN menu. If you use ALT-X often, you'll want to make sure that the
primary menu file on your system is MAIN, to avoid confusion.


Menu Levels

Whenever one menu contains a command that calls for another menu to be
executed or displayed, Searchlight keeps track of the name of the previous
menu. This allows any menu to contain an "Exit to previous menu" command
(internal command number 1).

The level to which menus can be "stacked" in this manner is 40. That means
that if 40 menus are loaded before any menu tries to exit back to a
previous menu, Searchlight will not be able to keep track of any further
menu levels. The limit of 40 includes menus from both the main system and
the files system.

Because of this behavior, you should always construct menu systems in
hierarchical fashion; that is, in a way so that menus "exit back" to
previous menus. Do not make two menus that both contain commands to load
each other -- or any possible way for a circular path to be created where
the same menus are loaded one on top of the other. Doing that will result
in unpredictable behavior once the internal menu stack overflows.



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                                                                Menu Editor


Executable Menus

When all the commands on an executable menu finish, control returns to the
previous menu (i.e. the menu which called the executable menu).

Should the STARTUP menu be allowed to finish (if a "Quit" command is placed
on the main menu, for example) Searchlight will hang up and recycle back to
the Login program. This may be used to provide a "quick logoff" function,
if desired.


Files System Commands

In previous versions of Searchlight BBS, the file oriented commands were
distributed as a separate executable program, FILES.EXE. One of the
limitations of that design was the fact that an explicit command (internal
command 153) was needed to load the files program, and only files system
commands -- those with command numbers 300 and above -- could be used on
file menus. For example, in Searchlight 2.25, it was impossible to put a
Download command on the same line as a command to send mail to the Sysop.

Searchlight 3.0 combines file commands and main commands into one program,
eliminating this limitation. If you used previous versions of Searchlight,
you may notice that there is no longer a FILES.EXE program distributed with
Searchlight 3.0; instead, all files functions are contained in the main
program, BBS.EXE.

As a result, menus in Searchlight 3.0 can contain any internal commands.
File commands, like the commands to list directories, download files, etc.
may be freely placed on any menu wherever they are desired. No special
command is needed to start the files program before executing a files
command, and no special command is needed to exit the files program.

However, Searchlight 3.0 still supports the old command sequences --
command 153 to enter the files area, and command 330 to exit the files
area. Instead of loading a new program, Searchlight 3.0 emulates the
actions of the old FILES.EXE program. Therefore, all existing menus are
compatible with Searchlight 2.25, and no changes to your menus are required
unless you want to take advantage of the new capability to have files and
regular commands on the same menu.

If you do decide to create combined menus, a few notes are in order:

o Searchlight's internal command 153 performs a few special actions: it
  checks to see if a custom directory list for the current subboard
  exists, and loads it if available. It also changes the area name that
  appears at the top-right hand corner of the screen to the current
  directory name, and tells the menu display programs to search for help
  files ending in ".FH" instead of ".MH" if help is requested. If you load
  a files-oriented menu directly, without executing command 153, the
  commands will still work, but you should be aware that the above actions
  will not take place. (You can load subboard lists yourself using the new
  internal command 201, outlined below).


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                                                                Menu Editor

o Should you execute an internal command 153 which loads a particular
  *.DIR file with a list of available directories for the current
  subboard, be aware that this directory list remains in memory as the
  list of available directories until another 153 command is executed.
  This is important if you use internal command 153 in some places but not
  in others.

o Command 330 (return from files area) performs the following actions in
  Searchlight 3.0: it changes the help file suffix back to ".MH", sets the
  on screen area name back to the current subboard name, and returns to
  the menu where the previous command 153 was executed. Use this command
  only if you used command 153 to enter a files menu (otherwise, just
  return to the previous menu with internal command number 1).











































                                                                        161




                                                            Doors Subsystem

SEARCHLIGHT BBS DOORS SUBSYSTEM


Introduction

The Searchlight BBS DOORS system provides a method for linking external
programs to your BBS. You can add additional features and capabilities to
your system, such as games, user polls, sysop utilities, etc. DOORS can be
programs provided by Searchlight Software, programs you write yourself, or
programs written by others. In addition, many general purpose DOS programs
and utilities can be used as DOORS.

Most popular bulletin board systems provide only a means of executing a
subprocess as the DOORS mechanism. This has led to a plethora of external
programs, drivers, and other methods of directing a Door program's input
and output to the COM port for use by a remote caller. By contrast,
Searchlight BBS fully supports the COM port during Door operation; you can
use almost any program directly as a door, without having to alter the
program, load a serial port driver, or use a BATCH file. Even programs
which use full-screen cursor manipulation, color, IBM type character
graphics, and simple sound effects will work, as long as these programs use
either the BIOS or DOS for their input and output. In addition, the
Searchlight DOORS system monitors and handles loss of carrier; optionally
write-protects disk drives while the Door is active; and consumes less than
50K of memory above DOS, freeing the rest of your RAM for use by the Door
software.

We've also included features that help make Searchlight compatible with
many of the Door programs already written for other BBS systems.
Searchlight's COM port support can be fully disabled, allowing you to run
programs which provide their own COM support, and Searchlight will
optionally generate a configuration file (normally called PCBOARD.SYS)
which is compatible with the configuration file created by the PCBoard(tm)
bulletin board system when running a Door.

If you use an ANSI.SYS replacement which bypasses the BIOS level of I/O,
you may be unable to run DOS shells and other programs that output through
DOS on your system. We recommend switching back to the original DOS
ANSI.SYS driver when running Doors with Searchlight.



SETTING UP DOORS

Doors are usually installed by adding a command to one of Searchlight's
existing menus, or by creating a new menu. See the previous chapter on menu
editing for more details about the process of editing menus and entering
new commands.

Searchlight BBS also supports an "old" style DOORS menu, created via a text
file called DOORS.DEF. We no longer recommend using this method of DOORS
setup, since menu entry is far easier and more flexible; however, if you
wish to review the process, documentation for the old DOORS.DEF style setup
file is available on your distribution disk.


                                                                        163



                                                            Doors Subsystem

If you are new to DOORS and Searchlight BBS, we suggest the following steps
to create a menu in which to place your first DOOR programs:

  o  Run the Menu Editor program (see previous section). Access the MAIN
     menu, and delete the "Doors" command that resides there.

  o  Press F1 to create a new command. Make this command "Doors" (same name
     as the previous command) but have it be a Menu type command. Enter
     "DOORS" as the name of the menu to display.

  o  Save the MAIN menu, then create a new menu called "DOORS". Enter your
     desired Door commands as entries in this menu. Finally, execute them
     by selecting the "Doors" command from Searchlight's main menu.

You can, of course, add Door programs to existing menus or create other
menu structures. The above is just a suggestion to get you started.



DOOR PARAMETERS

When you are editing a menu and you reach the place where you need to enter
the commands for a particular Door program, you'll see this screen:


10. Door Command .................. c:\command.com
11. Directory Path ................ .
12. Communications Support ........ Standard
13. Abort Method .................. Reboot
14. Write Protection .............. No
15. Parameter File ................ None



10 -- Door Command

This is the name of the program that will be run. It should look exactly
like the command line you'd normally type when starting the program from
DOS, including any parameters, with one exception: if the program is a COM
or EXE file, you should specify the .COM or .EXE extension in the program's
name (for example, use COMMAND.COM instead of just COMMAND). If you don't
specify an extension of .COM or .EXE, Searchlight assumes the program you
wish to run is a batch (.BAT) file or a DOS command such as DIR, TYPE, etc.
In this case, Searchlight will first load a copy of COMMAND.COM, and then
execute the command. If the command is really a COM or EXE file and you
don't say so, it will still run, but you'll have an extra copy of
COMMAND.COM in memory that doesn't need to be there.

If COMMAND.COM must be loaded, Searchlight will try to find it by examining
the environment table for the line "COMSPEC=". Failing to find this, it
will attempt to load COMMAND.COM from the current directory. If COMMAND.COM
(or the DOOR program itself) cannot be found, the door won't be executed
and control will return to Searchlight BBS.



                                                                        164



                                                            Doors Subsystem


11 -- Directory Path

This is the drive/directory specification for the directory that will be
made the "current" directory before the program is run. Since many programs
require data files that reside in the current directory when they are run,
you can specify the directory to switch to before the program is executed.
Searchlight automatically switches back to its own directory when the door
"closes".

If you do not need to change directories when running an external program,
or you wish to use the current directory, type a single period (".") as the
directory name.


12 -- Communications Support

Values for this field are Standard, None, and Force-Color. "None" specifies
that no modem i/o support will be provided for this program; the program is
expected to interface with the serial port itself. "Standard" indicates
that the program does not contain serial i/o support, and serial support
will be provided by Searchlight.

Use "Standard" with most programs. "None" can be used with programs that
use the serial port themselves, such as door programs written for use with
other BBS systems which do not provide serial i/o support. Usually, "None"
programs will require parameters to tell them which serial port and baud
rate to use; they may read this information in the doors system
configuration file, Searchlight CONFIG file, or via explicit command line
parameters.

The "Force-Color" switch is provided to allow Searchlight to correctly
handle Door programs using color on a monochrome system. Normally, Doors
determines whether you are using a color or monochrome CRT on your system,
and interprets the door program's request to change screen attributes
accordingly. However, with some programs, notably games written in BASIC,
you will want to use color regardless of the fact that the local CRT is
monochrome. Specifying "Force-Color" allows you to do this.


13 -- Abort Method

This field specifies the action to be taken if the Doors system detects a
carrier signal loss (i.e. if the user hangs up the telephone) during the
operation of a door. If set to "None", the carrier is not monitored, and no
action is taken. If set to "Terminate", the door system will attempt to
terminate the running program via the DOS terminate procedure. If set to
"Reboot", the doors system will reboot the computer when a carrier loss
occurs.

"None" should only be used with programs that do their own carrier loss
checking, or with programs that must not be interrupted during processing.
"Terminate" is the standard abort method; it will work with programs that
abort normally through the DOS TERMINATE process. "Terminate" is the
preferred way to abort a program.

                                                                        165



                                                            Doors Subsystem

Some programs, notably COMMAND.COM, will not abort via the standard DOS
call, because they replace the return vector with a pointer back to their
own code. Many games and other ill-behaved programs fall under this
category. If a program will not return to the BBS via the TERMINATE call,
an alternative is to set abort type to "Reboot", which will initiate a warm
boot of the computer if a carrier loss is detected during the operation of
the door program. If you use this method of abort, you must include in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file the commands necessary to start up Searchlight after the
system boots itself up. Since it will be an unattended bootup, you must
eliminate any programs from your AUTOEXEC that prompt you for input when
they run.

If you use a multitasker, such as DESQview or Windows, the reboot and
terminate options may not operate correctly on your system. Try them before
allowing callers to access your doors. Using "Reboot" is not recommended
for multiuser systems, since it can interrupt other sessions in progress.
It's also not recommended if you employ a write-buffered disk cache.


14 -- Write Protection

This field determines whether the disk drives will be write protected
during the execution of the door. If set to No, write protection is not in
effect, and all disk i/o proceeds as usual. If set to Yes, software write
protect is enabled on all disk drives. No disk writes will be allowed while
this door is running.

Write protection is useful when you wish to run a program that allows users
to specify filenames to which data will be written. For example, a game
program might have a "save game" option that asks the user to enter the
name of the file to hold the saved game. If the user were to type the name
of an existing file, he or she could easily destroy important data on your
disk. The software write protect guards against this. Any attempt to write
to a disk while write protect is in effect will result in the standard DOS
"Write protect error writing drive" message.


15 -- Parameter File

Searchlight 3.0 supports four kinds of parameter files (also known as "drop
files") when launching a door program: PCBOARD.SYS version 12 and 14,
DOOR.SYS, and DORINFOx.DEF.

Parameter files are special files created by Searchlight just before
executing a door program; they contain information that the door can read
to find out the name of the person running the door, the current
communications parameters, time limits and access levels, and many other
items. Depending on what kind of file a particular door program expects,
you can choose to create a DOOR.SYS file, DORINFOx.DEF file, or PCBOARD.SYS
file when running a door by toggling the "Parameter File" field to the
appropriate value.

When DOOR.SYS is selected, Searchlight creates a text file called
"DOOR.SYS" in the home directory of the current node. DOOR.SYS contains
standard information about the current user and current status of the BBS.

                                                                        166



                                                            Doors Subsystem

If DORINFOx.DEF is selected, Searchlight creates a file called
"DORINFOx.DEF", where "x" a the node number from 1 to 9. If the current
node number is between 1 and 9, Searchlight writes the DORINFOx.DEF file to
the node where the door is launched from, rather than from the SLBBS home
directory. For node numbers greater than 9, Searchlight creates a file
called "DORINFO1.DEF" in the node's home directory.

When setting up door programs that use DOOR.SYS or DORINFOx.DEF, be sure to
configure the program so that it looks for the drop file in the appropriate
directory, as outlined above. Door programs have many different means of
configuration; be sure to read each door program's documentation thoroughly
before attempting to install it in Searchlight BBS.


PCBOARD.SYS Files

For backward compatibility, Searchlight 3.0 will still use the "Door
Parameters Filename" in the CONFIG file as the target filename when
creating a PCBOARD.SYS file. However, for convenience and for the sake of
consistency with the new DOOR.SYS and DORINFOx.DEF options, Searchlight
will simply create a file named "PCBOARD.SYS" in the home directory if the
"Door Parameters Filename" is left blank. Unless you have a need to place
the PCBOARD.SYS file in a particular directory or a need to have it named
something other than PCBOARD.SYS, we recommend blanking that CONFIG field
and letting Searchlight use its default behavior.


If You Receive An Error Message...

If you give the name of a non-existent program or directory when setting up
doors you'll get an error message when you try to execute the command from
within Searchlight. Check your setup screen and try to correct the error.

Door programs can also fail to run if there's insufficient memory for the
door to operate, or if Searchlight cannot locate the COMMAND.COM file when
executing batch files or internal DOS commands. The latter situation can
usually be corrected by examining your COMSPEC environment variable, or by
placing a copy of COMMAND.COM in the SLBBS home directory.

Of course, door programs can fail to operate correctly once they've been
executed, even if the door is properly set up on Searchlight's end. If a
door program runs, but displays error messages or seems to operate
incorrectly, it's usually best to consult that program's documentation for
more information (or contact the program's vendor, or others who use the
program).











                                                                        167



                                                            Doors Subsystem

WHAT PROGRAMS CAN BE USED AS DOORS?

The goal of the DOORS system is to enable you to run any program that uses
the standard BIOS calls on a remote terminal. Since there are many ways of
using the BIOS calls, and each program has its own quirks, it's not
possible to guarantee that every BIOS and DOS compatible program will work
correctly when used from a remote terminal with Searchlight.

Programs that do not use the BIOS, but access the screen directly for fast
screen updates, will not work under the DOORS system (this includes most
word processors, for example). Programs that use high resolution graphics
can't be used as DOORS, either. Some programs use the BIOS some of the
time, and directly access the screen some of the time. These programs may
run, but produce confusing results on the remote end. Finally, a few BIOS
calls can't be adequately emulated on a terminal, and programs that use
these calls won't be able to run correctly as DOORS.

If you write your own DOOR programs, be sure to use the BIOS for all input
and output; for example, in Turbo Pascal, when using the Crt unit, set the
DirectVideo variable to "false". The easiest way to write DOORS compatible
programs is to output only straight text, without using any cursor
positioning, colors, attributes, etc. Such programs will be suitable for
use on any remote terminal. Programs that use cursor positioning, etc. will
work correctly only if an ANSI terminal is used at the remote end.
Similarly, eight-bit IBM graphics characters can be used, but only if the
remote terminal is expected to be an IBM compatible PC.

A popular BBS utility program called Doorway(tm) enables direct
screenwriting programs to be used on any BBS, including Searchlight. For
more information about this product, check bulletin boards in your area or
current BBS oriented publications.


Using COMMAND.COM as a Door

If you use COMMAND.COM as a Door, as shown in our example on page 164,
you'll receive a DOS command prompt (i.e. "C>") at the remote terminal, and
you will be able to enter DOS commands, such as DIR and CHKDSK, as well as
execute other programs. Be careful when using this door; if you execute a
program that uses strictly BIOS I/O, it should run at the remote terminal;
if you attempt to run a program that ignores the BIOS, the program will
still run, but you may be unable to see the output or provide input from
the remote. In this case, all you can do is hang up the phone and wait for
Searchlight to recover.

The Reboot abort method is normally used with a COMMAND.COM door, since the
new DOS shell points the abort return pointers back to itself and not back
to Searchlight. Make sure you have your system configured to run your BBS
when it is booted up (i.e. as part of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file) whenever you
use a Reboot abort method.

To exit back to Searchlight from the command shell, give the command EXIT.




                                                                        168



                                                            Doors Subsystem


Using Batch Files as Doors

The use of batch files (files with the .BAT extension), as well as DOS
direct commands (such as DIR and COPY), is supported by the DOORS system
through the execution of a COMMAND.COM door. When you give a command line
which does not specify a .COM or .EXE file to be run, Searchlight loads a
COMMAND.COM shell and passes your command to it; this is necessary for the
execution of DOS commands and batch files.

In order to run COMMAND.COM, of course, it must be available on your disk.
Searchlight finds COMMAND.COM by looking for the "COMSPEC=" line in the
environment table. If no "COMSPEC" entry is found, it attempts to load the
command processor from the current directory. If this fails, the message
"Error running command" appears, and control returns to the BBS (you also
get this error message if the command or program you're trying to execute
is invalid or does not exist).

Searchlight will assume that any command without a ".COM" or ".EXE"
extension is a batch file. Therefore, when executing commands that are
executable files, always include the extension in the command line.



































                                                                        169



                                                            Doors Subsystem

PASSING PARAMETERS TO A DOOR PROGRAM

Often, a program running as a DOOR will need to know something about the
status of the BBS system at the time the program is run. Many programs will
need to know the name or access level of the person who is using the door;
others will need information such as the user's time limit or the active
COM port and communications speed being used. Searchlight provides several
methods for communicating this information to the Door process.


Using Command Line Metacharacters

The easiest and most portable way to pass parameters to a program is via
the command line. Searchlight provides 14 system variables, or
"metacharacters", which you can include on a command line in a menu or
autodoor definition. When Searchlight executes the door, the metacharacters
are replaced with specific information.

Here is a list of the characters available:

    %N..............Current User's Name
    %U..............Current User's Name, with spaces replaced by underbars
    %K..............Current User's First Name
    %A..............User's BBS Access Level
    %F..............User's FILES Access Level
    %G..............ANSI Graphics Mode (C, M, or N)
    %T..............User's time limit, in minutes
    %M..............Amount of time left in current session (in minutes)
    %L..............Time the user logged in (HH:MM)
    %B..............Current Baud Rate
    %P..............Active Communications Port (0-4)
    %C..............Sysop 'Chat Available' status (Y or N)
    %S..............BBS System Name
    %O..............Node Number

The time parameter, %L, is given in the format "HH:MM", as a 24-hour time.
All other parameters appear as strings of characters or decimal numbers in
the range 0 to 255. Baud rates appear as "2400", "9600", etc. The %N and %U
parameters differ in that %N returns the user's exact name, including any
spaces, while %U replaces spaces with underbars. Since the space character
normally delimits command line parameters, many programs won't interpret a
name containing spaces properly; you can use %U to send the full name as
one word. %K returns the first name with all but the first character
converted to lowercase.

%P returns a value of zero if the current user is logged in locally;
otherwise, it returns the value of the active COM port, 1 through 4. If %P
returns zero, the value returned by %B is undefined and should be ignored.

As an example of how to use metacharacters, let's say you have a game
called SLOTS that you want to run as a door. SLOTS takes as a command line
parameter the name of the person running the program; it uses your name to
keep a high scores table. The command line syntax is SLOTS <name>.



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                                                            Doors Subsystem

To make SLOTS accept the first name of the logged in user, without the user
having to type his or her name, enter SLOTS %K as the command line for the
door:

     SLOTS.EXE %K

Now, if a user named JIM BARRY executes this door selection, the actual
command line sent to DOS will look like this:

     SLOTS Jim

The SLOTS program would run, and use "Jim" as the user name. Similarly, a
%N parameter line would have produced "SLOTS JIM BARRY", using the entire
name, and %U would return "SLOTS JIM_BARRY".


Running PCBoard Doors With Searchlight

Another way to pass parameters to a door program is via an external file.
Searchlight can generate an external data file containing the same kinds of
data as can be passed on the command line via the metacharacters. The
format of this data file is equivalent to the format used in PCBoard(tm)
bulletin board systems version 12 or 14. Thus, you can use many DOOR
programs intended for PCBoard systems with Searchlight.

Option number 11 on the "Pathnames Configuration" menu of the CONFIG
program (see p. 27) allows you to enter a filename to which the DOORS
system will write information before a door is invoked. If you do not
specify a filename, no file is created. Note that you must enter the full
path and filename in this field, not just the directory path; in other
words, if you want to create a file called "C:\SLBBS\PCBOARD.SYS" when
running a Door program, you must type that filename exactly.

Two types of PCBOARD.SYS files can be created for compatibility with either
PCBoard 12.0 or PCBoard 14.0 type door programs. The version you choose to
create for each door program should correspond to the version of PCBoard
for which that program is intended. PCBoard 12.0 is the default. To select
the proper version, set line 15 in the menu definition screen (see p. 164).

PCBoard compatible DOOR programs can read the PCBOARD.SYS file generated by
Searchlight to get the current user's name, active communications port and
baud rate, and other such information. The actual format of the PCBOARD.SYS
file can be found in the PCBoard documentation. Searchlight does not
support all of the fields used by PCBoard, therefore, not all of the
information available in PCBoard systems will be available to door programs
running under Searchlight.

Many PCBoard compatible door programs will also look for a file called
PCBOARD.DAT. In PCBoard systems, this is a static file containing
information which is roughly equivalent to the information found in
Searchlight's CONFIG.SL2 file. Since this information is static in nature,
it is relatively easy to provide a "fake" PCBOARD.DAT file for PCBoard
compatible door programs to use. There are several public domain utility
programs available for doing just that.


