Category : BBS Programs+Doors
Archive   : ANSI200.ZIP
Filename : ANSIVIEW.DOC

ANSIView v2.00
Designed and Programmed by Bryan Napier
Copyright (c) 1991-1992 by Bryan Napier

Distributed by CSPI























ANSIView v2.00 Table of Contents Page i
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Table of Contents .................................... i
Disclaimer ........................................... ii
Introduction ......................................... 1-1
About the Author ................................ 1-2
Distribution .................................... 1-3
Installation ......................................... 2-1
Requirements .................................... 2-2
Operating the Door ................................... 3-1
SysOp's Commands ................................ 3-2
Trouble Shooting...................................... 4-1
Registration ......................................... 5-1




ANSIView v2.00 Disclaimer Page ii
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Neither the author or CSPI may be held responsible for any
damages imposed to your system by the use of this product. The
software distribution archive is distributed "AS IS". All I can
say is it works on my system. If you DO have any problems,
please try to contact us, and we will see if there is anyway we
can help you.



ANSIView v2.00 Introduction Page 1-1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ANSIView is a multi-function door for viewing ANSI's. It
has many features. It supports up to 99 categories for ANSI's,
and 999 ANSI's PER CATEGORY. So this gives you a very large
range of numbers to work with. And if you STILL need more, just
setup another ANSIView DOOR, and you will have even more. Some
of the other features include:

-*- Uploading and Downloading of ANSI's
-*- Easy-To-Use Interface
-*- Abortable Lists
-*- On-Line Help
-*- Colorful Menus


ANSIView v2.00 About the Author Page 1-2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The author, Bryan Napier, has been a BASIC programmer since
the age of 7. Just recently, he ventured into QuickBASIC, when a
close modeming friend, Lord Zero aka Michael Allen, introduced
him to some QuickBASIC programs he had made or had been working
on. One of the most impressive programs, was the ANSI Music
Editor. This file is available for download from Grateful
Software, Gratefully Deadicated BBS (410) 987-7562. When Michael
went to boot camp, Bryan still had many questions about QB. But
he had also discovered many things. When chatting one night with
Byte Basher aka Ross St. Clair, they decided to make a QuickBASIC
programming forum by the name of ByteMagic, Inc. So they
immediately got to work, making various programs. One of the
best programs, was Kick Boxing, an on-line game for WWIV. But as
they continued work on it, it seemed to get more and more bugs.
So they had to discontinue it and develope it at another time.
But Bryan aka Equilizer didn't like the name ByteMagic, it seemed
to informal, so he came up with Computer Software Programming,
Incorporated, abbreviated CSPI. After telling Ross, they both
agreed this would be the name they would distribute by from here
on after.


ANSIView v2.00 Distribution Page 1-3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ANSIView is a SHAREWARE product, or "Try before you Buy".
This means you have a 30 day TRIAL or DEMO period of using the
software, before registering or terminating the use of the
software. The DEMO archive may be distributed as long as there
is no fee charged greater then the price of the disk and shipping
and handling. The REGISTERED copy has been copyright by Bryan
Napier, the author of ANSIView. This means that any distribution
of the REGISTERED copy is against copyright laws, and you will be
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law in the fine state of
Maryland. We encourage you to distribute the DEMO copy to your
local BBS, and to other SysOps so they too can see the program,
and decide if they would like to have a registered copy of the
software.


ANSIView v2.00 Installation Page 2-1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANSIView is a very simple door to install and configure.
First, make a directory off of your ROOT WWIV directory. For
example: "C:\WWIV\DOORS\ANSIVIEW". Unzip the distribution
archive into the ANSIVIEW directory. Next create a batch file
you will use to execute ANSIVIEW from the main WWIV directory.
An example batch file would be like this:

@ECHO OFF
CD\WWIV\DOORS\ANSIVIEW
ANSIVIEW.EXE %1
CD\WWIV

You MUST have the %1 after the ANSIVIEW executable. Next go
to the WWIV Chain Editor. Enter the following information:

A. Name : ANSIView
B. Filename : ANSIVIEW.BAT %1
C. ...
D. ANSI : REQUIRED
E. DOS Inter: Used
F. ...

For FILENAME use whatever you named your batchfile. Make
sure you REQUIRE ANSI. Since it is an ANSI viewing door, it
makes sense that ANSI is required. Make CERTAIN DOS Interrupts
are set to be Used. This is vital to the operation of ANSIView.
Now, you must make certain that DSZ.COM or DSZ.EXE is either in
your PATH or in the ANSIVIEW directory. This is very important
for the Upload/Download options to be executed. Also, it is a
good idea to review the batch files that have been distributed,
and make sure they will operate with your system.


