D O O R I N T E R F A C E P R O G R A M (DIP) Version 1.6 User's Manual Copyright (c) 1990-93 by Jeff Fehlman All rights reserved. 19 January, 1993 MindKeep Software Jeff Fehlman PO Box 5332 Fair Oaks, CA 95628-9106 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Introduction................................................ 3 Description The Shareware Plea Warranty and Disclaimer Registration and Benefits Obtaining Updates Getting Started............................................. 5 DIP Configuration........................................... 5 Main SysOp Menu Select Input Method to DIP Menu Door Configuration.......................................... 7 Door Selection Menu Door Edit Menu Select Desired Groups for Access Menu DIP Graphics Modes.......................................... 10 Appendix.................................................... 11 DIP Color Graphic Codes DIP Group Integer Field DIP/ST-KEEP Input User File Format DIP DORINFO1 Input File Format Description: The Door Interface Program (DIP) is an on-line menuing system designed to allow on-line games and programs to be exe- cuted from within most BBS software. It features complete log- ging capabilities, VT-52, ANSI and ASCII graphics and a user friendly GEM SysOp interface. DIP may receive it's input in a variety of ways: Direct User Input Command Line Parameters Special ST-Keep User File DORINFO1.DEF File DIP will output the following formats while launching a program: Command Line Parameters FOREM.DAT File DORINFO1.DEF File Simple ASCII User name File The Shareware Plea: Shareware is commercial (or near commercial) software distributed in an unconventional manner. Anyone may copy a Shareware program and distribute it to whomever they desire, provided they do not charge a fee or alter it in any way. Shareware isn't free. Serious Shareware represents just as much programming effort as any conventional commercial product. If you use it regularly, the authors expect compensation. Unlike commercial distribution, Shareware allows you to evaluate the product before you decide to purchase it. The price is often lower, as well, because there are no adver- tising, packaging, or distribution costs. It can only work with your support. If you are still using a Shareware pro- duct after a couple of weeks, then it is obviously worth something to you, and you should register it. DIP is distributed as Shareware. This means that users are encouraged, subject to restrictions described above, to share copies of this program with friends, associates and bulletin boards. Please remember that if you use this soft- ware you are required to pay the registration fee of either $10.00 or $15.00 depending upon your delivery method as described in the section titled Registration Fee. DIP may NOT be sold or included with a commercial product without the express written consent of the author. Also, this documentation may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the author. Warranty and Disclaimer: MindKeep Software and Jeff Fehlman specifically dis- claims all warranties, expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose with respect to defects in the pro- grams and documentation. In no event shall MindKeep Software and Jeff Fehlman be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, in- cidental, consequential or other damages. Jeff Fehlman retains all rights to the DIP Package and the right to make updates to this package and its documentation without notification to the purchaser. This package is sold and distributed "as is". Registration and Benefits: You may register DIP in either of two ways: 1) Send $15.00 and the registration form to the address indicated. You will be sent a 3 1/2" disk containing the latest version of DIP and a key file to register your copy of DIP. 2) Send $10.00 and the registration form to the address indicated. In a few weeks call the DIP Support BBS and download your registered program yourself. Obtaining Updates: Updates and Product Support may be best obtained by calling the DIP Support BBS (FREQ DIP): =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Mind Keep (916) 723-1657 1200 - 14.4K baud =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= AtariNet 51:3/13.0 FidoNet 1:203/1657.0 NeST 90:300/1657.0 TurboNet 100:290/10.0 PixNet 116:204/140.0 I may also be reached via GEnie address J.FEHLMAN and InterNet (query NIC). Getting Started: First, create a folder in which DIP and it's associated files will reside. Copy DIP.TTP and DIPSYSOP.PRG into this folder. Before running DIP you must have a modem connected to your system and turned on. Make sure the modem is set to the Hayes AT&C1 command (cause DCD to track actual state of remote modem's carrier). Run DIP.TTP by double clicking on it. There is no need to enter command line parameters. The title screen will come up and DIP will ask for your name. Enter any name here. DIP will ask for conformation and then ask for your Graphics mode. Enter either ASCII or VT-52. At this point you will see a menu with two entries, 'M' for maintenance and 'X' for exit. Press 'M' and the SysOp Maintenance program will start. You are ready to configure DIP. Main SysOp Menu: The Main SysOp menu is the opening menu to configure DIP for your system. It is accessed by typing 'M' from the DIP menu. Edit Door: Calls the Door Selection Menu which allows you to create, delete, edit and move menu entries. Save: Saves your work and exits the SysOp Maintenance Program. Exit: Exits the SysOp Maintenance Program but DOES NOT save