                                                                        171



                                                            Doors Subsystem

Not all PCBoard compatible door programs will run under Searchlight. In
particular, those door programs which require access to other PCBoard
files, such as the PCBoard user or message files, won't work under
Searchlight. In general, you can use doors which are well-behaved and don't
rely on the presence of PCBoard data files (other than PCBOARD.SYS and
PCBOARD.DAT) or PCBoard directory locations.


Direct Use Of Searchlight Files

As a final method of obtaining information, a DOOR program can access
Searchlight BBS's binary data files (files ending in .SL2). Since
Searchlight closes all of its files before DOOR processing begins, and
reopens them when processing resumes, DOORS are free to read and/or write
to these files, provided the proper data formats are retained. A program
that reads Searchlight's data files can obtain everything Searchlight knows
about its current state, including the ID of the current user, baud rates,
configuration information, etc.

If you want to be able to read in a message from the Searchlight data
files, or post a message to a public subboard or mailbox, you can use the
SLMAIL program provided by us rather than code your own message conversion
functions. SLMAIL is discussed in Appendix F.

The exact formats of the SLBBS data are provided on your distribution disk.
Please refer to these files for commented type definitions and code
examples.

If you wish to write programs that do more than simply read configuration
data, we strongly recommend you obtain our developer's toolkit (see p. 175
for more information).

























                                                                        172



                                                            Doors Subsystem

HOW THE DOORS SYSTEM WORKS

The code that enables you to run programs "online" is contained within the
file SLBBS.EXE -- the program you actually run to start Searchlight from
the DOS command line. When it runs, SLBBS, which requires under 50K of
memory, actually loads and runs the program BBS.EXE "underneath" it as a
subprocess.

When you execute a DOOR, Searchlight records the request in the CONFIG.SL2
file, then terminates, returning control to SLBBS.EXE. At this point, SLBBS
determines that a request for a door is in effect, and it does two things.
First, it installs its own serial i/o routines on top of the BIOS i/o
routines. Specifically, BIOS interrupts 10, 16, and 21 (hexadecimal) are
intercepted by SLBBS and augmented with additional processing to handle the
serial port. If software write protect is requested, interrupt 13 is also
intercepted.

Finally, the DOOR program is initiated as a sub-process underneath the
SLBBS process. When the DOOR attempts to use the BIOS functions to do input
and output, the SLBBS routines come into play, interpreting calls for input
and output and linking the remote terminal into the system. The local
screen and keyboard are still available; you can view the operation of the
door while it is running, and you can type commands at the keyboard even
while a remote user is typing commands. Exiting from the door returns
control to SLBBS, which removes its code from the BIOS and restarts the
main Searchlight program.

Notice that this method of running the door off of a small "driver"
program, rather than as a sub-process of the main program itself, provides
you with a maximum amount of free memory in which to execute external
programs. Since most of the memory needed to run Searchlight is deallocated
before a door is run, the net amount of overhead is only the amount of code
needed for the driver program. This amounts to about 47K, so you'll have
about 47K less memory available when running programs as DOORS than you
would if running them normally.

If you use TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) programs, such as SideKick, in
conjunction with your BBS, these programs may cause problems for the DOORS
system. If you have trouble, eliminate the TSR's when running DOORS on your
BBS.

Note that in the case of a door with Communications Support set to "None",
i.e. a door which is presumed to handle its own serial i/o, no BIOS calls
are intercepted, no additional processing is added to DOS, and the program
executes exactly as it would normally. In this case it is up to the door
program itself to make use of the serial port, if serial i/o is required.
You should use this option when running Door programs that support their
own serial i/o, such as games written for other BBS systems.


Output

Not all calls to the BIOS interrupts are interpreted literally. Searchlight
performs commands with the least amount of i/o necessary. For example, many
programs will issue a "cursor position" request after each character is

                                                                        173



                                                            Doors Subsystem

output. Since this would cause Searchlight to transmit an extra 6 to 8
characters for each output character, a check is made for this condition,
and no characters are output. Similarly, requests to move the cursor to the
next line or to column zero of the current line are transmitted to the
remote as linefeeds and carriage returns.

If a cursor position request cannot be resolved with control characters, an
ANSI cursor position sequence is issued. This presumes you have an ANSI
terminal at the remote end. No check is made; if you use door programs that
require absolute cursor positioning or other ANSI features such as text
highlighting, an ANSI terminal is required at the remote. If you have many
non-ANSI terminal users, it is suggested that you use command descriptions
or text files to identify those DOORS which require ANSI terminals.

Be aware that some programs which use the BIOS calls that output to the
screen without moving the cursor will not work. Also, some BIOS commands,
such as those for horizontal screen scrolling, cannot be emulated on a
terminal, and programs that use them won't run properly.


Input

The DOORS system attempts to convert ANSI escape sequences from the remote
terminal into the IBM character codes that are generated by the BIOS.
However, ANSI terminals don't support all of the keys provided on the PC
keyboard, and some terminals handle control keys differently than others.
This will mean that some programs won't interpret keystrokes from the
remote terminal correctly. Generally, however, a good ANSI or vt100
terminal will be able to provide the four arrow keys, the Home and End
keys, and at least the first five F-keys.


Access To Original BIOS Vectors

When Searchlight is in control of a door program's I/O, all standard BIOS
output is sent to the modem, and all modem input is made to look like
standard BIOS input. However, you may, on occasion, wish to write programs
which write some output only to the local screen, or can distinguish
between local and remote keyboard input. To allow for this, Searchlight
provides access to a block of memory containing the original BIOS vectors
and other useful information about the state of the SLBBS routines.

To access the SLBBS information, call the MS-DOS interrupt dispatch routine
(i.e. INT 21) with a value of $C7 loaded into the AH register. $C7 is an
invalid DOS function and will have no effect if Searchlight is not loaded.
If Searchlight is active, however, the register pair AX:BX will be returned
with a far memory pointer to the SLBBS data block. You can use this far
pointer to access the data, which will be in the format given below:

  Field Name and Type            Contents
  -------------------            --------
  PROGID: string[6];             { Program ID }
  carrier: boolean;              { true if carrier check enabled }
  writeprotect: boolean;         { true if disk write protected }
  aborttype: byte;               { 0=no abort, 1=terminate, 2=reboot }

                                                                        174



                                                            Doors Subsystem

  rsactive: boolean;             { set if rs232 port is active }
  ansi: boolean;                 { user ANSI mode }
  color: boolean;                { user COLOR mode }
  directvid: boolean;            { system DirectVideo mode }
  curratt: byte;                 { current video attribute }
  commtype: byte;                { run parameter (0, 1, or 2) }
  idletime: word;                { idle time limit (seconds) }
  lastkey: boolean;              { TRUE = last key from local kbd }
  OldVector: array[$00..$7F] of pointer;   { old user int vectors }

Notes: A 'boolean' variable is a one-byte variable which will be set to
binary 1 if true, zero if false. Words are two-byte unsigned integers, and
pointers are four-byte far pointers.

The PROGID field contains the string 'SLBBS' to identify the presence of
Searchlight (byte zero contains the string length, bytes 1-5 contain the
characters, and byte 6 contains a binary zero [for the convenience of C
programmers]). If the string SLBBS is not found here, Searchlight is not
loaded and all other data should be considered invalid.

If 'rsactive' is true, then interrupts 10 and 16 (hex) will point to the
Searchlight code. If false, then these interrupts remain at their original
BIOS addresses. Int 13 belongs to Searchlight only if 'writeprotect' is
true. Int 21 always contains Searchlight code.

If you wish to restore any interrupt belonging to Searchlight back to its
original value, the original vectors can be found in the 'OldVector' array
(which actually contains space for up to 128 pointers). Be sure to read the
existing vector first if you plan to restore it. Don't set interrupts 10,
13 or 16 unless they actually belong to Searchlight.

The 'lastkey' variable can be read to determine if the last keystroke
entered came from the local keyboard or the remote terminal. 'Lastkey' is
true if the last keystroke was local.

Other variables can be read to obtain the information listed. The above
table is not meant to be used to provide information such as the current
user's name or baud rate to the DOOR; other methods for passing these types
of parameters are given in the next section.

Finally, although we advise against it, some of the above fields can be
usefully written to. However, setting or resetting 'rsactive' and
'writeprotect' will NOT have any effect on the door's behavior.

Searchlight Software is committed to assisting third party developers who
want to write applications that interact with our BBS product. Much more
detailed programming information, including a free Pascal language function
library that can be used to create complex applications that access
Searchlight message files and data files, is available from Searchlight
Software. As of this writing, you may obtain the additional information and
programming library free of charge by downloading the file SLTPU70B.ZIP
from our support BBS. Since this filename will change when the code library
is updated, check our BBS or contact us to obtain the latest filename and
latest developer information.


                                                                        175



                                                            Doors Subsystem


Some Door Programming Tips

Here are some tips for programmers writing Door programs:

  o  Use DOS or BIOS calls for all input and output; don't write directly
     to the screen. Programs that do direct screen writes won't run as
     remote Doors, and may not work with windowing or multitasking
     operating system software. Most compilers default to or can be set for
     BIOS I/O.

  o  Don't access the serial port. Searchlight will handle all modem I/O
     automatically when the door runs online. If you must access the local
     console independently of the remote, use the methods outlined above
     for accessing the original BIOS pointers from your program, or obtain
     our developer's toolkit for serial port access procedures.

  o  Use command line parameters to pass information to your program when
     possible. Don't access Searchlight data files directly. Command line
     parameters are much faster and easier to use, and provide the
     advantage that your program can be distributed to and use by others
     who don't have a BBS.

  o  Door programs should be as easy to run from the command line as they
     are to invoke from the BBS. Make parameters optional where possible;
     default username to SYSOP, baud rate to LOCAL, etc.

  o  If you write a utility program that uses SLBBS files directly, bear in
     mind that the data file format is subject to change. Your program
     should document which version of Searchlight it is to be used with,
     and, if possible, be flexible enough to work with different versions.
     For best results, use our prepared developer's library rather than
     code your own data formats and file access routines.























                                                                        176



                                                            Sysop Utilities

SEARCHLIGHT SYSOP UTILITIES


Introduction

Searchlight's CONFIG program contains a rich set of utility functions that
allow you to easily maintain messages, users, subboards, and other aspects
of your BBS. With the sysop utilities, you can rename users with optional
updating of messages, purge your user file by last login date, access level
and/or attributes, purge messages by date or search key, purge
undeliverable mail, purge subboard members and files, and effect mass
validation changes.

To access the sysop utilities, run CONFIG and enter option D:

     D. User/Subboard/File Utilities

You can also type CONFIG D at the DOS prompt, or place the command on a
menu that you can access from within Searchlight BBS.

Please read this documentation thoroughly before attempting to use any of
the purge or validate utilities. Due to the nature of these utilities, a
mistake or misunderstanding of a feature could have disastrous results. If
you aren't sure, BACK UP your files before doing anything. If you are
running a multiuser BBS, please see the note about concurrent operation at
the end of this section.

The Sysop utilities main menu shows the following options:

                    A. Change User's Name
                    B. Purge User File
                    C. Purge Message Files
                    D. Purge Member Files
                    E. Mass Validate Users
                    F. Purge File Areas

To select a command, type a letter from A to F, or highlight the desired
command and press Enter. Here's a breakdown of each menu option:



CHANGE USER'S NAME

This option allows you to rename one or more users. Enter the name of the
user you wish to rename, then press Enter, and type the new name you wish
to assign to that user. Provided that the user is found and that the new
name does not duplicate an existing name, the change will be made in the
User file.

If you wish to rename additional users, press Yes when prompted; otherwise
enter No. If possible, it is advantageous to rename several users at once,
rather than one at a time, since the message update phase of the rename
operation may take some time.



                                                                        177



                                                            Sysop Utilities

After you have input all of the name changes you wish to make, this menu
will appear:

                    A. Update All Messages
                    B. Update Personal Messages Only
                    C. Do Not Update Messages

During this phase, the Sysop program will scan your entire message base, or
selected portions of it, in order to change the to and from names on any
messages posted by, or sent to, one of the users that has been renamed. It
is recommended that you use the "Update All Messages" option. If you choose
option B, the update scan will take less time, but will still ensure that
mail and personal messages are correctly addressed, as well as high message
pointers in message areas. Be aware that if you skip the update scan,
messages left by users that have been renamed will bear the user's old
name, and subboard membership records will not be changed.

After you choose option A or B, a subboard selection screen will appear. We
recommend pressing ESC to accept the default settings here and update all
subboards. If desired, you can select the subboards to be updated; see
"Purge Message Files" later in this documentation for information about
subboard selection.

Those who write utility programs for Searchlight should note that the
rename procedure may move the user record in question to a different record
number in the user file.



PURGE USER FILE

This option allows you to purge many names from your user file at once,
based on various criteria. When option B is selected off of the main menu,
an input screen appears. Your responses to these input prompts determine
which users will be purged.


 1. Cutoff Date ................... 5-30-92
 2. Min Access Level ..............   0
 3. Max Access Level .............. 240
 4. Maximum Calls .................   0
 5. Include Attributes ............
 6. Exclude Attributes ............



1 -- Cutoff Date

The cutoff date determines the age of users to delete. In this example, any
user who has not logged on since April 30th, 1992 is eligible for deletion.
(Whether such users are actually deleted depends upon the answers to the
remaining prompts; a user must pass all eligibility requirements in order
to be deleted).



                                                                        178



                                                            Sysop Utilities

By default, the cutoff date is set to 6 months prior to the current date.
Change this field as desired.


2 -- Min Access Level
3 -- Max Access Level

These fields determine the minimum and maximum access level that a user
must have to be considered for deletion. Users that fall between the given
access levels (inclusive of the minimum and maximum) are eligible to be
purged.


4 -- Maximum Calls

This field, if set to a nonzero value, lets you specify a maximum number of
calls as part of your purge criteria. For example, a value of 2 specifies
that users who have called your BBS 1 or 2 times may be targeted for
deletion while users who have 3 or more calls are exempt. If this field is
left as 0, number of calls is ignored.


5 -- Include Attributes
6 -- Exclude Attributes

These two fields look at user attributes as part of the selection process.
You can input attribute strings here (letters from A to X).

If Include Attributes are specified, only users who have all of the
attributes specified here are considered for deletion. Users who do not
meet all of these attribute requirements are exempted from the purge.

If Exclude Attributes are specified, users who have any of these attributes
are exempted from the purge. In other words, a user must have all of the
attributes listed in line 5, and none of the ones listed in line 6, in
order to be eligible for deletion. For example, if you specified "AB" as
the Include Attributes and "CD" as the Exclude Attributes, users who have
attributes "AB", "ABX" or "ABFG" would be eligible for deletion, while
users with attributes "AFG", "ABD" or "ABCFGX" would not be deleted.


Purging Users

Once all fields are filled, press Escape. This prompt appears on your
screen:

     Purge user file based on above criteria?

Enter "Yes" to begin purging users, or "No" to abort the operation. If you
proceed, the program provides a display of its progress.

The User Purge operation does not delete mail in the user mailboxes, nor
does it delete the member information on subboards. However, the Sysop
utilities provide special options in the Purge Message Files and Purge
Member Files commands specifically for deleting mail and member records

                                                                        179



                                                            Sysop Utilities

after a user purge. It is recommended that these be run after purging the
user file to delete unnecessary mail and member records.






















































                                                                        180



                                                            Sysop Utilities

PURGE MESSAGE FILES

This command option provides for the mass deletion of messages from one or
more message areas (including the MAIL area) based on age, search strings,
or other criteria.

When option C is selected, a new menu appears with these choices:

                    A. Date Range & Options
                    B. Search Key Specification
                    C. Subboard Selection
                    D. Begin Message Purge


Date Range & Options

Option A lets you specify the following criteria for purging messages:


 1. Start Date .................... 1-01-87
 2. End Date ...................... 5-30-92
 3. Minimum Times Read ............   0
 4. Undeliverable Mail Only ....... No



1 -- Start Date
2 -- End Date

These two fields let you specify the range of dates that you wish to
include in the message purge. The default is all dates up to 6 months prior
to the current date. Change these as necessary.


3 -- Minimum Times Read

This field lets you select messages based on the number of times the
message has been read. Messages which have been read less than the number
of times indicated here are not deleted. The default value of 0 effectively
ignores the times-read counter.

This option is primarily of use for deleting mail, as it can be used to
insure that unread mail is not deleted.


4 -- Undeliverable Mail Only

If this field is set to Yes, only messages which are addressed to a user
who is not in the system's user file, and thus cannot be received, are
deleted. The main use for this feature is to delete mail addressed to users
that have been deleted from the system with the user delete or purge
commands.

When this option is selected, Searchlight automatically selects the MAIL
subboard, and only that subboard, as the default. You can change that by

                                                                        181



                                                            Sysop Utilities

using the Subboard Selection option. If other subboards are selected,
Searchlight will delete public messages on those subboards that are
addressed to nonexistent or deleted users, including messages addressed to
"All" -- so it's not recommended that you run this kind of purge except on
the MAIL subboard.


Search Key Specification

This set of options lets you select messages for deletion based on a search
string, which can match the To, From, Subject, or Fwd From fields in a
message header.


 1. Search String .................
 2. Case Sensitive ................ No
 3. Search To: Field .............. No
 4. Search From: Field ............ No
 5. Search Subject ................ No
 6. Search Fwd From ............... No


To use a search string selection, enter the text to search for (such as a
username or a subject fragment) in line 1. If you want to do a case
sensitive search, change the default on line 2.

Fields 3 thru 6 determine where in the message header your search string
should be found. You can select any combination of areas to search. At
least one area must be specified if you wish to have a successful search.
Only those messages in which the search string can be located in one of the
indicated fields will be deleted.

Note that the Search string works in conjunction with the date range and
options in the previous menu. Only those messages which pass all of the
tests indicated in the Date Range menu and the Search String menu (if a
search string is used) are actually deleted from the system. Therefore, if
you wanted to delete all messages containing a particular string, you
should be sure to set the date range to the present day.


Subboard Selection

This menu choice lets you select the subboards which you want to purge. You
can purge messages from all subboards, or any combination of subboards.

When this option is selected, a subboard list appears, similar to the
subboard list used in the Subboard Maintenance section of CONFIG. To
navigate through the list, use your Up/Down arrow keys; PgUp and PgDn; or
press the first letter of the subboard to which you wish to travel.

Subboards can be marked and unmarked by pressing the <Spacebar> when the
cursor is to the left of the desired subboard. Marked subboards are
indicated by an asterisk (*) in the left hand column. If you did not select
"Undeliverable Mail Only" in the Date Range menu, all subboards will be
marked by default; otherwise, only the Mail subboard will be marked.

                                                                        182



                                                            Sysop Utilities

Select the desired subboards by marking and unmarking. You can use the F4
key to mark all subboards or F5 to unmark all. When you are done, press the
ESC key to exit.


Begin Message Purge

Select this option to actually begin the purge operation. The CONFIG
program examines the selected subboards and deletes messages meeting the
criteria specified. A status report displays the program's progress.

If you decide not to purge messages, press ESC at the Purge Messages menu
instead of selecting option D.



PURGE MEMBER FILES

This option provides for purging the member files associated with message
areas. You can purge members who haven't accessed a subboard since a
specified date, or via a number of other criteria.

The Purge Member menu contains these options:

                    A. Member Purge Options
                    B. Subboard Selection
                    C. Begin Member Purge


Member Purge Options

This input screen lets you select the criteria on which to purge member
records. The fields are:


 1. Cutoff Date ...................  5-30-92
 2. Invalid Usernames Only ........ No
 3. Inactive Members Only ......... No
 4. No Personal Msgs Only ......... No


Cutoff Date specifies the last access date to purge members. Those members
who have not accessed the subboard (JUMPed to it or read messages as part
of the NEW command) are eligible to be deleted.

Invalid Usernames Only specifies that only members which are not valid
names in the USER file are deleted. You would select this option primarily
as a clean-up operation to delete member records after purging the user
file.

Inactive Members Only means that only members who are not active in the
subboard are deleted. "Not active" means that the member's highest message
read is lower than the lowest numbered message in the subboard.



                                                                        183



                                                            Sysop Utilities

No Personal Msgs Only specifies that  the purge involves only users who
have no personal messages on the given subboard. This is primarily of use
in conjunction with the MAIL subboard, where it can be used to delete
members who have no mail, and may be a useful option on other subboards as
well.

Note that as with other purges in the Sysop utilities, member records must
meet all of the selected criteria in options 1 through 4 in order to be
deleted.


Subboard Selection

This choice lets you specify the subboards to be included in the member
purge. Select subboards by marking with the <Spacebar>, F4 and F5 keys. See
the "Purge Message Files" command above for more information about subboard
selection.


Begin Member Purge

Select this option to actually begin the purge procedure. (Press ESC if you
wish to abort instead). A progress display is generated.



MASS VALIDATE USERS

This command allows for making access level adjustments on many users at
the same time. Users can be selected for validation by access level and
attributes and can be affected by a variety of changes to access levels,
attributes, time limits, and file transfer ratios.

The term "Validate" is used loosely here to indicate changes to a user's
security levels. Mass validation can involve changes in either direction to
users' security levels.

Option E calls forth the following submenu:

                    A. Specify Target Users
                    B. Specify Adjustments
                    C. Begin Mass Validation

Suboption A specifies which users are to be validated; option B specifies
the changes to be made to their accounts. Use option C to begin the process
(or press ESC at this menu to abort it).


Specify Target Users

The following input items appear after selection of this option:


 1. Min Msg Access Level ..........   0
 2. Max Msg Access Level .......... 240

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                                                            Sysop Utilities

 3. Min Files Access Level ........   0
 4. Max Files Access Level ........ 240
 5. Include Attributes ............
 6. Exclude Attributes ............


Lines 1 through 4 determine by access level which users will be included in
the validation. Users who have message access levels and file access levels
within the specified ranges are included.

