               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, 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

  +---------------------------------------------------------------+
  |  Artical submitted by Brain Storm Learning - BBS (713)550-8105
  |  Sysop: Gloria Short
  +===============================================================+
  | This information was processed from data provided by the      
  | above mentioned company. For additional details, contact the  
  | company at the address or telephone number indicated above.  
  |
  |    All submissions for this service should be addressed to    
  |
  |   BAKER ENTERPRISES, 20 Ferro Drive, Sewell, NJ 08080 U.S.A.  
  |
  +---------------------------------------------------------------+


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