your work. Time Limit: Enter the maximum amount of time you wish to allow users in this menu. Menu Title: Enter the title of your menu. Configuration Switches: Display BBS Name: Display your BBS name the first time a user enters the menu. Display Bulletin: Display a specified text file the first time a user enters the menu (you must specify the name and path of the Bulletin file in the box beside this switch, see details elsewhere). Display Welcome Message: Display "Welcome " the first time a user enters the menu. Record LOG File: Keeps a log file of the users actions (you must specify a name and path of the Log file in the box beside this switch. In addition, you must initialize the log file if it does not already exist, see details elsewhere). Initialize LOG File: Destroy the old log file (if any) and create a new one. Select DIP Input: Calls the "Select Input Method to DIP" menu, see details elsewhere (VERY IMPORTANT!). Specify Bulletin path/name: Pressing 'Yes' will display the file selector and allow you to choose a Bulletin (text) file name and path for display to the user immediately after DIP starts exe- cuting. This is only necessary if you have selected the 'Display Bulletin' switch (see details elsewhere). Specify LOG file path/name: Pressing 'Yes' will display the file selector and allow you to choose a log file name and path to record user activities while in DIP. This is only necessary if you have selected the 'Record LOG File' switch (see details else- where). In addition, you must initialize the log file if it does not already exist (see details elsewhere). Select Input Method to DIP Menu: The 'Select Input Method to DIP' menu allows you to specify which method DIP will use to input user information. Not entering this information will cause DIP to default to 'User Query' mode. Entry is from the Main SysOp Menu. Configuration Switches: User Query: DIP will query the user about their name and graphics mode when DIP is first executed. This provides only minimal information. The user's time limit is taken from the time the user enters the DIP program. The user is placed in 'Group 1' (more information on this elsewhere). Command Line Input: DIP will read it's command line for the user's name. It will still query the user for their graphics mode. The user's time limit is taken from the time the user enters the DIP program. The user is placed in 'Group 1' (more information on this elsewhere). User File Input: The author of ST-Keep BBS, Andrew Studer, has provided DIP with an ASCII format file containing all of the in- formation need for DIP to operate ef- ficiently. You will need to specify the file name and path in the box below this switch (make sure this corresponds with ST-Keep's name and path!). Details on the format of this file may be found in the Appendix. DORINFO1 Input: DIP will read a DORINFO1.DEF file and extract the necessary user information from it. You will need to specify the file path in the box below this switch (make sure this corresponds with your BBS system's path!). Details on the format of this file may be found in the Appendix. Specify Input File Path/Name: Pressing 'Yes' will display the file selector and allow you to choose either a user file name and path or a DORINFO1 path. This field MUST be used either the 'User File Input' or 'DORINFO1 Input' is selected. Exit: Returns DIP to the Main SysOp Menu. Door Selection Menu: This menu allows you to create, delete, edit and move menu entries. It is entered from the Main SysOp menu. Menu Item Selection: The left side of the Door Selection menu contains a list of existing menu entries. You may select a menu item either by selecting the menu title or it's corresponding letter designation. Create: Calls the 'Door Edit Menu' to create and edit a new menu item. It is not necessary to choose an existing menu item. Delete: Deletes an item from the menu. You must select a menu item either before or after activating this switch. Selecting 'Cancel' aborts this operation. Edit: Calls the 'Door Edit Menu' to edit an existing menu item. You must select a menu item either before or after activating this switch. Selecting 'Cancel' aborts this operation. Move: Changes the order of appearance of the menu items. You must select a menu item either before or after activating this switch. DIP will prompt you for the 'Destination' location. Simply choose your new location in the Menu Item Selection area (see details elsewhere) and the menu item will be moved to that location. Selecting 'Cancel' at any time aborts this operation. Cancel: Returns DIP to the Main SysOp Menu. Door Edit Menu: The Door Edit Menu specifies all the necessary parameters to run a given menu item. It is entered from the Door Selection Menu. Title: Enter the title of your menu item. Save: Saves your work and exits to the Door Selection Menu. Exit: Exits to the Door Selection Menu but DOES NOT save your work. Configuration Switches: Console ONLY: Menu item is only executable (and visible) when DIP is in 'local' or 'console' mode. LOG Program: Allows logging of activity in this menu item. The Record LOG File switch (see the Main SysOp Menu description previously in this manual) must be switched on for this to have any effect. Send LOCAL: Sends 'LOCAL' across the command line to the menu item when evoking that program while in console mode. This overrides any command line parameters specified in the Specify Command Line field (see elsewhere). Group: Calls the 'Select Desired Groups for Access' menu. If not specified, a default