                Ŀ
                                 READER                  
                     Personal edition of READROOM Door   
                      for viewing online publications    
                 (C) Exhibit A Communications, 1992-1993 
                



Ŀ
  About READER      


        READER is an offline viewing program for any publication you
desire.  This program supports ASCII, ANSI and [ANSIART] files and will
display RIP graphics files with the use of your favorite RIP display
utility. The READER will support up to 99 choices on it's main menu.
Each choice may launch an article, an executable program or a sub-menu
of another 99 articles or programs. The program allows the user to
choose the background color for the menu and ASCII screens while running
the program.

        This program is mainly designed for publishers of electronic
newsletters and magazines who distribute their wares in the READROOM.TOC
format.  The READER.COM program may be distributed freely in its
unaltered form. To create your own READROOM.TOC file, please read
Appendix A.


Ŀ
  About READROOM    


        READROOM is an online viewing door for any publication you
desire.  Version 3.0 of the this door (due September 1993) will support
the display of ASCII, ANSI, [ANSIART] and RIP file viewing. READROOM will
work with any BBS that can produce a DOOR.SYS file, either directly, or
using a conversion program.  The READROOM door supports all the features
of the READER program with the exception of launching executable
programs, which will not be shown to the online user. The maximum number
of publications that may be offered at one time is 99. READROOM can also,
optionally, allow the user to download the currently selected periodical
using sysop defined transfer protocols.

        Sysop's can chat with users with full wordwrapping, drop to DOS
or twit the caller without the caller ever knowing the sysop is
watching.

        READROOM is fully interupt driven, so there should be no
need to use fossil drivers.  It also handles data transfer at rates up
to 115,200 baud as well as handle communication ports other than Com1 or
Com2.  Contains it's own ANSI driver.  Also supports the 16550 UART
chips through the FIFO buffers. DigiBoards are also now supported.
The door has been designed for ease of installation and maintenance on
multi-node BBSes.


Ŀ
  Requirements      


        READER requires only the existence of READROOM.TOC file.  This
file provides the information READER needs to create a menu of files.
It SHOULD work with any computer capable of running MS-DOS.  To display
color, the computer it is running on must have an ANSI driver loaded.
To display RIP files, a RIP viewing utility must be available.

Ŀ
  Installation      


        To install READER, simply copy all the files included in the
original distribution disk (or archive file) into a single directory.

Ŀ
  Operation         


        To run READER, simply type READER in the directory containing
the READROOM.TOC file and the files to be viewed.  If you have READER.COM
in a directory on your path (or the current directory) you needn't worry
about typing any path names at all!

        For a sampler of READROOM.TOC supporting publications, please
unzip the file SAMPLER.ZIP in the current directory and type READER at
the DOS prompt.

Ŀ
  Support           


        READER is supported by it's programmer Michael J. Gibbs
through Exhibit A Communications.  He can be reached in the following
manners:
        1) InfoMat BBS (714) 492-8727
                forum 7 is support for Exhibit A Programs
        2) Intelec network
                conferences monitored:
                        SYSOP
                        BBS DOORS
                        PROGRAMMING
                        C PROGRAMMING
                        INTELEC ADMIN
        3) Pen & Brush Network         PostLink node id:->1153
                conferences monitored:
                        READROOM Support
                        P&BNet ADMIN
        4) RaceNet network
                conferences monitored:
                        EXHIBITA
                        OFFROAD
                        RACENET SYSOPS
        5) Orange County Information Network (OCIN)
                conferences monitored:
                        EXHIBIT A Support
        6) ROCIE-Net
                conferences monitored:
                        ROCIE-Net Admin
                        ROCIE-Net Talk
        7) RIME
                conferences monitored:
                        BBS DOORS
                        GAP/MAINMAIL DOORS
        8) CI$  #72246,1653
        9) INTERNET 72246.1653@CIS.COM

        If you are having troubles specific to the articles themselves,
please contact the publisher/distributor of the magazine you are having
problems with.

