                      WARNUSER - A PCBOARD V15.21 UTILITY
               by Peter Deegan - My Computer Company, Australia

PURPOSE
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To display a text file to callers who may have accidentally changed the
following user options:

        - Expert Mode ON
        - No Protocol Selected

Also to show text to first time callers in places other than in the NEWUSER.
file.


BACKGROUND
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I've often noticed users in Expert mode fumbling around the BBS system,
obviously very lost.

What has usually occured is that the caller has pressed  X  at some stage
unwittingly and put themselves in Expert mode.

Since all the menus have now disappeared, they don't know how to get them
back again!

Thus was born, WarnUser ...

Insert this PPE as an included file in one of your logon text files (like the
security display files 10. 20. etc) and if the user is in Expert mode they
see a short display at logon telling them what has happened and how to get
out of it!

After only a few days, I noticed lots of callers switching out of Expert mode
and leaving heartfelt thanks to the Sysop.  Aw, shucks <g>.

So I extended the PPE to cover those who selected  "N" as their default
protocol and also to allow displays to first time callers in places other
than NEWUSER.


HOW IT DUZZIT WORK?
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WarnUser first checks to see if any of the warning states exist, if not then
it exits quickly.

Otherwise it will read your WARNUSER.INI settings and display whatever text
files are appropriate.

To make sure WARNUSER does not interfere with anyone's logon scripts, there
is a automatic delay that you can configure (instead of a forced pause, that
a script could choke on). After that timed delay the PPE will return to
PCBoard.


CONFIGURATION
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All the configuration options are contained in the file WarnUser.INI which
must be in the same directory as the WarnUser.PPE itself.

This INI file operates on the same basis as the Windows style INI files that
we are all used to these days.  Any unformatted text editor can make any
changes required.

WarnUser is fully documented internally, so have a look there for
configuration details.

Any line that starts with a semi-colon  ;  is a comment line that is ignored
by WarnUser.


INSTALLATION
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It is suggested that you create a separate directory for each PPE you run, it
makes it a lot easier to find and sort them out later on.  I suggest a
directory like:
        C:\PCB\PPL\WarnUser\

Extract the files WarnUser.PPE, WarnUser.INI, WarnUser.TXT and the sample
text files into that directory.

Then insert the PPE in a text file that is displayed wherever you want the
warnings to be shown like this:

!c:\pcb\ppl\warnuser\warnuser.ppe

The line must start with a ! mark in column 1 followed by the full
drive/path/filename of the PPE.

You can insert this PPE in any PCBoard text file, NEWS.  the security
specific logon files (eg 10.  30.  60. etc), you could put it in your main
menu BRDM file, but that's not recommended (it would operate every time the
main menu is displayed).

TEXT FILES
The text files displayed by WarnUser are fully editable by the sysop, sample
files are included in this archive for you to edit as you see fit.

The base file names are fixed as follows:

        Expert warning ....... XPRT.
        No Protocol .......... NOPR
        First Time Caller .... 1ST.

All the files can accept  Security, Language and Graphics variants, if
required.  (eg for French language  XPRT.FRE  NOPR.FRE and 1ST.FRE)


MULTIPLE CONFIGURATIONS
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You can run multiple copies of WarnUser, with different configurations at
various places on your BBS displays.

Just copy WARNUSER.PPE and WARNUSER.INI to new names (same extensions)

Example:
If you wanted to have a special text file only displayed to first time
callers, but still have WarnUser working elsewhere, copy the PPE and INI to a
new name like:

        1STIMER.PPE
        1STIMER.INI

You can then edit the 1STTIMER.INI file to only trigger for first time
callers as follows

        Expert=0
        NoProtocol=0
        FirstCall=1


TESTING
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If you want to try out WarnUser before putting it online, then insert this
line in your CMDS.LST file   (from PCBSetup | File Locations | Configuration
Files )

                        Charges Per     PPE/MNU File Specification -or-
       Command    Sec  Minute    Use    Keystroke Substitution
      

   WARNUSER       110        0        0 C:\PCB\PPL\WARNUSER\WARNUSER.PPE

You can then logon as Sysop and type  WARNUSER   at the BBS main menu.

Change your Expert status and/or  T)ransfer Protocol then run WARNUSER again
to see how it operates.


REGISTRATION
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Registration is a mere US$5 for lifetime registration and for all uses of
WarnUser on your BBS.

Use the attached registration form  REGISTER.FRM  and either

        - email to  ORDER@mcc.com.au

        - or fax it to My Computer Company, Australia
                + 61 2 550 4459

        - or Fidonet to 3:712/411 (crash mail accepted 24 hours)

Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Diners Club is accepted.

A registration key will be emailed or faxed to you promptly.

Registration will remove the 10 second delay and credits after display of
warnings.  In other words, the registered version looks like a seamless,
integrated part of your BBS.


UPDATES
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The latest version of WarnUser will always be posted on

      -  Clark Developments, SaltAir BBS
      -  My Computer Company / Telix Australia BBS + 61 2 565 1044

Fidonet BBS can also File Request the latest release from 3:712/411 using the
Magic Name   WarnUser   (original eh?)


HELP
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I hope that this humble little PPE will need little assistance, but if you do
get stuck send Internet email to:

        peter.deegan@mcc.com.au

Please include:
        - a copy of your WarnUser.INI
        - a copy of any relevant parts of the WarnUser.LOG
        - full description of your problem
        - Version of PCBoard (WarnUser needs PCBoard v15.21 or later)

I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can, usually within a day or two.


SUGGESTIONS
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If you have any ideas for improvements to WarnUser you can send email to
        WarnUser-suggest@mcc.com.au

Your message will be acknowledged and idea will be go into the pool for
future releases.


ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
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        PCBoard.............Clark Development


FILE LIST
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Here is a list of the files in the WarnUser archive:

        WarnUser.TXT      This file!
        WarnUser.PPE      the program itself
        WarnUser.INI      default configuration file
        REGISTER.FRM      registration order form
        HISTORY.TXT       chronological list of revisions
        FILE_ID.DIZ       BBS file listing entry
        XPRT.             Sample warning files
        NOPR.               "       "      "
        1ST.                "       "      "


CREDITS
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You really have to hand it to David Terry and the rest of the gang at Clark
Development ...  not only have they given us a powerful PPL language to play
with, they gave us lots of ways to plug PPE's into the BBS.

PPE's continue to amaze me, they can create full blown BBS doors all the way
 down to minor adjustments to prompts.

Sure, there are things that could be better in the PPL language, but just
look at the cool stuff we can do with what we have.