group of '1' is specified (see below for details). Select Emulation: DORINFO1: Selects the DORINFO1.DEF File Format. DIP will write a DORINFO1.DEF file to the location specified by the 'Specify Data File Path/Name' field (described below) when the menu item is launched. FOREM: Selects the FOREM.DAT File Format. DIP will write a FOREM.DAT file to the location specified by the 'Specify Data File Path/Name' field (described below) when the menu item is launched. TEXT: Selects the Text File mode. DIP will output the file specified in the 'Specify Program File Path/ Name' field (described elsewhere) directly to the screen/modem when the menu item is launched. USERNAME: Selects a simple ASCII User Name File Format. DIP will write an ASCII user name file specified by the 'Specify Data File Path/Name' field (described elsewhere) when the menu item is launched. The file contains the user's name on the first line and the user's time remaining on the last line. DIP MENU: Selects the DIP sub menu option. This allows creation of menus within the main DIP menu. You must specify the name and path of the menu file in the 'Specify Data File Path/Name field' (described elsewhere). This option is only available in registered versions of DIP. NONE: Specifies that no data files are to be written when this menu item is launched. Specify Program Path/Name: Pressing 'Yes' will display the file selector and allow you to choose the file/program that you wish to correspond with the menu item and launch. Specify Command Line: Pressing 'Yes' will allow you to specify a command line to be passed when the menu item is launched. Putting a "#" in the command line followed by any letter ("U" is used internally) will cause DIP to output the user's name. You may have up to 40 characters in this field. If more is desired you must manual- ly edit the data file cor- responding with this menu item entry. Specify Data File Path/Name: Pressing 'Yes' will display the file selector and allow you to choose the data file path (for DORINFO1 and FOREM emulation) and data file path/name (for ASCII user file emulation types and DIP sub menu types) that you wish to correspond with the menu item and launch. Select Desired Groups for Access Menu: The Select Desired Groups for Access menu allows you to specify user group access to DIP menu items. Default group access is '1'. It is entered from the Door Edit Menu. Group access options may be utilized only when using the ST-Keep User File or DORINFO1 DIP Input Method selections. Otherwise it should always be '1'. If no groups switches are turned on then ALL users may access that menu item. For more information on the Group access integer see the Appendix. Configuration Switches: Group 01: Simply turn on/off the user groups you wish : to grant/deny access. : Group 15: Console Only: Specifies this menu item may only be run from the console or local mode. Same as the 'Console Only' switch in the Door Edit menu. Exit: Exits to the Door Edit menu. DIP Graphics Modes: DIP has the ability to emulate ASCII, Atari VT-52 and ANSI graphics modes. The user's current graphic mode is ob- tained from the DORINFO1 or ST-Keep User File Input Methods or directly from the user at run time. The user may change their graphics mode by typing '!' at the DIP menu prompt. You may create text files and bulletins using these graphics modes by imbedding the proper escape code sequence into the text file to be displayed. Refer to the Appendix for the exact codes DIP will reconize. Thank you for your interest in the Door Interface Program. If you have any questions or problems please feel free to call the MindKeep and leave me a message. I will get back to you ASAP and if that dosn't work call Pres. Clinton, he said he would listen to the people! (he he he) A P P E N D I X DIP Color Graphic Codes: 00 Black foreground 01 Red foreground 04 Blue foreground (green in VT-52) 07 White foreground 08 Black background 09 Red background 12 Blue background (green in VT-52) 15 White background 18 Erase screen NOTE: The symbol denotes the ASCII 27. DIP Group Integer Field: The DIP group field is an integer divided into 16 bits. Each bit corresponds a given group as specified below: msb lsb 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +- Group 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +---- Group 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | +------- Group 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | +---------- Group 4 | | | | | | | | | | | +------------- Group 5 | | | | | | | | | | +---------------- Group 6 | | | | | | | | | +------------------- Group 7 | | | | | | | | +---------------------- Group 8 | | | | | | | +------------------------- Group 9 | | | | | | +---------------------------- Group 10 | | | | | +------------------------------- Group 11 | | | | +---------------------------------- Group 12 | | | +------------------------------------- Group 13 | | +---------------------------------------- Group 14 | +------------------------------------------- Group 15 +---------------------------------------------- Group 16 (Console Mode) DIP/ST-KEEP Input User File Format: LINE 1: User's Name LINE 2: User's Graphics Mode LINE 3: User's Group Number LINE 4: User's Time Left DIP DORINFO1 Input File Format: LINE 1: BBS Name LINE 2: SysOp's First Name LINE 3: SysOp's Last Name LINE 4: unused by DIP LINE 5: Baud Rate LINE 6: User's First Name LINE 7: User's Last Name LINE 8: User's City/State LINE 9: User's Graphics Mode LINE 10: User's Group Number LINE 11: User's Time Left