=============================================================================
          Chinese Zodiac -- Version 1.2 -- Developed by Sean Dennis
                        (C) 2002 by Sean Dennis
                          All rights reserved.

        Another Cheepware Production (http://cheepware.lordlegacy.org)

                      Released in partnership with

                 Elysium Software (http://www.elysoft.net)
                               * and *
           Warlock Productions (http://sector7bbs.com/warlock)

                       DOS Version (CZOCDOS.EXE)
=============================================================================




{ What is Chinese Zodiac? }
  -----------------------
  
Chinese Zodiac is a BBS door (although it can be run without a BBS too!) that
allows you to see what sign of the Chinese Zodiac that you were born under.
This door will work with birthyears from 1907 and up (you can see years up to
the year 34674, so this door will work for quite some time! :).  There are
versions for DOS, Win32-native (DOOR32.SYS) and OS/2-native BBSes.  The DOS
door will work under DOSEMU in Linux.

               You are using the DOS version (CZOCDOS.EXE).

This door requires a FOSSIL driver to be loaded if you are running it on
a BBS.  ANSI.SYS is /NOT/ required as the door has its own ANSI code.
A BBS user must be ANSI-capable to use this door.

This DOS door will recognize DOOR.SYS and DORINFO1.DAT drop files.

If you are running a Win32-native BBS that is DOOR32.SYS compatible, please
get the CZOCW32.ZIP archive.  If you are running an OS/2-native BBS, please
get the CZOCOS2.ZIP archive.  You will get much better performance out of
this door and your system.




{ How do I install the door? }
  --------------------------
  
It's actually quite simple to install Chinese Zodiac.  Here's the
instructions:

 1) Create a directory for the door and put the archive into it.
 2) Unzip the archive in the directory.
 3) If you want to try out the door now, just type: CZOCDOS.EXE /L and
    have fun!
 4) To install it on your BBS, I'd recommend making a batch file like:
 
    @echo off
    d:
    cd \doors\czodiac
    czocdos.exe /DD:\SHOTGUN\NODE%1\DOOR.SYS /P%2
    cd \shotgun
    
    This is assuming that you have a multinode BBS.  If you're running a
    single-line BBS, you can simply put in what node number and port you're
    using (1-4 or whatever).
    
    You can use DOOR.SYS and DORINFO1.DAT (no multinode support for the
    DORINFOx.DAT dropfile yet).

  5) Set up the door in your BBS.  I run Shotgun and here's the screen for
     my setup:
  
           EDIT MENU OPTION - Run DOS Door (ANSI)                   
                                                                    
             Ansi/TTY [YES]  Svga/ModeX  YES   Rip Script  YES      
         ĳ
                  Option Hotkey  Z                                  
              Menu Option Title  Chinese Zodiac________________     
         ĳ
            Option Access Level  0____                              
             Option Access Tags  __________                         
         ĳ
            Path To Door  \SHOTGUN\DOORBAT\_______________________  
          DOS Executable  czodiac.bat {NODE} {PORT}_______________  
         ĳ
                  Use BUSY Flag  NO                                 
            Name For Drop Files  REAL NAME___________               
           Speed For Drop Files  CONNECT SPEED_______               
         ĳ
                                               FUNCTION   QUIT    
                                                    
           
              
     (If you run another BBS software package and have Chinese Zodiac
      successfully installed, I would appreciate a screen shot of your
      setup or if your BBS uses text files for setup [a la Maximus BBS],
      I'd appreciate those also for future inclusion with this
      documentation.  See "How To Contact The Author" for contact
      information.)
      
      
      
      
{ How can I customize the door for my needs? }
  ------------------------------------------
  
I wrote this door to be very customizable so sysops and users all over
the world can use my doors in their native tongue.  Almost all of the
prompts and strings in this door are configurable.  Here's the information
about the .DAT files:

  * LANGUAGE.DAT
    This controls the three prompts used within the program.  I'd
    recommend that they be 78 characters or less.  The first line
    (asking you for your birth year) should be 70 characters or less.
    I'd also put a space on the end of the first and second lines.
    The last line is the pause prompt used when the door is done.

  * SIGNS.DAT
    This is the file that holds the actual signs of the Chinese
    Zodiac.

  * SPLASH.ANS
   This is the screen that's shown to users when they go into the
   door.  I'd keep it about the same size it is currently in the
   archive to make sure the door works right.

  * 1-12.DAT
   These are the sign description files.  These are simple text files,
   but you can use ANSI codes in them if you want to make them fancy.
   Again, I'd keep them close to the size they are so everything can
   fit onto a single screen.




{ Special note for sysops running doors under DOSEMU }
  --------------------------------------------------

I made sure that the program, when opening files, only uses lowercase
filenames.  However, because I use a Windows-based system to develop
my doors in, some of the filenames may be in uppercase.




{ Color code support}
  ------------------
  
This door supports color codes in the strings using the Telegard BBS-style
color codes.  They are identical to the pipe codes used by Renegade, but they
use the left-handed apostrophe (`) to signify a color code.  Please see the
file COLORS.TXT, included in the program archive.





{ Thanks and credits }
  ------------------

Thanks to Mike Hodgson (http://www.mhdev.com) for writing FreeDoor, the
Pascal doorkit I use to write my doors.  Thanks also go out to Fusion
(http://cfbbs.net) for testing my OS/2 compiles (suckah, heheh).  Yes,
thanks to the crew living and dying on #bbs (irc://irc.lordlegacy.org:6667).

I develop my doors using Turbo Pascal 7.0 (patched for the RTE200 bug) and
Virtual Pascal 2.1 for the Win32 and OS/2 versions.  The doorkit I use is
FreeDoor v1.50 (http://www.mhdev.com).

All names of other products are copyrighted by their respective owners.





{ How to contact the author }
  -------------------------

You can contact me via:

  * Fidonet : 1:11/200 (Check in DOORGAMES for me)
  * Micronet: 618:618/2
  * Email   : hausmaus@midnightshour.org
  * WWW     : http://midnightshour.org
  * BBS     : 1-618-529-3176 (Carbondale, Illinois)

Please note that this information will probably become incorrect over the
years, so please check the current Fidonet nodelist or my web site to
make sure that I'm still around. <G>  Nothing like a disappearing BBS
door author to piss you off, eh?

I hope this door will be fun for you and your users and be trouble-free
for years to come.  Don't forget to support your local sysops and BBSes!

--Sean Dennis
  Cheepware Author
  
<eof>