Lines 5 and 6 specify by attributes which users are included in the
validation. In order to be included, a user must have all of the attributes
listed in line 5, and none of those listed in line 6. When both lines are
blank, as in the default condition, no users are excluded based on
attributes.

For more information on the Include/Exclude Attribute fields, please see
the example in "Purge User File" earlier in this section.

As in other areas of the Sysop utilities, users must meet all of the
requirements specified in lines 1 through 6 to be included in the
validation operation.


Specify Adjustments

In this input screen, you specify what changes you want to make to the user
records selected. The input lines are:


 1. Msg Level Adjustment .......... No Change
 2.  Value ........................   0
 3. Files Level Adjustment ........ No Change
 4.  Value ........................   0
 5. Ratio Adjustment .............. No Change
 6.  Value ........................   0
 7. Daily Time Limit .............. No Change
 8.  Value ........................   0
 9. Session Time Limit ............ No Change
10.  Value ........................   0
11. Account Expiration (Days) ..... No Change
12.  Value ........................   0
13. Add Attributes ................
14. Remove Attributes .............


Msg Level Adjustment and Value specify what adjustment is to be made to
each user's Message Access Level. The options for line 1 are "No Change",
"Change To", "Increment" or "Decrement" (press Spacebar to toggle between
the choices). Line 2 can contain a value between 0 and 255.

If "No Change" is selected, no change is made to the message access level.
If you select "Change To", user message access levels are changed to the
value in line 2, regardless of their previous value. If "Increment" or
"Decrement" are selected, then the message access level is incremented or

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                                                            Sysop Utilities

decremented by the value specified in line 2. If the result is less than 0
or greater than 255, it is rounded off to 0 or 255, respectively.

Lines 3 through 12 are used to effect changes to the files access level,
upload ratio, time limits and expiration dates. As with lines 1 and 2,
these fields work in pairs, with and action and a value. Time limit fields
allows a maximum value of 14400. The Session Time Limit action (line 9)
supports a value of "DailyLimit", which sets the session time limit equal
to the user's daily time limit.

Fields 13 and 14 add or remove attributes from the selected user accounts.
Enter those attributes you wish to add into line 13, and those you wish to
remove, in line 14.


Begin Mass Validation

Select this menu choice to begin the mass validation. A status display is
generated as the validation operation proceeds.



PURGE FILE AREAS

The Purge File Areas option allows you to automatically delete files from
your download libraries based on age, number of downloads, and other
criteria. Use this option when your hard disk becomes nearly full, or
anytime you want to clean out old files from your BBS.

The file area purge works like the other purges, and presents this menu:

                    A. Date Range & Options
                    B. Directory Selection
                    C. Begin File Purge


Date Range & Options

Use this screen to select the desired file purge options:


 1. Start Date ....................  1-01-87
 2. End Date ......................  5-30-92
 3. Minimum Size (K) ..............    0
 4. Maximum Size (K) .............. 9999
 5. Maximum Times Downloaded ...... 9999
 6. Confirm Each Deletion? ........ Yes
 7. Erase Files from Disk? ........ No
 8. Remove Upload Credits? ........ No


Start Date and End Date specify a date range for deletion. Files with an
upload date between these two dates will be eligible for deletion. Note
that Searchlight looks at the date the file was uploaded (date in the


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directory listing), rather than the file's DOS date, as the basis for this
selection.

Minimum Size and Maximum Size specify a size range in kilobytes (1KB=1024
bytes). Only files which fall within the range will be deleted.

Maximum Times Downloaded allows you to prevent deletion of files which have
been downloaded more than a particular number of times. For example, if you
enter 50 in this field, then files which have been downloaded more than 50
times are prevented from being purged. Only files with 50 or fewer
downloads will be deleted.

Confirm Each Deletion lets you decide whether you would like Searchlight to
automatically delete files based on your specifications, or prompt you with
a Yes/No prompt for each file. If you select "Yes" in line 6, you will be
prompted; "No" initiates an automatic purge.

Erase Files From Disk lets you decide whether Searchlight will erase entire
files, or just remove the directory entries. Select "Yes" if you want to
delete the files from disk and free up disk space.

Remove Upload Credits selects the action Searchlight will take with upload
credits. If "Yes" is entered, Searchlight removes upload credits from the
uploader of each file it deletes. In other words, if a 50KB file is
deleted, Searchlight deducts 50 from the upload count of the user who
uploaded that file. Select "No" if you do not want to deduct upload
credits.


Directory Selection

This option lets you select the directories on which File Purge will
operate. Only those file areas you mark will be affected by the purge.
Press F4 and F5 to mark and unmark all directories, or Spacebar to mark or
unmark individual directories.


Begin File Purge

Searchlight shows you a running count of the number of files deleted and
the amount of disk space freed up as it deletes files.



SYSOP UTILITY NOTES


Backups

We strongly recommend performing purge and mass validation operations only
when a recent backup of the data files being modified is available. Due to
the far-reaching nature of these operations, a small mistake in specifying
the target parameters can lead to the loss of many users or messages. A
backup is by far the best way to avoid disaster.


                                                                        187



                                                            Sysop Utilities


Multiuser Operation

If you run a multiuser BBS, it is recommended that you do not run lengthy
purge or validation operations while other nodes are active. Since these
operations keep the data files locked for long periods of time, and put a
large load on the file system, they may cause unacceptably slow operation
on other nodes. Therefore, we recommend you shut other nodes down while
running these operations.















































                                                                        188



                                                                    Netmail

INTRODUCTION TO NETMAIL


What is Netmail?

The term netmail refers to any private electronic mail message, sent from
one individual to another, that is carried across a network (hence network
mail or netmail). The network that carries such a message can be any of the
Fidonet(tm) technology networks that exist between bulletin boards,
including Fidonet itself, SL_NET, or any of the other networks which use
the Fido style message standards.

Why use netmail? The answer is that is allows you to communicate with
virtually any person who is a member of a bulletin board in the network to
which you are connected, without placing a direct call to the particular
BBS on which that person is a member. As an example, let's look at what
happens when you send a typical, non-netmail message using Searchlight BBS.
Suppose you call a local Searchlight BBS, Joe's World of Widgets, by
dialing a local telephone number with your modem, and you leave a private
message to your friend Walter, who lives in a different state. Of course,
Walter won't be able to see that message until he calls Joe's World of
Widgets himself -- which is something he does infrequently, since it's a
long distance call for him, and he's not all that interested in widgets
anyway. If your message is important, Walter may not get it until it's too
late to be of use to him.

With netmail, though, you can make long distance communication much faster
and more reliable. Suppose you know that your friend Walter uses a BBS in
his area called Phil's Faucet Emporium on a daily basis, and both Joe's
World of Widgets and Phil's Faucet Emporium are members of the
international Fidonet network. You could send a message from Joe's BBS in
your area code, and address it to Walter at Phil's BBS. In a day or two,
network traffic automatically carries your message from Joe's BBS to Phil's
BBS, where it appears in Walter's mailbox. Since Walter calls Phil's BBS
every day, he sees your message immediately. The result: you can exchange
mail with your friend Walter, even though he lives in a different state and
has much different interests than you, and neither you nor Walter has to
dial a long distance phone number or use an out of state BBS.

Of course, there were some long distance calls and charges involved with
getting your message from Joe's BBS to Phil's BBS, but those charges were
incurred during late night hours and only for the amount of time necessary
to transmit a compressed version of your message between two bulletin
boards, so they're significantly less than what you'd pay to call the out
of state BBS and leave your message personally. In addition, netmail gives
you the convenience of being able to originate and receive mail on one BBS
instead of having to dial many different systems to communicate with all
the people you'd like to reach.


Who can use Netmail?

Any Searchlight BBS which participates in a Fidonet-technology network can
send and receive netmail messages. As the Sysop of a networked BBS, you can


                                                                        189



                                                                    Netmail

regulate by security attributes which of your users has the ability to use
netmail.

If your BBS does not currently participate in a Fidonet style network,
you'll need to establish a network link before you can begin using netmail.
Network policies vary; however, the usual procedure is to obtain and
install a Fidonet compatible front end mailer software package on your
system, and then apply for membership by contacting another BBS in your
area that serves as the central distribution point (Hub) for that area.
Before you try to install netmail support on your BBS, confirm that you can
send and receive netmail messages (via "MSG" files) to and from other
systems in your network. Once you have that capability, you'll start to use
Searchlight to read and create the MSG files, rather than a front end
mailer or special editor.



HOW SEARCHLIGHT HANDLES NETMAIL

If you are already familiar with echomail, you'll find that netmail works
in much the same way. If not, you may find the discussion below useful as
background information.

To send netmail from Searchlight BBS to another BBS, you start by entering
a message through Searchlight's text editor, typically by selecting a
command such as "Mail/Send" or by replying to an existing netmail message.
When sending a new message, Searchlight will ask you for both the name of
the person to whom you are sending the message and the netmail address of
the bulletin board where you would like the message sent. All networked
systems have a three part numerical address in the form "Zone:Net/Node";
for example, the address of Searchlight BBS in Stony Brook, NY is
"1:107/252". (Some systems have multiple addresses and some have an
additional number called the point address). In many cases, Searchlight
will provide the netmail address itself (by looking at an address list) but
you should always be prepared to type the address in yourself, if required.

Once your message is typed and saved, it exists inside Searchlight as an
ordinary mail message. The next step in the message's journey is to be
exported from Searchlight BBS into a format that can be handled by network
mail software. Exporting occurs when you run Searchlight's included
NETMAIL.EXE utility program. The netmail utility turns netmail messages
from your BBS into individual "MSG" files in a standard format that is
recognized by Fidonet mail software. If you have a network mail system
installed on your BBS, you most likely already have a directory where
incoming netmail "MSG" files are saved and outgoing files are stored before
they are sent. This is where you'll export your Searchlight netmail.

Once your netmail is exported, your netmail software (third party products
provided by other companies) can actually transmit the files to another
BBS. There are usually two steps involved, called "tossing" and "polling".
To find our more about these steps, you need to obtain a third party mail
product (such as D'Bridge, Front Door or Binkleyterm) and follow its
documentation.



                                                                        190



                                                                    Netmail

To receive netmail, the procedure is reversed. Incoming mail is stored as
"MSG" files by your front end software, which are then imported into
Searchlight by the netmail utility program (NETMAIL.EXE). Once imported,
you read the mail using Searchlight's usual Mail/Read or Mail/New commands.
Of course, on most systems you'll want to automate the whole process by
running the NETMAIL.EXE program as part of a mail event.

The main difference between netmail and echomail is that each netmail
message has a distinct from and to address provided by the person sending
the message, whereas echomail goes to all addresses as determined by the
network software.

Two additional aspects of Searchlight's netmail implementation are nodelist
indexing and mail routing. Nodelist indexing is the process by which
Searchlight gains access to the information that is in your network node
lists; it's important because Searchlight can use the nodelist to look up
BBS names and addresses through the nodelist to help your users enter
correct netmail messages. If you choose to restrict your users to sending
netmail only to listed addresses, the nodelist index is essential since
it's used to determine which addresses are considered valid. Searchlight
includes a stand-alone utility program, INDEX.EXE, which compiles a
nodelist index on demand.

Mail routing allows you to associate a netmail address with a username on
your system. By doing this, any mail sent to that person is automatically
converted to netmail, even if the person entering the message does not type
in the netmail address. Routing is useful when you want to simplify the
process of sending netmail to certain people without having to remember
their net address. It's also great when you have users who are infrequent
callers, but frequently call another networked system.



C
C
CONFIGURING 
 ONFIGURING 
 ONFIGURING S
            S
            SEARCHLIGHT FOR 
             EARCHLIGHT FOR 
             EARCHLIGHT FOR N
                            N
                            NETMAIL
                             ETMAIL
                             ETMAIL

Searchlight's main netmail options are entered via the CONFIG program. To
access the setup screens, run CONFIG.EXE from the DOS prompt, then enter
the General Configuration menu and choose option J, "Netmail Setup". The
following options screen is disclosed:


 1. Primary Address ............... 250:500/1
 2. Alias Address 1 ............... 1:107/252
 3. Alias Address 2 ...............
 4. Alias Address 3 ...............
 5. Alias Address 4 ...............
 6. Sysop's Real Name ............. FRANK LAROSA
 7. Send Bad Messages To .......... SYSOP
 8. Netmail Reply Attributes ......
 9. Netmail Originate Attributes ..
10. Unlisted Address Attributes ... WX
11. Send Crashmail Attributes .....
12. Routing Address Edit .......... ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
13. Nodelist Configuration [...]


                                                                        191



                                                                    Netmail

Fill in these fields as follows:


1 to 5 -- Primary & Alias Addresses

These lines let you enter the primary and alternate netmail addresses of
your system, which should be typed in the format "Zone:Net/Node" or
"Zone:Net/Node.Point". You should only list one address for any given zone
number here, and it should be the address you'd like to use as the origin
for netmail originating on your BBS to a point within that zone. If you
have additional addresses in the same zone, you can list these separately
in a configuration file so that mail written to any address can be imported
to your system.

At least one address must be specified here in order for Searchlight's
netmail features to be activated. If all of the address fields are left
blank, Searchlight will not allow any netmail messages to be sent.


6 -- Sysop's Real Name

Type your name in line 6. Searchlight uses your name to replace the word
"SYSOP" on outgoing and incoming messages, so that if you use the name
SYSOP to log onto your own BBS, you can still send netmail using your real
name.


7 -- Send Bad Messages To

In this field, type the name of the person to whom you'd like bad messages
sent. A "bad message" is simply an incoming message which is addressed to a
username that does not appear in your USER file. For example, if someone
tried to send a netmail message to "Ronald Reagan" on your BBS, and your
userlog did not sport the former president as a user, the message would be
sent to you, or to whatever username you place here. On almost all systems,
you'll want to put the name SYSOP here, or your own name if you do not use
the name SYSOP to log on to your BBS.


8 -- Netmail Reply Attributes

Fields 8 through 11 are security attributes that define which users on your
BBS can perform netmail related functions. Field 8 specifies the security
attributes required to reply to a netmail message. Any user who possesses
these attributes can respond to a netmail message or an echomail message,
but cannot necessarily originate a new message. As with all security
fields, you can leave this field blank if you do not wish to restrict this
feature.


9 -- Netmail Originate Attributes

This field defines the attributes needed for a user to be able to create a
new netmail message to anyone who is reachable on the networks to which you
belong. Searchlight determines which addresses are valid primarily by

                                                                        192



                                                                    Netmail

consulting the nodelists on your system. It also considers any pre-entered
addresses to be valid.


10 -- Unlisted Address Attributes

These are the security attributes required to send netmail to any address,
even if the address is not listed in a nodelist. Be careful with this
option; if you allow users to have unlisted address access, they will be
able to send incorrectly addressed netmail which will never reach its
destination. It is best to send such messages with care.


11 -- Send Crashmail Attributes

These attributes define which users are able to send "Crash Mail". Crash
mail is urgent netmail: instead of being routed through the network at
night, it's sent directly to the destination BBS immediately. Since crash
mail can cause your system to place long distance phone calls at any time,
it is best to restrict this function to yourself and your most trusted
users.


12 -- Routing Address Edit

These attributes determine whether your users can supply their own routing
address. A routing address is a netmail address associated with a user
account: whenever any mail is sent to such an account, it becomes netmail.
Normally, you will want to prevent your users from doing this, and assign
such addresses yourself on a case by case basis. However, you can give your
users the ability to change their own routing address (via Options/Info) if
you specify appropriate attributes here.


13 -- Nodelist Configuration

To access the nodelist configuration screen, press Enter here (or click
here twice with your mouse). A new screen appears which allows you enter up
to five nodelist filenames:


 1. Primary Nodelist .............. C:\DB\FILES\NODELIST
 2. Alternate Nodelist ............ C:\DB\FILES\SL_NETNL
 3. Alternate Nodelist ............
 4. Alternate Nodelist ............
 5. Alternate Nodelist ............


A nodelist is a text file containing a listing of the names and network
addresses of all bulletin boards in a given network. You should have at
least one such file for each network in which you are a member. Type the
filenames here, but leave off the extension part of the filename. Since the
extensions change when nodelists are updated, Searchlight automatically
searches for the most current filename.


                                                                        193



                                                                    Netmail

Searchlight uses nodelist files to look up and display information about
bulletin boards in your network, but it can only do so after it has
compiled a special binary index file, called NLINDEX.SL2, that helps it
find information quickly. The included utility program, INDEX.EXE, creates
the index. You should run INDEX.EXE manually after inputting or changing
your list of nodelist files. It's also a good idea to run it as a nightly
event, to ensure that the index is kept up to date.



NETMAIL IMPORT & EXPORT

The way netmail messages move to and from your Searchlight BBS system to
the rest of the network is through a special utility program called
NETMAIL.EXE, which is included with your Searchlight 3.0 package. Any
netmail created from within your BBS remains there until it is exported by
running the netmail utility (which creates "MSG" files for the outbound
mail). Similarly, incoming netmail is not available within Searchlight
until the MSG files are imported.

You can, of course, run the program NETMAIL.EXE manually from the DOS
prompt to move your mail, or attach it to a menu inside Searchlight to be
executed on demand. But the best way to run the netmail utility is as part
of an event or batch file, so that importing and exporting of netmail is
automated. For example, you could run a netmail import event after your
system receives mail packets, or once per day, or even after each login or
logoff to your BBS.

The syntax for the NETMAIL.EXE utility is as follows:

NETMAIL Command [Options]

Command is "E" or "Export" to export messages, "I" or "Import" to import
messages.

Options are as follows:

 -a  Import or export all messages (default new messages only)
 -l  Make lowercase names on outgoing messages
 -c  Allow color codes in messages
 -k  Kill source messages after importing or exporting
 -o  Optimize lock/buffer strategy
 -v  Verbose progress messages
 -p  <path>    Specifies path to CONFIG.SL2
 -g  <path>    Specifies path to *.MSG files


The most basic Netmail command lines are NETMAIL E to export messages and
NETMAIL I to import messages. If the MSG files are not in the current
directory, use -G to specify their location. If your CONFIG.SL2 file is not
in the current directory (or in the environment), type -P to give its path.

The -A option can be used to force the netmail utility to import or export
all available messages. By default, if -A is not given, only new messages
are imported or exported. The utility determines which messages are new

                                                                        194



                                                                    Netmail

when exporting by means of a high message pointer on the MAIL subboard
keyed to the name "NETMAIL"; it determines which are new when importing by
looking for its tagline in the source MSG files. It is not recommended that
you use the -A switch except for special purposes.

The -K or Kill switch is recommended. When used during an import, the
netmail utility deletes the source MSG file after importing it. When used
during an export, the utility deletes the source message from Searchlight's
mail subboard after exporting it. It's especially important to kill
messages after exporting because a netmail message that resides inside
Searchlight BBS is generally inaccessible by any user, and therefore would
simply take up space until removed during a mass message purge or manually
deleted, if -K were not used.

Other NETMAIL.EXE switches are similar to the SLMAIL echomail utility, and
allow you to process lowercase name conversions and color codes. The -O
switch optimizes the file locking strategy on multiuser systems by locking
the entire MAIL subboard for the duration of the operation; this makes
netmail operations faster, but locks other nodes from using the MAIL
subboard during the Netmail operation. We recommend using the -O switch
only if no nodes are active during the time that the Netmail command
executes.


Additional Alias Addresses for Import

Earlier, we mentioned that you should specify only the primary address in a
particular zone when typing your own netmail addresses into Searchlight's
CONFIG program. As a rule, the NETMAIL utility will only import messages
that are explicitly addressed to your system, which is determined by
matching the destination address to your system's primary or alias
addresses. If no match is found, the netmail utility won't import the
message; this is an important feature, because your system may act as an
intermediate storage area for mail that is destined for another BBS, and
you don't want that mail to be imported into your BBS (and possibly
deleted) by the netmail program.

If your BBS has a number of alternate addresses in a particular zone,
though, you need to tell the Netmail program about the other addresses so
it can import all the mail that should be on your BBS no matter which alias
was used by the sender. The way to list your additional addresses is to
create a text file called NETMAIL.CFG. Type the additional addresses, one
per line, using the standard Zone:Net/Node[.Point] format. Up to 40
addresses may be specified. You should place your NETMAIL.CFG file in your
Searchlight "data files" directory (the same directory that contains your
USER.SL2 file).

Once the NETMAIL.CFG file is installed, the netmail utility will recognize
the additional addresses as aliases for your system, and will import mail
destined for those addresses.



NODELIST INDEX


                                                                        195



                                                                    Netmail

The nodelist indexing program, INDEX.EXE, is used to create a binary index
that allows Searchlight to quickly access data within nodelist files. You
should run INDEX once after setting up your nodelists, and again as a daily
event so that any nodelist changes are recorded.

Before running INDEX, run the CONFIG program and enter the filenames of
your nodelist files as mentioned previously. Be sure to give only the
filename of the "raw" or text file nodelist, not the name of any other
indexed nodelist that might be used by your system. Only standard (also
know as "St. Louis") nodelists may be compiled by Searchlight; do not
specify point lists or non-standard nodelists as input. If you like, you
can create a private nodelist in the same format as the standard nodelist
and include it in your index (a private nodelist enables you to create
alias names and/or lookups for usernames that don't appear in regular
nodelists).

To create the nodelist index, simply type INDEX on the command line. The
program will display its progress and, when finished, will have created a
file called NLINDEX.SL2 in your Searchlight data file directory.

Note that the index utility checks to see if the current index is up to
date by comparing the date it was last compiled against the dates of the
nodelist files. If the index is up to date, the INDEX.EXE program will not
recompile it. However, should you wish to force an index compilation when
the index is up to date, add the parameter -F to the INDEX.EXE command
line.

