WCView & PCBView V1.0 Now Shipping

@Code BBS Screen File Viewers for Wildcat! and PCBoard BBS Software Toggle
Color & Mono Views with @Variables Replaced by Dummy Text!

West Hills, CA -- Feb.  4, 1993 -- Yardbird Software announced today that
it has begun shipping two utilities which allow BBS sysops to preview
their title and menu screens off-line exactly as they will appear on-line
to their callers in color andmonochrome, and with all user and system
"@variables" automatically replaced with user-configurable dummy
information.  The two programs are WCView for Mustang Software's Wildcat!
BBS software, and PCBView, for Clark Development Co.'s PCBoard BBS
software.

Both PCBoard and Wildcat!  use their own proprietary "@code" file formats
to store title and menu screens.  These file formats allow sysops to store
a single version of each screen which the BBS software will then translate
into either color ANSI or monochrome ASCII codes for transmission to
callers, depending on each caller's preference for color or monochrome. 
In addition, both Clark and Mustang have defined several "@variables" to
represent various system information items such as the BBS's name, current
date and time, etc.  or user information items such as the current
caller's name, address, phone numbr, time left, account balance, etc. 
When these codes are encountered in a screen file, the BBS software
replaces the code with the appropriate information.  This capability
allows the easy implementation of "User Statistics" screens or
personalized BBS prompts and status lines.

The programs ship with default replacement text which may be customized by
simply editing an ASCII @variable definitions file. There are also several
@codes defined which allow sysops to embed screen control codes into the
screen files for such things as pausing or clearing the screen, inhibiting
the callers ability to pause the screen, etc.  Both PCBView and WCView
mimic the BBS software exactly when one of these control codes is
encountered in a screen file.

WCView and PCBView also allow the user to toggle the screen display from
color to monochrome or slow down the display, simulating transmission at
different baud rates.  Single screens can be displayed, or several
filenames or DOS wildcards (? and * can be entered on the command line to
display a series of files.

PCBView and WCView are useful companion programs to Yardbird's premiere BBS
screen designer: The Laughing Dog Screen Maker.  Sysops can design screens
using The Laughing Dog, then preview the on-line look and feel using
WCView or PCBView.  Or these tasks can now be assigned to a co-sysop to be
done off-line, without the need of having the BBS system software tied-up
to check the results.  The utilities will also be useful to callers on
systems that allow @codes in posted messages.  Callers, for the first
time, will be able to see what their messages will look like to other
callers on-line prior to uploading them.

WCView and PCBView will run on any IBM compatible computer with DOS 2.1 or
higher, and require 512K of RAM.  Color and monochrome monitors are
supported, although color is recommended.

Fully-functional evaluation copies are being distributed as shareware and
are available from CompuServe, GEnie, ASP approved disk vendors, and
BBS's. Filenames: PCBVIEW.ZIP (PCBVW.ZIP on CompuServe) & WCVIEW.ZIP.
Alternately, copies may be ordered direct from Yardbird Software for a $5
shipping and handling fee. Registration is $10 U.S. (California residents
add sales tax). Registered users will receive the latest version of the
program (without the shareware reminder screens), and free product
support.

Yardbird Software is a company specializing in writing shareware products
for the programming, BBS, and desktop publishing market. Jeff Sloan, the
program's author and president of Yardbird Software has been a software
engineer in the electronics business for 10 years and is a member of the
Association of Shareware Professionals.

Yardbird Software, PO Box 4646, West Hills, CA 91308
818-704-6402; CIS: 73650,104; GEnie: J.SLOAN7

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