Ŀ
  Legal Disclaimer  

(small print on<g>)
        As with any program, every attempt is made by the programmer to
kill all the bugs in the software before it is release to the public.
Since this is all but impossible, it is recommended that new software
should only be run (for the first time at least) when a current backup
of your hard disk is available.  When shareware is released for public
evaluation, there is little that can be done on the programmer's end to
prevent others from infecting the program with viruses or making
unauthorized changes to the program.  AS SUCH, user agrees to hold
harmless MICHAEL J. GIBBS, INFOMAT BBS and EXHIBIT A COMMUNICATIONS in
regards to any personal, physical, emotion, financial, sexual or other
damage that may occur to hardware, software or the user that may arise
from the use of this program.  Use of this program is considered to be
acceptance of these conditions.
        This program remains the copyrighted work of Exhibit A
Communications.  When you register the program, you are granted a
license to use this program on one (1) BBS system, regardless of how
many nodes are active.  You may sell your registered number to another
if the following conditions are met:
        1) All copies of the software and any documentation are
                transferred to the new owner.
        2) You must discontinue use of the program following the sale.
        3) The new owner must contact Exhibit A Communications to update
                our user records.
        This program may not be sold in it's unregistered form.  It is
intended to be distributed freely.  Pay BBS systems are exempt from this
requirement provided they are not charging specifically for access to
this one program.  Shareware distributors/User Groups may charge a nominal
copying/library fee not to exceed $7.00.
(small print off<g>)

Ŀ
  Special Thanks    


        Special thanks go out to:
                        My wife Lori and my son Bobby for tolerating my
                        weird ways.

                        All those publishers currently supporting the
                                READROOM.TOC format.  Please see the
                                sample publication for a list of their
                                fertile imaginations!
Ŀ
  Appendix          



   Appendix A
     (note this is taken directly from the RDRMTOC.SPC file)
                     Ŀ
                          READROOM.TOC      
                      Format Specifications 
                          Revision 3.0      
                     

1)  All programs supporting the .TOC format must be able to read and run
    publications created using earlier versions of the format.

2)  All publications distributed in the READROOM.TOC format must include
    a control file titled READROOM.TOC. This file is a standard ASCII
    text file. A full description of this file will follow.

3)  Publications distributed in the READROOM.TOC format may include,
    optionally, the most current version of READER.COM for owners of IBM
    PC compatible computers. It is also strongly encouraged that
    publishers include a FILE_ID.DIZ or DESC.SDI file in their
    publication to ease importation of the publication into a BBS's
    file base. See Appendix C for a description of FILE_ID.DIZ format.

4)  Publications distributed in the READROOM.TOC format will also include
    any number of additional files. Each additional file will fall into
    one of two categories:
        a) an article
        b) a submenu
        c) an executable

6)  The file READROOM.TOC is a standard ASCII text file with a minimum
    of 5 lines and a maximum of 104. Lines one through 4 contain control
    information about the publication for use by programs supporting the
    format. Lines 5 through 104 contain filenames and descriptions for each
    of the individual articles, one line per article.
    1) Line one contains the full filename for your archive publication.
    2) Line two contains the filename for a file to be shown to readers
       before they reach the menu of articles.  This file can be thought
       of as a publication's cover.
    3) Line three contains the publication's title.  This line can be no
       longer than 74 characters in length.
    4) Line four contains the publication's subheading. This line is
       generally used for volume, issue and date information. This line
       can be no longer than 74 characters in length.
 5-104)These lines are the article description lines. Each line will be
       for one article in the publication. Each line is divided up into
       two parts.  The first is the filename of the ASCII version of the
       article. The second part is the article title and is separated
       from the filename by at least one space.
       a) The article title may be no longer than 60 characters in
          length. Any text that extends past this point will be
          truncated.
       b) The article filename is based upon the display file standard
          for BBSes. The ASCII text version is a standard file name, no
          longer than seven characters and with no extension. If the
          reader is capable of displaying color (either online or
          offline) the ANSI text or ANSIART version of the article will
          be displayed. The ANSI version must be named the same as the
          ASCII version, only ending with a G. If the reader is capable
          of displaying RIP graphics, the RIP version of the article will
          be displayed. The RIP version must be named the same as the ASCII
          version, only ending with an R.
          So if ART1 was the ASCII version of the first article in a
          publication, ART1G would be the ANSI text or ANSIART version of
          the first article and ART1R would be the RIP version of this article.

4)  Articles can be in at least one of the following file formats:
        a) ASCII text
        b) ANSI text or ANSIART
        c) RIP graphics

    Each of these files may be of unlimited length, subject to the
    following limitations:
        a) Each article should have, at minimum, an ASCII version.
        b) All files with a display line length of greater than 80 will
           be wrapped on the screen. This is designed so that supporting
           offline readers will emulate the effects of supporting online
           doors as viewed through a communications program.
        c) ANSI text screens should take the previous limitation in mind.
        d) ANSIART, identified by the phrase "[ANSIART]" (excluding the
           quotes) in the first 9 characters of a file, may have any
           length and may include ANSI animation codes. This file type
           allows for nonstop display of involved ANSI drawings.

5)  An executable file (for IBM compatible computers) is distinguished from
    a normal article in that its name is preceded by an asterisk (*). An
    executable file will be launched from the publication's menu in place
    of an article. The executable file must end in either .COM, .BAT or .EXE.