You can eliminate certain netmail zones from a nodelist compile if you do
not wish to have addresses in those zones available for lookup. To do so,
specify one or more -N parameters, where N is the number of the zone you
wish to exclude. For example, if you are compiling the Fidonet nodelist,
but wish to exclude zones 2 through 6, you could type:

     INDEX -2 -3 -4 -5 -6


Performance

A few notes on performance and disk space issues are in order here. The
index utility creates a file which contains 24 bytes per node in the
nodelist. The complete Fidonet nodelist, which typically comprises some 19
or 20,000 entries, will result in an index file of approximately 450K. The
index program will require an area of disk space equal to the size of the
final index file as a work area; therefore, at least 900K of disk space
must be available in order to compile a Fidonet nodelist.

The speed of the index utility may be important to you if you index large
nodelists on a relatively slow system. The main factor that influences
indexing speed is the amount of DOS memory available to the index program
when it is run. For best results, run the utility in a DOS environment or
DOS window with as much free memory as possible available. A typical 33mhz
386 PC with disk cache software installed and 640K of RAM available can
compile a 20,000 entry Fidonet nodelist in about five minutes.



                                                                        196



                                                                    Netmail

The source files (raw nodelists) must remain on your system for
Searchlight's indexes to work. If the raw nodelist files are deleted,
moved, or changed in any way, lookups via the index will become impossible
until the index is rebuilt. Executing INDEX.EXE causes the index to be
rebuilt only if there has been a change in the source files, so it's a good
idea to execute the index utility nightly.


Index Uses

Searchlight's internal netmail procedures don't require that a nodelist
index exist, but without the nodelist index you won't be able to see and
confirm the names of the bulletin boards where netmail is being sent, so
it's highly recommended that you do use an index.

If you choose not to compile a nodelist index, you should be aware that
Searchlight will only send netmail if the user sending the message has the
"Unlisted Address" attributes, or if the netmail is a reply to an existing
message.



USING SEARCHLIGHT NETMAIL

Once your netmail infrastructure is set up -- you've got events and
procedures in place which use the NETMAIL.EXE and INDEX.EXE programs to
transfer mail and build the appropriate index files -- it's time to run
Searchlight 3.0 and actually read and create some netmail messages.

The underlying goal of Searchlight's netmail system is simple: netmail is
created and read with the same commands as regular mail in Searchlight BBS.
In almost all cases, the same intuitive commands you already know how to
use to send mail to other users on your system can be used to send netmail.
The only time special commands are needed is when there is no way for
Searchlight to make a determination itself as to what kind of message you
are sending and where its destination is.


Receiving Netmail

Receiving netmail sent to you from a remote system is extraordinarily
straightforward; in fact, no new procedures or commands are required at
all. Searchlight simply presents netmail to you in your regular mailbox,
along with your other mail, and you read netmail simply by reading your
mail in Searchlight. You can easily end up with a mixture of regular mail
and Netmail in your mailbox at the same time: Searchlight lets you deal
with all of your mail the same way, regardless of its origin.


Replying to Netmail

In virtually all cases where you are reading a netmail message sent to you,
you can reply in the usual fashion simply by selecting the "Reply" function
from the menubar. At the "To:" prompt, where the name of the addressee
appears, press Enter as usual, and then look for a netmail address and

                                                                        197



                                                                    Netmail

bulletin board name to appear to the right of the name. For example, if you
were replying to a message from Tim Rossiter on Searchlight BBS, you might
see something like this:

  To : TIM ROSSITER @250:500/1 Searchlight BBS, Stony Brook, NY

Notice that the netmail address (250:500/1) was inserted automatically and
the name of the bulletin board was displayed for reference. If the name of
the BBS were not listed in your nodelists (or if you did not create a
nodelist index file), you might see the words "Unknown Address" instead;
this usually doesn't indicate that there is a problem with the address,
only that the name of the BBS is not known by Searchlight.

If a netmail address does not appear, or if you get a message such as "User
not on file", it's probably because your account does not have the required
security attributes to send netmail replies. Either change your attribute
level, or change the required attributes to send netmail in the CONFIG
program.

If you like, you can send carbon-copies of your reply to others, as with
any reply. Then simply type your reply and save it. That's all that is
required to reply to a private netmail message on Searchlight BBS -- the
message is saved and will become netmail as soon as you run the NETMAIL.EXE
utility to export it.

You can also create private netmail replies to public echomail messages,
and you do so the same way you send regular private replies to public
messages: select "Mail" from the menubar when reading the public message.
Again, you are able to press Enter at the "To:" prompt and will see the
netmail address and bulletin board name if they are available. A few
problems are possible when sending netmail replies to echomail. The way
Searchlight determines the original address of an echomail message is by
examining the "Origin" line on the message: in some cases, the origin line
does not reflect a correct address. This is particularly true in
conferences that have been gated from one network to another. You may not
be able to enter an automatic reply to such messages, although you can
still enter a netmail reply by manually typing the correct address with the
"@" syntax, as we'll describe below.


Originating Netmail

There are several ways you can enter a new netmail message to someone
that's not a reply to an existing message. In some cases, you will need to
know the numerical netmail address of the BBS where you want to send the
message, and in other cases, Searchlight can provide the address based on
known data. Again, Searchlight's goal is to automate the process of sending
netmail without requiring you to specify information explicitly. Let's look
at various possibilities.


Sending Netmail to a Sysop

If the person to whom you are sending a netmail message is the SYSOP of a
BBS, his or her name probably appears in your nodelist file, and

                                                                        198



                                                                    Netmail

Searchlight can find the appropriate netmail address based on that name. If
you select the "Mail" command from Searchlight's main menu and then select
"Send" from the mail subcommands menu, and then type in the name of your
addressee, you may see something like this:

     To : JOHN YOHE
John Yohe @1:107:213 Fort Z BBS, Levittown, NY?  Yes/No/Quit

Searchlight discovered the name "JOHN YOHE" in your nodelist, and is asking
you if this is the correct person and correct address. If it is, type "Y",
and Searchlight will enter a message to node 1:107/213. If the information
shown isn't correct, you can press "N" to see additional choices.

What if John Yohe is also a member of your own BBS? The answer is that
Searchlight will assume you want to send a local message. To override that
decision, you need to tell Searchlight explicitly that you want to send
netmail: you can do that either by using the "@" syntax outlined below, or
by selecting a dedicated "Netmail Send" command from a menu, as we'll
describe shortly.


Sending Netmail to Others

What if you want to send netmail to someone who is a user on a remote
system, but not the Sysop? Searchlight won't be able to look up the
person's netmail address, since their name doesn't appear in any listing.
The only way to send netmail in such cases is to tell Searchlight what the
netmail address is. One way to do that is to type an "@" sign after their
name, followed by the address, like this:

     To : JOHN YOHE @1:107/213

The @ tells Searchlight that you are interested in sending netmail to the
given address. You can use @ signs anywhere that you type a username,
including carbon copy lines, and in the prompts that appear when you reply
to messages or forward messages to users. You can also type the @ sign by
itself, without an address after it: Searchlight will either try look up
the address in the nodelist, or, if the lookup fails, will prompt you to
enter an address on a separate line. (This is a good way to resolve
conflicts when you have a local user with the same name as someone to whom
you'd like to send netmail).


Creating an Explicit Netmail Command

While specifying netmail addresses via the "@" syntax is great for
experienced users, an easy to use, menu driven program like Searchlight BBS
should have a better way to ask for a netmail address. It does, and the way
to access it is to set up a new command, "Netmail Send", on a menu within
your BBS.

Netmail send is a command you can use anytime you know you want to send a
netmail message. The difference between the netmail send command and the
regular send command is simply that the netmail send command assumes your
message will be netmail; it doesn't check the local user database, and asks

                                                                        199



                                                                    Netmail

you to type in a netmail address if no address can be found in the
nodelist. The netmail send command is exactly like the regular send command
with an "@" sign appended to the username, but doesn't require you to type
in the "@" symbol.

You can place a netmail send command anywhere you like in your menu
structure, but the most obvious place to put it is on your MAIL menu, right
after the regular send command. Here's an example:


 1. Command Name .................. Netmail
 2. Command Key ................... T
 3. Description ................... Send mail via network
 4. Minimum Access Level ..........    0
 5. Maximum Access Level ..........  255
 6. Require Security Attrib .......
 7. Exclude Security Attrib .......
 8. Require Preference Attrib .....
 9. Exclude Preference Attrib .....
10. Help Levels ................... All
11. Command Number (1) ............    131
12. Command Parameters (1) ........ /x /n


You may notice that the only difference between this command and the
regular mail send command is the /N, or Netmail, parameter given on line
12.

When this command is executed and you type a name at the "To:" prompt,
Searchlight immediately checks your nodelist file. If a match is found,
Searchlight displays it and asks whether you would like to use the address
shown.

If no satisfactory matches are found, Searchlight prompts for a netmail
address:

     Address:

Type the actual address (Zone:Net/Node or Zone:Net/Node.Point) here. If the
address is valid, Searchlight will accept it and display the name and
location of the BBS if possible.


Creating Netmail Routing Addresses

So far we've seen that Searchlight can obtain a netmail address from
another message, from a nodelist, or by asking you to type in an address
manually. One other way that a netmail address can be supplied is by
attaching it to a name in your Searchlight user file.

Every user account on your BBS has room for an optional netmail address; by
default, that space is blank for all users when you install Searchlight
3.0. Use the command 2-Sysop/Options/Info to associate an address with any
user account, by typing the netmail address (Zone:Net/Node[.Point]) on the
last input line shown.

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                                                                    Netmail

Associating a netmail address with a user account in this way creates the
effect of routing that person's messages to their netmail address
automatically. That is, anytime someone tries to send a message or forward
a message to that user, Searchlight automatically creates netmail to the
user's address. This is true whether the message is entered via a normal
Mail/Send command or a Netmail send command.

Why set up a routing address? There are several reasons for doing so. If a
particular person is a member of your BBS but calls infrequently, a routing
address enables him to have his private mail sent to another bulletin board
which he uses more often than yours.

If a person has several different netmail addresses but one address is the
preferable one, you could set up that address as his or her routing
address. Then Searchlight will find the preferable address immediately
instead of scanning through many options.

A particular benefit of routing addresses is that it allows you to create
known netmail addresses for users who don't appear in your nodelists. For
example, if a user named ED SMITH had a netmail address of "250:500/1"
associated with his username, Searchlight would automatically know where to
send Ed Smith's mail. Otherwise, someone who wanted to send netmail to Ed
Smith would need to know his netmail address and enter it manually each
time.

It should be noted that mail sent to a routed address exists inside
Searchlight as regular mail until it is exported; Ed Smith could, for
example, call your BBS and read any netmail messages to him that have not
yet been exported to your netmail directory. Also, a user who doesn't have
the required security attributes to send netmail can send Ed Smith a
message, but that message remains local to your BBS and does not become a
netmail message.


Routing Address Edit

Most sysops will prefer to assign routing addresses manually. However, if
you prefer, you can enable your users to type their own routing addresses
into your system. To do so, specify appropriate security attributes on line
12 ("Routing Address Edit") in the Netmail Setups configuration screen.



ADDITIONAL NETMAIL CONSIDERATIONS


Netmail Scope

Netmail messages can only be created inside of Searchlight BBS. You cannot
create a netmail message through an offline reader program or by sending a
message with SLMAIL or a similar external utility. You can receive netmail
messages through an offline reader, but replies to such messages will not
become netmail replies.



                                                                        201



                                                                    Netmail


Bad Messages

Occasionally, you may see a message in your mailbox that starts with a line
like this:

  ---- NETMAIL Message For Unknown User:

The netmail utility generates this message when it tries to import netmail
that is addressed to a user who is not a valid name in your user file. The
unknown name is shown, followed by the entire text of the message.

Bad messages are often the result of misspelled usernames, or titles (such
as "Zone Coordinator") that may have been appended to a username. If
possible, forward the message to the appropriate user. Otherwise, delete it
or handle it as you see fit.


Listed vs. Unlisted Addresses

Searchlight considers any address which is found in an existing message or
in the user file as a routing address to be a listed address. This
distinction is important if you use security attributes to prevent your
users from sending messages to random, unlisted addresses. It is possible,
though unlikely, that an incoming netmail or echomail message contains an
incorrect address or an address which has become obsolete since the mail
was sent. In such cases, Searchlight will permit users to reply, which
could result in an improperly addressed outgoing message. (Improperly
addressed messages are normally not a problem in most networks as long as
they are kept to a minimum).

You should also consider the possibility of users entering unlisted or
improper addresses into their user account, if you allow routing address
editing.


Origin Addresses

When Searchlight's netmail utility exports messages, it automatically picks
one of the addresses you specified in the CONFIG program as the origin
address for that message. Which of your addresses are used depends on the
zone number of the outgoing message: Searchlight tries to match the zone of
the origin address to the zone of the destination address. If your system
had an SL_NET address of 250:500/1 and a Fidonet address of 1:107/252,
Searchlight would assign the former address as the origin to messages
destined for zone 250 and the latter for addresses in Fidonet zone 1.

If an exact match is not possible, but the destination address is somewhere
inside Fidonet (zones 1 through 7), then Searchlight tries to pick as the
origin address any address which is also in zone 1 to 7. If that fails,
then your Primary Address is used as the default.





                                                                        202



                                                               RIP Graphics

INTRODUCTION TO RIP GRAPHICS

Searchlight supports RIP Graphics, a new kind of terminal protocol that
allows your BBS to take advantage of features like high resolution
graphics, mouse support, fonts, icons, and more. RIP graphics are generated
by a special language called RIPscrip.


What is RIPscrip?

One way to think of RIP graphics and RIPscrip is as an alternative to ANSI
graphics. Most bulletin boards use some kind of ANSI graphics today;
Searchlight, in particular, takes advantage of ANSI screen controls to a
great extent. ANSI is what allows Searchlight to do full screen interfaces,
menubars, colors, and cursor positioning on a remote terminal with ANSI
support. You can also make your own colorful ANSI files using products like
THEDraw(tm) or Laughing Dog(tm).

RIP is a new kind of terminal protocol. While RIP is compatible with ANSI,
it offers far more functions than ANSI alone provides. Among them are:

  o  Full screen graphical primitives (Box, Circle, Line, etc.)
  o  Specialized fill patterns
  o  Full color manipulation
  o  Multiple scalable fonts
  o  Simultaneous text and graphics windows on the screen at once
  o  Full mouse support for point and click operation
  o  Remotely stored bitmap icons for detailed, high-speed graphics
  o  Full clipboard copy and paste ability
  o  Custom line-styles for technical drawings, etc.

Using RIPscrip graphics on your Searchlight BBS, you can show visually
stunning graphics, offer full point and click access to your system, and in
many cases, speed up throughput of your user's on-line connect times. In
other words, RIPscrip graphics can often be transmitted faster than ANSI
graphics.


How Searchlight Supports RIP

RIP graphics can only be displayed when callers use terminal programs such
as RIPterm, which support the RIPscrip language. Fortunately, RIPscrip is
designed to be a standard platform for bulletin board systems, and will
soon be available on a number of different terminal programs.

Searchlight is RIP aware. When you call using a RIP compatible terminal
program, Searchlight sends a special sequence of commands to the terminal
that allows it to detect the fact that the terminal has RIP capability.

There are two basic ways that Searchlight supports RIP graphics, once a RIP
terminal is detected:

  o  Searchlight uses RIP commands internally for certain features
  o  Searchlight displays external RIPscrip files instead of ANSI files,
     when available

                                                                        203



                                                               RIP Graphics

Searchlight's internal RIP support allows it to set the terminal's fonts
and screen size automatically. In addition, Searchlight supports remote
mouse usage by sending RIP commands to the remote terminal that cause it to
make mouse areas active. When using Searchlight BBS with a RIP compatible
terminal, mouse support is available in most areas of the program including
menus and full screen editing displays.

Searchlight's internal commands do not generate high resolution graphics or
use icons. However, Searchlight gives you the ability to use external
RIPscrip files to add those features to your BBS, the same way you'd add
advanced ANSI features.

When RIP mode is enabled, Searchlight searches for text files ending in
.RIP instead of .ANS or .TXT. You can make .RIP files for menus, include
files, your login and logoff screens, and anywhere else that Searchlight
displays a TXT or ANS file. In fact, since RIPscrip is plain text, you can
even load RIP graphics into messages. If no RIP file is available for a
particular menu or display screen, your existing ANS or TXT file is used
instead.

RIP graphics screens are displayed properly only on a remote RIP terminal.
Your local screen will show only the RIP command sequences. Consequently,
your BBS can support high resolution RIP screens even if your local
terminal does not support graphics.


How can I create RIP files?

RIP graphics files are created with special programs such as RIPaint,
available from TeleGrafix Inc. RIPaint produces text files ending in .RIP,
which you can load into your BBS. Searchlight displays the .RIP files
instead of text or ANS files when searching for an external text file.

If you would like more information about software to create custom RIP
graphics screens, or if you are a developer and would like information
about adding RIP graphics support to your online product, please contact
Searchlight Software at our technical support number.


Setting up Searchlight for RIP Support

By default, Searchlight does not check for RIP terminals or support RIP
features. To enable RIP support, simply turn on a switch inside the CONFIG
program (General Setup Menu #2):


15. Enable RIP Graphics ........... Yes


Searchlight will now automatically detect RIP terminals and use RIP
features when appropriate.





                                                                        204



                                                               RIP Graphics


RIPscrip Guidelines

RIPscrip contains a rich set of commands that can make a RIP terminal
display graphics, fonts, change screen sizes, relocate screen windows, and
more. Since Searchlight operates in text mode when it is not displaying a
RIP file, RIP files should, in general, avoid using commands that would
render Searchlight's text unreadable (unless that effect is desired, such
as in menu screens). In order to ensure that its text is readable,
Searchlight always resets the RIP terminal's text window and font size
whenever it clears the screen.

RIPscrip files can contain mouse areas and mouse controls in addition to
high resolution graphics, icons and other features. Typically, you will use
mouse areas in menu display files, and have the mouse areas return a
keystroke to Searchlight indicating the correct menu choice. For example,
if F is the key to press to enter the files system on your main menu, you
could generate a RIPscrip menu with a mouse button for files access; the
mouse button would type the letter 'F' when pressed. It is best to use
character style menus in Searchlight when using RIPscrip menu screens.

Since Searchlight provides its own mouse support with built in menubar
menus, and may support other RIP features internally, a special command is
included in the menu setup screen to disable Searchlight from producing
mouse areas for its internal menus:


14. Use RIP Mouse Areas ........... Yes


Set this option to "No" if you are using RIPscrip files to generate your
own menus with mouse areas. Otherwise, leave it set to "Yes". The "No"
setting prevents Searchlight from interfering with mouse areas that may
have been created by your external RIPscrip file.


Additional Comments

Searchlight provides RIP mouse support and gives you the ability to use
Searchlight as a "front end" to display RIP graphics created with an
external utility such as RIPaint. As we mentioned earlier, Searchlight 3.0
does not use graphical RIP features internally.

However, future versions of Searchlight BBS will have much more internal
RIP support, and will create graphics screens by default for many menus
even without external RIP files.










                                                                        205




                                                             Using DESQview

USING SEARCHLIGHT WITH DESQVIEW


Introduction

DESQview is the multitasker of choice for use with Searchlight BBS, due to
its low overhead and efficiency when running DOS based communications
programs. By running DESQview on your 286, 386 or 486 PC, you'll be able to
have multiple Searchlight nodes active at the same time, allowing your BBS
to support multiple incoming telephone lines and providing you with a means
of logging in locally while keeping your incoming lines active for calls.

The following remarks will help you to set up an effective multiline
Searchlight BBS system on a PC with at least 1 megabyte of memory. This is
not an exhaustive review of DESQview's features, so please read your DV
manual, especially the sections on memory usage and configuration, in order
to get the most out of it.

Searchlight also supports Windows and OS/2 multitaskers. If you prefer to
use Windows or OS/2, this information will still provide you with general
guidelines, but you'll need to follow your Windows or OS/2 documentation
for exact commands and settings. You can also run multinode Searchlight BBS
installations from a LAN; for more information, see p. 43)


Environment Setup

Before installing DESQview, it is best to remove any programs that use
serial ports, especially serial mouse drivers. Even if your mouse uses COM3
or COM4, it can interfere with modems connected to COM1 and COM2.

On 286 systems, run XDV (extended memory version), which loads DESQview
into the first 64K of extended memory. If you do not have extended memory
but you do have expanded memory, you can usually configure your RAM board
to give some extended memory instead. For 386 systems, you need to install
QEMM from your CONFIG.SYS file, then run DESQview; see your Desq manual for
more specific installation information.

Make sure your Searchlight nodes are set up as explained in the Multinode
Setup portion of this manual (see p. 43). Note the locations of your CONFIG
files for reference while setting up DESQview.


Interrupts

Interrupts are an important issue whenever 3 or more remote nodes are
configured for use on one machine. The standard IBM PC has only 2
interrupts allocated for communications ports (COM1 and COM2, which use
interrupts 4 and 3 respectively). In many cases, hardware adapters which
support COM3 and COM4 simply re-use these interrupt lines, making those
ports unsuitable for use in a multitasking environment.

What you need is an adapter that's capable of selecting an alternate
interrupt number, such as 2, 5 or 7. The Everex Magic I/O is one such
adapter that's suitable for use with Searchlight. You can also overcome the

                                                                        207



                                                             Using DESQview

two-port limitation by means of an intelligent DigiBoard hardware product;
DigiBoards work with their own on-board processors instead of interrupts,
and are ideal for large installations. See Appendix H of this manual for
more information on DigiBoard installation.

Local nodes which do not use a modem or an interrupt line require no
special treatment.


DESQview Setup

Access the DESQview setup program by typing 'Setup' from the DV directory.
Select the advanced options. Of interest are the mouse and performance
setup sections.

Mouse: If you have a serial mouse, you may not be able to use it with
DESQview since you will probably want to use your available serial ports
and interrupts for Searchlight. A bus mouse can be used if available, as
long as the bus mouse adapter does not use interrupts which you may need
for COM ports other than COM1 and COM2 (on systems running 3 or more
lines).

Performance: We recommend you allocate between 4 and 8 clock cycles for
foreground and background tasks. More cycles may increase efficiency, but
also increase "choppiness". Fewer cycles reduce choppiness but decrease
overall throughput. It is generally best to use the same value for
foreground and background.