ANSIView v2.00 Requirements Page 2-2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ANSIView requires a small portion of system memory. If
there is not enough memory for ANSIView to function, try
Shrinking the BBS before executing ANSIView. ANSIView also
requires ANSI.SYS or some type of ANSI driver in the CONFIG.SYS.
This file interprets ANSI escape codes which are used for colors
and screen locating. Lastly, put MAINT.EXE into your daily
maintence batch file. This is VERY important, or your files will
never appear!. Maint will search the ANSI directory for .ANS
files, so make sure your files are in the .ANS format. When you
first install the door, it is a good idea to put the ansi's in
the dirs and then run MAINT manually, just to get the door up and
running. ANSIView also requires World War IV BBS Software (WWIV)
v4.xx. ANSIView has been tested using WWIV v4.11, so there are
no guarantees about previous versions.


ANSIView v2.00 Operating The Door Page 3-1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The operation of ANSIView was designed with simplicity in
mind. Pop-Up windows, on-line help, and a friendly environment
are a key to making ANSIView "User Friendly". Many software
packages do not keep the user in mind, and develope very
complicated routines, and the user must take hours reading over
the 300 page document. We try to avoid that, but still have the
power of a complicated software package. From the category menu,
there are not that many choices available. You either type the
number of the category, hit N to display more categories (if
available), or hit Q to return to the system. The next menu you
will encounter is the ANSI viewing menu. From here you can
select the number of the ANSI you would like to view, hit N and
view more ANSI's (if available), hit O and bring up the Options
menu, or return to the system by pressing Q.

The Options menu will appear in the right-hand corner of the
screen, after pressing O. Here is where some of the main
features are encountered. By selecting an option, you can Upload
an ANSI, Download one of your favorite ANSI's, Select a New
Category, Jump to an ANSI number, or return to the ANSI menu.

If you selected to Upload an ansi, it will first prompt you
for the ANSI's filename. This is very important. Next, another
menu will appear with protocols. The SysOp should have reviewed
the batch files, and made certain they will operate for his
system.

If you decided you would like to have a copy of one of the
ANSI's, and you selected Download, then it will prompt you for
the ANSI NUMBER, not the ANSI Filename. And then it will show
you a protocol menu, and you can begin or abort your transfer.

ANSIView v2.00 SysOp's Commands Page 3-2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There aren't a whole lot of SysOp commands. One of the most
important SysOp commands is the Z key. You can press Z from
either the Select a Category menu or the Select an ANSI menu. Z
will put you in the Category editor. The Category editor is very
much like the WWIV BoardEdit. So you should be able to figure it
out.

The only other SysOp command is the !. If you press ! from
the Select an ANSI menu, it will bring a menu up for you to
delete an ANSI. This could be for an ANSI that you find
inappropriate, or any other reason you might have for not wanting
that ANSI.



ANSIView v2.00 Trouble Shooting Page 4-1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have any problems, do one of the following:

1) Read over the DOCs FULLY
2) Make sure all batch files are correct and in the correct
place
3) Look over the setup in WWIV Chain Edit and make sure you
have DOS INTERRUPTS ON. And maybe try Shrinking the BBS


If you still encounter problems, please contact me, you can
contact me one of these ways:

1) Call my BBS (Number at end of DOCS)
2) E-Mail me through NuclearNET 1@15002
3) Send me mail through the US Postal Service:

Bryan D. Napier
c/o CSPI - ANSIView v2.00
560 Cardinal Drive
Pasadena, Md. 21122

I would suggest #1-#2, since they are the fastest. But, if
you wanna pay the $.29 and mail it, or if you are LD from my BBS.

Go ahead. Please, if you call or mail, tell me if you have a
registered or non-registered version of ANSIView.


ANSIView v2.00 Registration Page 5-1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is where I try to get you to give me money for the many
hours I have worked for the development of the program and these
fine documents :-). Registration will knock out that annoying
pause at the beginning of the program, and will entitle you to
registration of all versions after 2.00. You will also get
updates from CSPI on new software releases. All in all, it is a
damn good deal for a measly $5. If you can't scrounge up the
dough, see if your users can help ya out! They have helped me
out more than once!

----------------------------------------------------------------
Please complete the following form in PRINT fully and completely
and mail to the below address
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Name (Last, First) _____________________________________________

Street Address ________________________________________________

City ____________________________________________________

State (2 Letter) _______

Area Code ___________

Phone Number (No Area Code) _______ - ______________

BBS Name ______________________________________________________

BBS Number (_____) _____ - _________


WWIVnet Node ________________

WWIVlink Node _________________

Please Check One of the Following Disk Types:

[ ] 5 1/4" [ ] 3 1/2"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
002 ANSIView v2.00 5.00

The above is for OUR information. No completion
needed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[ ] I would like to get CSPI Program Update information in the
mail.

_______________________________________ _______________________

Signature Date

The above signed hereby states that he/she will obey the
copyright laws of the state of Maryland, and not distribute the
REGISTERED copy of ANSIView. If the above signed breaks the
copyright laws, he/she will be prosecuted to the fullest extent
of the law.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Copy and mail the above form to:

Bryan D. Napier
c/o CSPI - ANSIView v2.00
560 Cardinal Drive
Pasadena, Md. 21122


Please call the CSPI Support Board:

-= House of Pain BBS | (410) 437-0584 | SysOp Equilizer =-
-= Home of CSPI | NuclearNET @15002 =-