    Please note that this option should NOT appear on a publication's menu
    when it is shown in supporting online doors. It is provided as a
    service to publishers for the use of their subscribers offline.
    This article should NOT appear on offline readers that are created for
    systems that are not capable of running programs designed for
    IBM-Compatible computers.

6)  A submenu file is distinguished from a normal article in that its name is
    preceded by the "at" character (@). A submenu will be launched from the
    publication's menu in place of an article. It will a separate menu to the
    reader. The format used for the submenu's is the same as that for
    READROOM.TOC files with two exceptions:
    1) The file can be named anything EXCEPT READROOM.TOC. A good rule of
       thumb would be to give the submenu an appropriate name with an
       extension of .TOC.
    2) The first line in the submenu, which is used for the publication's
       archive name in READROOM.TOC file, should be left blank as it is
       ignored in a submenu.


                      Ŀ
                              Appendix A        
                       Sample READROOM.TOC File 
                      
Line
   Ŀ
001SAMPLE.ZIP                                                                
002BANNER                                                                    
003Sampler of All Sorts of Goodies                                           
004August 20, 1993       Vol. 3, Issue 0                                     
005ART1      Editor's Corner: This month's really libelous stuff             
006ART2      Revision 3.0 of the READROOM.TOC format specifications          
007*RUNME    And now for something completely different                      
008@SUB1.TOC AnsiArt gallery                                                 
......       ...                                                             
xxxARTxx     This is the xxxth article in this publication                   
   

   Line 1 is the name of the archive as it is shipped from the publisher.
   Line 2 is the name of the ASCII file to be displayed to the reader before
          the main article menu.
          If an ANSI or ANSIART version exists, it will be called BANNERG.
          If a RIP version exists, it will be called BANNERR.
   Line 3 is the name of the publication
   Line 4 is for the publication's subheading or volume information
   Line 5 is the first of the articles. All display articles following the same
          naming guidelines as Line 2 above.
   Line 6 is the second of xxx display articles.
   Line 7 is an executable program. It will NOT appear on the menus when
          the publication is displayed in a supporting door program. Offline
          programs will run this program on an IBM-Compatible compatible
          system.
   Line 8 is a submenu. When this option is chosen, the main article menu
          is replaced with a submenu as defined by SUB1.TOC (see appendix B)


                      Ŀ
                              Appendix A        
                       Sample SubMenu: SUB1.TOC 
                      
Line
   Ŀ
001                                                                          
002SUBWELC                                                                   
003AnsiArt Gallery Sampler                                                   
004August 20, 1993       Vol. 3, Issue 0                                     
005ART1      Editor's Corner: This month's really libelous stuff             
006ART2      Revision 3.0 of the READROOM.TOC format specifications          
007*RUNME    And now for something completely different                      
......       ...                                                             
xxxARTxx     This is the xxxth article in this publication                   
   

   Line 1 is left blank.
   Line 2 is the name of the ASCII file to be displayed to the reader before
          the article submenu.
          If an ANSI or ANSIART version exists, it will be called BANNERG.
          If a RIP version exists, it will be called BANNERR.
   Line 3 is the name of the submenu.
   Line 4 is for the submenu's subheading or volume information
   Line 5 is the first of the articles. All display articles following the same
          naming guidelines as Line 2 above.
   Line 6 is the second of xxx display articles.
   Line 7 is an executable program. It will NOT appear on the menus when
          the publication is displayed in a supporting door program. Offline
          programs will run this program on an IBM-Compatible compatible
          system.

   Appendix B
   
                        Ŀ
                         HISTORY:  READROOM 
                        
Version         Date            Fixes, Changes, etc.
                 
30             08/19/93        First eta release that supports revision
                                3.0 of the READROOM.TOC format. Major features
                                include RIP support and submenus. Reader
                                will now allow user to change background color
                                from within the door.

2.0             04/08/93        Newest version released.  Released in
                                advance of READROOM door to give publishers
                                time to support new features.

04             03/30/93        Fixed bug in no ansi available question
                                when running [ANSIART] files.  Wouldn't
                                allow READER to show file if and ANSI
                                driver was loaded.

03             03/23/93        Added support for user definition of
                                background colors.

02             03/??/93        Added support for running an external
                                program or batch file by choosing an article.
                                READROOM door will ignore these articles due
                                to difficulty in matching offline and online
                                uses.  May be added to READROOM door in future,
                                but I wouldn't count on it.  

01             03/02/93        Inline upgrade to match features to those
                                added to readroom door.
                                        AutoRead
                                        [ANSIART] files

1.0             05/27/92        Public Release.  Released to coincided
                                with the release of READROOM, the
                                Reading Room door.

10             05/19/92        First working edition.  Released for
                                beta testing.