The more nodes you install, the smaller you should make the performance
numbers. On a 10 node system, we recommend using 1 or 2 clock ticks.

Select "Yes" for "Optimize Communications". This will give you better
performance for the BBS nodes.

Select "No" for "Allow Swapping of Programs". Since communications programs
are interrupt driven, they cannot be swapped to disk. Assuming you are
interested primarily in running Searchlight, swapping can be turned off.
(Note: When FOSSIL drivers or DigiBoards are used, it becomes possible to
swap Searchlight in and out of memory. However, the performance penalty for
doing so is usually too large to make swapping a practical option. If your
computer is a '286, you may want to experiment with this option if you need
to run more than 2 nodes).


Program Setup

Set up each Searchlight BBS node as a separate entry in DESQview, using
DESQview's Add Program feature. DESQview presents a menu of Basic options
as you create each entry, and provides Advanced options by pressing the F1
Key.

Basic options should be configured as follows:

Memory: Try to allocate at least 275K per node. You can use a minimum of
250K if necessary, but performance is somewhat better with more memory

                                                                        208



                                                             Using DESQview

available. Watch out for "out of memory" errors (code 202 and 203) if you
allocate too little RAM.

Program: Specify SLBBS.EXE as the program to run. If necessary, give the
full pathname (such as C:\SLBBS\SLBBS.EXE).

If you want to be able to see ANSI graphics locally, you need to run
Searchlight from a batch file and load the DVANSI driver program before
Searchlight. However, this uses significantly more RAM, and should not be
done unless you have at least 240K available for the window.

Directory: Give the home directory for that node (location of the
CONFIG.SL2 file). Make sure each node has a separate home directory.

Writes Text Directly to Screen: N

Make sure all nodes are configured for BIOS screen writes. This will allow
Searchlight to run in the background and in small windows under DV. On 386
PCs, direct screen writes can be used as long as you tell DESQview to
Virtualize Text.

Displays Graphics Information: N
Virtualize Text/Graphics: N

Choose "N" if you have Searchlight configured for BIOS operation. If you
prefer to configure Searchlight for direct screen writes, you should enter
"T" here.

Uses Serial Ports: 1,2 or Y

For each node, give the serial port (1 or 2) which that node will use. If
the node uses a standard serial port other than COM1 or COM2, specify "Y"
for this option. On nodes that use external drivers (i.e. DigiBoard or
FOSSIL drivers) this setting is unimportant.

Requires Floppy Diskette: N

After configuring the Basic options, press F1 to access the "Advanced
Options" screen. Of the fields on this screen, the majority should be left
in the default state. Below are the fields that apply to Searchlight, and
the recommended values for each:

Can Be Swapped Out: N

Interrupt driven communications programs should remain in memory at all
times. Swapping is possible if you use a DigiBoard or FOSSIL driver, but is
impractical; see note above.

Uses Its Own Colors: Y

Searchlight uses its own display colors.

Runs in Background: Y
Share CPU when Foreground: Y


                                                                        209



                                                             Using DESQview

These options will allow you to multitask and run all nodes at the same
time.

Uses Math Coprocessor: N
Share EGA When Foreground/Zoomed: N

Check your DESQview manual for more information about the other options
that are displayed.


Memory Issues

Searchlight is one of the most memory-efficient programs you'll find in the
BBS environment. With a mere 250K memory requirement, it's designed to run
effectively in small DESQview windows.

However, you may find that DOOR programs, front end mailers, utilities, and
programs you run as events may require more memory than Searchlight. Since
Searchlight requires about 50K for its in-memory kernel when executing a
DOOR program, external protocol, or event, the actual amount of RAM
available to those programs will be equal to the size of the DESQview
window minus 50K, minus any RAM resident programs that might reside in that
window (such as DVANSI or a front end mailer).

On 386 and 486 PCs, DESQview is capable of running programs in extended 386
memory (which is actually converted to expanded memory by QEMM). That means
that with a 386 or 486, you can increase the amount of RAM available to
your windows simply by purchasing more system RAM for your computer.
DESQview 386 automatically makes the RAM available and can open windows of
up to about 600K in size. The only limitation is that DESQview cannot
overlap any of your base 640K ram with expanded memory. That means that
your first 640K of memory can be used to run either two very small windows,
or one large window, or a combination of a large window and a memory
resident program (like a RAMdisk or disk cache). Use DESQview's Memory
Status (MS) program to assess your system's available RAM.

On 286 systems your choices are more limited. In general, DESQview can run
programs only in the 640K base memory, which normally limits you to two
windows of around 250K each in size. Expanded memory can be put to good use
as RAMdisks or disk cache memory; the first 64K of extended memory can be
used to run DESQview itself.

If you do need to run larger windows, it's possible if you have Enhanced
Expanded Memory (EEMS) hardware. DESQview can run programs in EEMS memory,
but generally you'll have to arrange your memory map so that your EEMS
memory provides some of the base 640K RAM in your PC. Otherwise, there will
probably not be a large enough mapping area to provide the 250K necessary
to run Searchlight. For more information about this subject, see your DV
manual.


Performance Issues

The more RAM that's available in your system, the better performance you
can get out of Searchlight BBS. But just having the RAM available isn't

                                                                        210



                                                             Using DESQview

enough. There are three main ways to use additional RAM memory on your
system wisely, and each can dramatically improve the speed of your BBS.

o Allocate more RAM to Searchlight and increase the size of the overlay
  buffer. When Searchlight is given more than its minimum RAM requirement,
  it keeps frequently needed file information in memory and builds tables
  and buffers that help reduce the number of disk accesses required for
  many operations. Additionally, more DOS memory means you can increase
  the size of your overlay buffer, which decreases the amount of disk
  reads Searchlight needs to perform as it runs. Searchlight can
  profitably use approximately 70-80K of memory above its minimum
  requirement. Beyond that amount, the memory will be wasted unless you
  need it for doors or events.

o Use a RAM cache and allocate as much memory to it as possible. RAM cache
  software is by far the most valuable utility you can add to your system.
  Even the smallest disk caches will improve performance a great deal; the
  larger the buffer, the fewer disk reads that need to be performed, and
  the faster your system will run. Cache software with a buffered (staged)
  write mode is ideal for use with Searchlight, and will speed up your
  system even more.

  Always use expanded memory, not extended memory, with disk cache and RAM
  disk software. It is best to avoid the use of extended memory entirely,
  except for running DESQview itself. That's because the procedure that is
  required for the CPU to access extended memory can cause it to lose
  track of pending interrupts, and thus pending data coming in from the
  serial ports. When purchasing memory for a 286, always buy an expanded
  memory board. The extended/expanded distinction doesn't apply to 386 and
  486 PCs.

o Install a RAM disk and use it to store frequently used files, such as
  Searchlight's EXE and OVR files. When storing Searchlight files on a RAM
  disk, be sure to update the data path lines in your CONFIG files to
  reflect the new drive/directory paths. Don't store data files (files
  that are written to and change during the program's execution) on RAM
  disks.

  The recommended files for RAM disk storage are STRINGS.SYS, CHAT.SL2,
  BBS.EXE and BBS.OVR, FILES.EXE and FILES.OVR, and the menu (*.MNU)
  files. Note that if your overlay (OVR) files are all on RAM disk, it's
  generally not necessary to load them into EMS memory, since disk access
  from a RAM disk is nearly as fast.


Fine Tuning

Best efficiency can be obtained if you use Searchlight's modem output
buffering (Output Buffering Factor = 32) on all nodes that have standard
serial ports. Output buffering lets Searchlight dump output into a holding
area in RAM, which is then spooled out to the modem as a background task.
The spooling takes place as an interrupt and is more or less independent of
DESQview's task switching.



                                                                        211



                                                             Using DESQview

When using more than 2 nodes, we recommend an intelligent DigiBoard
hardware device for communications. See Appendix H for more information.

When you watch Searchlight locally, the output may appear "choppy" on
screen; that is, it will start, stop, then start again, etc. However, the
remote user will see a much smoother, steady flow of characters, especially
at lower baud rates (2400 baud and below). So you should be aware that even
if you see a choppy, hesitant display at your end, it does not mean your
users are seeing the same thing. Either ask your users, or log in from a
remote terminal yourself, to see the difference.

Set "Buffer Door Programs" to Yes, for best performance when running doors.
Should incompatibilities or system errors arise when running Door programs,
you can disable output buffering during Door programs by setting this
option back to No.

If you use a high speed modem on one node and a slower modem on the other,
you may want to adjust the performance (clock cycles) and allocate more CPU
time to the quicker modem.

ASCII uploading to the message editor places the largest load on the system
in terms of input and output. That's because Searchlight echoes characters
as they are typed, thus creating a two way flow of information. We
recommend using Xmodem protocol uploads if ASCII uploads present a problem.

Many RS232 ports are not designed for speeds greater than 9600 baud. If you
plan to use high speed modems, you may want to purchase high speed UART
chips (16550 chips). Some standard UART chips can lose characters at speeds
above 9600. Note that the speed of output is also dependent upon your CPU
speed. Slow computers may not be able to provide maximum throughput,
regardless of the UART chips used.

























                                                                        212



                                                  Appendix A   Activity Log

                                APPENDIX A
                          USING THE ACTIVITY LOG

Searchlight's LOGIN program can be configured to generate a continuous
record of all logins and logouts to the system. The generation of the
activity log is controlled by placing a log filename in the CONFIG program
(see "Pathnames Setup", p. 25)

When logging is active, Searchlight generates a text log file (typically
called ACTIVITY.LOG). Each time a user logs into the BBS, and each time the
BBS resets the modem after a call, one line of data is added to this file.
You can view the logfile with the TYPE command or with a word processor, or
other software that displays text files.

The data in ACTIVITY.LOG consists of lines of two types. The line generated
when a user logs in to the BBS contains six or seven pieces of information,
arranged in fields, and looks like this:

     Y 911015 1745 24 * MICHAEL KLEIN, Nissequoge, NY

The leftmost character, Y or N, shows the status of ANSI graphics when the
user logged in; N means no graphics, Y means color or monochrome graphics.
This is followed by a six-character field containing the date of the login,
in YYMMDD (year, month, day) format. The next four-space field contains the
time of the login in the format HHMM (hour, minute). The time is given as a
24-hour time. The next field gives the baud rate for the logon; 3 means 300
baud, 12 is 1200, etc. An 'L' in this field, right-justified (i.e. preceded
by one space) indicates that the login was from the local terminal rather
than via modem.

Immediately following the baud rate is either an asterisk (as shown above),
a "+" sign, or a "-" sign. An asterisk indicates that this is the first
logon by a new user; a "+" sign indicates an "invisible" login (by a Sysop
or CoSysop), and a "-" indicates a regular visible login by an established
user.

The remainder of the line contains the user's name, terminated by an end of
line character sequence (CR/LF). In the case of a new user, the user's name
is followed by a comma and then the user's location, as show above. The
location information is recorded only on a user's 1st call.

Each of the fields is followed by a single blank space, as shown in the
example line above. In the date and time fields, numbers less than 10 will
appear with leading zeros.

Upon resetting after a call, Searchlight logs a termination line to the
activity file. The terminate line contains only the time and date fields,
in the same format as above:

     911015 1822

The data is preceded by two blank spaces. This serves to align the date and
time with the dates and times in the login lines, and to mark the line as a
terminating log entry.


                                                                        213



                                                  Appendix A   Activity Log

These two lines together:

     Y 921015 1745 24 * MICHAEL KLEIN, Nissequoge, NY
       921015 1822

indicate that a new user named MICHAEL KLEIN signed on to the BBS at 5:45pm
on October 15th, 1992. He called at 2400 baud and selected ANSI graphics
mode at login, and he logged off at 6:22pm.

Here's a printout of what a small section of an activity log file might
look like:

------------------------------------------
Y 921015 1745  L + SYSOP
  921015 1757
Y 921015 1855 96 - EUGENE CHOI
  921015 1924
N 921015 1943 24 * TABBY SHANK, Cleveland, OH
  921015 1947
Y 921015 1952 24 - CLIFF HELLER
  921015 2009
  921015 2015
N 921015 2039 96 - GUEST
  921015 2042
Y 921015 2046 24 - KYLE SILFER
  921015 2104
N 921015 2113 96 * CHRISTINA MARSIELLO, Brooklyn, NY
  921015 2144
------------------------------------------

Note that it's perfectly possible, as shown in the example, to have two (or
more) terminate-type lines in a row. Since the line is written whenever
Searchlight resets, it can occur twice if a caller connects but hangs up
before logging in. Terminate type lines not immediately preceded by login
lines may simply be ignored.


Using The Activity Log File

There are many ways in which the ACTIVITY.LOG file can be used. As you've
probably guessed, the format of the file is designed to allow it to be read
by programs rather than humans, although it's not quite so cryptic that you
can't read it directly.

Programs which read the ACTIVITY.LOG file could compute many statistics
about the operation of your BBS. Once you've accumulated several weeks or
months worth of information, you could compute such things as:

  o  total number of calls within a given period of time
  o  number of new users added
  o  percentages of callers calling at specific baud rates
  o  average duration of calls
  o  average number of calls per day or week
  o  average number of users requesting ANSI graphics


                                                                        214



                                                  Appendix A   Activity Log

A sample program which reads the ACTIVITY.LOG file, called SLSTAT, is
included on your SLBBS distribution disks; you can also write such programs
yourself, using the above information as a guide for reading the log file.

ACTIVITY.LOG also gives you a permanent record of all calls made to your
system. The DOS FIND command, or a similar utility, can be used to locate
specific information in the log file. For example, the DOS command

     FIND "JOHN MURROW" ACTIVITY.LOG

will search the ACTIVITY.LOG file and print out all lines which contain the
name JOHN MURROW (this would be all the times that JOHN MURROW logged in to
the system). The command

     FIND "*" ACTIVITY.LOG

will show the first logins of all new users (since the last time the log
file was cleared). FIND is a program that comes with DOS; it should be
available on the DOS disk you received with your computer.

Since the log file will grow continuously, you'll need to delete it every
once in a while. The best scheme, if you wish to keep an ongoing record of
calls, is to make a backup copy of ACTIVITY.LOG periodically (every month,
six months, etc.) and store the backup on floppy disks or tape. Then simply
delete the ACTIVITY.LOG file from your disk; a new file will be created
with the next login.






























                                                                        215




                                                Appendix B   Error Messages

                                APPENDIX B
                          GUIDE TO ERROR MESSAGES

Searchlight BBS is designed in such a way that the most common kinds of
errors that occur are displayed on your screen in English, and don't cause
your BBS to crash or go down. Occasionally, however, you may encounter a
problem that causes Searchlight to produce a numeric error message,
sometimes causing the software to terminate. You'll find that these types
of errors are usually related to systemwide problems like bad DOS filenames
or lack of file handles.

If you encounter a numeric error message, you should write down both the
error number and the error address, if it is displayed. Then consult the
list below for further information. If you get an error message that's not
on this list, or if you can't resolve the problem, contact Searchlight
Software with the complete error message and description of the problem.


Errors 2 and 3 (File/Path does not exist)

This error indicates that Searchlight is trying to read a file on the disk,
and the file does not exist. There are several possible causes:

(1) The Program Path specified in the CONFIG program points to an invalid
pathname, or the program files do not exist in the specified directory.

(2) A pathname or filename specified in the CONFIG program does not exist,
or is an illegal name.

(3) An illegal or nonexistent pathname was specified in a menu file.

Check all of your CONFIG settings carefully, especially those on the
Pathnames Setup screen. A missing or misspelled pathname or filename is the
usual cause of these errors.


Error 4 (Too many open files)

This message will occur the first time you try to execute Searchlight or
the CONFIG program if your system doesn't have enough file handles
available. The solution to this problem is simple; you must insert the line
"Files=30" (or higher) into your CONFIG.SYS file, as discussed in the
installation instructions (see p. 7). Be sure to reboot your system after
editing your CONFIG.SYS, in order to install the new configuration.


Error 100 (Disk read error)

This error will occur if a data file on disk is corrupted or otherwise
damaged. If Error 100 occurs when trying to log in, read a message, or
access a user record, it indicates a problem with one or more of the
Searchlight data files. Usually, you can recover your data files by taking
the following steps:

     (1)  Exit from Searchlight and type CHKDSK/F at the command prompt;

                                                                        217



                                                Appendix B   Error Messages

     (2)  For a problem that's related to Searchlight's user file, run
        Searchlight and use the User/Balance command;

     (3)  For a problem that's related to a particular message subboard,
        run the CONFIG program and execute the subboard repair functions
        (see p. 53);

     (4)  For a problem related to a file area, run the Files program and
        execute the 2-Sysop/Balance command.

If you cannot run the SLBBS and log in normally, you will usually be able
to run the BBS or FILES module directly by typing those commands at your
DOS prompt.


Error 101 (Disk or Directory is full)

This error occurs if Searchlight must create a file (such as when you
create a new subboard or file directory or when you first set up
Searchlight BBS) and the disk or directory is full. The solution is to
delete some files or create a new directory.


Error 202 (Stack Overflow)
Error 203 (Heap Overflow)

These errors indicate an "out-of-memory" condition. Usually this is caused
by a lack of available memory; to correct the problem, increase the amount
of memory available by reducing the size of RAM-disks and other memory
resident software.

Stack Overflow errors sometimes occur when accessing the User file (in the
main BBS program) or a file directory file (in the FILES program) if the
binary tree structure is corrupted or badly "unbalanced". If you get this
error, try "rebalancing" your user or directory files (using the Balance
commands in the Files and BBS programs). If Stack or Heap Overflow messages
persist, please contact us.


SHARE Errors

Multiuser versions of Searchlight BBS require that SHARE.EXE or an
equivalent operating system function be loaded when running multiple nodes.
If there is a problem with a Share call, Searchlight may report one of the
following messages:

     Share not detected. Load SHARE.EXE or equivalent.

Searchlight could not perform a Share call (DOS function 5C) successfully.
The most likely cause is that SHARE is not loaded. Run the program
SHARE.EXE from your AUTOEXEC file when you boot your computer, and before
loading Searchlight BBS.

SHARE.EXE is provided with DOS 3.1 and later. See your DOS manual for more
information.

                                                                        218



                                                Appendix B   Error Messages

     SHARE buffer overflow

Share did not have enough memory to handle the lock requests made by
Searchlight. Increase Share's memory allocation by using Share's /F: and
/L: startup parameters (recommended values if you get this error message
are /F:4096 and /L:50).

     LOCK error on file
     UNLOCK error on file

These messages indicate a general breakdown of the lock/unlock system. This
can happen if one node on your BBS locks a file, and then crashes, or
otherwise keeps the file in a locked state. The recommended recovery is to
reboot your system.

If these errors are consistent, you may have a problem with the way Share
calls are handled on your system.


Other Errors

Other errors in the range 5-6, 16-17, and 150-162 are DOS errors indicating
disk or device access errors. Check your disk, files, and directories and
try the command again.

If other errors occur, please write down the exact error message as well as
the exact conditions that caused the error, and contact us. Be sure to
include your SLBBS version number, DOS version number, and the equipment
you use. We will try to diagnose the problem as quickly as possible.



























                                                                        219




                                              Appendix C   Automatic Events

                                APPENDIX C
                             AUTOMATIC EVENTS

Searchlight's Login program provides a flexible event feature. An "Event"
is a DOS command, executable program, or BATCH file that's set to execute
at a given time and date. Searchlight scans the list of events when you
start it up, and executes them at the proper time.

Events execute only when Searchlight is offline -- waiting for a call at
the initial display screen. To ensure that the system will actually be
waiting for a call at the moment that an event is to be executed,
Searchlight will adjust the time limit of a user's session (but not a
user's daily time limit) when necessary, and warn a user logging on if an
event will occur shortly. While the event is in progress, Searchlight
issues the "local init string" to the modem, causing it to keep the
telephone off hook (busy) during the time it takes to execute the given
procedure.


Setting Up The EVENT.DEF File

Events are configured by creating a text file called EVENT.DEF in your BBS
system's home directory. The EVENT.DEF file takes three or four fields per
line, separated by spaces, like this:

     [date] <time> <directory> <command>

The date can be given in "month/day/year" or "month-day-year" format; times
are given in 24 hour format as "hh:mm". Note that you can omit the date
entirely, this creating events that execute every day. Also, you can give a
value of zero for the month or year, creating events that occur monthly or
annually. The time must be given exactly; no event can execute more
frequently than once per day (but you can create several identical events
if you wish to run the same procedures more than once a day).

<Directory> is the drive and directory that will be switched to before the
Event is executed. If you want to stay in the current directory, just use
"." for this field. <Command> specifies the command to be run. This can be
a .COM or .EXE file, a DOS command, or a .BAT file. Be sure to give the
full .COM or .EXE extension on executable files, to prevent an extra
COMMAND.COM shell from being loaded. Since events occur when the system is
offline, there are no options for modem support; all events occur locally,
with no attempt to channel the output to a remote user. Like Doors,
however, events can use almost all of the memory available in the machine
when run, and can access the Searchlight files if desired.


Running Events On Multiuser Systems

On multiuser Searchlight systems, each node can have its own EVENT.DEF file
and its own set of events. Because it is usually undesirable to have the
same events execute simultaneously on several nodes, all nodes look only in
their home directories for the EVENT.DEF file, and do not attempt to read
anyone else's list of events.


                                                                        221



                                              Appendix C   Automatic Events


Sample Events

Here is a sample EVENT.DEF file. Notice that you can leave blank lines in
the text, and give comments by using the # symbol.


# Searchlight BBS Event.Def file
# Format is:  [mm/dd/yy] hh:mm  Directory Command Parameters

# Run Tradewars Maintenance program at 3 am
03:00 \TW500 TWMAINT.EXE

# Run daily backup procedure at 4:30am
04:30 . Backup.BAT

# Wish Paul a Happy Birthday
8/20/00 09:31 C:\BBS SLMAIL.EXE S MAIL -tPaul Casey -sHappy Birthday! -
xB.TXT


SLMAIL is a program provided with the Searchlight package; its syntax is
described in Appendix F of this manual.

































                                                                        222



                                           Appendix D   Modem Configuration

                                APPENDIX D
                            MODEM CONFIGURATION

In order for Searchlight to work properly, your modem must be at least
minimally compatible with the Hayes Smartmodem standard. These things are
generally required:

  o  The modem must assert the Carrier Detect (CD) signal when a carrier is
     detected, and remove it when carrier is absent;

  o  The modem must hang up the telephone in response to a negative toggle
     on the Data Terminal Ready (DTR) line;

  o  The modem must respond with a "CONNECT" or "CONNECT xxxx" message when
     connecting to a remote modem (where "xxxx" is the baud rate). This is
     only required if you use the "Modem Msg" method of baud rate
     detection.

Most modems have options to disable the CD and DTR signals, either via dip
switches or commands. If your modem uses dip switches, you must configure
the switches to show the "true" state of CD, and respond to the DTR signal
from the computer. If commands are required, you must place the commands in
the modem remote initialization string; on most modems the commands "&C1"
and "&D3" will work. Remember that you can enter more than one modem
command in the modem initialization string -- most modems will accept
several AT commands strung together (i.e. ATH0M0S0=1), and if not, you can
use the "!" character to generate a carriage return. If you send several
commands separated by carriage returns you may also need to place one or
more "~" characters after each command to allow the modem enough time to
complete the command before executing the next instruction.

If your modem has a speaker, you will probably want to disable it while
your BBS is running. You can do this by inserting the command to turn off
the speaker into your Remote Init String (usually ATM0).

If your modem does not answer the telephone, chances are that modem
register S0 needs to be initialized to a nonzero value. While most modems
initialize S0 to 1 when reset, some, particularly internal modems,
initialize it to 0, preventing the modem from answering any calls. Use the
command

     ATS0=1!

in your remote initialization string (this command is present in the
default init string when you first set up Searchlight).

If your modem won't hang up the phone at the end of each session (i.e.
after the GOODBYE command is executed), it means that the modem is ignoring
the status of the DTR signal coming from the computer. This is a common
situation, and can usually be corrected by setting a dip switch on the
modem or issuing the "&D" modem command. If you can't correct this problem,
try setting your modem init string to:

     ~~~+++~~~ATH!


                                                                        223



                                           Appendix D   Modem Configuration

This will cause Searchlight to perform a soft-reset of the modem at the end
of each call by sending the modem escape sequence, followed by the hangup
command. Since this method takes longer and is less reliable than a
hardware hangup, it is recommended that you use it only if you can't get
the hardware hangup to work.

When sending a command to the modem, Searchlight will wait for the modem to
respond with an "OK" message. If the "OK" is not received, the program will
print a warning message on the screen. If this happens it indicates that
your modem is not responding; usually, this means that your modem is turned
off, connected to the wrong communications port, or improperly connected.
You should check the modem and try to alleviate the problem. If you receive
this message the first time you run your BBS, make sure that the COM port
selected in option 1 on the configuration menu corresponds to the port to
which the modem is connected, and make sure that the baud rates selected
(options 2-7) correspond to the baud rates supported by your modem. Some
modems have a dip switch that can be set to have the modem ignore all
commands; make sure this switch is turned off. If you continue to have
difficulty, it could indicate that your modem is not Hayes compatible (or
needs to be configured for Hayes compatibility) or that your communications
ports, computer, or operating system are not IBM compatible; although this
is rarely the case.

If you are attempting to use COM3 or COM4, please see the note below.


Remote Baud Detection

Searchlight BBS can be configured to determine the baud rate of an incoming
call in one of two ways, according to the value in the "Baud Detect Method"
field on the Communications Setup screen. When this field is set to "Modem
Msg", the program reads the modem connect message; when set to "Key Hit",
it samples keyboard input to determine the baud rate.

The modem message method is preferred, since it does not require that you
strike the RETURN key before Searchlight recognizes you. However, this
method requires a Hayes compatible modem configured to respond with the
proper message (i.e. CONNECT 2400, CONNECT 9600, etc). The keystroke method
requires that you press the RETURN key on the remote terminal several times
before the connection is established; however, this method will work with
non-Hayes compatible modems and with other types of connections, such as
hardwired null-modem connections.

If your BBS answers the telephone but connects at the wrong baud rate (for
example, if it registers a 300 baud connection even though a 2400 baud call
has been made), it indicates that the modem is not sending the proper
connect message to Searchlight (in this case, "CONNECT 2400"). Some modems
can be configured to send the CONNECT message as numbers instead of words,
or just send "CONNECT" without a baud rate, or not send any message at all.
You will have to configure your modem -- either through dip switches or via
commands in the modem init string -- to send the proper message when
connecting. Since these operations are nonstandard and vary from modem to
modem, you will have to check the manual that came with your modem for the
proper switch settings and commands for your modem (or try one of the
recommended modem strings below).

                                                                        224



                                           Appendix D   Modem Configuration

If you have this problem and don't have an "ATS0=1" in your init string,
try adding that; "ATX4" may also be necessary for some modems.

It is expected that the "CONNECT xxxx" message will be sent at the highest
baud rate that's been selected for your BBS in options 2 through 7 on the
configuration menu. Many modems will actually send the connect message at
whatever speed the last command from the computer was sent at. For this
reason, we recommend that you always have a modem init string; if you don't
need to send any commands to your modem, just send

     AT!

as this will cause the modem to be reset to its highest operating speed at
the start of each new call. Remember to add the ! character at the end of
your modem init strings. Leaving off the ! is a common mistake.

If you can't get your modem to connect properly using the modem message
method, use the keystroke method instead.


Modem Output Buffering

Searchlight BBS normally uses a two-way system of interrupt-driven i/o
buffering. What this means is that both input and output are buffered.

Buffered input means that characters entering Searchlight from the modem --
keys typed by the remote user -- are stored in a buffer for use when they
are needed. This allows you to "type ahead" without losing any characters;
the keys you type appear whenever Searchlight is next able to accept them.

Buffered output is also supported. Output buffering allows your system to
"dump" many characters of output into a buffer, and "spool" these output
characters to the modem at the modem's speed, even while the BBS is
performing other tasks. Modem output is done in the background. Using an
output buffer has an important effect on the speed of the BBS as viewed
from the remote end.

However, we have found that modem output buffering doesn't work properly
with all systems. In a few cases, using an output buffer will cause the BBS
to run much more slowly than it should. If you experience any problem
running Searchlight with an output buffer, it is suggested that you disable
the output buffer. To disable output buffering, simply enter a value of 0
in the "Output Buffering Factor" field on the Communications Setup menu.


COM Port Addresses

Searchlight BBS supports virtually any IBM compatible COM port. Although
you can only specify values of 1 thru 4 for the COM port number, these
values actually reference a table of COM port parameters, and can refer to
any physical COM port you have, as long as you know the port's physical
address (base address) and interrupt request (IRQ) number.

For reference, here is a list of the default port locations and IRQ lines
used by Searchlight:

                                                                        225



                                           Appendix D   Modem Configuration

     Port      Base Address        Interrupt Request
      COM1           3F8 (Hex)           IRQ 4
      COM2           2F8            IRQ 3
      COM3           3E8            IRQ 4
      COM4           2E8            IRQ 3

Keep in mind that on many systems, COM3 and COM4 will have a port address
and interrupt different than those shown here. If Searchlight's values for
COM3 or COM4 do not match those used by your hardware, you can change them
by using the Communications Setup menu in the CONFIG program (see p. 23).

If you have COM ports on your system beyond COM4, you can easily use them:
just set the value for COM3 or COM4 equal to the base address and interrupt
for the port you'd like to use.


High Speed Modems

Searchlight BBS includes full support for modern, high-speed and MNP
capable modems. Features include Locked DTE rate support up to 38,400 baud
and hardware flow control for high speed modems. Options #11 and 12,
located on the Communications Setup screen in the CONFIG program, implement
high speed features:


11. Locked Baud Rate .............. None
12. Hardware Flow Control ......... Off


Locked Baud Rate specifies a fixed speed at which Searchlight BBS (as well
as all DOOR programs and external protocols) will communicate with your
modem. The fixed baud rate can be any speed up to 38,400 baud. However,
since the communications ports used in many PC's are not capable of running
at speeds greater than 9600 baud, you should use the 19,200 and 38,400 baud
speeds with caution.

Hardware Flow Control specifies that Searchlight will use the CTS (clear to
send) modem signal to handshake with the modem; that is, Searchlight will
transmit only when the modem indicates it is ready to receive characters
and will pause when the modem indicates that it is temporarily unable to
receive new data.

In general, Locked Baud Rate and Hardware Flow Control should be used
together and should only be used with modems that support these features
(these include most 9600 baud modems and MNP modems). Using a locked baud
rate greater than the actual baud rate provided by the modem allows many
modems to take advantage of data compression, error checking, and internal
buffering, all of which increase the speed at which data can be received
and transmitted. Of course, your modem must be properly configured (via
modem init strings) to perform buffering and/or data compression.

When a locked baud rate is in effect, all stand-alone Door programs (those
programs which use their own modem i/o) and all external protocols used
must support hardware flow control (CTS handshaking). Searchlight will pass


                                                                        226



                                           Appendix D   Modem Configuration

the locked baud rate, rather than the actual baud rate, to all external
programs that use the command-line metacharacters to obtain a baud rate.

Most high speed modems have internal RAM buffers. Since Searchlight has no
control over a modem's internal buffer, users may notice sluggish operation
of hot keys and the pause/break commands when using your system. These
problems are usually more pronounced at low baud rates. Some modems provide
modem commands to help deal with the problem.


Recommended Modem Init Strings

The following Remote Init String will configure most standard 2400 baud
modems for use with Searchlight BBS:

     ATH0M0&C1&D3S0=1!

This string will work for most 9600, 14400, or 16800 baud modems and most
MNP or error correcting 2400 baud modems:

     ATH0M0&C1&D3&K3W2S0=1!



































                                                                        227




                                                   Appendix E   Alias Names

                                APPENDIX E
                             USING ALIAS NAMES

An alias is a different name for the same thing. Searchlight BBS supports
the use of alias usernames in place of actual usernames when sending mail,
changing options, etc. In addition, Searchlight can define group alias
names, where one name stands for a group of usernames.

For example, if your name is Roger Armstrong but you log in to your BBS
using the SYSOP account, you can set "Roger Armstrong" to be an alias name
for SYSOP. When a user tries to send a message and types ROGER ARMSTRONG as
the name of the receiver, Searchlight automatically reroutes the message to
SYSOP. In addition, you can use the alias feature to set up group names. A
group name is similar to an alias name, except that it is the alias for a
group of two or more usernames. When you send mail to the group name, the
message is sent to all users in the group.

Alias names are defined by creating a file called ALIAS.DEF in your main
BBS working directory. The format is very simple, just enter each line in
the following format:

     ALIASNAME = USERNAME

or:

     GROUPNAME = USERNAME1, USERNAME2, USERNAME3, ...

for example,

  ROGER ARMSTRONG = SYSOP
  CLIFF HELLER = FNORD
  CLIENTS = BILL JONES, EUGENE CHOI, GREG RECCO, EILEEN WINTERS
  GIRLFRIENDS = ETHEL MERMAN, EDITH KEELER, GRACE JONES, ROBERTA LINCOLN

If one line is not enough to type all the names in a group name, you can
continue on additional lines. Just make sure the last character on all
lines except the last line is a comma. Leading and trailing spaces are
optional and can be included for clarity.

Alias names are valid at any place you can type a user name, except at the
login prompt. Group names are valid at the "Send To" and "cc To" prompts
from the Mail command and as destinations for the Forward subcommand at any
submenu. When you send or forward a message to a group, all group members
receive the message in their mailbox. You can even send mail to several
group addresses at once, specifying each group name at the "cc To" prompt;
all users in all groups get the message.

Notice that you can only alias an invalid username (a name which does not
appear in your Searchlight User file) to a valid name which does appear in
the user file. For example, the command

  SYSOP = ROGER ARMSTRONG

will not work. You cannot redirect the name SYSOP since Searchlight finds
that name in its user file, before it ever looks at the alias definitions.

                                                                        229



                                                   Appendix E   Alias Names

In fact, the ALIAS.DEF file is only processed when a particular username
can't be located in the regular User file.






















































                                                                        230



                                                        Appendix F   SLMAIL

                                APPENDIX F
                      THE SLMAIL COMMAND LINE UTILITY


Introduction

SLMAIL is a command-line utility program which can read Fidonet message
files or text files and send them to Searchlight BBS as messages, or read
messages from Searchlight BBS and 'export' them to Fidonet messages or text
files (even the DOS standard input and output can be used). SLMAIL is
designed to be called by other programs or batch files; it uses command
line switches for all options.

With the proper software, SLMAIL can be used as a "driver" program to
extract or deliver text messages to or from your BBS's data files, saving
the main program from having to open and manage Searchlight's data files on
its own. For example, SLMAIL could be used:

  o  To forward 'script' questionnaire replies to the Sysop;
  o  To create archival files of message base discussions;
  o  To move messages from one BBS system to another;
  o  To automatically send reports to the Sysop's mailbox;
  o  To connect your BBS to an international network like Fidonet(tm).



SYNTAX

The SLMAIL.EXE program is installed when you install Searchlight from its
distribution disks. The general syntax for running the program is as
follows:

     SLMAIL command address [options]

Command is R (to read text), S (to send text), E (to export Fido messages)
or I (to import Fido messages);

Address is the name of a subboard on your system;

Options are:

  -x<filename>      Name of the input file (for "Send" text commands) or
                    output file (for "Read" text commands)
  -p <pathname>     Pathname to the CONFIG.SL2 file (if not in the current
                    directory)
  -g <pathname>     Pathname where Fido *.MSG files are read or written

For Send commands:

  -f <username>     Name of user from whom the message is "from"
  -t <username>     Name of the user to whom the message is "to"
  -s <text>         Text of the "Subject" field
  -w <text>         Text of the "Forwarded-From" field



                                                                        231



                                                        Appendix F   SLMAIL


For Import commands:

  -k                Kill *.MSG files after importing
  -i                Import "Seen-By" lines
  -a                Import all messages
  -d                Disable threading/indexing on import

For Read and Export commands:

  -b <date>         Specifies the earliest date to read
  -e <date>         Specifies the latest date to read
  -m                Provides "more" prompting
  -l                Converts names to upper/lowercase format
  -n                Get new messages only
  -r                Get personal messages only


Unlike most command-line driven software, SLMAIL allows embedded spaces in
parameters and spaces after option switches. Thus, you can enter user names
and text strings with embedded spaces on the SLMAIL command line. Note that
if you type SLMAIL with no parameters, a list of options is displayed.



READING AND SENDING TEXT FILES

SLMAIL lets you retrieve messages from your Searchlight data files (public
messages or private) and write them to regular DOS text files, or place the
contents of text files into Searchlight mail or messages. These operations
are performed with the R (Read) and S (Send) subcommands. Here are some
examples:


SLMAIL S MAIL -t Sysop -s Local Area BBS List -x BBSLIST.TXT

This command loads the text file BBSLIST.TXT and sends it to the Sysop as
an electronic mail message with the subject "Local Area BBS List". The
message will also be "from" the Sysop, since SLMAIL defaults to Sysop if
the -f flag is not given. Since the -p flag was not used, this command must
be given in the same directory where CONFIG.SL2 is located.


TOPTEN | SLMAIL S MAIL -tSysop -s Top 10 Listing

This is similar to the above command, except that the text of the message
is not loaded from a particular file but from the standard input stream. In
this example, the program TOPTEN is run and its output is "piped" into
SLMAIL using the standard DOS "|" symbol.


SLMAIL S MAIL -t Joe Smith -f Mike Green -s Monday Night's Game -x G.TXT




                                                                        232



                                                        Appendix F   SLMAIL

This example sends a mail message from user Mike Green to user Joe Smith.
The subject is "Monday Night's Game" and the text is read from the file
G.TXT.


So far, we have demonstrated sending messages to particular mailboxes, by
specifying MAIL as the subboard name. To send public messages with SLMAIL,
specify the name of a public message subboard (one that you've created via
the CONFIG program). Here's an example:


DIR | SLMAIL S GENERAL -p C:\BBS

This command does a directory and sends the result as a public message to
the GENERAL subboard. Since no explicit to and from usernames were
provided, SLMAIL defaults the message to "All" and from "Sysop".

Also in this command, SLMAIL does not look for the CONFIG.SL2 file in the
current directory, but instead looks in C:\BBS for it; thus, this command
could be executed from within any directory, provided that the CONFIG.SL2
and SUBBOARD.SL2 files contain full pathname specifications to the GENERAL
subboard data files.


SLMAIL R SLBBS -b1/1/92 -e4/30/92 -m

This command reads all messages on subboard "SLBBS" that were posted
between January 1st and April 30th. The results are sent to the screen,
with "more" prompting.


Reading Personal Messages


SLMAIL R MAIL -r -tSysop -xSYSMAIL.TXT

This command will read the entire contents of the Sysop's mailbox and write
them to the text file SYSMAIL.TXT in the current directory.

Notice that the -r switch is used to tell SLMAIL to read personal messages
from the Mail subboard. Who's personal messages does SLMAIL read? The
username is specified by providing the -t switch on the command line. You
can read personal messages from any user and on any subboard, not just
MAIL, using this type of SLMAIL command.


Reading New Messages


SLMAIL R NATIVE -n -m -tMichael Ford

This command reads all new messages on subboard NATIVE and presents them
with "more" prompting. Which messages are new? SLMAIL uses the new message
pointer of the subboard member designated by the -t option. In this case,
Michael Ford's new message pointer is used.

                                                                        233



                                                        Appendix F   SLMAIL


SLMAIL R MAIL -tHenry Talisman -n -p -xMAIL.TXT

With the MAIL subboard, new messages are those messages which haven't been
read before, regardless of high message pointers. This command writes
Henry's new personal mail to a text file called MAIL.TXT.


















































                                                                        234



                                                        Appendix F   SLMAIL

IMPORTING AND EXPORTING ECHOMAIL MESSAGES

SLMAIL's Import and Export commands work similarly to Send and Read, except
that messages are read and written in the Fidonet 'MSG' file format. This
is an important format because these messages can participate in the
international Fido network, and other networks based on Fidonet technology,
thus allowing you to communicate with many different types of bulletin
board systems around the world via echomail facilities.

Please note that SLMAIL, by itself, does not give you access to echomail
forums. You will also require "front end" software to interface with other
nodes, and you will need authorization from your local network coordinator
in order to begin participating. For more information on how to get
started, contact other network users in your area. Information about
joining SL_NET, the Fidonet technology network for Searchlight sysops, is
available on our support BBS.

SLMAIL deals with MSG files -- the standard network message package used on
Fidonet technology networks. Before you try to set up mail, make sure you
have a front end mailer properly set up and configured so that it produces
MSG files from the network mail packets it receives, and can distribute MSG
files generated by SLMAIL into your network. SLMAIL does not read or write
the actual "packet" files that are transferred from system to system -- you
need to use a mail tosser product, or a front end mailer that provides the
tosser function, in conjunction with SLMAIL.


Fido Export

SLMAIL exports messages in the Fidonet *.MSG format when the E (export)
command option is given. For example,

     SLMAIL E PASCAL          Export messages on subboard "PASCAL"

     SLMAIL E PASCAL -N  Export new messages on subboard "PASCAL"

     SLMAIL E PASCAL -L  Export "PASCAL", convert usernames to lowercase

SLMAIL checks the current directory for *.MSG files and begins exporting
messages at the next highest message number. If no MSG files exist, then
exporting begins at 2.MSG and continues with 3.MSG, 4.MSG, etc.

Fidonet conventions require that user names be displayed using a
combination of upper and lowercase characters. By default, Searchlight BBS
and SLMAIL use all uppercase for usernames. You can change this default by
placing a -L switch on the SLMAIL command line when exporting messages.

The -N flag is normally used in conjunction with message exporting. In
order to avoid duplication of messages, use the -N flag each time you
export messages from a message subboard for inclusion in a message echo.
This will ensure that only new messages posted after the last export
command was used are selected for export.

How does SLMAIL keep track of which messages are "new" each time it
exports? The answer is that SLMAIL creates its own member record, called

                                                                        235



                                                        Appendix F   SLMAIL

"SLMAIL", in each subboard from which exporting occurs. This member record
maintains SLMAIL's high message pointer just like regular member records
contain your users' high message pointers. Should you wish to modify
SLMAIL's high message value, use the command 1-Member/HighMsg at
Searchlight's main menu, specifying SLMAIL as the user name. You may
especially wish to do this the first time you run SLMAIL, in order to
initialize it to the desired value.

SLMAIL will not export "protected" messages. Messages are protected in
Searchlight by editing the message and assigning a protected status when
prompted. Protecting a message gives you a way to enter a local message
into an otherwise echo-bound subboard area.

In addition to a message header and text, exported messages contain a tear
line, an Origin line, and a "Via" line. These are standard items which
other software will expect to find. Tear, Origin, and Via lines appear at
the end of an exported message and look like this:

     --- SLMAIL v3.0  (#0001)
     * Origin: Searchlight BBS (1:107/252)
     ^AVia SLMAIL v3.0  (#0001)

The first line (Tear line) contains the version number of the SLMAIL
program used to export the message, along with your unique Searchlight BBS
registration number. Next is the Origin line, which contains the name of
your BBS and your network node numbers (node numbers are entered on the
subboard setup screen; see p. 48). The Via line, not normally visible when
reading an Echomail message, serves to mark the message as having been
exported by your BBS. SLMAIL uses that information later to avoid
duplication of messages as they are imported and exported.


Fido Import

SLMAIL imports Fidonet *.MSG format files when the I (Import) command is
used. For example,

     SLMAIL I SYSOPS          Import messages to subboard "SYSOPS"

SLMAIL takes the *.MSG files in the current directory (starting with 2.MSG)
and imports them into the specified message area.

SLMAIL skips messages which were previously imported into your message base
or which were exported from your message base. If you do wish to import
such messages, use the -A (All) flag on the SLMAIL command line.

Messages are always imported in date and time sorted order. The process of
sorting messages is done before the importing begins, and may take some
time if you have a lot of messages to import.

Messages can be imported from a directory other than the current directory.
To do this, specify the MSG directory with the -G option on the SLMAIL
command line.



                                                                        236



                                                        Appendix F   SLMAIL

By default, "Seen-By" lines at the end of a message are ignored. If you
want to see these lines, add the -I switch to the SLMAIL command line.

If the -K (Kill) command line option is given, SLMAIL deletes each *.MSG
file as it is imported. The 1.MSG file (if it exists) is not deleted.

Messages imported by SLMAIL appear as regular messages in Searchlight BBS,
with only a few exceptions. Imported messages may contain lowercase
characters in the "to" and "from" header fields. They normally contain some
kind of tag line, similar to the origin line shown above, indicating the
name and address of the BBS which originated the message.

Searchlight lets you send private replies to imported messages; such
replies are called "Netmail". For more information about netmail, see page
189.


SLMAIL Configuration File

SLMAIL supports a configuration file, which allows you to provide the text
of "Origin" type lines used by your system and an alias name for your SYSOP
account. The configuration file is a text file called SLMAIL.CFG, which
should be located in your Searchlight BBS home directory. The file contains
just two lines of text, as follows:

     Default SYSOP alias
     Default origin line text

SYSOP alias is a name that SLMAIL will use in place of SYSOP when it
exports messages. Normally, you should put your name here. Origin text is
used in the "Origin" line appended by SLMAIL to each exported message. For
example, your SLMAIL.CFG file might contain:

     Tim Robbins
     Montauk BBS 516-555-2646

If you wish, you can provide a different SYSOP alias and default line for
each Echomail area you use. Create different CFG files using the name of
your subboard and the extension CFG; for example, PASCAL.CFG or
GENERAL.CFG. Place these files in the same directories where the other
subboard data files (HDR, MBR, MSG) are stored. The default values in
SLMAIL.CFG apply to all areas for which specific data is not provided.


Echomail Network Addresses

Each Echomail message that you send requires a network zone, net, node, and
sometimes a point address. These numbers are provided by the network
coordinators in your area and serve to identify your bulletin board in the
international network. They are included as part of the "Origin" line on
messages created with your system.

To install your network numbers, use the Subboard Maintenance portion of
the CONFIG program. Edit each echomail message subboard and insert your
address numbers. Because one bulletin board may wish to participate in

                                                                        237



                                                        Appendix F   SLMAIL

several different networks, Searchlight supports the designation of
different node numbers for each echomail subboard; if you will only be
using one set of node numbers, make sure you install these in each echomail
area on your system. The point address is not required, and should be left
with a value of zero if you do not have a point address.

See page 48 for more information about editing subboards.



NOTES

  o  SLMAIL is compatible with single or multiuser versions of Searchlight.
     SLMAIL assumes the node number of the CONFIG file it finds in the
     current directory or in the specified path. When SLMAIL is active, no
     other Searchlight BBS or SLMAIL process must be allowed to be active
     on the same node number.

  o  SLMAIL can run as part of a Door program or a scheduled event, as long
     as it accesses only the node from which the door or event was spawned.

  o  If no "forward-from" text is given when sending mail, SLMAIL inserts
     its name and version number in the forward-from field.

  o  The -D switch used with SLMAIL during fidonet imports disables SLMAIL
     from creating threads and the personal mail indexes that allow you to
     use the New/Personal function. Disabling these indexing operations
     will significantly improve the speed at which SLMAIL can import MSG
     files, and may be desirable if your system imports a large number of
     MSG files and you do not require threading or personal mail scans.

  o  For additional information about optimizing the performance of SLMAIL
     for importing and exporting, check your READ.ME file.























                                                                        238



                                    Appendix G   Internal Command Reference

                                APPENDIX G
                        INTERNAL COMMAND REFERENCE

The following internal command functions are available at all times, from
both the Main and Files menus:


Command #1 -- Exit to Previous Menu

     Causes an exit to the previous menu, when menus are called from other
     menus. This command has no effect if there are no previous menus.

     By default, this command exits back to the menu immediately previous
     to the current menu. However, you can provide a command line parameter
     to make the exit command go back two or more menus. For example, if
     you want to exit 2 menus back, enter 2 as the command line parameter
     for this command, etc.


Command #2 -- Redisplay Menu

     For Word and Character prompted menus, this command draws or
     redisplays the menu (command #2 is associated with the "Help" command
     on the standard menus).


Command #3 -- Pause for Keystroke

     This command produces the message, "Press [RETURN]:", and pauses until
     the Return key is pressed.


Command #158 -- Goodbye

     The Goodbye command is used to log off of the system. It can be placed
     on any menu in either the Main or Files systems, and works regardless
     of how many menus are active at the time.


Command #160 -- Display File

     Command number 160 displays a text file on the screen, complete with
     "more" prompts, color code translation, and support for ^S, ^Q and ^C
     keys. The command requires a parameter which is the filename to
     display. You can specify either plain filename, or a filename with a
     complete path and drive letter. You can also precede the filename with
     "@" to indicate a file from the system TEXT directory, or "%" to
     indicate a file from the INCLUDE directory. For example, "@INFO" would
     display the file INFO.TXT, INFO.ANS or INFO.RIP from the system "TEXT"
     directory.

     As show here, you can omit the file extension if you'd like
     Searchlight to automatically select a text (TXT), Ansi (ANS) or RIP
     file depending on the user's terminal type.


                                                                        239



                                    Appendix G   Internal Command Reference



COMMON PARAMETERS

These parameters can be used with any internal command with a command
number of 100 or above.


/X -- Disable Heading Display

     By default, most internal commands, other than the global functions,
     will clear the screen and display the name of the command (from the
     description field on the menu) before executing.

     To disable that display, include "/X" in the parameter field for the
     command. /X should come after any other parameters used with that
     command.


/Z -- "Smart" Pause

     The smart pause feature pauses with the message "Press Any Key For The
     Menu" after executing an internal command -- but only under
     circumstances where a menu would automatically be displayed, or the
     screen would be cleared, or a text file would be displayed in
     conjunction with a Menubar menu, immediately after the command
     executes. "Smart" pause is typically used in conjunction with non
     interactive commands like "Who" and "Time" so that screen displays can
     be read before the next menu is displayed.



























                                                                        240



                                    Appendix G   Internal Command Reference

MESSAGE (MAIN) SYSTEM FUNCTIONS

The following internal commands are available from the MAIN menu in
Searchlight, and any of its submenus, except when the FILES menu is active.
Those commands that have additional parameters are noted with a "Y" in the
right column; the parameters for these commands are explained after the
list.


Function #     Name      Action                             Parameters?



  Message Group:
  100     Read      Read messages on current subboard
  101     Jump      Jump to new subboard               Y
  102     List      List available subboards
  103     Edit      Edit a message on the current subboard
  104     Kill      Delete message on the current subboard
  105     Post      Post message on the current subboard
  106     Bulletin  Display the system bulletins menu

  Scan Group:
  110     Forward   Scan messages in forward direction
  111     Reverse   Scan messages in reverse direction
  112     Search    Search for text in messages or headers
  113     Personal  Personal message scan

  NEW Group:
  120     All       Scan for new messages on all subboards
  121     Joined    Scan for new messages on joined subboards
  122     Subboard  Scan only current subboard for new messages
  123     Personal  Scan for personal new messages

  Mail Group:
  130     Read      Read personal mail
  131     Send      Send private mail                  Y
  132     List      List mailbox contents
  133     New       Read new mail messages
  134     Find      Search mailbox for specific text
  135     Inquire   Check messages sent to other users
  136     Purge     Mass purge messages from mailbox
  137     MailCheck Checks and reports number of new messages in mailbox,
                    w/option to read
  Options Group:
  140     Info      Display/edit location, system type, phone number,
  password
  141     Preference                                   Display/edit user
  preferences
  142     Stats     Display user statistics (access levels, ratios, etc.)
  143     Access    Allows display & edit of user access levels &
  attributes




                                                                        241



                                    Appendix G   Internal Command Reference


Function #     Name      Action                             Parameters?



  General Group:
  150     Ansi      Select ANSI mode
  151     Chat      Chat with SYSOP or other users
  152     Doors     Loads "old style" DOORS.DEF menu
  153     Files     Enters the FILES program           Y
  154     Quotes    Display user quotes
  155     Time      Display time information
  156     Version   Display version number
  157     Who       List who is online

  User Group:
  170     CallLog   List of last 75 callers
  171     Search    Search user file for names
  172     List      List user file contents
  173     Find      Locate text in user file
  174     Delete    Delete a user (SYSOP function)
  175     Balance   Balance the user file (SYSOP function)

  Member Group:
  180     HighMsg   Display/modify high message pointer
  181     Search    Search for member names
  182     List      List subboard members
  183     Join      Join user to subboard
  184     UnJoin    Unjoin from subboard

  Sysop Group:
  190     SysopFunc Perform various Sysop functions    Y
  194     TextEdit  Edit text file
  195     Relog     Recycle without carrier loss

  Special Group:
  200     LoadSub   Load subboard areas                Y
  201     LoadFiles Load file areas                    Y
  210     SetPref   Set preference attributes          Y
  211     ClearPref Clear preference attributes        Y
















                                                                        242



                                    Appendix G   Internal Command Reference

MAIN COMMAND OPTIONS


Command #101 -- Jump

The Jump command has several possible parameters. To jump to a specific
subboard, give the subboard name as the first parameter. "/V" toggles the
"verbose" mode of this command. If specified, the command prints out the
name of the subboard and a short heading (i.e. number of messages).
Otherwise that is skipped.

You can specify an asterisk --"*"-- as the subboard name to jump to the
current subboard. This allows you to display the subboard heading for the
current subboard at any time, without switching subboards.


Command #131 -- Send Mail

The Mail Send command can take the name of a user to whom the message is to
be sent as a parameter. For example, to create a command that sends mail
only to the Sysop, use "Sysop" as the first parameter.

If /F is specified, then the mail send command forces mail to go to the
username given on the command line (otherwise, the user could override that
name with another).

The /C parameter suppresses the carbon copy function, thereby allowing you
to have Mail commands that can only send a message to a single user.

Finally, /O means override the post attributes of the mail subboard,
allowing anyone who can use the command to send mail. This is important if
you want to set up a command that forces a user to send mail to the Sysop,
for example, but you don't allow users to send general mail to anyone else.

Here's an example of a command you might set up to send mail to the sysop
(sometimes called "Comments" or "Feedback"):


10. Command Number (1) ............ 131
11. Command Parameters (1) ........ SYSOP /f /c /o



Command #153 -- Files

The command that takes you from the main system to the Files system
supports three parameters: the name of a menu to open upon entering the
files program, a parameter to execute rather than display that menu, and a
switch to disable display of the "FILES.TXT" file.

By default, the menu called FILES is used whenever you load the files
system. If you want to use a different menu, give its menu name as the
first parameter of this command. If you'd like to execute rather than
display that menu, follow it with /E.


                                                                        243



                                    Appendix G   Internal Command Reference

If /N specified, the FILES.TXT file is not displayed after transferring
control to the files menu.


Command #158 -- Goodbye

The Goodbye command sports two parameters. Parameter /N skips the "Yes/No"
confirmation prompt, and allows you to proceed with the logoff without
further prompting. Parameter /Q suppresses the "Please Leave a Quote"
prompt, if that option is active. You may wish to use the Goodbye command
with /N and/or /Q parameters to create a "quick logoff" command anywhere on
your menus.


Command #190 -- Sysop Function

Command 190 acts as a dispatch for several Sysop level functions, including
most of the functions on Searchlight's standard 2-Sysop menu and its
submenus.

The parameters are:

  /A      Adjust user options
  /V      Validate user
  /I      View/change user info
  /P      View/change user preferences
  /S      View user stats
  /C      View/change user access levels
  /R      Read user's mail
  /E      Send mail as a particular user
  /L      List user's mail
  /N      View user's new mail
  /F      Find message in user's mailbox
  /Q      Inquire function
  /G      Mail purge function


Command #200 -- Load Subboard Areas

Internal command 200 can be used to load a particular list of subboard
areas from a text file. In Searchlight 2.25, you could specify the ordering
and availability of subboards through a text file called MAIN.SUB. Command
200 lets you use multiple MAIN.SUB type files to load different subboard
orders or different list on demand:


 11. Command Number ............... 200
 12. Command Parameters ........... SUBLIST1.TXT


The file "SUBLIST1.TXT" is a text file listing the desired subboard areas,
one area per line, exactly the same way as they are listed in a MAIN.SUB
text file. After executing this command, only the subboards listed in the
text file are available. If the current subboard is not part of that list,


                                                                        244



                                    Appendix G   Internal Command Reference

then Searchlight loads the first available subboard (be sure that at least
one subboard is loaded and available).

To clear a custom subboard list or subboard ordering, you can use command
200 again with a different filename parameter, or use command 200 with no
parameter to load the default file list. See page 56 for more information
about the format of the MAIN.SUB text file.

Notice that the parameter to command 200 is a pathname. If a drive letter
or directory is given, Searchlight loads the file from the specified drive
and directory. Otherwise, the file is loaded from the current directory.
You can take advantage of this behavior to make different subboard lists
available on different nodes in a multiuser system, if desired.


Command #201 -- Load File Areas

Internal command 201 is similar to command 200, except that it is used to
load a list of active file directories rather than a list of subboards:


 11. Command Number ............... 201
 12. Command Parameters ........... DIRLIST1.TXT



Commands #210 and 211 -- Set/Clear Preference Attributes

Internal commands 210 and 211 set and reset the current user's preference
attributes. You can use command 210 to set preference attributes by listing
the desired attributes as the parameter. Use command 211 to clear
particular attributes. For example:


 11. Command Number ............... 210
 12. Command Parameters ........... ACFG


This command would set preference attributes A,C,F and G in the current
user's account. Commands 210 and 211 are useful when you want to create
menu choices that allow users to select a preference attribute rather than
type the attribute manually into their options. There are many other uses
for these commands, for example, you could use them to automatically mark
when a user has executed a particular command and set up your menu choices
to skip that command later, based on preference attributes.











                                                                        245



                                    Appendix G   Internal Command Reference

FILES SYSTEM FUNCTIONS

The following internal commands are available from FILES menus and their
submenus; that is, any menus which are invoked after the files system
(command 153) is active.

Function #     Name      Action                             Parameters?



  List/Scan Group:
  300     Files     List files in current directory
  301     Jump      Jump to new directory              Y
  302     List      List available directories
  303     New       List new files since specified date
  304     WideDir   Wide directory listing
  305     Zippy     Fast file search

  Edit Group:
  310     Copy      Copy file to new directory
  311     Edit      Edit file descriptions
  312     Kill      Delete files
  313     Move      Move file to new directory
  314     Passwd    Assign passwords to files
  315     Rename    Change name of file
  318     ClearTag  Clear tag list
  319     AddTag    Add files to tag list              Y

  Application Group:
  320     Download  Download one or more files         Y
  321     Upload    Upload one or more files
  322     Owner     Display file's owner & download count
  323     Type      Display text file to the screen
  324     View      View contents of ZIP/ARC/LZH file

  General Group:
  330     Quit      Return to main menu (see note below)
  331     Status    Display ratio/disk space status
  332     Xproto    Change transfer protocol

  Sysop Group:
  340     Get       Load filenames from disk
  341     Import    Import names/descriptions from text file
  342     Update    Update internal directory
  343     Balance   Balance/repair directory structure


Directory Jump Command (301)

The directory jump command (internal command number 301) supports two
parameters: the name of the destination directory, and a /V option to
suppress the display of the directory's name and number of available files.
You can use these options to construct commands which jump to a particular
file directory. For example:


                                                                        246



                                    Appendix G   Internal Command Reference


 11. Command Number ............... 301
 12. Command Parameters ........... Uploads /x /v
 13. Command Number ............... 321
 14. Command Parameters ........... /x


This sequence creates an upload command that automatically jumps to the
directory UPLOADS before executing the internal command to upload files.



Tag List Management

Searchlight includes internal commands to manipulate the tagged file list.
These commands are designed to make it easy for you to make internal
commands that download a particular file or list of files, without the need
to call external door programs.

Internal command number 318 clears the global tag file list. You can use
this command to ensure that no files are tagged, before adding files to a
tag list yourself:


 11. Command Number ............... 318
 12. Command Parameters ...........


Command 319 adds one or more files to the tag list. Use this command to
build specific lists of files that can be downloaded later with command 320
(Download). For example:


 11. Command Number ............... 319
 12. Command Parameters ........... FILE.ZIP LIST.DOC NEWFILE.ARJ


This command selects the three files listed and adds them to the user's tag
list. The files listed must be in the currently active file directory. To
ensure that this is the case, you will most likely want to use internal
command 301 to jump to a particular directory before executing this
command.

You can use multiple sequences of command 301 and 319 to add files from
different directories to a tag list (for example, as part of an execute
menu). The tag list itself can hold up to 40 filenames. If any of the
filenames listed on the command lines are not found, they are not added to
the list.

Once a tag list is built, use command 320 to download the files. Two
command line parameters for command 320 are available to help make
downloading automatic. Parameter /F forces the download command to operate
only on the files in the tag list, without the option to input additional
filenames. Parameter /T disables time limit checking on the download


                                                                        247



                                    Appendix G   Internal Command Reference

command; you may wish to use this option if you want users to be able to
download a particular file regardless of time limits.

A complete sequence of commands to select and download a particular list of
files might look like this:


 11. Command Number ............... 318
 12. Command Parameters ...........
 13. Command Number ............... 301
 14. Command Parameters ........... DEMOS
 15. Command Number ............... 319
 16. Command Parameters ........... DEMO300.ZIP DOCS300.ZIP
 17. Command Number ............... 320
 18. Command Parameters ........... /F /T




Quit Command

Note that command #330, Quit, can be used to explicitly quit back to the
main BBS program (and back to whatever menu called the Files program). The
difference between command #330 and command #1 (return to previous menu) is
that the 330 command will return to the main BBS program, even if it is
called from several menus deep within the Files program.






























                                                                        248



                                                 Appendix H   Digiboard Use

                                APPENDIX H
                      DIGIBOARD INSTALLATION AND USE


Introduction

The use of DigiBoard(tm) hardware with Searchlight BBS can greatly enhance
performance, especially when Searchlight is used with high speed modems in
a multiuser, multitasking environment. DigiBoards are the best choice when
running more than 4 nodes from a single PC. This appendix will deal
primarily with the intelligent variety of DigiBoards (models PC/Xe, PC/Xi,
and COM/Xe). Although Searchlight will work with other Digi products, the
intelligent DigiBoards are preferred because it is the on-board processing
available in these models which provides most of the performance benefits.

Before you begin working with a DigiBoard, we recommend that you are
familiar with the procedures required to configure Searchlight and your
system as a whole to be able to run the number of nodes you plan to
install. This involves first installing Searchlight properly for the
intended node count, then installing a multitasker (such as DESQview) so
that simultaneous execution of all nodes is possible. If you are unfamiliar
with the necessary procedures, please consult the appropriate sections of
this manual for details.


DigiBoard Hardware Installation

Your DigiBoard product should arrive with a complete set of manuals
covering hardware and software installation. For best results, consult
these manuals first, and use the comments here as guidelines.

There are three hardware parameters on the DigiBoard that should be set
before the unit is physically installed inside your computer: these are the
Memory Window, I/O Port, and IRQ. These options are set using a row of dip
switches along the top of the DigiBoard unit.

Memory Window and I/O Port should be chosen according to the guidelines in
your DigiBoard manual. In general, the goal of setting these parameters is
to avoid possible conflict with other hardware in your system. The default
settings provided with your unit will probably work best, unless you have
unusual hardware in your system which might conflict with the DigiBoard.

We recommend setting the IRQ number to 0, thus disabling interrupts.
Searchlight does not require the use of an interrupt to use the DigiBoard
hardware effectively.

Once the proper dip switch settings have been made, install the DigiBoard
into a free slot inside your computer, and proceed with software
installation.


DigiBoard Software Installation

Before Searchlight can communicate with your DigiBoard, you must install
the DigiWare driver software into your system. Again, it is best to refer

                                                                        249



                                                 Appendix H   Digiboard Use

to Digi's software installation manual for complete information, and use
our comments here as a guideline.

Once the DigiWare software has been loaded on to your hard disk, run the
configuration program (which is called XIDOSCFG.EXE for most Digi
products). Install your board, selecting the same Memory Window, I/O port
and IRQ as you configured on the board's dip switches during the hardware
installation.

Set the Number Of Channels according to the number of ports on your
DigiBoard: for example, 4 for a PC/4e or PC/4i, 8 for a PC/8e or PC/8i, or
16 if you have a PC/16e or PC/16i.

The Starting Channel # specifies the logical channel number of the first
physical port on your DigiBoard. This is largely an arbitrary number. If
you already have a standard COM1 and COM2 port on your system, you may want
to set the Starting Channel # to 3, as a reminder that the first DigiBoard
port is really the third port available on your system. Be sure to remember
what value you use here, because this is the number that Searchlight needs
to know in order to access a particular DigiBoard channel.

Be sure to specify EBIOS for the Driver Support parameter. This setting
ensures that all of the DigiWare driver's extended functions are loaded
into memory and available for use with Searchlight.

It is not necessary to set the DigiBoard's channel parameters individually,
since Searchlight will set these itself through software function calls.

When you are done configuring the DigiWare driver, save your changes and
then install the driver by placing a DEVICE statement in your CONFIG.SYS
file. For example:

     DEVICE = C:\DIGI\XIDOS5.SYS

Now, reboot your system. You should see a message to the effect that the
DigiWare driver is loaded successfully and the DigiBoard is responding
properly. If there are any problems here, please go back and re-read
DigiBoard's instruction manuals, and resolve the problem before you
continue.

If you are using Quarterdeck's expanded memory manager (QEMM), one final
step is necessary: you should inform QEMM about the RAM address space
(Memory Window) being used by the DigiBoard. To do this, place the
parameter ADAPTERRAM= on your QEMM.SYS line in your CONFIG.SYS file. For
example:

     DEVICE = C:\QEMM.SYS ADAPTERRAM=D000-DFFF

This statement would be correct if your DigiBoard were configured with D000
as the Memory Window. If you are using a different Memory Window, place the
correct values into your QEMM command line.





                                                                        250



                                                 Appendix H   Digiboard Use


Using DigiBoard With Searchlight

Once the DigiBoard hardware and software are correctly installed on your
system, you are ready to tell Searchlight that you'd like to use the
DigiBoard channels for communication. This is done by toggling the "Port
Type" switch in the Communications Setup portion of the CONFIG program.
Load the CONFIG program by typing "CONFIG" at the DOS prompt. Select option
A, "General Configuration", then C, "Communications Setup". Move the
lightbar to the last item, "COM Port Setup", and press Enter (or double
click on "COM Port Setup" with your mouse). This reveals the communications
port setup screen, which contains options for 4 COM ports.

It is important to note that the 4 COM port settings shown here are not
global to your entire system, but local to the node with which you are
working. You can think of them as 4 presets for that node, enabling you to
change a node's COM port selection quickly. Searchlight is not limited to 4
communications ports, since each node on your system can define COM1
through COM4 differently, in effect using different physical ports even
though the "Com Port" number is the same.

To specify DigiBoard support, pick one of the four available ports: we
suggest using Port 3, so as to avoid changing the default COM1 and COM2
settings. Change the Port Type to "DigiBoard". The next two settings, Base
Address and Interrupt, do not apply to DigiBoard ports; therefore, you may
leave them unchanged.

The fourth parameter, External Port Number, is the most important value;
this tells Searchlight which channel on the DigiBoard you want to use for
that node. Remember that channel number refers to the "Starting Channel #"
that you specified during the DigiWare installation procedure. If you set 3
as the starting channel number, as we recommended earlier, then place a 3
in the External Port Number field here if you want to access the first
DigiBoard port. Use 4 to access the second port, 5 for the third, and so
on. Of course if you used a different starting number when you installed
the driver, then start with whatever number you used.

Finally, exit from the Com Port Setup screen. Go to line 1 of the
Communications Setup screen, and place the appropriate number in "Com
Port". Remember that this number refers to the port number as set on the
previous screen, not to any particular hardware port number. If you had
modified Port 3 on the previous screen, then type "3" here.

You need to repeat this procedure for additional nodes on your system. From
DOS, switch to the home directory of Node 2 (i.e. the directory containing
the CONFIG.SL2 file for Node 2), then run CONFIG, and repeat the above
procedures. Make sure you specify a different number for External Port
Number, so that no two nodes try to use the same logical channel number.
It's OK if you configure the third Searchlight port number for DigiBoard
access each time, since, as we mentioned earlier, those numbers are local
to each node and do not have any effect on other nodes.

If you have additional nodes of Searchlight which will not be using the
DigiBoard, then simply ensure that they are properly configured for COM1 or
COM2. No additional DigiBoard setup is required for those nodes.

                                                                        251



                                                 Appendix H   Digiboard Use


System Checkout

Your system should now be properly configured for use with a DigiBoard.
Plug a modem (or null modem device) into each DigiBoard port that you
intend to use. To test your system, load DESQview or another multitasker,
start Node 1, and make sure that it correctly accesses the modem which is
plugged in to your DigiBoard. Then start Node 2, Node 3, etc. in each case
verifying that the node is accessing the expected device.















































                                                                        252



                                                                      Index

 NDEX
I                                        Compatibility, 69, 118
                                        ANSI Detect, 60
                                        ANSI Files, 123, 148
%                                       ANSI.SYS File, 60, 163
                                        AT Commands, 223
%%FILENAME Directive, 122               Attributes, 36, 49, 71
%F, 29, 132                              In Menus, 153
%W, 29, 132                              Preference, 70
                                        Auto ANSI Detect, 60
@                                       Auto Purge Old Messages, 50
                                        AutoDoor, 60
@@FILENAME Directive, 123               AutoDoors Setup, 32
@Filename, 29, 132                      AUTOEXEC.BAT, 166
                                        Available Flag, 64
1
                                        B
1-Member Command, 89
16550 Chip, 212                         Backups, 187, 222
                                        Balance
2                                        Member File, 53
                                         User File, 100, 218
2-Sysop Command, 102, 141               Barry, Jim, 171
                                        Base Address, 24
A                                       Batch Files as Doors, 169
                                        Batch Upload, 127
Abort Method, 33, 165                   Baud Rate, 20, 59, 121
Absolute Pathnames, 28                   Detection, 224
Access Level, 71                         Direct connection, 62
 Default, 35                             Locked Baud Rate, 22
 Minimum Login, 15                      BBS
Access to Commands, 153                  Access Levels, 71
Activity Log, 213                        Name, 14, 121
Activity Log Filename, 27               BBS.INT, 38
ADAPTERRAM (QEMM), 250                  Beethoven, 110
Add Command to Menu, 150                Bi-Directional File Transfer, 134
Add Subboard, 47                        Bimodem, 29
Alias Names, 229                        Binkleyterm, 190
Allow New Users, 14, 64                 BIOS, 163, 168, 173
ALT-A, 64, 105                           Clock Tick Source, 19
ALT-C, 105                               Screen Writes, 16
ALT-D, 103, 107                         Buffering, Output, 22
ALT-F, 107                              Bulletins, 4, 60, 96
ALT-H, 106                               Subboard, 47
ALT-I, 105
ALT-L, 105                              C
ALT-N, 105
ALT-S, 104                              Cache Software, 211
ALT-V, 104                              Calls, Total per user, 70
ALT-X, 59, 63, 106                      Carbon Copy, 92
Alternate Program Path, 25              Carrier Checking, 63
Anonymous Messages, 50, 75              Carrier Detect, 223
ANSI, 39, 108, 119, 213                 CD-ROM, 18, 55, 142
 ANSI.SYS File, 7                       Center Text, 115
 Codes, 174                             Change
 Command, 99                             Line Editor Command, 110

                                                                        253



                                                                      Index

 User's Name, 177                        Command from Menu, 150
Channel # (Digiboard), 250               Files, 137
Character Style Menu, 146                Messages, 79, 88
Chat, 64, 79, 97                         Subboard, 52
 Hotkey, 105                             Text in Editor, 114
 Security attributes required, 34        User, 73, 100
Chat File Path, 27, 44                  DESQview, 2, 8, 16, 43
CHAT.SL2 File, 98                        Overview, 207
CHKDSK, 217                             DigiBoard, 23, 208
Closed System, 14                        Installation and Use, 249
Color                                   Direct Screen Writes, 16
 Color Codes, 41, 119                   Directory
 Screen Colors Setup, 31                 Import, 142
COM Port, 20                             List of, 128
COM Port Addresses, 225                  Setup, 54, 125
COM Port Setup, 23                       Specify Ordering, 56
Command Line Parameters                 Disk Cache, 211
 to Doors, 170                          Disk Error, 53, 217
 to SLBBS.EXE, 62                       Display File, 239
Command Number, 156                     Disposition Prompts, 70, 81
Command Reference, 239                  Door Commands, 157
Command Type, 152                       DOOR Parameters Filename, 27
COMMAND.COM, 103, 107, 164              Doors, 5, 163
Communications Setup, 20                 Technical Information, 173
Communications Support, 32, 165         DOORS.DEF, 163
Compress Message Texts, 50              DOS Directories, 125
COMSPEC, 107, 164                       DOS Filename, 54
Conferences, 47                         DOS Shell, 103, 107
CONFIG, 13, 107                         Download, 54
CONFIG.SL2, 43                           Files, 127, 135
CONFIG.SYS, 7                            Messages, 78
Configuration File for SLMAIL, 237      Download/Upload Ratio, 73
Control Keys, 113                       Drive Letter, 45
Control-C, 4                            DSZ.COM, 133, 134
Copy Files, 135                         DTE Rate, 22
Copy Menu Commands, 150                 DTR, 223
CoSysop, 71
Crashmail, 193                          E
CTS handshaking, 22
Current Subboard, 75                    EBIOS, 250
                                        Echomail, 235
D                                        Network Numbers, 52, 237
                                        Edit
D'Bridge, 190                            File Description, 136
Daily Time Limit, 36, 72                 Menu Commands, 152
Data Compression, 51                     Menus, 145
Data Files Path, 26                      Messages, 79, 88
Data Files, Direct Use Of, 172           Subboard, 48
Date Format, 17                          Text File, 103
Default Access Level, 35                Editor
Default Menus, 146                       Full Screen, 112
Default Message for Files, 126           Introduction, 108
Default Password for Uploads, 27,        Line Editor, 109
128                                     EEMS, 210
Delete                                  Electronic Mail, 91

                                                                        254



                                                                      Index

 Overview, 3                            Fixed Baud Rate, 22
EMS, 39                                 Floppy Disks, 55
Environment Variable, 9                 Flow Control, 4, 22, 226
Error Loading Menu, 38                  Force-Color, 165
Error Messages, 8, 217                  Format (Text in Editor), 115
Errorlevel, 17                          Forums, 47
Escape Sequence (Modem), 224            Forward Messages, 78
European Time/Date Format, 17            Security attributes required, 34
Events, 18, 41, 62, 221                 FOSSIL Driver, 2, 23
Everex Magic I/O, 207                   Free Files, 56
Execution Method, 157                   Free Memory Required, 38
Exit Key, 106                           Front Door, 190
Exit to Previous Menu, 239              Front end mailer, 190
Expanded Memory, 39, 210                Front End Program, 17, 63, 235
Expert Help Level, 69                   Full ANSI Mode, 69
Expiration Date, 72                     Full Screen Editor, 112
Expiration, Days until, 37              Function Attribute Setup, 34
Expired Accounts, 19
Export (Echomail), 235                  G
External Commands, 157
External Port Number, 251               Games, 163
External Programs, 163                  General Setup Menu #1, 14
External Protocol Examples, 134         General Setup Menu #2, 16
External Protocol Setup, 29             GENERAL Subboard, 47
External Protocols, 132                 Generic ANSI Mode, 69, 118
                                        Get Reply-Text, 116
F                                       Goodbye, 99, 136
                                        Goto Message, 77
F8 key, 39                              Graphics, 203
Fidonet, 52, 231                        Group Names, 229
File                                    Guest Account, 60, 65
 Access Levels, 71
 ANSI Files, 123                        H
 Command Summary, 135
 Directory Setup, 54                    Hangup, 17, 223
 File System Introduction, 125          Hangup Key, 106
 Handles, 7, 38, 217                    Hardware Flow Control, 22, 226
 Import List, 142                       Hayes Standard, 223
 List Format, 70                        HDR File, 48
 Load Description, 126                  Header File, 48
 Locking, 44                             Repair, 53
 Purge, 186                             Heap Overflow, 218
 Sharing, 8                             Help Files, 26
 Text File in Message, 122              Help Level, 15, 69, 148
 Value Multiplier, 56                   High Message Pointer, 88
File Does Not Exist, 217                High Speed Modems, 226
File Ratios and Tagging, 130            Home Directory, 45, 59
File Tagging, 129                       HotKeys, 17, 104
FILEDIR.SL2, 45
FILELIST.BBS, 133                       I
Files Command, 99
Files Log Filename, 27                  Idle Time Limit, 16
Files Menu, 159                         Import (Echomail), 235
FILES.TXT file, 126                     Importing File Lists, 142
First Logon, 70                         Include File, 122

                                                                        255



                                                                      Index

Include File Pathname, 26                Output, 105
Indent Mode, 115                        Logging In, 59
INDEX.EXE, 196                          Login AutoDoor, 32, 60
Indirect File, 132                      LOGIN.TXT file, 59
Indirect File in External               Logoff AutoDoor, 32
Protocols, 29                           Long File List Format, 70
Info (User Option), 67
Info Command, 99                        M
Init String, 21
Init Strings, Recommended, 227          Macros, 41, 121
Initial Help Level, 15                  Mail, 91
Inquire (Mail), 93                       Disposition Prompts, 81
Installation, 7                          Inquire, 93
Intermediate Help Level, 69              Purge, 94
Internal Command Reference, 239          Send Options, 243
Internal Commands, 156                   Subboard, 47
Interrupts, 24, 173, 207                Mail Files Path, 26
Invisible Hotkey, 105                   Mail Logging, 26, 73
Invisible Login, 213                    Mailbox, 60, 94, 103
IRQ, 24                                 Mailer, Front End, 235
                                        Main Menu, 159
J                                       MAIN.DIR file, 56
                                        MAIN.SUB, 244
Join Attributes, 49                     MAIN.SUB file, 56
Join Subboard, 51, 81, 87, 89           Mass Validate Users, 184
Jump Command, 84                        MBR File, 48
                                        Member File, 48, 88
K                                        Repair/Balance, 53
                                        Member Files Purge, 183
Kermit, 29, 132                         Membership in Subboards, 88
Key Hit Baud Detection, 22              Memory, 218
Kill                                    Memory Issues, 210
 Files, 137                             Memory Required, 38
 Messages, 79, 88                       Memory Status Line, 39
                                        Memory Window (Digiboard), 249
L                                       Menu Commands, 157
                                        Menu Editing, 41, 145
LAN, 2, 8, 28, 43, 45                   Menu Header, 147
Lantastic, 43                           MenuBar Style Menus, 147
Length of Screen, 69                    Message
Line Editor, 109                         Disposition Prompts, 70
List Command, 84                         Garbled, 53
List Format (Files), 70                  Macros, 121
Load Text File, 122                      Maintenance, 88
Loading Filenames, 126                   New Messages, 85
Local Init String, 221                   Preview, 119
Local Login, 59, 63, 105                 Purge, 181
Location, 67, 213                        Scanning, 84
Lock Error on File, 219                  Subboard Maintenance, 47
Locked Baud Rate, 22, 226                Threading, 81
Log Filenames, 27                       Message System Overview, 3, 75
Log of Activity, 213                    Message Text File, 48
Log Off, 136                             Repair, 53
Logging                                 Metacharacters, 170
 Mail, 26, 73                           MNP, 226

                                                                        256



                                                                      Index

MNU Files, 28, 145
Modem, 7                                O
Modem Buffering, 211
Modem Configuration, 223                OK Message, 224
Modem Flow Control, 22                  Older Versions, Upgrading From, 10
Modem Init String, 21                   Options, 79
Modem Init Strings, Recommended,        Order of subboards, 56
227                                     Origin Line, 236
Modem Msg Baud Detection, 21            OS/2, 2, 8, 43, 207
Modem, High Speed, 226                  Output Buffering, 211
Monochrome, 31                          Output Buffering Factor, 22, 225
MORE Prompt, 76                         Overlay Buffer, 211
Mouse, 207                              Overlay Files, 25
Mouse Support, 203                      Overlay Setup, 38
Move Files, 137                         Owner Command, 138
Move Menu Commands, 151
MSG Files, 48, 231                      P
Multinode Operation, 44, 188
Multinode Setup, 43                     Parameters to Doors, 164
Multitasking, 43                        Parameters, Command Line, 62
                                        Parameters, Passing to Door
N                                       Programs, 170
                                        Pascal, 168, 175
Name                                    Password, 63, 67
 BBS Name, 14                            On Files, 128, 138
 Change User Name, 177                  Path Does Not Exist, 217
 Directory Name, 54                     Pathnames Setup, 25, 217
Net, 190                                Pause
Netmail, 189                             Between Messages, 70, 76
NETMAIL.EXE, 190, 194                   Pause for Keystroke, 239
Network, 189                            PCBoard Doors, 171
Network Numbers (Echomail), 52, 237     PCBOARD.DAT, 171
New                                     PCBOARD.SYS, 27
 Files, 138                             Performance Issues, 210
 Mail, 93                               Personal Messages, 85, 86, 233
 Messages, 81, 85, 233                  Phone No., 67
New Installation, 9                     Polls, 163
New User AutoDoor, 32, 64               Port Type, 251
New Users, 14, 40, 73                   Post Attributes, 49
 Adding, 64                             Post Command, 75
Next Message, 77                        Post Message, 79
No Response message, 59, 62             Preference (User Option), 69
Node, 190                               Preference Attributes, 70, 245
Node Number, 15, 43, 104                Prepared Text Files, 122
Nodelist, 191                           Previous Message, 77
Nodes                                   Primary Program Path, 25
 Number of Active Nodes, 43             Private Mail, 91
Non-ANSI mode, 61                       Private Reply to Public Message, 77
None                                    Procomm, 108
 Expired User Action, 73                 ANSI Mode, 69
Novell, 43                              Program Path, 25
Novice, 15                              Prompt File List Format, 70
Novice Help Level, 69                   Prompt Type, 148
NOVICE.TXT file, 69                     Protected Values, 71
Null Modem, 63                          Protocol, 29, 127

                                                                        257



                                                                      Index

 Setting Up External, 132               Searchlight 2.15, 38
Protocol Examples, 134                  Searchlight Files, 172
Purge                                   Security Attributes, 36, 71
 Auto Purge Old Messages, 50            Seen-By Lines, 237
 File Areas, 186                        Send Mail, 92, 243
 Mail, 94                               Sequentl Command, 82
 Member Files, 183                      Session Time Limit, 19, 37, 72
 Messages, 181                          Set Up Directories, 125
 User File, 178                         Share Errors, 218
                                        SHARE.EXE, 8
Q                                       Short File List Format, 70
                                        SL_NET, 189, 235
QEMM, 250                               SL2 Files, 172
Quote (Reply-Text), 116                 SLBBS, 9
Quote Original Text, 116                SLBBS Environment Variable, 9
Quotes, 16, 99                          SLDIR Program, 143
Quoting Text, 34                        SLMAIL, 49, 50, 172, 231
                                        SLMAIL.CFG File, 237
R                                       SLSTAT, 215
                                        Smart Pause, 240
RAM, 211                                Smartmodem Standard, 223
RAM Requirement, 38                     Speaker, 223
RAMdisk, 25, 210                        Stack Overflow, 218
Ratio, Download/Upload, 36, 73,         Standard Menu Names, 159
102, 128                                Starting Channel #, 250
Ratios and Tagging, 130                 Startup Menu, 60, 158, 159
Read                                    Statistics, 70
 Messages, 75                           Status Box, 59, 62
 Next/Previous Message, 77              Status Command, 139
Read Only Directory, 55                 Status Line, 104
Reboot, 165                             Stopping Output, 4
Relog Function, 103                     STRINGS.SYS file, 25
Rename Files, 138                       Subboard, 3
Repair Subboard Files, 53                Current, 75
Reply                                    Delete, 52
 Original Message Text, 116              Disposition Prompts, 81
 to Public Message, 76                   Entry Messages, 40
Reply-quote, 116                         Files, 52
Requirements, 2                          Joining, 87
Reset Access, 73                         List of Subboards, 84
Return to DOS on Logoff, 17, 45, 63      MAIL Subboard, 91
Retype, 110                              Maintenance, 47
RIP Graphics, 203                        Members, 88
RIPterm, 203                             Name, 49
Running Searchlight BBS, 59              Options, 48
                                         Specify Ordering, 56
S                                        Sysop, 49
                                         Utilities, 53
Sample Events, 222                      SUBBOARD.SL2, 45
Scan Command, 84                        Subsysop, 3
Screen Editor, 112                      Superuser, 60, 104
Screen Length, 69                       Sysop, 60, 72, 104
Screen Write Method, 16                 Sysop Available Flag, 64
Search For Files, 140                   Sysop Function Command, 244
Search for Messages, 84                 Sysop Functions, 102

                                                                        258



                                                                      Index

Sysop Utilities, 177                     Mass Validate, 184
System Name, 14                          Name on Command Line, 63
System Requirements, 2                   Options, 79
System Type, 67                          Preference, 69
                                         Purge, 178
T                                        Rename, 177
                                         Stats, 70
Tag List Management, 247                User Editor, 14
Tagging, 129                            User Interface Overview, 2
Tear Line, 236                          User Options, 67
Telix, 69, 108
Terminal Software, 108                  V
Terminate, 165
Text Files, 39                          Validate, 79, 102, 104
Text Files Path, 26                      Mass, 184
Text Files, Prepared, 122               Version Command, 101
Text Files, Reading/Sending, 232        Via Line, 236
Text Quoting, 34                        View Reply-Text, 116
Thread, 77, 81                          Virus, 133
 Global Operations, 82                  Visible Login, 213
Time Command, 99                        VT100, 108
Time Format, 17
Time Limit, 36, 63, 104, 221            W
 Daily, 72
 Session, 72                            Welcome Message, 40
Tossing (Mail), 190                     Who Command, 44, 101
Total Calls, 70                         WideDir Command, 140
TSR Programs, 173                       Windows, 2, 8, 43, 207
Turbo Pascal, 168                       Word Style Menu, 146
Type (Text File), 139                   Wordstar, 112
                                        Workstation, 28, 45
U                                       Write Only Directory, 55
                                        Write Protection, 166
UART Chip, 212
Undeliverable Mail, 181                 X
Unjoin Subboard, 88, 90
Unlock Error on File, 219               XIDOSCFG.EXE, 250
Update Installation, 9                  Xmodem, 29, 78
Upgrading From Older Versions, 10       XProto Command, 127, 140
UPLIST.BBS, 133
Upload, 54                              Y
 AutoDoor, 32, 133
 Default Password, 27                   Ymodem, 134
 Files, 127, 139
 Messages, 117, 122                     Z
 Ratio, 36, 73
 Time Repay Rate, 18, 139               ZIP Files, 134
UPLOADS.BBS Directory, 133              Zippy Search Command, 140
USA Time/Date Format, 17                Zmodem, 29, 117, 132
User                                    Zone, 190
 Adjust Options, 102
 Balance, 218
 Command, 100
 Delete, 100
 List/Search, 100

                                                                        259